Energy savings up on the roof

AHU & Rooftop Product Manager
CIAT

VectiosPowerTM on R-454B

CIAT's approach to refrigerants

Lee Jenkins-Skinner, CIAT AHU and Rooftop Product Manager, highlights the benefits of rooftop air conditioning units and introduces its new Vectios™ RPJ/RIJ on R-454B range, designed for optimum energy efficiency.

Traditionally, air conditioning units were designed to be installed at ground-level with an outdoor unit, containing the compressor, condenser coil and expansion coil, and an indoor unit, comprising a cooling coil, a blower and an air filter.

While this method is still widely used in commercial buildings today, look skyward and there is a whole new world of potential for air conditioning up on the roof.

Benefits of rooftop units

As the name suggests, a rooftop unit (RTU) is a self-contained unit that is normally installed on the rooftop of a commercial building. Like conventional systems, the purpose of RTUs is to distribute conditioned air within defined areas of a building. Connected to ductwork, RTUs provide a defined route for delivery of conditioned air into the occupied space.

The technology is popular for retail, logistics and other commercial applications as RTUs are simple, compact, as well as easy and cost-effective to install. But there are a number of other advantages to installing RTUs over conventional systems.

Firstly, the latest RTUs have a great range of energy efficient features that can help reduce a building’s carbon footprint. As they make excellent use of the outdoor climate to heat and cool buildings, they can also be highly cost-effective.

Secondly, positioned high up on the roof, RTUs can help save space. Since all the components are enclosed within the unit, they free up valuable ground space for other purposes, allowing every square foot of internal and external space to be utilised.

Versatility is another advantage. Their modular design allows quick and easy upgrading to suit the changing needs of a building – adding or removing modules to match current heating and cooling requirements.

Due to their location, rooftop units also minimise the intrusion of unwanted noise within the building as any sounds emitted stay outside, avoiding unnecessary distraction for building occupants.

Another benefit of placing the air conditioner on the roof is improved security. Rooftop units can be an added deterrent to theft and vandalism, and their elevated location also protects the mechanism from dirt, dust and other debris that may cause accidental damage.

All air conditioning systems require regular maintenance to ensure they remain in peak operating condition, but having a rooftop system makes it much more accessible for engineers without causing disruption to the day-to-day operation of a building.

Introducing the new Vectios™ range

As part of Carrier Global Corporation, CIAT is dedicated to providing healthy, safe, sustainable and intelligent building and cold chain solutions.

Last November, we launched a new range of Vectios™ rooftop air conditioning units operating on lower global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant R-454B, designed for optimum energy efficiency from the ground up.

To find out more about our new range of Vectios rooftop air conditioning units, visit https://ciat.uk.com/product/vectios-power-tm-r-454b/.

Lee Skinner

AHU & Rooftop Product Manager
CIAT