Enclosure cooling · Rittal · Cosmotec by STULZ · MKS Clima
Industrial Panel Air Conditioners for Electrical Enclosures
A panel air conditioner keeps switchgear, PLCs and variable-speed drives within their rated temperature while the enclosure stays closed to dust and moisture. Erdinç Klima calculates the heat balance to IEC 60890, selects the unit, installs it and services it as an authorised Rittal service partner and a Cosmotec by STULZ and MKS Clima solution partner.
A panel air conditioner is a sealed cooling unit mounted on or inside an electrical enclosure. Unlike a filter fan, it can cool the interior below ambient temperature, which is the only workable option once the surrounding air is above roughly 40 °C. Selection is a heat-balance calculation to IEC 60890, not a catalogue pick: required cooling output equals the internal heat loss minus what the enclosure surface can dissipate. Erdinç Klima supplies Rittal (Blue e+ and standard ranges), Cosmotec by STULZ including +55 °C models and MKS Clima units from 300 to 4,000 W, with spare parts in stock in Istanbul, and installs and services them Türkiye-wide and for export projects.
Why enclosure temperature decides equipment life
Electronic components degrade faster as they get hotter: the working rule in industry is that every 10 K above rated operating temperature roughly halves service life. A drive rated to 40 °C sitting in a 55 °C enclosure is consuming its design life several times faster than intended.
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- 1Sealed enclosure (IP54+) — heat from the drive, PLC, power supply, contactors and transformer cannot escape on its own; hot air collects at the top
- 2Hot-spot — local heating of 70 °C and above around the drive module; protection trips, the line stops, capacitors and solder joints age
- 3Temperature difference — the inside typically runs 15–25 °C above ambient; manufacturer limits are usually 35–40 °C
- 4Life rule — every 10 °C rise halves electronic component life; a drive running at 55 °C ages 4 times faster than one at 35 °C
The failures this produces are rarely dramatic. Capacitors dry out, contactors weld, drives derate and trip on hot afternoons, and the plant records them as random faults. The pattern only becomes visible when someone notices that the trips cluster in July and August, or in the enclosure standing next to the furnace.
Heat inside an enclosure comes from two directions: internal losses from the equipment itself (drives typically release a few percent of rated power as heat; transformers and power supplies more) and external gain from ambient air and solar radiation on outdoor cabinets. Cooling must handle both.
Filter fan, heat exchanger or air conditioner?
The deciding factor is the relationship between required internal temperature and ambient temperature. A filter fan or air-to-air heat exchanger can only bring the enclosure close to ambient; it can never go below it. Once ambient approaches or exceeds the equipment rating, a refrigerant-based panel air conditioner is the only option.
| Solution | Achievable internal temperature | Enclosure protection | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filter fan and exhaust | Ambient + 5…10 K | Reduced — filtered air enters | Clean indoor areas, low ambient, low heat load |
| Air-to-air heat exchanger | Ambient + 5…15 K | Maintained — sealed circuits | Dusty or humid areas with moderate ambient |
| Air-to-water heat exchanger | Below ambient (water dependent) | Maintained | Plants with existing chilled or process water |
| Panel air conditioner | Below ambient — set point typically 35 °C | Maintained | High ambient, high heat load, outdoor cabinets |
The most common specification error: fitting filter fans in a plant where summer ambient reaches 45 °C. The fans work perfectly and the enclosure still sits at 50 °C, because a fan cannot deliver air colder than the air it draws in. The equipment fails anyway, and the fans are blamed for a fault that was designed in.
How cooling capacity is calculated
Required cooling output is the internal heat load minus what the enclosure surface can dissipate naturally: Qc = Pv − k · A · ΔT, where Pv is total component heat loss in watts, A the effective enclosure surface area, k the heat transfer coefficient of the material and ΔT the difference between desired internal and maximum ambient temperature. The method follows IEC 60890.
Two details decide whether the calculation is realistic. First, ΔT is often negative in hot climates: if you want 35 °C inside and ambient reaches 50 °C, the enclosure surface is gaining heat rather than losing it, and that gain adds to the load instead of subtracting from it. Second, effective surface area depends on how the enclosure is installed; a cabinet in a row with both sides blocked dissipates far less than a free-standing one.
- Total component heat loss in watts, or the drive and transformer ratings from which it can be estimated
- Enclosure dimensions, material, colour and mounting arrangement (free-standing, wall-mounted, in a row)
- Maximum ambient temperature at the installation point, including solar gain on outdoor cabinets
- Required internal temperature and the most sensitive component inside
- Site conditions: dust, oil mist, humidity, condensate routing options
What changes above 45 °C ambient
Standard panel air conditioners are rated to around +45 °C ambient. Above that, capacity falls sharply and units can trip on high condensing pressure. For Gulf, Iraqi and North African installations a high-temperature model rated to +55 °C is required, not a larger standard unit.
- Condenser fouling accelerates: dust and sand build on the condenser coil within weeks. Specify accessible filters and plan cleaning intervals in months, not years.
- Condensate must be managed: in humid coastal sites a unit can produce litres per day. Specify condensate evaporation or a routed drain at order stage.
- Solar gain on outdoor cabinets is significant: a sun canopy often reduces required capacity more cheaply than the next unit size up.
- Derating is not optional: catalogue capacity is quoted at reference conditions, typically 35 °C ambient / 35 °C internal. At 50 °C ambient the same unit delivers materially less.
Product ranges we supply
Rittal Blue e+ and standard ranges as an authorised Rittal service and solution partner; Cosmotec by STULZ including +55 °C-capable models; MKS Clima panel air conditioners; plus filter fans and air-to-air and air-to-water heat exchangers where those are the correct answer.
Spare parts (filters, fans, controllers, condensate pumps) are held in stock in Istanbul and ship by road or short sea freight to the Balkans and by air freight to the Middle East. For plants standardising on one platform across many cabinets we quote a rolling spares package alongside the equipment.
Selection studies and commissioning guidance are provided remotely for export projects; site attendance is arranged for larger installations. In Türkiye the technical team reaches Istanbul's Anatolian side within 30 minutes and works nationwide on a project basis.
Rittal
Blue e+ and standard cooling units, filter fans, heat exchangers and original spare parts; authorised service, warranty repairs and commissioning.
Cosmotec by STULZ
Wall-mounted and roof-mounted units including high-ambient models rated to +55 °C; remote-monitoring series commissioned by our service team.
MKS Clima
Panel-mounted and roof-mounted units, 240 – 3,800 W, CE and outdoor UL series, air-to-air heat exchangers and circulation fans.
Related pages
The other systems on this site, and the Turkish version of this page.
- 07-A
All industrial cooling systems
Evaporative cooling, panel air conditioners, chillers, smoke ventilation and F-Gas compliance from one supplier.
Go to the overview → - 07-B
Chiller systems
For rows of cabinets, an air-to-water solution fed from a central chiller is often more economical than one air conditioner per cabinet.
Chiller systems → - 07-C
Turkish version of this page
Panel air conditioning page in Turkish, with the IEC 60890 capacity calculator and brand documentation.
Turkish version →
Frequently asked questions
Selection, high-ambient operation, maintenance and supply questions we hear most often from panel builders and plant maintenance teams.
Send us the enclosure schedule
Dimensions, component heat losses, mounting arrangement and the maximum ambient at each location. We return a unit selection per cabinet with derated capacity at your actual site conditions. Technical consultation by phone or WhatsApp is free; site visits are quoted.
20+ years · authorised Rittal service partner · Istanbul, Türkiye
- Phone
- +90 216 344 48 19
- +90 532 424 62 19
- info @erdincklima.com
- Address
- Esatpaşa Mah., Binikli Sk., Alibey Apt. No: 2/A-B-C, 34704 Ataşehir / İstanbul
- Hours
- Mon–Fri 09:00–18:00 · Sat by appointment
SON GÜNCELLEME: · İçerik Erdinç Klima teknik ekibince hazırlanır ve üretici dokümanlarıyla doğrulanır.