Cooling systems for business: multi-zone systems, chillers, and fan coil units

In an office, store, hotel, warehouse, or production space, the task is not to cool square meters in the abstract. It is to cool specific zones: an open office area, private offices, a sales floor, a server room, conference halls, storage areas, or process spaces.

That is why the solution is evaluated by heat gains, the number of zones, refrigerant or water pipe routes, available locations for outdoor units, noise, automation, service access, and what will happen under peak load.

During design, the general requirements for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning are checked, including DBN V.2.5-67:2013, as well as requirements for the specific building type and cooling system.

Capacity, seasonal efficiency, SEER, SCOP, EER, COP, and operating temperatures must be confirmed by the equipment documentation or technical datasheet for the specific model; EN 14511 and EN 14825 are used for test methods and seasonal efficiency. EN 378 is important for refrigeration system safety, EN 12102-1 for equipment noise, and Regulation (EU) 2024/573 for refrigerants.

A multi-zone air conditioning system should not be presented as the best option for every facility. It is a strong scenario for many business tasks, but not a universal answer: for some facilities, a chiller-fan coil system, a separate precision solution, or another configuration may be more appropriate.

If the task has not yet been calculated, the next step is design: heat gains, zones, routes, equipment, automation, and service access.

If the system has already been implemented by Ventall, service must be planned for it: filters, drainage, heat exchangers, refrigerant circuit, automation, and alarm signals.