The international expertise of cooling specialist Airedale International was recognised again on 24th September when the British manufacturer picked up the award for ‘International Achievement of the Year’ in the 2014 RAC Cooling Industry awards.
The award was made for the modular data centre solution developed for pan-African telecommunications giant Vodacom. The fully equipped and commissioned modular data centres are designed to be quickly rolled out in a wide range of locations and are highly engineered to withstand the many environmental challenges presented by the South African climate which, in addition to high temperatures and humidity levels, can see the units exposed to coastal corrosion, grass fires and dusty winds.
As with all Airedale cooling systems, a commitment to maximising energy efficiency was also key to the design brief. Despite high ambient African temperatures, the data centres have an annualised energy efficiency ratio (EER) of 5.63 achieved through full or partial free-cooling for up to 99% of the year (Johannesburg temperatures). Energy efficient staged cooling is achieved using Airedale SmartCool precision air conditioning (PAC) units supplemented by an indirect free-cooling circuit connected to a roof-mounted hybrid condenser and dry cooler system.
The solution is a great example of close cooperation across geographical boundaries between Airedale’s UK and Johannesburg-based engineering and manufacturing teams.
The awards which champion the leading innovations and environmental successes in the refrigeration and air conditioning industry also saw Airedale ‘highly commended’ in the ‘Air Conditioning or Heat Pump Product of the Year’ for its TurboChill and TurboChill FreeCool chiller with low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant R1234ze. The first unit off the production line was selected by John Lewis to cool its latest and most sustainable store which opened in York earlier this year.
The final recognition came in the form of the award of ‘Data Centre Cooling Impact’ to data centre design and build specialist Sudlows for the University of Portsmouth’s high density £2.25m data centre which opened last year. The data centre includes Airedale’s SmartCool chilled water PAC units, high density OnRak rear door IT cooling units and DeltaChill FreeCool chillers with controls and ACIS Building Management System (BMS) integration delivered by Airedale’s controls division, working closely with Sudlows.
Managing director, Clive Parkman said: “Airedale has been a key partner to contractor/installer clients and end users around the world for many years. Through our close working relationships with local business partners supplemented by bases in Johannesburg, Dubai and Moscow we have built substantial expertise in designing high efficiency cooling solutions to meet the specific demands of local markets. This, coupled with a commitment to research and development and continuous innovation, forms part of our long-term strategy which we fully intend will see us continue to offer high density, British engineered cooling solutions to the international marketplace for many decades to come.”
RAC editor Andrew Gaved said of this year’s awards: “The Cooling Awards is now ten years old and it really does amaze me how the industry keeps on coming up with the goods, despite ever tougher-legislation and customer demands. The 2014 Awards are once again a showcase of carbon-cutting technology and innovative services which sets the industry in good stead for the future.”
