Air conditioning in Lancy

Are you looking for air conditioning in Lancy for a flat in Grand-Lancy, a house in Petit-Lancy or business premises? Geneva summers quickly become oppressive in an urban setting, and installing a cooling system deserves some thought: location, noise, permits, building approval. This page explains what this type of work involves in Lancy, before you send your request.

Split air conditioner or reversible heat pump in Lancy

The most common installations are of two types.

• The fixed split air conditioner: an indoor wall unit connected to an outdoor unit. It cools one or several rooms and suits a flat or an office well.
• The reversible heat pump: it heats in winter and can cool in summer. It mainly interests owners who are renewing their heating.

The choice depends on the floor area to treat, the orientation of the rooms, the insulation and what you expect: cooling a bedroom for sleeping, or tempering a whole home. A serious installer begins by looking at the property before proposing an appliance. If your project also touches on heating, the page on a heating engineer in Lancy will help you see the overall picture.

Grand-Lancy, Petit-Lancy: buildings that change the picture

Lancy lies to the south-west of the city of Geneva and brings together Grand-Lancy and Petit-Lancy. It has blocks of flats, houses and parks. This variety largely determines how to approach air conditioning.

In a block of flats, the question is almost never only technical. The façade, balcony, roof or courtyard are shared areas or belong to the landlord. You therefore need to find where to put the outdoor unit, how to run the connections between inside and outside, and where to drain the condensation without bothering anyone.

In a house, the constraints are different: the outdoor unit can often go on the ground or against a wall, but the distance to the plot boundaries and to the neighbours’ windows matters for noise.

In business premises, such as a small shop or a practice, air conditioning meets a need for comfort for staff and customers, with the same questions about façade and neighbours.

City heat and the lakeside: what the climate means

The canton of Geneva is very urban, with mild winters on the plain and hot summers in town. In a dense neighbourhood, built-up surfaces retain heat, and homes facing south or under the roof heat up more. These are the situations where demand for cooling is strongest.

Before choosing an appliance, look at where the heat comes from:

• windows exposed to the sun, which let radiation in;
• a poorly protected roof above a top floor;
• rooms with no possibility of natural ventilation at night.

Solar shading is a serious alternative, or a good complement: external blinds, shutters, films on the glazing. It reduces heat gain at the source, and the air conditioning then only has to finish the job. An honest professional will tell you whether this approach is enough in your case.

Rented buildings and managing agents: approval before the quote

In Geneva, many rented buildings are run by managing agents (régies). If you are a tenant, you cannot fit an air conditioner on the façade without the landlord’s consent; if you are a co-owner, the decision may go through the co-ownership, especially if the façade, roof or a technical shaft is concerned.

To move forward without losing time:

1. Write to the agent or administrator describing the project: type of appliance, planned location of the outdoor unit, route of the connections.
2. Ask for a written answer, with any conditions.
3. Only then have precise quotes drawn up for an accepted location.

It is easier to present a project that is already costed and documented to an agent, but do not sign anything until their approval is in writing.

Permit, energy and noise: the rules to check

In Switzerland, installing air conditioning may be subject to a permit or a justification depending on the canton, under cantonal energy legislation. In Geneva, the cantonal energy law (LEn) applies, with the Cantonal Energy Office (OCEN); building permits are issued by the canton, through the Office of Building Permits. Depending on the scale of the project and the location of the appliance, a procedure may be needed.

Two points deserve your attention:

• Noise. The outdoor unit must comply with the limits of the Noise Abatement Ordinance (OPB). Its location and model matter, especially when neighbouring windows are close.
• Protected neighbourhoods. Geneva has an old town and protected neighbourhoods; if your building is in a protected area, a unit visible on the façade may be subject to specific requirements.

Subsidies from the Buildings Programme in Geneva depend on the OCEN, and they most often concern energy works, not an air conditioner alone. Do not count on any aid without checking with the competent cantonal department. In all cases, confirm what applies to your project with the commune of Lancy or the canton’s departments before signing.

Preparing your request and comparing quotes

The more precise your description, the more comparable the quotes. For your quote request, state:

• the type of property (flat, house, premises) and the floor;
• the number of rooms to cool and their orientation;
• the planned location of the outdoor unit, and whether the agent or co-ownership has already replied;
• the state of the current heating if you are considering a reversible heat pump;
• whether solar shading already exists.

A good quote specifies the proposed appliance (make, model, output), the number of indoor and outdoor units, the route of the connections, the condensation drainage, commissioning and what is included or not (drilling, making good, removal of old equipment). It should also say who handles any procedures.

The cost varies with output, the number of units, difficulty of access, the length of the connections, the need for a crane or scaffolding to reach a façade, and ancillary work. This is why only a quote drawn up after a site visit is reliable. Compare several proposals on their content, not only on the total.

Other useful pages around Lancy

• The trade in general: air conditioning
• An overview of the commune: works in Lancy
• The canton and its rules: canton of Geneva
• To produce your own energy: solar panels in Lancy
• For heating: heating engineer in Lancy
• For another renovation project: tiling in Lancy