Ability EC/DC Fan Coil Units Selected for ‘the Best Office Building Outside London'

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Ability Projects Ltd, Wimborne, Dorset, is supplying of over 750 fan coil units to the landmark Colmore Plaza office complex, Birmingham, developed by Abstract Land on behalf of the Carlyle Group at a cost of £155 million and due for completion early next year.

Billed as ‘the best office building outside London’, the 13 storey Colmore Plaza is designed internally to City of London Grade ‘A’ standards and will add almost 310,000ft2 of much needed office accommodation in the most sought after heart of Birmingham. Each storey will have the capacity to be split between 4 separate tenants and a typical layout could provide cellular offices for 63 personnel plus open plan space for a further 52 – alternatively, cellular office space for 8 plus open plan layout for 204 personnel.

Ability’s fan coil units, installed by Derry Building Services, Newark, Notts, are 4 pipe Trojan 270 chassis types with capacities of 4.7kW (cooling) and 1.7kW (heating), are located in false ceilings and ducted to ceiling level linear strip diffusers, which deliver conditioned air to the office areas.

The Trojan 270 fan coil unit utilise the latest electrically commutated infinitely speed variable, high efficiency EC motor technology and offer significant advantages to the customer in terms of both efficiency and controllability. Increases in UK electricity cost and the unit’s ability to provide substantial reductions in energy consumption and running costs make it particularly attractive for use in commercial heating and air conditioning projects. At a typical fan coil duty point, an Ability EC/DC controlled unit will reduce electrical input by between 50 and 60% and will draw about 50W as against the 110W of a comparable AC type.

The unit is also fitted with a purpose designed condensate high level alarm incorporating a new type of sensor, which uses light refraction to determine if standing water is present in the condensate tray. Since the system is devoid of floats or probes, it is far less prone to lime scale or contaminant build up that can result in eventual failure. The Colmore Plaza fan coil units also feature Trend IQL-II controls plus special isolating switches and flying electrical leads. Noise levels are set at NR38.

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