Fixed air conditioning in many older commercial buildings is struggling to cope with the increasing loads caused by a combination of seasonal temperature rises and extra cooling demands. However, with the credit crunch in full swing the cost of expanding the installed ac system may not be a priority.
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However, this is not just a problem of the future since increased building loads are already affecting indoor temperatures. Existing chiller and air conditioning plant might cope adequately in the winter months but struggle to cope once ambient temperatures start to rise on the outside. It is not just an increased building population that systems have to cope with but the greater use of heat generating business equipment and the installation of faster, more powerful servers. All these factors lead to an air conditioning system which is no longer fit for purpose, since the building’s initial heat load calculations have in some cases changed significantly. Warmer summers are going to cause even more distress unless something can be done to upgrade the installed air conditioning capacity.
Unfortunately, the current financial climate is driving some finance directors to batten down the hatches where budgets are concerned. This means that companies face the prospect of not having the available funding to redesign and re-install their air conditioning systems. Businesses that lease or rent buildings may face a particularly tricky decision to make regarding the investment in system replacement or upgrading. Tenants that are responsible for any upgrades to services in their building will have to think hard about investing in a new air conditioning system which will benefit the property owners in the long term, especially if there are only a few years left to run on the lease.
Meanwhile, according to recent research, Empty Property Rates (EPR) are currently paving the way for the future instability in non-residential property markets as property owners are increasingly turning to demolition to avoid paying rates while cutting back on future investment. This makes it more unlikely that landlords will be keen to come up with any funding to help with the upgrading of air conditioning in their buildings. The recent Empty Property Rates (PPR) Survey by Royal Institute of Chartered Surveryors (RICs) and Lambert Smith Hampton, cites an increase in the demolition of perfectly sound properties which looks set to to escalate over coming months thus leading to a shortage in commercial property once the economy turns around. In turn this will make it harder for tenants to turn to landlords for help in funding services upgrades.
Therefore companies need to consider carefully how to ensure their businesses aren’t affected detrimentally by an inadequate air conditioning system, since overheating could result in an uncomfortable and unproductive workforce and the greater threat of servers going down - bringing business to a standstill. In addition businesses are also having to face the challenges of complying with recent legislation since the R22 phase out and F-gas Regulation are both driving the procurement of new chillers. But what is the solution if the funding isn’t there…
Hiring a temporary chiller or air conditioning system can overcome all these problems and is a good solution for contractors to offer their clients. Hire equipment can ensure contractors maintain the integrity of the building’s air conditioning requirements, covering comfort cooling as well as conditions for computers and servers to continue to operate safely and reliably.
In fact, whilst hiring chillers or air conditioning is now relatively common place for dealing with short-term needs, it can also be a cost effective solution to a long-term requirement, as opposed to purchasing a new. This is key when capital may not be available for an outright purchase, but the client recognizes that not having adequate chilling or air conditioning capacity in a building would be detrimental to servers and business in general. For long-term rental as opposed to short term hire, specialist hire companies like Coolmation, will offer reduced rates depending on the anticipated rental period. All service and maintenance costs are usually included in the monthly rental, in effect, fixing the outgoings for the duration. In the current financial climate these fixed monthly costs are easier to swallow for a finance director than a huge capital expenditure and allow businesses to plan their outgoings in advance. Hire and rental costs are also tax deductable.
Choosing the right specialist hire company, rather than a plant hire outfit, is important. A chiller and air conditioning company with a hire division will have a thorough understanding of your needs and the experience to properly apply the temporary plant. The experienced supplier will also be able to give sound advice on the best solution for a particular project, purely and simply because they will have many years’ of applications knowledge and space cooling experience.
They will also be well placed to advise you on installation and safety issues, and on the ancillary equipment that’s needed to support the installation, such as circulating pumps, buffer tanks and air side equipment. Coolmation’s installation teams for example, include experienced air conditioning and chiller engineers and Coolmation has ISO 9001:2008, Refcom refrigerant handling and management and Safe Contractor accreditations. Our Chillers4Hire division offers a wide range of modern, reliable and energy efficient water chillers and air conditioning equipment to meet a wide range of applications and duties, all underpinned by 30 years in the business.
Beyond hire, Coolmation is also actively involved in supplying chillers for a number of on-going replacement projects. So when the time is right to purchase a new chiller we can offer contractors all the information they need on selecting the correct one to meet their client’s cooling needs, while also ensuring they meet the necessary building loads.
