Rapid Climate Control has developed a solution to this dilemma, with its Easy Fit air conditioning units. The units are intended to cost-effectively bridge the gap between portable air conditioning equipment and fully installed systems.
John Dempsey, joint managing director of the manufacturer believes that this type of product will play a key role in the future installation market. "Easy Fit products fulfil a gap in the market that has existed for many years. Namely, how to provide cooling and heating in applications where a standard installed system is not an option – possibly because of the perceived high installation costs or major disruption – and portable units do not offer an adequate long-term solution," he explains.
"They represent an excellent business opportunity for electrical installers, as previously air conditioning has been an area from which many of them may have been excluded," says Dempsey.
Easy Fit products are all-in-one units that need only two holes to be drilled into an external wall and a standard 13 A electricity supply to power them. "The need for pipework and condensers on the outside of the building is completely removed, with discreet grilles the only clue to the presence of the equipment," explains Dempsey. "This feature makes them especially suitable for buildings where planning restrictions are in force as there is minimal change to the external appearance of the building."
One area where this type of product is experiencing rapid growth is in hotel bedrooms. "It is not suitable to use portable air conditioning products in this type of application, while the retro-fitting of a major permanent system could put rooms out of use for a long period, so losing valuable revenue for the hotel," says Dempsey. "Easy Fit products therefore represent an ideal option as they are compact, aesthetically pleasing, and multiple units can be fitted in a day, which can be cooling only or cooling and heating depending on the requirements of the application."
Hotels do not represent the only way forward however, as suitable applications for this type of product include offices, portable buildings and conservatories.
In one major installation, Easy Fit climate control units are being used with conventional air conditioning systems to provide a comfortable working environment for office staff at Oxford Building Services (OBS), the specialist construction unit of Oxford City Council.
With OBS operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, a system that could cope with the most extreme temperatures of hot summer days and cold winter nights was required. Rapid Unico Easy Fit systems have been fitted in the facility's smaller offices and meeting rooms.
Dempsey predicts that new legislation will also play a part in the growth in specification of such products: "The ease of installation and flexibility of Easy Fit units means that they are ideal for retrofit and new build and it is likely that their presence will increase further as air conditioning becomes an expectation rather than a luxury. This is especially the case in new builds where the Building Regulations stipulate the use of heat-retaining glass, which in summer creates the problem of getting rid of excess heat.
"The attraction to the end-user is that Easy Fit units are fitted and operate independently, so they can schedule installations to suit their budget, with units being installed either one at a time or simultaneously as required."
Added to the growth in demand is a substantial profit potential predicts Dempsey: "With each unit typically taking around a couple of hours to install, m&e contractors can expect to enjoy a profit of around £450 per unit."
Source
Electrical and Mechanical Contractor
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