Air Conditioning For Commercial Premises At Street Level

The air conditioning of offices and commercial premises at street level presents different challenges from those of other spaces. It has to face specific problems and respond to the requirements of the proprietary companies that carry out their commercial activity in the building. So it must satisfy the expectations not only of the employees but also those of the customers.

Characteristics of the air conditioning installations of offices and commercial premises

The air conditioning installation of a commercial office at street level, such as a bank branch, an insurance office, etc., is much more demanding than it might seem at first analysis.

If we compare it with the air conditioning of a high-rise office building or rooms in a hotel, the air conditioning of premises at street level must overcome some common problems, such as:

  • Frequent opening and closing of doors.
  • Variable occupation throughout the day and on the different days of the week.
  • Occupation by people generally on the move.
  • Multiple differentiated spaces.
  • Greater glazed surfaces.
  • The orientation of spaces in multiple directions.
  • High ventilation rates for air renewal.
  • Frequent starts (especially demanding winter starts).
  • Little space available for the location of outdoor units.
  • Distances or unevenness between the space occupied by the outdoor units and the premises.

Attention must be paid to a large number of details, especially in the project planning phase (and later in the execution of the installation work). Good planning will ensure the proper functioning of the system and that the equipment will be enough to achieve and maintain the desired comfort conditions, in any circumstances.

Requirements of a good installation

In general terms, we can say that a good air conditioning installation for a commercial office at street level will be one capable of:

Ensuring the best possible experience: This point has become fundamental for many companies that operate in premises at street level. The customer is central in everything that is offered, and that constitutes part of the “customer experience” – the finishes, materials and colours, design, lighting, air fresheners and of course the air conditioning.

Offering employees optimal working conditions: When approaching office air conditioning projects, the thermal and acoustic comfort and indoor air quality, in each of the office areas and open spaces, are also a requirement to offer a comfortable working environment.

It is a very desirable goal to achieve a productive environment with satisfied employees, which is already so important for many companies that it is certified by various means, such as the WELL Core and Shell standard, which considers among other aspects the following:

  • Structure and proportions of the building.
  • Window location and glazing.
  • Mains water quality.
  • Cooling, ventilation and heating systems.
  • Reduced energy consumption.

The installation should also have a minimal impact on the operating costs of the business: not a minor point, since depending on the type of air conditioning technology used, the consumption of the systems can vary up to 40{e5f06bb3c3f21f246bdefd9fa0e7c5d7633d997998054119ff3d0aceead69a7e}, and we are talking about one of the main systems of energy consumption in commercial premises.

As with any long-term construction investment, it pays to consult experts like https://sub-cool-fm.co.uk regarding the design, installation, and environmental impact of any air conditioning system proposed.