Comfortable Heating & Cooling with ClimaCool Suspended Ceilings from Wavin RCS

As part of an extension of the existing building, the Südoststeirische Sparkasse Feldbach, an Austrian savings bank, decided to equip their headquarter offices with the ClimaCool CCD heating and cooling system from Wavin RCS.

“We were looking for a system that provides maximum comfort for employees and customers both in the winter and in the summer, while at the same time meets environmental and economic requirements,” explains Ing. Peter Glatz of Technische Büro Leitgeb in Fehring, near Feldbach, the engineering company in charge of the project.

In close cooperation with the Feldbach savings bank and the architect, Morawetz, the engineering company selected the ClimaCool suspended ceiling system for the heating and cooling of the extended building. Since the bank also attached importance to optimizing the indoor acoustics, a special type of ClimaCool thermopanels (CCD 411) has been used. These perforated ClimaCool plasterboard cladding thermopanels feature an acoustic fleece at the back to increase acoustic performance. Additional ClimaWall surface elements were installed in several exposed corner offices that are subjected to higher cooling and/or heating loads.

The ClimaCool CCD heating and cooling modules for suspended ceilings from Wavin RCS consists of oxygen-barrier pipes (10x1.3 mm, acc. DIN 4726) integrated in thermally conductive profiles and connected to pre-fabricated inlet and outlet collectors by means of sliding sleeves. Tailored to fit the standardised, stiff and compression-resistant framework of the ceiling, the modules are fastened between the mounting and supporting rails. This provides a clear separation between the ClimaCool CCD ceiling installation and the dry construction work.

At the same time, the ClimaCool CCD system minimises the required time and manpower for installation. In the case of the Feldbach savings bank, all ceiling modules were mounted by only two workers in 15 days, including the pipework in the hollow space of the suspended ceiling. Once the pipework is finished, the suspended ceiling can be cladded with the gypsum plaster board panels, providing excellent thermal conductivity. The panels are also available in a non-perforated version ready for wallpapering.

In addition to the lower investment costs versus separate heating and cooling systems, the multifunctional ClimaCool suspended ceiling system offers a number of essential advantages in everyday use. Heating and cooling is predominantly achieved through radiant energy from the water flowing through the pipe registers, i.e. silent, no draft and therefore also non-allergenic. Furthermore, there is more flexibility in space for interior design as there is no space required for radiators.

“So far, our employees are extremely pleased with this comfortable climate system,” says Jörg Siegel, Director of the Board of Südoststeirische Sparkasse Feldbach. Results measured on winter days at different outdoor temperatures have confirmed the architect’s and the project engineer’s energy efficiency forecasts (see table). Furthermore, all parties involved in the project expect that the additional energy consumption for the cooling of four storeys, versus only three previously, in the summer months will be also kept within clear limits.

Based on their high energy efficiency and optional combination with solar and geothermal technology, ClimaCool suspended ceilings have an ideal fit in solutions targeted at making a contribution to meeting the Kyoto protocol. “For instance, when designed for ‘free cooling’ operation, the ClimaCool CCD system provides energy and cost savings that cannot be realised economically with conventional air-conditioning or convection heating units,” says Josef Steiner, Technical Director for Wavin RCS (Ybbs, Austria).