Since 1988, East Cheshire Hospice has been delivering high-quality palliative care and, as a charity, relies on donations for almost 80% of its funding. With a commitment to achieving net zero by 2032, the hospice is also working to reduce energy use and improve the sustainability of its estate. To help achieve these goals, the hospice turned to Mitsubishi Electric.
Mitsubishi Electric MSZ-RZ wall-mounted air conditioning
To meet the requirements, six Mitsubishi Electric MSZ-RZ wall-mounted air conditioning units have been installed as part of a wider extension and refurbishment project, which enabled the hospice to review heating and cooling across its estate. The systems provide both heating and cooling to help maintain a comfortable environment all year round.
“When we were looking at the options, we were offered the MSZ-RZ units, which offer heating and cooling and fit our need for sustainability,” explains Michelle Walker-Brown, head of facilities and hospitality at East Cheshire Hospice. “At the same time, the hospice is reliant on charitable donations, so managing energy costs is something we monitor very closely, and these air conditioning units have automatic features to help us avoid waste.”
Each unit is equipped with advanced 3D i-See sensors that monitor room occupancy and optimise temperature distribution and airflow. The sensors can shut down the system when a room becomes unoccupied, helping to minimise running costs and avoid waste.
The units also incorporate Mitsubishi Electric’s Plasma Quad Plus filtration technology, designed to remove bacteria, allergens and PM2.5 particulates, as well as neutralising viruses. This helps to maintain a clean and healthy indoor environment for patients.
Installed by Hewitt’s Refrigeration, these use R290 refrigerant with an ultra-low global warming potential (GWP) of 0.02, helping to significantly reduce environmental impact while maintaining high performance, even in low outdoor temperatures. A built-in Wi-Fi interface also allows staff to remotely monitor and control each individual unit.
Looking to the future
“I’ve been fully supported with Mitsubishi Electric training as these new units use R290 refrigerant, which is still quite new to the industry,” commented Brett Hewitt, director of Hewitt’s Refrigeration. “We managed to install everything in a few days and worked around vacant rooms and the hospice’s guests so we could keep disruption to an absolute minimum.”
Plans are also underway to install additional units within other parts of the building to support the hospice’s long-term sustainability goals.
Learn more www.mitsubishielectric.com/en/ and www.eastcheshirehospice.org.uk/
