S4C is a relatively new customer for JCW. We began maintaining one of their buildings in Cardiff in 2018 and immediately forged a strong working relationship with the building management team there.

Since then, the lease on the building was extended so S4C naturally came to us to investigate and recommend a new heating and cooling system for their office space. It needed to provide longevity, greater reliability, more flexibility and of course, to be more energy efficient.

In our latest case study we show how new technology installed to an older building can help meet current regulations as well as provide a system which is far more versatile for the end user.

S4C

S4C is the fourth oldest television channel in the United Kingdom and the first to aim specifically at a Welsh speaking audience. S4C reflects the diversity of society in Wales and aims to be available to everybody in Wales, across the UK and where possible, on a worldwide basis.

Having recently renewed their lease on one of their office buildings in Cardiff, S4C wanted to improve the performance and efficiency of their heating and cooling system to provide a comfortable environment within the premises. To ensure longevity of a new system, they were keen to look towards new technology to provide the performance they were looking for.

Investing in new technology to stay compliant

With the regulations around refrigeration tightening, our main focus was ensuring that we offered a solution that complies with British Standard EN378. We concluded that the Mitsubishi Hybrid VRF would be the best way forward.

With this office requiring cooling in some areas and heating in others, even in adjacent rooms, the Mitsubishi City Multi Heat Recovery R2 system met these requirements. The system distributes surplus heat from cooling operations (and vice versa) to rooms where it is needed. This efficiency could result in energy savings of more than 30% over the existing conventional system.

JCW’s Mission

The work was scheduled to be completed over 4 phases. The first involved the installation of one outdoor unit running 9 ducted indoor units, servicing a large open plan area and 5 individual offices.

Once our HVAC engineers from Cardiff had stripped the old R407C system out, our Royston project team were called in to begin the new installation with 5 weeks until the commissioning date was due.

Key facts

Manufacturer Chosen: Mitsubishi

System: City Multi R2 H-VRF

Timescale: 5 weeks

The challenges

Our main priority was to keep disruption to a minimum as some of the offices were occupied and the television channel were broadcasting, so we had to ensure we remained quiet.

We also did not want to risk any hot works for fear of an alarm and subsequent evacuation, so we chose to use specialist crimping tools to connect the barrier pipework.

Not much work was required out of hours which kept the overall cost of the project down for the customer who was kept informed of the progress throughout the completion of the works.

Commissioning has taken place, with the support of Mitsubishi, to ensure the work has met their understandably, high standards. As a Mitsubishi Diamond Quality Partner our work is rigorously examined to ensure we adhere to and exceed the highest standards in the industry covering installation and commissioning.

Training has taken place with the staff on how to get the best out of the system. With our customer satisfied, we now have approval to complete the final 3 stages in one which will be a far larger project, taking approximately 3 months to complete.

Mitsubishi Electric

“Mitsubishi Electric’s unique HVRF (Hybrid VRF) system is the modern alternative to traditional methods of heating and cooling, offering unmatched performance and simultaneous heating and cooling with heat recovery.”

Conclusion

The new H-VRF systems are ideal for larger buildings to enable them to meet regulations. Water replaces refrigerant within the building which reduces the amount of refrigerant required within the system which saves on cost, especially with the vast increase in refrigerant cost over the last couple of years. No leak detection tests will be required which will also reduce future maintenance costs.

We were delighted to have been chosen by S4C to complete this project and with the final phases now being combined, we will shortly begin this installation work providing efficient heating and cooling and a stable environment for the staff of S4C

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