New plant helps Royal Academy of Arts reduce energy consumption
To reduce energy and life-cycle costs, The Royal Academy of Arts in London has replaced aging air-conditioning and humidification plant with Hitachi Samurai chillers and Defensor Mk5 humidifiers from Walter Meier (Climate UK). They were specified by consulting engineers Peter Deer Associates and John Ellis, the academy’s environmental consultant.
John Pengilly of Peter Deer Associates, explains, ‘The existing direct-expansion cooling system and Defensor Mk3 steam humidifier had reached the end of their useful life and were no longer able to ensure the close environmental control required to protect the exhibits in the galleries.
‘In replacing them, we took the opportunity to improve energy efficiency and cost of ownership as well as increasing the resilience of the system.’
The two condenserless chillers are enclosed in stainless-steel enclosures on the roof and serve four of the 20 galleries through chilled-water coils in two new air-handling units per gallery. One Mk5 humidifier in each AHU injects steam into the supply air to maintain relative humidity to within ±5% of the set point.
Improved air distribution in the galleries has enabled air volumes to be reduced while maintaining required conditions — further reducing energy costs.
