Monodraught Cool-phase helps Ford’s Retail Car Showrooms Go Green

29 April 2014 A new Ford Retail car showroom and used car sales office completed in January 2013 is equipped with Monodraught Cool-phase, a low energy cooling, ventilation and heat recovery system. Cool-phase reduces the running costs of buildings while creating a fresh and healthy indoor environment without the use of compressors or hazardous coolants. The system uses intelligently controlled phase change material (PCM) to actively ventilate and cool buildings, maintaining temperatures within the comfort zone, while radically reducing energy consumption by up to 90% compared to conventional cooling systems. Commenting for Ford Retail Group, property manager Simon Page says Ford Retail has been examining various methods for reducing its carbon footprint across retail showrooms in the UK, where some of its largest running expenses are energy costs and one of the most significant is the on-going cost of operating and maintaining mechanical ventilation and comfort cooling systems. Monodraught was approached by award winning consulting and building services engineers Troup Bywaters & Anders, to provide a design for natural ventilation at the new build project in Runcorn. Following acceptance of the design, Ford proposed a meeting with Monodraught to discuss how the Cool-phase system would work and how it would benefit the Runcorn retail environment. During this meeting Monodraught proposed installing its Cool-phase system in the retail centre’s used car sales office, to prove how effective it would be in reducing energy costs for comfort cooling. In a bid to reduce energy costs, Simon Page had already explored various renewable energy solutions in previous projects, but needed to reassure colleagues that ‘going green’ was a viable option for dealers during a recession. Says Page: “While the objective is laudable in green terms, there is also a strong financial business case, particularly as profit margins are tight in the motor industry right now and any opportunity to mitigate our property costs is very welcome.