Rachel Urquhart
Two Fujitsu General Airstage rooftop packaged units were recently installed on the roof of a 24-hour McDonald’s restaurant in Burwood, Victoria.
Following Fujitsu General’s assessment of the engineering brief, the installation was managed by Metro Air (Victoria) and included two 66kW Airstage rooftop packaged units (with Economiser and De-Super Heater), anywAiR iO controls, and a variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system.
The restaurant was undergoing a refurbishment, which included modifying the interior layout and replacing the air conditioning. The new system was required to provide control options to minimise the restaurant’s power usage, while also providing usage reports that arm the franchisee with information to make informed business decisions.
Although the interior layout of the restaurant was being modified, the roof would remain the same. The new HVAC system had to use the existing duct layout and no new penetrations could be made.
Fujitsu says its two 66kW units would deliver the indoor comfort the staff was accustomed to, with the latest technology suited for a commercial installation of this size. One unit was installed for the kitchen area, and another for the dining area.
According to Fujitsu, the refurbishment was part of McDonalds’s aim to cut its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 36 per cent by 2030, while also committing to a net zero emissions target by 2050. To achieve this, energy management systems for lighting and HVAC are being updated, and more efficient kitchen equipment installed across the chain’s restaurants. The company says that since its 2015 base year, McDonalds has reduced absolute emissions from its restaurants and offices by 8.5 per cent.
Fujitsu says that regardless of the outdoor temperature, a restaurant kitchen can become unbearable if not managed effectively.
“The Economiser option enables high energy-saving operation, as the outdoor air is used for cooling or warming the internal air,” says the company. “Based on free-cooling technology, the unit features three dampers intelligently managed by an electronic control that constantly monitors the internal and external air temperatures.”
The engineering brief also specified a De-Super Heater be connected to the hot water system.
“The De-Super Heater captures and transfers the heat energies from the refrigeration cycle to the hot-water loop via a heat exchanger, rather than rejecting the heat energies through the de-super heating and condensation process on the condenser side into the atmosphere,” says Fujitsu. “Incorporating a De-Super Heater in the project would provide the restaurant with an additional smart power saving solution.”
For remote control capability, Fujitsu General installed anywAiR iO with wireless sensors. This lets the franchisee monitor the wattage being consumed, manage the system operation, and remotely change the set temperature. The system also lets the franchisee connect with and manage other restaurant locations from one dashboard, in the office or via mobile phone.
The VRF system was installed for a smaller room that had previously been an outdoor space and was being enclosed as an all-weather party room.
“Metro Air has managed numerous McDonald’s refurbishment projects to update the HVAC systems,” says Metro Air Managing Director Tony Gormley. “We have used Fujitsu General VRF ducted in some restaurants; however, the Burwood project was the first time we had worked with the Fujitsu General applied products. The rooftop packaged units were simple to install, and Metro Air has happily installed Fujitsu General applied products in commercial and high-end domestic projects where suitable.”
Read the Fujitsu General company profile at HVAC&R Search.
Leave a Reply