Perfect conditions for processes and employees 

Technology is always in the service of processes, people and/or spaces

Good air quality is essential in any production facility. The right temperature, excellent humidity and controlled air flows are important conditions for this. Colt, part of Kingspan Light + Air - the Netherlands contributes to this with sophisticated climate control. From heating to cooling, ventilation and heat recovery and precisely tailored to the internal processes, people and/or spaces. Those who involve the climate specialist at an early stage are also assured of an energy-efficient operation and a favorable Total Cost of Ownership.

Hot, dirty, humid or uncontrolled air flows are undesirable in any production facility, knows Mike Sietsma, Climate Technical Advisor at Colt. "To combat this and to take comfort, energy efficiency and Total Cost of Ownership to the highest level, the right choices have to be made from the start. That's why we like to sit down with the client and contractor at an early stage."

Sensible air-conditioning

"Our services go far beyond installing heat pumps, air handling units, welding fume extraction and adiabatic cooling systems," Sietsma says. "Because we are brand-independent, we can engineer and deliver the right and cost-effective solution for every building and climate demand. Here we can fall back on approximately 90 years of experience. But also on modern techniques such as CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics), with which air flows can be precisely calculated and optimized even in complex environments."

One plant, six climate systems

At Colt, technology always serves the processes, people and/or spaces, Sietsma emphasizes. As an example, he mentions the new factory for Nenco Food Group in Berkel en Rodenrijs, for which Colt worked out six (!) customized climate systems. For example, two rooms are adiabatically cooled, while the other rooms are equipped with air handling units with heat recovery, absorption drying, mechanical industrial cooling and all-electric air treatment using a rooftop unit, respectively. "By deviating from conventional techniques and designing an efficient and effective climate system for each process, Nenco Food Group benefits from excellent indoor air quality while reducing its investment in climate technology by as much as 40%," said Sietsma. "Operationally, these savings are even higher. That is precisely where our strength lies."

Colt Survey and Best Practices.

"Every project invariably starts with a comprehensive introduction and a Colt Survey air engineering study," Sietsma says. "Based on the client's starting points and using good modulation techniques such as CFD, we like to map the air flows in a building, in combination with the internal heat load and any disturbances caused by people and machines. Based on the measurement results, scientific research and after almost 90 years of experience in the industry (Colt Best Practices), we then search for the optimum in usefulness and necessity. Here we not only have an eye for health, comfort and (energy) performance, but also for the aesthetics of the building. A great example of this is the projects for Vattenfall, Equans and Tendens, where ventilation is an important part of the architecture of their power plants and transformer buildings."

Perfect balance

In addition to the above-mentioned projects, Colt's indoor climate solutions also throw high points in accommodation areas such as atria, meeting rooms and canteens, where a perfect balance between architecture, temperature and (daytime) light is essential for the comfort and well-being of users. "We are also a sought-after partner in office projects, where our approach contributes to optimal working comfort, energy-efficient operation and a favorable Total Cost of Ownership. For example, by looking at systems that use water rather than refrigerant as an energy carrier, the environmental impact is very low."