A Suffolk manufacturer is doing its bit to try to keep hospital patients cool and coronavirus at bay.
Bury St Edmunds-based air cooling units maker EcoCooling was chosen to install fresh air cooling and ventilation systems in two wards at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Ely.
Managing director Alan Beresford said “fresh air” units were seen as the hygienic solution to cooling rooms.
MORE – Regional pub group prepares to reopen as 95% of guests say they’re ready to return“We were really pleased to hear that Ely Hospital was installing our EcoCooling units,” he said.
“All hospitals have requirements for patient and staff cooling, and Ely NHS have recognised that fresh air solutions, as opposed to refrigeration systems, which recirculate air, provide a more hygienic solution.”
This was becoming even more important given the coronavirus pandemic, he said.
“This is a superb example of the simple and safe EcoCooling solution being embraced by the healthcare sector,” he added.
The Princess of Wales is a “much-loved” community hospital which was originally an RAF establishment opened in 1940, the company said.
“The air conditioning on the Welney and Wicken wards was getting more and more inefficient and the hospital saw this as an opportunity to move away from air conditioning to an alternative cooling system,” it added.
“The key consideration for the new system was the cleanliness of the air, with the hospital seeking to move away from a traditional refrigerant solution that recirculated air and opt for a fresh air alternative.”
The system would keep bacteria on wards down, the firm said, while providing cooling on the hottest days.
“The system will also be more cost effective to run and substantially more energy efficient than the old air conditioning system, helping to cut costs and reduce the hospital’s carbon emissions, therefore supporting its targets.”
The installation of two floor mounted EcoCoolers has meant no need for roof work, which helped to minimise construction works, with only access to water and electricity required.
The installation is set to provide the hospital with an “effective” cooling solution as we enter the warmer summer months, EcoCooling said.
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