Heat Pumps Today

Info www.les.mitsubishielectric.co.uk www.acrjournal.uk/heat-pumps 29 N E T Z E R O to be generated – as well as protecting equipment from ongoing wear and tear. This enables building managers to have an ‘open-door policy’ for retail spaces, without compromising on energy eciency. Providing year-round comfort Alongside heating, it can also be helpful to consider energy ecient ways of cooling a retail space. Cooling is particularly important in the retail sector, as it can otherwise be dicult to regulate the inside temperature of stores and provide a year- round comfortable experience for shoppers. Technology such as commercial chillers oer an energy-ecient way of cooling a building, as they use chilled water to absorb heat from the building, keeping stores at the most comfortable temperature at any given time. They also use far less energy than standard air conditioning units by circulating water from outside sources, providing a cost- eective way of keeping stores cool all- year round. Heat recovery air conditioning systems like Mitsubishi Electric’s City Multi VRF outdoor units can also provide simultaneous heating and cooling to a building by extracting heat from air drawn from the outside. They can also be connected to up to 50 indoor units, including ceiling cassettes, floor standing and wall mounted types, meaning they are ideal for medium and large retail applications. A key example of this was the installation of several of City Multi units in Matalan’s flagship store on Oxford Street, which has been able to provide energy-ecient cooling to the store by distributing surplus heat from cooling operations, resulting in energy savings of up to 30%. Prioritising health and wellbeing While energy ecient heating and cooling solutions have a significant part to play in helping the retail sector meet future carbon reduction targets, installers and project managers must also focus on the provision of good indoor air quality. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of ventilating indoor spaces, and the impact of poor-quality air on our health. With the level of pollutants indoors up to five times higher than outdoors, spaces such as shopping centres are at particular risk of poor air quality if the provision of ventilation and fresh air isn’t prioritised. Both air conditioning and ventilation are hugely important for improving indoor air quality in retail spaces. Solutions like mechanical ventilation with heat recovery technology, for example, can provide energy ecient fresh air for indoor spaces by extracting stale air from the inside while retaining the energy used to heat the building - providing a constant supply of fresh air to customers, while also maximising energy eciency. While installing an entirely new air conditioning system can add disruption for both shoppers and employees, bolt-on air purifying devices can be easily added to existing air conditioning units. These significantly improve indoor air quality by neutralising key indoor air pollutants, including viruses, bacteria and allergens. Their bolt-on capability also means that the device is quick and easy to install, oering a cost-eective, convenient solution for installers while also ensuring a comfortable experience for shoppers all year-round. With buildings increasingly having to adapt their spaces in line with strict regulations and ambitious climate change targets, it’s important that the retail sector is not left behind. However, with the right equipment and technology, senior decision-makers, installers and project managers can ensure that their buildings are future-proofed against net zero targets for years to come - without compromising on the customer experience and overall comfort levels. James Harman, Business Development Manager at Mitsubishi Electric