Cool Designs Ltd- Experts & Thought Leaders

Cool Designs Ltd, the independent air conditioning and heat pump distributor, is expanding its technical and customer support team in response to continuing growth across the UK.  Clive Dearlove Clive Dearlove joins as Contracts Manager, with a particular focus on applied projects involving chillers and air source heat pumps. He will manage contracts from the point of order through to delivery, and provide after-sales technical support.  With 30 years of experience in the trade, including service with global brands, Clive has in-depth knowledge of all aspects of chiller and HVAC plant installation, servicing, application, and troubleshooting.  Nathan Ormson, Colin Reeves Nathan draws on his considerable experience across DX air conditioning technologies Nathan Ormson is appointed Technical Support Engineer and will act as a central hub for CDL's technical team. In the office-based role, Nathan draws on his considerable experience across DX air conditioning technologies and heads up CDL's technical support line, freeing up and supporting the company's three-strong technical team for customer site visits.   Colin Reeves joins as a Technical Pre-Sales Engineer to assist customers and CDL colleagues in selecting and applying Toshiba and Fujitsu VRF systems and applied equipment.  design and delivery of projects Darrel Birkett, CDL Managing Director, said, "The latest additions to the team further strengthen our ability to support customers in the design and delivery of outstanding projects across the full range of technologies, covering air conditioning, ventilation, applied systems, and heat pumps."  He added, "The range of equipment options we offer, from leading brands, such as Toshiba, Carrier, CIAT, and Fujitsu, lends themselves to integrated projects involving several technologies." efficiency optimization Darrel Birkett continues, "As the drive to net zero accelerates, supporting customers with total solutions that dovetail seamlessly will be increasingly important." He adds, "Our expanded technical support team has the skills and knowledge to do this, with benefits for installers and end users looking to optimize efficiency and reduce carbon."  new branch CDL recently opened a major new branch at Holmes Chapel, near Crewe. The facility, located near the M6, includes a showroom, offices, workshop, and conference center, plus an additional 11,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space, enabling CDL to increase stocks and further enhance support for its rapidly growing customer base. The move and appointments are the latest milestones in a journey that has seen CDL develop from being a small NE regional air conditioning supplier in 2003 to a national distributor with a turnover approaching £30 million, supporting customers across the UK.

Kepier School's phased transition to low-carbon CIAT heating technologies has delivered generous energy savings within a year of installation. CIAT worked with partners to initiate the school’s journey to net zero in 2022, returning to measure performance and optimize the system. CIAT is a part of Carrier Global Corporation, a global pioneer in intelligent climate and energy solutions. New high-efficiency heat emitters CIAT worked with BREng Hull Ltd, AA Projects, Quora Group, and Cool Designs Ltd to create a phased decarbonization plan for Kepier School in Northeast England, aided by the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF). Recognizing the challenges faced by many schools, Oliver Sanders, Carrier Commercial HVAC Director, United Kingdom, and Ireland, said, "For schools with new gas boilers aiming to reach net zero, it's most cost-effective to integrate them into a modernized heating infrastructure, ready for the next transition phase to heat pumps when the boilers reach end-of-life." Project featured a heating audit The project involved a heating audit identifying the need for new high-efficiency heat emitters The project involved a heating audit identifying the need for new high-efficiency heat emitters. Conventional radiators were replaced with seven surface-mounted high-level CIAT MajorLine and 31 CIAT COADIS fan coil units (FCUs). The seven gas boilers installed in 2019 were integrated into the new system's infrastructure, enabling them to be replaced as required to improve system efficiency and cost savings. Sizeable energy savings A subsequent review revealed sizeable energy savings. Gas usage was compared before and after the pandemic to avoid skewed data due to COVID-19 school closures. Findings revealed an 8.6% reduction of 2,824 m3 (~31,446.41 kWhr) from March 2022 to March 2023 compared to the period from March 2019 to March 2020. This achievement reduced the school’s carbon footprint and resulted in an 8% annual cost saving of ~£800 (average based on gas price fluctuations between March 2019-2020 and March 2022-2023). CIAT project partners BREng Hull  CIAT project partners BREng Hull and installer Quora Group returned to the school to optimize system operating gains Following commission, CIAT project partners BREng Hull and installer Quora Group returned to the school to optimize system operating gains.  "The process doesn’t stop once a solution has been designed, installed, and commissioned," said Rob Smelt, Managing Director of BREng Hull, adding "Experience shows that there are often significant additional gains to be made by optimizing the system in light of its real-world operation." The inspection revealed that some areas were imbalanced while others operated at sub-optimal temperatures. These issues were addressed to improve occupant comfort and reduce energy use and running costs. Carrier’s 2030 ESG Goal "The comfort level has improved significantly," said Brian Dixon, Kepier School Estates Manager, adding "We already gained control over specific rooms and areas, as opposed to the old ‘on or off’ heating system, and the latest work seems to have improved things even more. Future phases in our decarbonization plan will yield even greater energy and cost savings for the school." BREng Hull worked closely with equipment supplier Cool Designs Ltd during the scoping and specification stages, supported by CIAT application specialists. Projects like these contribute to Carrier’s 2030 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Goal of reducing its customers’ carbon footprint by more than one gigaton.

Cool Designs Ltd, the UK's major independent air conditioning distributor, has opened a major new branch at Holmes Chapel near Crewe, in the latest stage of the company's ongoing expansion plans.  new facility The new facility, located near the M6, includes a showroom, offices, workshop, and conference center, plus an additional 11,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space, enabling CDL to increase equipment stocks and further enhance support for its rapidly growing customer base in the Midlands and South of England.  Alongside this, the company's Warrington branch will become a dedicated air conditioning and heat pump training center and equipment testing facility. The Toshiba, Carrier, CIAT, and Fujitsu distributors have also taken on new sales, office support, and warehouse staff to cater to continuing growth. VRF system and heat exchangers Toshiba VRF system and heat exchangers, ensuring heating and cooling running costs and carbon emissions The new Holmes Chapel site has been equipped with a high-efficiency Toshiba VRF system and heat exchangers, ensuring heating and cooling running costs and carbon emissions for the building are minimized.  Darrel Birkett, CDL's Managing Director, said, "The new site gives us rapid access to the national road network to speed delivery times to customers. With four dedicated delivery vehicles based here, we can serve a wide area very efficiently."  national distributor Darrel Birkett adds, "It's also a great location for customers to visit our new showroom and conference center, enabling us to host events in-house."  The move is the latest milestone in a journey that has seen CDL develop from being a small NE regional air conditioning supplier in 2003 to a leading national distributor with a turnover of £28 million, supporting customers across the UK.  chillers, AHUs, and heat pumps It has recently expanded from its core area in VRF and split systems into larger applied equipment, such as chillers, air handling units, and heat pumps, providing further impetus for growth.  Key to the company's success has been its customer-centric approach. "From the start, our approach has been to be customer-led. This means listening to what contractors want, and not trying a force a solution on them that doesn't meet requirements, just because it's the easy option," says Darrel Birkett.  technical training The company took its training on the road to cater to demand, working with classroom-based courses An important part of this is CDL's technical training, designed to equip installers to complete projects and service equipment to the highest standards.  This spring, the company took its training on the road to cater to demand, working in tandem with its highly regarded classroom-based courses. This is being extended shortly to include applied products, to support the growing number of large-scale projects underway.  low-carbon solutions Darrel Birkett continues, "The move to decarbonize heating and cooling across the national estate is gathering momentum. We see a bright future for those willing to embrace the changes and come up with creative and effective low-carbon solutions." He concludes, "We have an outstanding portfolio, and with recent acquisitions by key suppliers such as Carrier and related product expansion, our potential customer outreach has never been greater.”