Underfloor air conditioning provides solution for building refurbishment

Published: May 2009

By requiring a floor void only 200 mm deep, AET’s PleinAir VAV underfloor air-conditioning system is well suited to refurbishment projects with limited ceiling heights.

To meet the particular requirements of refurbishment projects, Advanced Ergonomic Technologies has launched an all-air VAV underfloor air-conditioning systems

. The PleinAir ductless terminal system provides air conditioning via a floor plenum that need be only 200 mm deep, suiting it to refurbishment projects where height limitations prevent the installation of deep ceiling voids.

One of PleinAir’s key selling points is the delivery of free cooling when used with roof-mounted all-air central plant. Free cooling is available when the ambient temperature is less than 15°C — 80% of the year, on average, in western Europe.

High-induction floor grilles provide up to 16 different air patterns of varying intensity via moveable passive tile units (PTUs) with a low terminal pressure of 7 to 12.5 Pa. PleinAir is said to be one of the most energy-efficient cooling systems available, with a reduction in running costs of 14% compared to a conventional fan-coil system.

PTUs can easily be moved to cope with office churn. The system works like displacement ventilation, with hot air accumulating above head height and extracted. This approach reduces the cooling requirement of air supplied to the space.

In heating mode, PleinAir heats room air before introducing it back into the space.

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