Federation of European HVAC associations (REHVA) member, Italian chiller manufacture Rhoss Spa, and its UK distributor Coolmation, recently hosted a REHVA visit to Rhoss’ factory in North East Italy. Attended by a number of key UK-based CIBSE members, the event comprised a programme of presentations on current European legislation and revealed the latest developments in energy efficient chillers and air conditioning.

Delegates attending the trip to the Rhoss factory in Codroipo included: current CIBSE President, Professor John Swaffield; Past President, David Arnold; HVCA President Elect, Graham Manly; and Andrew Eastwell, the Chief Executive Officer of BSRIA. Meanwhile, REHVA representatives joining the group included Professor Francis Allard, President of REHVA and Professor Olli Sepannen, Secretary General of REHVA. 

“The purpose of the visit was to demonstrate to an influential audience how one major Italian manufacturer of chillers and air conditioning equipment is developing the highly energy efficient products now required from the HVAC industry, in line with current legislation,” explains Steve Warnock, Coolmation’s Group Managing Director.

As well as attending a full day of presentations by Rhoss and REHVA, the guests toured the Rhoss factory to see the latest developments in chiller design, including: the TCAEY R410 multi-scroll chillers, R134A A Class Z Power screw chillers and R134A TurboPower chillers featuring the innovative Turbocor centrifugal compressor.

David Arnold, partner, Troup Bywater and Anders found many aspects of the event beneficial: “The REHVA presentation on the latest requirements for conformity with the Energy Performance for Buildings Directive was very useful.  Meanwhile, the implementation of the Turbocor compressor within the new air cooled chillers was particularly well engineered.”

With Rhoss now reaping the rewards of its partnership with the University of Padova, other highlights of the visit included a presentation on the development of the unique Adaptive Function Plus control logic system. Designed in conjunction with the IT department of the University of Padova, Professor Luca Cecchinato explained how the Adaptive Function Plus logic control system is capable of significant savings in chiller operating costs, while at the same time delivering much improved temperature stability.

Meanwhile, a tour of the Rhoss factory included a visit to its renowned Eurovent Certified Laboratory which can test air cooled chillers up to 1600kW capacity at full load conditions in ambient temperatures ranging from +50° to -15°C.  This facility allows brought in components, such as compressors and heat exchangers, to be tested prior to designing them into new product ranges, as well as offering clients the opportunity to witness test their chiller prior to delivery. 

Commenting on the visit Graham Manly, Technical Director, Gratte Bros was impressed by Rhoss’ commitment to product innovation: “Rhoss’ presentations demonstrated a total commitment to the continued development of energy efficient refrigeration and their technical expertise, comprehensive test facilities and research arrangements all contributed to the production of an impressive range of quality equipment.”