The first UK installation of Carrier’s new ultra-low Global Warming Potential (GWP) AquaForce 30XAV chiller operating on the company’s PUREtec HFO R-1234ze refrigerant, has been completed at Gatwick Airport Ltd. Selected as a replacement for an ageing air-cooled screw chiller, the project is part of a major upgrade at Jubilee House, the administrative offices of Gatwick Airport Ltd.
Carrier, a pioneer in high-technology heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration solutions, is a part of Carrier, a global provider of innovative heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC), refrigeration, fire, security and building automation technologies.
Reducing carbon emissions by 50 percent
The chiller’s excellent efficiency results in a significantly lower carbon footprint and lower running costsCarrier’s AquaForce 30XAV with Greenspeed Intelligence was selected by Gatwick Airport Ltd as a solution to help meet the airport’s strict environmental policy, set out in its Decade of Change vision and Cooling Strategy beyond 2020. The new policy includes goals to transition away from high GWP refrigerants and targets to reduce carbon emissions by 50 percent, energy consumption by 20 per cent, and securing 25 per cent of its energy from renewable sources.
The chiller uses refrigerant R-1234ze with a GWP rating of less than 1, has low sound output and high resilience due to its dual refrigeration circuit. Carrier’s Greenspeed Intelligence system delivers high efficiency by precisely matching cooling output with the load using a fine-control inverter.
This optimizes efficiency particularly at part load conditions, which represents the majority of the time in the UK. The chiller’s excellent efficiency results in a significantly lower carbon footprint and lower running costs over its operational lifetime.
outstanding environmental performance
Based on ultra-low GWP refrigerant R-1234ze, the new Carrier chiller delivers in relation to both efficiency and carbon"Jack Hartland, principal mechanical engineer at Gatwick Airport, said “We have set ambitious targets for the environmental performance of all aspects of Gatwick’s operations, and the energy efficiency and carbon status of our buildings are key elements. Based on ultra-low GWP refrigerant R-1234ze, the new Carrier chiller delivers in relation to both efficiency and carbon, and has helped us achieve the outstanding environmental performance our strategy requires.”
The chiller is designed for flexibility in such replacement projects, with a compact footprint and variable configurations of water pipework that can be matched to existing connections. At Gatwick, the built-in chiller control interface was linked into the building management system, giving high-level control and helping to minimize energy consumption.
The chiller was installed by SPIE UK, which carried out the crane lift and chiller replacement at night due to ongoing activities within the building and surrounding busy airport during the day. The chiller is protected by Carrier’s Super Enviro-Shield condenser coating, and includes a five-year extended warranty.