Commercial kitchen ventilation systems are among the most demanding HVAC applications in any building.
Unlike comfort ventilation, they must continuously manage high heat loads, grease extraction, tempered make-up air and specialist odour control equipment, while maintaining safe operating conditions throughout busy service periods.
For many restaurant projects, this also creates another challenge, plant room space.
Traditional kitchen ventilation installations often require separate wall-mounted control panels, multiple inverter drives, independent power supplies and extensive field wiring, creating complex installations that increase labour, occupy valuable wall space and extend commissioning time.
When Partridge Ventilation Ltd approached iACS during the design of a new Wendy's restaurant in Southend-on-Sea, they challenged us to rethink the traditional approach.
Rather than supplying a standard control panel with externally mounted inverter drives, they wanted a completely integrated solution that would simplify installation, reduce wiring and provide a true plug-and-play package.
The result was a bespoke kitchen ventilation control panel engineered specifically around the project's operational requirements, combining intelligent controls, integrated inverter technology and centralised power distribution into one complete solution.
Even more remarkably, when site power delays prevented formal commissioning, the panel was simply energised by the site electrician and operated perfectly from the moment it was switched on.
What This Project Covered
This project demonstrates how iACS delivered:
- Bespoke kitchen ventilation controls
- Commercial kitchen control panel design
- Integrated ABB inverter technology
- LPHW heating control
- Commercial odour control integration
- Differential pressure safety monitoring
- Factory-tested plug-and-play controls
- Panel thermal management
- Commercial kitchen HVAC design
- Hospitality ventilation engineering
Table of Contents
- Project Overview
- Why Commercial Kitchen Ventilation Requires Specialist Controls
- The Kitchen Ventilation System
- Rethinking Traditional Kitchen Control Panels
- Designing the All-in-One Control Solution
- Integrating Variable Speed Drives
- Thermal Management Inside the Panel
- Centralised Odour Control Integration
- Why Differential Pressure Monitoring Matters
- Factory Testing & Plug-and-Play Commissioning
- The Project Outcome
- Before and After the iACS Solution
- Why This Project Matters
- Key Capabilities Demonstrated
- Looking for a Bespoke Kitchen Ventilation Controls Partner?
1. Project Overview
Sector
Hospitality & Leisure
Application
Commercial Kitchen Ventilation
Customer
Partridge Ventilation Ltd
End User
Wendy's Southend
Project Timeline
- Quoted and ordered: April 2024
- Wiring diagrams approved: May 2024
- Operational: July 2024
iACS Scope
- Bespoke control panel design
- Panel manufacture
- Integrated inverter design
- LPHW control
- Odour control integration
- Factory testing
- Technical support
Control Panel
Custom Kitchen Ventilation Panel
Major Equipment
- Kitchen extract fan
- General extract fan
- Fresh air supply fan
- Toilet extract fan
- LPHW heating battery
- 2 × ESP4500 electrostatic precipitators
- UV-O 1000 odour control
- 3 × ABB ACS580 variable speed drives
Project Status
Installed and fully operational.
2. Why Commercial Kitchen Ventilation Requires Specialist Controls
Commercial kitchens present one of the harshest environments for HVAC systems.
The ventilation system must continuously manage:
- High cooking temperatures
- Grease extraction
- Supply air replacement
- Heating
- Air quality
- Odour removal
- Equipment safety
Unlike conventional comfort ventilation, every component must work together reliably.
Any interruption to the ventilation system can immediately affect kitchen operation.
This makes intelligent controls every bit as important as the mechanical equipment itself.
3. The Kitchen Ventilation System
The Wendy's restaurant required a comprehensive kitchen ventilation solution comprising:
- Kitchen extract ventilation
- General extract ventilation
- Toilet extract
- Fresh air supply
- LPHW heater battery
- Electrostatic grease filtration
- UV odour treatment
- Variable speed fan control
The control panel was responsible for coordinating every part of the system while maintaining safe operation throughout the restaurant.
4. Rethinking Traditional Kitchen Control Panels
Traditionally, commercial kitchen installations include:
- Separate control panel
- Wall-mounted inverter drives
- Independent odour control supplies
- Additional containment
- Extensive interconnecting wiring
Although functional, this approach consumes valuable plant room space and increases installation time.
Partridge Ventilation challenged iACS to develop a cleaner alternative.
The brief was simple:
Place everything inside one control panel.
5. Designing the All-in-One Control Solution
Rather than adapting an existing panel, iACS completely re-engineered the design.
The result was a bespoke kitchen ventilation panel built around:
- Large Schneider enclosure
- Integrated inverter drives
- Internal odour control power supplies
- Front-mounted PGD display
- Complete HVAC controls
- Heating control
- Fan sequencing
- Safety monitoring
Everything required to operate the kitchen ventilation system was contained within one factory-built panel.
This significantly reduced site installation work while creating a much cleaner plant room layout.
6. Integrating Variable Speed Drives
One of the most significant engineering challenges involved integrating three ABB ACS580 inverter drives directly inside the control panel.
The installation included:
- 2 × 4kW ABB ACS580 IP21 drives
- 1 × 2.2kW ABB ACS580 IP21 drive
Rather than mounting these separately on the wall, all drives were installed directly onto the control panel backplate.
Benefits included:
- Reduced wall space
- Less field wiring
- Simplified installation
- Improved appearance
- Factory-tested connections
- Faster commissioning
7. Thermal Management Inside the Panel
Installing multiple inverter drives within a sealed enclosure introduces another engineering challenge.
Variable speed drives generate heat.
Without appropriate cooling, excessive temperatures could reduce reliability.
To overcome this, iACS incorporated:
- Forced ventilation
- Thermostatically controlled cooling
- Enlarged enclosure
- Airflow management
This ensured all internal components remained within their recommended operating temperatures.
8. Centralised Odour Control Integration
Commercial kitchens increasingly incorporate specialist odour treatment systems.
This installation included:
- Two ESP4500 electrostatic precipitators
- One UV-O 1000 odour control unit
Rather than requiring independent electrical supplies, iACS integrated dedicated power circuits directly within the panel.
This allowed all odour control equipment to be:
- Powered centrally
- Protected centrally
- Interlocked correctly
- Simplified for installation
9. Why Differential Pressure Monitoring Matters
During the design stage, the customer questioned whether the differential pressure switches could be removed.
Previous projects had experienced nuisance trips during high winds.
Rather than removing an important safety device, iACS investigated the underlying cause.
Our conclusion was clear.
The issue was not the differential pressure switches themselves.
It was the installation and setup.
By retaining the switches, the finished system continued to provide:
- Airflow verification
- Filter monitoring
- Fan proving
- Safety compliance
Removing these devices would have reduced protection rather than solving the real issue.
This reflects the iACS engineering philosophy:
Solve the root cause, not the symptom.
10. Factory Testing & Plug-and-Play Commissioning
Every panel manufactured by iACS undergoes extensive factory testing before leaving production.
Originally, iACS engineers planned to attend site for commissioning.
However, repeated utility delays meant the restaurant still had no mains power.
As opening day approached, the site electrician finally energised the completed installation.
The result demonstrated the value of thorough factory testing.
The complete system started and operated correctly without requiring an iACS engineer on site.
The customer subsequently cancelled the commissioning visit, confirming:
"Wendy's Southend is working without fault and no commissioning visit required."
This is one of the strongest demonstrations of plug-and-play reliability within any recent iACS project.
11. Project Outcome
The completed installation successfully delivered:
- Integrated inverter technology
- Compact plant room layout
- Reliable ventilation control
- Centralised odour control
- Factory-tested installation
- Simplified electrical installation
- Reliable operation
- Successful project handover
Despite commissioning delays caused by site power availability, the panel operated exactly as intended from first energisation.
12. Before and After the iACS Solution
| Traditional Installation | iACS Integrated Solution |
| Separate inverter drives | Three integrated ABB drives |
| Multiple power supplies | Centralised power distribution |
| Additional wall space required | Compact all-in-one enclosure |
| Extensive site wiring | Factory-built plug-and-play design |
| Greater commissioning complexity | Ready-to-operate factory-tested solution |
13. Why This Project Matters
This project demonstrates that successful HVAC controls are not simply about software.
Good engineering begins long before commissioning.
By listening to the customer's installation challenges, iACS redesigned the control panel around how the project would actually be installed.
The result reduced installation complexity, improved maintainability and delivered a complete factory-tested solution that required virtually no on-site intervention.
14. Key Capabilities Demonstrated
- Bespoke control panel design
- Commercial kitchen ventilation controls
- ABB ACS580 integration
- LPHW heating control
- Thermal management
- Differential pressure monitoring
- Odour control integration
- Factory-tested plug-and-play solutions
- Hospitality HVAC engineering
Looking for a Bespoke Kitchen Ventilation Controls Partner?
Whether you're designing a new commercial kitchen, upgrading an existing ventilation system or looking to simplify your plant room installation, iACS can provide intelligent control solutions engineered around your project.
Our expertise includes:
- Kitchen ventilation controls
- AHU controls
- Fan Coil Unit controls
- Integrated inverter solutions
- Bespoke control panels
- HVAC software
- Factory testing
- Commissioning support
- Commercial kitchen HVAC optimisation
From independent restaurants to international hospitality brands, iACS delivers intelligent controls that simplify installation, improve reliability and reduce project risk.