Darrel Hawkins Operations Director
Darrel Hawkins serves as Operations Director for React Cooling and brings over 30 years of experience in commercial property management, HVAC systems engineering and building services. As a time-served engineer, Darrel has developed extensive expertise across the full engineering and operational life cycle, from technical design and project delivery through to the management of large-scale engineering operations at a national level.
Fully F-Gas qualified, Darrel combines practical, hands-on knowledge with strategic operational leadership. Having worked on HVAC systems since his early career, he possesses a deep technical understanding of system design, equipment selection, installation planning, and long-term operational performance. His breadth of experience enables him to advise clients on the most effective and commercially appropriate solutions for a wide range of building environments.
Throughout his career, Darrel has progressed from engineering roles into senior facilities and operations management, giving him a well-rounded perspective on both technical delivery and business-critical service performance. In his current role, he is responsible for overseeing operations across React Cooling, while also leading the planning, coordination, and delivery of installation and servicing projects across diverse commercial sectors, including hotels, hospitals, schools, offices, and clinical facilities.
Darrel’s expertise extends across all stages of project development, including system design, load calculations, equipment specification, budgeting, cost planning, installation strategy, team mobilisation, and end-to-end project management. His experience in delivering large-scale projects and managing nationwide engineering operations ensures that every solution is developed with a clear focus on performance, compliance, efficiency, and client requirements.
A key area of Darrel’s specialism is HVAC design — the engineering discipline concerned with creating air conditioning, heating and ventilation, and systems that provide thermal comfort, maintain indoor air quality, and optimise energy efficiency. This process involves detailed assessment of heating and cooling loads, equipment sizing and selection, ventilation and filtration strategies, control system integration, regulatory compliance, and overall project cost planning. Darrel’s extensive knowledge in this field enables React Cooling to deliver robust, practical, and high-performing solutions tailored to each client’s operational needs.
In addition to designing AC and building services solutions for new clients through React Energy, Darrel also supports and oversees a nationwide service team of more than 20 F-Gas qualified engineers. His leadership ensures that React Cooling continues to deliver consistently high standards of engineering support, project execution, and ongoing service excellence across the UK.
Darrel focuses his time in designing AC solutions and installations for new clients for React Energy while supporting the services team of over 20 F-gas qualified engineers nationwide. If you require an AC installation reach out to the team to book in a site survey with Darrel.