A luxury U.S. resort selected variable refrigerant volume zoning (VRF) systems to meet its space and noise needs.
by Mitsubishi Electric
* Photo: Courtesy of Pelican Hill
Pelican Hill, a tourist destination located on 504 acres (approx. 204 hectares) on the Pacific Ocean, in the Newport coastal area of Southern California, in addition to having been recognized with the AAA five diamond category has received other recognitions from important media. It was included in Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report's "500 Favorite™ Hotels" (2011) list (2011); it was selected as the number one golf club in California (2011) by the publication Condé Nast Traveler, among other recognitions.
Inspired by the sixteenth-century architecture of Venetian Andrea Palladio, Pelican Hill offers 128 two-, three- and four-bedroom luxury villas with ocean views; 204 luxurious bungalow suites with terraces overlooking the sea; a splendid five-star spa (awarded by Forbes magazine); the iconic "Coliseum pool", one of the largest circular pools in the world (136 feet / approx. 41.4 meters wide), surrounded by terraces on levels and luxurious cabins; fine dining at the Andrea Ristorante and casual dining at the Pelican Grill; and the Pelican Hill Golf Course, with 36 spectacular holes designed by Tom Fazio, almost all with panoramic ocean views.
Noise mitigation
Newport Beach's strict building regulations are known throughout California. Newport inspectors are particularly fond of keeping an eye on builders' plans for outdoor air conditioning units.
They pay special attention to the size, height, amount of noise and space that the specified capacitors will occupy. As one inspector put it, "we're not going to allow an outdoor capacitor seed, and the smaller they are, the better." He said Newport and Beverly Hills are recognized for having the most stringent noise restriction laws in the United States.
For engineering solutions, planners from the Irvine Company (mobiliaira admonistradora del Resort) had frequently turned to mechanical engineers at Tsuchiyama Kaino Sun & Carter (TKSC) in Irvine, California. Will Ha was a mechanical engineer assigned to work in partnership with Roger Carter (the "C" of TKSC). Before obtaining permits for the hundreds of rooms, suites and villas, golf courses, event center, and/or hotel or spa, one of the most pressing issues for Irvine Company engineers was how to conform to Newport Beach's strict laws and regulations.
Will Ha remembers how the design team transformed an old Irvine Company warehouse into a test center on the Pelican Hill site. They then built a model villa within the winery to evaluate and determine the best solution in terms of size, noise and air conditioning control areas. Different models of split systems were used to see if they could meet Newport's stringent regulations.
VRF Zoning Systems
It was during this trial period that Will Ha met Robert "Bobby" Hahn, president of Pacific Systems Group, Inc. (Torrance, California). Hahn, an independent West Coast representative for Mitsubishi Electric Cooling & Heating (Suwanee, Georgia), had heard about plans to build Pelican Hill and visited the model house. At the time, Mitsubishi Electric had recently launched a variable refrigerant volume zoning (VRF) technology in the U.S. market that for decades had been a success in Europe and Asia. Hahn was eager to see if this technology from Mitsubishi Electric could be the right solution for Pelican Hill's needs.
Hahn explained to the Irvine Company and TKSC engineers why Mitsubishi Electric's VRF zoning systems would help comply with Newport regulations. He demonstrated how quiet, high-performance heat pumps have one of the most compact sizes available on the market. He showed them how these could be placed in the gardens adjacent to the houses and constructions of the resort without being seen or heard.
Hahn explained that these VRF zoning systems were the first of two pipes that provide cooling and heating simultaneously, available in the U.S. market. This implied a large reduction in labor and equipment costs, compared to conventional HVAC systems.
Unlike most simple split systems (from an outdoor unit to an indoor fan coil), a single Mitsubishi Electric outdoor unit can cool or heat up to 50 zones, sparing Newport officials from displeasing outdoor compressor "seedings." Hahn stressed that a very important benefit for resorts is that indoor units operate at just 24 dB(A) (the same noise level of a human whisper), and outdoor units at just 58 dB(A).
The solution to strict regulations
Teams of mechanical engineers from the Irvine Company and TKSC were curious about this new CVAC option. They wanted to witness first-hand the installation of a VRF zoning equipment. Hahn contacted Mitsubishi Electric's West Coast sales office, where he was told that there was newly installed equipment at an elementary school in Portland, Oregon, which would serve as a reliable display of the noise levels of four new R2 series units.
Units in this series (heat recovery) can simultaneously cool and heat different areas within a building. Mitsubishi Electric offered to transport the team of experts to Portland for a live demonstration.
Not very convinced that the noise levels claimed by Mitsubishi Electric were accurate, Irvine Company engineers brought a sound consultant with them on the trip to Portland. The consultant evaluated the first unit and recorded a measurement of 53 dB(A). "Have these compressors been altered for this particular group?" he asked.
School officials assured him that the four outdoor units of the R2 series had been installed just as they had arrived in their boxes at the factory in Japan. The sound consultant continued the checks and was surprised to find that the next three units ranged from 53 to 58 decibels. The only noise his hearing aids perceived was that of a boy bouncing his basketball off the pavement, 50 yards (approx. 45.7 meters) away.
That portland soundcheck sealed the largest sale of Mitsubishi Electric's VRF zoning equipment in the United States to date, close to $3 million.
The size factor
In addition to how impressively quiet the units were, Ha said the other determining factor for the engineers was the size of the outdoor units, as they were compact enough to hide them discreetly behind the walls and garden terraces. Pelican Hill's CVAC systems are out of sight, an advantage made possible by the fact that a single outdoor unit can work with 50 indoor units, thereby reducing the number of outdoor units required.
"By design, most residential units are located on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the hills of Catalina Island," said Ha. "Elegance is the word that first comes to the mind of visitors when they climb the Tuscan-style hills to the golf courses, the spa, the event center, the hotel, the villas and the bungalows.
This VRF zoning system from Mitsubishi Electric is a perfect complement to the spectacular facilities of this world-class resort. You don't even realize they're working."
To highlight
The Irvine Ranch
The Irvine Company, of Newport Beach, California, which manages one of the most pristine coastlines and one of the most important open spaces for science in the United States, dates back to 1864, when James Irvine and two other partners purchased 120,000 acres (approx. 48,562 hectares) located along Mexican and Spanish land concessions to form The Irvine Ranch®. For 70 years, the ranch housed orchards, grazing cattle and agriculture, but all that began to change when the urban movement began to arrive from Los Angeles County in the early 60s.
Today, the Irvine Company is an internationally renowned real estate developer, known for its award-winning planned settlements, its vast portfolio of high-quality real estate investments, and its leadership in natural resource conservation and management. The company's real estate portfolio comprises offices, apartments, retail properties and resorts in all of California's major markets.To highlight
Pelican Hill
Over the past 30 years, the Irvine Company has donated 50,000 acres (approx. 20,234 hectares) of land to Orange County, California, for use as parks, greenery, recreation and nature preserves. More than half of the ranch's historic property itself has been declared a national natural park. Fully aware of the miles of pristine coastline and legacy of sustainability, Irvine retained the last 504 acres (approx. 204 hectares) to develop one last masterpiece of lush greenery, urban planning and the latest in hotel design.
It took irvine Company many years to finish its Tuscan seaside resort destination. Pelican Hill opened in November 2008 and is currently a sanctuary of beauty, quality and sophistication. Its well-planned design and careful planning have set a new standard for the type of experience that should be offered to guests in a resort.To highlight
Mitsubishi equipment installed in different areas of Pelican Hill
Golf course
(8) PURY R2 Series Outdoor Units
(28) PEFY indoor units hidden in the ceiling
(8) 5-unit BC controllers
(18) PAC Simplified MA Remote Controls
(1) Gb-50A centralized control
Event center and hotel hall
(4) PURY R2 Series Outdoor Units
(12) PEFY indoor units hidden in the ceiling
(4) 4-unit BC controllers
(10) PAC Simplified MA Remote Controls
(1) Gb-50A centralized control
Villas in the lower part (south) (76 units)
(100) PUMY S Series Outdoor Drives
(102) PEFY indoor units hidden in the ceiling
(86) PAC Simplified MA Remote Controls
(8) GB-50A Centralized Controls
Guest Bungalow/ Suites (204 units)
(59) PURY R2 Series Outdoor Units
(235 PEFY indoor units hidden in the ceiling
(46) 5-unit BC controllers
(13) 6-unit BC controllers
(235) PAC Simplified MA Remote Controls
(59) GB-50A Centralized Controls
Goal field villa
(5) PURY R2 Series Outdoor Units
(17) PEFY indoor units hidden in the ceiling
(4) 8-unit BC controllers
(17) MA Luxury Remote Controls
(1) GB-50A Centralized Controls
Upper (north) villas (52 units)
(13) PURY R2 Series Outdoor Units
(91) PEFY indoor units hidden in the ceiling
(13) 5-unit BC controllers
(91) PAC Simplified MA Remote Controls
(13) GB-50A Centralized Controls
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