CCME - August 2020

August 2020

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Climate Control Middle East covers the regional and global HVACR industry with a firm commitment to providing in-depth news and analyses on policy, business and technology.

STAY UPDATED ON THE LATEST HVACR NEWS AND VIEWS AT

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August 2020

TAKING A WRECKING BALL TO

POST-EVENT REPORTS 3rd edition of IAQ Webinar: ‘The Air We Breathe’ Smart HVAC Systems Webinar

A contractor’s perspective on surviving the pandemic FEATURES

Mai Dubai and its net-zeroenergy water factory

The truth behind the mark

Alexander van’t Riet CEO, Mai Duba

Industry stakeholders weigh in on misrepresentation of

news

AHRI opens MENA focus

ASHRAE signs MoU with NYSERDA

PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

US$15

2

August 2020

Presents

HVACR Virtual Conference Series:

VACCINE VIRTUAL

Theme: “The critical global role of cold chain in ensuring vaccine integrity during transportation and storage in combatting COVID-19.”

OVERVIEW

DATE: 19 August 2020 3pm - 7pm (UAE time, GMT+4) 7am - 11am Eastern Standard Time (EST) 12pm - 4pm British Summer Time (BST) 7pm - 11pm Singapore Time (SGT)

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: 8 August 2020, 12pm (UAE time, GMT+4)

SPEAKERS

Whilst the world awaits with bated breath for the emergence of a vaccine to be able to manage COVID-19, to put the menacing threat to human health and the months of economic uncertainty behind us, a crucial question is: “Are we preparing well for the likely unprecedented mobilisation of vials of the potentially life-saving vaccine?” And this is a question not only for the global South, considering how most parts of the world Dr Wasif Alam Ian Goldsmith have been caught unawares and exposed as being largely Independent Consultant & Former Chief Operating unprepared or underprepared in tackling the pandemic. Indeed, Former Director of Public Officer, Brakes Health & Safety Dept, DHA the question needs the undivided attention of global cold chain stakeholders, including policymakers, advisors, end-users and technology-solutions providers.

The importance of a robust cold chain cannot be overemphasised. To quote, Toby Peters, Professor in Cold Economy, University of Birmingham: “The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that, as a result of broken cold chain, there are more than 1.5 million deaths globally from Toby Peters Abdul Rashid Professor in Cold Economy, Chief Executive Officer, vaccine-preventable diseases every year – 30% of which are University of Birmingham, Pulseberry Health among children under five. WHO estimates that more than 25% United Kingdom Consultants of some vaccines may be wasted globally every year because of temperature control and logistics failure.”

COVID is placing a burden of the need for global mass mobilisation of vaccines upon us. Such is the nature of SARSCoV-19 that the spread of infection is rapid, and the mortality rate and suffering the world over is deeply worrying. As Shubhashis Dey, Associate Director of Shakti Sustainable Arvind Surange Harshal Surange Energy Foundation, India, says: “The vaccination program will Chairman and Managing Director & CEO, ACR require millions of citizens of all age group to be vaccinated Director, ACR Project Project Consultants within a short span of time.”

Consultants Pvt Ltd Pvt Ltd Hand in hand with that is the need to safely transport and store the vaccines in a sustainable manner, not only SPONSORS & SPONSORS from a carbon emissions point of view but also from a reliability angle. The world at large needs off-grid solutions, amongst Strategic Knowledge Partner Strategic HVACR others.

Recruitment Partner Vaccine Virtual, the next in the series of webinars by CPI Industry, is a meeting of government bodies, including health ministries; global advisors and policymakers on cold chain; pharmaceutical companies; and cold chain equipment and infrastructure companies. It has an ambitious programme agenda revolving around the need for ensuring vaccine integrity till the last mile, even in places with unreliable TO KNOW MORE: www.cpiwebinars.com electricity-related infrastructure.

3 www.climatecontrolme.com FOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, CONTACT: advertising@cpi-industry.com

VOL. 15 NO. 08

Addressing the disconnect

A R Suresh Kumar of Voltas reflects on how COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the global business landscape and elaborates on what the industry can do to overcome the challenge.

FEATURES

Mai Dubai and its net-zeroenergy water factory

POST-EVENT REPORTS

TAKING A WRECKING BALL TO COVID

PERSPECTIVES

16

20

08

Participants in the third edition of CPI Industry's IAQ Webinar Series spoke of gaps in the design, construction and handover phases of buildings and what they mean in the context of COVID-19.

‘Smart systems, smart personnel’

12

That’s how panelists speaking during CPI Industry’s webinar, ‘Smart HVAC Systems’, characterised the need of the hour in response to the current situation of lack of adequate skilled personnel, inflexible designs as well as inadequate handover and commissioning

Easy peesy

26

Rehan Shahid, Director, P&T Architects & Engineers. says that while harvesting condensate water for flushing toilets is not new, the ability to do so with ease, sans massive apparatus or costly and disruptive renovation work is uncommon

Unified control

28

A high-tech-enabled, futuristic, single-window visibility into a facility's electro-mechanical portfolio is just what the doctor ordered for efficiently operating the built-environment in the “new normal” engendered by COVID-19, says Sanjeevv Bhatia of Netix Global

Hannah Jo UY writes on how the company engineered the first water treatment plant in the region solely powered by renewable energy

The truth behind the mark

22

Industry stakeholders weigh in on the importance of having a thorough understanding of a mark’s technical scope and how accredited laboratories help in ensuring the quality of products in the GCC region.

END-POINT

page

on the cover

WHY THEN THE WORLD'S MINE OYSTER, WHICH I WITH SWORD WILL OPEN

Confronting the loop August 2020

40

Ghassan Freiwat, Deputy CEO, Awal Gulf Manufacturing, speaks of grit, as having helped him prise open a world of opportunities in the face of challenges.

06 eDItor'S note

REGULARS

4

AUGUST 2020

31 Regional News 36 Global News 38 marketplace

Presents

Virtual HVACR Series:

STRATEGIES & SOLUTIONS 4th edition of ‘The Air We Breathe’

30 September 2020 WEBINAR TRACK 3pm - 5.50pm (UAE Time, GMT+4) | 4.30pm - 7.20pm India Standard Time (IST) | 7am - 9.50am Eastern Standard Time (EST) 7pm - 9.50pm Singapore Time (SGT) PROFILES TRACK (CHAMPIONS OF THE BIG FIGHT) 5.50pm - 6.50pm (UAE Time, GMT+4) | 7.20pm - 8.20pm India Standard Time (IST) | 9.50am - 10.50am Eastern Standard Time (EST) 9.50pm - 10.50pm Singapore Time (SGT)

OVERVIEW With the world grappling with COVID-19 and its implications, in terms of health and the economy, indoor air quality is in sharp focus like never before.

There is a growing urgency to return to economic activity but not at the cost of health and safety. And for this, the world needs…

• Immediately implementable IAQ solutions in building-retrofit projects • Carefully thought out IAQ design and installation strategies and solutions that can be incorporated in New Construction

CPI Industry’s Virtual Conference, titled ‘IAQ Strategies & Solutions’, features a webinar and a special ceremony that profies those engaged in the ongoing fight against the implications birthed by the pandemic. The WEBINAR TRACK highlights the progess the HVAC industry has made in its fight against COVID-19. The PROFILES TRACK is to highlight those that have put their hand up in the fight against the virus through a show of courage, wisdom and pragmatism.

It is important to ensure that the best possible IAQ strategies and solutions are incorporated in the builtenvironment, for the SARS-CoV-19 is unforgiving, as likely would be any future strains. In other words, there can be no compromise, when it comes to health and wellbeing.

TO KNOW MORE: www.cpiwebinars.com 5 www.climatecontrolme.com FOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, CONTACT: advertising@cpi-industry.com

EDITOR’S NOTE

Confronting the loop

M

uch as we might not want to glorify COVID-19, and rightly so, its impact has provided an answer to the question, ‘How do we avert a dangerous global warming feedback loop?’ The loop is in the context of melting permafrost, a phenomenon that would release alarmingly large quantities of methane trapped in the mass, which would induce further warming. Some would question the future tense and say the world has already crossed the Rubicon on that.

And yet, we must hope and strive. COVID-19 has inadvertently provided the answer to the question. According to the authors of DNV GL’s recently published Energy Transition Outlook, COVID-19 has significantly altered our economic and social behaviour to such an extent that it has profoundly reduced global long-term energy demand. According to them, COVID-19 has also hastened the decline in carbon dioxide emissions – with 2019 set to be the year of peak emissions. Compared to DNV GL’s pre-pandemic forecast, the amount of energy required by humanity in 2050 will be eight per cent lower. Lasting behavioural changes to travel, commuting and working habits will also decrease energy usage and lessen demand for fossil fuels from the transport sector as well as from iron and steel production, the authors of the report said.

This is what Remi Eriksen, CEO, DNV GL, said: “We are still at a critical junction. We basically have the technologies to deliver on the Paris ambition, but we need smarter policies to scale these technologies much faster. COVID-19 has caused enormous human suffering but has, at the same time, shown us that measures can be implemented fast, at scale. This is an opportunity that cannot go to waste. Governments and international regulatory institutions must take this opportunity to make a lasting impact on decarbonization.”

With the earlier-than-anticipated plateauing of oil and the continued rapid decline of coal use, DNV’s forecast shows that CO2 emissions most likely have already peaked, in 2019.

However, even with peak emissions behind us, and flat energy demand through to 2050, the energy transition is still nowhere near fast enough to deliver on the Paris ambition of keeping global warming well below two degrees centigrade above pre-industrial levels, in the words of the authors of the report. To reach the 1.5 degrees C target, the authors said, we would need to repeat the decline in emissions we’re experiencing in 2020 every year from now on.

To put this in perspective, the authors said, COVID-19’s impact on energy demand only buys humanity another year of ‘allowable’ emissions before the 1.5 degrees C target is exhausted, in 2029. And it buys us a couple of years, they said, before the 2 degrees C warming carbon budget is exhausted, in 2050.

And so, it is imperative we carry on. We have a responsibility to keep pushing towards better building performance, plus continue our efforts towards the widespread and safe use of low-global warming potential refrigerants that also protect the ozone layer.

Surendar Balakrishnan Editor @BSurendar_HVACR

August 2020

TAKING A WRECKING BALL TO

POST-EVENT REPORTS 3rd edition of IAQ Webinar: ‘The Air We Breathe’ Smart HVAC Systems Webinar

Get the next issue of Climate Control Middle East early!

A contractor’s perspective on surviving the pandemic FEATURES

Mai Dubai and its net-zeroenergy water factory

The truth behind the mark

Alexander van’t Riet CEO, Mai Duba

Industry stakeholders weigh in on misrepresentation of

news

AHRI opens MENA focus

ASHRAE signs MoU with NYSERDA

PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

US$15

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August 2020

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7

Post-event Report

3rd edition of IAQ Webinar: ‘The Air We Breathe’

Participants in the Plenary Discussion of the third edition of CPI Industry’s IAQ Webinar series, titled ‘The Air We Breathe’, spoke of gaps in the design, construction and handover phases of buildings and what they mean in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has trained the spotlight on the importance of placing greater focus on occupant health in buildings. Hannah Jo Uy presents key highlights from the discussion…

“H

ow does the building profession suddenly embrace health metrics?” This was the question Dr Stephanie Taylor posed to her fellow panel members. As a physician and an architect, Dr Taylor is aware, perhaps more so than anybody, of the gap that exists between the medical and engineering communities, from her experience as an Infection Control Consultant for Harvard Medical School and as a Member of the ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force. Physicians, and the medical community at large, can be especially resistant to change, she admitted. However, she said, engineers have sometimes showcased the same attitude, recalling being told once: “We are into testing and balancing of equipment.

You are telling us to test and balance human beings, that’s not our area of expertise.” She said: “But, engineers need to learn medicine. Because us physicians, we are a little more resistant to change, though some of us are trying.”

For Dr Taylor, the urgency of closing this gap has been made clearer in view of COVID-19, which has trained the spotlight on the contribution of the builtenvironment towards the health of its inhabitants. In line with this, Dr Taylor has staunchly advocated for the need for 40-60% relative humidity to help contain the spread of COVID-19 virus, and presented medical case studies in support of this claim.

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August 2020

REVISITING EXISTING STANDARDS In agreement was Dominic Mc Polin, who said that, without a doubt, there is a journey to be made between science and practice and that this “journey has to be as short as possible”. As Chief of Central Planning Office in the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, Bahrain, Mc Polin said there has to be government directive and intervention, similar to the lockdown or social distancing initiatives, in order to recognise the importance of Dr Taylor’s findings on relative humidity. “We are in the middle of an emergency, and it’s hard for us in government making regulations, who are concerned with energy efficiency,” he said. “We have green building codes we are drafting, as we speak, and enforcing. Suddenly, in the middle of this pandemic, we are asked to change regulations.”

Mc Polin pointed out that regulators are faced with the challenge of having to filter the correct information in their decision making, which can prove to be difficult. “There is an awful lot of fake news and solutions from vendors, who see this as an appropriate technology to offer,” he said. “But, for the government, we are looking for good science.

We need this good science to allow us to quickly intervene on taking the hit, and it is a hit. We must recognise that we must take a hit on energy efficiency, if we are to switch our priority from energy efficiency to public health in our sealed buildings. This is the front line and this is the moment where we have to come clean with good science and discard the fake news. It is not a marketing situation, it is science, and we will come and look for the technology from vendors, once we have clarity on the science.”

Dr Iyad Al Attar, independent air filtration consultant, also underscored the medical community’s important contribution towards improving the built-environment, adding that not enough is being done to capture the existing science and information and putting it into practice. “How did we end up here after 100 years of Spanish Flu?” he asked.

“Our learning curve has not been steep enough. In the past 60 years, there were a lot of tools to diagnose, characterise and prepare our response time, but COVID-19 paid a visit and found us absolutely weak.”

Dr Simon Hugh Miller, Conformity Programs Specialist, Conformity Programs & Research Department, Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council Dr Stephanie Taylor (ADQCC), shared a similar sentiment, adding that that there is still scope for improvement with regard to existing codes, standards and regulations, especially when taking into consideration the new science and tools that have emerged. Sharing challenges ADQCC has faced in relation to product conformity, he said: “It is important to remember that when it comes to codes, the purpose of the AC systems in most of our buildings is to condition the air not to treat or limit infection control. Controlling humidity is an excellent example, where we have science behind it to help the situation,

Dr Simon Hugh Miller

Dominic Mc Polin

considering buildings can be infection control facilities. The availability of products that can help retroactively can be applied, but we have to be wary they are backed with good science.”

Miller said new, reliable information can be integrated with building codes which could be useful in mitigating potential future threats.

Agreeing with the general line of the discussion, Eyad Ismail, Group Director of Engineering, Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone (RAKEZ), underscored the importance of reassessing existing codes when it comes to retrofitting, which has traditionally focused on energy efficiency.

“COVID-19 has opened our eyes on the human side of the building,” he said. “There are many things to look at and to consider, and going forward this is how we are thinking. There has to be greater clarity and understanding for codes and standards in place, Dr Iyad Al Attar to make buildings more suitable for living and to make saving lives a priority.”

For Dr Al-Attar, it is imperative for the industry to place international standards “under the analytical knife” and get a clearer idea of where the industry has come from and, more importantly, where it is headed.

“Do we actually adhere to the standards we are having since the 1960s?” he asked. “If we have, and it failed, it means it is responsible for the situation we have today. If it has not, then it has been incapable of confronting the pandemic viruses we face today. We need not only to question or revisit but to challenge the

standards and find out if they are enough for us to tackle the situation. For me, it is unacceptable that we have an industry equipped with top-notch technologies but we are locked at home for three months and see economies falling. The gap between technology and application has gotten way too big. We need to not only revisit international standards but also question our seriousness on how much are we willing to change and turn the table on its head.”

IDENTIFYING THE GAPS Such a change is long overdue, according to stakeholders, considering many buildings in the region continue to perform very poorly. Providing a consultant perspective, Kandasamy Anbalagan, Managing Partner, Proleed Engineering Consultants, said that poorly performing buildings exist, because there is a gap between the design intent and execution of a project. “For many buildings in Dubai, though the Municipality has good codes and standards and they check the design in the submission and building permit stage, when a project is done and handed over to the client, often, the building is not performing or functioning as per design intent,” he said. Prabhakar Naik, Managing Director, Base VASTU and ENGG Services FZE, confirmed this, discussing one project, a school, which has continued to operate despite what he described as improper HVACR design and supervision. “Most of the time, it is running at 80% humidity and that means these children will get lung infection easily,” he said, adding that overdesigning humidity is only one of the many issues that emerged, following a post-mortem audit of the project.

www.climatecontrolme.com

9

Post-event Report

3rd edition of IAQ Webinar: ‘The Air We Breathe’

Ismail, while echoing the importance of Also sharing his proper design, installation and commissioning experience when it in building performance, also put the spotlight comes to poorly on operation and maintenance. “That is designed one of the issues in many buildings with projects in many landlords,” he said. “The system was the region, perfectly designed, perfectly commissioned, Barry Wormald, but they are not maintaining and operating Director of Building appropriately. Then, you won’t get the Performance, AESG, said: Eyad Ismail results you need from the machine.

“In one of the newest, highIt’s like running a car without quality residential buildings in sufficient oil. Not replacing a Dubai, we checked the fresh air refrigerant in the chiller, as rates and exhaust rates to individual per the manufacturer’s apartments, and we found that in a recommendation, building less than 12 months, the fresh air is these things are 27% and 46% of what it should have been. causing a lot of issues We are getting half of the ventilation rates for many buildings all we should be getting. Now, this is signed over the world. You need off by a team of people qualified to proper FM.” sign it off.”

Kandasamy Anbalagan For Wormald, a core issue, Wormald said that the when it comes to gaps that underlying factor behind ultimately lead to poorly performing these issues is that buildings, is how often projects change there is a palpable hands in the region, which has only increased disconnect among over the past few years. “Before, there was the building the architect, engineer and the client,” he owner, said. “I would ask the client what he wanted, operator, his issues, design the system, install and manager and commission the system, and for 12 months user, which often I would make sure it worked well. I don’t leads to improper think I’ve been in a project in 10 years commissioning of where the team that handed over systems. Anbalagan added Barry Wormald the building is the same one that that the situation is further started the process. Too many aggravated by the pace at which people get involved and fall buildings are handed over in Dubai. out of the process.”

“Installation consumes 95-98% of the The need for project time, and we are left with little time continuity in allowed for commissioning,” he said. “In responsibility, said Dr residential, commercial and rental facilities, Taylor, is an important it takes typically 8-10 weeks for proper theme running across commissioning of buildings.” However, he discussions on challenges facing said looming occupancy deadlines and the built-environment. While there project delays can mean buildings are not to permeate commissioned or handed over properly, Mohamed R Zachariah is much work to be done, she urged the industry to be kind to itself and through the which only comes to light during energy take a closer look at existing tools and design process; and audits. technologies in answering what can be done the design intent has Wormald said a way to address the to make sure buildings are operated correctly, to be permeated to the issue of commissioning would be to design and to ensure more continuity between the contractor and construction a simpler and more intuitive system building owner and manager to ultimately team, then commissioning,” and ensuring it is tested properly. For make a good building, in terms of optimising he said. This, Zachariah said, is the Mohamed Zachariah, Chief Consultant, energy use and safeguarding health. commissioning process; however, he said, Suhaimi Design Protecooling, stronger often these considerably basic guidelines implementation of Guideline Zero could are not being followed even in important resolve the connectivity problem, pointing institutional projects. As a result, Zachariah out that this commissioning process standard said that many buildings not commissioned from ASHRAE outlines basic requirements in the beginning would have to go through that should be adhered to. “There is a HAVE YOUR SAY! retro-commissioning, the process by which commissioning agent or party onboard from We welcome your views on the article. existing equipment and systems are brought the beginning to capture owner’s project Write to editor@cpi-industry.com up to original design intended operation. requirement, and those requirements have

10

August 2020

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11

Post-event Report

S

mart technologies are no longer a luxury – they are a necessity, said Mansour Kharoub, Associate Principal, Mechanical Engineering Services, Khatib & Alami, and Chair of CPI Industry’s webinar, ‘Smart HVAC Systems’, on July 19, adding that over the years, building professionals have warmed to the idea of installing them as essential for increasing energy efficiency and improving IAQ. Sharing numbers in support of the trend, Kharoub highlighted a 2017 study from Building Performance Institute in Europe (BPIE), which found that building automation reduced energy consumption by around 25% in households and smart technology can save an average of 23% of energy consumption in offices. “We also have IEA, which stated that digitalisation could save around 10% of total energy consumption in residential and commercial buildings by 2030,” he said.

On top of this, Kharoub pointed out that the global pandemic has fundamentally changed the nature of FM, driving further reliance on smart systems to ensure reliability of building operations. Pamela David, General Manager - Client Success, Netix Global, seconded this. “Because of COVID-19, we can’t send technicians all over anymore,”

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August 2020

3rd edition IAQ Webinar: ‘The Air We Breathe’ Smart HVACofSystems Webinar

she said. “People don’t want them inside rooms and buildings, so we have this very serious necessity of looking at the function of a building from a remote perspective. Opex is expensive and the cost of not having maintenance is disastrous for property owners.”

A NECESSARY CONVERGENCE In view of the positive momentum smart systems have been making, Mansour Kharoub Mohamed R Zachariah, Chief Consultant, Suhaimi Design – Protecooling was quick to point out that the “maximum benefit of smart technology can only be extracted intelligent full-blown BMS and not extracting when there is a convergence between smart the benefit of those kinds of systems.” technology and smart, trained people”.

Weighing in, Ahmed Elkiki, Director Zachariah pointed out, however, that this of Technical Services, RAK hospitality, is often not the case. “When we go back and Government of Ras Al Khaimah, provided inspect any building, where a full-blown BMS an insight into the challenges building was designed some time back, we found that owners and developers face in this regard. a very minimum capability of the full-blown “As developers of hotels, we do our best to system is utilised,” he said. “A lot of the use the latest technology in our systems and features are bypassed and quite a lot of the buildings,” he said. “However, we are very semi-manual operation has been executed. frequently faced with less competent FM Probably they would have been better off teams to manage the new technologies.” by installing lesser technology if they have In one particular instance, Elkiki said, RAK extracted full benefit of it. That would have Hospitality had invested in a state-of-the-art been more cost-effective for them than guest room energy management system for to spend so much on a high-functionality,

latest technology. “Sometimes, during handover of the building, you give the latest technology and a lot of aspects in the BMS and you find that after, the FM is only using it partially.”

David said that the inefficient maintenance of unskilled FM is further aggravated during COVID19. “Building occupancy has changed radically,” she pointed out. “Office buildings are now empty, and residential buildings are occupied. That Pamela David That’s how means the way the building is panelists speaking applied, the schedule would have to be changed. The maintenance and FM teams “The way FM during CPI Industry’s have to be aware of how to dynamically is happening now, there webinar, ‘Smart HVAC Systems’, change the setting, see the occupancy, is a complete separation characterised the need of the move the building accordingly and see if between maintenance in equipment is not being utilised.” This, she terms of MEP and the hour, in response to the current added, was key to predictive maintenance.

IT systems, or network situation of lack of adequate skilled Elkiki added that this is an issue that administration,” he said. personnel, inflexible designs as can be seen in the region’s construction “This cannot continue industry and that there is a lot of wisdom forever. This hampers well as inadequate handover and to be gained from other countries’ efforts the owners’ interests commissioning, which together have to regulate MEP technicians, installers and assets.” Zachariah led to under-utilised smart systems in and operators through a more stringent was in agreement. “My certification process. personal philosophy is that underperforming buildings, in the if you invest dollars in terms context of wider sustainability of control systems you have A NEED FOR FLEXIBLE to ensure you are exacting full SYSTEMS goals. Hannah Jo Uy has benefit of the intelligence of the Providing another angle to the discussion, the report… control systems,” he said. “If you Azmi Aboul-Hoda, Managing Director, don’t intend to do it, don’t invest that EMergy, dialled in on potential challenges much into intelligent systems, because they the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) are rendered useless.” teams are also faced with. To meet the The main issue stems from the lack immense challenge of ensuring optimum of skilled personnel, Elkiki said. “There is IAQ, which has been placed in greater focus a hotel. “It was the latest technology no requirement for the Director over the past few months, Aboul-Hoda said and, I think, it was one of a of Engineering or the Chief flexibility is key. “It starts with the flexibility kind in the UAE,” he said.

Engineer of any hotel to even of the system,” he said. “Whether or not the “We offered this to have a bachelor’s degree, O&M personnel are competent is one matter, the hotel, and it has let alone be an engineer but an important issue is also whether they been operating and have an engineering are relying on flexible systems. Are they in the hotel. The degree,” he pointed out. exposed to systems that can’t be altered, FM team is “So, I think there is a depending on the operating sequences? there from the lot to come in terms of The building behaviour is also an issue. Can beginning to the competencies required existing systems adapt to these changes?” end. We did a in FM team, with all For Aboul-Hoda, it is equally important mock-up where the technologies in that stakeholders support the O&M teams we left the FM place. We have brilliant with tools to be able to manoeuvre around team to operate consultants that design the current situation in terms of flexibility. it for five months Mohamed R Zachariah the newest technologies “This is also important in terms of visibility,” before the roll out. available, but there is no one he said. “Are they really able to monitor the What happened? They on site that has the knowledge to building operation closely, gain data from had no clue how to operate it.” operate them properly for the next 30 these operation and change the systems years of the building’s life.” Kharoub was in being implemented in terms of controls, RENDERED USELESS agreement, saying that there is a challenge sequences and other factors?” This, For Elkiki, there is an urgent need to merge in bringing FM teams up to date with the he said, comes down to the design. knowledge of IT systems and engineering.

www.climatecontrolme.com

13

Post-event Report

Smart HVAC Systems Webinar

Ahmed Elkiki

These systems, she explained, are intelligent enough to have built-in algorithms that will notice if a temperature set-point is maintained or changed regularly in a certain a space, memorise these actions, predict the schedule and make automatic changes in the building 14

August 2020

“One year after handover, the set points and other parameters are probably not perfectly tuned anymore for these buildings.” David said that there is a wide array of software solutions available that will allow for continuous re-commissioning. These systems, she explained, are intelligent enough to have built-in algorithms that will notice if a temperature set-point is maintained or changed regularly in a certain a space, memorise these actions, predict the schedule and make automatic changes in the building.

MAKING “When designing INFORMED a system, we DECISIONS need to deal For David, in addition with occupants as to the technical individuals, not as contributions of smart Azmi Aboul-Hoda bulk,” he said. “Each systems, it is important occupant has his or her to understand the wealth unique requirements; we of possibilities the information need to make sure the systems are they provide has to offer. “The general able really to deliver, so whenever we need to underlying thought is that when it comes design or upgrade the system, keeping this in to HVAC controllers and integrations, mind we can go very far.” the intelligence of it needs to be fast, For Zachariah, improper handover is also responsive, error-free, resilient and quick,” an aggravating factor, and a cause for a lot she said. “We know this, but now the need of the issues that emerge with operation is moving towards information sharing, of smart systems “Automatic control the connectivity part of it, where we seem system does not automatically become an to want information fast and respond to automatic system,” he emphasised. “It has it. We need systems that can access data, to be manually and properly set, so that from HVAC or other systems, with logic we are able to extract the full functionality; and algorithms that will effectively bring a and then proper commissioning has to solution for humankind. We need systems happen.” However, Zachariah said that in that can communicate over multiple a typical project, the physical installation protocols, properly integrate all of this data of components, controllers and field device dynamically, and give it visually to people, sensors are completed, and some level of who can take calculated decisions that can functionality is accomplished, and that is either bring down their opex or meet other how the project is handed over to the FM requirements.” team, without full-blown training in the David said this information is absolutely overall system and its operations. “Then, crucial, as the world is continuously moving it goes from bad to worse,” he said. “So, towards the cloud. “Data crunching is full functionality has to be tested in terms possible through smart platforms, and of proper functional performance. There information can be shared either to a has to be testing for all different modes of technician, a tenant, an engineer or to operation to ensure that the full range of a CFO, with right kind of reports and operability functionality is extracted. It might work orders,” she said. “But you still need need some different testing in different intelligent people looking at your buildings seasons, as well, then proper handover to regularly. A machine can’t do everything.

FM team with appropriate training on top You need energy engineers and operators of that.” looking at the building constantly. There For David, another challenge is lack of are possible ways to do it – it’s just about re-commissioning in most buildings following awareness and people need to know the occupancy. “Building commissioning after technology is available.” occupancy doesn’t exist here, because the In line with this, David suggested that rules and applications change,” she said. while training FM teams is important, the

fleeting nature of contracts and companies, leading to high turnover, could mean that it is better to educate the building and property owners on the importance of making sure smart systems are being utilised well. Elkiki also highlighted the important role of building owners, pointing out that it is also important for developers to understand the value of investing in not only the right equipment but also in the right people. “In the cycle of the building, your design and construction costs together are incomparable to the cost of operating the building for 30 years,” he said. “Whatever you are going to spend on design is going to be one per cent of what you are going to spend over 30 years in the lifetime of the building. And whatever you are going to spend on the structure will be 30% of what you are going to spend over the next 30 years over the lifecycle of the building, but you will generate savings that can allow you to reduce the highest cost of the building, which is the operating cost.”

Aboul-Hoda was in agreement, pointing out that stakeholders need to think of not only the type of data that is needed but also how to reflect on the data available in order to improve the operation of a building. “It is actually a holistic approach towards smart,” he said. “This is what I need to emphasise on – technologies are advanced and the HVAC industry is also advanced. We need to bring both together, and here is when we need expertise, studies and efforts to make sure of harmony within these systems. Smart, in terms of technologies implemented, is one thing; understanding the science and physics behind the HVAC is another to ensure that it’s not only about spending money for the sake of spending money. We need to spend money in the right direction by understanding the HVAC.” There are immense challenges to overcome, Aboul-Hoda admitted. However, he said, despite the challenges, HVAC experts should not shirk from their duties.

“It’s already there in all the requirements in contracts in construction to have proper training, commissioning and proper handing over of a proper set of systems manual,” he said. “We need to follow what is there and try our best to achieve this.” Furthermore, Aboul-Hoda said, it is the responsibility of industry experts to restore the confidence of occupants in the built-environment. “After Covid-19, the pandemic uncovered a fatal situation within our buildings, where we stay most of our time,” he said. “We need to restore confidence to ensure these buildings are maintained and operated properly to handle this pandemic and any future ones that may come up.”

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15

FEATURE

covid

19

A R Suresh Kumar, Voltas Limited

C

A R Suresh Kumar, Vice President & Head – International Operations Business Group, Voltas Limited, reflects on how COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the global business landscape, the challenges confronting the HVACR industry and on what it can do to overcome them.

Excerpts from the interview with Hannah Jo Uy, presented in the form of a feature article…

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August 2020

OVID-19 has led to such an unprecedented global upheaval, the likes of which the international community has not seen since World War II, says A R Suresh Kumar, who was unrestrained in sharing his reflections surrounding the current business climate. “The world is upside down,” he points out. “This is what we have seen during the last few months.”

With two-thirds of the world’s population coming to a standstill, Kumar points to how restrictions have crippled the travel industry and left factories unable to operate and farmers unable to harvest their crop; and equally worrying, they have deprived students – from a young child to a research graduate – the benefit of the blackboard. “At the turn of the century, countries that previously took a leadership role towards globalisation have now championed de-globalisation,” he says. “While this is a rude shock for the countries and corporations moving ahead with their plans, the stagnation also served as an easy escape route for those who wanted a reason to exit from commitments.”

Businesses, in general, adds Kumar, are facing a large number of challenges, including concerns related to the safety and security of the personnel as well as the reliability of logistics and manufacturing activities. However, Kumar points out

that a common thread in the problems the business community is facing is uncertainty – uncertainty related to the very spread of the virus, regulations, movement restrictions and, overall, the future of the construction industry.

This uncertainty, says Kumar, hampers organisations’ ability to develop a proper strategy. “Currently, strategies are shortterm in nature, and can only be called an ‘attempt’,” he says. “Systems and practices vary from company to company, people to people – and the reliability of these strategic process are not assured.” Many organisations across the world, Kumar says, have had to grapple with losing skilled manpower and resources, and even “developed” economies are not unscathed, as weaknesses and lack of healthy infrastructure have been exposed forcing investors and leading corporations to pull back from ventures.

It is still difficult to arrive at permanent solutions, Kumar points out. “You may see temporary signs of recovery, which are only on the surface,” he says. “We are just treating the skin. You may see some green shoots, some solace, but the real solutions with proven turnaround are yet to happen.

Whatever is happening today may lead to changes in the way we work, we travel, we meet or we think. But it may be wrong to say that this is going to be a new normal.

We are far from the normalcy. Individual groups, companies, countries will have to define what normalcy means after a year.

Many of the steps that we have taken so far have also been proven wrong, and the current results are just providing some relief and not a long-term solution.”

OLD FEARS In addition, Kumar says that COVID-19 has triggered concerns surrounding suppliers from China, which has earned the reputation of being “the world’s workshop” over the past 10-15 years, though one must not generalise.

Undoubtedly, Kumar says, manufacturing companies based in China have directly or indirectly been responsible for most of the goods entering the Middle East market.

However, he believes the current pandemic has brought up previously discussed concerns related to the quality of some of the equipment being sourced from China, as well as the reliability of its logistics “Many are asking, ‘Are we safe in the hands of Chinese manufacturers?’” he says, adding that debates related to quality versus price, and quantity versus time span are once again going to be at the forefront of discussions.

“One thing is for sure – post-COVID, China’s reputation as the ‘world’s workshop’ is going to change,” Kumar says.

“Manufacturing will be fragmented and located across different economies and geographies. ‘In country value’ and local manufacturing will pick up momentum, and there will be greater focus on local employment and skill development.” As a result, Kumar says, stakeholders can expect a slowdown in the HVAC industry, as the world is reaching this turning point. “Companies will have to gain new ground and catch the momentum, which will take at least 12-18 months,” he says.

salary delays and company closures in the contracting sector signal a weakening economy. “When everyone in the world was running behind the topline and bottom line, looking for exponential growth, market share, and mergers and acquisitions, they forgot that the fundamental of business lies in the cash in hand,” he says. Kumar believes that organisations that took on a more conservative approach, when it came to tightening cash collections, could survive during the pandemic, while others would not have enough money to remain open. “It’s time for the HVACR industry to understand that it’s not the market share or top/bottom line growth on paper that is going to decide your future,” he says. “You have to collect cash and keep your supply chain smiling during this difficult time. You are going to survive only if you keep your stakeholders happy.” Kumar adds that it is also important for manufacturers to have a realistic assessment of the demand, so companies do not overproduce, as no amount of marketing strategy will be effective in the next year.

CASH IS KING In view of these trends, Kumar says, the mantra, “cash is king” finds new meaning during COVID-19, adding that bankruptcies,

A R Suresh Kumar

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17

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August 2020

FEATURE

covid

19

A R Suresh Kumar, Voltas Limited

“Finally, those who are in the 'white labelling' or 'box moving' business in HVAC will be in trouble, as they will have cash flow pressures on both ends,” he says.

It is equally important for consultants, contractors and FM professionals to adopt a more pragmatic approach to cash flow in order to regain lost ground, Kumar says, urging stakeholders to redefine and understand the fundamentals of their respective organisations. “You need to have enough cash to run the operations and to keep the supply chain alive,” he says. “Globalisation and market-driven economy have pushed organisations to grab more market share and larger production. This created, to some extent, a ‘hollow economy’ reliant on huge and extended credits.” Even pre-COVID, the market had seen the collapse of many consultants and contractors with unscrupulous balance sheets, Kumar says, calling out companies where revenue and profits were confined to paper. “This pandemic will be a storm that will erase many contractors, vendors, consultants and even clients from the business landscape,” he adds.

Kumar says that in the face of the harsh business climate, the industry should place greater value on the importance of collaboration and mutual respect.

“Unfortunately, consultants, contractors, suppliers and clients are not having confidence in one another and are suspicious of one another’s motive,” he says. “This has led to an unhealthy situation, which eventually creates a dent in one another’s balance sheets.”

This unhealthy situation can be seen in contractors serving as the financiers of the project and needing to borrow in an effort to keep up with some clients, who in the first place, should be getting support from financial institutions for their project, he says. Additionally, Kumar says, consultancies, forced to charge low prices for their services, sought recourse in cutting corners in a bid to reduce operating margins, all at the cost of contractors.

“Unfortunately, in the value chain, the maximum number of human lives are linked to the contractors,” Kumar says.

“Once they are affected, the biggest hit is absorbed by the staff and workmen.” This, he adds, has a carry-over effect across the overall economic ecosystem, including housing, travel, tourism, groceries and retail. “It’s time for this industry to understand this reality,” he says. “It’s not just about survival. I would suggest that each one of the stakeholders should focus on their role, and let’s go back to the golden era, where each of us existed for our professional reasons.”

REINVENTING THE WHEEL Kumar believes that in a post-COVID world, a de-globalised market will push stakeholders to reinvent the wheel. Sharing his vision for the market, Kumar says that he foresees large corporations will have region-specific manufacturing facilities. New entrants, he adds, will emerge with new products, and indoor air quality and water will assume greater importance. Further, he says, there will be a requirement to develop and comply with higher standards in the healthcare sectors, public utilities, logistics and storage, in a bid to prevent similar pandemics.

Kumar adds that availability of skilled personnel, which has already been a constant challenge for the HVACR industry, will also give way to a new problem for those that

are dependent on human exports, as increasing demand for local requirements will prevent skilled manpower moving out of their hometowns.

Lastly, Kumar says that the market will provide opportunities to businesses that have invested in moving from simple automation to digitisation and Internet of Things (IoT) and that the next 3-6 months will be the defining moment for the future potential of these industries. “Prefabrication, or offsite fabrication, will gain momentum with flexi-manufacturing approach,” he says. “The use of artificial intelligence and machine learning, combined with robotics, will lead to projects mostly done in factories, and then just assembled at locations.” This will underscore the importance of digital connectivity, which will be a vital infrastructure for many projects, he says, adding that, “current conventional management of projects will be replaced by more dynamic processes, driven using digital and IoT tools”. At the end of the day, Kumar says, only those who can make the quick change are going to survive these extraordinary times.

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19

FEATURE

Alexander van’t Riet, Mai Dubai

A

lexander van’t Riet is a happy man. As CEO, Mai Dubai, he oversaw the company’s stateof-the-art plant, which was completed last year, and which, he proudly says, serves as a testament to its commitment to sustainable development, and is the fruit of crossdepartment collaboration, complemented by long-term planning and investment. And the sweetest aspect of the project was that it became the first in the GCC region to achieve the status of a water treatment plant powered solely by renewable energy.

“In the second year of operation, we started to look into our carbon footprint to know what we are doing and to set the scene for how we will do things,” he says.

Hannah Jo Uy has the story on how the company engineered the first water treatment plant in the region solely powered by renewable energy Alexander van’t Riet

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August 2020

“Our factory is now seven times bigger, and with that, we had to take the environment into account.” This initiated investments that paved the way for a LEED-certified headquarters, and a solar park next to the factory, offering a total installed capacity of 18 megawatts. The entire process, including water treatment, production, packaging and all the movement inside the head office is 100% from solar energy, Riet says, adding that this makes Mai Dubai the only water company of its size that operates fully on renewable energy. “From an energy perspective, from water treatment through to the logistics within the distribution centre, that entire part is net-zero,” he says. “There are some other onsite production facilities we do for other things that are not part of it. But the entire water factory, the entire water treatment installation, which is the biggest one from the bottle blowing and filling production lines, the monorails that transport all the goods the conveyers and the raw material in the warehouse, it’s 100% solar.”

Riet says that as the factory operates 24/7, intermittency was an important issue that had to be addressed during the design stage. “The sun doesn’t shine 24 hours a day,” he says. “But, we produce way more electricity than we need in the daytime, and that is put into the DEWA grid and in the night, we take the electricity back from the grid.” This net metering scheme, Riet adds, has worked well, considering the factory’s total production exceeds its total consumption, which makes a case for going through the DEWA network rather than using batteries, which would have required enormous investment.

Being a company based in Dubai, Riet says the company was well aware of the importance of ensuring sustainability in terms of meeting HVAC operations. “When you talk about water treatment, it is important to ask, what is the conversion rate of the water, which is the water you get, compared to the water that ends up in the bottle?” he asks. “You will always have wastewater.

What do you do with that wastewater?

On site, we use our own water treatment plant; the water we don’t use, we use for our cooling towers.” For cooling towers, Riet says, the factory uses polished, RO-treated treated sewage effluent (TSE), and that 60 cubic metres of TSE is fed into the cooling towers on a daily basis.

Riet also spotlights other initiatives and investments in operations that further reinforces the company’s commitment

The Mai Dubai factory

towards sustainability, including integration of technology to become fully automated. “We have monorails that transport the raw material to production to warehouses,” he says. “The monorail is about 1.2 kilometres long, and all the products are transported in monorail.

This means you don’t have to drive around a forklift. That might not sound like a big deal, but it is when taking into consideration the environmental impact.”

Riet says Mai Dubai has also recently introduced 16-litre PET bottles that are perfectly recyclable. “We send this to homes, and offices, and we offer to take the bottles back and we recycle those,” he says. “We work with companies, we degrade our own plastic. They crush it, and out of that yarn, clothes are being made.

So, the team got new uniforms and shirts made from recycled PETs.” At the end of the day, Riet says, sustainability comes in many flavours, adding that it’s about all stakeholders having a constant consciousness towards the environment, even it means paying a premium, be it for the shareholders to invest in solar, or for consumers to pay for a recyclable bottle. “I think the real and fundamental challenge one is looking at

is your expectations on the time,” he says. “The trick with solar, and many other [forms of renewable energy] is you do the capital investment upfront and, ‘energy is free’. It’s not always that way, but in large part it’s the case. Mai Dubai, while it is a limited liability company, the shareholders are part of Dubai Energy and Water Authority (DEWA). Since DEWA is a shareholder, and they run solar plants and are familiar with energy, they were keen for pushing for this initiative. That’s why we have been doing this, and they were supportive. DEWA has a long-term view in mind and the best for environmental aspects – that’s the driver behind it.” Riet says that in view of this, the design input of Etihad ESCO, a sister company and subsidiary of DEWA and a consultant company, was invaluable.

“They," he says, “do the economics and study and help with the execution of the programme, and that’s how we got what we have, and it was delivered within the budget set.”

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21

FEATURE

HVACR industry stakeholders weigh in on the rampant misrepresentation of certification, the importance of having a thorough understanding of a mark’s technical scope, and how accredited laboratories help in ensuring the quality of products distributed across the GCC region.

Hannah Jo Uy has the story…

S

tandards and certifications are essential, but it is of equal importance that there is sufficient knowledge regarding the technical scope and application of the standards and certifications in the market, says Brian Suggitt, President, Eurovent Middle East.

“Sadly, there are a lot of misconceptions that can come into the market, which I have seen in my travels across the Middle East,” he says.

Recalling an interaction with a representative of an air-handling unit (AHU) manufacturing company, Suggitt says: “I asked them, ‘What is the standard thickness you use for your panels?’ The answer I got was, ‘Well, what do you want? We can do 1.8mm, 1.6mm or 1mm? How cheap do you want it to be?’

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August 2020

Now, if it is certified for 1.2mm and you are manufacturing at 0.8mm, then you are reducing panel skins by 33%, which will lead to issues down the road, such as leakage and rusting.”

Weighing in, Stefano Traversi, Engineering Leader, HVAC, Underwriters Laboratories (UL) says likewise, he has witnessed the abuse and misrepresentation of the UL mark in the market. “We have a team looking at advertising on the Internet, and the UL logo or word in the brochure or website, checking if UL could be applied to the product or not,” he says, adding that the company pursues legal action against manufacturers that are found to be abusing the UL mark. “We found more than 3.8 million products bearing the UL mark that were not suitable [last year] alone,” he says.

Brian Suggitt

“You have to be careful when looking at this. We have a big team and a website, but unfortunately, it’s still happening.”

Markus Lattner, Managing Director, Eurovent Middle East, also asks the industry stakeholders about the practice of some manufacturers that intentionally

THE VALUE OF ACCREDITED LABS AND PROPER USE OF CERTIFICATION

Markus Lattner

misrepresent certifications, for instance claiming certification of whole systems, even though only a component is certified.

Suggitt confirms that he has observed such a practice throughout the region. “People put forward the Eurovent certification and say, ‘We have the certificate’, but you have to look at the holistic standard for the AHU, not just for one part of the certification,” he says. “It depends on the filter bypass, leakage, casing strength, thermal bridging, thermal transmittance and the different levels therein. The same applies to fans as an integral part of the AHU. The certification for the fan is for the total performance of the fan. If someone uses that certification and puts a different motor in there, it will have a different output, then that certification is not compliant. However, often, it’s not checked or looked at.” Further underscoring the importance of having a holistic approach, Suggitt says: “It’s the same thing with fire resistance. In general construction, for example, you don’t just test the gypsum board part of a wall, you test the whole wall, because that’s the flame barrier. The same way with AHUs – you have to test the whole unit, and that has to comply with data you have in your selection software.”

Suggitt points out that from a manufacturer’s point of view, standards and certifications can provide a level playing field, so long as the industry, as a whole, observes the same standards. “We don’t want a product in the market that can rust, break or catch fire,” he says. “Certification is hugely important, but it has to be the right certification, in the right manner.”

SAFEGUARDING THE MARK Stakeholders have a high number of strategies in place to mitigate misrepresentation of certifications. Brand integrity, as Traversi points out, is one of the most important aspects that a certification

Foucherot says that while ECC is also doing its part to monitor the market, Stefano Traversi it is important for certification bodies to remain competitive with their prices and not raise the already high certification cost, especially for holistic body should systems, such as confirm and AHUs. “States maintain. “Every don’t have brand is vulnerable the money to in this connected have market world, and we surveillance need to protect for many of our brand and these systems,” the brand of our he says. customer,” he says.

“Certification “When it comes to is the only how UL is doing this, Eric Foucherot reasonable way we have an online to have market database of products surveillance for these that are certified by UL and systems.” The challenges are currently bearing the UL mark.” related to market surveillance is Traversi says the database allows users to greater when it comes to holistic systems, find components, such as the compressor, such as thermodynamic systems, VRF filter and so on, as well as end-user systems, chillers and AHUs, Foucherot says, equipment, like a chiller or an air conditioner. pointing out that accredited laboratories “It’s connected and easy for everyone to can help develop a more robust ecosystem understand if a product is certified or not,” of transparency. he says. “[They can search the] model, or Speaking on the fundamentals of they can do a company search and see if the testing and calibration of laboratories, product is certified.”

Traversi highlights the importance of Traversi says UL also has a followbeing accredited to ISO 17025, for up mechanism for manufacturers of general competency for testing. “Having UL-recognised products. “We inspect the a laboratory accredited means the manufacturer’s facility to make sure the laboratory is assessed as a quality system product is still manufactured in compliance in compliance with the standard and with standards to ensure the product is the has a technical system,” he says. “So, same that is tested at the beginning and not the competency, the equipment and modified,” he says. “Then, we have market everything needed to perform the activity survey programs and dedicated teams in the correct way [is in place]. It’s not that are looking at the product inside the just first assessment, either. Every year, market.” the laboratory is assessed by different Eric Foucherot, Director, International accreditation members, guaranteeing the Affairs, Eurovent Certita Certification trustworthiness of test results.” Traversi (ECC), also underscores the importance of emphasises that at the end of the day, factory audits, adding that such initiatives self-declaration is not enough. “It could be greatly contribute to the trustworthiness used for sure,” he says. “It gives you a lot of of the mark. Foucherot adds that it is also insight and help, but we need an externally important to improve the communication independent third party that can prove the channels related to the scope of each reliability of the data the manufacturer is certification programme among stakeholders, providing.” including MEP consultants, architects and Adding to this, Foucherot elaborates everyone involved with the technology, such on the role of certification bodies in the as ESCOs. “We try to improve and educate context of the GCC region states’ energythe direct end-user on people using the efficiency standards. “When it comes to certification on what is certified and what is efficiency, we certify what is claimed by needed,” he says.

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FEATURE

T

here have been very few instances of outright fraud with respect to the AHRI certification mark, says Henry Hwong, Senior Vice President for Global Services, who adds that such instances are, in part, due to the ease of verifying the certification status of any AHRIHenry Hwong certified equipment in real time through the AHRI Directory of Certified Product Performance. However, Hwong says that misrepresentation can still take many forms and that the more common issue is 'rated' versus 'certified' products. “Any manufacturer can claim that its equipment is 'rated' to a certain standard – and to the uninitiated that seems good,” he explains. “But, unless the equipment is tested by an independent, third-party laboratory, the end-user cannot be assured of its compliance with energy-efficiency claims.”

Hwong points out that in view of the significant financial investments often associated with HVACR and water heating products and equipment, the stakes are high to properly identify and verify a product’s performance at its application condition. “For many heating and water heating products, there is a safety issue that must be addressed because of the presence of combustible materials,” he says, adding that even for products and equipment that do not use combustible materials, third-party laboratory testing ensures compliance with safety codes as well as claimed efficiency levels. “For the former, the danger in installing and using an uncertified product could be injury or even death while for the latter it has led to increasing costs and energy use, frustrating homeowners, building owners, and regulators and other government officials alike,” he says. “Without the assurance of certified performance, stakeholders are likely to fall short of their energy-efficiency goals.”

Hwong says this was a big reason behind AHRI’s decision to strengthen its presence in the Middle East and North Africa region, as part of its efforts to ensure that engineers, specifiers, building owners and regulators are aware of the need to confirm that energy-efficiency claims are backed by real testing and real data.

“Otherwise, efficiency targets will be much more difficult to achieve,” he says, pointing out that safeguarding the integrity of the AHRI mark is not only crucial to the company’s success but also to the success of energy-efficiency programs in the region. “One of the aims of AHRI’s new Dubai office is to ensure that engineers, specifiers, building owners and regulators are aware of, and able to use, our AHRI Directory of Certified Product Performance,” he says. “Any doubt that a piece of equipment or a covered component is not legitimately certified can easily be dispelled, or confirmed, by accessing that database. He adds that the Directory has a “help” function to ensure ease of use and that there are plans to establish a certification hotline that will address all certification questions for all stakeholders.

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August 2020

the manufacturer, then it’s up to the market to design what the market needs,” he says. “It’s a matter of MEPS (Minimum Energy Performance Standards). We are not part of that. We are there to enable states to have a look at what the normal standard efficiency of a market is. We can support authorities and tell them, ‘If you put the MEPS high, you will have 10% of manufacturers for what you need; if it’s low, you open the market to 100% of manufacturers, worldwide.’ While ECC can provide data, it is ultimately up to the government authorities.

It’s a decision of the authority to put the money on a certain level of efficiency of equipment they can trust.” Foucherot adds that however, there is a financial case for the states to produce, to drive money and support citizens to build efficient systems.

For Suggitt, it is important for individual countries within the GCC region to have a more thorough grasp of their standards, as they stand. “If you incorporate or give opportunity for each certification body and standardisation, be it AHRI, UL, Eurovent or AMCA, there is a mixture of thoughts and processes, some American, some European,” he says. “We need to blend those things together, to make sure requirements are met within standards and certifications available. Having an ISO-certified laboratory as the basis to use is an excellent way to go. If you can get that in the region, even better, so people don’t spend so much money sending things abroad.” Suggitt says that he would encourage stakeholders to look at developing an ISO-certified test lab in the region. “Don’t try to reinvent anything,” he says. “Standards have been around a long time. New standards are coming in to improve energy efficiency and IAQ. But, it is important to utilise what is available and for GCC region states to blend them with what is needed when it comes to developing their own standards.”

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25

Rehan Shahid is Director, P&T Architects & Engineers.

He may be contacted at rehan@ptdubai.ae.

Using condensate from air conditioning units directly usually demands changes to the water closet; therefore, the type of water closet (WC) that may be used needs to be considered well in advance, if it is a new construction, or if a renovation project.

There are various types of toilet cisterns now available that can accommodate additional volume as well as parts that may be required in order for it to store and use the condensate water for flushing (see Figure 2). This, along with dual-flush mechanism, makes these options green but rather big and a little expensive.

Rehan Shahid says that while harvesting condensate water for flushing toilets is not new, the ability to do so with ease, sans massive apparatus or costly and disruptive renovation work is uncommon

A

ir conditioning units produce condensate water as part of the cooling process. A cooling coil in the air conditioner cools and dehumidifies the air in the room by pulling in and removing condensation from the air before replacing it with dry, cooler air. Most of the condensation from the cooling coil falls into the drain pan, and the quality of this water is essentially the same as distilled water.

In the case of residential buildings, all the condensate from the air-conditioning unit(s), which is often located above the ceiling in wet areas (Figure 1), is usually piped to the nearest floor drain.

To date, there have been many advancements and techniques used to collect the water and reuse it for flushing, irrigation and as make-up water for cooling towers.

In this article, we will focus on using the water directly for toilet flushing without adding massive apparatus, as opposed to other methods that have been addressed many times in various studies.

Figure 1: Bedroom with en-suite Note: All sketches are only for illustration purposes.

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Figure 2: A toilet cistern that uses condensate from air conditioning unit[2]

For existing buildings, if such installation is at the expense of changing the entire bathroom suite then this may not be a desirable option. Surely, there must be another solution, a relatively simple system that could be employed to use condensate water for flushing with little modification – one that will not cost a lot and would work with the existing toilet cistern.

One such solution is discussed below, based on a practical test installation.

The volume of condensate produced varies depending on the capacity of the air conditioner and the outdoor humidity level. It is suggested that most modern air conditioners will produce between 19 and 76 litres of condensate per day.[1, 2] Using a simple system, as shown in the design solution (Figure 3 and Figure 4), it was realised that it is possible to collect up to 15 litres of water in a day from an air-conditioning unit (12 hours running

time) of around 5.3 kW (1½ TR – highambient temperature) cooling capacity. This water would then be used to fill the toilet cistern, and any top-up, if required, will be supplemented by the CWS from the mains.

Figure 4 shows the installed retrofit solution being tested at a residential unit in Dubai. A 9V DC solenoid valve was used for this exercise, and exposed arrangement was considered only for the testing purpose.

The working principal is straightforward; the water sensor keeps the solenoid valve closed as long as there is water in the condensate tank; this stops the water flow from the CWS line. Following a flush, the water stored in the water tank flows first through the existing supply line (see Figure 3) into the toilet cistern. The solenoid valve opens only when the condensate tank is empty, and lets the mains water flow into the cistern, if required; a simple controller is used to carry out this operation. Check valves are installed so that mains water does not flow into the condensate line or tank, and vice versa.

For this retrofit solution executed in Dubai, the payback is estimated to be in two years, depending on the AC running hours and WC usage. And for new builds, as the cost of installation would be much lower, an even shorter payback period can be expected.

Considering the cost of the system is in hundreds and not thousands, it may be regarded as an inexpensive option.

Figure 3: Above false ceiling recommended retrofit installation

The design solution, depicted above, does not demand any major changes to the existing water closet. All that would be needed are a few inexpensive check valves, a solenoid valve, a water sensor, some associated electrical works and a small water storage tank (12-18 litres). These are added to a line from the condensate drainpipe and connected to the cold water supply (CWS) pipe, supplying the WC. The assembly, being compact, can usually be installed easily in the space above the false ceiling, closer to the indoor unit, as illustrated in the sketch (Figure 3).

A mini (booster) pump may be required if the toilet cistern fill (inlet) valve minimum working pressure is more than the available static head. The other less favourable option that may be considered is to replace the fill valve with one having low working pressure (i.e. 0.01MPa).

SO, HOW MUCH WATER MIGHT BE SAVED?

For example, let us consider a two-bedroom apartment having two bathrooms and AC indoor-units with a total cooling capacity of 21.1 kW (6 TR – highambient temperature). With a production rate of up to 0.3 gallons per hour of condensate per ton of air conditioning [4], depending on the geographical location, number of hours of AC operation and WC usage, a possible water savings of between 29,844 litres (7,884 USG) and 59,688 litres (15,768 USG) per year could be realised.

It may not seem a large enough volume, but considering there are thousands of existing residential units, hotel apartments and offices, and new ones being constructed every year, the water savings would be significant.

Figure 4: Retrofit system being tested below false ceiling installation

WHERE CAN WE USE THE SYSTEM? As mentioned earlier, the system can be used for various types of new and existing buildings, such as villas, townhouses, and hotel and motel guest rooms having en-suite bathrooms.

It may also be used for buildings for which having an on-site central condensate recovery and distribution system is not economically feasible. Currently, the condensate from the air-conditioning units for such buildings is discharged straight into the drain.

The design solution detailed here costs truly little, is compact, uses materials and components that are readily available in the market and, therefore, can easily be employed. And the water savings that will be realised makes it worthy of consideration, especially for hot and humid regions.

In regions where water is scarce, I am sure all would agree that every bit helps.

References: 1) https://airexpertsnj.com/knowledge/entry/ how-much-water-should-drain-from-yourac-a-nj-tech-explains 2) https://www.hunker.com/12575176/howmuch-water-should-drain-from-a-centralair-conditioner 3) http://www.encorecistern.com/ 4) Condensate water recovery, ASHRAE Journal (2005) CPI Industry accepts no liability for the views or opinions expressed in this column, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided here.

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covid

19

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ccording to Statista (COVID-19: Economic downturn and recovery), economists are still unsure whether the pandemic will continue to push global recession to the scale of the Great Depression or not. Unlike the 1930s, when the economic downturn lasted for 10 years, the hope is that this time around, the global economic dynamics and growth can be nursed to rebounding reasonably quickly.

The COVID-19 pandemic has also disrupted the real estate status quo, necessitating facilities to run on a leaner workforce and tighter budgets. While the industry is expected to bounce back, the post-pandemic world will present it with a few major challenges and may never fully return to pre-pandemic conditions. What we are starting to witness is the ushering in of an era of redefined priorities. For building portfolio management to thrive in this new environment, it needs to quickly assimilate to this "new normal" and build operational resilience against future disruptions. In order to achieve this, implementing a centralised control centre is likely to become standard operating procedure for building owners and facility managers.

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Sanjeevv Bhatia is CEO, Netix Global BV. He may be contacted at sb@sbintl.com.

A high-tech-enabled, futuristic, single-window visibility into a facility's electro-mechanical portfolio is just what the doctor ordered for efficiently operating the built-environment in the “new normal” engendered by COVID-19, says Sanjeevv Bhatia

UNIFIED CONTROL: LUXURY OR BARE NECESSITY? By definition, a command control centre is a secure room that enables data management, asset monitoring, performance evaluation, efficiency checking and energy auditing of buildings in real time. In other words, it is a high-techenabled, futuristic, single-window visibility into a facility's electro-mechanical portfolio.

But what relevance does this hold in the context of COVID-19?

In the pre-pandemic playbook, the functions of facility management were defined and delegated to specific departments. This was often built around traditional BMS systems, whose standalone capabilities to run a multifamily facility represented the default approach. Today, a ‘new normal’ requires facilities to concurrently align multiple operational aspects: lean operations, energy conservation, space management as well as cost-effective business models and optimised processes.

The response to these challenges demands contemporary solutions that transcend legacy models.

Predictive operations of the sort required – where teams can anticipate and address systemic issues before they occur – is not possible within siloed and disjointed systems. Legacy systems routinely offered limited operational visibility, if at all, leading to inefficiencies and malfunctions going unnoticed to the point of major breakdowns, resulting in increased equipment downtime and high associated costs.

Likewise, traditional BMS/BAS systems are primarily designed for the automation of a single purpose or automation silo. Unified systems, on the contrary, can deliver multiple primary functions, while also enabling a considerable scope for interoperability.

They can consolidate data across assets and devices in real time at a granular level and help operating teams gain a more nuanced understanding of their assets and processes.

COMMAND CONTROL CENTRE: THE MECHANISM The Middle East real estate industry has already implemented several novel solutions that deliver a seamless and vendor-agnostic integration of previously isolated assets, automation systems and devices. Unified systems enable cloud-powered collation and transfer of data, which can then be subjected to AI-powered cognitive analytics, to drive data-driven operations. This digitally enhanced model empowers consistent optimisation across all business aspects, with a reduction in errors and anomalies. What’s more, all stakeholders gain real time access to actionable insight, using intuitive dashboards with remote accessibility and operability.

These open protocol solutions are highly programmable for even more diverse intents and purposes than is apparent at first, including the ability to be customised for enhanced security and superior user

experiences. Leading facility managers are now incorporating ML algorithms to further empower this model with continual commissioning and predictive fault diagnostics. A onestop-shop solution to control efficiency and achieve portfolio-wide optimisation of resources and processes also enables time-sensitive operations, contingency planning, and the optimisation of run-ofthe-mill tasks, such as billing, reporting and communications.

COMPREHENSIVE AND INTEGRATED Theoretically, a single operative at the command control centre can monitor, optimise and rectify assets across an entire portfolio. Additionally, the operative can remotely access the centre and notify on-site engineers of previously opaque issues, even down to a minor water leakage, thanks to seamless connectivity between IoT sensors, video analytics and alarm systems. The post COVID-19 pandemic scenario presents the Middle East real estate industry with challenges that are likely to evolve on a continual basis, at least for some time. In this context, command control centres will take on an especially crucial and critical role.

On a broader scale, centralised control is being explored and even adopted at airports, industrial environments, largescale events and healthcare facilities. One latest, notable example is the collaboration between Dubai's COVID-19 Command and Control Centre (CCC) and Smart Dubai to develop an innovative digital dashboard for real-time monitoring and prediction of virus transmission in the region. This data-driven system has been crucial in supporting the government's strategies and decision-making process in response to the pandemic, by using assets embedded into buildings and the city’s infrastructure.

In the pre-pandemic world, such unified solutions were the exception. They signified high-performance building automation, often seen as assets that were not yet standard requirements. Today, with renewed priorities and changed expectations, a centralised control mechanism is making a compelling case as an indispensable must-have, whose implementation could play a central and contributory role in the real estate industry’s evolution to a new normal.

CPI Industry accepts no liability for the views or opinions expressed in this column, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided here.

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IT in HVAC 4th edition

Showcasing the best of digital solutions for the building industry

How Digital Dubai can resolve disputes, smoothen stakeholder engagement

14 October 2020, Dubai, UAE The Client, Consultant, Contractor Conference builds on past editions and follows an iterative process in ensuring the narrative is moved closer than ever to resolving outstanding issues.

The Client Consultant Contractor Conference (4th edition) How Digital Dubai can resolve disputes, smoothen stakeholder engagement The conference will explore the digital tools available on the Dubai landscape, including cutting-edge solutions, which Dubai has welcomed as a testbed of innovation. It will speak the language of ‘dashboards’ for better monitoring and transparency and will identify touchpoints, which can give clarity to the overall market. Central to the discussions will be tools like BIM, BMS, blockchain, IoT and artificial intelligence. They will provide the context to the discussions and drive the narrative towards a set of outcomes, insights and recommendations aimed at greater energy efficiency, optimising water use and improving indoor air quality.

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AHRI opens Dubai office Facility to support the HVACR industry in the MENA region

By CCME Content Team

T

he Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has opened an office in Dubai, to further the interests of its members and certification programme Stephen Yurek participants by enhancing relationships with manufacturers the globe, this is an opportune time and with governmental and nonfor our industry to come together governmental organisations in to deploy time-tested solutions the Middle East and North Africa to the region’s challenges.” A (MENA) region, the organisation founding partner of Sustainable said through a Press release. “Our Environmental Engineering Dubai office further expands François Boueri Solutions and a former President AHRI’s global reach and provides and Director of Daikin McQuay us with a unique opportunity to Middle East, Boueri will serve as develop and nurture relationships Vice President of AHRI’s Dubai with manufacturers, regulators, office, the organisation said. and other stakeholders in the Khalil Issa, a well-known energy region,” said Stephen Yurek, AHRI and construction professional President and CEO. Khalil Issa in the Gulf region, who also is Headed by François Boueri, a founding partner and former a strategic management expert managing director of ECOFAST Construction, with extensive experience in HVACR and previous Managing Director of ADC Energy energy efficiency, the office will be staffed Systems and CEO of Energy Central Company, with professionals familiar with important will be the office’s General Manager, the local and regional issues, and who speak the organisation said. “Initiatives underway by language of this very important region to most countries in the region signal a clear our industry, AHRI said through the release. commitment to improving the environment “I look forward to engaging our stakeholders, and increasing energy efficiency,” Issa as we work to ensure the applicability said. “The AHRI MENA team looks forward of AHRI technical solutions, standards, to shaping the best paths forward for and certification to regional needs and implementing minimum energy performance regulations,” Boueri said. “Given the respect standards that are critical in the current for AHRI’s offerings by engineers, specifiers, regulatory environment.” building owners, and many others across

The establishment of the AHRI Dubai office, the organisation said, follows the successful introduction of operations in China, which began in 2012, and in Canada, which were put in place in 2018, and is in keeping with its focus on establishing AHRI as the source of globally relevant standards, certification programmes, and technical information in key markets. The new office will help the industry address increasing regulatory requirements and demand for AHRI standards and certification programmes in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and other Levant and North African countries, the organisation said. It will also allow AHRI to better monitor activities and identify opportunities to serve adjacent markets in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, it added.

The Dubai office opening, the organisation said, is a notable accomplishment for AHRI, as it works to ensure global adaptation and use of its standards and certification programmes – sought by industry and governments – to prevent costly duplicative testing and certification requirements for its 330-plus member companies.

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REGIONAL NEWS

Empower plugs into Dubai Metro Route 2020 District Cooling utility provides district cooling services to three stations on the route

By CCME Content Team

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mirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) is providing district cooling services at a capacity of 2,100 refrigeration tons (RT), to three stations in the AED 11 billion Route 2020 of Dubai Metro, which Ahmad bin Shafar was recently inaugurated by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President & Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, in the presence of H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai; H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and CEO and Chairman of the Emirates Group and H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Media Council, the district cooling provider said through a Press release.

Quality Group subscribes to Facilio’s O&M platform FM company rides on the platform to automate maintenance and engage with tenants in real-time, Facilio says

By CCME Content Team

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August 2020

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According to the release, the Route 2020 project involves the 15-kilometre extension of the Dubai Metro Red Line from Jebel Ali Station to Expo 2020 Station, and links seven stations. Empower said it will provide its district cooling services to three stations, ‘Discovery Gardens’, ‘the Gardens’ and ‘Al Furjan’, from its Discovery Gardens plant that saves energy, increases efficiency and reduces carbon emissions.

Ahmad bin Shafar, CEO, Empower, said: "The proximity of a district cooling network and Empower’s plant, located near to the Route 2020, helped in providing district cooling services to the three stations. Empower will provide its world-class services in support of the concept of sustainability, implemented in Route 2020 stations, and in line with the best national and international initiatives and practices.

"Empower adopts the best solutions and innovations in district cooling sector with the aim to achieve the goals of Sustainable Development 2030, Dubai Clean energy Strategy 2050 and Dubai Plan 2021. We have created exceptional projects and programs with the aim of combating the phenomena of environmental pollution and climate change and providing the regions with advanced cooling systems. These efforts support the Dubai Demand Side Management (DSM) Strategy, launched

by Dubai with a target of 30% reduction in energy consumption by 2030. The strategy focuses on green building regulations, retrofitting of the existing buildings, district cooling and re-usage of wastewater.”

The Gardens Station, the second on Route 2020, is an elevated structure spanning 8,100 square metres in area and extending 168 metres in length. Discovery Gardens Station, the third on Route 2020, is an elevated structure spanning 8,600 square metres in area and extending 168 metres in length. Al Furjan Station is also an elevated structure spanning 8,400 square metres in area and extending 168 metres in length.

loud-based property operations and maintenance platform provider, Facilio said that UAE-based FM service provider, Quality Group, a sister entity of multi-venture enterprise, Gate Holdings, is using its O&M platform to automate maintenance, engage with tenants in real-time and strengthen its service quality for clients.

Occupants are increasingly demanding better-maintained facilities and instant service resolutions as opposed to the conventional priorities of good aesthetics and pricing, Facilio said. New FM business models are, therefore, focused on resolving inefficiencies in day-to-day operations while taking a proactive approach to identifying friction points, even before end-users feel the impact. Recognising the demand and opportunity for value-added facility services, Quality Group, which has over 1,500 units under its management, has realigned its focus towards leveraging a digital strategy that has helped the company streamline routines, minimise compliance risk and gain real-time operations insights – something conventional CAFM and ERP solutions were incapable of supporting, Facilio said.

ebm papst: EC finds greater UAE fan following Company MD elaborates on trends driving demand and growth opportunities in the MENA region

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

T

here has been a significant shift in the UAE market over the past six months, which has seen an abrupt increase in demand for EC fans, said Koen van Nistelrooij, Managing Director, ebm papst. “We see the UAE changing from Koen van Nistelrooij AC and more old-fashioned motors to new motors,” he said, adding that this is driven by a combination of the country’s rapidly ageing building stock and longstanding efforts to educate the market on the energy-saving merits of EC technology. “I think the EC change started already 2-3 years ago,” he said. “Some companies and consultants started to put in their contracts that they need EC, and as of November and December of last year, we see more customers needing EC fans.” van Nistelrooij said that the retrofit market is an increasingly important business vertical for manufacturing companies in the UAE, for two main reasons. Firstly, it is unlikely there will be a lot of new projects coming up, considering the infrastructure in the UAE is already well-developed. “I don’t think big developers will continue to set up more residential buildings, and I’m not sure if it will increase, but I believe the market will be stable,” he said. “But for EC technologies, I think the market will increase, because now, a lot of AHU manufacturers still use AC fans, and they will change that to EC in the long run.”

Additionally, van Nistelrooij said, buildings in Dubai are getting older, and since fans would typically need to be changed around the 10-year mark, there will be a surge in demand from a repairs point of view. “Most of the residential buildings and hotels were built 10-15 years ago,” he said. “The fan or the filter will break, and the question will be, ‘Do we buy a new AHU or do we replace fan or filter?’ That’s where the new market will be, or is already.” He said that he also believes the inevitable need for repairs will prompt stakeholders to

upgrade their AHUs, instead of a one-on-one replacement, following greater appreciation of reduced energy cost in long-term operations.

In this context, van Nistelrooij said, the market will move towards EC technology, following concerted efforts of manufacturers over the past few years to highlight its energy-saving benefits. “Years ago, energy conservation was not as much of a priority here in the region,” he said. “We had a lot of oil, and a lot of other resources, but with all the changes in the world, oil is less important to many people, especially with the growth of electric cars. With the world changing to more energy-efficient goods, I think the UAE is also changing because of this.” van Nistelrooij said he believes the trend towards EC technology will continue to have a positive momentum despite the uncertain economic situation brought on by COVID-19, making some companies more wary when it comes to investing in energyefficiency measures during this time. “The UAE, in particular, has a lot of scope for growth in EC technologies, because the market is still catching up with trends in Europe,” he said, pointing out that in Europe it’s already almost impossible to sell AC fans, because the specifications cannot meet the high requirements of the energy certificate, forcing customers to buy EC fans. “It’s not that strict here, but in a few years’ time, the UAE government will also start to move in this direction,” he said. van Nistelrooij said that while UAE continues to be the biggest market for ebm papst, the markets in Saudi Arabia and Egypt have presented strong interest in EC technologies, following increasing demand. He added that the company is looking for the best partners in these countries and to look at the best way to strengthen their position in these markets. “We need to strategically think about how big the market is,” he said. “The biggest market at the moment is the UAE, but we definitely need to be flexible and even countries in Northern Africa have seen the potential and showed interest in EC.”

“Our vision is to deliver and scale a truly agile FM services business that puts customers’ needs first,” said Sumith Sukumaran Prabhu Ramachandran Sumith Sukumaran, Operations Manager, Quality Group. “From our experience of using multiple clunky and bloated CAFM, we knew we needed an adaptable solution that enhances our business operations and seamlessly fits the way we operate, rather than the other way around. Facilio’s comprehensive, integrated solution suite is perfect for our current and future needs.

With the Facilio platform, we can consolidate maintenance routines, tenants requests and workforce KPIs, and help our stakeholders

make data-led operational decisions to deliver continuous value to our customers across UAE.” Progressive FMs, Facilio said, are realising the benefits of technology partners to create end-user value, with agile operations becoming even more significant, in light of the recent crisis. “Modern FM leaders need data-driven decision-making as well as portfolio-wide visibility to drive efficiency,” said Prabhu Ramachandran, Founder and CEO, Facilio. “We built Facilio as a flexible platform to enable a suite of cloud-native apps and seamless mobility. This also ensures a fast implementation cycle, something that can be especially useful when you need agile responsiveness during turbulent times. We are very happy that our platform implementation has enabled the Quality Group to rapidly realize benefits and meet their benchmarks for frictionless customer experience.”

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33

REGIONAL NEWS

Empower organises summer training programme for Emirati youth Programme, pertaining to the district cooling sector, is in conjunction with the World Youth Skills Day 2020

By CCME Content Team

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mirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) launched the professional summer training programme for national graduates and institute students for 2020 with a view to encouraging them to engage in the promising district cooling sector, the utility said through a Press release. Students from Zayed University, Al Ghurair University, the Rochester Institute of Technology and the Higher Technical College were part of the programme.

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August 2020

Empower pointed out that the continuation of skill development process was put into risk due to the closure of technical and vocational education centres and training institutions around the world in the wake of the COVID-19 Ahmad bin Shafar pandemic. The situation prompted the company to take part in efforts towards returning to normal life in Dubai by continuing to organise its youth skills development programmes and, at the same time, taking the highest levels of precautionary measures, it said.

Through the programme, which runs for 7-12 weeks, Empower said it aims to introduce young Emarati youth to the district cooling sector and encourage them to study relevant disciplines to gain the appropriate experience in the industry, as well as provide employment opportunities for them upon completion of the programme.

The training programme, Empower said, includes specialised course on theoretical and practical aspects of district cooling sector, and is seeing the participation of students who study similar disciplines, such as Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Business Management, Human Resource Management, Sales and Marketing, Accounting and Quality Management.

During the programme, Empower said, it will hold workshops and open days within various administrative and field branches to give the participants an overview of the work mechanism within the organisation, in addition to allowing them to visit Empower’s district cooling plants for experiencing the practical applications.

“Empower pays special attention to training programmes in order to raise awareness about the district cooling sector, as well as to raise the scientific and technical level of the participants of the programme, to achieve the highest levels in the district cooling industry, and to play a role in preserving the environment,” said Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO, Empower. “The summer training programme aims to promote district cooling industry among the young generation and encourage them to study this growing sector. It also aims to contribute to offering employment opportunities for participants and informing them about key specialties in the district cooling industry. Continuous training and skill developments of youth make positive impacts in this sector.

“Empower constantly strives to spread awareness on the environmentally friendly district cooling services. This supports the vision of UAE’s wise leadership, which pays great attention to sustainability, and has addressed the need to meet the challenges of climate change, as it is a real obstacle in achieving growth and prosperity.”

Leading IAQ consultant joins Eurovent Middle East

is possibly driven by commercial interests is overshadowing the key message which needs to be understood: Enhanced IAQ saves lives!”

Markus Lattner, Managing Director, Eurovent Middle East, said: “Since our Dr Iyad Al-Attar, also an internationally renowned authority on air filtration, inception, we stated improved IAQ as one joins as Associated Consultant, Eurovent says of our key objectives. Unfortunately, we now see how urgent this matter has become. We

By CCME Content Team are positive that with the support and the expertise of Dr Al-Attar, we will be able to gain more attention filtration solutions for most midst growing concerns over on the design, installation and applications. Prior to suggesting the impact of the COVID-19 operation of ventilation and air any sort of refinements, we pandemic, Eurovent Middle East filtration systems. We are excited ought to re-examine the math welcomed its first Associated to welcome him on board with of the international filtration Consultant, the association said through a us, as we know a joint effort is standards for the Middle East Press release. Dr Iyad Al-Attar is amongst Dr Iyad Al-Attar required by everyone to overcome and particularly in the Arabian the world’s leading experts on Indoor Air the current crisis and prepare to Peninsula to close the gap Quality (IAQ) and air filtration, topics which stave off future threats to our between rhetoric and reality when receive heightened attention with countries societies.” it comes to implementing their fighting to reduce transmissions of the novel Dr Al-Attar added: “We need to recommendations. coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), the association be part of the solutions, not the “Combating COVID-19 is added. symptoms. For the best interest an existential challenge we Eurovent Middle East said it has opened of the health of the public, it face today. The pandemic has up membership to the consultant community Markus Lattner is essential to work together demonstrated the importance of in a move to bring the industry in the to establish a non-commercial appropriate building ventilation region closer together and support technical approach and neutral grounds to educate the and air filtration selection, an issue that has exchange on a range of pressing issues. With international audience on how to enhance been notoriously overlooked for decades – his background in mechanical engineering, our air quality and, consequently, our welland I am afraid we are now paying a hefty Dr Al-Attar is an air filtration consultant being. Eurovent Middle East provides the price for this negligence. It is of paramount as well as an environmental enthusiast. platform where we can exchange and create importance for the community to realise He is currently a Visiting Academic Fellow awareness on such important topics. I am that there are no low-cost, short-term and in the School of Aerospace, Transport and looking forward to exchanging knowledge over-the-counter solutions as far as designed Manufacturing at Cranfield University in the and experiences and to calling on the ventilation and filtration systems are United Kingdom, the association said. industry and governments to join us in these Dr Al-Attar said: “SARS-CoV-2 has paid us a concerned. The first corrective action toward discussions for the benefit of our societies surprise visit and found us pledging allegiance enhancing air quality is making appropriate and humankind. SARS-CoV-2 is a global filter based on the physical and chemical to sketchy filter specifications that tolerate characterisation of the airborne contaminants game changer, and we need to challenge the regenerating disposal filters, inappropriately existing standards, maintenance practices in the air we breathe. Unfortunately, the selecting filters, entertaining conventional spread of information that lacks precision and and, most importantly, ourselves.” filter design and prompting single-stage

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35

GLOBAL NEWS

Automation key to life in post-COVID world, says Danalto Co-founder highlights increasing importance of data analytics and IoT solutions, shares trends across UK and Ireland

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

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utomation is key to life in a post“Obviously, the majority of projects COVID world, said Albert Baker, have been delayed, especially those Co-Founder, Danalto, who pointed projects that require physical installation out that the need to monitor of IoT sensors and networks,” he said. tasks without manual intervention has placed “However, software development, system increasing importance on the integration and platform value that data analytics and testing have continued with IoT holds for public and private contractors and partners.” organisations, when it comes to In view of this, businesses ensuring reliability of operations. that embrace technology “Contractors in the UK quickly will rebound faster and Ireland, where we are and will safeguard their Albert Baker predominantly active, have really organisations against future adapted to regulations and have disruptions, Baker said. “Digital taken the measures required to continue transformation was once considered working with precaution,” he said. As a result, a potential project within a business Baker pointed out that social distancing that may or may not bring benefits, protocols have affected standard procedures, and which would be done in a pieceincluding installation of equipment and by-piece manner over a long period the management and audits of sites. of time,” he said, pointing out that

today, digital transformation is critical to ensuring systems are in place that enable employees to work effectively, processes are robust to ensure continuity is achievable and business is optimised to be able to withstand downtime during a pandemic like COVID-19. While the “new normal” has not yet been fully defined, Baker said that undoubtedly there has been a significant reset in the ways businesses operate regardless of industry.

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ASHRAE signs MoU with NYSERDA Partnership with New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to help the state establish postCOVID-19 building reopening framework, using ASHRAE technical resources, Society says

By CCME Content Team

A

SHRAE and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), formalising the organisations’ strategic partnership, ASHRAE said through a Press release.

Charles E Gulledge III, 2020-21 ASHRAE President and Doreen M Harris, NYSERDA Acting President and CEO, signed the MoU on July 9. The agreement defines parameters on how the two organizations will develop and provide safe building occupancy guidelines following the spread of COVID19, including building readiness and reopening guidance, sustainable development practices and associated training, ASHRAE said through the release.

NYSERDA and ASHRAE will work cooperatively to improve the design and application of efficient and low-carbon heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration technologies and their application in New York State, ASHRAE said.

“ASHRAE has taken a leadership role in providing technical resources to help protect the health and safety of building occupants, as we start the transition into a post-COVID-19 environment,” Gulledge said. “Our partnership with NYSERDA will leverage the collective strength of both organizations, as we implement innovative energy management and indoor air quality practices to address today’s building challenges.”

Harris said: “New York is building back better under Governor Cuomo’s unwavering leadership by advancing a framework to address some of society’s most pressing health and climate issues.

Through this groundbreaking partnership with ASHRAE, we will advance statewide change with cost-effective and energy-efficient solutions while reducing the overall carbon footprint of New York’s building stock and prioritizing human health and safe indoor air quality.”

According to ASHRAE, the MoU includes, but is not limited to, the following goals: • The development and/or utilisation of existing research, resources, guidance manuals, training and best practices on minimising airborne pathogen exposure through improved indoor air quality, ventilation and ultraviolet germicidal irradiation for buildings to enable safe reopening and operation.

• The development of job/task specific-contractor and building safety guidelines to minimise airborne pathogen exposure.

• The development of guidance documents on carbon neutral buildings, building electrification, carbon emission load Key Perspectives on calculations and clean geothermal district systems.

• The development and/or delivery of new or existing ASHRAE professional training on the application of codes, standards, guidance documents, manuals and tools.

the HVACR Industry

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GLOBAL NEWS

ASHRAE introduces updated reopening guide for schools and universities

Gulledge III, 2020-21 ASHRAE President. “ASHRAE’s school reopening guide will serve as a resource to school leaders as they work in lockstep with health experts to finalize plans to keep everyone safe.”

According to ASHRAE, the guide includes the following topics: • Determining Building Readiness • Equipment & System Specific Checks & Verifications During the Academic Year • New/Modified Facility Design Recommendations • Filtration Upgrades • Operations of Occupied Facilities • Controlling Infection Outbreak in School Facilities • Higher Education Facilities Recommendations

Document includes checklists for starting up HVAC systems and verifications to maintain during the academic year

By CCME Content Team

Also included is guidance formulated to help designers retrofit and plan for the improvement of indoor air quality and to slow the transmission of viruses through the HVAC systems as well as new guidance on student health facilities, laboratories, athletic facilities, residence halls, large assemblies, lectures and theatres.

“School and university officials are challenged with making very difficult decisions on how to best protect both students and staff as education facilities reopen, said Corey Metzger, ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force Schools Team lead. “This guidance offers a solid framework on ventilation control, filtration and maintenance that can be applied to different climate zones, building types and HVAC systems.”

For the complete ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force school reopening guide and other COVID-19 resources, visit ashrae.org/ COVID-19.

T

he ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force has developed guidance on the operation of HVAC systems to help mitigate the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2, as schools prepare to reopen for the fall academic year, the Society announced through a Press release.

The 41-page presentation, ASHRAE said, includes convenient checklists to prepare educational buildings to resume occupancy, such as starting up HVAC systems as well as checks and verifications to maintain during the academic school year. The guidance is meant to provide practical information to school districts and university campus environmental health managers, facility managers, administrators, technicians and service providers, ASHRAE added.

“As schools prepare to reopen for the fall academic semester, it's important to keep children and school staff safe,” said Charles E

MARKETPLACE

This section contains updates on regional and international products.

Belimo launches room sensors Devices measure temperature, humidity and CO2 with the promise of high accuracy and fast response, company says

By CCME Content Team

B

elimo has released new room sensors, which the company claimed complement the existing sensor product range.

Making the announcement through a Press release, the company said the sensors measure temperature, humidity and CO2 in a wall-mounted design offering high accuracy and fast response.

The sensors are maintenance-free and provide long-term reliability for a comfortable room environment, the company claimed. Integrated with Near Field Communication (NFC) allows for fast programming, commissioning, and troubleshooting with the Belimo Assistant App and a belimo-room-sensorssmartphone, the company further claimed. The product series consists of Temperature, Temperature with Setpoint, Temperature and Humidity, Temperature, Relative Humidity and CO2, the company said. Key features, it added, include: • Unique housing with a spring-loaded removable terminal block that saves wiring time and ensures reliable contact.

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August 2020

•

•

• • • •

Humidity output that is configurable as relative humidity (rH) or dew point conforming to ASHRAE Standard 62.1 to prevent humidity and moisture problems.

A low wall coupling factor, which provides accurate room temperature measurement that is not affected by the wall temperature.

A distinct manual push button, which is standard on all passive sensors.

A PC board cover plate, which offers additional protection from mechanical damage, dust and vibration.

Self-calibrating dual-channel CO2 technology beneficial for buildings that are occupied 24/7.

NFC, which allows fast programming

“Belimo room sensors deliver high accuracy and fast response,” Eddie Kelley, Sensors Product Specialist, said. “The housing design features a spring-loaded removable terminal block that will ensure contact and saves installers wiring time.”

CHICAGO | JAN 25-27 2021 Held alongside ASHRAE Winter Conference

We’re on for Chicago First and foremost, we want to thank the HVACR industry for its response and resilience during these unprecedented times. We are proud to see our industry professionals navigate with such dedication and expertise. For almost a century, the AHR Expo has played an essential role in bringing the entire HVACR community together and we don’t plan on stopping now. AHR Expo Show Management, our industry partners, endorsing organizations and industry colleagues are committed to hosting a safe event experience in January 2021.

Visit ahrexpo.com for updates and free registration

www.climatecontrolme.com

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Ghassan Freiwat, Awal Gulf Manufacturing

Ghassan Freiwat, Deputy CEO, Awal Gulf Manufacturing, speaks of grit, as having helped him prise open a world of opportunities in the face of challenges. In this up-close-and-personal interaction, he speaks of the importance of collective grit, of cross-industry collaboration in averting the threat of diluting the basic concept of Perceived Market Value, amongst other measures that need to be taken to protect the marketplace

[William Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor]

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T

HE EARLY YEARS

I strongly believe one’s roots are where one lives.

I am also who I am owing to the many people I have met.

I am deeply rooted to my place of origin. I am from Acre, in northern Palestine, which is where my heart is. I was, however, born in Dbayeh, a city that lies in between Beirut and the famous port of Jounieh, in Lebanon, in the year 1968.

My father, Nour Freiwat was an architect by qualification, who handled a broad construction-related portfolio of activities as a site superintendent, which included civil engineering functions.

He loved the breadth and depth of design. He also enjoyed taking up the challenge of executing chattering design for large complicated projects. On many instances, his own designs used to gain approval as amendments to the consultant’s drawings.

I attended the Evangelical School in Dbayeh, where I studied up to Grade 2. The early school years were fun, but all of that changed, when civil war broke out in Lebanon, in April 1975.

In the beginning, no one expected the war to be a protracted one – that it would last for 15 years – for the country had passed through several incidents of political turmoil, but unfortunately, 1975 was different.

In March 1976, the situation deteriorated to the extent that my parents, siblings and I had to flee in order to save our lives. It wasn’t easy to leave the country, as all our relatives and extended families from both sides of my parents were living in Lebanon, especially from my mother’s side, who is Lebanese.

We arrived in the UAE, where my father took up an assignment with a leading contracting company in Abu Dhabi.

Over the next several years, though, my father took up new assignment after new assignment, which gave us the opportunity to experience life in different parts of the UAE. We finally settled in Dubai in 2007.

In between moving homes, I also left to pursue my bachelor’s degree in Egypt, where I stayed for five long years.

THE WORLD OF BELLS AND WHISTLES As a boy growing up in the UAE, I envisioned myself as an airline pilot. In later years, I aspired to become an ophthalmologist. At the same time, I was aware and appreciative of my father’s prodigious architectural talent. In the course of assignments with such construction companies as Mother Cat, CCC and Arabian Construction, he worked on such landmark projects as Dubai Mall and the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. Earlier, in 1977, he had the opportunity of working on Al Shaab Sports Club project, the first ever mega sports centre in Sharjah at the time.

My father’s inspiring work influenced and motivated me to become an engineer. It was an easy choice, even otherwise. I was a brilliant student throughout my academic years. My favourite subject whilst in school was Physics, in which I consistently scored full marks. I was naturally curious about science, which prompted me to explore it to my heart’s content.

So, when it came to joining university, engineering was a natural progression. I attended the American University in Cairo and, in 1990, earned a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, with a minor in Business Administration. As an ancillary subject, I studied Industrial Engineering.

Subsequently, I earned a master’s degree in International Management, with merit, from Liverpool University, in the United Kingdom.

Later, motivated by a desire to constantly keep learning, I studied to earn a Post Graduate Diploma in Air conditioning and Refrigeration from ICS Scranton, in the United States and an Associate Degree in Business Management from the same institute. I also have a 6 SIGMA under my belt.

Ghassan Freiwat

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Ghassan Freiwat, Awal Gulf Manufacturing

THE PULL OF THE HVACR INDUSTRY

Awal Gulf Manufacturing is a leading HVACR manufacturing company that serves customers As I said earlier, HVACR industry was in over 40 countries through an surely not in my plan for a career; it extensive dealer network across was destiny that shaped my career the EMEA region and also through choice. long-standing OEM partners. The Backed by the degree in company’s history goes back to Mechanical Engineering and my 1970, when its air conditioning knowledge of Industrial Engineering, division was represented by the US I secured a job with a large brand, Friedrich under the broad multinational company in Saudi umbrella of AWALCO Group. In Arabia in 1990. But, excitement soon 1993, Awal Gulf Manufacturing gave way to disappointment, when came into being with a broad I failed to secure a visa to continue vision of achieving the status of with the job. I returned to Dubai and largest manufacturer of HVACR started knocking on every possible products in the MEA region. The door to find a suitable opportunity. company’s in-house brand, PEARL And while waiting, I took up a few odd has resonated well with customers sales jobs, which taught me valuable in Bahrain for over four decades, lessons on the process of selling. I as have some of the other brands, also had a short stint in the fire and Universal Air and Marshal. safety industry and in the automotive I see Awal Gulf Manufacturing industry. However, even those as a field of endless opportunities assignments were short-lived – in Childhood days in Lebanon: Ghassan Freiwat for growth and expansion, August of 1990, the Gulf War started, with his sister, Carmen contributing to the overall HVACR and all new joiners were the first to be industry. I view it as a great let go. place to implement a turnaround Life was tough; however, I never let strategy that can lead to totally new market dynamics. My goal the disappointment deter me. Three months later, I applied for and vision for the company is to make it a leading player in the a job with Juma Al Majid Establishment, in my view one of the HVACR industry in the MENA region and not just in Bahrain or in leading electro-mechanical companies in the UAE, specialising in the GCC region. the HVAC industry and, as a regional agent, representing some of the leading HVAC brands in the world. To my delight, the company took me in as a trainee. From there, I worked my way WHAT IAQ MEANS TO ME – COVID-19 AND up the ladder to eventually become the Department Manager; I OTHERWISE continued in this role till April 2000.

In simple terms, indoor air quality (IAQ) is critical to the health The Juma Al Majid years were memorable. During my tenure and safety of people. The world is currently passing through as Department Manager, I led the commercial business within an unprecedented time, and indoor air quality has never been varied streams of unitary projects contracting, direct unitary so critical to the human race from those two perspectives. Of equipment sales and air conditioning accessories. As manager, course, clean air becomes especially critical in hospitals, clinics I led teams, set their goals, implemented strategic plans, and and other healthcare facilities to protect patients, staff and managed orders, sales and margin. visitors from airborne diseases and infections.

After Juma Al Majid, I joined Trane Air-conditioning as We often talk about how to find solutions to reduce Business Development Leader. Trane was part of American greenhouse gas emissions, as part of our commitment Standards in those days; later, in 2009, it was acquired by towards sustainability. There is absolutely no doubt that Ingersoll Rand. In 2020, Trane and Ingersoll Rand became two this is extremely important, as the whole world has realised independent companies, and Trane was rebranded as Trane the impact of global warming and also of ozone-depleting Technologies. substances.

The Trane years were equally memorable – I witnessed the I can say that today, and in the context of COVIDcompany grow exponentially in the Middle East & Africa region.

19, we should give equal importance to the internal From Business Development Leader, I moved up the ladder to environment as we have been giving to the external be the Commercial Director for the entire product portfolio, one. COVID-19 has been an eye opener to all of us to which gave me an opportunity to oversee business in nearly 70 start thinking seriously of how to improve our internal emerging markets in the region. I gained experience working for environments. the full portfolio product cycle, along with sales and forecasting, Broadly speaking, we need good IAQ, because pricing strategy, order management, logistics, integrated supply majority of the people spend 90% of their time chain and marketing. indoors, especially in countries like those in the GCC region, where you would need to keep the air conditioning on for most of the year. And let us not DROPPING ANCHOR IN BAHRAIN forget that even our lifestyle has changed, driven by In March 2020, I moved to the Land of Two Seas, where I joined a new trend of online education and working.

Awal Gulf Manufacturing as Deputy Chief Executive Officer.

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Scientifically speaking, in the case of the pandemic, we have to go the extra mile to be able to deal with SARS-CoV-19, which, in size, falls within the range of 0.08 - 0.15 microns. In order to visualise the magnitude of the size, simply remember that the naked eye can see only those particles that are bigger than 70 microns in size, which you may think of as being the average diameter of a human hair. Moreover, particles that are larger than one micron tend to settle on surfaces rather than continue to float in the air.

Whilst developing a solution to improve IAQ, this simple piece of scientific information must be kept in mind. Awal Gulf Manufacturing, for instance, has taken the step of harnessing its engineering capability and R&D efforts to launch the Pearl air purification unit, which is inclusive of a portable HEPA filter system with UV-C technology for removing airborne containments and for undertaking germicidal air disinfection with a filtration efficiency of 99.999%, down to 0.3 micron particles, H14, as per EN1822.

The company’s main focus has been around new products that help recirculated air gets filtered to 99.999%, removing all particulate matters and microorganisms with the objective of creating an environment free of contaminants to reduce the risk of any possible infection. The unit can be placed in common areas, hospitals and ancillary healthcare facilities, including research laboratories and pharmaceutical plants. The unit’s application is not only limited to the healthcare vertical but can also be used in residential applications, educational institutions and other commercial applications.

STRIKING A BALANCE BETWEEN IAQ AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY I certainly believe IAQ has been the talk of the town, particularly during these unprecedented times. The need for clean and safe air has never been given this much importance before.

Having said that, the momentum still needs to be there. I tend to believe that energy efficiency will still be getting a higher priority compared to IAQ until we start seeing the global community as being led by international regulatory and legislative bodies. Let us think of sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions for a second. The industry began to take climate change seriously only after the Montreal Protocol established a clear timetable During the graduation of phasedown of gases ceremony, American responsible for accelerated University in Cairo, 1990 global warming and depletion of the ozone layer. I strongly believe a similar effort needs to be considered in the case of IAQ, if we wish to change the mindset

of our society.

Maintaining a properly controlled IAQ is indispensable in the war against COVID-19. The built-environment requires more fresh air changes. To counter-balance the potential increase in the electrical load and the hike in the utility bill, it is important to consider using well-designed air purification units that can handle 12 air changes per hour, say. It doesn’t mean, though, that the units will totally eliminate the impact on power consumption, but they can partially help. Let us not forget that health and safety are more important than money, so it is important that we place our faith in such equipment. Such units need to be equipped with a proper HEPA filter H14, as per EN 1822, which can remove a broad range of airborne containments with a filtration efficiency of 99.999%, as well as a high-quality UV light for germicidal air disinfection, in addition to other standard features, like carbon filters and stainless steel structure.

Awal Gulf Manufacturing takes energy consumption very seriously, indeed, and hence its reliance on traditional solutions, like energy-recovery wheels, inverter technology and efficient moving components. The need for the right solutions to achieve ideal IAQ is a vital one. Awal Gulf Manufacturing is, hence, focusing on innovative products that are not only efficient but are also able to operate while consuming less power and even utilise clean sources of energy; taking such a direction will be a key attribute of the company’s growth strategy. The company is currently working on a technology that I expect to make a significant impact, in terms of energy savings. It is under the gaze of R&D, and the company looks forward to the pleasure of revealing it in due course of time.

BUSINESS CHALLENGES BIRTHED BY COVID-19 Cash flow has been a big challenge in the marketplace for quite sometime. It is not a consequence of COVID-19, but the pandemic certainly has aggravated the situation.

The current state of logistics is definitely a challenge born out of the pandemic, given the limitation placed on mobility.

The situation has not only hit the HVACR industry but also other sectors, leading to delay in projects, which in turn, has affected revenues of organisations.

There is visible disruption in the supply chain due to COVID-19.

Awal Gulf Manufacturing did face delays in receiving components, parts and raw materials from approved vendors, particularly for consignments scheduled during March and April. I can attribute this to two main factors, one was reduction in the workforce, plus the disruption of work at the suppliers’ end, which led to serious production-related delays and delivery issues. Secondly, there were delays in shipping the components at the source, and delays in clearing them and receiving the same.

Awal Gulf Manufacturing handled the situation with the objective of not disappointing its customers. The company even air-freighted some of the products to ensure the commitments made to customers were met.

The other challenge Awal Gulf Manufacturing confronted was the closure of the causeway between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

This affected the business in Saudi Arabia and also in some of the adjoining countries. The company had to look for alternative sources, such as sea freight, in place of traditional land freight to ensure customer deadlines were met. These options and routes were far more expensive and time consuming. In certain cases, the company absorbed the additional costs in order not to upset its long-standing customers.

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Ghassan Freiwat, Awal Gulf Manufacturing

MENTORS IN LIFE

A passion for horseback riding

In tough times, like what we are passing through now, the pressure on price has become a big threat in diluting the basic concept of Perceived Market Value, driven by the simple rule of supply and demand in economics. We urgently need to see collaboration of all players in the marketplace to prevent a deterioration in the pricing mechanism, as it can easily lead to adopting the old school of pricing, based on a cost-plus approach, instead of the Perceived Market Value methodology, which will only lead to a price war. The danger of such an unfavourable situation is that it can lead to a status of monopoly, which jeopardises the ability of having a fair market share by multiple players.

I have drawn inspiration from great leaders and great thinkers like Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Che Guevara, Edward Said, Noam Chomsky and Omar Al-Mukhtar.

As for mentors, I consider life itself as the biggest. In the course of my life so far, I have had the good fortune of meeting and interacting with people from diverse backgrounds. Many of them have taught me or inspired me to become the better version of myself.

If I were to name anyone in particular, I would say my father, Nour, for inculcating the habit of innovation in me. He was part of teams that shaped several iconic landmarks in Lebanon and in the UAE. I have observed his work and admire him for his out-of-the-box thinking, and for his talent in, for instance, designing domes without pillars. Thrilling!

My mother, Juliet Khoury, was also a mentor, and I thank her for bestowing on me the intellectual side of my personality. I certainly believe it came from her, because so many of the family members from her side were university professors.

My mother was the eternal home maker. She was the pillar of strength to the whole family. She did not pursue any professional career, though she was very well-qualified to do so. She took amazing care of the family, raising five children – this despite having endured the emotional scars of the civil war, which consumed some of her direct family members.

MY FAMILY, MY INTERESTS

There is certainly a cautious approach to spending, and this applies to all sectors, all industries. I see governments as certainly going to tighten their budgets, but we have to place faith in the essentialness of the HVACR industry. Indeed, the demand for HVACR solutions is not going anywhere, particularly in the highambient conditions we live in.

We might not see mega projects being launched in the near foreseeable future, but by all means, small-to-medium projects will remain active, which is where the focus needs to be for the next couple of months to a year. Having said that, in my view, the retrofit market and the service sector constitute areas of interest that should be the focal point of our operations.

I am married. My lovely wife, Siham is a computer science engineer by profession and, at the same time, is an artist. Her work has been exhibited in Dubai and in other cities across the region, including a noticeable one, in association with UNESCO, in Beirut, a few years ago.

As for me, I have an abiding interest in reading and writing. I have authored two books. The first is called SCREEM, which is a take on the human cause, and on how the community should look like from a socio-political perspective. The second book, Conquest & the Coffin, is a novel that touches on freedom of expression, belief and speech.

Besides reading and writing, I love horseback riding, hiking and travelling. My wife and I travel frequently, because we find it relaxing to discover new places and to experience the heritage and history of the places we visit.

EMPHASIS ON R&D

(As told to Surendar Balakrishnan)

DRAWING COURAGE FROM ESSENTIALNESS

Innovation is at the heart of Awal Gulf Manufacturing’s Research and Development Lab. The company strives to make products with the latest and most advanced technology that can resonate with the growing demands of customers.

The company invests in the range of 4%-5% of its annual sales in R&D to come up with innovative products. By all means, this will only increase, keeping in mind the plans the company has to enhance its product offering through NPIs and NPDs. This is one of my biggest areas of focus in the turnaround strategies I am involved in.

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CPI Industry accepts no liability for the views or opinions expressed in this column, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided here.

10th ANNUAL CLIMATE CONTROL

AWARDS 2020 24 November | Dubai, UAE

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