CCME Feb 2016

COUNTRY REPORT: Saudi Arabia

HVAC sector braces itself as KSA declares record budget deficit

FEBRUARY 2016

INTERVIEWS

Meshal Al Shamari,

Qatar Green Building Council

Special Supplement: paints (ieq & energy efficiency)

Noura A Aziz, Ashghal

Suneel M Advani and Vir S Advani, Blue Star

Green bill of health Why focusing the discussion on IEQ instead of energy consumption may increase support for Green Building projects

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contents VOL. 11 NO. 2  FEBRUARY 2016

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COVER STORY

THE RISE OF HEALTHY BUILDINGS Meshal Al Shamari, of Qatar Green Building Council, shares details on Qatar’s efforts to achieve the goals outlined in the National Vision 2030 and reveals how switching the focus of the Green Buiding discussion from energy savings to IEQ benefits will generate more interest in the industry.

HEALTHCARE page

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‘The interior designer should be aware of IEQ principles and components’

Noura A Aziz of Ashghal recommends measures interior designers can take to effectively marry aesthetics with IEQ principles when designing healthcare facilities.

MARKET FEATURE

Something in the air page

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4

Industry experts offer their views on what kind of leadership, solutions and ideas are needed to ensure that air quality is not compromised in the quest for energy efficiency and tighter building envelops.

February 2016

& QA

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Suneel M Advani

IEQ IN

page

‘We have multi-tenanted developments, and when you have those, VRF becomes an easy solution’ Suneel M Advani and Vir S Advani of Blue Star discuss their company’s plans for the Middle East, including a planned launch of innovation in VRF technology.

Vir S Advani

EDITORIAL CAMPAIGNs

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COUNTRY REPORT

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: PAINTS page

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MARKET REPORT Canned solutions

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With more regulations being introduced in the region to address energy-efficiency needs and IAQ requirements, the paints industry is reporting a growing demand from the market for products that offer more than mere aesthetic appeal.

page

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CASE-IN POINT

With Saudi Arabia declaring a record budget deficit for 2015 and preparing to lift subsidies, what is the country’s HVAC industry doing to weather the storm brought about by the drop in oil prices?

Painting the city green Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City, while using IAQ-enhancing paints from Jotun, helped the company improve its product assessment process and make its supply chain more sustainable.

Carbon emissions in #GCC would decrease by 1Gt by 2030 if renewables targets realised http://bit. ly/1St7Dvw

CASE-IN POINT Saving lives and energy A hospital in Italy turned to adiabatic panels to increase cooling capacity and thermal comfort, while saving energy in air conditioning, during the summer months.

page

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Is the Kingdom going through a rough patch?

REPORT IRENA @IRENA

'VRF no longer a choice but a necessity' SKM Air Conditioning enters the VRF race with the introduction of two new product lines.

page

64

History A birds’-eye view of frozen foods The practice of using ice to freeze food traces its beginnings to the Chinese, who built ice cellars circa 1000 BC. However, it was Clarence Birdeye's innovations in flashfreezing that proved instrumental in the evolution of the modern concept of "freshfrozen food". Read about his work, inside.

eye Bird s n fo o d e -f ro z Fresh

REGULARS

ED'S NOTE 06 Open-plan offices… the bane of sustainable development

NEWS 48 54 60 61

Regional Global Associations & Societies Marketplace

February 2016

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Open-plan offices… the bane of sustainable development sheireb Properties, in Qatar, which is nearing the completion stage, will arguably see the largest cluster of Green Buildings in the GCC region. An estimated 100 buildings that are either LEED Gold or LEED Platinum are expected to come on board, in a major boost to the greening efforts under way in the region.

In the UAE, Dubai has embarked upon an ambitious plan to retrofit 30,000 buildings to address energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality (IEQ) issues. And several other initiatives, aimed at reining in rampant power consumption, are under way in the country.

A significant stumbling block exists on the green pathway, though, in the form of open-plan offices, which are often described as the bane of sustainable development.

Open-plan offices are called so, because the interior layouts are kept open, save for the common areas, because architects and MEP engineers, despite their expertise, have scant idea of the end-user profile of the commercial space, the number of occupants, the number of meeting rooms and the management hierarchy, which is a determining factor in the number of cabins that will be erected. That is because the building owners themselves are probably in the dark about who they will be leasing the property out to.

As a result, the architects and engineers work according to a general assumption and, at best, can give HVAC air systems for the entire area and not on the basis of individual sub-zone requirements. Entire ducting layouts go up, as do thermostats, fan-coil units or variable air volume boxes, without any understanding of the peripheral and inner zones. The speculative effort, in one broad sweep puts paid to all sustainable development initiatives, because the occupants of the peripheral zones, look to lower the temperature setting to compensate for the heat gain from the sunlight coming through the windows, whereas, those in the inner zones feel cold and uncomfortable.

Thermal discomfort comes in the way of productivity, and the energy inefficiency resulting from a lower thermostat setting adds to the operating expenses and to emissions.

The situation can be addressed only through a more sophisticated engagement among the multiple stakeholders involved in all the phases of construction. While it is understandably difficult to predict the end-user profile, especially during volatile economic times, when businesses move in and move out, closer cooperation, and greater planning and discipline can ensure a certain measure of control. For instance, building owners and developers, in general, would do well to arrive at a certain profile of the type of tenants they wish to lease their premises out to and, equally, try to explore long-term prospects. Further, leasing teams and technical teams could engage in a dialogue to better understand and appreciate their respective spheres of concern. The clarity that emerges through the cooperation will go a long way in limiting the speculative aspects of design that plague the industry.

M

B Surendar Editor @BSurendar_HVACR

COUNTRY REPORT: Saudi Arabia

HVAC sector braces itself as KSA declares record budget deficit

FEBRUARY 2016

INTERVIEWS

Meshal Al Shamari,

Qatar Green Building Council

Special Supplement: paints (ieq & energy efficiency)

Noura A Aziz, Ashghal

Suneel M Advani and Vir S Advani, Blue Star

Green bill Get the next issue of health of Climate Control Why focusing the discussion on IEQ instead of energy consumption may increase support for Green Building projects

HEADLINES

SKM enters the VRF race with two new product lines

Johnson Controls merges with Tyco

Middle East early!

Tabreed cuts down 2015 energy consumption by 1.3 billion kWh

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COVER STORY

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February 2016

'Green Buildings may not interest everyone but healthy buildings will' In a conversation with Fatima de la Cerna of Climate Control Middle East, Meshal Al Shamari, Director of Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC), explains why he believes healthy buildings are the next-generation Green Buildings. He also shares his views on the country’s sustainability efforts and what the Council is doing to support the Qatar National Vision 2030.

February 2016

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COVER STORY

H

ow would you assess the present state of the Green Building sector in Qatar? Do you think it has shown significant development over the years? And what are your projections for the sector for the next couple of years?

In the last 10 years, Qatar has enjoyed several big achievements and taken some big steps. Qatar, in fact, has one of the first Green Building projects in the region, Msheireb Properties, which is in completion right now. The project consists of a hundred buildings that will be rated as either

LEED Gold or LEED Platinum – the biggest collection of LEED Gold and Platinum developments in the world.

Qatar Foundation, since 2006, has developed numerous LEED Gold projects. And, with 12 buildings certified, it has the world’s biggest collection of LEED Platinum projects.

Qatar is also the home of Lusail City, being developed to become one of the biggest sustainable cities in the world, with all buildings going for GSAS (Gulf Sustainability Assessment System) certification. In addition, all Ashghal (Public Works Authority) and municipality projects are required to be GSAS-certified, providing a good push for the Green Building sector in the country. As a matter of fact, we are now ranked second in the MENA region, in terms of the number of Green Buildings – about 400 to 500.

I think, in the coming few years, we’ll have more stringent regulations from the government that will make green requirements mandatory for both public and private projects.

The government actually supports a big part of the industry by regulating the green requirements for governmental projects, but we still need to put in more efforts in the private sector. The regulations are still optional for the private sector, so it’s lagging behind. The coming years will also see us [QGBC] working with the Ministry of Environment and other environmental organisations to develop green codes and green rating systems that will be more approachable for the private sector.

Until today, some people still confuse green building with landscaping

Is GSAS not accessible to the private sector?

It’s not about GSAS not being accessible, because there are some big projects that are now GSAS-certified. The problem is not GSAS but the private sector’s acceptance of the idea of GSAS and of green rating systems, in general. GSAS is not mandatory for the private sector, but it is for government projects, and we have big projects that are aiming for GSAS and LEED certifications. The stadiums for the 2022 World Cup, for instance, will have dual certification; they'll all be GSAS- and LEED-certified.

The metro will be GSAS-certified, as well. The government is serving as an example and is leading the market.

The private sector is trying to follow, but it still depends on the size of the project.

We have big shopping centres applying for LEED and GSAS certification, as are other private-sector projects like hospital buildings. But more effort is still needed to encourage that sector. So I think in the coming years, there will be mandatory but very approachable green codes that will identify minimum Green Building requirements. Because you see, Green Buildings don’t require you to invest a lot of money and bring in

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COVER STORY

specialised consultants. You just need to change some materials, like the glazing and the type and quality of insulation, adopt construction waste recycling and use recycled materials – basic elements that can give you good payback or rewards.

Have you started developing the green codes you mentioned?

At present, there is the Qatar Construction Specifications or QCS, which has a section for green products and Green Buildings, and then there will be a separate set of green codes for the whole construction industry.

Preparation for that has started.

Hopefully, that will be launched within this year, but that will go through several stages. It will be optional for one or two years before becoming mandatory, but it will target different projects, like commercial, governmental, private and residential. Thus, it has to go through different stages, because you cannot apply everything at one go. And we have the Qatar National Vision 2030, for which we are part of the review team, and one of its pillars is environmental development or sustainability, and everybody is working towards that goal.

You said that in the last 10 years, Green Building in Qatar has picked up pace. How has the Council helped bring about its growth?

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February 2016

In 2014, we trained about 600 professionals – consultants, developers, government employees, construction clients, etc. – on Green Building certification systems. We’ve also worked with university students, training and educating them so they can take the message when they graduate.

I'm sure you'll fEel more comfortable going to a "healthy" hospital, where recovery rate is 10 to 12% higher than regular hospitals

When QGBC started in 2009, nobody really knew what Green Buildings were, and this wasn’t true just in Qatar but in the whole region. Back then, the most mature Green Building developments were in North America and Europe. Even when I joined QGBC in 2012, the concept was still new to the public, so our role has been to raise awareness and to promote Green Building.

It has been a long journey. It took us quite a while to educate everyone on what we mean by Green Buildings. And until today, some people still confuse Green Building with landscaping. I don’t, of course, mean people in the industry, because they know what we mean by Green Buildings. So, we work on two levels. The first is raising awareness, which is mostly aimed towards the public. The second is providing training to professionals or people in the industry.

When you spoke at a workshop on affordable housing and sustainable communities at The Big 5 Dubai, you suggested a shift from Green Buildings to healthy buildings, at least label-wise. Could you elaborate on that?

Green Building certification systems started in the early 1990s, in the United Kingdom, with BREEAM and then in the United States with LEED. The aim was to save the environment, by conserving energy and water, recycling waste and construction materials and controlling the environment. Dust control, air quality and the use of natural resources like natural lighting and natural ventilation systems – those became the focus. And when buildings were commissioned, people started figuring out that Green Buildings offer benefits other than efficiency. For example, we use fewer toxic materials for interiors, and control not just air quality but also air circulation and noise levels.

In the Green Building sector, we work to make buildings healthier for users and tenants by regulating everything related to the quality of the indoor environment. In the last five years, when promoting the idea of Green Building to developers or owners – who, typically, want a short payback period for their investment – we’ve been trying to focus on the asset value of Green Buildings, because in the real estate market, they are priced higher than traditional buildings.

Even the rental price is higher. Of course, reduced energy consumption – meaning lower energy bills – is one factor behind the better asset value, but there’s also the quality of the indoor environment and the well-being of the occupants.

Many studies show that 80-90% of the operational costs of organisations go to their employees’ salaries. The rent of the facilities is perhaps

February 2016

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COVER STORY

employees goes up by 15%, it will mean added revenue for the bank, so banks should be interested in the type of building that can help achieve that result. Green Buildings may not interest everyone but healthy buildings will.

According to feedback we’ve received from some stakeholders, the UAE construction industry and its related markets are seeing a slowdown as a result of the continued dip in oil prices.

Have you noticed the same thing happening in Qatar? Are you seeing an impact on the preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup? 10-15% and energy bills just one to two per cent, so most of the investment goes to the employees.

Studies have also shown that green developments, like office buildings, banks and hospitals, report increased employee performance.

Green Building requirements, for the most part, reflect ASHRAE standards, and ASHRAE considers the comfort levels of building occupants. In the case of air conditioning and room temperature, for example, ASHRAE determines the optimum level, because if it’s very cold, people become lazy. If it’s very warm, they feel uncomfortable. However, if the temperature is just right, occupants will feel comfortable and will, thus, perform better.

With Green Buildings, asthma cases can also be controlled. In Qatar, around 20% of the population suffers from asthma.

That’s very high. If we control the Indoor Air Quality, we will be able to control or reduce asthma rates. Even the prevalence of sick building syndrome (SBS) can be reduced, which can again contribute to

increasing the performance levels of those who use the building.

There’s actually a new rating system connected to LEED. It’s called the WELL Building Standard, and it focuses on the well-being of the building occupants. It looks into elements like light fixtures and natural lighting, the colour of materials used for the interiors and ventilation. All those affect the residents or users of the facilities of the building.

With this new certification system in place, and with the attention being given to the relationship between wellness and the indoor environment, I think that healthy buildings will be the next-generation Green Buildings.

After all, nobody wants to live in an unhealthy building. If you send your kids to school, I’m sure you’ll feel more comfortable knowing that school is healthy. And I’m sure you’ll feel more comfortable going to a “healthy” hospital, where recovery rate is 10 to 12% higher than regular hospitals.

If the performance of a bank’s

I think the issue with the oil price is affecting all the countries in the GCC region. But in Qatar, I know the government has not stopped investments in infrastructure projects.

Those projects are safe, and the government has set targets to ensure they are completed on time. So, the FIFA projects, the metro project and other infrastructure projects are still ongoing. Qatar doesn’t depend solely on oil and gas. It has started diversifying its income streams, putting the country in a good position.

There’s an impact for sure, but it’s not affecting investments in infrastructure projects, because they’ve been planned a long time back by the government.

There are already plans for up to 2025, 2030.

HAVE YOUR SAY!

We welcome your views on the article. Write to editor@cpi-industry.com

“At present, there is a big move towards sustainability, and I really want to see everybody acquiring the knowledge and awareness of all the different solutions available, that not only provide energy savings but also comfort – solutions like controls. That is what I’m hoping for, because at the end of the day, sustainability is not just about switching to a new technology or buying an application. What it’s really about is transformation, about aiming for a new way of life, where energy is renewable and everything is automated. Down the line, I’d like to see people adopting sustainable systems and coming together, having realised how this change could be achieved.”

- Mohamed Rashed Al Rashed, General Manager, Al Yousuf GreenTech (AGT)

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IEQ in

HEALTHCARE Interview

Marrying aesthetics with IEQ principles – a challenge for interior designers Noura A Aziz, a design expert for Qatar’s Public Works Authority (Ashghal), talks with Fatima de la Cerna of Climate Control Middle East about the role interior design plays in achieving good IEQ in healthcare facilities. She identifies common pitfalls interior designers face and suggests ways to address them.

I

n general, what role does – or should – interior design play in IEQ-related initiatives? How can interior design affect indoor environments of healthcare facilities?

Colour selection not only affects the workers' psychology but also has an impact on some test results

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One of the main roles of interior designers is to correctly divide the available space and distribute it according to the activities in the healthcare facility, with the goal of enhancing the speed of the delivery of services and ensuring occupants’ comfort. For them to fulfil this role, they require sufficient understanding of the nature of the project, as well as its function and requirements. And there should be complete coordination among all the medical and engineering team members, because without it, you can’t have a properly designed and executed project.

The interior designer and all the members of all the teams involved in the project should be aware of IEQ principles and components, and their impact on the building and its users. They should all cooperate and observe best practices to improve the performance of the building and the efficiency of the workers, and to create a safe and healthy environment that can bring about speedy recovery for patients.

What would you say is the biggest challenge when it comes to integrating aesthetic elements with IEQ principles in the design of a healthcare facility?

Air quality, lighting, odours, HVAC systems, noise, furniture and finishes, views and even colours – all these elements must be taken into account when studying and planning the distribution of building indoor spaces, how they can all affect and be affected by each other. Proper understanding of those elements is needed to be able to effectively incorporate them into the design and, of course, do so in such a way that they are consistent with the aesthetic considerations of the building.

You will still want the building to look its best, after all. So reaching that level of understanding and awareness is, in my opinion, the biggest challenge.

Are there specific design elements you believe should be consistently applied in healthcare facilities? Are there certain design needs that are similar among different kinds of healthcare facilities, like hospitals and laboratories?

Different healthcare facilities and departments like clinics, emergency and patient rooms, operation theatres, emergency departments, staff offices, lecture and meeting rooms, education

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and research areas, laboratories and pharmacies could be housed in independent buildings or could be set up in one hospital building. But either way, the aesthetic and IEQ elements I’ve mentioned are basic and should be taken into consideration. To give you just some examples: • Finishes and furniture should always be easy to clean and must not support bacterial and fungal growth. They should also be slip-resistant and fire-rated.

• To improve Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), low- or zero-VOC materials like paint and adhesives should be used.

• Wood products, like doors and cabinets, should have no added ureaformaldehyde.

• Carpeting must meet the Carpet and Rug Institute’s (CRI’s) requirements as well as its Green Label Plus programmes. Passing the CRI standards is also a good way to earn LEED credits.

• There should be proper distribution of spaces to minimise the impact of outside noise on the indoor environment and to prevent noise and odours from areas like laboratories or odours resulting from the cleaning and sterilisation of materials from affecting patient rooms and other parts of the facility. Noise can also be prevented by using correct HVAC and isolation systems.

• Colour selection also plays a role in the patient’s treatment and comfort, and it can improve workers’ psychology and increase their efficiency. It can even be used as an indicator for hospital departments and specialities, allowing users – especially the elderly and members of the public who are unaware of medical terminologies and, in some cases, do not understand both the English and Arabic languages (a real consideration because of the multiplicity of nationalities in our country) – to navigate the building easily.

The concept of the luxurious hospital supports the idea that the interior environment has a significant impact on patient health and psyche – but only if the concept is actualised properly In line with the previous question, what design elements are unique to laboratories?

I have dealt with several types of laboratories through my work, and each has different international standards and codes to follow, depending on the lab’s activity, location, experiment level and requirements, as well as the types of materials users and workers are exposed to. There are school laboratories, hospital laboratories, food laboratories and independent research building laboratories – each with its requirements; however, they usually have to follow the same basic standards, which are: • Location and the dimensions of the lab, the surrounding rooms and the corridors must be studied.

• Preparation and waste collection spaces must be provided.

• Exits and entrances must have view panels.

• Emergency eye-wash and shower rooms are required and must be distributed according to the lab space area and should also be identifiable by the type of light used or the colour of the walls.

• HVAC, insulation and fire-resistant materials and systems must comply with accepted codes and standards, as should chemicals, hazardous materials like gas tanks and their storages.

• Natural and artificial lighting must be given attention to, because lightning can influence some test results.

Therefore, lighting should be selected according to laboratory needs.

• Walls and ceiling finishes must be durable and cleanable.

• Lab furniture, whether built-in or modular, must be fully coordinated with MEP systems and facilities, as well as with all other equipment.

Finishes must be smooth, must resist the effects of disinfectants and chemicals and must not absorb liquids.

• Again, colour selection is very important because it not only affects the workers’ psychology but also has an impact on some test results. Also, the colour of floors and countertop surfaces must make it easy to spot missing needles or spilt liquid. One should also bear in mind that some colours are used to identify or indicate certain materials or laboratory

warnings, so they must be chosen carefully to avoid any mix-ups, especially in emergency cases.

Based on your observation, what common design mistakes or problems can be found in Qatar’s healthcare facilities? What measures or steps would you suggest Qatar take to correct those mistakes or problems?

The concept of the luxurious hospital, which has recently grown in popularity in our region and around the world, is quite a good development, and supports the idea that the interior environment has a significant impact on patient health and psyche – but only if the concept is actualised properly. It’s important to note that it is not about using the most beautiful materials and expensive finishes, which is a common practice among many design organisations, both public and private.

To put it simply, the concept of the luxurious hospital involves the creation of a safe and comfortable environment for end-users by choosing the best quality systems, materials and finishes, without compromising the aesthetics, to ensure the best performance for the building.

And as I’ve mentioned, cooperation among the different people working on the project, from designers and architects to consultants and contractors, is very important.

I have also noticed a lack of understanding of the local culture on the part of some international companies

who do business in the region. One area where they display this is in accommodating the privacy of the patient and the patient’s visitors, which is an important principle in our religion and culture. It must be taken into consideration from the beginning to avoid problems in the future. It’s really important to understand that not all international standards will apply to our hospitals, and that some of them will need to be adjusted to meet all the medical, religious and cultural requirements in our countries. That is why, as local designers, we are keen to provide single rooms, increase room sizes and provide practical furniture, to cover all medical service requirements of hospital rooms, keeping in mind the condition of the patients who’ll be occupying them and receiving visitors in them. Furthermore, separate prayer and waiting rooms for males and females must be provided in each floor or department, depending on the hospital size.

HAVE YOUR SAY! We welcome your views on the article. Write to editor@cpi-industry.com

February 2016

23

CASE-IN POINT

SAVING

LIVES AND ENERGY A hospital in Italy faced increased burden of energy and expenses during the summer months. Installing adiabatic panels by Blue Energy resulted in increased cooling capacity and thermal comfort, while saving energy in air conditioning, claims the manufacturer. We bring you the case study.

Introduction

In the summer season, the biggest consumer of energy in hospitals is air conditioning and cooling equipment.

They are responsible for as much as 50% of the total energy consumption.

The background

Hospitals Humanitas, a highly specialised hospital and research and teaching centre, located in Bergamo, Italy, is accredited by the National Health-Care System. Built around centres for the prevention and treatment of cancer, cardiovascular, neurological and orthopaedic disease, together with an ophthalmic cantre and a fertility centre, the hospital also operates

24

February 2016

a highly specialised emergency department. It is regarded as one of the most advanced healthcare facilities in Europe, occupying a total area of 57,000 m2.

The case study

The challenge: In the summer season, energy consumption of the hospital’s cooling equipment accounted for 52% of the total energy consumption, imposing a heavy burden on its total budget. When the outside temperature reached + 35 degrees C, there was a sharp drop in cooling power to around 19%. The HVAC engineers established the deficit of cooling power and overload of the chiller compressors.

WHEN THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE REACHED 35 DEGREES C, THERE WAS A SHARP DROP IN COOLING POWER TO AROUND 19%

The solution: In the summer 2014, a decision was made to install smart cooling adiabatic panels, on the cooling equipment: Climaveneta SRAQ/SL – 2404, Climaveneta ERACS-Q/LT-SL 2722 and Climaveneta FOCS-CA-R 2722/SL. The total cooling capacity was 1,957 kw.

Results: Energy monitoring and test results showed the following results after installing the adiabatic panels smart cooling on the cooling equipment: Chiller Climaveneta FOCS: • The efficiency of the cooling equipment and the cooling power increased by 23% • The energy consumption of the cooling equipment was reduced by 21% • The cooling equipment operated smoothly and ensured the required climate indoors.

Conclusion: The hospital facility’s cooling efficiency increased with the installation of the adiabatic panels and, at the same time, ensured optimum level of cooling for the building. There was a reduction in capital investments and operational expenses.

What the customers say

Blue Energy won the tender due to the three main criteria being considered: a) Comparing the technical parameters of the equipment, smart cooling adiabatic panels provided the highest efficiency and results b) The experience and references of the company in other projects c) Return period The professionalism of the company and its proposals played an important role, as well. We would not hesitate to recommend installing adiabatic panels in other hospitals, because the equipment is a really powerful tool.

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.

Other positive outcomes

Owing to the operational results of the smart cooling adiabatic panels, Hospitals Humanitas claims to have received the White certificate, which will purportedly aid the hospital in gaining additional funds.

February 2016

25

MARKET FEATURE AIR TREATMENT AND AIR MOVEMENT

Saad Ali

Jordan Baker

Charles Constantin

AIRING VIEWS

Air quality inside buildings is a matter of concern in the GCC region, especially since people spend considerable amount of time indoors. While factors like energy efficiency and IEQ have a bearing on indoor atmosphere, industry experts debate about what sort of leadership, solutions and ideas ought to drive the equation.

Sougata Nandi

By Rajiv Pillai | Features Writer

T

his should sound familiar: One day a man walks into his office and notices several of his colleagues complaining of mild health issues like coughing and sneezing; however, no specific cause or illness can be identified. He dismisses this as an isolated incident.

Until it happens again, a few days later. The culprit is found to be sick building syndrome (SBS) – a general term for collective illnesses

26

triggered by unhealthy Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) According to the World Health Organization (WHO), exposure to air pollutants occurs through inhalation of indoor air, which could lead to SBS and Legionnaire's Disease. It is known that people in the GCC region spend considerable time indoors, be it at home, office or shopping malls.

Several studies establish the relationship between

February 2016

IAQ and the health of occupants, yet its seriousness is undermined.

The design stage

Can proper building design and implementation strategies counter SBS? Experts agree that the issue should be addressed at the design stage. Saad Ali, VP and Group General Manager at Ruskin Titus Gulf, says that a building should be initially properly designed to counter SBS.

Andrew Walker

Though he concedes that design implementations vary from building to building, he stresses that the following basic requirements should be met: • The maintenance programme/guides of the mechanical ventilation equipment should be in place to ensure that the building is properly maintained and operated based on the

Case study 1 – Alexander Elementary School The overview Like many schools constructed in the early 1980s, Alexander Elementary School at Houston, Texas, was designed to conserve energy. One energy saving approach the industry endorsed at that time was to reduce the outdoor air ventilation to five cubic feet per minute (cfm) per person, thereby reducing the amount of energy needed to condition the outdoor air. Unfortunately, the effort to save energy in the 1980s prevented the school from meeting ventilation codes in 1997. ASHRAE Standard 62-89 now prescribes 15 cfm per student. Houston’s code can require even more outdoor air, depending on the school design. To comply with the local code, the Alief Independent School District needed to quadruple the amount of outdoor air entering the school. The district also wanted a reliable ventilation solution which would fit its budget, be easy to maintain and help control indoor humidity.

The challenge • Complying with ventilation codes • Controlling indoor humidity • Implement a cost-effective solution

Greenheck’s solution – Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs) The HVAC engineering firm of Stephen M Redding PE, determined that the most cost-effective and efficient solution for the school district would be to add several Greenheck rotary ERVs into the existing system. Five roof-mounted Greenheck ERVs were selected to provide 20,215 cfm of outdoor air to the school or approximately 20 cfm per student. Four ERVs served the classroom, and one met the needs of the gymnasium and cafeteria. Existing air handlers and chillers were used and the installation required little additional ductwork to connect the ERVs to the return ducts.

The installed ERVs preconditioned the outdoor air by recovering energy from air being exhausted from the school.

The preconditioned outdoor air was then injected into the return duct and supplied to the room spaces using the existing air distribution system.

Results Data for the gymnasium/cafeteria ERV unit quantifies both sensible and latent energy transfer performance. Outdoor air volume is 4,900 cfm and exhaust air volume is 4,345 cfm. Summer design is 95 DB/78 WB* for outdoor air and 75 DB/62 WB indoor air. At 75% effectiveness, the ERV leaving temperatures are 80 DB/67 WB reducing the air conditioning load by 18 tonnes. At winter design, the ERV heats the outdoor air from 20 DB to 59 DB.

Conclusion Combining total enthalpy ERVs with common heating and air conditioning equipment is an economical, simple and effective approach for providing adequate ventilation to schools, while meeting desired temperature and humidity requirements. *DB = Dry bulb; WB = Wet bulb

original design.

• There should be sufficient ventilation with an adequate amount of fresh air.

• There should be regulation of humidity and temperature inside the building.

Jordan Baker, Regional Manager at Greenheck Middle East, gets into specifics of design by elaborating that VOC (volatile organic compound) sensors work well for monitoring air quality, and can be connected directly to the BMS and/or ventilation equipment to supply and exhaust air. He lists other measures that can help: “The system setup also supports energy efficiency by lowering the ventilation air change rate when the space is not occupied. It is known and proven that natural UV light

cleans air and kills bacteria, while some studies show UV lamps in duct systems can also reduce bacteria.

Energy Recovery Ventilators (ERVs) work very effectively to recover cooling from the conditioned air being exhausted from the space. In addition, with proper latent and sensible energy, humidity can also be controlled very effectively, again saving on cooling load commonly used to reduce high humidity levels in the GCC [region’s] coastal cities (See Case study 1).”

In addition, Baker warns that mini-split air conditioning units, which are common in homes and small offices, do not introduce fresh air into the space, and that customers should realise this. “The filter in the unit should be changed regularly, and windows/doors

Information source: Greenheck

February 2016

27

MARKET FEATURE AIR TREATMENT AND AIR MOVEMENT

CASE STUDY 2 – THE TOWER OF LONDON Overview The Tower of London is one of six historic buildings under the care of independent charity, Historic Royal Palaces (HRP). As one of Britain’s most important historic buildings, and home to priceless treasures, including the Crown Jewels, it is vital that any works commissioned by HRP deliver best value-for-money and reliability.

Principal contractor, EV Bullen, was responsible for the execution of the project from the design phase through to practical completion and handover. By convening the project team very early on in the design stage and enabling effective communication between the critical stakeholders, including Airedale International, and the rest of the project team at every stage of the project, many of the potential risks typically associated with a scheme of this scale, involving multiple capital plant suppliers, were pre-empted.

As part of a major refurbishment programme, Airedale was selected to supply two Ultima twin circuit compact chillers to deliver comfort cooling to the building.

Airedale solution Airedale offered the following: • 2 x 237kW Ultima air-cooled compact chillers • Chilled water temperature sensor • Evaporator flow switch • Anti-vibration mounts • Airedale commissioning and training

Results • Energy-saving four-staged cooling maximised part-load efficiencies, reduced water consumption and improved reliability.

• Electronic soft-start delivered reliable start-up and reduced starting current by approximately 40%.

• Compressor acoustic jackets provided further 10 dBa noise reduction.

• The design was adapted to minimise installation time and costs.

Information source: Airedale - See full report at: http://www.airedale.com/web/AboutAiredale/The-News-HVAC/Tower-of-London.htm

28

February 2016

should be opened routinely to bring in fresh air,” he suggests.

Charles Constantin, Managing Director at GEZE Middle East, hints that strictly following set standards is more important than implementing design.

“Introducing local standards on ventilation with strict compliance by all players shall make a big difference,” he stresses. He also believes that proposing advanced standards in ventilation engineering will have a direct positive impact on air quality and environmental health.

Sougata Nandi, Founder and CEO of 3e Advisory, and a sustainable development evangelist, agrees with Constantin, when he says: “There are no major or radical strategies needed.

If buildings are designed following ASHRAE standards, as applicable for different parameters and different end-use types, buildings will automatically be healthy.

However, in order to maintain healthy buildings, the O&M team needs to follow certain practices as laid out in references like LEED, BREEAM etc.”

Solutions

Besides proper design and standards, the other solution that needs to come from manufacturers and suppliers is providing occupants/ end-users with details on the preventative maintenance schedules so that the ventilation systems are checked and maintained, says Ali. “We provide a complete solution and keep our products updated to the latest building/government’s codes,” he claims. “We also assist the end-users by providing them an up-todate O&M.” Constantin adds to this by saying that effective compliance with standards in ventilation engineering will provide a balance of power between the contractor and the manufacturer/supplier in order to advance and improve the experience of the end-users. He adds, “Offering the manufacturer/ supplier a key role in project management, alongside the contractor and consultant is an opportunity to ensure effective solutions are implemented.”

Nandi, however, does not think that this is a manufacturer or supplier

February 2016

29

MARKET FEATURE AIR TREATMENT AND AIR MOVEMENT

issue. He believes that it is the responsibility of consultants and developers to meet the criteria for healthy buildings.

So where does the buck stop?

Taking the discussion on responsibilities, Andrew Walker, Regional Manager – Middle East at Airedale International Air Conditioning, believes that the quest for greater comfort needs to come from the client. “Currently,” says Walker, “we have a number of new initiatives from the government in the UAE promoting efficient technology, but the problem is, we as suppliers are still competing with the same old technology as we have done

30

for many years, when we are dealing with the majority of private clients, mainly due to the capital cost being the main driver once the details of a specification have been met.”

A few of the experts believe that the final say must come from the top.

“The leadership needed should really start with the government officials and then it can trickle down to the local engineers and building owners,” says Ali. “At the moment, there’s little enforcement and/or awareness on air pollution, IAQ/IEQ and its impact on public health.” Nandi, too, partly agrees with Ali, when he says, “There are usually two levels of leadership

February 2016

needed for such issues: One is federal/ municipality regulations for IEQ. And two is building owner’s level of understanding that it is their mandatory duty to deliver good IEQ in any building.”

According to a report by the UAE Ministry of Health, 90% of the 150,000 patients treated at Al Ain public health clinics suffer from diseases of the upper respiratory tract, bronchitis, asthma and other forms of respiratory disease. (Source: http://www.khaleejtimes. com/lifestyle/health-fitness/ sick-building-syndrome-thekiller-within) This underlines the fact that no matter whose responsibility it is, or who is willing to take up the leadership role, IAQ/

IEQ issues persist in the region. The grim scenario, however, is not unique to the UAE or the region, as statistics reveals that one-third of the world’s population suffers from SBS. Possibly, an amalgamation and implementation of the varied, yet important, views from experts will help improve the IAQ in buildings and reduce problems associated with SBS.

HAVE YOUR SAY! We welcome your views on the article. Write to editor@cpi-industry.com

SPECIAL MARKET SUPPLEMENT ON PAINTS AND COATINGS

February 2016

31

MARKET REPORT

special market supplement | paints

32

CANNED SOLUTIONS

With more regulations being introduced in the region to address energy-efficiency needs, as well as health concerns related to Indoor Air Quality, the paints industry is reporting a growing demand from the market for products that offer more than mere aesthetic appeal.

mainly a result of the infrastructure development being undertaken for FIFA 2022.”

Rosocha, too, conveys an optimistic view, specifically on the direction his company is taking. “While we experienced a dip during and a little after Ramadan [in 2015], we had very good months in the latter part of the year,” he reveals. “The problem that I see now is payment collection – that is getting quite difficult. But in general, I see a positive trend in the Middle East, and I think this will be a good year for us. We have just finalised the details of a partnership in Iran. We also have several ambitious plans, one being to grow by almost 35%, if not more.”

Paint for IAQ

By Fatima de la Cerna | Assistant Editor

“I

’m a little concerned for certain regions,” Martin Rosocha, General Manager at Caparol Paints, says as he sits down for an interview with Climate Control Middle East. He offers this piece of information as the conversation inevitably moves towards the continued drop in oil prices and its impact on the paints industry: “I think Oman might have a problem this year, because it is highly dependent on oil.

Saudi Arabia, too, will be affected.

Qatar, on the other hand, should see some growth, because it has the 2022 World Cup coming up.

Investments will continue because of that. The same is true in the case of Dubai because of Expo 2020.

Abu Dhabi has slowed down, but there are still projects there.”

Sharing this assessment of what’s in store for the industry in the region if the value of oil does not improve, AK Paranthaman, Marketing Manager at Berger Paints, explains that the concern stems primarily from the source of development projects.

“Development is majorly based on governmental spending, so there is general caution in the market,” he says.

The general mood of caution

February 2016

Martin Rosocha

he refers to does not necessarily mean a completely bleak outlook, however. Paranthaman, who estimates the market size for paints in the UAE, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar to be around AED two billion, expresses optimism that there is still chance for growth.

Like Rosocha, he identifies the UAE and Qatar, whose market potential for paints he estimates at AED one billion and QR 400 million, respectively, as the countries in the GCC region that are most likely to weather the slowdown.

“The UAE and Qatar lead the pack,” he says. “The UAE is very progressive as a tourist destination, and in terms of policies and ease of doing business. Investments in those areas will stimulate growth.

Qatar’s growth, meanwhile, is

Supporting his statement about Caparol’s plans for 2016, Rosocha reveals that his company has expanded its CapaCare range with the recent launch of Airpurify.

The new product, he says, should prove beneficial for the region, as it is “fortified with Formaldehyde Conversion Technology (FCT)”.

The technology, he explains, removes formaldehyde from the air and transforms it to harmless water vapour.

“You can find formaldehyde in carpets, in furniture – it’s everywhere and you won’t always know,” says Rosocha. “In this region, it’s a big issue, because we spend most of our time indoors, and unlike in Europe, where you can keep your windows open, here you can’t. So, a good Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is very important, as are products that can help us achieve it.”

Such is the need for a healthy IAQ, Paranthaman observes, that it is influencing product development initiatives among manufacturers and policymaking decisions among government bodies. “Indoor Air Quality is a major area where innovation in paints is happening,” he highlights.

“Products that are free of heavy metals and formaldehyde are becoming the norm. And most projects now demand low-VOC and antimicrobial paints.”

Indoor Air Quality is a major area where innovation in paints is happening. Products that are free of heavy metals and formaldehyde are becoming the norm

Paranthaman explains that paint solutions which can produce better IAQ are enjoying an increase in demand owing to three factors, with the first two being regulations and consumer awareness.

“Because of government regulations, most projects are requesting for low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compunds) and antimicrobial paints,” Paranthaman explains. “There is also now widespread awareness among consumers of the effects of VOCs on their health, so even small consultants are specifying low-VOC products.”

The paint companies themselves moving in this direction is the third factor, he says, and cites an example: “We, at Berger, and a certain number of other paint manufacturers are talking

about the impact of VOCs. We’ve been very vocal about IAQ, and we go and get our products tested and certified.”

Coloured by energy efficiency IAQ is not the only factor influencing the market, however. As per both Rosocha and Paranthaman, energyefficiency requirements, to some extent, are also dictating demand and regulations.

“Reduction in energy consumption is another area where innovations in paints are happening, with solar reflectance becoming a factor for exterior paints,” Paranthaman, elaborates, while pointing out that awareness among consultants and other industry players of solar reflectance index (SRI) and its implications is still not as widespread as awareness

of IAQ-related issues.

Rosocha, meanwhile, has a different take on the matter.

“Energy efficiency has long been an issue in Europe, and now I see it becoming more important here,” he says. “In the last few months, especially in Dubai, a lot of conferences and seminars on energy efficiency have been held. You have Dubai Municipality involved, as well as the [Emirates] Green Building Council and a host of other organisations. For our part, as a company, we look at the issue of energy saving from two perspectives: solar reflectance and insulation.

With solar reflectance, you have solar energy reflected by the facade, which means the amount of heat that gets into the building is reduced.”

While acknowledging that paint can be developed with “certain pigments that reflect more sunlight,” Rosocha is quick to stress that he believes savings in energy would be minimal. “Between solar reflectance and insulation, I think insulation is more important,” he stresses, and explains: “Yes, solar reflectance can give you energy savings, which you can measure, but it won’t be much. We’ve worked on roof coatings, for instance, where you can have solar-reflecting properties – and I know that it [SRI] gets used in marketing a lot – and while it can help, it won’t really keep the heat out. What you need is thermal insulation. Of course, the best and ideal solution is to have both.”

water-based paints to customers, because they are environment-friendly. And in terms of performance, they now match or even exceed solvent-based paints. Cost-wise, there are a lot of economical solutions available, and they come with very good properties.”

As an example, he cites Berger Paints’ TUFF product line for exteriors, which he also describes as a durable solution with “four years’ performance warranty”.

Durable, cost-effective, environment-friendly, healthy and high-performing – while all these are desirable features one looks for in paints, Rosocha makes sure to get one point across, and that is, one of the primary functions of the product should not be forgotten in all the discussions concerning energy efficiency and IAQ, which is aesthetic appeal. “For instance, we’re trying to engage in talks on retrofitting, but the parties involved are looking at a very short payback,” he says. “My point is, if you’re looking at retrofitting and you want to do the facade, you can’t expect a payback period of only two to three years. It will take more time than that. See, it’s not only about saving energy but also aesthetics. Yes, we want an energy-efficient building, a healthy building, but we also want a beautiful building.”

Conversations on paint, Rosocha emphasises, should not be limited to one area – not when so much innovation and development is going on in the industry.

Value for money Here’s the usual scenario: The more features a product has, the pricier it becomes. Is the same true with paint products which offer benefits other than aesthetics and features other than varied shades and tones? “Not necessarily,” says Paranthaman, adding: “We now prefer to recommend

HAVE YOUR SAY! We welcome your views on the article. Write to editor@cpi-industry.com

February 2016

33

special market supplement | paints

Painting the city

GREEN Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City, acclaimed to be the world’s first zerocarbon project, while using IAQenhancing paints from Jotun, helped the company improve its product assessment process and make its supply chain more sustainable. We bring you the case study…

CASE-IN POINT

INTRODUCTION

Paint, is one of the core materials, used extensively in all projects. Paint contributes significantly to help improve Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) by using low-VOC formulations and toxic chemicals, withstanding extreme levels of UV light, various levels of humidity and corrosion and other environmental pollutants.

OVERVIEW

The Future Build is a green portal for products and news for local architects, engineers and contractors, developed

by Masdar City, with the aim of advancing the adoption of ‘green’ building products.

Paints and coatings shown in the portal have followed the Masdar City product assessment process and can be used on its projects.

Masdar City also requires paint manufacturers to pass their supply chain code of conduct and has established sound supply chain practices.

CASE-IN POINT

The challenge: Paint being a chemicalbased product, is difficult to manufacture without VOCs and toxic chemicals.

Solution: Jotun supplied 50,000 litres of Fenomastic Emulsion Gold, JotaFloor coating, Steel master and powder coating for Masdar Institute.

Jotun, has developed its internal emulsion paint (Fenomastic Emulsion Gold) free from Formaldehyde and APEO to ensure that it meets the high standard set by Masdar City to improve IAQ. Jotun, continues to further improve its green product portfolio by developing low-emitting internal paint and heat reflecting energyefficient external paint systems.

34

February 2016

Result and other positive outcomes: Cradle to grave analysis Masdar City supply chain team has helped Jotun to understand how to make their supply chain more sustainable. Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) helped them look at ways to make their products greener, while reducing their carbon footprint. The results achieved were impressive with water-based thermal insulation coating producing 66% less carbon compared to solvent-based epoxy coatings.

Supply chain improvements Masdar City supply chain team has helped Jotun to look at the whole supply chain and the lifecycle impact of a product through LCA analysis. This has helped the company improve against their key performance indicators.

CONCLUSION

Paint, as a construction material, has a significant role to play in aiding the protection of the local and global environment.

Moreover, Masdar City is helping to bring certified paints to the UAE, working closely with both local and international paint manufacturers. To be sustainable is much more than just developing green products.

(Source: www.thefuturebuild. com)

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.

Reach the industry leaders in the Arabic HVAC market

١٠ ‫مجلس التعاون الخليجي صفحة‬

‫للمنشآت والخدمات الجديدة في دول‬

‫التشغيل والوضع بالخدمة التجارية‬

‫ م‬2014 ‫ملحق الربع الرابع لعام‬

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١٠

‫حوصات ما قبل التشغيل ثم بدء التشغيل‬ ‫لثقافة ف‬ ‫بالخدمة التجارية للمنشآت والخدمات‬ ‫والوضع‬ ‫الجديدة في دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي‬

‫صفحة‬

‫ م‬٢٠١٥ ‫لعام‬

‫ليلة توزيع الجوائز للفائزين‬

‫ملحق الربع األول‬ ‫صفحة‬

‫لشرق االوسط‬ ‫ترول ا‬

٣٢

‫لمجلة كاليمت كن‬

‫ملحـق إضافـي‬

‫ملحق ربع سنوي‬

‫ـق إضافـي‬

‫ملح‬

‫في المدارس‬

:‫أهم األولويات‬

ARABIC SUPPLEMENT

‫لبيئة الداخلية‬

‫جودة ا‬

‫منطقة الخليج من‬ ‫دارس‬

‫حملة التعليم في‬ ‫داخلية في الم‬ ‫جودة البيئة ال‬

‫تبريد بالمملكة‬

‫نظام ال‬

‫أكبر في سوق‬ ‫حصة‬ ‫ساهمة‬

‫تبريد المناطق‬ ‫يحصد نظام‬ ‫سعودية مما يعني م‬ ‫مملكة العربية ال‬ .‫في نمو األمة‬ ‫ال‬ ‫تبريد المناطق‬ ‫أكبر لصناعة‬

‫موائع التبريد‬

‫لغز‬

:‫التقرير‬ ‫ستنباط حل طويل‬ ‫اقتربنا من ا‬ ‫عالية الحرارة؟‬ ‫هل للدول ذات األجواء‬ ‫المدى‬

‫يا االتصاالت‬

‫تنقية الهواء‬

‫كالم في‬

‫غسيل امر مطلق ؟‬ .‫سيب الملوثات‬ ‫هل ال‬ ‫مركبة لمقاومة تر‬ ‫نظرة‬

‫ولوج‬

‫تكن ستغــاثــة‬ ‫لال‬

.‫حنات المبردة‬

‫غذاء في الشا‬

‫االنتباه لنقل ال‬ ‫ذب‬

‫ودة وفعالة لج‬ ‫كنولوجيا موج‬ ‫الت‬ ‫متها المنطقة؟‬ ‫ذلك هل استخد‬ ‫ومع‬

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February 2016

35

Q&A

VRF TECHNOLOGY

'VRF WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO THE ENTIRE EXPO 2020 INFRASTRUCTURE' Suneel M Advani and Vir S Advani, respectively Chairman & Managing Director and Executive Director of Blue Star, in a conversation with Fatima de la Cerna of Climate Control Middle East, share their outlook for the GCC region’s HVAC industry, and reveal their company’s plans for the Middle East, including launch of innovation in VRF technology

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What plans does Blue Star have for 2016 onwards, particularly in relation to the Middle East market?

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Suneel M Advani, Chairman & Managing Director, Blue Star: For about a year now, we have been stepping up our efforts based on our decision to see the brand grow on a more global scale. With regard to the Middle East, we believe we are in a prime position to capture some good business as well as find good partners and associates to work with. As of now, though, we don’t believe that we have sufficient market knowledge, because we’re talking about several countries, each one with its own set of laws, problems and economic situations. It will take some learning, so we are going to look at forming partnerships, though we won’t necessarily be adopting the same business models in every market. In some places, we’ll supply the products directly, and in some, we’ll partner. But broadly, we have three areas of business – projects, products and after-sales service. Depending on the market and the opportunities, we’ll take one or more of these businesses to certain select countries. Our projects business, for instance, is already present in Qatar, and Dubai always remains a big market for products. We want to look at all GCC region countries, however, particularly Saudi Arabia. We’re not in a rush, but we are here for the long run. We want to take our time to understand each space, meet people and understand how business is done, and then make moves selectively.

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Do you see the dip in oil prices affecting your plans for the region? Do you see it affecting your presence?

Suneel: We’re conscious of how some stakeholders are seeing a slowdown in the industry.

So, yes, that is one factor that we are taking note of. There are even projections from some people of oil prices dropping to USD 20 [a barrel]. Who knows? Personally, I don’t think it’s going to get to that. But even at USD 40, we’re already talking about a lot of suffering. I don’t know how long the Saudi Arabia economy will be sustained at that rate. Not long, I think.

The chilled-water system is 100% upfront. That’s also why District Cooling doesn’t even come into the picture, because with District Cooling, you need to have a negative interest cost 36

February 2016

Iran is the big gorilla there. It’s about ready to become accessible to many players, though India has had a bit of a head start. We’ve always had good relations with Iran, and this offers us many opportunities. We’re hoping that we’ll find our way in that country.

Oil prices aside, there are two mega events coming up in the region – Dubai Expo 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Is Blue Star engaged in conversations related to the two events?

Suneel: Qatar is a big market, and there’s big demand there. However, it’s not an easy market to do business in. We’ve been there maybe seven or nine years but still relatively small, because we’re very picky or choosy when it comes to contracts. We have some six or eight key conditions that must be in every contract before we bid on an order. If the conditions are not there, we won’t bid.

With regard to Expo 2020, we have a few more years before the event, so we’re getting more advice about doing business in Dubai. We have some 500 ex-Blue Star employees in the Gulf area, and we get together with them every now and then. They retain a strong bond with the company, and it is to them that we look for guidance. So, in answer to your question about Expo 2020, I would love to be in the contracting business here, but we have a few years. We don’t have to jump into it today or tomorrow. We’ll get a proper understanding of the situation and build up slowly. Our capabilities are recognised here. People know the Blue Star name, so I’m sure in a couple of years’ time, we’ll be ready for 2020.

But do you already have products or solutions in mind that you think would be suitable for the mega events?

Vir S Advani, Executive Director, Blue Star: Specifically for 2020, and also to go back to your question about our plans for 2016, there are two things that we’re going to be focusing on in the coming months, which will also impact our 2020 participation.

In the products business, we have a unitary product line – windows, split units, water coolers – which we sell in GCC region countries, except Saudi Arabia, but we have not supplied applied systems in these markets. We haven’t been selling chilledwater systems and VRF systems. This year, we will be entering the UAE market with a brand-new VRF solution. It will be our own

Every single product, from a one TR mini split all the way up to a centrifugal chiller – everything will have variable speed India-designed and India-manufactured oil inverter VRF system that can go up to 88HP module, which is one of the largest modules that we know. Right now, we’re in the advanced stages of getting ESMA certification, which we expect to be done

by April. By then, we would have a new distribution set-up in the UAE. Currently, we only have a sales office. We work through distributors. For applied systems, we are finalising a partnership, which we should be able to talk about in a couple of months. We’re timing that with the VRF being ready.

We believe that our VRF system is going to be a game-changer in this market.

Our ambient range in India is quite wide.

And although the bulk of India does not experience 55 degrees C, there is a certain part that does. So we have a VRF system that works non-stop up to 56 degrees [C], and actually does not derate all the way to 46 degrees [C]. It is an innovation that is unique to us. And we believe that once we get the right partner and we bring in the Blue Star VRF, things here would really start to change, because VRF is still quite nascent in this part of the world. As for its link to 2020, I think that VRF is going to become a very important technology and will be incorporated into the entire Expo 2020 infrastructure.

By May or June, we will also bring here an inverter-based screw chiller. In India, we don’t have District Cooling technology, but from what I can see here, at least in Dubai, District Cooling is not growing at the same pace as it did five years ago. I think everyone has done the math and figured out that given the connected load, there’s no adequate saving for the CAPEX. Many buildings are moving back to standalone plants, and there again, inverter technology is going to be critical.

India is a water-cooled market, which is why we have an inverter-based watercooled screw going up to 550 TR. We are going to be introducing an inverter-based air-cooled just for this [UAE] market, in

which I understand the inverter air-cooled screw has yet to also take off. We see those two technologies becoming key solutions in the future and tying into the UAE’s push for energy efficiency. So, yes, I think we have a role here to play, and things should be quite interesting for us, going forward. We’re going to be sensible about how we play this.

How does the market in this region compare to the Indian market?

Vir: The Indian market is, first of all, primarily a mini-split market, with a market size of four million units a year. We – Blue Star – sell 400,000 mini splits a year, so we have around 10% market share. The next largest part of the market is chillers, and mainly screw chillers. These are traditional, non-inverter chillers, because price plays an important role. There are five of us [manufacturers] playing in that market.

And then, now, the third largest is the VRF market. That market has gone from zero to the third largest segment in only about seven years.

What would you say is driving the VRF market? What factors are behind its growth?

Vir: There’s this perception that India as a market is looking for affordable, lowtech solutions, but the truth is, power is so expensive in India. And that drives a lot of decisions and choices. Also, VRF has the advantage of fast installation. Again in India, we don’t have single-tenant buildings, unlike in this part of the world.

We have multi-tenanted developments, and when you have those, VRF becomes an easy solution. It’s a modular solution.

In India, the cost of capital for a developer process is 20%. That’s interest cost.

Imagine being a developer building at 20% interest; you’ll have an idea of what your business model has to be – modular.

You need to spend your CAPEX in that manner. The chilled-water system is 100% upfront. That’s also why District Cooling

February 2016

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Q&A

The incremental energy efficiency with the lower cost is something we have not seen in a while.

Now, how fast can we move R32 into, say, ducted systems?

And will it ever get into a VRF solution?

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VRF TECHNOLOGY

doesn’t even come into the picture, because with District Cooling, you need to have a negative interest cost.

You cannot set up District Cooling at 20%. So, it is the nature of the real-estate market coupled with the technological advantages that have led VRF to becoming a more cost-effective solution than the chilled-water system in India. It is energy efficiency coupled with the CAPEX requirement – the modularity of it – that is driving its growth.

I don’t know if modularity will drive things here in the UAE, but energy-efficiency standards that are becoming the norm here certainly will.

Frankly, our view on HVAC technology is that every single product, from a one TR mini split all the way up to a centrifugal chiller – everything will have variable speed. And whether it is inverter or some other form of variable speed, it will dominate.

Already, in India, 10% of mini splits sold are inverter-based, and I believe in three years, it will become as much as 30%. I also believe that the ducted and chiller markets here will move to inverter. VRF, of course, will continue to grow as a category. That’s really where we are moving to, and fortunately in India, we’ve been investing in inverter technology for around six years now.

As an organisation, R&D is a core area of ours, because many years ago, we decided not to do any technology tieups, royalty payments or joint ventures involving technology. The last time we entered into one was back in 1999, if I’m not mistaken. So we’re about 16 years of designing and building our own products, and about seven years

since we started inverter investment.

We’re very excited to move into this market on that platform.

Moreover, we’re also looking into refrigerants here. We already have a new range of R32 products available in India, and we will introduce R32 mini splits here sometime in the year.

The GWP [of R32] is significantly lower compared to other refrigerants.

We’ve done our own analysis, and it’s phenomenal. Interestingly, the product cost is actually coming down, because you can adequately resize your condensers and coolers. The incremental energy efficiency with the lower cost is something we have not seen in a while. Now, how fast can we move R32 into, say, ducted systems? And will it ever get into a VRF solution? Those are significant questions. With regards to the latter, I believe that they will, because the Japanese are using this refrigerant, and they will certainly find an application in VRF. I think that when the confluence happens, we will have an inverter-based technology again becoming far more cost-effective than other solutions.

There’s actually still some resistance to R32 here in the region, primarily due to its flammability. Some experts are questioning its suitability for the Middle East’s high-ambient conditions.

Vir: Yes, that is much debated on. R32, certainly, will never find its way into a window unit, but why not in a mini split?

And we’ve done testing at high-ambient conditions. As was mentioned earlier, India has a full range of ambience, so we’ve done testing all the way up, and

we did not see any issues.

Of course, it takes time. You have to educate the market, the consultants, the buyers – all of that will take time and effort, but I think if we could get a few more manufacturers to do the testing and the design, and to bring products in, because in India today, there are at least three or four manufacturers, including us, who have R32 products. It’s only a matter of time before that number grows, and then we can see how this part of the world can or will take advantage of that technology.

Vir: Fast-forward to one year from now, after we introduce our VRFs and inverter chillers in the UAE, our next priority will be to get our service business here. We’re going to look at what specialised services the market is looking for or needs that we can bring in from India. That plan is not yet fleshed out, but we will work on it.

Maybe, 18 months from now, we will have a running service business here.

We have 10,000 technicians in India. We run internal Blue Star institutes in three locations. We provide technician training, engineer training

and managerial training, for both our contracting and service businesses, because they are people-intensive businesses. We’ll be looking to get that resource here [UAE/Middle East], whose FM industry – I understand – has problems.

HAVE YOUR SAY!

We welcome your views on the article. Write to editor@cpi-industry.com

Other than cost and energy consumption, Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) is an issue that has been getting the attention of the industry, what with studies proving the link between the health of the indoor space and the productivity and performance of occupants. What is Blue Star doing to address the issue of IEQ? Vir: We have a third line of business, which is after-sales. In India, we have two million TR of air conditioning under maintenance. These are everything from residential to commercial units. As part of the maintenance business, we have a set of value-added services that we offer to our clients. In addition to energy modelling and energy management solutions, we look at indoor air quality.

In fact, we regularly go around the world looking at new technology and solutions that address air quality, and we bring them to India. UV emitters, for example, are a solution that we recommend to all our clients. We find that Europe tends to have advanced technology, as does the United States. Our service business is not limited to the mechanic going to fix the problem; it also involves bringing new ideas to the client – ideas that can reduce the lifecycle cost of the building and manage issues like indoor air quality.

Suneel: Energy audits, energy management and noise reduction – those are just some areas we cover, because the focus should not only be new installation, where you have to have products that provide the right atmosphere, but also existing installations. HVAC ducts, for example.

Just think of the amount of muck that is in the ducting. You cannot begin to imagine. When we send a robot in with a camera, we feel sick looking at the muck that we find.

February 2016

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must for the coming period – this was how Nabil Abouseido, Marketing and Business Development Director at SKM Air Conditioning, described VRF technology in the opening speech he delivered on the first day of a four-day seminar his company organised in January 17 to 20.

Held in Sharjah, UAE, the event served as the launch of SKM’s two new ranges of VRF systems, as well as a training programme for the company’s distributors and partners.

Abouseido, explaining his claim, cited increasing interest in the issue of energy efficiency as the primary factor spurring the growth of the VRF market in the Middle East. “Because of energy concerns, the market is moving in the direction of VRF,” he said.

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REPORT

“SKM has to move with the market, which is why we have decided to include VRF in our unitary business line-up.”

Alternative solution

In his welcome remarks, Fady Nassar, Director of Unitary Business at SKM, backed Abouseido’s statement by announcing the company’s intention to commit to VRF technology and encouraged everyone present to do the same.

“SKM has not carried VRF in its product portfolio,” Nassar said. “But starting this year onwards, we are going to embrace VRF big time. In fact, we want us all to embrace VRF, and this is why we are not only launching two new series – the Avalanche or our digital scroll series and the Specter, which is our DC inverter series – but also conducting this training programme.”

The aim of the training seminar, Nassar told those in attendance, was to give them an in-depth understanding of product features and all the technical details of VRF as well as discuss selling points and the selection software, among other things. He then enjoined them to “start specifying and quoting VRF to customers and consultants, because it’s going to be a wonderful Fady Nassar

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alternative to so many existing conventional air conditioning systems”.

Trends and challenges

Nassar, speaking with Climate Control Middle East on the sidelines of the event, disclosed that while regional focus on energy efficiency is a huge factor behind the anticipated increase in market demand for VRF technology, trends in the global market are also influencing the decisions of the GCC region’s HVAC industry.

“Market trends around the world are driving VRF,” he said. “In North African countries, VRF makes up majority of the HVAC market. The same is true in Turkey, Iran and Pakistan. In India, VRF is also a big deal, and in the GCC [region], 10-15% of the market is now being specified as VRF. So VRF is no longer a choice but a necessity for every single HVAC company. They all have to embrace VRF; otherwise, they could easily be out of the market in the coming five years.”

Despite his positive assessment of the global demand for the technology, he admitted that the use of VRF systems is not without its share of challenges.

“The challenges are still there, with one being installation,” said Nassar.

“VRF systems are actually easy to install, because they are lightweight and modular, but not just any MEP contractor can do it. You need to have highly trained and experienced people handling the installation to ensure that the system set-up is completed properly, that the controls are managed right and that all the components in the system ‘talk’ to each other.”

The second challenge is safety, he revealed,

elaborating: “ASHRAE has identified a [concentration] limit for refrigerants, so whenever you’re designing a VRF system, you need to make sure that the quantity of the refrigerant that would run on the pipes meets the limit identified.”

Naming initial cost as the third challenge, Nasser stated that while “the mid-range is dominated by conventional DX and chilled-water systems, they could easily be replaced with VRF products”.

He added, “In terms of costs, though, VRF systems would be considered more expensive than conventional systems.”

To convince clients to still go for VRF, he suggested that all costs involved in the use of the system must be taken into account. “The proper way of selling VRF,” he said, “is to check the complete lifecycle cost of the project, including the initial, installation, maintenance and running costs. Calculations should cover a period of 20-25 years, and then compared to total user costs

IT DOESN’T MATTER IF THE ECONOMY IS UP OR DOWN. IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY, YOU WON’T BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION for conventional systems. Clients will surely find that VRF systems are more accessible.”

Opportunity in downtime

Having acknowledged that clients do tend to engage in system-to-system comparison of capital costs, Nassar shared the information that the continued drop in oil prices – and its impact on the industry – was factored into SKM’s decision to introduce two new product lines, but not as a deterrent.

“Frankly speaking, when we thought of launching the products,” said Nassar, “we felt that it was necessary to do it now, because we don’t want to be left behind. Is 2016 the right time? I believe it is, because it doesn’t matter if the economy is up or down. If you

don’t have the technology, you won’t be part of the conversation. And yes, people usually focus on CAPEX, but if consultants, owners and developers would learn to think of long-term benefits and of the environment, this downtime in the economy could be an opportunity for the VRF business to grow. People would realise that they need to install sustainable systems and that VRF is the answer.”

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We welcome your views on the article. Write to editor@cpi-industry.com

CAIRO HEAD OFFICE:

Cairo, Egypt Tel: (202) 25161610 25163737 Fax: (202) 27549849 E-mail: admin@alliedco.org Web: www.alliedco.org

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Tel: 0971 4 297 8500 Fax: 0971 4 2652 192 E-mail: alliedae@eim.ae Burj Khalifa, Downtown Dubai, UAE

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Allied has grown into one of the leading Engineering and Project Management firms in the Middle East, boasting offices in 3 major Countries in the Middle East (Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Kingdome of Saudi Arabia).

Allied offers full range of Engineering and Project Management services provided by nearly 140 dedicated professionals distributed among Egyptian, UAE and KSA locations.

The company is a multidisciplinary consulting firm and has a track record and specialization in Buildings, Industrial Works and District Cooling and Power Generation Plants.

February 2016

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ADVERTORIAL

A BREATH OF GREEN AIR FOR THE GCC REGION

The HVAC market in the Middle East has seen progress in recent years, thanks to a number of major project announcements. In tandem with this, the sector is finding ways to become sustainable. LG continues to play its part in this endeavour, while planning big for the distant future.

A

myriad of construction projects taking shape in the GCC region over the past two decades has led to a boom in the region’s commercial air conditioner (CAC) industry, and the market holds promise. However, the air conditioning units must be able to withstand harsh climatic conditions, with temperatures soaring up to 50 degrees C during summer. This can sometimes prove to be an expensive and energyintensive way of keeping building occupants cool. LG is changing the face of the sector with its variety of solutions to combat this. In fact, LG’s CAC solutions have helped regional organisations benefit from its environment-friendly technology.

With an eye on the environment

The HVAC industry as a whole is evolving to become increasingly sustainable. This commitment is apparent in the GCC region. LG, on its part, has quickly responded to this. The company cites two examples: Al Khaliji Bank Tower in

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Doha, Qatar, and the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Dubai.

Al Khaliji Bank Tower faced the challenge of isolating different systems in the 70-metre-high tower.

The solution was LG’s Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) systems, which offer energy-saving solutions, while providing flexibility to the operator. LG was the first company in Doha to introduce Variable VRF systems, with the LG Multi V units – the most energy-efficient and convenient-to-maintain, and compact system compared to the company’s chilling system.

It extended the operation range by using more enhanced inverter compressor, known as the V-Scroll and control technology, with the V-Scroll inverter compressor proving to be 11% more efficient than a conventional compressor. The Multi V II systems installed at the site comprise 18 outdoor units, as well as 32 indoor units, with a total system capacity of 504kW. At Cosmopolitan Hotel, the building’s operators were looking for a solution that offered energy

savings, lower maintenance costs and innovative eco-friendliness, while able to cope with Dubai’s extreme weather conditions. LG provided energy-efficient units within reasonable noise levels and lower total cost of ownership, in parallel with the best design solutions, notably, the capability to have VRF compressors connected to air-handling units (AHU). The LG Multi V 1,678kW-capacity system, which was installed, was able to manage and switch to provide comfortable room temperatures even during peak summertime.

The evolution of LG Multi V series

The LG Multi V series first hit the market in 2004, and has continuously evolved. The current series, Multi V IV, came out in 2013 with an energy-saving function and a high pressure oil return. The line has been adapted for different markets, including one developed to suit conditions in coastal areas, or adapted to

the country’s power grid in order to reduce installation and maintenance costs. The version best suited to the desert climates of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has been adapted to operate at temperatures as high as 54 degrees C. Along with VRFs, LG’s HVAC solutions also include chillers, which are required to support VRFs in large facilities with vast open areas. They are extremely popular in power plants, District Cooling facilities and commercial buildings throughout the Middle East, and its BECON (Building Energy Control) line provides a solution that operates a building’s entire HVAC system.

The shape of things to come

Dharmesh Sawant, Senior Manager – B2B AC at LG Electronics Gulf FZE, says that the increasing number of sustainability-driven regulations, which are being established throughout the Gulf, has been spurring the sector towards

a one-stop culture of improvised products and installations, with many customers opting to utilise the power of the sun to run their CAC systems.

“A leading trend,” he says, “is for air-cooled VRF systems.” However, he adds: “There is lot of potential in water-cooled VRF systems, which can be a replacement for centrifugal chillers, wherein the customer is looking for independent billing between tenants and authorities.

Also, a water-cooled VRF system consumes much lesser power and lower connected load, making it attractive in the long run.”

updates from Sawant and his team members on how to develop our plans for future installations, and the application of knowledge and keeping the information updated is what I believe sets LG’s offering apart from less established CAC companies.”

As the market develops and construction projects throughout the region become even more ambitious, the HVAC market, led by established players, such as LG, is keeping pace, while aiding and abetting the drive for ecological and environment-friendly building solutions.

Collaboration and open-environment for information

Gazing at the distance

Spreading awareness and knowledge is a key component of LG’s CAC offering, says Sagar Kulkarni, Managing Director at Consistent Engineering Consultants, and adds: “Sales support is a key aspect of the service, and we’re not just talking about the support, but analysing the data. We get regular

LG Electronics is jumpstarting its rise to becoming the undisputed leader in the HVAC solutions market in the future, both locally and globally.

By enhancing the industry’s B2B infrastructure through scouting for energy-efficient, low-cost and longterm solutions for the HVAC sector, the company also aims to be a total HVAC solutions specialist in the region.

February 2016

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COUNTRY REPORT

SAUDI ARABIA

NO MORE SUBSIDIES? With Saudi Arabia declaring a record USD 98 billion budget deficit for 2015 and preparing to lift subsidies from petrol, electricity, water, diesel and kerosene, it is now no secret that the Kingdom is facing severe headwinds due to the drop in oil prices. Against this backdrop, Rajiv Pillai explores the HVAC opportunities that exist in the ‘new normal’ and how the sector is bracing itself to weather the storm.

S

izable government subsidies coupled with no personal income tax was a matter of privilege for the Saudi nationals. Even though oil had been going through rough weather in the past, the Saudi economy had been able to recover. But the situation has changed as oil price continues to dip.

According to the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, the country’s foreign exchange reserves fell to USD 648 billion at the end of October 2015 from USD 742 billion, a year earlier. So the question remains whether or not the Kingdom will be able to sustain its growth with oil hovering around USD 30 per barrel, and by extension, how does all this pan out for the HVAC industry?

Zaid Al Aquil, Head of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Johnson Controls Saudi Arabia, says that although Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, said in an interview with The Economist that the Kingdom was contemplating an IPO for the state-owned oil company, the air conditioning business remains unaffected. He says, “When it comes to oil prices, I think from a

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construction point of view it does affect other construction companies, but as far as HVAC is concerned, it’s fine.”

Uday Mahadeokar, Sales Director at Emerson Climate Technologies, explaining his version of the ‘new normal’, says: “Things are going to be tougher, definitely not only for the Kingdom but overall for the global economy. However, I think the market will keep growing. Government initiatives will continue to happen; the investments will keep on coming. The mega projects may slow down a little bit, but I think retail investment will continue to happen here.”

The HVACR show – an indicator?

The other performance indicator for the sector in Saudi Arabia was the HVACR EXPO Saudi held from January 11 to 13, 2016. The event, which was held under the patronage of Adnan H Mandourah, Secretary General, Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, was a success as per the exhibitors and participants. This, perhaps, helps gauge the situation.

Speaking at the event to Pierre Abou Naoum, Marketing Manager at

Safid, Naoum said that he believed the show was quite successful.

“The show is really interesting this year,” said Naoum. “This is a very specialised event that deals directly with the HVACR industry that we work in. And this gives it the competitive edge over other exhibitions. So the clients that are coming in are either the clients that we are maintaining or new clients that are really interested in this kind of business.” Adding to this, Al Aquil says: “Such conferences, specifically for the HVAC sector, really positon us well to promote our products in a right way. We have invested tremendously in the past year in research, looking into the market strategy and into the pricing strategy. Such an event helps you to engage with the right customers, and we plan to capitalise on our Saudi-made chillers.”

According to the event’s website, the HVACR market grew at a CAGR of around 9.61% in value terms during 2010-14, and is further projected to witness growth at around 13.73%. The refrigeration market in Saudi Arabia grew at a CAGR of around 11.80% during

District Cooling is one of the best solutions for the government, and it is an improved technology that will satisfy almost 50% of the cooling demand

Zaid Al Aquil

Uday Mahadeokar

Pierre Abou Naoum

Kamal Pharran

Khalid Al Hariri

2010-14, and is projected to grow at a CAGR of around 12.27% over the next five years, the site further stated.

The way forward From the insiders’ comments, it appears that despite the present economic scenario, the HVAC market is still booming. Based on this assumption, several market leaders reveal their strategies for the road ahead and how they are adapting to the ‘new normal’. Kamal Pharran, CEO of Saudi Tabreed, believes that the demand for cooling is growing in Saudi Arabia. “I am sure that the government is facing many hard challenges to provide sufficient electricity to the Kingdom,” he says. “District Cooling is one of the best solutions for the government, and it is an improved technology that will satisfy almost 50% of the cooling demand.” Khalid Al Hariri, Managing Director at Mase Gulf, on his part, reveals that he is not afraid of the economic situation, and that he is very excited about the future. “We see this as an opportunity and not as a challenge,” he says. “I think the situation is very bad for low-quality products, and it’s the best time for quality products, especially for high-efficiency products. Fortunately, we are ready to face this market because all our products are environmentfriendly and energy efficient.”

Speaking of the residential market, “Demand for window units will decline but it will still be there in the market,” Al Aquil says.

“What we plan on focusing is the

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February 2016

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COUNTRY REPORT

SAUDI ARABIA

What we plan on focusing is the splits, and that’s where there is a huge market

READY FOR REGULATIONS How do you cope with the process of regulations in the Kingdom?

Uday Mahadeokar, Sales Director at Emerson Climate Technologies: “Emerson was always driving initiatives with Dubai, where we first started way back in 2007-2008. In Saudi [Arabia], along with Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) and the other regulatory authorities, we started an initiative together. Energy efficiency or be it refrigerant changeover or transition, I think Emerson is always there to support regulations. As far as Emerson is concerned, we have the products available for the next level. Same thing on the refrigeration side. We have the new units available for new refrigerants. We are here to support whatever initiative the Saudi government is taking.”

splits, and that’s where there is a huge market. So lots of changes there, but I don’t think it will affect us in terms of market share.

On the chiller side, we are looking at investing heavily into marketing. That should boost our market share on the unitary side as well on the consumer side.”

Mahadeokar, too, sends a positive vibe when he claims that Emerson is well- positioned to take on the situation in Saudi Arabia. He says, “As you know, we are physically present in Saudi [Arabia], be it in air conditioning or refrigeration, and we have recently opened our condensing facility in Dammam.”

Naoum, speaking for his company, says that Safid has ongoing expansion plans, and that they will be focusing on providing new products like Air Handling Units (AHUs).

There is a general agreement among experts that the future of the HVAC sector in Saudi Arabia is still buoyant, the IMF issuing a warning that the country could exhaust its reserves within five years if policies remain unchanged, notwithstanding. However, the HVAC sector in the Kingdom is bracing itself for the worst. “We are diversifying our products to overcome this current slow market,” admits Naoum.

“I hope we all come out of this economic slow or drop.”

Hope and positivity seem to be the twin engines of the sector to help it steer through the financial turbulences ahead.

HAVE YOUR SAY!

We welcome your views on the article. Write to editor@cpi-industry.com

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February 2016

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47

REGIONAL

DSCE signs MoU with FEDARENE

The aim of the agreement by the two bodies is to share best practices in energy-related areas

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he Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) has announced signing a memorandum of Understanding with the European Federation of Agencies and Regions for Energy and the Environment (FEDARENE) at the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) in Abu Dhabi, held from January 18 to 21.

The MoU, said the announcement, was signed by H.E. Ahmed Buti Al Muhairbi, Secretary General of the DSCE and Michael Geissler, Secretary General of FEDARENE. According to the DSCE, as per the MoU, the two sides will share experiences and best practices in energy-related areas, including policy making, technology development, green-financing mechanisms, awareness programmes, Green Buildings, smart homes and energy management and efficiency. The two parties will also reportedly organise joint activities relating to energy demand management and challenges in the energy sector.

“Energy efficiency has gained a lot of importance over the

last few years and has become a critical competitiveness factor,” said H.E. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the DSCE. “Our partnership with FEDARENE will promote the implementation of innovative and effective measures, and increase awareness on energy efficiency and demand side management.”

Al Tayer added that the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030 aimed to diversify Dubai’s energy mix to include 25% from solar energy, seven per cent from clean coal, seven per cent from nuclear power and 61% from natural gas, and reduce energy use by 30%.”

Tabreed reduces energy consumption in 2015 Reduction by 1.3 billion kilowatt hours prevents over 650,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions

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abreed, the regional District Cooling utility infrastructure company, has announced reducing the amount of energy utilised for cooling in the GCC region by 1.3 billion kilowatt hours during 2015. This, Tabreed claimed, was enough electricity to power approximately 44,000 homes in the United Arab Emirates every year.

This reduction in energy consumption, achieved by employing District Cooling instead of conventional air conditioning, Tabreed informed, had prevented the release into the atmosphere of over 650,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions, the equivalent of eliminating the emissions of 130,000 vehicles annually.

“As a nation, the UAE places a high priority on safeguarding the environment and on playing a constructive role in reducing CO2 emissions,” said Jasim Husain Thabet, CEO of Tabreed. “Cooling has historically been a major consumer of energy in the region, representing more than 50% of annual energy demand.

Forward-looking organisations have become increasingly aware that by utilising District Cooling technologies, instead of conventional air conditioning, they are able to cut the amount of energy utilised for cooling by half and, therefore, make a significant contribution to our region’s efforts to lower our carbon footprint.”

Correction: In "Why are we ignoring the 90%?" (December 2015 issue), we identified Rolando Furlong as the Vice President for Controls & Security - Middle East at United Technologies Corporation (UTC). In fact, his correct title is: Vice President, Otis and UTC Climate, Controls & Security, Middle East. We apologise for the error.

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February 2016

Thermaflex relaunches website for Middle East Move to strengthen connection with thermal energy distribution market

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hermaflex, a Netherlands-based company dealing in sustainable distribution solutions for heating, cooling and potable water, has announced relaunching its website on January 25 for the Middle East.

The company, which purportedly has been active in the region since 1995, with various referential cooling and chilled water projects in public and industrial markets across the UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Georgia and Azerbaijan, said that the reason for its digital makeover was to strengthen its connection with the market, and respond to the change the company seeks to drive towards a wholly marketoriented organisation.

The relaunched website, www. thermaflex.com, the company claimed, has a clean user-friendly and visually appealing design, representing its values and brand, the markets it serves and the solutions it offers, shaped by its universal plug-‘n-play components.

Added to these, said Thermaflex, are case studies, as well as integrated social media buttons to support easy communication. The blog – The Thermaflex exchange platform – allows visitors to know and interact with the organisation through the comment section, the company said.

The website can reportedly be accessed via any computer, tablet or mobile device supported by both iOS and Android technology.

“We aim to evolve social norms inside organisations to think about sustainability proactively and embed sustainable perspectives in day-today decision-making,” said Thomas Baars, Chief Marketing Officer at Thermaflex. “The new website is just a first milestone in improving our communication with our markets. As we develop our communication group-wide, we will increase our web-presence step by step to harness the many virtues of online media.”

February 2016

49

REGIONAL

Fawaz opens new showroom in Abu Dhabi

Reveals expansion plans to meet growing demand for HVAC products and accessories

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awaz Refrigeration & Air-Conditioning Company has announced the opening of its new showroom in the Musaffah Industrial Area in Abu Dhabi, on January 11.

The new facility, the announcement said, had opened in line with Fawaz’s vision to better serve its customers and stakeholders by offering its full range of products, which included air conditioners, fans, pipe supports, vibration isolators, duct adhesives and coatings and gauges.

The showroom was reportedly inaugurated by Sadiq Taha, Group Director -Trading of Fawaz Group, in the presence of its clients and sales team.

On the occasion, Taha is said to have revealed that the Fawaz Trading Division had ambitious plans to open additional showrooms in Dubai, Sharjah, Al Ain, Ras Al Khaimah and Oman, to cater to the ever-growing demand for HVAC products and accessories, and gain market share.

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February 2016

EmiratesGBC holds Focus Day

Solar energy investments will help achieve netzero-energy buildings, say experts

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he United Arab Emirates has the right regulatory environment to foster solar energy investments, which will help achieve net-zero-energy buildings to support the nation’s sustainable development goals, experts said at a Focus Day organised by the Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), an official communiqué has announced.

Dubbed as an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, the event, said EmiratesGBC, was held at DEWA’s Sustainable Building in Dubai, under the theme Powering Innovation: Green Buildings and Energy Management.

Faisal Rashid, Director - Demand Side Energy Management at Dubai Supreme Council Energy, reportedly presented the keynote address, while a panel discussion on Regulation & Implementation of Renewables was addressed by Rashid; Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman of EmiratesGBC; Daniel Zywietz, Deputy Chairman, Clean Energy Business Council & CEO of Enerware; Johannes Waimer, Solar Consultant at Premier Solar Technologies; and Elie Matar, Head of Electricity at Regulatory & Supervisory Bureau.

According to EmiratesGBC, The Focus Day discussed various initiatives undertaken by the United Arab Emirates and Dubai, in line with the Green Economy for Sustainable Development vision launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, with the spotlight on the country’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) submission to COP21, which purportedly promises to increase clean energy to 24% of the total energy mix by 2021.

The panelists, said EmiratesGBC, observed that the Shams Dubai initiative, which encourages people to install photovoltaic panels on rooftops of buildings to generate electricity and send the surplus to DEWA’s grid through netmetering, was a key step that underlined the green vision of Dubai.

In this context, Al Abbar said, “Our Focus Day was unanimous in its message that solar investments are economically viable and environmentally imperative.

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51

REGIONAL

The Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group releases sustainability report Says four priorities identified to integrate sustainability into the conglomerate

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he Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group has announced recently releasing its 4th Sustainability Report, covering its work on sustainability during 2015.

This year’s edition, the company said, followed its main sustainability guidelines, and is rooted in four leadership priorities: Helping the community; protecting the environment; sustaining a healthy marketplace; and developing the workplace.

“With this report, we engage new and existing audiences helping to lead the way with CSR, as one of UAE’s leading brands,” said Abdullah Mohammed Juma Al Naboodah, Chairman of the Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Holding.

Melissa Clements, Group Chief Corporate Communication & Marketing Officer at the Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Holding, added, “The Saeed & Mohammed Al Naboodah Group has committed to creating sustainability for our partners and the communities around us.”

Panasonic introduces air purifiers and Q Fans in the region Products embedded with HEPA composite filters, deodorising functions and dust catchers, says manufacturer

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February 2016

anasonic Marketing Middle East & Africa has announced launching air purifiers and decorative Q Fan, in the region for the first time, with the products making their debut in Dubai, and already available at the Panasonic Showroom in Deira, in the emirate.

Panasonic said that introduction of air purifiers – F-VXL95M, F-VXL40M, F-VK655M, F-PXL45M – into the regional market was in line with reports on increased concern for Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), rise in respiratory diseases and an absence of cross ventilation in homes.

Giving product details, the company said that the four models have been embedded with HEPA composite filters, deodorising functions, dust catcher, 3D circulation airflow, Panasonic-patented Nanoe purification technology, along with indicators and sensors to purify IAQ. Except F-PXL45M, the other three products have humidifying function, Panasonic highlighted, and added that in particular, the F-VXL95 was equipped with nano-fibre filter, which can entrap smaller air pollutants effectively. The option of “Clothes Refresh” mode, which reportedly helps remove bad odours from clothes is available in F-VXL95M and F-VXL40M, while F-VXL95 has the biggest air purifier with humidifier in the Middle East, which can cover the area of up to 71 m2, Panasonic claimed.

About the newly introduced turbo-powered Q Fan, Panasonic explained that it blows out high-pressure jet airflow, which is seven times more than the air that it sucks in through the specially designed channels.

“The time we spend indoors may be more detrimental to our health than we realise, especially here in the Middle East, where we are in our offices or apartments for major part of our day,” said Yu Kai, Director of Panasonic Eco Solutions, Hong Kong. “Panasonic realises this and continues to make better use of the latest technology to ensure that the pollutant levels of indoor air may be controlled.”

ADGM and ADFCA sign MoU on food safety Will enable cooperation and informationsharing between the two entities

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ccording to a Gulf News report dated December 28, 2015, Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and the Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), which enables the two institutions to cooperate and share information on matters relating to food safety.

The MoU establishes a framework for both parties to work together on areas like instituting health standards and requirements for food establishments affiliated to hotels and independent food facilities, said the report, and added that it would provide guidelines for issuance of required licenses and permits. Both entities will reportedly jointly organise training workshops for personnel in food establishments at ADGM, and ensure the application of the standards stipulated by the Food Control Authority.

Dhaher Al Mheiri, CEO of the ADGM Registration Authority, reportedly calling the MoU part of the organisation’s ongoing commitment to create a one-stop shop platform on the financial free zone for companies and professionals to efficiently establish, operate, and grow their businesses, said, “This collaboration serves to enhance the infrastructure under ADGM jurisdiction and enables companies and professionals to enjoy greater ease of doing business on Al Maryah Island.”

Source: http://gulfnews.com/business/economy/adgm-adfcasign-mou-1.1645003

DWTC breaks ground on second phase of Dubai Trade Centre District DTCD has achieved LEED Gold precertification from USGBC

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ubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) has announced breaking ground on the AED 720 million second phase of Dubai Trade Centre District (DTCD) development immediately after the on-time completion of its first phase.

Al Futtaim Carillion, the main contractor who completed phase one, is also constructing phase two, said DWTC, which comprises two Grade A office properties of eight and 12 storeys, designed by Hopkins Architects and WSP. According to DWTC, the DTCD development is being designed to best-in-class quality standards and has achieved LEED Gold precertification from the US Green Building Council.

At the inauguration of phase two, Gurjit Singh, Senior Vice President – Real Estate of DWTC, said, “DWTC is continuing with its market share growth strategy of creating a prime central business district destination, underpinned by a strong conventions and exhibitions business endowed with a Free Zone and freehold status.”

February 2016

53

GLOBAL

Johnson Controls and Tyco to merge Two global entities to join hands to deliver building technologies and services

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ohnson Controls and Tyco have announced that they have entered into a definitive merger agreement, under which Johnson Controls, a multi-industrial company, will combine with Tyco, a fire and security provider, to create an entity for building products and technology, integrated solutions and energy storage.

The announcement added that under the terms of the proposed transaction, the businesses of Johnson Controls and Tyco will be combined under Tyco International plc, which will be renamed Johnson Controls plc.

According to the two entities, the companies expect that shares of the combined company will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange and trade under the JCI ticker, and upon the closing of the transaction, the combined company is expected to maintain Tyco’s Irish legal domicile and global headquarters in Cork, Ireland. The primary operational headquarters in North America for the combined company will reportedly be in Milwaukee, where Johnson Controls has been based.

“The proposed combination of Johnson Controls and Tyco represents the next phase of our transformation to become a leading global multi-industrial company,” said Alex Molinaroli, Chairman and CEO of Johnson Controls. “With its world-class fire and security businesses, Tyco aligns with and enhances the Johnson Controls buildings platform and further positions all of our businesses for global growth.”

George R Oliver, CEO of Tyco, added: “The combination of Tyco and Johnson Controls is a highly strategic, valueenhancing step that brings together the unique strengths of two great companies to deliver best-in-class building technologies and services to customers around the world.

We believe this transaction will allow us to better capture opportunities created by increased connectivity in homes, buildings and cities.”

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February 2016

Frost & Sullivan releases HVAC equipment market report Says strategic partnerships will improve market

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rost & Sullivan has announced recently releasing “Analysis of the Global HVAC Equipment Market” (https://www.frost.com/nf5e), covering unitary equipment, applied equipment, chiller equipment, heat pumps and ductless systems.

According to the analysis, the market earned revenues of USD 80.67 billion in 2014, and is estimated to reach USD 108.93 billion in 2020, despite its maturity.

The demand for energy-efficient systems and rise in consumer confidence has increased the uptake of HVAC equipment, as homeowners and end-users from the construction and commercial verticals are increasingly seeking out technologically innovative solutions as replacement products, the findings revealed. Consequently, HVAC equipment suppliers are reportedly diversifying their portfolios with respect to system design and technology.

“HVAC equipment manufacturers are resorting to consolidation to establish a stronger market presence,” said Frost & Sullivan Energy & Environment Research Analyst Aanchal Singh, elaborating on the industry trends.

“Mirroring the increased integration of equipment and technology, vendors are expected to consolidate with smaller technology firms to build a stronger HVAC business unit offering turnkey solutions. Closing the gap in consumer knowledge on the changing complexities of HVAC systems and its long-term benefits will be necessary.”

Singh said that maintaining long-standing contractor relationships, impeccable delivery time and robust support services will be an essential component of vendors’ business success.

February 2016

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GLOBAL

Aeroseal’s HomeSeal named AHR 2016 Product of the Year Hailed as HVAC industry’s first alternative to traditional duct-sealing products

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eating, Refrigerating Exposition (AHR Expo) has announced holding an AHR Expo Innovation Awards ceremony on January 26, as part of its 2016 edition of AHR Expo.

The awards, the announcement said, were jointly presented by Doug Young, Chairman of the Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), David Underwood, President of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), and Clay Stevens, President of the International Exposition Company (IEC), to winners from across 10 product categories.

Additionally, Aeroseal’s HomeSeal duct sealing technology was announced winner of the 2016 AHR Expo Innovation Awards “Product of the Year”.

According to AHR Expo, Aeroseal has provided the industry’s first alternative to traditional manual ductsealing products, which works from the inside of ventilation shafts to “seek” and bond-seal targeted leaks, rather than coating the entire inside of the shaft with a sealant, and eliminates the need to disrupt or destroy current construction.

The technology, developed by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with funding from the US Department of Energy, EPA and others, has reportedly been employed to fix critical ventilation issues in numerous buildings and facilities, including hospitals and multi-storey apartment buildings.

“We are pleased to honour Aeroseal with this award, recognising that it offers a groundbreaking solution to an industry-wide problem,” said Clay Stevens, President of IEC. Neal Walsh, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Commercial sales at Aeroseal, added: “Almost every home in the United States has residential duct leakage that keeps as much as 30% of air in a given home out of occupied spaces.

This results in a huge loss of energy, but until now solving the problem has typically required major disruption to home interiors. Our technology allows a contractor to seal up duct work that’s already been installed, improving both comfort and energy savings.”

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February 2016

Trend of low crude oil prices to continue, predicts US EIA Expects global oil market to become relatively balanced in 2017

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ccording to a report by US EIA (Energy Information Administration) in Today in Energy, Crude oil prices will remain relatively low through 2016 and 2017, as world oil inventories rise.

The report, citing the Short-Term Energy Outlook (STEO) released on January 12, said that it was the first STEO to include projections for 2017.

EIA, however, added that it recognised the prevalence of high uncertainty in the crude oil price outlook.

“Crude oil prices are expected to remain low as supply continues to outpace demand in 2016 and more crude oil is placed into storage,” the report reiterated, and underscored: “EIA estimates that global oil inventories increased by 1.9 million b/d in 2015, marking the second consecutive year of inventory builds. Inventories are forecast to rise by an additional 0.7 million b/d in 2016, before the global oil market becomes relatively balanced in 2017. The first forecasted draw on global oil inventories is expected in the third quarter of 2017, marking the end of 14 consecutive quarters of inventory builds.”

Source: US Energy Information Administration, Short-Term Energy Outlook, January 2016

GEA reports record order intake in Q4/15 Organisational restructuring picks up speed

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EA, supplier for the food processing industry, has announced an order intake for Q4 2015 of about EUR 1.240 million, exceeding the record of Q2 2013, when orders reached EUR 1.220 million.

Making the announcement at an investor conference in New York City, GEA said that it represented an increase of at least 7.1% against the previous year’s fourth quarter.

“The achievement of this order intake is the result of an extraordinary effort of GEA’s employees across all levels and functions in the new OneGEA organisation, and highlights that customers seek and trust in GEA’s engineering products and solutions more than ever,” said Jürg Oleas, CEO of GEA. “2015 was a very special year for GEA, as the group made a fundamental transition from an agglomeration of smaller businesses towards an integrated group, taking out complexity costs by reducing the number of management layers.”

Bitzer approves new refrigerants for two-stage reciprocating compressors Optimises compressors for use with eco-friendly R448A and R449A

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laiming that this was another step in the path towards greater energy efficiency and environmental protection, Bitzer, manufacturer of refrigeration compressors, has announced optimising its two-stage reciprocating compressors to enable them to run with R448A and R449A refrigerants, and, in addition, fitting every model in its semi-hermetic twostage compressor series with thermostatic expansion valves.

With low global warming potential (GWP) values of 1,386 and 1397, the two refrigerants are eco-friendly alternatives to R404A, whose GWP value is 3922, Bitzer revealed, and

underlined that the EU F-gas Regulation prohibits the use of R404A beyond the year 2020 in stationary areas.

Pointing out that transitional refrigerants, such as R448A and R449A are needed on the path towards blanket use of low GWP refrigerants and for special applications, Bitzer said tests had shown that the technically improved compressors could be run perfectly with the two refrigerants – both with and without a liquid subcooler. The application areas, the company informed, were practically identical to those of R407F. “Alternatives with very low global warming potential are the only long-term refrigerants on the European refrigeration and air conditioning market,” said Gianni Parlanti, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Bitzer.

GlobalData releases Global Renewable Energy Recap 2015 Says China pushed global renewable installed capacity beyond 900 GW

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hina was the world’s leading market across a number of renewable energy technologies in 2015, and helped drive global renewable installed capacity to an estimated 913.48 Gigawatts (GW), research and consulting firm GlobalData has announced.

The company’s latest report – Global Renewable Energy Recap – highlighted that China led the world for annual capacity additions in solar, biopower, small hydropower and onshore wind in 2015.

According to the report, while the major markets of Europe and North America have historically had the best renewables track record, and will continue to expand renewable capacity, developing markets, such as China have shown commitment to increasing their installed renewable capacity, driven by an increasing global emphasis on policies tackling climate change.

Ankit Mathur, GlobalData’s Practice Head for Power, revealed that China consolidated its position as the leading installer of solar power capacity in 2015, as part of a bid to increase renewable technologies and drive down greenhouse gas emissions. He explained: “China became the largest consumer of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules in 2014, overtaking both Japan and the United States. China’s annual solar PV installations have grown rapidly over the past few years, from 500 Megawatts in 2010, to 10.6 GW in 2014, and an estimated 18.43 GW in 2015.”

Mathur, observing that although reasonable doubts had been cast over China’s challenging targets, it had outdone self-assigned targets in the past, added, “However, China failed to meet the third revised annual target, set in September of 23.1 GW, and it remains to be seen if the country can achieve the ambitious goal of 150 GW of solar PV capacity by 2020.”

February 2016

57

GLOBAL

CxEnergy 2016 attendee registration is now open Event will showcase commissioning and energy management products and services

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xEnergy, touted as the only conference and expo dedicated to building commissioning and energy management, has announced opening the attendee registration.

The online registration for attendees, as well as sponsors and exhibitors, for the event being held from April 11 to 13 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas, is available at the event website, www.CxEnergy.com, the announcement added.

CxEnergy, presented by the AABC Commissioning Group (ACG), Associated Air Balance Council (AABC) and Energy Management Association (EMA), will reportedly feature a technical programme covering topics like Building Envelope/ Enclosure Commissioning, Technology & Innovation, Energy Management, Commissioning Specialty Systems and Policy & Financial Issues, helmed by well-known names in the field of commissioning, energy management and engineering.

According to the organisers, AIA Continuing Education Credits will be available for technical sessions, as also preand post-conference certification workshops and seminars for Certified Commissioning Authority (CxA) and Energy Management Professional (EMP).

The event, the organisers claimed, apart from providing a networking a platform, will showcase a wide variety of commissioning and energy management products and services, including controls, instruments and metering devices and consultative services in engineering and enterprise energy management.

Halton provides chilled beams to YKK Group and Primix YKK headquarters to go for Platinum LEED

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alton Group has announced providing two Japanese companies, YKK Group and Primix Corporation, with chilled beams and professional kitchen ventilation solutions for their new premises in Tokyo and near Osaka respectively.

The announcement added that the YKK Groups plans to seek Platinum LEED Certification through installation of Halton products in their new headquarters.

“We strove to plan a new headquarters with a high-quality work environment where the employees could perform their duties in comfort, taking into account the well-being of the employees,” said Takashi Matano, Director of YKK Fudosan. “At the same time, we aimed to make the building more energy efficient compared to the office we had until now. Due to this, we were able to aim for achieving the Platinum LEED certification.”

Highlighting the challenges, Matano said: “Due to the shape of the building and its 70-metre-long window face on the west side, combined with the facility’s geographical location in the midlatitudes, the differences in sunlight and hot and cold put a heavy burden on the window areas. This brought along extra challenge in finding a solution to obtain an even indoor temperature and being energy efficient at the same time. Consequently, it was decided that the solution be tested in Halton’s special mockup facilities in the company’s biggest Innovation Hub in Finland.”

Hisashi Furuichi, President and CEO of Primix Corporation, whose company had Halton’s chilled beam system installed throughout the entire floor space of their office and plant, pointing out that Japanese HVAC equipment often cause uneven temperature inside and circulate air without controlling humidity, said: “Now, thanks to this system, our employees say that they are able to work in comfort.”

Honeywell acquires Elster

Provider of gas solutions for heating systems expected to add USD 1.8 billion in annualised sales

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oneywell has announced completing its acquisition of the Elster Division of Melrose Industries. The acquisition, which Honeywell announced on July 28, 2015, closed earlier than anticipated, following approval by Melrose shareholders and required regulatory approvals, including those in the United States, the European Union and China, the announcement

added.

Acquisition of Elster, a provider of thermal gas solutions for commercial, industrial, and residential heating systems and gas, water, and electricity meters, including smart meters and software and data analytics solutions, is reportedly expected to add USD 1.8 billion in annualised sales for Honeywell.

Giving details of the acquisition, Honeywell said that Elster’s gas heating and gas, water, and electricity metering businesses will be integrated with Honeywell’s Environmental & Energy Solutions business (E&ES), part of Honeywell Automation and Control Solutions, while Elster’s upstream and midstream gas applications businesses will be integrated with Honeywell Process Solutions, within Honeywell Performance Materials and Technologies.

Honeywell Chairman and CEO Dave Cote, said, “The acquisition of Elster adds outstanding technologies, strong wellrecognised brands, energy efficiency know-how and a global presence to the Honeywell portfolio.”

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February 2016

ASRAC approves agreement for residential AC and HP efficiency Negotiated standards could save consumers USD 38 billion

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he Appliance Standards and Rulemaking Federal Advisory Committee (ASRAC) has approved an agreement for recommendations on a new standard for residential central air conditioning and heat pump (HP) efficiency levels developed by a US Department of Energy (DOE)-formed working group (WG), an Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) communiqué has said.

The communiqué claimed that the agreement reached among industry and environmental stakeholder groups to increase the energy efficiency of central cooling systems passed an important milestone in advance of DOE developing a new energy-saving standard that could save consumers USD 38 billion.

Once approved by DOE, the energy efficiency levels agreed to in the negotiations will reportedly go into effect January 1, 2023, but will be adjusted based on changes to product test procedures.

Contextualising the information shared, AHRI pointed out that

in the United States, about 60% of households have a central cooling system, and about 19% of those systems are HPs, and that virtually all new homes are built with central air conditioning.

According to AHRI, the agreement is the latest in a string of successfully negotiated energy efficiency standards completed by a diverse group of stakeholders, including manufacturers, utility companies, efficiency advocates, state government representatives, contractors, distributors and DOE itself. AHRI added that these combined rounds of improvements (effective in 2006, 2015 and now 2023) will raise central air conditioning and HP efficiency by about 50% over a span of less than 20 years.

“The energy and bill savings from the recommended new central AC and HP standards will really add up for consumers and the nation,” said Andrew deLaski, Executive Director of the Appliance Standards Awareness Project and ASRAC’s representative on the WG.” AHRI President and CEO Stephen Yurek, added, “We are pleased to see that yet again, industry and environmental leaders have been able to come together and reach an agreement that will benefit consumers, businesses, and employees for years to come. We have always believed that the negotiated rulemaking process is the best way to establish workable, effective regulations, and this agreement once again proves that to be true.”

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ASSOCIATIONS & SOCIETIES

AHRI releases November 2015 US heating and cooling equipment shipment data Reports dip in central air conditioners and airsource heat pumps shipment

U

S shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps totalled 334,907 units in November 2015, down 6.6% from 358,479 units shipped in November 2014, Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute’s (AHRI) report US Heating and Cooling Equipment Shipment Data for November 2015 has revealed.

According to the monthly report, US shipments of air conditioners decreased 4.2% to 218,076 units, down from 227,523 units shipped in November 2014, and US shipments of air-source heat pumps decreased 10.8% to 116,831 units, down from 130,956 units shipped in November 2014.

On the other hand, year-to-date combined shipments of central air conditioners and air-source heat pumps increased 0.6% to 6,432,670 units, up from 6,391,815 units shipped in November 2014. Year-to-date shipments of central air conditioners increased 1.9% to 4,300,554 units, up from 4,221,291 units shipped during the same period in 2014, the report said. It added that the year-to-date total for heat pump shipments decreased 1.8% to 2,132,116 units, down from 2,170,524 units shipped during the same period in 2014.

AHRI added the following explanatory note: A shipment is defined as when a unit transfers ownership; a consignment is not a transfer of ownership. Industry data is aggregated from the information supplied by AHRI member companies that participate in the statistics programme and may be subject to revision. Published year-to-date data is inclusive of all revisions. No other AHRI data (eg, by state or region) is available to the general public other than that published. AHRI does not conduct any market forecasting and is not qualified to discuss market trends.

AHRI purportedly issues a monthly report of combined US manufactured shipments of central air conditioning, air-source heat pumps systems, gas and oil furnaces, and gas and electric tank water heaters.

HVACR students, veterans awarded Rees Scholarship Foundation bequeaths USD 60,500 to aspiring technicians in HVACR and water heating industry

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he Clifford H. “Ted” Rees, Jr., Scholarship Foundation, a charitable organisation of the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), has announced USD 60,500 in scholarship funds to 35 students, including five veterans, studying to become technicians in the HVACR and water heating industry.

The Foundation, reportedly established in 2003, to assist with the recruitment and competency of

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Study shows no negative impact to EER using bypass zone systems AHRI releases field study results

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he Zone Control System Technology (ZCST) Product Section of the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has announced the release of the results of a field study which evaluated the impact on the energy efficiency ratio (EER) of a bypass-type single-stage cooling zone system. The results, said AHRI, revealed a positive influence on the system’s EER, with no negative impact.

AHRI, providing the backdrop against which its research was conducted, said that a Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) programme report, sponsored by the California Energy Commission and several utilities, raised questions about the efficiency of a common practice in zone systems that routes excess conditioned air back into the return duct in order to control duct system static pressure. The PIER report indicated that there was a reduction of the cooling system EER in HVAC systems with high percentages of bypass air volume.

However, added AHRI, the report also indicated many other deficiencies, such as undersized ductwork and high or low refrigerant charge. As a result, the product section selected AHRI member company EWC Controls, to investigate the matter further.

According to AHRI, EWC Controls, designed and managed the project of installing a new zone system into an independent test home in Rancho Cordova, California, and a professional engineering firm tested the performance of the zoned cooling system after the completion of the project, with the results showing no negative impact on the cooling system EER due to the bypass airflow volume, and, in fact, revealed a positive influence to the cooling system’s EER during zoned operation.

In summary, said AHRI, it was possible to achieve a positive effect on a single-speed direct expansion cooling system’s EER, when utilising the same zone system design specified in the study.

“The data from this study will be valuable for manufacturers and contractors, and we are proud to have taken the lead on this important project,” said Richard Foster, President of Trolex Corporation and Chairman of the ZCST Product Section.

future HVACR and water heating technicians by awarding scholarships to qualified students enroled in an institutionally accredited school, gave awards in two categories: HVACR and Water Heating Technician Program and Veterans Program.

“We are proud to help these qualified and dedicated students, and promote careers in the HVACR and water heating industry, to help close the employment and skills gaps we currently face,” said AHRI President and CEO, Stephen Yurek. “We wish them success in their programmes and look forward to welcoming them into the industry.”

MARKETPLACE

SKM Air Conditioning Tropical DC Inverter VRF System 88HP module

C

alling it efficient and user-friendly, SKM Air Conditioning, manufacturers of HVAC equipment, has announced launching its Tropical DC Inverter VRF System 88HP module, as part of the Specter Series.

The manufacturer lists the following product features and benefits: • The Tropical DC Inverter VRF system offers a higher cooling energy efficiency ratio, which can reach optimum levels at a comparatively lower running cost.

• It can operate effectively and stably in both extremely cold winters as low as -15 degrees C or hot summers

TROX Easylab air management system

C

laiming it to be a complete solution for fume cupboards, combining safety, energy efficiency and comfort, TROX has announced introducing Easylab air management system for laboratories.

The manufacturer lists the following product features and benefits: • Easylab fume cupboard solution combines a high-performance volume flow controller with an automatic sash controller in an efficient manner.

• Automatic control of the sash and of the volume flow reduces energy requirements, whilst the control panels allow for intuitive navigation, providing optimum control with maximum comfort.

• It offers easy installation using a plug-and-play system.

• All components are supplied ready to operate and are

as high as 54 degrees C, making it suitable for the GCC region.

• With the largest module capacity of 88HP and single capacity of 22HP, the system is also suitable for tropical applications.

• It can easily function in multi-mode selection from cooling to heating and vice versa, depending on the priority.

• With the Intelligent Manager of Midea (IMM), the integrated solution for controlling and monitoring VRF units, users can easily perform integrated A/C systems management from their PC, laptop, tablet or smart phone for about 1,024 VRF indoor units at-a-time.

automatically recognised by the preconfigured system.

• Integration into existing LON, Modbus or BACnet networks is also easy.

• Additionally, the system can be adapted to individual customer requirements at any time via the Easy Connect software, saving time and cost.

• Thanks to the modular design, the controller can be adapted to the needs of customers.

• It is maintenance-free, as the parameters and hardware are monitored by the diagnostic function.

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MARKETPLACE

Alfa Laval Arctigo LSV air coolers

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ointing out that millions of servers in data centres worldwide generate huge amounts of heat, and that conventional server cooling technology involves high air speeds with a potential to trigger the Venturi effect, leading to air pressure variations and “hot spots” causing servers to overheat, Alfa Laval has announced introducing its patented Arctigo Low Speed Ventilation (LSV) air coolers.

The manufacturer lists the following product features and benefits: • Alfa Laval Arctigo LSV air coolers are specially designed with a large cross-sectional area, ensuring that servers are supplied with sufficient temperature-controlled air at all times, while consuming far less power than conventional server coolers.

• They deliver air at a considerably lower speed of 1.5-1.8 metres per second, thus reducing air speed, optimising airflow and eliminating the Venturi effect.

• This minimises pressure differences and, therefore, prevents hot spots.

DORMA Gulf ST Flex Green sliding doors

C

laiming they offer an eco-friendly glass solution, DORMA Gulf has announced unveiling St Flex Green sliding doors.

• As LSV is a normal pressure technology, data centre operators only need to control air availability, not air pressure, making it easier to achieve optimum conditions in the server room.

• Since they have the lowest PUE of 1.07 compared to market average for global data centers of 1.5, and lower energy consumption, they reduce cooling-related energy bills by up to 30% depending on size, type and location of the data centre.

• They are easier maintain, as they are located outside the server room.

“We live in an age obsessed with speed, so it may feel counter-intuitive that you can improve performance by slowing something down,” said Mats Carselid, Marketing Manager Data Centre Cooling. “However, our new concept shows that if you reduce air velocity, you can avoid problems often encountered in conventional server cooling, and gain a lot of benefits, such as increased energy efficiency and reduced energy costs.”

• They come with an Environmental Production Declaration (EPD) certificate.

• The slender profile sliding doors harmonise perfectly with surrounding fittings and applications, and incorporate energy efficiency with elegant design for aesthetic appeal – ideal for sophisticated interiors.

The manufacturer lists the following product features and benefits: • ST Flex Green sliding doors, part of the DORMA “Think Green” assembly line, provide excellent thermal insulation.

• The polypropylene strips which hold the glass being nonconductors of heat, prevent heat from outside getting transferred inside, thus reducing excessive use of air conditioning.

• The interlocking side seals and top and bottom seals are added benefits.

• With German-tested thermal insulation with energy-saving regulation EnEV 2009, and Dual Drive technology within the system, they function not only as sliding doors but are also suitable for emergency exits and escape routes.

LOOKING FOR HVACR PRODUCTS? 62

February 2016

Fresh-Aire UV Ice UV Mini

P

ointing out that mould and biological slime proliferation in ice machines and condensate drains in the healthcare facilities is a growing concern, Fresh-Aire UV, manufacturer of ultraviolet (UV) light disinfection for HVAC and ice machine equipment, has announced introducing what it claims is the industry’s first UV light system, designed specifically for eliminating unhealthy, maintenanceintensive biological contaminants in the healthcare industry.

The manufacturer lists the following product features and benefits: • Ice UV Mini is ideal for the tight, confined interiors of most flaker brands/models and consists of a 9 (l) x 3/8 (d)-inch UV lamp, and a compact 6 (l) x 1.5 (w) x 1.1 (h)-inch, 120-VAC hard-wired power supply.

• Its proven ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) light technology works silently 24/7, and is designed for low intensity discharge, which will not damage sensitive ice plastic or metal internal parts, and offers a healthier, ozonefree alternative to toxic, odorous and corrosive cleaning chemicals.

• The teflon-coated lamps help prevent accidental breakage.

• It comes with interlocked door shut-off switch for safety.

• It can be installed in less than 30 minutes.

• It delivers an immediate payback, because contractor/ maintenance department and material/installation costs are significantly lower than the conventional cleaning processes.

• It comes with a lifetime unlimited warranty on all parts, except the lamp, which has a one-year warranty.

Full Gauge Controls VX950 Plus and Electronic Expansion Valve

S

aying that it is cost-effective, innovative and allows change of superheat and MOP settings from the smartphone or remote computer, Full Gauge Controls, manufacturer of electronic controllers for the refrigeration industry, has announced the launch of a new controller VX950 Plus and Electronic Expansion Valve (EEV).

The manufacturer lists the following product features and benefits: • The new controller allows remote monitoring and control of an entire refrigeration system, including the compressor, defrost, evaporator and the EEV from a single controller.

• VX950 Plus and EEV offer excellent energy savings and safety by optimising the control of refrigerant flow in the evaporator and preventing delivery of harmful liquid refrigerant to the compressor.

• It features four outputs, three temperature sensors, one pressure transducer, one digital input and an RS485 serial communication port for real-time monitoring and management through awardwinning Sitrad software and mobile app.

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A birds’-eye view of frozen foods History is simultaneous, and not linear, as historians would have us believe. In this tangled simultaneity of events, with claims and counter-claims of being the first one at the finishing line, here’s following one strand...

By Pratibha Umashankar | Associate Editor The ubiquitous “TV dinner” – the bane and boon of our times, to use a cliché – may have destroyed dinner-table conversation but has saved many from domestic drudgery. The simple principle behind it is the word, “frozen”. And thereby hangs a tale.

Man, as in humankind, invented the controlled use of fire and began to cook food about a couple of million years ago. But let’s not get into that tangle of history; it’s too complicated. However, it took much longer to harness ice beyond the winter months – that, too, in cold countries, to systematically freeze food.

Unsurprisingly, the first to use the power of ice to freeze and preserve foods were the Chinese. They built ice cellars circa 1000 BC. The Greeks and Romans compressed snow in insulated cellars and stored food. The Egyptians and Indians knew all about rapid evaporation through porous walls and keeping food cool in clay pots, and also producing ice crystals in them. No surprises there, too. These were all cradles of human civilisation.

But modern man took a while to commercially freeze and transport food.

Refrigeration came on the scene before air conditioning did, but it was mechanical refrigeration. And then, by the 1740s, G Richman was experimenting with freezing; he presented a paper on the subject at the St Petersburg Academy of Sciences. Thomas Moore, in 1803, received a US Patent for a refrigerator – purportedly the first patent issued in the United States for refrigeration. In 1805, Oliver Evans proposed a closed-cycle, vapour-compression refrigeration system in The Young Steam Engineer’s Guide.

Enoch Piper, William Davis, and Daniel E Somes were a few of the early birds who

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February 2016

came up with innovative food-freezing techniques. But none of them really cut the ice, so to say.

Then came Clarence Birdseye, a US fur trader, who in his line of work, travelled to Newfoundland and Labrador… and the neighbourhood, where he observed the Inuit people use ice and wind to freeze freshly caught fish almost instantly. He found that the frozen catch was as good as new when thawed and cooked after months. He deduced that food needed to be frozen immediately to preserve its freshness and taste, not to mention its texture. Frozen food available elsewhere, used methods with a slow rate of freezing, which resulted in forming of ice crystals and rupturing of cell membranes, for example, of peas.

Ergo, when defrosted, the ice crystals would melt, leaving them soggy and tasteless.

Birdseye saw an opportunity in flashfreezing, and was quick to capitalise on it. He came back to the United States and, with the help of financial backers, founded the General Seafood Corporation, and in 1926 introduced his Quick Freeze Machine.

Birdseye, in fact, had developed two methods of freezing food: In the first, the packaged food was held between two metal belts, which were chilled from -40 degrees F (-40 degrees C) to -45 degrees F (-42.8 degrees C) using a calcium chloride solution. In the second method, the packaged food was held under pressure between two hollow metal plates, which were chilled to -25 degrees F (-31.6 degrees C) by the evaporation of ammonia. This method allowed freezing of fruits, vegetables, meat and fish. What was common to the

EYE’S ICE It all began with Clarence Birdseye wanting to freeze food to keep it fresh. And it ended up with an entire nation, and beyond, getting hooked on to obesity-inducing meals. Birdseye’s company, General Seafood Corporation, itself changed hands, when in 1929, the Postum Company bought it and named it General Foods Corporation. It continued with the popular Birdseye trademark but with a space between the two syllables to make it Birds Eye. Birdseye served as a consultant at General Foods, and later as President of Birds Eye Frosted Foods and Birdseye Electric Company – a light bulb company.

His 1935-patented reflecting electric lamp is considered an important invention, used in work areas and window displays. There were other innovations, too, but belong to another realm.

two methods was that the food items were pre-packed. This was an innovation.

In fact, Birdseye’s quick-freezing and related processes resulted in garnering 168 patents, including for freezer display cases. According to chronicles, by the time he died in 1956, it had risen to a staggering 300 in diverse fields. However, he was not only an innovator but an ace entrepreneur. His gaze was set on selling frozen food nationwide.

But as always, the cold chain journey was not an easy one. There was resistance to the new idea from various quarters – consumers gave an icy response, and retailers thought it was risky to invest in refrigerated display cases, and cold-shouldered it.

However, fortuitously, in the 1930s, American railroads and steamships were crisscrossing the country, with pantry cars and ship galleys, which needed food that would last longer, and frozen food was a blessing. The staff cooked and served them, and the customers, who didn’t know this, dug into the dishes, and found no difference in taste.

However, there were now competitors in the industry, and the industry itself was facing a slump. And then came World War II and, albeit sadly and ironically, saved the frozen food industry.

Japan, one of the adversaries, had captured the tin reserves in South East Asia, leading to stringent restrictions

on tin in America, even otherwise a precious commodity in war times. Also, canned food had to be sent to feed the army. So food tins disappeared from retail chain shelves, and made way for frozen food, typically packed in paperboard, waxed paper and cellophane.

And by 1944, Birdseye, a supposed school dropout, was not only transporting the popular Birds Eye brand across the country but also leasing refrigerated boxcars, making it possible to distribute through a cold chain, to use a paradox, “fresh-frozen” food.

Customers could now enjoy a variety of seasonal dishes all through the year, and frozen food became a billion-dollar industry in America, with several players scrambling to get on to the reefer truck wagons. With competition came innovations, and the coming years saw many milestones being crossed, like frozen concentrated orange juice, frozen breaded seafood and fish stick. By now, Birdseye had found a way to dehydrate food for preservation.

Then in the 1950s, television sets came to American homes, and with that the TV dinner – a full meal from meat down to dessert – which could be warmed up and consumed by couch potatoes, even as they lapped up their daily dose of dramas. Frozen food had ushered in a new way of life.

Sources: https://www.birdseye.com/birds-eye -view/history https://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/ mysteries/frozenfood.html http://www.nfraweb.org/resources/ articles/details.aspx?ArticleId=18 https://books.google.co.in/books ?id=NwsLhivGXHIC&pg=PT198&lpg =PT198&dq=Birdseye+Electric+ Company&source=bl&ots=HlRGO3p 7RE&sig=ZvBJC3X4m1zDaS-lijVw5 gVvFIo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKE wjg4uqzqJrKAhWTCI4KHb49CbsQ6 AEIRDAI#v=onepage&q=Birdseye% 20Electric%20Company&f=false

TRIVIA Landmarks • In 1891, the trade journal, Ice and Refrigeration began publishing • The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), founded in 1880, established a committee to define “standard tonne of refrigeration” in 1893 • In 1894, the American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers was founded by Hugh Barron, Louis Hart and William Mackay • The American Society of Refrigeration Engineers was founded in 1904

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