Long-term cost saving is one of the obvious benefits of investing in efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. Sometimes, however, the full financial benefit doesn’t become apparent until a project is underway.
This was the case when 361 Degrees upgraded the mechanical services of an office block on Birmingham’s Great Charles Street, unlocking an entire floor of additional space in the process.
Working alongside contractor Avondale, we designed a system that required significantly less plant room, allowing the owner to refurbish the area and lease it to paying customers.
The extra revenue was an unexpected bonus of a complicated project that saw the 361 Degrees team install Mitsubishi VRF heat recovery systems, retain existing ductwork for the fresh air ventilation system, and install a shower room.
Contracts Manager Oliver Green, who took the lead on the project, described it as a particularly challenging piece of work because it combined many aspects of mechanical engineering over eight storeys, all while working around existing occupants.
“There were three tenants spread over different floors, but we were able to keep the building running with hot water, heating and ventilation throughout the winter,” he explained.
The building’s water-chilled fan coil units were dated and inefficient, while the heater batteries provided no heat recovery. The new fully efficient system recovers at least 70% of the heat, cutting waste and running costs. Existing ductwork would ordinarily be stripped out, but the team reduced the cost of the installation by retaining it.
For more information and to see images of the Great Charles Street project, take a look at our case study.
