Panasonic Provides Sustainable Heating and Cooling for Kemsley Community Centre

In line with the UK’s Net-Zero targets, local governments are transitioning communities to a greener future. Kemsley Community Centre, based in Sittingbourne, Kent, were looking for a more energy efficient and sustainable system to heat and cool their large and multiple areas of the Community Centre to replace a 1960’s oil-fired system. Phoenix ACR, specialists in AC and Refrigeration, specified a Panasonic R32 split system with 4 x 20kW PACi outdoor units and 11 of the Panasonic PACi NX Elite range of wall mounted indoor units with nanoe^TM X.

The new system needed to meet the needs of the entire community centre, covering the main hall, bar area and reception area. Each section required units suited to the individual area, which could seamlessly combine and function under a single control system.

The Panasonic PACi NX Elite range was specified by installer, Nathan Bell, Managing Director of Phoenix ACR, who explains “We have worked with Panasonic a lot in the past, so we knew its range was the best to deliver the efficiency, reliability and value for money that was key to this installation. The energy-saving design and high efficiency makes the Panasonic units ideal for this project. The PACi NX Elite range allows a great amount of flexibility in design and install, which was crucial to ensuring we could adapt to the needs of each room, providing the perfect solution for the customer. The addition of nanoe™X technology, which inhibits viruses and bacteria, was a key benefit of the Panasonic units, to help provide a better indoor environment for the community centre staff and its users in a post-pandemic world.”

In the main hall and bar area, 11 Panasonic PACi NX Elite wall-mounted units with nanoe™X were installed, these are especially beneficial for high ceiling areas such as found in the community centre. The reception area has two PACi ceiling suspended units, the slim design making them more discreet for the smaller room along with being one of the quietest units currently on the market.

Facilities Trustee of Kemsley Community Centre, David Grawler added “It is so important that we provide a sustainable future for our community. Phoenix ACR recommended this solution, and we are very happy with how it meets our energy efficiency needs. With our old system, if we hired out a single room, we would end up having to heat the entire building. The new Panasonic system allows us to control all units as one for the entire building but also enables us isolate the individual spaces, adding a new way for us to function in a more energy efficient way, without having to compromise on comfort.”

The PACi NX Standard and PACi NX Elite ranges provide high quality heating and cooling, boasting top class SEER ratings of A++ and SCOP ratings of A+ and A++ at 10kW respectively. Both provide slim, lightweight and compact designs. The PACi Elite offers greater design flexibility, making it adaptable to various building types and sizes, key to delivering the perfect solution across larger projects. The design allows for high quality under a wide range of conditions, with cooling possible in temperatures as lows as -15 degrees or as high as 46 degrees, and heating in temperatures as low as -20 degrees.

Kemsley Community Centre has a touch screen centralised controller installed behind the bar, allowing the management of the entire system from a single point. Additionally, the system utilises WIFI adaptors which connects the units to the Panasonic comfort cloud App, allowing for remote management and monitoring of the multiple air conditioning units required for this project.

The units came with nanoe™X technology as standard, a unique and proven technology to help improve air hygiene by preventing transmission of airborne pathogens, to create a safer and healthier indoor environment. nanoe™X works independently from the heating and cooling operation when the unit is in fan mode, improving protection 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  

David Gawler concludes, “The Panasonic units have proven to be a great addition to the community centre, they helped us cope during the summer heat wave of 2022, and heating capabilities this winter. It is great that we can still provide comfort in the centre to all those who use it whilst also taking a big step to a greener future”

For more information on Panasonic’s wide range of AC units please visit www.aircon.panasonic.eu. Or to find out more about Phoenix ACR visit www.phoenix-acr.co.uk/.