Panasonic worked with experienced HVAC installer, CER Inst Ltd, and with John Hazelton, CER Managing Director to provide the ideal energy-efficient HVAC solution to these prestigious stores. The project design featured the use of a range of Panasonic cutting edge technology to overcome resistance from the incumbent product. Four Panasonic ECOi 3-pipe VRF units were incorporated into the design at Lakeside (totally capacity of the project was 195kW) and three ECOi 2-pipe VRF systems at the Milton Keynes store (total project capacity of 270kW. In addition to this, other key Panasonic technologies such as ERV units, cassette and ducted fancoils combined with the use of off coil temperature control and Panasonic’s unique and game changing nanoe™ X, to help inhibit harmful bacteria and viruses, all seamlessly controlled via Panasonic AC Smart Cloud centralised control.

The high-end retailer has a longstanding relationship with family run firm, CER Inst Ltd, which has in excess of 45 years’ experience within the HVAC sector. The prestigious retailer set out to find a 21st century solution for its 24,000 sqft store at Lakeside that not only provided a low carbon solution, energy efficiency, comfortable and healthy environment for its customers and staff alike but also supplied from a manufacturer that had a good reliable reputation for customer service, support and with spares supplied and readily available from within Europe and of course value for money.

CER specified the Panasonic ECOi 3-pipe VRF units combined with cassette, ducted fancoils and ERV units to provide the ideal solution for this new retail store to deliver a high energy-saving performance, powerful operation, reliability, and consistent comfort throughout the space.

Other unique Panasonic features such as off coil temperature control, nanoeTM X technology and AC Smart Cloud sealed the deal and ensured the Panasonic offering was head and shoulders above other installers offering competitor brands.

Another important aspect in the design of the project, is the tranquil air dire jet sock systems, which were fed from the Panasonic PAW 01 recuperator technology that has added DX coils for temperature control and provides a cost-effective fresh air and extract solution that was internally fitted to the rear wall and avoided a costly route to the roof.

These inflatable sock systems fed off the Panasonic PAW units to provide a perfect fresh air supply environment, which was evenly distributed throughout the whole store, avoiding expensive duct installations and further complemented with the socks dyed to the retailer corporate colours and to blend in with the colour scheme of the store. This design was then repeated at the Milton Keynes site.

John Hazelton, Managing Director and Founder of CER Inst Ltd commented, “Panasonic HVAC technology has made a real impact upon the UK market in recent years. We have been impressed with Panasonic’s performance compared to competitor brands currently on the market. Having worked alongside Panasonic distributor AMP for many years, we have been impressed with the support we receive, from the design phase, throughout the installation and aftercare support to be both reliable and efficient, making the decision to support a Panasonic solution an easy step to make.

The store at Lakeside was a completely new store and originally specified in 2019. CER worked with AMP and Panasonic on a bespoke system to address all the requirements that the retailer required. John further added, “The installation was not without its challenges and started in February 2020 but due to COVID-19 arriving on the scene in March – the project was delayed for approx. two months. The installation was completed in July with the new store opening in September 2020 with the high-end retailer enjoying impressive sales results despite the ongoing COVID restrictions at the time.”

As well as customer comfort, health and safety were equally paramount when it came to choosing the Panasonic system. The system has been fitted with nanoe™ X, a technology that collects invisible moisture in the air and applies a high voltage to it to produce “hydroxyl radicals contained in water.” Hydroxyl radicals inhibit the growth of pollutants such as certain bacteria and viruses. They are characterised by being strongly oxidative and highly reactive, hence a short life span. Contained in tiny water particles, nanoe™ X has a much longer lifespan and can spread over long distances. It has an inhibitory effect on both airborne and adhered substances with recent testing showing that nanoe™ X can inhibit certain types of bacteria and viruses, meaning the new Panasonic HVAC system could help protect customers and staff alike whilst in the store.

John added, “The high-end retailer has been impressed with CER Inst Ltd and the Panasonic installation at Lakeside which delivers extremely even temperatures throughout the retail space, resulting in the decision to specify and install the Panasonic systems into new stores in the future.”

The Milton Keynes project had different challenges, as is within a 1970’s building and for a much larger retail space of 30,000 sq ft– again a bespoke system was designed for the store but to deliver the same level of comfort and even temperature. As well as off coil control and nanoeTM X technology the installation also included the Panasonic AC Smart Cloud control system to further enhance the energy efficiency of the system. The AC cloud system allows remote multi-site monitoring and access to the system with automatic updates. John further commented, “We have been impressed with the Panasonic AC Smart Cloud technology and we are now looking at installing and specifying this solution at other client sites.”

The new Panasonic Smart Multi-site Control Solution, offers a dual approach: AC Smart Cloud is designed to be used by business owners and facilities or energy managers for remote control, reporting and scheduling, while the AC Service Cloud is an ideal solution for HVAC professionals requiring remote access to a system for maintenance and monitoring purposes. Easy to install and with a simple, user-friendly interface, the Smart Multi-site Control Solution is ideal for organisations wanting instant and comprehensive data of building or campus-wide (or even a global overview) HVAC systems.