MHI for Commercial use

Offices - Office Buildings - Shops/Retail Stores - Restaurants - Hotels - Other

Office Buildings
Good reasons for installing air conditioning/heat pump systems in office building: Efficient means of providing heating as well as cooling.

• Most potential tenants will not be interested in an office building which does not have some form of air conditioning.

• All plant is located outside, allowing maximum possible lettable area.

• Any office with IT equipment and office machinery will require some form of cooling.

• All office buildings require heating.

• All new buildings must comply with Part ‘L’ Building Regulations.

• Staff will become intolerant of hot, stuffy, humid, working environments.

• Customers/clients attending meetings or presentations will have the same objections.

New Buildings & Refurbished Buildings Office Blocks, Business Parks, and other commercial sites will normally include air conditioning in the specification.
Smaller buildings can be air conditioned using multiples of individual split systems, but very often this is not ideal.

Mitsubishi manufactures VRF Multi Systems for these larger applications (KX and KXR type). These systems consist of multiples of indoor units connected to several outdoor units (maximum ratio is 16 to 1). This allows individual and open plan areas to be efficiently air conditioned, for both cooling and heating requirements. Cooling only operation is also available. All connections are by small diameter copper piping, which can be installed in risers and through ceiling voids.
It is also possible to alter the system layout if partitions are required to be moved, but it is important to make allowances for this at the design stage.

There are basically two types of VRF System:
KX - where all connected internal units operate on cooling, or on heating.
KXR - where cooling or heating can be provided at any internal unit at any time. The KXR system also incorporates energy saving, whereby unwanted heat is removed from warm areas, and is transferred through the refrigerant medium to cool areas which require heating; for example, rooms on the north and south side of a building.

Shops/Retails Stores
Most modern shops have air conditioning/heat pump systems fitted. These are normally single systems (for a small shop – up to 40m2), several systems for larger shop premises (guide: one system per 40m2 ), and multiple modular systems for large stores and retail sheds.

Cassette units are a very cost effective means of providing high performance cooling and heating systems, without the high cost of air distribution ductwork. They fit neatly into suspended ceilings or solid ceilings, and are very easy to maintain and service.

Mitsubishi FDT Cassette systems can be linked together on one remote control, rather than have many controllers spread around the premises. It is possible to connect up to 16 systems on one remote controller.

Concealed systems are more expensive to install because of the additional cost of air distribution ductwork. However, the shop designer may prefer special decorative air grilles or linear diffusers on view, rather than cassette units, which may not blend with the decorative finish.

FD Multi-Systems.
Mitsubishi manufacture multi-systems suitable for larger area convenience stores and retail outlets (>50m2). A multi system consists of one large outdoor unit connected to two, three, or four indoor units. This removes the cost of having one outdoor unit for every indoor unit, and all the associated costs of additional pipe connections and external power supplies.

Large stores and retail sheds can be fitted with a number of FD Multi-Systems, which are a very cost effective means of providing high levels of cooling and heating.

Restaurants
Restaurants need to have a comfortable environment for the satisfaction of their clients. If the environment is too cold, or too hot, or too humid, this can spoil the enjoyment of the occasion. Adequate ventilation (air change) must also be provided, in order to remove cooking smells, and tobacco smoke.

It is important the correct types of indoor units are selected, and they are installed in locations which do not cause nuisance draughts, blowing cold air on to customers. It is preferable to locate the air discharge from an air conditioning unit more than 2.5 metres away from any customer, so ceiling Cassette or Ducted units are more appropriate than a wall unit mounted just above a customer’s head.

We would recommend our experienced engineers to carry out a survey, and calculate the cooling and heating requirements of the restaurant area. There are many variables to consider: ventilation requirements, lighting, number of covers, door opening frequency, air migration to/from kitchen area, electrical equipment (coffee machines, etc.).

Chalian Corporation has supplied thousands of air conditioning systems which are installed in restaurants.

Hotels
Two areas of application: 1) bedrooms, 2) public areas & meeting rooms.

Bedrooms
Most modern hotels have air conditioning fitted to client bedrooms. The client requirements for room temperature can vary enormously, especially if they have just arrived from overseas. Traffic noise and security issues mean that bedroom windows are kept shut, so air conditioning is essential to provide a comfortable environment for guests.

A small number of rooms can be air conditioned at low cost using SRK type wall split systems. These will have individual control, and can provide simple cooling and heating operations.

Larger hotels will require VRF systems, where one outdoor unit can be connected to 16 (max.) indoor units. So that a 200 bedroom hotel would have approximately 14 outdoor units. All of these can be individually controlled, and can be turned off if the room is unoccupied. VRF systems have variable speed compressors (the primary drive of the heating/cooling system) which allow energy saving at part load conditions. The variable speed is controlled by an INVERTER in the outdoor unit, dependent on the combined demand of the connected indoor units.

Chalian Corporation Engineers can assist with the selection and layout of systems for hotel bedrooms, the routing of connecting pipework, drainage of condensate water from internal units, and control schemes to suit the client’s requirements.

PC Windows based control systems can be linked, in order to ensure energy is not wasted in unoccupied rooms, and set-back and group control can be changed easily. Key card switches can be integrated into the room unit control function, in order to save energy.

Meeting Rooms

Small rooms (< 8 people) can be air conditioned with a small wall mounted system, or ducted system, or floor mounted unit. Larger rooms would require FDT Cassette or FDUR Ducted systems, depending on their size, and the type of construction.

Public Areas
Bars, restaurants, reception area, fitness centre, lounge, all require heating, and are especially welcoming in a hot humid summer if they are fitted with air conditioning.

Heat pump systems are ideal for these locations; FDT Cassette, and FDUR Ducted systems are the most suitable for these open plan areas. Larger areas may require VRF systems, if there is a very mixed requirement for hating and cooling in different zones. 3D technical staff will be able to advise on this.

Other Applications

• Doctors Surgeries Fitness gyms

• Dentists Night Clubs

• Health clinics Cinemas

• Hospitals Lecture rooms

• Nursing homes Veterinary practices

• Beauty treatment rooms Snooker halls

• Public houses Casinos

• Fast food premises Leisure & Entertainment premises