Bank gets green light from neighbourhood - DEU-1812

A new branch of Crédit Agricole, in the province of Saint-Sylvain d’Anjou, in western France, is the first in a series of HVAC improvements by the banking group, who sought a maximum efficiency, low maintenance and a low noise solution to its heating and cooling requirements. 

Known as ‘the green bank’ due to its agricultural history, Crédit Agricole wanted to avoid noise nuisance as much as possible, due to the close proximity of nearby properties. With space at a premium -  the branch office is part of the ground floor of a jointly owned block of flats – choosing a compact solution was also vital.

Crédit Agricole runs a sustainable development programme committed to reducing energy consumption in buildings and lowering greenhouse gases, which meant they were looking for a system with good energy performance, capable of delivering a 25% energy saving. 

The Installer’s choice 

 “On analysing the recommendation from the design office, I became aware of the acoustic constraint of this type of solution in a jointly owned building where disputes had occurred over noise, incurring fines. Consequently, I called for an acoustic study over 24 hours, to assess noise thresholds. VRV systems reduce noise, but the convential VRV systems were too large to fit in the brach’s technical room.” said installer, Richard Metivier of EIB who was challenged to find a low noise, small footprint HVAC solution for the bank. 

“I was therefore delighted to discover Daikin’s VRV IV-i series solution and to have achieved a successful first installation with this system. It is clearly a solution to be used in the future, being ideal for city centre installations. I particularly like the concealed insatlaltion of modules above the lobby. Ever since, I have been recommending Daikin’s units to a variety of customers facing similar challenges.”

The new VRV IV i-series was installed and connected to two Round Flow cassettes (FXFQ24A) in the reception area, with seven fully-flat cassettes (FXZQ15A) installed to serve each of the office spaces.

The VRV IV i-series is unique in the market, thanks to its split system design and compact size which enables maximum concealment and flexibility resulting in a virtually invisible installation. The exceptionally small footprint of the compressor allowed positioning at the opposite end of the branch office. The equally compact heat exchanger is typically installed in a ceiling void and vented to the exterior through a grille.  Taking up less office space, this solution also offers a more streamlined finish.

The acoustic duct grill is located to the exterior on the roadside above the ATM, where noise is less of an issue. The VRV system is switched off overnight to minimise noise nuisance for the neighbourhood and is set to come back on automatically every morning an hour before opening.

Supporting the individual controls is a centralised intelligent Touch Manager, which drives all the HVAC equipment including third party equipment via Wago modules. 

Why Daikin?

DAIKIN HVAC solutions have been  the preferred choice for Crédit Agricole within its branch offices for over a decade. Up to 40 installations are carried out annually, of which 90% are for branch office renovations, averaging  seven new-build projects each year.

Innovative use of space - The VRV IV i-series is a particularly compact solution, with a split design which offers maximum flexibility in installation. The unit is fitted in a small technical room and connected to the outside through ducting in the false ceiling. With a COP of 3.8 and EER of 3.2 the VRV IV i-series delivers high efficiencies in a very compact format.

Having achieved its  energy target, Crédit Agricole plans to set up staff training programmes on reasonable use of equipment to further optimise energy consumption. Employees are also being trained on how to use the remote controls to get the best use out of their new equipment.

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