RVR & ProSolar Case Study - Caseys Furniture Store Cork & Limerick

CASE STUDY Caseys Furniture Store Implementation of rooftop air handling integrated with heat pump technology and large scale solar PV installation across two retail sites.

CASE STUDY | CASEYS FURNITURE

For over 40 years, RVR Energy Technology been a trusted name in heating solutions across Ireland, and for the past 15 years, we've been at the forefront of heat pump technology.

Our foundation is built on solid engineering principles, deep industry expertise, and a commitment to innovation, all driven by a passion for delivering exceptional customer care.

We're dedicated to accelerating the transition to sustainable heating and cooling within the Irish build environment.

At ProSolar, we provide businesses with longterm, reliable solar energy solutions that drive cost savings, enhance sustainability and futureproof operations.

As a permanent and trusted renewable energy provider in Ireland, we focus on tailored solar PV, battery storage and our ProCharge EV charging solutions designed for maximum efficiency and return on investment.

With rising energy costs and increasing sustainability demands, now is the time to take control of your energy future.

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BACKGROUND

CASE STUDY | CASEYS FURNITURE | BACKGROUND

THE CLIENT

Established in 1921 by John Casey, Caseys Furniture has been a cornerstone of the Irish furniture retail landscape for over a century. Born from humble beginnings, the company has grown into a renowned name, synonymous with superior service and the creation of comfortable living experiences for generations of Irish families.

Under the continued leadership of the Casey family, now in its third generation the company remains committed to its founding principles. Caseys Furniture is celebrated for its superb quality furniture, excellent value, and a commitment to providing an unparalleled retail experience.

With a new purpose-built store in Limerick (2005) and a state-of-the-art warehouse (2017), Caseys Furniture continues to expand its reach and enhance its service offerings.

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CASE STUDY | CASEYS FURNITURE | BACKGROUND

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS The Caseys Furniture building in Limerick is a modern, highly glazed retail environment with significant solar gain during summer afternoons and substantial heating demand during winter months. This creates a requirement for reliable, year-round heating, cooling and effective ventilation across both the ground and first-floor retail areas.

Across both sites the existing air-handling, heating and cooling plant was nearing endof-life, resulting in unreliable cooling performance and insufficient heating capacity during colder periods.

Project Requirements Replace the ageing AHU and chiller with a fully integrated modern solution Improve airflow to ensure consistent comfort and temperature control throughout the store Deploy a high-efficiency heat pump system to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions Meet peak seasonal heating and cooling demands Maximise reuse of existing ductwork to minimise disruption to trading Integrate on-site solar PV to reduce running costs and support the electrical load of the new HVAC system In parallel with the HVAC upgrade, the client also wanted to address rising and volatile energy costs. Strong daytime electricity demand from retail operations and HVAC usage made the building well suited to on-site solar generation. This enabled Caseys to reduce immediate electricity bills, limit exposure to future price increases and offset the additional electrical demand created by the heat-pump system. Solar generation also lowers peak grid import requirements, helping to manage maximum import capacity charges while significantly reducing the site’s carbon footprint.

A high-capacity Thermocold Airtop rooftop unit was selected, providing efficient, lowcarbon heating, cooling and ventilation from a single, fully integrated system.

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GRANT FUNDING

CASE STUDY | CASEYS FURNITURE | GRANT FUNDING

GRANT FUNDING

GRANT FUNDING & COMPLIANCE As part of Casey’s Furniture’s wider sustainability and decarbonisation strategy, both the Limerick and Cork projects secured support through Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) non-domestic grant schemes, covering renewable energy and low-carbon heating upgrades.

Rather than treating solar and HVAC as separate investments, RVR and ProSolar developed an integrated, phased approach aligned with the client’s long-term energy and operational goals.

Integrated Funding Strategy The projects supported a joined-up transition across: On-site renewable energy generation High-efficiency heat pump and rooftop HVAC systems Electrical and system upgrades Ventilation and airflow improvements Long-term carbon and energy performance This approach ensured the sites were future-ready, supporting electrified heating and reducing exposure to energy price volatility.

End-to-End Support RVR and ProSolar managed the full funding and compliance process, including: Identifying appropriate SEAI schemes Designing systems aligned with eligibility and performance criteria Preparing and managing grant applications Coordinating inspections and approvals Managing ESB Networks grid and export applications Following successful inspection and commissioning, both sites now generate renewable energy on-site, export surplus electricity and operate with improved efficiency.

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EQUIPMENT

CASE STUDY | CASEYS FURNITURE | EQUIPMENT

HVAC EQUIPMENT

For the system design we selected the Thermocold Airtop XL. Airtop units are state-of-theart rooftop HVAC systems designed to provide highly efficient heating, cooling, and ventilation. These systems are specifically engineered to handle airflow capacities ranging from 2880 m³/h to 44000 m³/h, making them suitable for a large range of commercial applications.

Airtop units incorporate integrated control systems that optimize performance while minimizing energy consumption. Whether the requirement is for heating during the colder months or cooling in the summer, these units deliver year-round comfort with significant operational savings.

HVAC For All Building Types

Heat Pump With AHU Function

Versatile, packaged solutions

Combining the efficiency

for medium to large buildings

of heat pump technology

including

with the versatility of air

new

builds

&

renovation projects.

handling units

Grant Eligible

Compact Range

Airtop units are classified as

Enjoy maximum flexibility

heat pumps and are eligible

with the Airtop; available

for grant assistance.

in three frames to suit any space.

Economical Solution With

high

efficiency

Custom Options and

Including auxiliary heating

energy savings, the Airtop

options, energy recovery

offers

and economizer.

a

cost-effective

solution.

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CASE STUDY | CASEYS FURNITURE | EQUIPMENT

SOLAR PV EQUIPMENT JINKO SOLAR 480 WP N-TYPE The Jinko Tiger Neo N-type 480Wp panels represent the latest in solar cell technology, delivering exceptional efficiency of 22.24% through advanced N-type mono-crystalline cells. These panels feature Hot 2.0 technology that significantly reduces lightinduced degradation.

With a 12-year product warranty and 30-year linear performance guarantee (maintaining 87.4% output at year 30), these panels provide long-term reliability for commercial installations. The robust construction withstands wind loads of 2,400 Pa and snow loads of 5,400 Pa, while salt mist and ammonia resistance make them ideal for Ireland's median wind conditions.

264 of these panels were installed at Caseys Limerick, with 132 at the Cork warehouse.

HUAWEI INVERTER The SUN2000-100KTL-M1 is a highly efficient (98.8%) string inverter designed for optimizing large-scale solar deployments. Its 8 MPPTs maximize energy harvest across diverse panel configurations and environmental conditions.

High Capacity: 40kW output with flexible voltage options (480V/400V/380V) Advanced Monitoring: String-level diagnostics and mobile app interface for streamlined O&M Robust Design: Fuse-free architecture and IP66-rated enclosure for enhanced reliability Safety Features: Integrated surge protection on both AC and DC sides This inverter has proven an excellent solution for commercial and industrial projects seeking high performance, simplified management, and long-term reliability.

2 of these inverters were installed in Limerick, with 1 of these being installed in Cork.

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INSTALLATION

CASE STUDY | CASEYS FURNITURE | INSTALLATION

CASEYS FURNITURE LIMERICK 264 solar panels were installed across the 3 large flat roof surfaces on-site for a maximum solar capacity of 126.72 kWp. The K2 Systems D-Dome mounting system was used to mount the panels in East and West-facing orientations at an angle of 10 degrees.

The panels were secured to the roof using ballast (weight) on the mounting frame, rather than any mechanical fixings through the surface of the roof.

On the same day as the Thermocold AIRTOP unit was craned to the roof, the solar panels, mounting frame and ballast for the solar installation were also craned to the roof.

This structure contained the solar inverters, G10 Relay (for ESB Networks compliance) as well as the main electrical distribution board, with the main supply cable to the

generator being repurposed as a supply for the AIRTOP unit and solar.

This pre-assembly made for a neat installation on the roof, specifically designed to sit on the generator’s plinth, and also greatly reduced the time that was required to be spent on-site on the electrical installation.

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CASE STUDY | CASEYS FURNITURE | INSTALLATION

The mounting of the solar panels on the 3 roofs took 2 weeks.

Individual Firefighter’s Safety Switches to enable rapid shutdown of the solar arrays were located beside the array on each roof, mounting on a dedicated ballasted structure to maintain compliance with SEAI grant standards.

Cables were routed back to the location of the inverter contained within steel trunking.

Electrical installation took 5 days (power outages conducted out-of-hours), with the ESB witness testing process required for an installation of this scale coming 4 weeks later.

This solar PV array is projected to generate approximately 105 MWh (105,000 units of electricity) each year, and is realistically expected to repay its initial investment in 4.5 years.

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CASE STUDY | CASEYS FURNITURE | INSTALLATION

CASEYS FURNITURE CORK 132 solar panels were installed on the roof of Caseys Furniture Warehouse Cork for a maximum solar capacity of 63.36 kWp. 66 panels were mounted on the east-facing side of the trapezoidal metal roof, with the same number of panels mounting on the west-facing side of the roof.

These were connected to a 40 kW solar inverter located at a mezzanine level of the warehouse, with Firefighter’s Safety Switches installed for rapid array shutdown.

The Clenergy Mycrorail system was used to mount the solar panels to the roof, with panel installation taking 4 days. Electrical installation took 3 days.

This solar PV array is projected to generate approximately 53 MWh (53,000 units of electricity) each year, and is realistically expected to repay its initial investment in 4.2 years.

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RVR Energy Technology Ltd Kenmare, Co. Kerry V93 F386

Prosolar Kenmare, Co. Kerry V93 F386

www.rvr.ie info@rvr.ie 064 6641344

www.prosolar.ie info@prosolar.ie 064 770 2000