British ventilation manufacturer Vent-Axia‘s Sentinel Apex ventilation units have been installed at the Carmarthen Health and Wellbeing Hwb project, a 245,000ft² redevelopment of the former Debenhams building in Carmarthen, Wales.
The multi-million-pound scheme is transforming the site into a mixed-use health and leisure hub, including public healthcare services, a customer service centre, a 24-hour gym, and family entertainment facilities.
The project is part-funded by the Welsh Government’s IRCF Fund and additional UK-government support.
20 Sentinel Apex commercial heat recovery units have been installed across three floors, including four HR21 units serving the gym area.
HR15 units are used in office spaces on the upper floors.
The project team includes main contractor Bouygues, M&E consultant Hoare Lea, sub-contractor FP Hurley & Sons (Crosshands), and distributor Ventilation Warehouse.
Heat recovery and low SFP performance
The Sentinel Apex units were specified to meet energy efficiency, acoustic, and Specific Fan Power (SFP) requirements, while supporting indoor air quality.
The system offers up to 93% heat recovery efficiency, tested to EN308, and is designed for demand-led ventilation using compatible sensors.
Neil Higgins, Contracts Manager at FP Hurley & Sons, says, “We chose the Sentinel Apex units because they deliver exceptionally quiet operation and low Specific Fan Power, ensuring they met all Building Regulation requirements.
“The units were also available in a wide range of airflows, allowing us to specify the correct units for each space. In short, they offered the ideal balance of airflow, low noise, and energy efficiency.”
Adam Bullon of Ventilation Warehouse adds, “I have worked with Vent-Axia for a long time. The Carmarthen Health and Wellbeing Hwb was an interesting job, with the Sentinel Apex ticking all the right boxes for the project, including energy efficiency, noise, and ease of maintenance.”
The units are available in five sizes, delivering airflows up to 4,000m3/hr.
Vent-Axia notes that embodied carbon data for Sentinel Apex has been compiled using the CIBSE TM65 methodology to support low-carbon building design.
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