0% VAT on solar, battery storage & heat pumps until 31 March 2027

Commercial cooling & heating

Commercial air conditioning — VRV/VRF, BMS-integrated, F-Gas compliant

Multi-zone VRV / VRF systems for commercial premises across the North East. Daikin VRV, Mitsubishi City Multi, Toshiba SHRM-e and LG Multi V. F-Gas registered installation, F-Gas register maintenance, BMS integration with Trend / Schneider / Siemens Desigo. Planned preventative maintenance contracts that satisfy statutory leak-checking obligations.

Get a commercial AC quote Call 0191 535 2711

VRV / VRF — the commercial cooling standard

Variable Refrigerant Volume (Daikin VRV) and Variable Refrigerant Flow (Mitsubishi VRF) systems use a single outdoor unit serving 4-64 indoor units across multiple zones, with continuously variable capacity matched to real-time load. They are the dominant commercial cooling/heating technology because they combine multi-zone independent control, heat-recovery efficiency, and a small outdoor footprint that suits constrained urban sites.

For NE England commercial customers we install across the full size range — from a 4-zone VRV for a small office through to 16-zone heat-recovery VRF for a multi-storey HQ. Selection driven by load profile, simultaneous-cooling-and-heating demand, plant-room and outdoor-unit siting constraints.

  • VRV/VRF multi-zone systems
  • F-Gas registered installation
  • Heat-pump cooling + heating in one unit
  • BMS integration available
  • Planned maintenance contracts (F-Gas compliant)

Up to 64

Indoor units per VRV outdoor

COP 4+

Reversible heating efficiency

7-12 yrs

Manufacturer warranty

F-Gas

Registered installer

System types

VRV, VRF, multi-split and split — when each fits

Commercial AC isn't one product. The choice between VRV, VRF, multi-split and standard split depends on building size, simultaneity of demand, and budget.

System Indoor units Best for Notable
Single split 1 Small office, server room, single shop Lowest cost; one indoor → one outdoor
Multi-split 2-5 Small commercial, multi-room boutique Single outdoor footprint; rigid limits
VRF (2-pipe) 8-32 Mid-size offices, hotels, retail All zones in same mode (heat OR cool)
VRV / VRF heat-recovery (3-pipe) 16-64 Large offices with mixed-aspect glazing, mixed-use buildings Some zones cooling AND others heating simultaneously — best efficiency

Heat-recovery VRV systems shift waste heat from cooling zones (south-facing offices in summer) to heating zones (north-facing zones, ventilation pre-heat) — typically 30-40% energy reduction vs heat-pump VRF on mixed-load buildings.

BMS integration

Building Management System integration as standard

Modern commercial AC needs to talk to the rest of the building — occupancy sensors, fresh-air ventilation (MVHR/MEV), heating system, lighting controls. We integrate VRV/VRF systems with the major BMS protocols.

BACnet IP / MS-TP

Industry-standard open protocol. Connects to Trend IQ4, Schneider EcoStruxure, Siemens Desigo. We provide BACnet object lists for system commissioning.

Modbus RTU / TCP

Older but widely deployed. Used for industrial and retail estate BMS. Daikin VRV BACnet/Modbus gateways supplied as standard.

KNX

Common in European-influenced commercial premises. KNX gateway integration for Daikin and Mitsubishi units.

Cloud platforms (Daikin Cloud, Mitsubishi Melcloud)

Manufacturer cloud platforms for remote monitoring, scheduling and predictive maintenance. We configure and hand over admin access.

Maintenance & F-Gas

Planned preventative maintenance & statutory F-Gas register

Commercial AC carries both performance and regulatory maintenance obligations. F-Gas Regulation 517/2014 mandates leak checking on systems with refrigerant charge above 5 tonnes CO₂-equivalent (most commercial VRV/VRF). PPM (planned preventative maintenance) contracts handle this alongside performance/efficiency upkeep.

Standard PPM

Quarterly
  • • Filter clean / replace
  • • Coil clean / drain check
  • • Refrigerant pressure check
  • • Electrical safety check
  • • Fault log review

F-Gas leak check

Annual
  • • Statutory above 5 t-CO2e charge
  • • 6-monthly above 50 t-CO2e
  • • 3-monthly above 500 t-CO2e
  • • F-Gas register maintained
  • • Submitted to your duty-holder

Premium PPM

Quarterly + 24/7
  • • All standard PPM tasks
  • • 24/7 emergency call-out
  • • 4-hour response (NE coverage)
  • • Priority spares stock-hold
  • • Annual efficiency report

We hold the company F-Gas certification and all individual engineers are F-Gas Category I certified. Every refrigerant charge / recovery / leak event is logged to the F-Gas register and provided to the duty-holder for HSE inspection compliance.

Sectors we cover

Commercial AC by sector

🏦

Banks & financial services

Front-of-house customer comfort + critical server cooling. VRV systems with redundancy. CCTV-controlled access for maintenance.

🛍️

Retail & supermarket

High-footfall cooling with door-open heat-loss compensation. Often paired with refrigeration system heat recovery.

🏨

Hotels & leisure

Per-room control via VRF + central BMS. Reversible heating in shoulder seasons. Card-key linked occupancy detection for energy savings.

🏥

Care homes

Resident comfort + infection control. Mitsubishi MSZ-AP series with eco-friendly R32 refrigerant. Quiet operation for bedrooms (sub-22 dB).

🎓

Schools & universities

IT room + lab cooling + post-2015 office areas. Term-time install scheduling. Often Salix-eligible alongside fabric work.

💼

Office buildings

Multi-floor VRF with floor-by-floor zoning. Heat-recovery (3-pipe) systems shift heat from sun-side to shade-side simultaneously.

VRV / VRF brand comparison

Daikin VRV vs Mitsubishi City Multi vs Toshiba SHRM-e

The three multi-zone VRV/VRF systems we install most often for North East commercial projects. Each suits a different building profile.

Best for offices

Daikin

VRV 5 + VRV 5-S

System type:
3-pipe heat-recovery VRV (large) / 2-pipe heat-pump (small)
Capacity range:
14-150 kW (single outdoor), up to 540 kW (combined)
Max pipe length:
190m equivalent
Max indoor units:
64
Heat recovery:
Yes (VRV 5 only)
COP (cooling):
4.45
COP (heating):
4.61
Refrigerant:
R32 (VRV 5) / R410A legacy
BMS protocol:
BACnet, Modbus, LonWorks via Daikin DIII-NET gateway
Warranty:
5-year parts + 5-year compressor (extended 7yr available)

When to choose

Multi-floor offices where simultaneous heating + cooling across zones drives the energy case. VRV 5 heat-recovery moves heat from sun-side to shade-side without grid draw. Most commonly chosen for new-build offices over 1,500 m². UK-wide service network and best inverter range.

Best for healthcare

Mitsubishi Electric

City Multi VRF + Hybrid VRF

System type:
2-pipe heat-pump VRF / Hybrid VRF (water + refrigerant)
Capacity range:
12-150 kW (City Multi), 22-150 kW (Hybrid)
Max pipe length:
165m (City Multi) / 200m (Hybrid)
Max indoor units:
50
Heat recovery:
Hybrid VRF only (water transfer)
COP (cooling):
4.27 (City Multi) / 4.45 (Hybrid VRF)
COP (heating):
4.42 (City Multi) / 4.52 (Hybrid VRF)
Refrigerant:
R32 (City Multi), R410A (Hybrid VRF — water in tenanted areas)
BMS protocol:
M-Net native, BACnet/Modbus via AE-200E controller
Warranty:
5-year parts (extends with annual service)

When to choose

Hospitals, care homes, and care-sensitive buildings where refrigerant must stay out of occupied space. Hybrid VRF uses water heat-transfer in tenanted floors with refrigerant only in plant rooms — meets BS EN 378 in occupied environments more easily than other systems. Strong UK technical support.

Best for retrofit

Toshiba

SHRM-e Advance + SMMSe

System type:
3-pipe heat-recovery (SHRM-e) / 2-pipe heat-pump (SMMSe)
Capacity range:
22-150 kW (SHRM-e), 14-90 kW (SMMSe)
Max pipe length:
235m total (SHRM-e) — longest of the three
Max indoor units:
64
Heat recovery:
Yes (SHRM-e Advance)
COP (cooling):
4.0
COP (heating):
4.2
Refrigerant:
R32
BMS protocol:
Modbus, BACnet IP via TCB-IFCB6E gateway
Warranty:
5-year parts + 5-year compressor

When to choose

Retrofit projects with awkward pipe routes — SHRM-e has the longest equivalent pipe length of any major VRF brand (235m), letting you route around existing buildings without intermediate plant. Typically 8-12% cheaper than Daikin equivalent for the same kW capacity. Strongest fit for hotels and retail with legacy fabric.

Commercial AC projects

Three recent North East commercial AC projects

Office

Newcastle city-centre fintech HQ

Newcastle, NE1

Headline result

47% lower heating cost

Year-2 energy reduction post-retrofit

3,400 m² renovated mill building with simultaneous heating + cooling demand across south-facing trading floor and shaded west-facing back office. VRV heat-recovery shifts excess cooling-zone heat to heating zones, dropping winter grid draw substantially.

System

Daikin VRV 5 heat-recovery — 3 floors, 38 indoor units (FXMA-PVE 4-way ducted + FXSA-PVE wall-mounted), 2× outdoor RXYQ22-30T units. BACnet integration to Trend BMS. Phased over 6 weeks around floor-by-floor working.

Care home

County Durham 80-bed care home

Bishop Auckland, DL14

Headline result

Care quality A+ rating

£26,000/yr running cost vs old chillers

CQC inspection requirement drove the choice — Hybrid VRF keeps refrigerant out of resident zones, easier compliance with BS EN 378 occupancy limits. Whisper-quiet PKFY-WP indoor units (22 dB) for bedrooms. Reversible heating in shoulder seasons replaced an ageing electric panel heater stock.

System

Mitsubishi Hybrid VRF — refrigerant kept in plant room, water transferred to indoor units (PEFY-WP ducted in corridors, PKFY-WP wall-mounted in bedrooms). M-Net to existing fire-panel BMS. R410A in plant room only.

Hospitality

Teesside boutique hotel chain

Stockton-on-Tees, TS18

Headline result

12% chain-wide energy saving

Rolled out across 4 properties in 14 months

Owner wanted a single brand specification across all four sites. SHRM-e chosen for retrofit pipe-routing flexibility in two Edwardian hotels (other systems wouldn't fit equivalent pipe runs). Card-key linkage automatically sets back unoccupied rooms.

System

Toshiba SHRM-e Advance — 3-pipe heat-recovery across 4 hotels (28-44 rooms each). RAS-Smms-e outdoor units (22-30 kW each), in-room MMK-AP wall splits with card-key occupancy linkage. Centralised TCB-IFCB6E gateway feeds Schneider EcoStruxure BMS.

Our accreditations

Accredited, certified, and backed by independent standards

NICEIC Approved

D124458

Electrical contractor

Gas Safe Register

947841

Gas appliances

Heat Geek Trained

Heat pump design specialists

TrustMark

Government endorsed

Quality scheme

SafeContractor

Approved

H&S accredited

ISO 9001

2015

Quality management

ISO 14001

2015

Environmental management

ISO 45001

2018

OH&S management

PAS 2030

:2019

Retrofit standard

NAPIT

Member

Electrical inspection

F-Gas Certified

Air conditioning refrigerant

NICEIC Approved

D124458

Electrical contractor

Gas Safe Register

947841

Gas appliances

Heat Geek Trained

Heat pump design specialists

TrustMark

Government endorsed

Quality scheme

SafeContractor

Approved

H&S accredited

ISO 9001

2015

Quality management

ISO 14001

2015

Environmental management

ISO 45001

2018

OH&S management

PAS 2030

:2019

Retrofit standard

NAPIT

Member

Electrical inspection

F-Gas Certified

Air conditioning refrigerant

Every accreditation listed is independently verified. We carry the registration numbers — ask for any on request.

Commercial AC FAQs

What type of air conditioning is best for commercial buildings?
It depends on the building. VRV/VRF multi-zone systems are popular for larger buildings because they allow individual temperature control in different zones. Single or multi-split systems work well for smaller offices and retail spaces.

Can commercial air conditioning provide heating as well?
Yes. Modern commercial heat pump air conditioning systems provide both heating and cooling. This can be more efficient than running separate heating and cooling systems, and reduces the amount of equipment needed.

How disruptive is a commercial air conditioning installation?
We plan installations around your business operations to minimise disruption. Work can often be phased or carried out outside normal working hours. A typical office installation takes 2-5 days depending on the number of zones.

Do you service and maintain commercial air conditioning?
Yes. F-Gas regulations require regular inspection and maintenance of commercial refrigeration and air conditioning systems. We provide planned maintenance contracts to keep your systems compliant and efficient.

Get a commercial air conditioning quote

Free site survey, heat-load calculation, BMS integration scoping. Quote within 2 weeks. PPM and F-Gas register included as standard.

Free, no-obligation survey Fixed-price written quote Fully-certified installation
Book a site survey Call 0191 535 2711

Related

More commercial renewables

Other commercial services

By sector

Call Free quote WhatsApp