Commissioning flows sweetly by the Thames

SAV commissioning modules are speeding up the commissioning of the fan-coil air-conditioning system in Albion Riverside, an 11-story building of luxury apartments on the River Thames between Albert and Battersea Bridges. Over 600 fan-coil units have been installed by Meica Building Services. They were commissioned in groups using equipment in an enclosure in the hallway ceilings. Designed by Foster & Partners, Albion Riverside includes 183 apartments with up to four bedrooms and 14 penthouses. Every SAV module is linked to an energy meter, so individual apartments can be accurately billed for energy consumed. The modules include all the components necessary to flush, vent and balance the fan-coil units without time-consuming looping-out procedures. Forward and back flushing can be easily achieved for the entire system or individual lines. A large-bodied strainer in every module removes debris from the system before it can cause blockages in terminal units, regulating valves or control vales. Groups of terminal units with a combined output of up to 46 kW of heating or 25 kW of cooling can share facilities. Utilising distribution manifolds with all necessary controls and using flexible plastic-coated aluminium pipes to provide run-outs with low pressure drops, all design issues are resolved with no increase in overall system cost.