PANASONIC TAKES HEAT OUT OF THE KITCHEN AT BURGER AND LOBSTER  

Panasonic’s air-to-water Aquarea system has been installed in the latest glamorous Burger & Lobster restaurant in Bath. The Octagon Chapel, a large listed building in the city centre, was converted to accommodate the restaurant, and Panasonic’s Aquarea system provided an extensive, energy efficient and unobtrusive heating and cooling solution.

Burger and Lobster has strict interior design guidelines to create an atmosphere that is relaxed yet luxurious, a comfortable environment for staff and diners. These guidelines do not allow systems such as the heating and cooling system to be obviously on show. With the added challenge of working in a listed building, Panasonic worked with distributor Oceanair and design and install specialists FWP to deliver an HVAC system that was not only powerful and efficient, but was also easy to install and could be concealed easily.  

The Octagon Chapel is a large, open space that has a high-ceilinged central area, which has been converted into the bar of the restaurant. It required a powerful heating and cooling solution to create a comfortable environment for staff and diners. Oceanair supplied the Panasonic Aquarea Monobloc air-to-water system, which offers high levels of efficiency and requires very little installation space, making it much easier to install than equivalent systems. The Aquarea heat pump was also chosen for its flexibility, as it can work well with a number of heating systems including floor standing units, low temperature radiators and even fan coil heaters.  

FWP used a range of units from Panasonic to subtly deliver heating and cooling into the restaurant. Floor standing chassis units were concealed behind partitions to avoid being seen, and ducted units and ceiling cassettes were discreetly installed above ceiling voids, to minimise the visual impact. Every component of the system was optimised to provide maximum efficiency and ensure that it did not impact on the interior design. This included the piping, which had to be designed and laid out very carefully so that it did not negatively affect the aesthetic.  

FWP were also able to use heat generated in the kitchen from cooking, to dramatically increase the efficiency of the system and generate huge energy savings for Burger and Lobster. The hot air captured by the kitchen extractor fan was used to pre-heat the water before it entered the Panasonic Aquarea air-to-water system, meaning the heat pump did not have to use as much energy to heat the water. The efficiency of the heat pump was further increased because of its positioning near the ice machine, as in winter it is able to use the warm air generated by the ice machine to heat water and provide heating in the restaurant.  

Control of the heating system is crucial in a restaurant environment, to ensure diners and staff are comfortable and neither too hot nor too cold. FWP specified Panasonic’s CZ-RTC2* controller, which enables sophisticated yet simple local control, so that restaurant staff without much expertise in heating and cooling systems can use it easily. The CZ-RTC2* allows employees to change the temperature, fan speed and air flow, as well as the operation mode. Straightforward control is essential to creating a comfortable environment in the restaurant, and ensuring that diners enjoy their experience.  

*Panasonic has recently launched its latest controller, the CZ-RTC4, which has a brand new interface and a wide range of features, making it easier than ever to create the perfect atmosphere.