Variable speed drives supplied by Vacon UK are to be used extensively in the HVAC systems of the Shard at London Bridge, which will not only be the tallest building in the European Union, but also one of the world’s most prestigious addresses.
The HVAC installation will incorporate more than 219 drives to date, selected from the Vacon 100 HVAC IP54 range, which has been optimised specifically for HVAC applications and which includes models with ratings from 1.1kW to 132kW .
The drives will play an essential role in ensuring comfort for the occupants of the 1,016 foot high building which is clad entirely in glass, and which will incorporate more than half a million square feet of office space, the first-class Shangri-La hotel that includes a spa, three floors of restaurants, thirteen floors of luxury residences, and a public viewing gallery on the 72nd floor.
Key features of the Vacon 100 HVAC drives chosen for this demanding high-profile project include high efficiency, versatility, ease of use and full compliance with the latest IEC/EN 61000-3-12 standard for harmonics and EN61800-3 C2 for EMC. In addition the drives have integral support for the BacNet/IP communication protocol as standard, which makes them easy to integrate fully with the Automated Logic building management systems (BMS) for the control of all the fans and pumps and the life safety fan application.
The drives also have outstanding environmental credentials. Unlike most ostensibly similar units, they use no electrolytic capacitors, which are now classed as hazardous waste in the EU. Instead they use environmentally friendly and inherently more reliable thin film capacitors. In addition, all recyclable parts are appropriately marked to ensure easy and efficient recycling when the drives are ultimately taken out of service.