As technologies advance while the economy slows down, the country’s air-conditioning market is witnessing dramatic change. The total value of the market in 2006 was slightly over £692 million. This figure is thought to have grown strongly in 2007, due to increasing demands for new build and refurbishment of offices. In 2008, however, a decline in new orders is expected. As interest rates rise and business budgets become tighter, there appears to be a swing towards refurbishment as opposed to new build.

Conventional fan-coil units and chilled beams are also going out of fashion. Marching in are new and energy-saving products such as variable-flow-refrigerant systems (VRF) and roof-top units. The roof-top systems experienced an increase in volume and value in 2006, thanks to investment from the retail sector such as cinemas and fast-food restaurants. Because the roof-top product can perform in one box all that is required from conventional systems such as chillers and air-handling units, it is suitable for venues with low-capacity applications and limited plant space.

New VRF air-conditioning units can serve any application from single rooms to large buildings. Thanks to this flexibility of mixing a range of indoor models and outdoor units, the product is considered superior in design and installation, when compared to conventional air conditioning systems such as scroll compressors and reciprocating chillers. Especially in refurbishment projects, the VRF is proving extremely popular.

Finally, the country’s manufacturers and suppliers are currently experiencing strong demand for close-control air conditioning. Advanced technologies such as the development of virtualisation software and online broadcasting and video streaming have also contributed to the growth of close-control equipment, enabling companies to increase the average price of their products.