–Taco Bell | Hitachi VRF project in Barcelona, Spain
VRF
The place: a new outlet opened by Tex-Mex fast-food giant inside a shopping center
Following its first arrival to Spain in 2008, the US-based chain Taco Bell has been growing to become a staple of Tex-Mex food in the country. In 2020, a new location opened inside the shopping center ‘Centro Comercial Ànecblau’ in the Barcelona area.
In the hospitality industry, air conditioning is essential to create a welcoming atmosphere, enabling dining enjoyment for guests and comfortable workplace for employees, regardless of the heat sources from kitchens and crowds. This is particularly true in Barcelona region, where summer days can be hot and humid, and winters can be long.
The new location specifically required flexible air conditioning that could meet each zone’s distinct needs, while the airflow was expected to be discreet to ensure a flawless dining experience.
The solution: A Hitachi VRF lite system delivers to each requirement
To meet the needs of the venue, a small Hitachi VRF system from the Utopia IVX Comfort range was installed, complemented with five Hitachi indoor units – 2-way and 4-way cassettes and a wall-mounted unit.
- Thanks to their compact sizes, the outdoor units are ideal for light-commercial applications which, despite limited space, require the same level of comfort and flexibility as larger-scale projects.
- The unique GentleCool feature of the indoor units can prevent the airflow to be too cold during cooling operation.
- The Hitachi room controller eases the controls of the AC and displays the errors in case of malfunctions.
- Constant heating power means enhanced performance of the system during the heating season.
- High energy efficiency can be achieved thanks to the Hitachi DC Inverter Scroll compressor inside the VRF units. It can operate at low frequency while maintaining the right lubrication of its components and low noise levels.
The outcome of this VRF installation resulted in numerous benefits for the restaurant.
- High seasonal efficiency, with a quiet AC inside the restaurant and low energy costs
- Adaptivity: The VRF technology allows the customization of each zone’s atmosphere, with different temperatures and settings between dining areas and kitchen spaces
- Integration with Taco Bell’s interior design style: The variety of indoor units enabled to select the right type to perfectly blend in within its surrounding decor.
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Location
Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
Project
New built
Year of installation
2020
Total System Capacity
15 HP
Outdoor units
1x Utopia IVX (RAS-12HNC) 1x Utopia IVX (RAS-3HVNC1)
Indoor units
2x 2-way cassette (SYSTEM FREE, RCD-5.0FSN3) 2x 4-way cassette (SYSTEM FREE, RCI-3.0FSN4, RCI-2.0FSN4) 1x wall-mounted unit (SYSTEM FREE, RPK-0.8FSN4M)
Controls
Wired remote controller (PC-ARFP1E)
