How Do You Heat and Cool a Marquee?
Marquees provide a flexible solution for events, hospitality, exhibitions and temporary commercial spaces, but maintaining a comfortable internal temperature can be challenging.
Unlike permanent buildings, marquees typically have limited insulation and can be heavily influenced by external weather conditions. During warmer months, solar gain, high outdoor temperatures, lighting, catering equipment and large numbers of guests can quickly increase internal temperatures. During autumn and winter, heat can escape rapidly through the structure, making reliable temporary heating equally important.
A professionally designed HVAC hire solution for marquees can overcome these challenges. Depending on the season and requirements of the event, temporary chillers, air handling units (AHUs) and boilers can be combined to provide effective heating or cooling.
At Ideal Heat Solutions, we provide temporary HVAC hire solutions across the UK, supporting events and temporary structures with equipment selected around the required capacity, site layout and seasonal conditions.
Temporary Cooling for Marquees During Warmer Months
Keeping a marquee cool isn’t simply a matter of placing portable air conditioning units around the space. Larger marquees can require substantial cooling capacity, particularly when they are occupied by hundreds of people or contain lighting, catering equipment and other heat-generating systems.
For larger applications, a temporary chiller and AHU can provide a more effective solution.
The chiller produces chilled water, which is circulated to an air handling unit. The AHU uses this chilled water to cool the air before distributing it into the marquee through temporary ductwork.
This allows cooled air to be introduced where it is required while the main HVAC equipment can be positioned externally.
A correctly specified system can help maintain a more comfortable environment throughout an event, even when external temperatures rise.
Why Use a Chiller and AHU for Marquee Cooling?
One of the biggest advantages of pairing a temporary chiller with an AHU is the ability to provide higher-capacity cooling to large temporary spaces.
Rather than relying on individual portable units throughout the marquee, a centralised temporary cooling system can distribute conditioned air across the required area.
This can be particularly useful for large corporate events, exhibitions, hospitality venues, temporary dining spaces and other applications where maintaining comfortable conditions is important.
The solution can also be tailored around the specific site. Chiller capacity, AHU size, temporary pipework and ducting can all be selected according to the marquee dimensions, occupancy levels and expected heat load.
Temporary Heating for Marquees During Colder Months
The same principles apply when temperatures begin to fall.
Because marquees generally provide less insulation than permanent buildings, they can lose heat quickly. This can create uncomfortable conditions for guests and staff, particularly during winter events or when a temporary structure is in use for an extended period.
For larger applications, a temporary boiler and AHU can provide an effective heating solution.
Instead of chilled water, the temporary boiler supplies heated water to the AHU. The AHU then transfers this heat into the airflow and distributes warm air throughout the marquee using ducting.
This provides a practical way to heat large temporary structures while allowing the boiler and associated equipment to remain outside the occupied area.
Using AHUs for Both Temporary Heating and Cooling
One of the benefits of an AHU-based solution is its versatility.
During warmer periods, an AHU can be connected to a temporary chiller to deliver cooled air. During colder periods, an appropriately specified AHU can work alongside a temporary boiler to provide warm air.
This makes AHUs particularly useful for temporary venues that may operate across different seasons or experience changing temperature requirements.
The principle is straightforward:
Summer: Temporary Chiller → AHU → Cooled Air → Marquee
Winter: Temporary Boiler → AHU → Heated Air → Marquee
The exact configuration and equipment capacity will depend on the individual application, but this approach allows a temporary HVAC system to be designed specifically around the venue.
What Size HVAC System Does a Marquee Need?
There is no single chiller, boiler or AHU size suitable for every marquee.
Correct specification depends on several factors, including the dimensions and construction of the marquee, expected occupancy, outdoor temperature, desired internal temperature, lighting and electrical equipment, catering facilities and the frequency with which entrances are opened.
Site layout must also be considered. Temporary chillers and boilers require suitable external positioning, while pipework, hoses and ducting need to be routed safely between the equipment and the marquee.
This is why a site-specific approach is important. Oversized equipment can create unnecessary operating costs, while an undersized system may struggle to maintain the required conditions.
HVAC Hire for Events and Temporary Venues
Temporary heating and cooling can support a wide variety of marquee applications, from corporate hospitality and exhibitions to weddings, sporting events and temporary dining areas.
It can also be useful for longer-term temporary structures where maintaining appropriate temperatures is necessary for staff, visitors, equipment or stored materials.
Hiring the equipment rather than purchasing it means the system can be tailored to each event. Capacity can be selected according to the venue and season, with the equipment returned once it is no longer required.
For organisers operating temporary venues at different times of the year, this provides significantly more flexibility than investing in permanent HVAC equipment.
Planning Temporary HVAC for a Marquee
Temporary HVAC should ideally be considered during the early stages of event planning rather than shortly before the venue opens.
The available space for external equipment, electrical supplies, boiler fuel requirements where applicable, temporary pipework routes and ducting access all need to be considered.
The required heating or cooling capacity should also be calculated based on the actual conditions expected at the venue.
Planning these elements early allows the temporary HVAC installation to be incorporated into the wider event infrastructure and can reduce the likelihood of last-minute complications.
Why Choose Ideal Heat Solutions for Marquee HVAC Hire?
Ideal Heat Solutions provides temporary heating and cooling equipment for commercial, industrial and event applications across the UK.
Our temporary HVAC solutions can incorporate chillers, boilers and AHUs, alongside the necessary hoses, pipework, pumps, ducting and other ancillaries required to create a complete system.
Rather than simply supplying individual pieces of equipment, we can help determine the most appropriate configuration for the application and support the installation and commissioning of the temporary system.
Whether cooling a large marquee during the summer or providing temporary heating during the colder months, the objective is the same: a reliable HVAC solution designed around the requirements of the venue.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to cool a large marquee?
For larger marquees, a temporary chiller combined with an AHU can provide an effective cooling solution. Chilled water is circulated between the chiller and AHU, which then supplies cooled air to the marquee through temporary ducting. The appropriate system will depend on the size, occupancy and heat load of the venue.
Can a chiller be used for marquee air conditioning?
Yes. A temporary chiller can form part of a marquee cooling system when connected to a suitable AHU. The chiller supplies chilled water to the AHU, which cools and distributes air into the marquee.
What does an AHU do in a temporary cooling system?
An air handling unit (AHU) transfers cooling from the chilled-water circuit into the air supplied to the space. Temporary ducting can then be used to distribute the conditioned air throughout the marquee.
Can an AHU also be used to heat a marquee?
Yes. Depending on its specification, an AHU can be connected to a temporary boiler rather than a chiller. Heated water from the boiler passes through the AHU’s heating coil, allowing warm air to be supplied to the marquee.
What is the best way to heat a marquee in winter?
The right solution depends on the marquee and required heating capacity. For larger temporary structures, a temporary boiler and AHU system can provide high-capacity warm air heating through temporary ductwork.
Can the HVAC equipment be positioned outside the marquee?
Yes, and this is one of the advantages of a temporary chiller or boiler and AHU arrangement. Much of the main plant can be positioned externally, with temporary hoses, pipework and ducting connecting the system to the marquee. The final arrangement must be planned according to site access and installation requirements.
How far in advance should marquee heating or cooling be arranged?
It is advisable to plan temporary HVAC as early as possible, particularly for larger events. This provides time to establish the required capacity, suitable equipment locations, power or fuel requirements and routes for hoses and ducting.
Do marquees need air conditioning in the UK?
Not every marquee will require air conditioning, but larger or heavily occupied structures can become hot quickly during warmer weather. Guest numbers, solar gain, lighting and catering equipment can all add to the internal heat load, making temporary cooling valuable even when outdoor temperatures are relatively moderate.
Complete Temporary Heating and Cooling for Marquees
Maintaining comfortable temperatures inside a marquee requires more than simply reacting to the weather on the day.
By combining the appropriate temporary HVAC equipment, chillers and AHUs can provide effective cooling during warmer months, while boilers and AHUs can provide reliable heating when temperatures fall.
A properly specified system gives event organisers greater control over internal conditions while providing the flexibility required for temporary venues.
Ideal Heat Solutions provides temporary chiller hire, boiler hire and AHU hire across the UK, with complete solutions tailored to individual site and event requirements.
Planning an event or temporary venue? Call our team today or complete our online form for a free, no-obligation quote for temporary marquee heating and cooling.