A National program with real results
High street retailers and supermarkets are delivering national programmes rather than a pilot. Hundreds of sites sit within scope and the objectives are clear. The estate must remove gas from HVAC, electrify the plant that replaces it and improve energy performance at pace across the portfolio.
The Challenge for Estates:
The programme spans stores that differ markedly in age, fabric and layout. Many locations carry legacy ductwork, complex roof steels and planning conditions that restrict noise. All locations must remain open. Comfort for customers and colleagues cannot be compromised and acoustic impact on neighbouring properties must be carefully controlled. Any workable model needs to balance repeatability with the ability to adapt to each site’s constraints.
A National Solution:
To meet these conditions at scale, Mansfield Pollard provides an integrated model that combines standardisation and bespoke engineering. Base airflow frameworks at six, eight and ten cubic metres per second underpin the range and are adapted to the duties and physical constraints of each store. Return and supply connections are designed to land exactly on existing duct positions and to suit roof steels, which avoids structural intervention and reduces time on site. The model incorporates modular and bespoke AHUs alongside mechanical ventilation with heat recovery for office and welfare areas. Where a full heat recovery unit is required for food and café zones, rotary thermal wheels are applied within the dedicated HRU to maximise sensible recovery while maintaining comfort. All plant is selected for compatibility with low global warming potential refrigerants and is supplied with factory fitted controls that are pre configured for the client’s BMS. The approach creates a repeatable blueprint that still respects the realities of live sites.
Delivery Without Disruption:
The delivery strategy was built around live trading. Where crane access and logistics allowed, single piece lifts were used to minimise time on the roof. Where access or structure dictated, units were supplied in sectionalised form for rapid reassembly on site. Overnight windows were used to position and connect plant. Extended base frames and weathering details were engineered to suit the existing steels and curb conditions, which avoided rework. The result was a clean changeover with no interruption to trading.
Technical Certainty in Complex Environments
Bespoke Systems Built for Live Sites:
Every installation demanded units engineered not just to specification, but to the physical realities of the store. Base frames were extended to align exactly with existing steels. Supply and return connections were positioned to land precisely on legacy ductwork routes, avoiding structural rework and cutting installation time. Each site received a bespoke connection strategy, balancing consistency with local adaptation.
WHY IT MATTERS: This approach avoids cost escalation, reduces risk, and ensures rapid, predictable delivery without unplanned downtime.
One-Piece or Sectional Delivery:
Downtime was unacceptable. Where crane access allowed, AHUs were delivered in one lift, pre-assembled and ready for immediate connection. Where space was constrained, systems were sectionalised, craned to the roof and reassembled overnight. Every lift was scheduled for possession windows outside trading hours.
WHY IT MATTERS: Live environments remained fully operational. Customers and colleagues experienced no disruption, even during major plant replacement.
Controls That Deliver Intelligence:
All units were supplied with factory-fitted controls, fully wired, programmed and tested before dispatch. On site, integration with the retailers BMS was immediate, providing live monitoring, CoP trending and remote access from day one.
WHY IT MATTERS: Estate teams gained full transparency of system performance, enabling optimisation, fault diagnosis and compliance reporting without additional commissioning time
Compliance and Carbon Reduction Built In:
Each system was designed for R32 low-GWP refrigerants, ensuring compliance with current and future F-Gas regulations. Cold Air Retrieval systems recycled up to 80% of in-store air, controlling condensation and reducing heating demand. Rotary thermal wheels in HRUs maximised sensible energy recovery in café and food production zones.
WHY IT MATTERS: Systems are future-proof, resilient against tightening regulation, and engineered to deliver immediate carbon reduction.
