227 / 248
BEAM P
LUS FOR
N
EW
B
UILDINGS
A
PPENDICES
V
ERSION
1.2
8.4
I
NSTALLATION OF
A
IR
-
CONDITIONERS
Copyright © 2012 BEAM Society Limited. All rights reserved.
A - 13
8.4 I
NSTALLATION OF
AIR
-
CONDITIONERS
The temperature and flow rate of ambient air available to air-conditioners
for rejection of condenser heat affects the energy performance of the air-
conditioners. The ambient air flow rate and temperature is dependent on
the positions of the air-conditioners relative to the building envelope
elements and other air-conditioners. For instance, if the condenser side
of an air-conditioner is too close to an opposing wall, condenser air
discharge will be affected, which may lead to insufficient condenser
airflow, or the discharged hot air being re-circulated back into the
condenser. Also, an air-conditioner shall not be too close to a solid wall
or to another air-conditioner at either side, as such conditions would limit
the amount of air that can be drawn through the condenser coil. In the
situation of a high rise residential building, the ambient air temperature
around the air-conditioners at the top floors could be higher than the
outdoor air temperature due to heat rejection from other air-conditioners
below. This problem will be particularly acute if the air-conditioners are
situated inside a recessed space with limited open area at the side.
At the indoor side, the location of air-conditioners will affect the thermal
environmental conditions in the indoor space, and may give rise to
condensation on wall or floor surfaces in adjacent spaces. For
maintaining uniform space air conditions inside an air-conditioned space,
air-conditioners shall be installed at high level. This would also avoid
discomfort caused by the cold air stream discharged by the air-
conditioner blowing against the occupants. Furthermore, the air-
conditioner shall not be too close to the ceiling slab or to a partition wall
to avoid contact of the slab or wall with the cold air. Otherwise, the
temperature at the other side of the slab or wall may become lower than
the dew point of the air in the adjacent spaces and may thus give rise to
condensation.
For the purpose of avoiding deterioration of air-conditioner performance
and maintenance of satisfactory indoor thermal environmental
conditions, the installation locations of air-conditioners are assessed in
BEAM. Credits will be awarded for buildings designed to provide air-
conditioner installation locations that comply with the minimum
dimensions specified in Tables 8.4 and 8.5. Minimum dimensions
specified in this table are as shown in Figures 8.2 and 8.3.
T
ABLE
8.4
M
INIMUM DISTANCES FROM AIR
-
CONDITIONERS
*
Dimension
A
B
C
E
F
G
J
K M
Minimum value (m)
1.5 0.75 1.5 0.75 2.0 See Table 8.5 0.3 1.7 0.6
*
(
ALL APPLICABLE TO THE OUTDOOR UNITS OF SPLIT
-
TYPE AIR
-
CONDITIONING UNITS EXCEPT DIMENSION
J
AND
K)
T
ABLE
8.5
M
INIMUM WIDTH
(G)
OF RECESSED SPACE FOR HEAT REJECTION
Depth of recessed
space (D) (m)
No. of Storey
(S)
Minimum width (G) (m)
2 A/C units per storey
4 A/C units per storey
D < 6 m
S
5
2.0
3.5
5 < S
10
2.5
Undesirable
10 < S
25
3.0
Undesirable
S > 25
3.5
Undesirable
10m > D
6m
S
5
2.0
2.5
5 < S
10
2.0
3.0
10 < S
20
2.0
3.5
20 < S
60
2.5
Undesirable
D
10m
S
20
2.0
2.5
20 < S
35
2.0
3.0
35< S
60
2.0
3.5