Concentrix has taken delivery of a new cooling solution at its call centre in Belfast. One of the main challenges for data centres is coping with cooling and humidity control demands within the building because of the enormous heat gains generated by the large volume of computers and lighting systems – often in operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In the case of the Concentrix Customer Engagement Centre, there was also the added complication of the number of employees on site approaching close to 1,500 people.
Belfast-based Aircon Sales and Service, which designs, supplies, installs and maintains various air conditioning solutions, recently installed a combination of Panasonic GHP VRF 3-pipe, 2-pipe and Split Hi Wall type units to heat and cool the 130,000 sq ft, three storey property.
The installation at Concentrix was a very complex and challenging project due to the building’s design and lack of available electrical supply to the site. In addition to the nature of Concentrix’s business, which requires a significant power load for the operations of the building including lighting, computers and servers, the property also needed to provide comfortable conditions for the 1500 employees on site.
The team at Aircon’s contracts department, headed up by Manager, Stephen McGarry, worked closely with consultants Beattie Flannigan and mechanical contractors, Harvey Group, to deliver the best possible solution that site conditions would allow.
Due to the design of the building, which features low ceiling heights on each floor, the team devised a solution based on a larger quantity of indoor units operating at lower capacities. In addition, the Panasonic DX gas-fired system provides close to 1.2MW of cooling, using between 20kW and 25kW of electrical input, thus efficiently providing optimum cooling for the building while only drawing a minimal load from the electrical power supply.
