Energy Efficient HVAC

[Kim Condition]

Hi guys,
I am looking for the best of breed energy efficent systems in Europe. Do you know any products/manufacturers you recommand?

Any efficency idea is welcome.

Kim:)

[tighttommy]

You asked a very general question... what application is the equipment being used for, what temperatures, air conditioner, chiller..ect.

[gmcd]

The most energy efficient HVAC "systems" used in Europe are high performance windows, better wall details to eliminate thermal bridging, and exterior solar shading. The whole idea is to reduce the heating and cooling loads to the absolute minimum before applying active heating and cooling systems. Then get out the condensing boiler, and solar water heating panels with a hot water storage system and you're almost done. Heat recovery ventilation units with demand controlled ventilation (100% outdoor air with VAV and occupancy control) are typical. Cooling of many commercial buildings is generally accomplished with radiant cooling systems of some kind, supplemented by the ventilation air where required. Rather than "equipment" efficiencies, the idea is to concentrate on building envelope performance, passive solar gain in the climate appropriate areas, and the use of displacement ventilation air terminals to eliminate much of the space cooling by stratifying warm air and exhausting that stratified air from the spaces. Cooling plants for commercial cooling are generally serving primarily the radiant cooling systems which handle all or most of the sensible cooling loads in the space, while the ventilation air deals with any latent load/humidity control. Concrete buildings usually get the concrete core conditioning system (PEX tubes cast into the structural slab) to create radiant heating/cooling ceilings. The concrete mass thermal inertia allows the cooling input to the slab to be deferred till night time so the "cooling plant" is a simple cooling tower that runs at night to "recharge" the slab cooling without using refrigerant based cooling plants. Daytime cooling at the ventilation AHU is handled by either slab return water and a fatter cooling coil, or a small refrigerant DX coil where dehumidification is required. Check out the PassivHaus designs, search for "low exergy", check out the Zent Frenger Batiso System, etc.