Sagecon: HVAC D&C
Opening the Door to Energy Efficiencies

Design & Construct, or D&C, as it’s more commonly known, has been the foundation of our company since we were incorporated back in 2005. At this time, we had just emerged from a purely supermarket refrigeration organisation where energy efficiencies, running costs and low-maintenance designs and products were of exceptional importance. Design responsibility was heavily placed on the installer and so, on every project, the pressure was on for us to come up with clever design initiatives that would cut running costs while improving function. With non-negotiable installation programmes that ran 24hrs a day/7 days a week, it was not for the feint hearted!

Sagecon GreenSpec – Refrigeration Systems that Reduced Power Consumption
Not only did we have installation targets, but also power consumption targets. Such concepts as the Sagecon GreenSpec Refrigeration System was born about this time and has endured until this day in the specifications of corporate supermarkets. “Back in the day” Sagecon was the first to introduce timers on cool room lighting, install LED lighting and variable speed drives to Liquorland and Coles Express refrigeration systems along with other smarts that reduced internal heat loads of systems and, so, reduced power consumption.

In 2014/15 we entered the pure HVAC industry and took with us these innovative approaches. And, as energy becomes an ever more important issue as the years progress, our knowledge in this field is becoming equally important. Correct engineering, therefore, is paramount and where we put most of our chips when it comes to D&C.

Give us a project and you’ll be taken through the Sagecon Process where we do what we did for our supermarket clients back in the day and assume the full responsibility for our design and installation.

D&C – Adiabatic Heat Exchanger Installation

279 Lt Collins St, Causeway Hotel for APM Group
As part of our D&C at this site, we have installed an adiabatic heat exchanger in order to deliver our clients an energy efficient HVAC solution to the problem of climate control. In the words of the site’s PM (and Sagecon co-director) Gareth Jekel who played a big role in the design of the HVAC at the Causeway Hotel, “This is a highly energy efficient, safe, water-sourced VRF system that we’re installing in this hotel. I am very excited to get to commission this one and see how well our equipment performs. I love designing energy efficient equipment that requires no additional capital expenditure!”

You see, the system we’re installing will use the heat captured from the ambient air in place of a boiler. Effectively, we’ve designed a system that’s utilising energy that is already there, in the environment, in place of an expensive-to-install and operate system.

Gareth, who has been behind similar clever innovations at our major supermarket chains, is obviously very proud of this design and very much looking forward to getting it running.

As with all Sagecon D&C projects, we’re taking full responsibility for our design and products and are excited about getting it up and running prior to Christmas!

Warp Speed at Valeo and Uber Sites!

We have absolutely loved working these two sites over the past few months. Both have rocketed along and both builders have paved the way for us to make each one a HVAC success story.

28 Courtney St, North Melbourne – Uber Construction
We started on site in May and, thanks mainly to the builder giving us an open highway, we’re about done here. We’re flying, actually. All outdoors units are installed and after returning to the site post lockdown period, we’ll be done on the indoor units this week. Common exhaust is complete, too, so once power is provided to the site, we can commission and then handover. Uber truly deserve a pat on the back for being one of the most organised and programmed sites we’re on.

29 Browns Rd, Clayton – Valeo Construction
This site is a testament to what happens when you have a competent and dedicated builder’s project team running and programming a site. As a services trade, we know exactly what’s wanted and when, and so can coordinate thoroughly. As a result, to date, we’ve had zero clashes. A site with no clashes is almost unheard of! From a paddock in Feb, to just hole in the ground in June, they have just poured the Level 4 slabs in September and are giving us every opportunity to get this project knocked over before the end of the year. Working alongside other fantastic trades like Forza Group (concreting) and CPI (precast) and the electrical, plumbing and other services and structural trades on the site has been a wonderful team experience.