VRV System

The features of VRV System and its advantages over Chiller Water System are enumerated hereafter:

The VRV System comprises of :

1. Outdoor air cooled condensing units
2. Indoor fancoil units
3. Simple refrigerant copper piping
4. Power and control cables and
5. Remote and centralized controllers for operating the system

Thus the system installation calls for minimum of builders and electrical works.

1. Outdoor air cooled condensing units are easily located on roof tops of the building. They can also be located on each floor, in case of a high rise buildings.
   
   There is therefore no need for a separate machine or equipment room as is the case with Chiller based system.

2. Variety of VRV Indoor Fancoil units are available to suit the requirements at individual locations in a premise and to meet the clients' special needs. Floor mounted, wall mounted, ceiling suspended, ceiling cassette as well as ceiling built-in type models are available in various cooling capacities.
   
   In chilled water system the choice of indoor units is limited.

3. Minimum of builders and electrical works are called for during the VRV system installation. Hence it is equally suited for use in new buildings and in the restoration of existing buildings. No major modifications are necessary for its installation in existing buildings.

4. The VRV equipment can be switched ON/OFF by end users themselves from their respective locations using simple controllers.
   
   There is therefore no need to have a specially trained team of technicians as in the case of a chilled water system to operate and control the system.

   1. The Daikin VRV system also has the optional facility to provide a centralized control in addition to operation and control by individual controllers.
      
      Such centralised control system can be operated from a convenient location in the building. The system provides for monitoring the performance of units in individual rooms. It can also be used to switch ON/OFF the units at any desired locations at any given time without entering the particular room. The system has facility to indicate nature of fault when any unit develops a fault and a prompt action can be taken to rectify the fault.

   2. The indoor unit's cooling operation can be controlled to maintain
      desired temperature in any location in the premises according to end user's needs and preferences.
      
      There is no such flexibility of operation available with the standard indoor fancoil units in chilled water system. If individual temperature control is desired at different locations, an additional elaborate control system is needed. This will call for additional investment while maintenance element also increases.

      Fault finding in VRV

      In the unlikely event of a fault in the Daikin VRV system, air conditioning will be available as usual in most parts of the building. It is also easy to locate the fault and rectify the problem.

      In sharp contrast to this, the air conditioning in most part of the buildings will be time consuming and costly.

      Direct Cost Saving with VRV

      The cost of provision of air conditioning in a building comprises of cost of equipment as well as the installation, including that for builders and electrical works. Builders work is carried out by the main contractor and electrical work by an authorized electrical sub-contractor. Air conditioning sub-contractors provide for equipment cost with installation only, excluding builders and electrical works relating to power supply in their offer.

      The installation of chilled water system calls for elaborate builders work and additional electrical works as compared to that for installing a VRV system.

      VRV suitability to Present Day Condition

      In the present day, it has become essential to provide a standby generator to cater for periods of power supply shut down.

      Chiller units are high capacity units. Hence the capacity of the Standby generator has to be sufficiently large to meet the starting load demand of such high capacity chillers and a standby generator with a larger capacity than the normal power needs of the system will have to be installed. This, again, adds to the cost of the project.

      In comparison to this, as the VRV system permits modular operation where load can be gradually transferred to the standby generator, and a generator with the capacity to meet normal power loads will meet the requirements. Thus there is cost saving on both the sizing and running cost of the standby generator.

      Cost of VRV

      The VRV equipment which have such distinct advantages as enumerated above, may be marginally costlier than other types of air conditioning equipment.

      However, the cost of an air conditioning system also includes that of Builder's and electrical works apart from the equipment cost.

      Builder's and electrical works do not form part of an Air conditioning sub contract but are treated as pat of the Main Civil works contract.

      In a VRV system, the Builders and electric works required are minimal and simple and hence cost much less than in other systems of air conditioning.

      Therefore the overall system cost in VRV system of air conditioning including that of builders and electrical works will compare very favorably with the system cost of other types of air conditioning. At the same time, the VRV system offers several advantages over other systems of air conditioning.