Pressure from the retail sector will challenge the air conditioning industry to push energy and cost efficiency to new highs, says Paul Taylor, Panasonic's european technical manager, air conditioning products
AIR conditioning has an important role in building the future of traditional retailing by creating an appealing environment for shoppers and retail workers - in all seasons.

At the same time, the air conditioning industry will come under increasing pressure from retailers to deliver solutions that are more cost and energy efficient. This pressure will build as a result of changes in the retail business climate as well as government-led demands for better use of energy resources.

The growth of internet shopping is eroding the amount that shoppers spend on the high street. Many retailers have been forced to add online stores so they can continue to reach customers who now prefer the convenience of shopping from home.

But, while the face of retailing is constantly changing, traditional shops of all sizes still account for the larger share of the retail spend, and are here to stay. Successful retailers will have the best combinations of products, prices, and positions. Their stores will be attractive visually and have comfortable environments all year round.

Profitable stores

Profitable stores will combine all these attributes with cost savings from efficiencies across the board. So, among other things, managers will want to achieve maximum heating and cooling from every pound they spend on air conditioning.

One of the barriers to cost-efficient retail air conditioning is the open door policy favoured by many larger stores - especially in enclosed shopping malls - to make it as easy as possible for customers to enter and exit. It may make the customer feel welcome and more inclined to spend, but it also allows winter warmth and summer coolness to flow out of the shopfront. This puts more demand on the air conditioning system.

On the high street, or in open shopping precincts, automatic doors and air curtains are possible solutions for retaining the heat (or coolness) inside.

Whatever the situation, there is a good case for more efficient air conditioning in all medium to large shops to satisfy the needs of retailers and customers alike.

Any retail unit with a degree of deep space is likely to experience a marked temperature gradient between front and rear.

In winter this is the result of warmth flowing out at the front, while also building up at the rear because the normal heating is supplemented by heat from lighting and shoppers.

Air conditioning technology now permits a simple and efficient solution to this. Once the system has reached the desired temperature at the rear of the store, the air conditioning units serving this area can be gently eased into cooling mode.

Instead of going to waste, the surplus heat energy is recovered and transferred via the refrigerant circuit to supplement the energy needs of the heating units at the front of the store.

Similar efficiency is possible in summer, when heat absorbed by all units in cooling mode could be used to provide economical hot water, perhaps for kitchens or toilets.

With government and others pressing for greater energy efficiency and greener solutions all round, the air conditioning industry must help sectors such as retail meet their obligations.

The challenge for engineers and installers is to create the most efficient solutions possible from equipment currently available.

The challenge for manufacturers is to develop increasingly efficient systems that use less energy to achieve heating or cooling output - and offer greater reliability, minimising lifetime maintenance costs.