Climate Control Middle East January 2015

NO ADMISSION for microbes... EDITORIAL CAMPAIGN: IEQ in Schools p19

JANUARY 2015

Firming up the play IDEA’s District Cooling conference shines the light on regulations, finance

The refrigerant conundrum Are we any closer to identifying a long-lasting solution for highambient countries?

EIA releases global report on ODS smuggling

Ramboll acquires Environ

Hx market report

Leminar enters Kuwait

Daikin celebrates 90 years

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THE 3RD ANNUAL MIDDLE EAST

VARIABLE REFRIGERANT FLOW CONFERENCE 2015 30 - 31 MARCH 2015 • DUBAI, UAE

contents vol. 10 no. 1 JANUARY 2015

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Telematics to the RESCUE! page

Spotlight on food safety Telematics offers a solution to the vexing problem of temperature abuse of food in transit. Has the region adopted the technology, though? If no, why not, given the various lingering food safety and store profitability concerns?

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PERSPECTIVE Stem that rot!

Mould growth is a real and present danger in buildings in the region. Yet, we either choose to ignore it or treat it arbitrarily, says Charles Blaschke

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No admission!

Poor air quality environments in schools can seriously jeopardise children’s health and their future. That's why there ought to be no place for microbes in schools, says Moheet Vishwas.

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Joining the dots A research paper, titled “Sixth Grade Pupils’ Health and Performance and Indoor Environmental Quality in Finnish School Buildings”, published by the British Journal of Educational Research, correlates IEQ, students’ health and learning outcomes. We bring you the highlights.

January 2015

FEATURE Best served cold Sao Paulo-based Brasil Foods, avowedly the world’s largest poultry exporter, has set foot in the UAE with a promise of food safety and sustainability.

Nickyta Ray finds out more.

Regulars

Event round-up

06 Ed's note

Small is big

NEWS 68 78 81 82 84 page

Regional Global Associations & Societies Marketplace History

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As elusive as The Scarlet Pimpernel?

Do we have any answers in sight for the question, ‘What is the ideal low-GWP refrigerant for high-ambient countries?’

A detailed report on the 4th Annual Symposium.

DC discussions IDEA’s District Cooling conference shines the light on regulations and finance, among other critical topics

departments Licence to 54 chill page

Going retro - the way forward VFD retrofits for existing centrifugal chillers not only offer huge energy and cost savings but can also be tweaked to align with power usage based on Gulf conditions, says Dan Mizesko.

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product feature

Hx: Things hotting up The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy adopting District Cooling as one of eight strategic pillars to reduce power consumption in the Emirate by 30% by 2030, even as standalone water-cooled chillers continue to register parallel growth, augurs well for the heat exchanger market.

process

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60 cooling report Foul Play Design engineers endeavour to offer optimal cost and efficiency benefits to end-users in process cooling.

Pratibha Umashankar collates a few of the roadblocks that need to be surmounted to achieve their goals in water-cooled chillers.

In December 2015, we will be celebrating a decade of covering the HVACR industry. Joy unlimited!

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CASE-IN POINT The world under one roof Climate control technology at work… with an eye on the 2022 FIFA World Cup

January 2015

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Small is big B Surendar Editor @BSurendar_HVACR

NO ADMISSION for microbes... EDITORIAL CAMPAIGN: IEQ in Schools p19

JANUARY 2015

FIRMING UP THE PLAY IDEA’s District Cooling conference shines the light on regulations, finance

THE REFRIGERANT CONUNDRUM Are we any closer to identifying a long-lasting solution for highambient countries?

EIA releases global report on ODS smuggling

Ramboll acquires Environ

Hx market report

Leminar enters Kuwait

Daikin celebrates 90 years

Get the next issue of Climate Control Middle East early!

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Visit our website: www.cpi-industry.com/digital Also available at www.issuu.com/cpi-industry

he Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) has announced it will be releasing the first edition of its ‘Technical Guidelines for Retrofitting Existing Buildings’, a document the Council’s Chairman, Saeed Alabbar hopes will give fillip to sustainability efforts in the country. In an October 2014 interview with Climate Control Middle East, Alabbar had passionately spoken about the need for focusing on the over 120,000 existing buildings in Dubai alone. Prestigious buildings pursuing a sustainability rating represent a small percentage of the market, he had said, almost in the wake of the Council signing an MoU with the UAE Ministry of Public Works, which is responsible for social and housing projects throughout the Emirates. “The mission is to realise the goal of sustainable buildings embedded throughout the UAE and not just at a prestigious level,” Alabbar had said.

The Technical Guidelines are intended to give a framework to the focus on existing buildings. The pages, Alabbar had said, will contain information on deep-retrofit initiatives, such as chiller retrofits, right down to operating buildings in a sustainable manner.

The proposed drive to give attention to non-marquee buildings is much welcome. For too long, the focus has been on the “big”, and it is deeply essential to launch such an initiative if the region wants to have a realistic chance of shrinking its carbon footprint.

After all, achieving the sustainable development goals is about the sum of all the parts.

Small seems to be the trend in the realm of District Cooling, as well. There is a growing realisation that while “monolithic monsters” have their place in the sun, it is important to pass on the oft-enumerated benefits of District Cooling to smaller-scale projects, as well. As Ken Smith, the current Chair of the International District Energy Association (IDEA) said during the recent Dubai conference (report, inside), we need to see how District Energy is being used in smaller communities.

During the economic downturn, industry associates, like Ken Currie, who incidentally coined the term, ‘monolithic monsters’, and Mohammad Abusaa espoused the cause of modular District Cooling plants. During the post-Lehman churn, the general assumption was that modular plants were the collective answer to the scourge of over-designing to capacity, amidst the uncertainties swirling in the air concerning occupancies and load profiles. As it turns out, the nascent upturn (some economists may disagree with the term and dismiss it as a case of jumping the gun) has not seen the jettisoning of modular plants as an idea. Just, as well, to be cautiously optimistic and to embrace small in the march towards the avowed goal of doubling the penetration rate of District Cooling in the region.

Publisher Dominic De Sousa Managing Director & Associate Publisher Frédéric Paillé | fred@cpi-industry.com

Editorial Director & Associate Publisher B Surendar | surendar@cpi-industry.com

CEO Nadeem Hood Associate Editor Pratibha Umashankar | prati@cpi-industry.com Contributing Editor Anoop K Menon | anoop@cpi-industry.com Features Writer Nickyta Ray | nickyta@cpi-industry.com Design Genesis Salao | getty@cpi-industry.com Events & Marketing Manager Mehwish Hilal-Badruddin mehwish@cpi-industry.com Circulation Manager & Conference Services Leader Ruqiya Shariff | ruqiyah@cpi-industry.com

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January 2015

Advertising Enquiries Frédéric Paillé: +971 50 7147204 fred@cpi-industry.com Anup Dominic: +971 55 9745317 Business Development Manager anup@cpi-industry.com Rao Ali Akbar: +971 50 4108034 Sales Manager ali@cpi-industry.com USA and Canada Kanika Saxena, Director (North America) 25 Kingsbridge Garden Cir Suite 919 Mississauga, ON, Canada L5R 4B1 kanika@cpi-industry.com Tel/fax: +1 905 267 4666

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NEWSMAKER

The snowman cometh!

J

Photo courtesy Naufal MQ / Shutterstock.com

osef Kleindienst, CEO of the Kleindienst Group has made it snow in Dubai at The Heart of Europe project, defying nature at the climate-controlled man-made islands.

After testing the waters, rather the snow machine, Kleindienst, backed by master developer, Nakheel, plans to generate snow on some of the streets of the island, including Austria, his native country.

Kleindienst was reportedly inspired by a 150-year-old idea germinated by Austrian architect Camillo Sitte, who believed that a modern city’s residents should have everything they need within walking distance.

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January 2015

Kleindienst’s snow machine makes snow fall from above, creating select outdoor temperature-controlled areas. The snow is collected back and pumped again, in a “snow cycle”. He plans to cool the floor with a pipe system.

Kleindienst is said to have asked, “If you can heat a pool outdoors in the winter, why can’t you cool an area outdoors in the summer?”

Snow in Dubai. What next?

News source: http://7daysindubai. com/plans-make-snow-dubai-notgimmick-says-ceo/

January 2015

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The

BIG PICTURE

Numerous studies worldwide have arrived at a correlation between good Indoor Environmental Quality in schools and robust health and enhanced academic performance. The GCC region, with its youth development goals, is ideally placed to take a leadership role in adopting strong IEQ measures across all schools.

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January 2015

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! e u c s e r e to th s store vehicle ld o c n o e y e g keep a remote dopted it, or is still trailin to s y a w e th a f gion one o d. Has the re o Telematics is fo n e z o fr r fresh o t. transporting nkar finds ou a h s a m U a h b behind? Prati

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January 2015

A

truck laden with a perishable cargo of food items was making its delivery rounds in a part of the region, where the mercury could soar up to 55°C. The transport company, in an attempt to cut costs, had used a less powerful unit than that recommended for the particular application. The delivery schedule of the truck had door openings every 100 metres and up to 50 door openings per day, which meant the truck had 50 deliveries and 50 door openings in quick succession.

Predictably, the leasing company received a complaint that the units were not able to maintain the desired temperature inside the box. Eventually, the company had to take recourse to the telematics system, including door switches, so they could monitor the temperature, location, and movement of the vehicle, door openings and the duration of each opening. The data revealed that not only were the door openings frequent, but the doors were left open for over 10 minutes at a time, whereas, the goods were supposed to be pulled out within a minute, the door closed, and then the delivery made to the store.

Armed with the telematics data, the company was able to prove that under these conditions, the unit would never be able to maintain the desired temperature.

Thus, telematics literally came to the rescue. It acted as a detective system.

Recounting the incident, Prakash Krishnamoorthy, Business Development Manager at Carrier Transicold Europe - Gulf Office, says, “This is a typical scenario that we see because of lethargy or lack of awareness of those who deliver goods.” He believes that telematics can be deployed as an effective tool during the delivery process to counter such instances.

Paul McGarrigle, Area Manager Middle East & Africa at Thermo King, (Ingersoll Rand SARL), concurs. “Modern transport refrigeration unit systems are enabled by telematics that allow operators to track, transmit and record critical performance data,” he elaborates. “With the growing importance of food safety, shippers and operators expect to have proof-of-compliance data at their fingertips. From the start of the trip through delivery, they want to be able to prove that the trailer was pre-cooled to the right temperature, the unit was alarm-free, door openings were kept to a minimum and the cargo was secure throughout the journey and delivered at the right temperature.”

What is telematics?

A scientific paper, titled Telematics published by OMICS International, defines Telematics as “An interdisciplinary field involving telecommunications, vehicular technologies, road transportation, road safety, electrical engineering (sensors, instrumentation, wireless communications, etc), computer science (multimedia, Internet, etc).”1 Telematics systems are designed to communicate relevant and useful data from transportation and logistics vehicles to central monitoring and control units.

In the context of transport refrigeration, there are two main aspects of telematics. “One is the tracking of vehicles interactively and logging their movements for future reference, and the second aspect is the monitoring and recording of key aspects of the journey, including temperature variations, opening and closing of doors, idling time and so on,” explains Miro Donabedian, General Manager, Cold StoreTransport Refrigeration-Shelters & Portacabins, at Technical Supplies & Services Co Ltd. “It is the second of these that can have the biggest impact on food safety, as better capturing and monitoring of temperature-related data can help ensure the integrity

Ear to the ground Paul McGarrigle

N

ew generation asset management systems – enabled by cellular technology and access to real-time information – provide operators with the ability to track assets anytime and anywhere, control temperatures and manage alarms remotely and achieve higher levels of equipment uptime and fuel efficiency, Paul McGarrigle informs. He explains how it works: Transport refrigeration unit manufacturers have developed user-friendly embedded solutions that use global positioning system (GPS) data and wireless communications technologies to deliver real-time and historical information – for a single trailer or a large fleet. Fleet operators can use intuitive dashboards to monitor temperatures, door openings and fuel levels, change set points and other control parameters, change operating modes and respond to alarms, using any computer, tablet or smart phone connected to their secure network.

Today’s best temperature and asset management systems integrate seamlessly with operators’ existing logistics and dispatch systems to offer the ability to manage the entire fleet from one system, providing realtime control and monitoring capabilities.

Most capable asset management systems these days have mapping, alarm and notification features that can help reduce the risk of losses. For example, the systems can detect unauthorised movements, door openings and fuel drops to help reduce risk to assets, including cargo.

“I believe,” says McGarrigle, “it is our responsibility to educate cargo owners on the risks or the corners that can be cut, and on the other hand, educate transport and logistics providers on the solutions that can be offered to clients that differentiate them from competition. These reductions in risk may even qualify owners/operators for reduced insurance rates in some instances.”

January 2015

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of foodstuffs and other perishables while they are being transported.”

It is mandatory in Europe that any transportation carrying meat for human consumption should have temperature monitors and temperature recorders

Gumshoeing the goods

Experts agree that systems like telematics can track refrigerated transport vehicles and help prevent real-time problems and avert disasters.

Also, with useful data available, corrective action can be taken to prevent temperature abuse and other forms of malpractice.

“These systems, Donabedian explains, “can also be set up to provide periodic data and analysis reports, which can help improve the overall efficiency and climatic integrity of the transportation side of the cold chain and lead to a better understanding of the factors that reduce food safety and lead to temperature abuse.”

“Definitely, telematics helps,” highlights Krishnamoorthy, and cites the exemplary European norms: “It is mandatory in Europe that any transportation carrying meat for human

consumption should have temperature monitors and temperature recorders. Every single van, truck or trailer or any insulated/refrigerated vehicle has to pass through a check called the ATP Certification (an Agreement/ Accord on Transport of Perishables), a UN-governed body. All the regulations in Europe are standardised and

are all governed by the ATP, and the regulations are constantly evolving.”

As per ATP regulations, Krishnamoorthy explains, temperature should be recorded and data preserved for a minimum of one year.

If there are any cases of malpractice, they are reported to the data to see, if indeed, there was any abuse. “When, for example, an item is being delivered, the transporter is responsible for that part of the cold chain,” he says. “Every time somebody receives material, the transporter is supposed to provide the delivery ticket to the receiver, which is a proof that transportation has been done at the right temperature.”

The weakest link

Transport refrigeration is widely regarded as the weakest link in the entire cold chain from farm to fork. This is primarily due to the fact that there are many variables in the link of the chain, believes Donabedian,

Temperature excursion – who’s the real victim?

Spoilage of temperature-sensitive products could be owing to temperature excursion. Prakash Krishnamoorthy throws light on its consequences.

Prakash Krishnamoorthy

S

upermarkets generally check whether the product/produce received is at the right temperature, using a laser temperature gun. In reality, what could have happened is, on the way, the temperature may not have been maintained correctly, owing to temperature excursion, says Prakash Krishnamoorthy. “And so what they [drivers] do is, they park the truck and keep running the units for a while,

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January 2015

so that the unit is pulling back to the desired temperature,” he reveals. “What is not very clear is, up to what extent the temperature can go up within a certain period of time, without the product going bad.”

Meat, for example, he says, is temperature-sensitive and the risk is very high when there is this kind of temperature abuse or malpractice, and could lead to food poisoning.

“The question is, who could be the victim of this?” asks Krishnamoorthy, and explains: “The end-users, when they consume a product that is below standard and complain

to the municipality, the municipality, in turn, goes to the supermarkets and conducts checks. Typically, in this part of the world, they close the supermarket, or some similar serious action is taken. But the supermarket could be the victim of a malpractice, where products that are already not fit for human consumption could have been delivered.”

and enumerates them: • The vehicle driver • The state and effectiveness of a particular vehicle’s refrigeration and insulation • The selection of an appropriate refrigeration unit and system to achieve and effectively maintain the desired levels of cooling • Effective use of refrigeration and insulation, for example, if the unit is switched off, refrigeration will be insufficient; if the doors are left open too long, then insulation becomes ineffective Malpractices can, thus, occur at different stages during the transportation of temperaturesensitive cargo. Experts highlight a few of them: • Owners/transport operators minimising reefer operating times to cut fuel and maintenance costs • Owners/transport operators undercutting by using less powerful units than mandated for the goods • Inadequate protection during loading and unloading of refrigerated goods; for example, goods may be removed and stacked outside for too long before being taken into the cold store • Drivers switching off their engines/chillers, probably to take a nap in truck cabs • Unauthorised route deviations – drivers taking a detour or not following the specified route • Doors being kept open longer than they should be • Either removing or flipping over plastic curtains to the top of the truck while loading or offloading the trucks – since the curtains are meant to prevent hot air from coming in and cold air from escaping, this leads to quicker rise in temperature • Unauthorised door openings normally associated with theft • Drivers minimising reefer operating time so they can sell fuel • Temperature excursion – a variance outside of the labelled and/or

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cover story

recommended storage conditions/outside the specified range 2 (Also see Box: Temperature excursion – who’s the real victim?)

The malpractices, in a nutshell, are directly or indirectly typical cases of temperature abuse, whether caused by ignorance, sheer negligence or financially motivated. Krishnamoorthy underscores that all malpractices point to the weakest link. “Someone checks it at the starting point and someone checks it at the checking centre. Things could go wrong in between,” he succinctly sums up.

This, in McGarrigle’s opinion, has nudged operators of large refrigerated fleets to rely on advanced asset management solutions to improve their operating efficiency, ensure cargo integrity and enhance scheduling accuracy. “They know that fleet management and traceability are crucial to running a successful transport business and assure cargo quality throughout a trip,” he says.

How telematics can help

“Telematics ensures that the temperature is kept at the desired or optimum, which the customers expect, based on the product that is being carried,” says Krishnamoorthy.

He explains: “There are systems where, if there is a temperature abuse beyond a particular point, or if it is out of range, when, for example, someone takes a detour, they are not supposed to, it sends an alarm. In telematics, it is called Geosensing.”

Donabedian, seconding this, elaborates that temperature recorders, trackers and data loggers have made it possible to monitor the truck position, number of halts, door status, number and duration of door openings, and help capture key

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Keeping track of the law

I

t has now become mandatory by law in the UAE for all leasing companies to have their vehicles tracked. Vehicles can be immobilised if needed. Will this have an impact on the best practices in the refrigeration transportation sector and food safety? This is what the experts say: This is not currently applicable to transport refrigeration, and is primarily for car rentals and not reefer trucks, clarifies Prakash Krishnamoorthy.

The law is more specifically to prevent vehicle theft, and will have little impact on food transporters food safety-related challenges, unless they have a full-laden vehicle stolen, adds Paul McGarrigle.

Since the primary objectives of vehicle tracking are to prevent vehicle theft and monitor driver performance, including excessively long breaks, unnecessary detours, speeding and so on, vehicle tracking, in and by itself, will not curb temperature abuse. It is only one aspect of an effective telematics system, Miro Donabedian explains.

data parameters, like internal temperature. Transporters are, thus, able to monitor temperature abuse and take remedial action, often in real time. “Wherever effectively used, telematics systems have performed well in monitoring and gathering data, and in helping to avoid food deterioration and other side effects of temperature abuse,” he highlights.

McGarrigle is of the view that telematics can go a long way to help detect malpractices, and that it has already had a tremendous impact on the world of transportation, especially in regard to temperature-sensitive cargo. Gesturing towards increasingly sophisticated systems now available in the realm of asset management, he points out that apart from ensuring that abuses rarely go unnoticed, telematics also helps during genuine emergency situations, for example, in case of driver error or mechanical fault of the refrigeration unit. “Using the

January 2015

unit’s data capture and storage capabilities, operators can remotely download information from the data-logger to prove that the asset was alarmfree and generate product temperature or proof-of-delivery reports,” he adds. (Also see Box: Ear to the ground.)

Evidently, telematics has a pivotal role to play in the crucial part of the cold chain.

Are we there, yet?

The inevitable question that

If these reefers or trailers are not good enough for long haul in Europe, how can they be good enough for the Middle East, where we have some of the harshest climates in the theworld?

emerges is: What about the GCC region? Are we still panting to catch up with sophisticated tools like telematics, available and employed elsewhere?

And if the answer is yes, which predictably it is, an uncomfortable corollary follows: Why are we still trailing, despite the demands of the climate?

Echoing this, Krishnamoorthy says, “Not too many people are using telematics, it’s not very prevalent in the GCC region.”

He thinks Abu Dhabi and Dubai do have some regulations, but not compared to the standards followed in Europe. Adding another dimension to the issue, he says: “What we have is that the Dubai Municipality and other local authorities in the UAE are more concerned about food poisoning rather than food transportation, temperature abuse, etc.

While there is concern about food poisoning, there is no correlating it with temperature abuse during transportation.

Most conferences zero down on this, but the local authorities have not correlated the rampant case of food poisoning with temperature abuse during transportation.”

While McGarrigle concedes that the UAE, and Dubai in particular, have introduced many laudable controls in recent times related to urban food distribution vehicles, telematics is yet to gain ground in the region. “Everyday, thousands of tonnes of cargo is transported across the UAE border from neighbouring countries in reefers or trailers that are far below any minimum standard requirement, in Europe, for instance,” he says, and poses a rhetorical question: “If these reefers or trailers are not good enough for long haul in Europe, how can they be good enough for the Middle East, where we have some of the harshest climates in the world?”

The tired old answer, if a rhetorical question can, indeed, be answered is: It’s a combination of lack of awareness and stringent regulations. Add to this the two usual suspects – transporters/fleet managers counting cost over quality and not being proactive/ concerned about monitoring temperature abuse with regard to refrigerated truck locations and open-door durations, and we have an unhealthy cocktail of malpractices in transport refrigeration.

Krishnamoorthy doesn’t mince his words when he says that about 50% in the sector are aware, but generally people prefer to cut costs and corners. “The world over, and particularly in Europe, following stringent transportation refrigeration

practices is the norm because of not only strong regulations, but also because people there value their produce much more than cost,” he says.

“So, it’s a combination of legislation and awareness.”

He emphasises that in the final analysis, it is not only lack of regulations but also lack of will.

Donabedian seconds this view and believes that apart from avarice, cutting corners is also related to lack of concern, more than lack of awareness because, the penalties for temperature abuse have not been severe enough to bite the transporters, and, in some cases, adequate measures are not taken to curb the abuse. “It has been easy for operators to ignore the issue and avoid the costs associated with remedial

Tread with caution

M

iro Donabedian sounds a caveat regarding telematics: “One shortcoming of telematics is the reliance on local telecom network, Miro Donabedian speed and signal availability. Realtime monitoring gets compromised when vehicles travel through areas with poor or no network coverage, even though the data itself is being captured and logged, and is communicated once the link is restored.”

Donabedian also points out that there are cases where telematics systems are installed, but not used as intended. “The most common example of this would be a system that is not adequately monitored,” he says. “This can be the result of insufficient manpower resources being allocated to the function, or of incompetence and/or negligence in the monitoring process.

A common cause of this is lack of proper training. A key point to remember is that buy-in by management and also the dedicated support of management are both essential elements of its success.”

January 2015

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action,” he insightfully points out.

He however adds, “Most medium-to-large scale operators are aware of the implications of temperaturemonitoring negligence, if only because they would have suffered the consequences of such negligence, which are, primarily, contaminated and spoiled goods.”

Is the scenario changing?

Indeed, it is, even in the GCC region, confirms McGarrigle, when he says, “The industry is constantly demanding more visibility over valuable cargo to ensure the cold chain is being maintained.”

He thinks current and pending legislation also places new expectations and onus on producers, processors and transporters of temperaturesensitive cargo in terms of food safety, optimum fleet usage and data management.

In the past, transporters relied on manually maintained and updated logbooks. These were obviously prone to data entry errors, reveals Donabedian, presenting another perspective.

“Also, in many cases,” he highlights, “personnel may neglect to or forget to enter data, and in the worst case, enter incorrect data at a later stage in order to cover

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up their oversight. A good telematics system will avoid these problems, as the data will be accurately captured and faithfully recorded.”

Telematics systems are replacing old ways, is Donabedian’s optimistic assertion. His optimism is based on the observation that logistics and transport companies in this region are beginning to realise the advantages of using telematics systems. “While the visible short-term cost implications are still of concern

be efficacious. He suggests they need to be aimed at all those involved, including the management cadre of companies, drivers, stores personnel and transport department workers. “Often, the problems can be addressed by making those involved aware of certain simple facts and easily implemented corrective measures,” he says.

Something fishy about it...

Miro Donabedian cites the example of temperature abuse in the case of transportation of fresh fish in the region. “Fish trucks carry their cargo on a daily basis from outside the UAE to auction markets at night,” he informs. “In order to save on fuel, drivers often switch off their engines and chillers during the loading process, which can often take several hours. This can have the effect of rotting fish.”

He emphasises that such abuse would not be possible with a well-implemented telematics system, as alerts would be communicated to both the driver and the command centre.

to many,” he informs, “we are seeing that falling costs and greater choices are resulting in increased adoption by those involved.”

Though there is a growing awareness with increased scrutiny and communication by the authorities on the effects of temperature abuse, and the negative impact on transporters in terms of damaged goods, loss of reputation and hefty fines, Donabedian believes that awareness campaigns are needed and would

Awareness campaigns, he adds, should also be directed at other stakeholders, especially in the retail sector. In his view, “If outlets that sell these goods start insisting on better control of the transportation process, this can put further pressure on transporters.” This, he believes, is already happening in the UAE. Whether the industry stakeholders are ignorant or choosing to ignore the issues, it appears that it is no longer an acceptable excuse.

Miles to go…

Though some leading supermarket chains have started introducing a set of good practices, not many companies are proactively raising the bar, which means there are no internal quality controls

that need to be in place and, therefore, there’s still a long way to go, thinks Prakash Krishnamoorthy.

McGarrigle, too, puts his weight behind adoption of best practices, and suggests that precooling of trailers prior to loading and only loading on sealed loading docks, could help reduce heat load dramatically.

Pointing out that certification of minimum standards is not something new for the UAE, he demands: “After all, we have light and heavy vehicle safety and road-worthiness testing and certification in place today, why are we not deploying the same for equipment that is used in the transportation of precious cargo?”

The subtext is: tighter regulations. In fact, what is needed is a three-pronged approach: Strong regulations and greater awareness, which will, in turn, force companies to implement stricter internal control measures and best practices.

“Those companies that do not do so will suffer the consequences, and in many cases, go out of business,” says Donabedian, gazing at the future, and prophesies, “The survival of-the-fittest aspect of the capitalistic system will ensure that!”

REFERENCES

1. http://omicsonline. org/telematics-journalsconferences-list.php 2. http://www.rx360.org/ LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=KkL0 WKwkPME%3D&tabid=322& mid=439

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

CAMPAIGN L A I R O T I E EAST ED L D D I M L CONTRO A CLIMATE

ENDORSED BY

HEALTH MINISTERS’ COUNCIL FOR THE COOPERATION COUNCIL STATES

January 2015

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IEQ IN SCHOOLS

F

or several years running, we at Climate Control Middle East magazine have featured global efforts relating to improving Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) in schools.

In the United States, the US Green Building Council has fostered an integrated approach among architectural, civil and HVAC communities to ensure better air quality, thermal comfort and acoustical comfort in schools. Enlightened school boards in Pennsylvania and Texas – to name two states – have implemented programmes in a bid to improve student health, reduce absenteeism and enhance the learning experience. And ASHRAE has conducted detailed studies that have concluded there is a strong correlation between good IEQ and student health and performance. In Scandinavia, educationists and engineers have come together to achieve similar goals.

In the GCC region, the UAE in 2010 launched an initiative aimed at reducing the incidences of non-communicable diseases, among other medical conditions. The UAE’s National Strategy and Action Plan for Environmental Health talks of a roadmap “to reduce the public health impacts of exposure to environmental pollution in the UAE”. It further talks of how “the disease burden has shifted from infectious diseases to non-communicable diseases, many of which can be triggered or exacerbated by exposure to environmental pollutants”. And Qatar in 2008 launched the Qatar National Vision 2030, which talks in a general sense of how the State “shall foster public health;

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January 2015

provide means of prevention from diseases and epidemics and their cure in accordance with the law”.

In short, there is a commitment among the leadership in the GCC region to improve the lives of citizens and residents alike.

Such initiatives are an inspiration for us at Climate Control Middle East to focus our attention on the issue of IEQ in schools in the GCC region through an HVAC prism. This supplement marks the beginning of a six-month-long editorial campaign aimed at addressing the issue of how schools can safeguard the health of the students from microbial contamination, chemical contamination, moisture, low-frequency noise and vibration. Through engaging with different stakeholders in the best traditions of collaborative effort, we hope to contribute to regional initiatives towards raising the level of awareness and understanding on the multiple issues and towards presenting technological solutions. Several bodies and institutions have already come on board in a tremendous show of support, and we are deeply grateful to them for that. We look forward to welcoming more into the fold, and would be delighted if you would want to join the movement.

B Surendar Editor

January 2015

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IEQ IN SCHOOLS

Poor air quality environments in schools can seriously jeopardise children’s health and their future. That's why there ought to be no place for microbes in schools, says Moheet Vishwas.

Schools help children enrich their lives, develop a sense of community and discover their educational aspirations.

Studies have shown that the air inside schools can be more polluted than the air outside. Poor IAQ can adversely impact a child’s cognitive abilities to perform tasks requiring attention, calculation or memory.

Increased absenteeism among children could sometimes be due to sick building syndrome or chronic illnesses, exacerbated by poor IAQ. Creating and maintaining healthy air quality in schools is a unique challenge, since schools are diverse structures. There

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January 2015

are precise and varied air ventilation requirements for classrooms, gymnasiums, laboratories, locker rooms, cafeterias and auditoriums. Large classrooms with highoccupancy density create a bio-burden on the efficiency of air filters.

Filtered facts

Air filters are typically identified either as MERV- (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) rated or HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air). Many schools use low-efficiency (MERV 1-4) filters that remove minimal levels of all particulate matter. However, the particulate matter circulating in classrooms can typically have a composition of over 500 chemicals and microbes consisting of, but not limited to dust, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone phthalates,

formaldehydes, mould spores, lead and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). Thus, contaminants trapped by air filters can be classified either as microbial or chemical.

Every filter qualifies for a ranking based on two main criteria: size of the particulate matter it filters and its efficiency to do so.

MERV ratings range from one to 16, and HEPA filters range as high as 17-20. These rankings are decided after conducting a filter efficiency test, called the Dust Spot Test, as per ASHRAE Standard 52.2-2007.

To receive a ranking, the filter has to meet a minimum or worst-case performance when keeping out particles in the range of 0.3-10 microns or micrometres. Highefficiency MERV filters, which range from 13 to 16 microns, filter out particles as small as 0.3 microns, and with at least

75% efficiency. HEPA filters remove airborne particles down to the size of 0.3 microns with 99.97% efficiency, and are graded under the stringent guidelines laid down by the United States Department of Energy.

Despite their obvious might, HEPA filters aren’t best suited to schools or any residential/commercial application. The reason behind their almost impeccable aura of filter efficiency is the dense material they are made of. Materials, such as fibreglass, which are used to catch tiny air particles.

However, the dense nature of the filter also creates a large pressure drop across the filter itself, thus requiring a lot of mechanical energy to push air through the filter. This makes it not very energy efficient. Besides, HVAC systems in school are often designed to recycle air, which is why high-quality MERV filters are best suited for the job, as they remove 0.3 micron particulate matter each time the recycled air is passed through the filter.

Using filters in HVAC systems is a common practice to reduce the exposure to particulate matter. Yet, little is

Poor IAQ can adversely impact a child’s cognitive abilities to perform tasks requiring attention, calculation or memory

known about the energy impacts of highefficiency filters installed in commercial or residential buildings. To understand these effects, a study conducted in Texas, United States, measured such parameters as system airflow, filter and coil pressure drop, compressor power, fan pressure rise, power draw and modelled cooling capacity in 15 rooftop units equipped with and without fan speed control through variable frequency drives (VFDs).

The corresponding data were, then, categorised into four parts, based on filter efficiencies (MERV).

As per the findings, field measurements conducted on units without fan speed control showed that increased filter pressure drop decreased flow, cooling capacity and power. For a unit with VFD, the same increase in pressure drop resulted in the same magnitude change of fan power, but in the opposite direction, while other parameters remained unchanged.

Replacing lower efficiency filters with high efficiency ones resulted in higher energy consumption in the range of two to four per cent

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IEQ IN SCHOOLS

during cooling mode for both unit types. While energy savings in no-cooling mode amounted to eight to 13% in units without the VFD, it increased energy consumption (11-18%) in the unit with the VFD. However, it was observed that the energy consumption increases were offset by improvement in cleanair-delivery rate with larger benefits achieved for the unit with VFDs.1

Look what’s growing!

Step-by-step Here are four simple steps for schools to prevent microbial growth: 1. Operate HVAC systems within ASHRAE humidity design criteria -- under 60% RH. 2. Operate HVAC systems to provide design temperatures.

3. Eliminate areas with free-standing water.

4. Schedule routine maintenance visits by HVAC specialists to check on air filters.

Filter and energy efficiency aside, the capability of antimicrobial air filters to retain airborne outdoor microorganisms remains a key issue, being debatable at best. A survey of studies, a few of which were sponsored by ASHRAE, strongly support this position. The result of the survey observed through research and study concluded that under relatively dry (less than 70% RH) and warm (greater than 20 degree C) outdoor conditions, antimicrobial filters reduce airborne microorganism concentrations, such as bacteria by approximately 70% and moulds by 80%. However, in prolonged durations of high relative humidity (greater than 90% RH), a proliferation and subsequent growth of bacteria culture on air filters occurred.

The survey revealed that one solution to avoid microbial proliferation was to limit the relative humidity in the area of the air filters to 80% or less.

In most cases, this was achieved by installing pre-heaters in front of air filters in HVAC systems. In two cases, infiltration of microorganisms through bacteriostatic filter media remained unchanged and the effectiveness of antimicrobial filters with no control over humidity could not be verified.

Another study revealed that 90% RH with intermittent wetting and a high dust load allowed, but slowed the growth rate for fungi and bacteria.

However, it couldn’t be determined whether the fungi grew through the filter or was sprayed through the wetting. But conditions at 70% RH with no

The survey revealed that one solution to avoid microbial proliferation was to limit the relative humidity in the area of the air filters to 80% or less 24

January 2015

condensation and dust load fostered minimum bacteria growth on the filter media.

Yet another study found antimicrobial filters with water soluble agents under wet conditions dramatically inhibited bacterial and fungal growth on filter, since the water-soluble antimicrobial agent could easily penetrate the bacteria culture and stop its growth on the media. The findings were questionable, as this effect wouldn’t occur under dry conditions (less than 70% RH), and fungal spores were immune to the antimicrobial agent even in the wet state.

The production of spores is a resistant form adopted by many organisms to cope with adverse conditions. Consequently, the spores are highly resistant to almost every destructive method known, except fire or superheated steam under pressure.

Based on the empirical evidence of the survey, it appears as though antimicrobial agents do nothing to challenge spores, and cannot accomplish anything more than minute reductions in bacterial and fungal growth on the filters. Also, none of the studies mentioned above were able to conclusively determine whether microorganisms downstream of the filters grew through or were washed through the filters by excessive water in the system.2, 3 An alarming fact of the findings is that living microorganisms under the right conditions can grow on filters and proliferate and circulate in the filtered areas through air. These microorganisms include bacteria, fungi (mould and mildew), yeasts and algae, ranging in size from 0.1 to 3 microns, thus being part of the breathable fraction (smaller than 1.1 microns).

In suitable hosts, these microorganisms are capable of causing acute and chronic diseases, which may be infectious, toxic and allergenic. Moreover, the organic or inorganic materials deposited on the filter media following air filtration contribute to microbial growth. This inevitably leads to a decrease in filter efficacy and likely deterioration of the filters, with the eventual release of microorganisms.3 Despite the debate and the jury still being out, antimicrobial treatments are still a possible solution to the aforementioned problems. In the past, antimicrobial agents, such as iodine and silver have been fairly successful means of treating air filters. However, antimicrobial treatments at best can delay the onset of microorganisms but cannot completely prevent the growth and release of microorganisms into the filtered air. Microorganisms can grow on antimicrobial air filters and the colonised antimicrobial air filters can be a source of bacteria, viruses and fungi, if used for a long period of time without scheduled maintenance.

Antimicrobial filters perform their best when they work in conjunction with appropriate HVAC systems (fans with variable speed and pre-heaters), which inhibit biological proliferation by keeping relative humidity below 70% and prevent water from entering their filters. A comprehensive understanding of the impact of filtration is essential to help select the appropriate efficiency of filters that ensure low-energy use and a healthy indoor environment.

It was observed that dust can affect the porosity of filter

Walt Disney:

“Our greatest national resource is the minds of our children.”

Elementary, my dear Watson…

Researchers from The British University in Dubai visited a number of public and private elementary schools in Dubai and Fujairah between April 2012 and February 2013. The findings, based on their research, published in 2014, suggests there is no evidence to prove that the air quality had improved over the year. However, this could also be due to the renewed construction activity post the economic crisis and the increase in the number of cars on the roads.5

media and interrupt airflow through the filter. As the dust deposits increase on the surface of the filter, the filtration efficiency of the air filter, too, decreases. This is because even a minimal build up of dust on the filter surface hinders direct contact necessary for an antimicrobial agent to penetrate and destroy microorganisms.

Once this buildup occurs, there is no evidence that treated media prevents the growth of microorganisms.4 In order to maintain a biologically clean and safe environment in schools, the above findings have made it imperative that we know more about the proper lifecycle of microbial organisms under different conditions. As of now, there is no reliable technique available for monitoring microbial contamination or growth. The only indication of contamination on air filters is the pressure drop they pick up by air differential pressure switches, which gives an indication of a clogged or dirty filter.

By developing a method to simulate the microbial growth on the surface of antimicrobial air filters under different ambient conditions, the lifecycle of antimicrobial air filters could be predicted from a microbiological point of view. The findings can, then, further be grouped, as the results will vary among filters, depending on the size, efficiency and antimicrobial coating on the filter in order to eliminate different microorganisms.4

A school of thought

There are no safe levels of air pollution, as even low levels can cause health issues to those vulnerable to pollutants, for example, the elderly and children. The most common indication of questionable IAQ in schools for parents who pick and drop their children to and from schools is the difference in the odour in the school at the end of the day. Those who spend a long period of time in the school premises may not be able to notice the difference in the odour, as they become accustomed to it and do not realise that the odour is due to microbial particulates

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promulgated by dirty filters and an ill-maintained HVAC system.

IAQ affects the learning process. When classrooms are properly controlled for comfort and are free of excessive contaminants, the learning environment is enhanced. A cocktail deployment of sure-fire methods may eventually provide an effective way to reduce proliferation of microorganisms on filter media, and, at the same time, significantly restrict the passage of breathable microorganisms through the filter media. Perhaps, then, we can confidently look forward to a healthy and safe indoor environment for children at schools.

CITATIONS 1. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ S0360132313003661 2. http://www.filterair.info/articles/article.cfm/ArticleID/ ACC4BF73-B21C-43EA-97A216277FC8537A/Page/1 3. http://filterair.info/articles/article.cfm/ArticleID/ACC4BF73B21C-43EA-97A216277FC8537A/Page/1 4. http://www.plosone.org/article/ info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0088514 5. http://www.thenational.ae/uae/education/poor-air-quality-in-uaeclassrooms-can-harm-childrenx2019s-health#full

GENERAL REFERENCES 1. http://www.thenational.ae/uae/education/poor-air-quality-in-uaeclassrooms-can-harm-childrenx2019s-health#full 2. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ S0021850214000408 3. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ S0360544214003442 4. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ S1438463904700528 5. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ S0360132313003661 6. http://www.plosone.org/article/ info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0088514 7. http://www.nafahq.org/dealing-with-schools-ventilation-problems/ 8. http://www.filterair.info/articles/article.cfm/ArticleID/ ACC4BF73-B21C-43EA-97A216277FC8537A/Page/1

The writer has a master's degree in Energy and a bachelor's degree in Electronics and Electrical Engineering.

He works as an engineer in Dubai and can be contacted at moheet.vishwas@gmail.com

SNIPPETS

Lessons in sustainability

Turning seawater into drinking water

cological or sustainable agriculture, as the name suggests, is a kind of farming that is sensitive to local conditions. It makes judicious use of available resources and tries to bind locally available plants, trees, birds, animals, insects and micro-organisms to interplay in a mutually beneficially fashion – one that results in nutritious, rich and chemical-free crops. More details are available at: Sustainable/ecological agriculture tutorial.

esolenator, an awardwinning British-based company, has developed a product that, it says uses just solar energy to turn seawater into pure distilled water. Capable of producing up to 15 litres a day, the device has no moving parts, filters or consumables, the company claims. A fully working prototype is ready. To help fund production for marketing, Desolenator has launched Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign that calls upon citizens and businesses to help address the global water challenge.

E 26

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IEQ IN SCHOOLS

A research paper, titled “Sixth Grade Pupils’ Health and Performance and Indoor Environmental Quality in Finnish School Buildings”, published by the British Journal of Educational Research, correlates IEQ, students’ health and learning outcomes. We bring you the highlights.

Abstract

The aim of the research was to study the health and academic performance of school children alongside The Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) in Finnish elementary schools. It was a cross-sectional study, and data were collected between March 2007 and April 2008.

The methodology used: As part of a national testing programme, all sixth grade students in a random sample of 334 schools were tested in Mathematics.

Health questionnaires were administered to the same students.

Data on school buildings were collected by questionnaires from school principals. Additional data were collected by on-siteinspections and measurements from a sub-sample of schools. The resulting database consisted of multilevel information on elementary schools, student health and learning outcomes.

Introduction

A majority of children spend a considerable period of time in school buildings. Throughout these years, they are developing most, physically and mentally. A variety of conditions exist in school buildings that may be detrimental to health. Thus far, a limited amount of information about the importance of the physical school environment on students’ health and learning outcomes has been collected.

IEQ in schools is a function of numerous factors, many of which have the potential to cause illness, resulting in absence from school and associated health symptoms that decrease performance while at school. In scientific literature, poor IEQ has been associated with adverse health effects and absenteeism, but there are limited data linking poor IEQ in classrooms to the academic performance of students. (Mendell and Heath, 2005, Daisey et al, 2003)1 Whereas, it is assumed that poor IEQ results in reduced attendance and learning potential – which consecutively may result in reduced performance – these hypotheses have not been widely tested using standardised metrics for learning outcomes. A multidisciplinary assessment of IEQ, health, and performance is required to develop and motivate protective environmental guidelines needed in schools.

The best documented risk factors for poor IEQ are too high or low indoor temperature and insufficient ventilation, which are

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Recent studies from Denmark and the United States have indicated that student performance in elementary schools may be affected by IEQ in classrooms

Results in a nutshell After adjusting for student background variables, those who had never experienced high indoor temperatures in classrooms achieved 4.0% (95%CI 0.4-7.4) more correct answers than those who experienced it daily. Pupils who did not miss school days due to respiratory

infections had 1.1% (95% CI 0.1-2.2%) more correct answers on the Mathematics achievement test, than those who did. Other significant associations were observed between achievement in Mathematics and both headache and difficulties in concentration.

commonly found to be outside the recommended ranges in school buildings. (Schilte et al, 2005; Shendell et al, 2004; Smedje and Norbäck, 2000; Walden, 2004)2 One obstacle to improving IEQ in schools is the misconception that the associated cost may not bring any positive return in terms of learning outcomes.

Recent studies from Denmark and the United States have indicated that student performance in elementary schools may be affected by IEQ in classrooms (Wargocki and Wyon, 2006; Shaughnessy et al, 2006; Haverinen-Shaughnessy et al, 2011)3, but these associations have not been widely assessed. Therefore, the writers started a research programme in Finland with a primary objective to comprehensively study IEQ in school buildings alongside the health and academic performance of school children.

The research

Assumptions: 01

Key takeaways • IEQ in schools is a function of numerous factors, many of which have the potential to cause illness, resulting in absence from school and associated health symptoms that decrease performance while at school.

• The best documented risk factors for poor IEQ are too high or low indoor temperature and insufficient ventilation, which are commonly found to be outside the recommended ranges in school buildings.

The researchers Health and the academic based their performance of students may be research associated with IEQ in schools work on the following assumptions: ideally 1) Health and Academic performance is standardised of lts resu the the academic g usin assessed ms on exa ide performance of tests, such as nationw s atic students may be Mathem associated with IEQ in schools; 2) academic performance Data on student health can be is ideally assessed collected by questionnaires using the results of standardised tests, such as nationwide exams IEQ can be estimated by collecting qualitative, on Mathematics; 3) data self-reported and/or observational information on on student health can be school buildings, the condition and performance collected by questionnaires; of HVAC systems, as well as measured ventilation and 4) IEQ can be estimated rates and thermal conditions by collecting qualitative, selfreported and/or observational information on school buildings, the condition and performance of HVAC systems, as well as measured ventilation rates and thermal conditions.

In the research paper presented based on their findings, the writers described the study protocol, the composition of the database and the 4. Data received from the Finnish National general characteristics of the Finnish elementary school Board of Education buildings (ie, schools providing the first to six years of 5. Data collected from pupils by questionnaire basic education). They also prepared a detailed analysis 6. Measurement data collected from a subin relation to pupils’ health, perceived discomfort related sample of schools to IEQ in classrooms and their potential association with test results in Mathematics.

The results presented in the paper were mainly based on 3 and 4.

Materials and methods used Conclusions 1. The database of the researchers consisted of: After collecting data and composing a large 2. Data received from Finnish Population Register Centre database consisting of multi-level, representative 3. Data collected from elementary school principals by information on Finnish elementary school questionnaire

02

• A multidisciplinary assessment of IEQ, health, and performance is required to develop and motivate protective environmental guidelines needed in schools.

03 04

January 2015

• One obstacle to improving IEQ in schools is the misconception that the associated cost may not bring any positive return in terms of learning outcomes.

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buildings, their condition, IEQ parameters, and information about student health and learning outcomes, the researchers, based on their analyses, concluded that achievements in Mathematics is associated with missed school days due to respiratory infections, headache and difficulties in concentration, and indoor temperatures perceived as being too high in the classroom.

They also concluded that in future, more detailed analyses are needed to assess the role of these health symptoms in relation to the effects of classroom IEQ on learning outcomes.

REFERENCES

1. Mendell, M.J., Heath, G.A. (2005). Do indoor pollutants and thermal conditions in schools influence student performance? A critical review of the literature. Indoor Air, 15, 27-52.

2. Schulte, R., Bridges, B., Grimsrud, D. (2005). Continuous IAQ monitoring. ASHRAE J, Special Theme Issue, 38-46.

2. Shendell, D.G., Prill, R., Fisk, W.J., Apte, M.G., Blake, D., Faulkner, D. (2004). Associations between classroom CO2 concentrations and student attendance in Washington and Idaho. Indoor Air, 14,333-341.

2. Smedje, G., Norbäck, D. (2000). New ventilation systems at select schools in Sweden – effects on asthma and exposure.

Arch Env Health., 55(1), 18-25.

IMPORTANT: © 2012 Haverinen-Shaughnessy et al.

Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by/3.0) British Journal of Educational Research 2(1): 42-58, 2012 SCIENCEDOMAIN international www.sciencedomain.org

• Based on the results, more than half of the Finnish elementary school buildings are over 50 years old, and less than 23% had undergone renovation. On-site investigations in 60 schools in Southern Finland revealed that the oldest mechanical supply and exhaust ventilation system that was still in its original condition, was installed in 1954, and that all schools with passive stack ventilation system (ie, natural ventilation) were constructed before 1955. (Palonen et al, 2009).4 Therefore, it appears to be evident that the school building stock is relatively old compared to the whole building stock in Finland, and that a large proportion of buildings is in need of comprehensive renovation/ upgrading of their HVAC systems.

• Noise and stuffy air or poor Indoor Air Quality in the classroom were the most common causes of discomfort reported. These were seen to be frequently reported causes of discomfort that were found to be challenging to control in a school environment.5 (Becker et al., 2007, Kruger et al., 2007).

Together, we need to create a safe environment globally. Through all my interaction with colleagues, I aspire to inspire awareness to help save energy in my daily activities with suggestions and offer by way of experiences.

Jamila Mohamed, Account Manager, Empower

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January 2015

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{ PERSPECTIVE } The writer is Founder and General Manager, takasolutions. He can be contacted at: charles@takasolutions.com

Stem that rot!

Mould growth is a real and present danger in buildings in the region. Yet, we either choose to ignore it or treat it arbitrarily, says Charles Blaschke

i

s an energy services company (ESCO), we routinely inspect many buildings. In doing so, we come across some of the best things about buildings in the UAE, and some of the worst. One of the shocking, unhealthy and sometimes scary things we come across is the uncontrolled growth of black mould. We have seen countless buildings that have sometimes extreme cases of moisture and mould growth, literally rotting the building away from the inside out. The extreme climate of the UAE, which is both hot and humid, makes it a real and present problem that needs to be taken seriously.

It is estimated that roughly 80% of the buildings visited in the UAE have some form of mould growth, some so bad that they are unfit for occupation, as they pose a health hazard to the tenants.

Unfortunately, these are not isolated events, or rare cases, but quite common.

Time to remould the attitude In most cases, the building owners, operators, designers, contractors and even the tenants don’t seem to be

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concerned about the issue, and take a very lax attitude towards it. This is because they do not understand the harm mould poses to their

asset and, most importantly, the health of the occupants.

The typical responses we hear are: We will get somebody to paint over it; it’s not that big a deal; or it happens in all buildings in the UAE. This is simply not true. In fact, even more harmful than leaving the mould unattended is the wrong attitude towards it.

The effects of having mould prevalent in the building fall into two main categories.

Some thumb rules • Investigate the root cause of the problem. Many a times, a misdiagnosis of the problem causes people to continually clean the mould, just to have it come back. This is due to lack of knowledge about the source of the problem.

• Attend to the existing mould or problem areas.

• Remedy the problem(s) causing the mould.

• Monitor the conditions in buildings to ensure that the area is free from moisture.

The first and most important is the serious effect it has on the health of the occupants of the building, ranging from respiratory to visual, and from circulatory to mental and neurological problems. Medical experts can, undoubtedly, give a more detailed evidence on the subject.

The most noticeable effects symptomatic of mould are dripping pipes and insulation or black growth on ceilings The second area of concern is the financial impact mould growth can have on the building. Once mould has started to grow, it becomes very difficult to get rid of it.

As mould spreads, it must be immediately remediated, and damaged parts repaired or replaced. This could be something as simple as a portion of a ceiling, or something as large as an entire ducting replacement throughout the building.

Beware of dripping pipes, broken ducts, blackened ceilings…

The most noticeable effects symptomatic of mould are dripping pipes and insulation or black growth on ceilings. Once this level of growth has occurred, there is usually much more happening behind the scenes in the ductwork and ceiling spaces that cannot be seen from the outside.

There is a fine balance between energy consumption and highquality indoor environment.

From our experience, we have found that lack of proper dehumidification of a building’s ventilation air is a major contributor to the problem in almost 100% of the affected buildings we have seen. Typically, proper dehumidification is achieved by the building’s fresh Air Handling Units, whose job is to provide treated outdoor air to the spaces in the building. Its main purpose is to adequately dehumidify the air by cooling it to a temperature that ensures that the moisture has been condensed from the air. In most cases, this temperature is 13.3 degree Celsius.

This ensures that the air delivered does not contain moisture that will condense and cause mould growth in the building. Potentially, anything above this will condense on the cold surfaces and create mould.

Going to the root cause However, there are signs of improvement. We have recently supported multiple buildings in investigating, identifying, quantifying and reporting the causes of mould and moisture problems. Further, we have helped remedy and repair the affected areas. To reiterate, it is vital that any area affected by mould growth is removed and remediated by a certified professional, using proper equipment and health and safety standards.

SNIPPET

Oh, for a breath of clean air!

O

n January 1, Chinese artist Kong Ning posed in a costume symbolising a butterfly studded with 365 masks on its wings to represent the number of days in a year, on a section of the Great Wall on the outskirts of Beijing. Kong, whose works include a series of 11 oil paintings, called “Smog Baby”, related to China’s air pollution problem, named her new performance art “Hua Die” (transforming into a butterfly) and performed it on the first day of the new year with a hope that China, notorious for urban smog causing an environmental crisis, will have clean air for this year. Pollution levels in Beijing have shot up to more than 18 times what the World Health Organization deems healthy.

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33

FEATURE

Best served cold Sao Paulo-based Brasil Foods, avowedly the world’s largest poultry exporter, has set foot in the UAE with a promise of food safety and sustainability. Nickyta Ray finds out more.

W

ith most of the presentday urban population in the region thriving on packaged culinary creations, the region is attracting processed food businesses from across the world.

One of the latest entrants in the field, Brasil Foods (BRF), is setting up its maiden factory at Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad). Coming with the tag of being the “world’s largest poultry exporter”, it already has a strong foothold in the region through its Sadia brand.

A popular label is a doubleedged sword. Thus, while BRF isn’t exactly plunging into the deep end of the pool without knowing how to swim, it carries the onus of a reputation to guard. Add to this the ever-evolving food safety regulations in the region, and the challenges

34

become that much more daunting.

Measuring up

The proposed USD 160-million factory, planned to be the biggest of its kind in the Gulf region when completed, will occupy an area of 47,000 square metres. BRF has awarded Amana Contracting and Steel Buildings the contract to build the facility with a capacity of approximately 80,000 tonnes per year when fully operational, for a diverse portfolio of products like burgers, pizzas, frozen pies, breaded items, meats and marinated processed foods, including halal food. The new set-up will be able to store over 70,000 tonnes of food per year.

The

January 2015

refrigeration system is designed to cover temperatures ranging from -52°C to +2°C. “BRF has adopted an automatic upload and offload system,” informed Oceas Silva, General Manger, BRF factory, Abu Dhabi. “This enables an easy management and control of our raw materials, ingredients and final products.”

Sustaining sustainability

BRF claims to be following the green path leading to the project. One of the key green policies adopted is the management of construction waste. Amana has reportedly

achieved a salvage value and recycling of waste close to 60%.

Chanelling waste heat to provide a supplementary heating system for other utilities on the site is one of several sustainable commitments. Riad Bsaibes, COO, Amana Contracting and Steel Buildings, elaborates: “We provide close control throughout the system to ensure that we always run at the optimum temperatures.

Evaporative condensers are oversized to lower the maximum design discharge temperature form 40°C to 37.5°C, saving five per cent power. We utilise Ammonia (NH3) as the primary refrigerant,

The World’ s Largest District Cooling Provider EMPOWER, Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation, is created with the objective of providing world class District Cooling Services to Dubai and the region.

Empower is determined to satisfy the critical needs of its customers and in the process develop its own distinctive competencies.

billing@empower.ae I Tel: +971 4 375 5300 I www.empower.ae January 2015

35

FEATURE

electrical lighting control system, power monitoring units for all electrical panels, photo cell for external and street lighting and variable frequency drives for all motors.”

Bsaibes highlights that as a result of the sustainability initiatives adopted, the project has achieved the Estidama Pearl-1 Rating at the design stage.

Location matters

L

ocated midway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai and adjacent to Khalifa Port (the first semi-automated deep-water port in the region), Kizad is touted to provide the ideal conditions for setting up plants, providing direct access to local, regional and global markets.

Speaking to Climate Control Middle East magazine, Mohammad al Balooshi, Acting Vice-President – Investor Relations, Kizad, said: “The first phase of Kizad is 52 square kilometres in size, offering large plot sizes for investors at a competitive operating commercial environment. This is one of the key attractions for BRF, including the modern infrastructure for future growth.”

which is totally natural and has a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 0 and an Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) of 0, and is one refrigerant which will never fall under the legislation of the Montreal and Kyoto protocols.”

With regard to ongoing operation and maintenance, Bsaibes explains that operational waste management, maintaining flora and fauna on the plot and commitment to reducing and monitoring energy and water resources along with reuse of proceed water for irrigation and cooling towers encompass some of the other green initiatives.

“In addition to the above,” says Bsaibes, various passive strategies were adopted during design to improve the thermal properties of the buildings, that include improving the U-value (thermal transmittance) of envelope covering materials, increasing shaded areas by

36

The proof of the pudding…

“State-of-the-art facility” and “sophisticated machinery” have now become routine adjectives to describe most upcoming food processing plants. The final test is food safety and quality.

Business entities in the sector, therefore, need to be have a competitive edge to meet the challenge of providing food safety and storage facilities.

The factory is committed to quality and food and employee safety, claims Silva.

“One example of this is the acclimatisation system for the high-risk areas,” he claims.

“The air is treated and purified regularly to avoid any risk

the local food specialists. The factory will operate according to BRF’s Quality Management System, thus ensuring the same high quality and food safety standards associated with our brands. The quality management system, which is constantly verified by a dedicated quality assurance team on site, is based on the most recognised quality standards, such as BRC, IFS and ISO 22,000.”

Adding to Brilhante’s statement, Patricio Rohner, General Director, BRF, Middle East and Africa, says: “We are proud to partner, support and work alongside Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA) and Standardisation Authority for the GCC (GSO) to ensure that the highest food safety production guidelines are practised in the region by sharing our expertise in the development of standards.”

Khaled Salmeen, the Chief Executive of Kizad, adds: “Food security is important at a national level. This investment

by BRF fits into that agenda.”

Strategies for staying ahead

Patricio Rohner, Abilio Diniz (Chairman, BRF), Oseas Silva, Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamsi (CEO, Kizad), Neri Geller (Brazilian Minister of Agriculture) and Pedro Faria

orienting the building and choosing colours with good solar reflectance index (SRI) values. Around 18 green strategies are implemented as design during construction.

“The systems practices adopted for increasing energy efficiency of the plant for electrical system include,

January 2015

of food contamination. All cold storages are ammoniafree. All rooms are fitted with temperature monitors and controllers.”

Tiago Brilhante, Quality Assurance Supervisor, BRF, elaborates further: “Since the early stages of the project, we have been working closely with

Apart from bringing about improvement in the food production chain, Rohner informed that Sadia plans to expand its portfolio with innovations to gain competitive edge.

Pedro Faria, CEO of BRF International, underlining the importance of innovation and the role of the Sadia product portfolio for the BRF group, highlighted: “Local production of processed food greatly increases our offering flexibility and adaptation of our products to regional demands and expansion of our Sadia product portfolio in the food service channel for the Middle East, providing the best food products to our customers.”

From all accounts, BRF is testing the waters with its Kizad plant, and plans to expand its business interests in the region.

January 2015

37

R E P O R T

f o h c r a e In s t n a r e g i r f e r e v i s u l e e th

ient b m A h or Hig uss the f s t n a c r efrige Dubai to dis llation R e v i t a lterna ing on uction, inst eport.

A g n r e o v posium holders con ants in prod g you the r m y S e h The 4t es saw stak ture refriger pics.We brin i o u Countr ssment of f her critical t se ot risk as ice, among rv and se

38

January 2015

In attendance…

• Over 250 stakeholders attended the symposium.

A

vowedly dedicated to an open and in-depth debate on all issues surrounding the deployment and promotion of future refrigerants, the 4th Symposium sought to broaden its scope by transforming itself into a more robust global event, with an unprecedented number of officials from international organisations and associations attending.

Organised by the ASHRAE-Falcon Chapter, in cooperation with UNEP, UNIDO and AHRI, and with the support of the Government of UAE, represented by ESMA, the event held on October 28-29,

Work that can produce sparks, electrical arcs or open flames must be performed in compliance with all applicable regulations pertaining to hot work 2014, was also sponsored by IIR, CHEAA, AREA, EPEE, GIZ and JRAIA. With the theme “Risk Assessment of Future Refrigerants in Production, Installation, and Services”, the discussions reflected both immediate and longterm concerns affecting the entire spectrum of the air conditioning and refrigerants industry.

On Day One, Stephen Yurek, President of AHRI, set the tone of the symposium by exhorting stakeholders to work together to minimise duplication in R&D and gestured towards challenges posed by the tectonic shift in the industry. “It’s important to see UN and representatives from Asia and Europe talk together; we know where we need to go, and we need to work together,” he reiterated.

Ayman Eltalouny,

• The President and two vice-presidents of AHRI, Director of EPEE, Director of IIR, Vice-President of AREA and senior officers from ASHRAE, GIZ, JRAIA, UNEP, UNIDO, UNDP, World Bank and other organisations were present.

• Representatives from 15 countries in the Middle East and senior officers from the US Department of State, European Commission, Government of China, Government of Poland, as well as the international secretariats of the Montreal Protocol and its Multilateral Fund gave the event a global perspective.

• There was representation from the air conditioning industry, including from manufacturers of refrigerants, compressors and other equipment.

Programme Officer, Regional Office for West Asia, UNEP, stressing the “risk-assessment” aspect of the symposium, voiced the concerns of high-ambient temperature countries regarding the feasibility of refrigerants being proposed for the air conditioning sector. “MEPS standards will be affected by refrigerant choice,” he warned.

“UNEP, in cooperation with international and regional bodies, is addressing concerns related to refrigerants for highambient countries. The Montreal Protocol has shown that decisive action by stakeholders, including the private sector, can make a difference.”

UNIDO representative, Ole Nielsen, carried this train of thought forward when he urged the industry to set its sights on long-term solutions and invest in technologies that will not be obsolete in the next couple of decades.

Nielsen is the Unit Chief Refrigeration and Aerosols Unit at UNIDO. Andrea Voigt, the Director General of The European Partnership for Energy and the Environment,

representing the voice of the HVAC industry in Europe, including equipment and refrigerant manufacturers, said that only HFCs covered

by QUOTA can be placed on the EU market, which was a huge climb from current levels to 2030 (only 23%).

Since quota is expressed in CO2-equivalent, the question was: How does one calculate the CO2 equivalent?

Voigt explained: “You could have 10 kilogrammes of GWP 3922 and you would have 10 kilogrammes of GWP 1430. Higher the GWP, the higher is CO2 equivalent per kilogramme. So you can either reduce GWP or kilo, or make the installations tight.”

Asking what the baseline was? Voigt herself answered: “It is calculated by taking annual average of total quantities of HFCs in market from 2009-2012.

It represents 182.9 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent.”

She elaborated that when it came to new entrants – companies that have not reported the placing on the market of HFC from 2009 to 2012, but want a quota – a minimum of 11% of the total available quota has been reserved for them, and that

January 2015

39

R E P O R T View from the top In light of the fact that the world population will increase in the next 13 years from seven to 13 billion, with a consequent rise in CO2 emissions, Faisal Ali Rashid, the Director for Demand Side Management at the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, said that energy efficiency was not a fad but an issue that needed to be confronted, demanding a comprehensive supply-demand strategy. He, then, went on to outline Dubai’s DSM blueprint. Excerpts from his presentation...

In the future, we will add a mix of renewable energy (five per cent) and clean coal. We look forward to decrease the consumption per capita by 30% in the next 30 years.

“DSM strategy is one of the main areas of focus for the Dubai Supreme Energy Council. District Cooling is one of them, building regulations is another, building retrofits is yet another. There are 120,000 existing buildings in Dubai.

Buildings will provide the greatest savings in imperial gallons, insulation code, etc.

With existing buildings, we

have energy performance contracts, which offer comprehensive solution for auditing of building, retrofitting of building, reduction in consumer consumption and reduction in utility. In Dubai, we have introduced some contract model. We have established a Super ESCO, giving priority to government buildings.

“District Cooling is also another efficient stream.

Between the energy power generation units and consumer, 60% of refrigerant capacity in Dubai, we want to make them 40%.”

'We as the receivers...'

While the manufacturers at the symposium presented their case, the receivers of technology did not shy away from expressing their views. Excerpts...

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Yacoub Almatouq, National Ozone Unit, Kuwait:

Khalid Mulhim, Chapter Officer, ASHRAE Saudi Arabian Chapter:

End-users have a cloudy vision, and it’s owing to competition among conflicting interests. First, there is the debate on who has the best technology. And then, there is the debate between manufacturers of non-flammable and flammable refrigerants.

It becomes a matter of choosing between safety and the environment. Those manufacturers who produce non-flammable refrigerants say safety is more important than the environment, and those with flammable refrigerants say the opposite.

We should choose alternative refrigerants for particular sectors, and like this, we can establish different baskets of uses.

Today, we are talking about lowGWP alternative refrigerants for high-ambient countries, and their impact. In the GCC region, we are only into light-manufacturing (only assembly), where we adopt technology (coming from the West or the Far East), but we as clients need to know on maintenance and reliability issues of refrigerants that we adopt in our countries in the GCC region.

We need a balanced approach to choosing refrigerants. We need to balance safety considerations with the ideal of safeguarding the environment.

“Even [in] this Symposium, I have not seen any recommendations. It’s truly a case-by-case issue when it comes to refrigerants. If we talk about refrigerants, the talk invariably is

January 2015

the energy available in a hotel and then take a decision.

In this Symposium, they are talking about R290 and R32 in a general sense, and we are still not there yet. You need to study for some years to see performance, reliability, etc. Coming up with a new refrigerant is difficult. People are sitting back and watching others, especially in new projects. They want to see the refrigerants being used and want to know the consequences of the use. And then, they will make their decisions.

Cost, maintenance, reliability and safety are questions – and there is not enough available data in the case of R290 and R32. I don’t know how many years it will take for gaining clarity.

They might come up with another refrigerant.

So the area is very dynamic. Also, we must remember that most alternatives are now on the high-pressure side.

AHU & FCU Split Units

about safety and energy efficiency. If we consider absorption chillers, it is most safe to handle LiBr (Lithium Bromide), if handled with care and with responsibility. Is it energy efficient? Yes. So we have a balance in the case of Lithium Bromide.

Where we have excess steam, the absorption chiller can be used. If we are looking to set up a District Cooling scheme, and if a nearby industrial plant has excess steam, we can consider installing absorption chillers. So it is a caseby-case approach that we need to adopt. If not a large industrial plant, it could be a cluster of small industrial units, with a network of excess steam. The point is, I can save money.

Likewise, in the case of a boiler in a hotel, we are looking at the possibility of excess steam, so an absorption chiller can come into play. So overall, the consultant should look at

adapts to the new rules.

Refrigerant producers have already started a while ago to develop lower GWP refrigerants to support and enable the phase-down. Many alternatives exist already.

Equipment manufacturers are switching to lower GWP refrigerants wherever possible. Investments into R&D are required to develop safe, energyefficient and economically viable products. Some sectors can move quickly than others. Early action pays off, as higher GWP HFCs will be the first to be impacted by the phasedown.”

Ductded & Packaged Units

333 new entrants have applied for the quota. Only those that produce bulk HFCs or importers in bulk fall within this ambit, she said.

GWP restrictions, Voigt said, was the second pillar, and went on to explain: “In the year 2020, HFCs with GWP greater than 2,500 will be banned. So that’s fairly soon, so it is important to quickly act on this. The ban will apply to new refrigeration equipment; hermetically sealed refrigerators; and freezers for commercial use.

“It’s important that entire supply chain

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R E P O R T Taking the idea forward when he later took to the stage, Yurek enumerated commercial availability of the refrigerant, R&D, regulatory approvals and training as pre-requisites for a phaseout. He informed that AHRI would be spending USD 5 billion in R&D over the next 10 years in its search for the ideal refrigerant. “There’s no magic replacement for high GWP HFCs,” he said.

“Choices and tradeoffs must be made, and the timeline is different for each product category…. We are not waiting for regulators. We know we need to transition from high GWP to low GWP.” Day Two of the symposium saw the discussion move forward, with tapping the wealth of ideas and expertise of participants from across the Middle East and beyond. Dr Nacer Achaichia, Technical Manager, Refrigerants (EMEAI) at Honeywell, drew attention to the issue of flammability during the manufacturing process, availability [of refrigerants] and the cost factor. “If you have a properly ventilated atmosphere, you eliminate the risk of combustion in the case of HFO 1234yf, and leak detection is another way to ensure safety,” he informed.

Speaking about maintenance operations, he said: “Work that can produce sparks, electrical arcs or open flames must be performed in compliance with all applicable regulations pertaining to hot work.

“Additionally, good engineering safety practices is a way of ensuring safety.”

Answering a question from a member of the audience, if applying the same precaution and practices using much safer refrigerants would help reach the target of GWP without fire hazards, Dr Achaichia said: “That question is really the essence of all the work we have been doing to get environmental

42

H.E. Abdulla Al Maeeni, Director General of ESMA

Ayman Eltalouny, UNEP

Dr Ahmed Ala'a Eldin Mohamed, Regional Vice Chair, Region at Large, ASHRAE

January 2015

One of the simplest things to do is to have background ventilation.

You will never reach an LFL. So you can eliminate the risk considerations and safety.

One of the simplest things to do is to have background ventilation. You will never reach an LFL. So you can eliminate the risk. 1234yf is used as a standard refrigerant in the auto industry. They are using similar charging stations as r134a. They have leak detection sensors and controls to ensure safety.”

Dr Torben FunderKirstensen, the Head of Public and Industry Affairs at Danfoss, addressing the same question, added: “The amount of refrigerants is also important to look at in the area. We also have to look at the design of the systems. We may also have an opportunity to reduce the amount of chance of leak that can enter the space.”

Dr Li Zhang, Senior Engineer at the R&D Centre of Shanghai Hitachi Electrical Appliances Company, on his part, trained his gaze on R290. “R290 is a substance

1. It is environmentally friendly (ODP 0, GWP 3).

2. It is cost efficient – the discharge amount is 1/3rd of R22 systems.

3. It gives good performance – the COP can match 3.6 or higher.

4. It offers wider application temperature scale and is, therefore, suitable for T1, T2 and T3.

China has gone about systematically promoting R290 RACs in the country through: 1. R290 product development 2. System design 3. Performance development 4. Safety control 5. Specific compressor of R290

HCFC phase-down in China In June 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Barack Obama agreed on phase down of HFCs. The substitute of choice in China is apparently R290. Why R290? Here are the reasons, as put forward by proponents (from China) of the refrigerant at the symposium:

China believes that R290 production lines conversion is also very important. In light of this, Gree, with the capacity of 100,000 units per year accepted it in July 2011 (GIZ); Midea, with capacity of 200,000 units per year accepted it in December 2013 (UNIDO); Meizhi, with a R290 compressor product line with a capacity of 1.7 million units per year, finished conversion to R290.

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43

R E P O R T Voices from the audience A member of the audience: We have questions on energy efficiency, safety, etc. Do we have an alternative or not? We need to come out of the event with a clear idea regarding the availability of an alternative that is safe, or a cloudy idea.

Harish Kapadia, Rheem:

We took 20 years to bring ODP under control, but it seems there is rush to bring GWP in control. We operate in 50°C conditions here in the GCC region. A replacement could be highly flammable.

that is naturally occurring in Earth’s atmosphere,” he explained, and highlighted: “R290 has low GWP, zero ODP, along with HFO and R32. The safety classification for R290 is A3, while it is A1 for R22. For the same cooling capacity, the displacement R290 compressor should be about 12% larger than that of the R22 compressor.”

Taking the discussion forward, Nielsen said that there was massive conversion to R290 (propane) in China, necessitating measures to reduce the associated costs. The initial focus in China was in Splits, but

now it is Window AC, with ongoing research on RAC, he elaborated. Research programmes in China are also ongoing in relation to charge reduction; R290 distribution in case of leakages; improvement of heating performance; and refrigerant distribution within air conditioning units, he informed. (Also see sidebar: HCFC phase-down in China) Marco Buoni, VicePresident, AREA believed that training of technicians for handling refrigerants was important. “Mandatory certification to handle refrigerants is essential,”

Yacoub Almatouq of National Ozone Unit, Kuwait (as a member of the audience):

Within three years will we have equipment with HC (hydrocarbon) or R32 as refrigerant? One tonne of unit is too tiny. When you put equipment for us, put what a highambient country like ours needs, not small tonnages. If we don’t see these answers, we will go with 410a, even with the penalties and energy efficiencies.

he underscored. “Pumps systems with HFCs should have a logbook. Periodical inspections, installation and repair need to be conducted only by certified craftsmen. It is not enough to train, but also to check for minimum competence. We need to establish an online register with the name of all the service technicians and companies that can be certified.”

Speaking of alternative refrigerants, Buoni said: “In Europe, the use of HFCs is legislatively decreased by 79% by 2030. And consequently, the use of alternative refrigerants is

pushed. There will be a gap between training offered and needs. We need to train to close the gap. Low GWP refrigerants have issues on safety, flammability, toxicity and high pressures, which will need to be properly considered when handling those refrigerants.”

A high-level panel session concluded the symposium representing the views of the organisers and the audience about “Policy and Technical Measures for Consideration

by Industry and Governments to Promote Future Refrigerants”.

SNIPPET

From pixels to people

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he 2014 winner of the Volvo Environment Prize, Professor Eric Lambin, a remote sensing pioneer, is using advanced data collection and satellite images to understand land use and the influence of humans on the planet. Prof Lambin, with his research colleagues, has

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January 2015

tracked land use changes on the impact of trade and demand for biofuels or food crops for decades.

His research makes it possible for businesses, NGOs and governments to better monitor in almost real-time environmental impacts from human activities.

January 2015

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report

t u o g n i m o C s d o o w e h t of ers to the w s n a e id rov ought to p of the economic s i a b u D y e in the region the severit Conferenc f in A o s E n e ID u io s t 4 a is 1 mic ber 20 combin ding syste n a t The Decem allenges posed by a s g n ch us and lo perplexing t is hopefully past tha downturn ndar

By B Sure

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I

n a much-welcomed development by the industry, the UAE Government reiterated its support for District Cooling as a strategic means to reduce power consumption. The expression of support came during discussions involving two different government bodies – the UAE Ministry of Energy and the Dubai Regulatory & Supervisory Bureau for Water and Electricity – during the districtCOOLING 2014

January 2015

conference conducted by the International District Energy Association (IDEA) and hosted

by Dubai-headquartered District Cooling provider, Empower, from December 14 to 16 at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai.

The conference, which was held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, saw H.E. Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, the CEO and Managing Director of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) attending the

Rob Thornton and H.E. Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer on the opening day of the conference

Stakeholders in full force

plenary session. It was the first time the DEWA head attended IDEA’s international conference platform, previously held in Dubai and Doha. His presence was yet another reassuring signal of the UAE Government’s growing interest in District Cooling to the stakeholders gathered in the Meyana Theatre of the hotel.

The conference saw the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Empower and District Cooling equipment manufacturer, Johnson Controls, under which the manufacturer will deploy a pilot project aimed at providing District Cooling with a reduced burden on precious water resources (see side-bar, titled ‘Addressing the energy-water nexus’).

Power tariffs distort the market, because they are not cost-based in the GCC region

It was the prospect of reducing the demand on water that enthused the official from the UAE Ministry of Energy attending the conference. The official, H.E. Eng. Fathima Alfoora Alshamsi, who is the Assistant Undersecretary for Electricity, Clean Energy & Desalinated Water Affairs at the Ministry, spoke of the keenness of the federal government to try to achieve a sweet-spot in the energywater nexus. “This year (2014), we developed

different teams to develop 2030 UAE Energy Strategy and the 2030 Water strategy,” Alshamsi said. “One of the main things we count on is energy efficiency and demand-side management.

Yes, we are talking about District Cooling, but you are using water, so what solution can be had? If we have to burn energy to create water, the pilot project [involving Empower and JCI] is a good initiative, so we are going to look closely at its outcome, so it will give us good knowledge about energy efficiency and water efficiency.

The information can be used to guide policies and regulation.

This will lead to a greener city.”

The Ministry of Energy is responsible for federal policies and regulations related to electricity and water; hence, Alshamsi’s words drove home a powerful message – the Government was listening and was willing to adopt innovative approaches aimed at reducing energy and water consumption in nationwide efforts to provide cooling, keeping in mind social and economic compulsions.

As Alshamsi put it: “The UAE is facing six to eight per cent overall demand growth on electricity, owing to a new lifestyle and an increase in population. Between 2000 and 2010, we have had a 148% growth in population, from three million to 10 million.

That challenge has added to the Government’s ambition for economic development.”

Smart Metering Smart Solutions Smart People Smart Customers

altogether to

Manage energy better

January 2015

47

report

The other Government official to throw a supporting arm around District Cooling’s shoulder during the conference was Graeme Sims, the Executive Director at the Dubai Regulatory & Supervisory Bureau for Water and Electricity. The Bureau works under the auspices of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, which has included District Cooling as one among eight strategic and enabling pillars to improve the efficiency of energy use in the emirate by 30% by the year 2030.

As part of its over-arching strategy, the Government of Dubai has expressed intent to deploy District Cooling not only in new construction but also in existing neighbourhoods through a retrofitting programme.

Spelling out the Government’s view, Sims said: “District Cooling is expected to deliver around one-seventh of the demand-side management strategy’s energy savings.

We expect District Cooling penetration to rise from the current less than 20% to 40%.”

Sims’ statements came during a presentation-cumpanel discussion session on regulation, a crucial topic at a time when District Cooling is reportedly at a crossroads with uncertainty swirling around it.

Much of the uncertainty has to do with a blurred vision on the economics and financing of District Cooling schemes in the Middle East and consumer unhappiness over lack of clarity on the rates District Cooling providers are charging, a situation that has the consumers and consultants questioning the efficacy of District Cooling as an approach.

Mark Spurr, one of the panelists during the session on regulation, precisely had the challenges facing District Cooling in mind. “Power tariffs distort the market, because they are not cost based in the GCC,” Spurr, who is IDEA’s Legislative Director and is the President of the US division of the District Energy and CHP

48

January 2015

James Furlong and Ahmad Bin Shafar sign the MoU

Addressing the energy-water nexus Is Thermosyphon technology the answer to the water conundrum facing District Cooling providers?

I

DEA’s districtCOOLING 2014 conference was the platform for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Empower and District Cooling equipment manufacturer, Johnson Controls (JCI), under which the manufacturer will deploy a pilot project aimed at providing District Cooling in the Middle East with a reduced burden on precious water resources.

Empower CEO, Ahmad Bin Shafar signed on behalf of the District Cooling provider, and James Furlong, the Vice President (Industrial Refrigeration) at Johnson Controls, on behalf of the manufacturer. Present during the signing ceremony were H.E. Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, the CEO and Managing Director of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and H.E. Robert P Waller, US ConsulGeneral in Dubai.

The pilot project will see JCI deploy its Thermosyphon Cooler Hybrid System, a dry sensible cooling device, specifically designed for application in open cooling water systems.

The technology, Furlong said, was the answer to questions JCI posed to itself, such as, “How can the efficiency and capacity advantages of evaporative rejection be delivered with far less water consumption?” and “What if we don’t have enough energy or, conversely, enough water to base on either water or air cooled systems? Is there an in-between?”

Water efficiency is a key aspect to the region’s thinking, and Empower said the MoU with JCI was a step in the right direction. Furlong said the pilot project offered an opportunity to demonstrate smarter ways to balance the needs. “Water and energy scarcity is a global issue, and our desire is this will help solve,” he added.

Waller said the type of collaboration, as between

Empower and JCI, had the support “from the highest” in the United States. “I am confident this project will be of great benefit to both companies and both countries,” Waller said.

Speaking on behalf of the UAE, H.E. Eng. Fathima Alfoora Alshamsi, the Assistant Undersecretary for Electricity, Clean Energy & Desalinated Water Affairs at the Ministry of Energy said, “I congratulate JCI and Empower on signing on the pilot project that has the potential of significantly reducing the annual make-up water requirements. Electricity and water are drivers of development in the UAE. This fact is recognised by the Government of the UAE. For the Ministry of Energy, we are directing the energy efficiency through UAE Strategy 2030. Efficiency at minimum cost without affecting economic growth is a key area of importance to us. The Ministry of Energy is focusing on water and energy efficiency and to reduce the strain on water and energy providers, owing to the quick growth of the UAE.”

The impact of concessions will not be too much [for the Government] if you give only to District Cooling providers

what could be done to give concessions to providers, in view of the grid-offsetting capability of District Cooling, the response was typically polarising. Empower CEO, Ahmad Bin Shafar, a longtime opponent of rebates, said the focus ought to be on bringing concessions to operations. “The smart way is to use treated sewage effluent Magazine (TSE) to preserve wateradv for with

the next generation,” he said.

“The saving we have on TSE is on the price level, so it is a good direction. But to take concessions… yes, TES can save on peak load, but none of the plants we are doing have reached peak load. It’s not smart for us to go to the government for subsidy but to use technology and come up with innovative ideas. That’s bleed.pdf 1 signing 1/8/15with 1:58 PM why we are JCI.”

Adib Moubadder, the CEO of Emicool, differed in his view. “The tariff of energy, 47 fils, is high,” he countered.

“So there should be peak and off-peak rates. All of us have TES, and you can take the benefit of non-peak rate. We have to pass on the benefit to the end-user and not penalise them for using District Cooling. The impact of concessions will not be too

firm, FVB Energy, said. “District Cooling can look really expensive and upset people, because developers may not be allocating those costs that may be fair.

District Cooling utilities will need to recover the costs. Operating costs of cooling are often hidden.”

Spurr said it was important to regulate District Cooling to ensure customer protection, to increase energy efficiency and water efficiency and to facilitate economic efficiency, considering that the lowest lifecycle cost is with District Cooling.

He advocated a regulatory framework that would include standards for District Cooling capacity planning and a truly integrated infrastructure planning in the case of electricity and water. Spurr called for appropriate electricity tariffs that were costbased, factored in the time of use and included incentives for thermal energy storage (TES) use.

TES was one of several topics that came up during a panel discussion involving all the major District Cooling providers in the region. It was perhaps the first time senior officials of all the providers were on the same platform during a District Cooling conference in the region, a situation that provided a significant opportunity to seek insights on a critical topic – concessions.

To a question from IDEA President, Rob Thornton, on

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report

Voices District Cooling is not a new idea but has found new relevance in a world seeking solutions to economic development, climate change, poverty.

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy have put District Cooling on the agenda.

Lily Riahi, Advisor on Sustainable Energy in Cities, Energy Branch, United Nations Environment Programme

All power is local, but we are in an interconnected world, so this local power has global ramifications.

Katrina Pielli, Senior Advisor, International Energy Efficiency and Clean Energy Technologies, US Department of Energy

We should maximise our strength. We are efficient when it comes to power, but not water. So we have a lot of work to do on water-efficiency and look to increase the number of cycles and also think outside the box, such as deep sea water cooling, like we use in Bahrain.

Jasim Thabet, CEO, Tabreed We look at pipes in the ground only when someone hits them, else no. We have plant maintenance, and we do predictive maintenance to maintain the credibility of District Cooling in the region… if any plant stops functioning in the summer, then the image of District Cooling takes a beating.

James Kassim, Director of Operation and

The best fuel we can use is fuel avoidance.

To give District Cooling a better name, if you can work with customers to reduce energy usage, it will make your customers feel better, and you will have a lot more capacity to serve others.

Maintenance, Tabreed

Joe Brillhart, Global Industrial Chillers,

I see that the capacities of chillers are all the same, and we then run some for 60%.

So why not run a chiller for 100% by choosing a lower capacity?

Johnson Controls

Tariq Al Yasi, Chief Operations & Maintenance Officer, Empower

We have 2.4 million tonnes of refrigeration on the platform. We had 25,000 tonnes in Hartford, and it was the largest [plant] in the world then… a rounding error now, yes?

Emicool’s bills are models of clarity.

Graeme Sims, Executive Director, Dubai Regulatory & Supervisory Bureau for Water & Electricity

IDEA President Rob Thornton (referring to the representatives from Emicool, Empower Qatar Cool, Tabreed and Tabreed Oman on the panel at the conference)

The traditional grid is moving from fossil fuels to Renewable Energy… intermittent, like wind and solar. So we need to see storage to benefit the grid and to use the excess to cut the peak and to support the grid.

When I met Ahmad (Empower CEO, Ahmad Bin Shafar) 11 year ago in Seattle, he said, “Hello, I am Ahmad, I am going to build one million tonnes of District Cooling”, and I said, “Oh, good luck!” Today, Empower has achieved it.

Rob Thornton, IDEA President

Ken Smith, CEO, District Energy St Paul

L-R: Stephen Davies, Deputy General Manager, Corporate Banking, Commercial Bank of Dubai; David Dubin, Managing Director, Capital Markets Origination, Head of Projects & Infrastructure, Finance, EMEA, Citibank; Deepa Bharadwaj Pasumarty, Managing Director, Global head, Infrastructure & Transportation, Standard Chartered Bank; Adrian Sender, Executive Manager, Corporate Finance Wholesale Banking, Doha Bank; Farrukh Zaman, Senior Vice President, Corporate And Investment Banking Group, Large Corporates Division, Mashreq Bank

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January 2015

January 2015

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report

much [for the Government] if you give only to District Cooling providers, who use TSE and other efficient tools to bring value, so we should be given the benefit [of concessions].”

The issue of rates was something that came up during a later panel discussion involving bankers, which many that attended felt was a welcome feature of the conference, considering the fact that the District Cooling industry in the region has traditionally found it a challenge to make a proper case for raising finance.

Speaking on the issue of rates, Farrukh Zaman, the Division Head (Large Corporate) at Mashreq Bank, said he wanted to see transparency of tariffs.

“What is the basis of the charges?” he asked. “Why so much here and something elsewhere?”

The discussion involving bankers revealed the guarded mind-set of the financial community towards District Cooling, and yet a willingness to loosen the purse strings, provided some key questions were answered in a satisfactory manner. As Deepa Pasumarthy, the Global Head & Managing Director of Infrastructure &

Yes, it is critical infrastructure, but it is linked to real estate and associated risks. So we need to see regulation and areas where we need protection from a corporate basis Transportation at Standard Chartered, said: “We see District Cooling as a clean energy tool, and we look to see how we can move this thing forward, what are the blockages we see and how can we change that.”

One of the fundamental

challenges involving the financing of District Cooling schemes is in settling down its identity as a utility. As Pasumarthy asked: “How do you successfully position it as a utility-side business?

There is a need to firm things up, identity-wise, for as David Dubin, the Managing Director, Head of EMEA Project & Infrastructure Finance at Citibank, said, “Utilities are an asset class that investors want to be in.”

Agreeing with Dubin on the opportunities available to District Cooling, provided its identity could be settled, Pasumarthy said, the linkage to real estate made it difficult to argue. “The challenge is in how you push it forward,” she said. “Yes, it is critical infrastructure, but it is linked to real estate and associated risks. So we need to see regulation and areas where we need protection from a corporate basis.” Added Adrian Sender, Head of Corporate Finance at Doha Bank: “One of the key benefits is the master-planning area, where sufficient de-risking takes place. The other key area we take a lot of comfort [in] is the

government ownership.”

The discussion involving the bankers (watch out for the detailed story in the February 2015 issue) was one of the highlights of the conference, as evidenced by the interest among the delegates. A key area that quite went unaddressed, though, was the consumer perspective.

Spurr did refer to the need for protecting the consumer in his presentation, as did Sims during a discussion on cooling load estimates. Sims said: “We see peak demands are significantly below the contracted capacity. That’s a high cost the customers bear.”

Equally, there was very little by way of representation by the consumer community, an area that could have been addressed – that needed addressing to reverse an existing perception towards District Cooling. As Sims said, “The paradox of District Cooling [in the region] is that customers are metered by what they use and connection, which makes District Cooling transparent, but customers are seeing District Cooling as anything but transparent.”

SNIPPETS

Heat-blocking windows

A

ccording to a study published by the American Chemical Society’s journal Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, scientists are developing smart windows capable of responding to energy cues like, electricity, gas, light and heat. For example, when the temperature rises outside, the windows turn opaque white to block excess heat, while still allowing light to pass. They are expected to save energy and cut electricity bills.

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January 2015

Fuel from dust

A

ccording to a report in the journal Energy & Environmental Science, researchers at KU Leuven’s Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, Belgium, have successfully converted sawdust into building blocks for gasoline.

Applying a new chemical process, they were reportedly able to convert the cellulose in sawdust into hydrocarbon chains that can be used as an additive in gasoline, or as a component in plastics. The implication of the breakthrough is that it allows making a “petrochemical” product using biomass.

Industry to deliver economic and environmental Return on Investment (eROI), through reliable, cost-effective and sustainable solutions and technology.

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Nalco Gulf Ltd.

P.O Box 17063 Nalco Gulf Ltd. FD3, R/A8 P.O. Box 17063 Jebel Ali Free Zone FD3, Dubai, R/ABUAE Tel.: +971-4-814-6800 Jebel Ali Free Zone Fax: +971-4-814-6801 Dubai, UAE Europe HQ Tel: +971-4-814-6800 +41 31 614 6400 Fax: +971-4-814-6801 www. nalco.com

Europe HQ +41 31 614 6400 www.nalco.com

©2014 Ecolab, NALCO and the logo are Trademarks of Ecolab USA Inc. 53 January 2015

Dan Mizesko is Managing Partner, U.S. Chiller Services Int, HVAC & Energy Services. He can be contacted at dan@uschillerservices.com

which must be adjusted for Gulf conditions.

Energy savings with a VFD on a centrifugal chiller Controlling two mechanics – impeller tip speed and inlet guide – can help save energy.

Going retro – the way forward

VFD retrofits for existing centrifugal chillers not only offer huge energy and cost savings but can also be tweaked to align with power usage based on Gulf conditions, says Dan Mizesko.

V

ariable Frequency Drive (VFD) technology is not new to the HVAC industry. VFDs have been used extensively for Air Handling Units, fresh air fans, cooling tower fans, chilled water and condenser water pumps and makeup water pumps for many years now. With state-of-the-art compressor technology and microprocessorbased control systems, manufacturers now offer VFDs specially designed for centrifugal chillers and field retrofits, which allow substantial energy savings.

Application of VFDs

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January 2015

to centrifugal chillers requires a control strategy that understands centrifugal chiller and VFD operation. Typical ARI conditions are 44/54 degree F (6.66/12.22°C) for chilled water and 85/95°F (29.44/95° C) for condenser water temperatures. ARI also specifies Integrated PartLoad Values (IPLV) which take into consideration the part-load capacity operation of the centrifugal chillers with varying entering condenser water temperatures. One such standard used for centrifugal chillers is ARI Standard 550/590-98,

Application of VFDs to centrifugal chillers requires a control strategy that understands centrifugal chiller and VFD operation

Impeller tip speed: A centrifugal compressor performance relies on the impeller design tip speed, which is the tangential velocity of the refrigerant at the edge of the impeller wheel when it leaves the impeller (Figure 1), to increase the refrigerant pressure between evaporator and condenser. This pressure difference created between the evaporator and condenser is called “lift” or the “head” (Figure 2) that the compressor must create to move the refrigerant through its cycle. The head depends on many parameters, such as chilled water and condenser water temperatures and also the fouling factors.

Impeller speed is directly proportional to the head created.

Obviously, the greater the head, the higher the energy input and, hence, higher impeller speeds. However, the head conditions may change with a change in load pattern and outside ambient conditions (reduced condenser water temperature). Variable frequency drives reduce the compressor speed as the head drops and moves the compressor into a higher efficiency region in the compressor map, often allowing the

compressor to operate more efficiently than at the full-load condition.

input to the motor in order to consume the least amount of energy.

Inlet guide vanes: In a fixed-speed centrifugal chiller, inlet guide vanes are used to control the flow of the refrigerant at the inlet of the compressor to vary the compressor capacity.

When the guide vanes move from fully open to slightly closed, compressor efficiency can actually improve because the guide vanes “pre-swirl” the refrigerant entering the impeller. As the vanes continue to close, however, the vane action quickly becomes a restriction, losing the pre-rotation effect and reducing the compressor capacity and efficiency.

A centrifugal compressor with a VFD slows the compressor to match the head conditions, without closing the guide vanes.

Keeping the inlet guide vanes open improves the compressor operating efficiency.

Electricity savings by VFD A VFD and controls retrofit can save between 30 and 35% of the chillers power usage based on Gulf conditions. To calculate the operating cost of a centrifugal chiller during the full year, all the operating conditions, such as condenser water temperatures as well as cooling load should be considered.

How does variable frequency drive work?

The variable frequency drive needs a lot of information to work.

Figure 1: Centrifugal chiller components

Figure 2: Pressure vs Enthalpy diagram

A VFD has to continuously monitor several operating conditions, such as chilled water temperature, chilled water set point, refrigerant pressures, IGV position and the actual motor speed.

This information is then fed to a microprocessor that determines the most efficient way to operate. It optimises both motor speed and the IGV position, and changes the frequency of the power

Other benefits of a VFD on centrifugal chiller Soft start: With a variable frequency drive, power is initially applied for start-up at a very low frequency, which, when gradually increased, allows a little motor slip. The result is a high torque per amp of current, minimising the extra amps required to start the motor. Therefore, the inrush amps for a VFD never exceed the 100% FLA of the motor. Other soft starters, such as Star Delta or Solid State starters have 200-400% FLA as the inrush amps at the start-

I aspire to build a platform that would enable the sharing of knowledge in the form of practical learning and experience from the various industry's leaders to the academia by bridging the ‘knowledge gap’. The goal is to simply ensure that the students and youth have the necessary practical knowledge of the various industries apart from academic theories alone.

Tariq Hilal Al-Barwani, Founder, Knowledge Oman

January 2015

55

up. This makes variable frequency drive an ideal starter, particularly for applications with limited inrush capabilities, such as emergency generator systems. Also, the generators and cabling can be down- sized, as they do not have to incorporate extra capacity required for the start-up.

Enhanced unloading capacity: Retrofit to a VFD enhances the unloading capability of a centrifugal chiller by varying the speed prior to closing the guide vanes. This allows better

56

tracking of low-load conditions. This also eliminates unnecessary cycling of the centrifugal chiller, resulting in reduced maintenance and better control of the chilled water loop. Smooth starts enhance the motor and compressor life.

Quiet operation: Most of the noise generated by the centrifugal compressor is due to the refrigerant discharged at high velocity into the condenser. Slowing down the compressor reduces the discharge velocity at low heads, and hence reduces noise.

January 2015

Power factor correction: A VFD gives automatic correction to at least 95% at all operating conditions.

A normal centrifugal chiller has a power factor of 0.85 at 100% load, which further reduces at part-load and can go down to as low as 0.60.

The best real-world performance: In the real world, energy performance at real-world conditions has little to do with bottom line energy costs (full-load Kw per ton design); what happens at off-design conditions is much more important.

A VFD retrofit offers an excellent opportunity to attain quick payback and

return on the VFD retrofit investment, particularly for facilities operating continuously, such as hotels, District Cooling plants, hospitals, residential buildings, data and call centres, factories and almost all buildings in the GCC. VFDs on centrifugal chillers are being offered by most of the major centrifugal suppliers on new equipment offering.

But don’t miss out on the retrofit option. Considering the ever-increasing cost of electricity, it’s a wiser choice to opt for energysaving options like a VFD retrofit on your existing centrifugal chillers.

FEATURE

Things hotting up for heat exchangers The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy adopting District Cooling as one of eight strategic pillars to reduce power consumption in the Emirate by 30% by 2030, even as standalone water-cooled chillers continue to register parallel growth, augurs well for the heat exchanger market. Pratibha Umashankar gives the finer details, with inputs from Nickyta Ray.

T

he Dubai Regulatory and Supervisory Bureau (RSB) for Water and Electricity, which works under the auspices of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, in its avowed commitment to deliver a more efficient and sustainable energy sector for the emirate, has plotted a trajectory to change the way energy is supplied and used. “By 2030, the aim is to raise energy efficiency by 30%,” the body says and, more significantly, adds: “Much of Dubai’s energy demand comes from the need to cool homes and businesses. Providing cooling at a district, rather than building level can be more efficient.

Dubai’s energy strategy looks to increase the share of District Cooling from under 20% currently to 40% by 2030….

We are also examining other methods to promote District Cooling and

58

ensure it is planned, designed and operated efficiently.”1 The subtext of the news is, heat exchangers are an integral part of District Cooling, and will be in demand.

January 2015

The opportunities of the market in the UAE is quite huge…. And for all the HVAC applications, heat exchangers are used

Hot property Pär Björkman, Segment Manager, District Energy, at SWEP International AB, spells it out: “Government initiatives and customer demands are driving the development of energy-saving technologies and technologies that enable effective use of renewable energy sources. District Cooling is both cost-effective and environmentally sustainable and, therefore, an increasingly preferred technology. This drives the demand for heat exchangers used in these systems.”

Widening the arc, Pramod Padmanabhan, Director of Middle-East Operations, at Gulf Sondex, says that the initiatives taken by the Dubai Government with regard to District Cooling is being replicated everywhere in the Middle East region due to its proven track record.

The expected demand for heat exchangers in District Cooling is predicated by the fact that they are also essential components in thermal systems ranging from automotive, aerospace, and commercial building HVACs to heating, cooling, and heat recovery applications in industrial plants.

Add to this the rising clamour for energy and cost efficiency and smaller installation footprint, and manufacturers of heat exchangers for HVAC applications may be eyeing a meaty chunk of the market share pie.

Rahul Patil, Regional Sales Manager of GEA Ecoflex

Middle East, FZE, echoes this when he says: “More and more acceptance and implementation of District Cooling plants, coupled with revived and increased construction projects, not only within Dubai or the UAE but also across the GCC [region] and the Middle East markets, in general, means more opportunities and potential for plate heat exchangers.”

Moiz NJ, Director of Dolphin Radiators and Cooling Systems, endorsing this, says: “All these projects require heat exchangers in some form, either for cooling or heating. The opportunities of the market in the UAE is quite huge…. And for all the HVAC applications, heat exchangers are used.”

Hazarding a prediction based on his company’s experience, he adds: “At present, the market is growing at a steady pace in the UAE. The growth of 7.5%-10% would be envisaged for this market in heat exchangers year on year.

Apart from the obvious reasons, a global market outlook report, published in Climate Control Middle East, last year, alluding to the rising graph for heat exchangers, attributed a set of other interesting reasons: • An increasingly mature global heat exchanger market is being spurred by a decade of gradual technological improvements.

• Rising land prices in urban areas strongly encourages the adoption of more compact heat exchanger solutions.

• The ability to adapt to future demands for thermally longer heat exchangers is seen as a major differentiating factor.

• Growth rates in emerging nations in the Asia-Pacific,

Latin America and the Middle East regions show encouraging signs.

• Growth is also and mainly being driven by a much smaller base.2

Trends

The major types of heat exchangers are shell and tube, plate and frame, air-cooled, and printed circuit units. In Moiz NJ’s opinion, it is brazed plate heat exchangers (BPHEs) that are now being preferred to shell and tube heat changers in order to reduce the size of the unit, where space is a constraint.

Björkman believes that higher efficiency, lower energy consumption and lifecycle costs and a more compact design are the reasons BPHEs are gaining ground over traditional plate heat exchangers (PHEs) in many applications.

For District Cooling applications, however, PHEs are a prime source of heat transfer, Moiz NJ highlights.

In general, BPHEs, an evolution of the PHE concept, further reduce weight and footprint, and are expected to continue to gain market share. Putting this into a wider context, a Frost and Sullivan assessment regards BPHEs and all-welded PHEs as the only two technologies in the growth phase of their product lifecycles.3 Patil adds that the current market trend is shifting more towards AHRI400-certified heat exchangers for HVAC/District Cooling applications. “It assures the end-user/owner with the thermal performance of the equipment within the specified tolerances set out by AHRI,” he explains.

What’s new?

Speaking of innovation, Moiz NJ says: “Research and Development is an ongoing process for most OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers). The idea is to always be more innovative and creative in terms of cost/energy saving…. Being in this region,

we notice a lot of production loss due to hot temperatures.

As a result, heat exchangers are more often designed for 50°C-55°C.” Signalling the arrival of “smart” components, Padmanabhan reveals, “Proactive maintenance and monitoring of Key Performance Indicators allows users to track the heat exchanger’s efficiency and, thereby, maintain the heart of their system.”

To obviate the limitation of BPHEs to handle high-flow rates, new developments also appear to lean in the direction of further improving weight-to-capacity efficiency.

This is also accelerated by increasing material costs and the demand for smaller units to minimise installation footprint, aimed at winning market share from older technologies.

could not only play a pivotal role in this initiative but also, in the process, become a beneficiary.

performance of heat exchangers will be of greater importance.”

Looking ahead, the heat exchanger industry will offer, more specifically for the HVAC market, several incremental improvements, but they will have to resonate with new environmentally friendly refrigerants.

“One other area for growth would be if the Government is adopting energy efficiency audits,” Padmanabhan points out. “This initiative would create an opportunity to sell more heat exchangers.”

Coming back a full circle to where we began, this ties up with the vision of the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy for Dubai to become “a role model to the world in energy security and efficiency, aiming to reduce energy demand by 30%”.4 The heat exchangers sector

References 1. http://www.rsbdubai. gov.ae/wp-content/ uploads/2014/05/RSB2014-en.pdf 2. and 3. Heat exchangers – a market outlook in Climate Control Middle East, January 2014 4. http://www.dewa.gov.ae/ images/DEWA_Sustainabilty_ report.pdf

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

The F-Gas effect

The heat exchanger market, as is the case with other related sectors, faces challenges resulting from the recent European F-gas (fluorinated greenhouse gases) regulations, which will have a profound impact on, among other things, heat exchangers used as evaporators and condensers in chillers. This is another area where there is potential for innovation.

, YO U R T R U S T E D PA R T N E R F O R YO U R ENGINEERING, ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT SOLUTIONS

In the final analysis…

With increasing labour, maintenance and lifecycle costs, there is a general impetus towards energyefficient and cost-saving equipment worldwide, and heat exchangers offer an attractive option. But as a corollary, increased demand for heat exchangers will impose greater pressure on manufacturers. As Padmanabhan predicts, “There is going to be a renewed focus on energy efficiency and energy savings and, therefore,

EN GIN EERIN G

EN ERGY

EN VI RONMENT

Phone +971 4 445 7131, +971 4 447 4407 Fax +971 4 447 4410 P.O.Box 125787, Jumeirah Lakes Towers Tiffany Tower, 30th Floor - Dubai, U.A.E. info@en3solutions.com www.en3solutions.com

THE THREE FACTORS COMPANY

January 2015

Engineering

Energy

Environment

59

THE PROCESS COOLING REPORT

Design engineers endeavour to offer optimal cost and efficiency benefits to end-users in process cooling. Pratibha Umashankar collates a few of the roadblocks that need to be surmounted to achieve their goals in water-cooled chillers.

W

ater is used in process cooling systems as a medium to transfer heat and, sometimes, also as the final point of heat rejection into the atmosphere.

A typical water-cooled system is, therefore, prone to contaminants like scaling, fouling, corrosion, dust and microbiological activity. This is true even when potable water is used.

Any one of the contaminants singly, or in combination could affect the efficiency of the system, thereby leading to: • Compromising the quality of water • Increased water usage • Hike in operation and maintenance costs • Unscheduled downtime • Reduced capacity • Frequent parts replacements • Reduced longevity of the system

60

Apart from these, more significantly, it could pose a health hazard to those who come in contact with the water/system.

Scaling

Scaling is the deposition of salts and other mineral particles present in water. The deposits range from thin, tightly adherent films to thick, gelatinous masses, depending on the material deposited and the mechanism causing the deposition.

Scale deposits are typically formed by precipitation and crystal growth on surfaces in contact with water, such as heat exchangers and pipelines.

“Precipitation occurs when solubilities are exceeded either in the bulk water or at the surface. The most common scaleforming salts that deposit on heat transfer surfaces are those that exhibit retrograde solubility with temperature.”1 Generally (but not always), mineral deposits become less soluble with increases in temperature, which happens when

January 2015

cooling water systems absorb heat from the processes they are cooling. “As the water is cooled through evaporation, the concentration of all the dissolved solids in the remaining re-circulating water, including calcium carbonate increases. Left unchecked, calcium carbonate will precipitate as sludge in the cooling tower and as a deposit in the heat exchanger.”2 Scaling takes a toll on energy efficiency, hampers production and causes a possible system shutdown.

“This can cost millions of dollars in process cooling.”3 Jean-Marc Marchand of Stellar Energy underscores this: “Scaling up of heat transfer surfaces impedes performance of the system and shortens the life of the equipment. This also increases the consumption of water and energy, which is incongruous to the environmental and economic benefits of free and partial free cooling.”4 In addition, the deposits cause oxygen differential cells to form. These cells accelerate corrosion and lead to process equipment failure.

Corrosion

Microbial organisms, once they enter the system, form colonies at places where there is low water velocity, and are particularly difficult to eliminate

Corrosion is defined as “the destruction or loss of metal through chemical or electrochemical reaction with its surrounding environment.”5 Simply put, free oxygen in the water passes over a metal surface and reacts with it, causing corrosion of the metal.

Corrosion in cooling water systems can occur for several reasons. A few of them are: • Constant aeration of water leading to fresh supply of oxygen • Chemicals used to prevent scaling by controlling pH being overfed • Anaerobic bacteria flourishing under deposits and in stagnant areas of the system causing severe localised corrosion and pitting.6

Corrosion needs to be controlled, because metal once lost, cannot be replaced and leads to premature loss of plant assets. It could also cause fouling.

Fouling

Fouling is also a form of deposition, but of suspended matter. Foulants enter a cooling system through makeup water as particulate matter, airborne

contaminants, process leaks, and, as stated earlier, through corrosion.

Both iron and aluminum are particularly harmful, because they can act as coagulants.

Process leaks introduce a variety of contaminants that accelerate deposition and corrosion.7 Airborne contaminants usually consist of clay and dirt and dust particles, but can include gases,

such as hydrogen sulfide, which form insoluble precipitates with many metal ions.

“In this region, we experience a lot of environmental dust, which is scrubbed from the air by the action of cooling towers,” warns Peter Tracey, the General Manager of CoolTech Energy Water Treatment. “The effects of this are similar to scaling, and often, the two phenomena are confused.”8

The buildup of sediments and debris through fouling poses operational challenges, inhibits heat transfer, impedes the flow of water and increases the use of cooling water.

The control of fouling by preventing agglomeration is one of the most fundamental aspects of deposition control, believe experts.

In addition, proper planning at the design stage can minimise the negative effects of fouling.

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THE PROCESS COOLING REPORT Microbiological activity

The use of chemicals as scale and corrosion inhibitors as well as biocides are typically being squeezed by tighter environmental legislation

Cooling water systems, unfortunately form ideal breeding grounds for microbiological activity, as the temperature is conducive to their growth. Coupled with this is the fact that contaminants contained in the air enter the system when the air is drawn in, resulting in unwanted growth, such as algae, slime, fungus and Legionella. In a nutshell, elevated temperatures and contaminants encourage microbiological activity.

Microbial organisms, once they enter the system, form colonies at places where there is low water velocity, and are particularly difficult to eliminate.

Apart from causing loss of heat transfer, plugging nozzles and strainers, they are potential health hazards. Because of their rapid and persistent growth, combatting biological fouling needs to be addressed differently than scaling and corrosion. The control of Legionella, in particular, is important, as it could cause Legionnaires’ Disease to

those who work or live in its proximity, and could be fatal.

Conclusion It needs to be remembered that the challenges of scaling, fouling, corrosion and microbiological activity are inter-related and a multipronged approach is needed to overcome them. The treatment regimen, therefore, needs to be a judicious combination of the right kind of equipment, chemical treatment and constant vigilance.

In this context, Tracey points to another dimension – increasing environmental demands. “The use of chemicals as scale and corrosion inhibitors as well as biocides are typically being squeezed,” he says, “by tighter environmental legislation.

Leading water treatment companies are, therefore, constantly upgrading their chemical products to meet new legislation.” This, in itself, is proving to be yet another challenge to contend with, for the process cooling industry.

References 1. and 7. http://www.gewater.com/ handbook/cooling_water_ systems/ch_25_deposit.jsp 2. http://www. hohwatertechnology.com/ cooling-water-systems.html 3. and 8. Peter Tracey, Scaling the cooling towers in Climate Control Middle East, The Process Cooling Report, March 2014 4. Jean-Marc Marchand, How to optimise industrial process and data centre cooling, Climate Control Middle East, The Process Cooling Report, March 2014 5. http://www.slideshare.net/ 6. http://www. hohwatertechnology.com/ cooling-water-systems.html

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

SNIPPETS

Plastic pieces choke the oceans

Will India go the green tech way?

I

n an article in The Times of India, dated December 13, Nobel Laureate and former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has stated: “With the two largest economies and polluters of the World – USA and China – agreeing on key climate targets, and German energy giant E

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ON shifting away from fossil fuels to renewable power, the world is now looking to India to give a lead. The country is the world’s thirdlargest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions.”

January 2015

D

ata collated from scientists across six countries comprising 24 expeditions over a six-year period from 2007-2013 across all five sub-tropical gyres (a gyre is any large system of rotating ocean currents), has revealed that more than five trillion pieces of plastic, collectively weighing nearly 270,000 tonnes, are floating in the world’s oceans. The data included information about both macro and microplastics, which were then used to calibrate an ocean model of plastic distribution.

May 2015 Dubai, UAE

January 2015

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CASE-IN POINT

The world under one roof Fabric Architecture provided a retractable fabric roof for a special Qatar FIFA Fan Zone during World Cup 2014. Touted to be the world’s first, the cool and comfortable environment it created could be replicated at Doha 2022. We bring you the case study.

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January 2015

Introduction

To enhance fan engagement during the FIFA World Cup 2014, the Qatar FIFA Fan Zone in Doha featured a global design first – a retractable fabric roofing system by Fabric Architecture. Set to become an exemplar project for Kinetic Architecture in the build-up to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the structure benefited from the flexibility of a complete, partial or fully open roofing system to create a comfortable interior environment.

The background

The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy’s fan zone opened on June 28, 2014. The structure broadcast the last 16 matches of the FIFA World Cup tournament in Brazil to crowds of up to 2,000 people on Qatar’s largest LED panoramic screen.

The challenge

Designing an appropriate roofing solution for the structure meant overcoming a number of challenges. The fan zone required an open-air design, yet had to provide spectators with cooling, protection and respite from the high temperatures.

Also, it had to be constructed within a short time scale.

The solution

We have played an integral role in demonstrating that an open-air arena can be cooled from 45°C to 26°C

The teams of Project Engineers at Arup and Fabric Architecture were appointed to deliver the unique roofing system, and Fabric Architecture appointed SCX Special Projects to develop the electrical mechanical interface.

The roof was designed with eight fabric canopies fixed onto 12-metre-long tracks, and each canopy retracted individually or in tandem. This meant that the zone could benefit from a complete or partial open-air structure, providing protection when necessary in a comfortable interior environment. The fabric canopy was a low-e fabric, which featured a solar transmission factor of just four per cent.

commented: “Delivering a roofing system that had never been attempted before, and in such a short time frame was, of course, a real challenge.

Fabric Architecture’s expertise, enthusiasm and experience, as well as the company’s collaborative hands-on approach was absolutely crucial to the project’s success."

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

Results and benefits

The 12-metre-long tracks creating the roof structure sat atop four towers. Air conditioning ducts were installed within these towers and also in several cooling tables located under the stage and the seating around the fan zone. This meant that although the cooling system itself was discreet, it helped reduce the zone’s interior temperature by 19 degrees when compared with the external temperature.

“We have worked on a number of kinetic architecture projects and have created beautiful, yet practical structures,” said Nigel Browne, Design Director at Fabric Architecture. “However, the World Cup fan zone represented a unique set of design, performance and environmental challenges. We are incredibly proud of what has been achieved, and we have played an integral role in demonstrating that an open-air arena can be cooled from 45 °C to 26°C; in the case of this project, it was even surpassed.

We fully expect this to become an exemplar project for different open air stadia around the world.”

What the client said …

Nic Merridew, Programme Management Consultant, Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy,

January 2015

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‘VS

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ct ew se eh e . N t m in ne ick ren ina d s rgy yt ds, r o us co a in rg tai s Ra c an n t h y lud is ab as re in ed le po g b H rts its y VA C . ow n

wi tre ll b in m rin en en g er do ab In gy us ou b a ap eco n at m m D p ’ sa t ho anf licat e a osp m os io po he vin e- s f ns w re gr oc , a er w ow us te fu he gs n ed ch l dr re pr o ni iv ri od n ca er sin u n l b g

REPORT

ith its theme, “Build a Better Tomorrow”, the Danfoss Technical Seminar held on November 26 at Al Murooj Rotana Hotel Dubai, aimed at addressing the challenges faced by the HVAC and water and wastewater (W&WW) industries.

The event also had on the anvil raising awareness about new technologies and the avowed role played by Danfoss in providing sustainable solutions.

Following a presentation on the company history by way of introduction from Zahi Dimachkie, PE, Sales Director, Danfoss, Jesper Therbo, HVAC Business Development Director at Danfoss, spoke about HVAC Trends and Energy Savings.

Variable Speed Drive (VSD) in the Water and Wastewater (W&WW) industry and new trends formed the crux of the seminar, wherein, Mads Warming, Global Segment Manager, Water & Waste Water at Danfoss, presented case studies highlighting the capabilities of the new VLT AQUA Drive from the company’s stable.

The considerable daily load variation

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January 2015

in W&WW facilities makes it economically attractive to install VSDs in equipment, including pumps and blowers, was the essential message of the seminar.

“According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and German Federal Environmental Agency, the highest single electricity consumer within authorities is normally water supply and wastewater facilities, with values typically ranging from 30 to 40 % of the authorities’ total electricity consumption,” said Warming, speaking to Climate Control Middle East magazine. “Water and wastewater facilities are, therefore, often also among the largest contributors to the community’s total greenhouse gas, (GHG) emissions,” he elaborated.

Speaking about energy savings, Warming said, “From no control to VSD control, we typically see savings in the level of 20 to 60%, depending on the specific treatment plant and the load variations.” The latest developments with regard to high-efficiency motors do, however, enable additional savings, he highlighted.

Sharing information with Climate Control Middle East magazine on the sidelines of the seminar, Ravindran Poduval, Sales Manager-HVAC/R Middle East, Danfoss Power Electronics, added: “It is well-known that adapting to the capacity of air conditioning, ventilation and pump systems to meet the actual demands by means of a VSD will bring about tremendous savings in energy – up to 50%, and in some cases, more.”

Danfoss VSDs can, claimed Poduval, control all the new motor technologies efficiently and provide five to 10% additional savings with limited initial investments.

Speaking about the HVACR industry in the region, Poduval said: “The HVACR industry in the Middle East has ramped up rapid adaption to green and environmentally friendly energy-saving solutions. It is more common that VSDs are fitted to air conditioners, ventilation and pump systems, and thereby contribute to significant reductions in the energy consumption and electricity bill.”

That said, however, there is still a huge energy-saving potential in retrofitting, Poduval believed.

Ventilation and pump systems with speed controlling VSDs, and in many cases, also replacing low-efficient beltdriven fans with modern direct-driven high-efficient VSD-controlled fans and motors, in his opinion, would be an option.

With regard to W&WW, Poduval believed that a long-term vision would be to produce enough energy from wastewater treatment plants to cover the wastewater facility and the whole water supply system.

January 2015

67

REGIONAL

World Future Energy Summit to attract sector stakeholders

Will provide platform for sustainable solutions to energy challenges

D

ubbing it the world’s foremost event dedicated to renewable energies, energy efficiency and clean technologies, the organisers of the World Future Energy Summit (WFES) have announced that the summit will take place from January 19 to 22 at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre.

Held under the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and hosted by Masdar, WFES

includes a conference, an international exhibition, the Project & Finance Village, the Young Future Energy Leaders programme, as well as a number of corporate meetings and social events, the announcement elaborated.

The WFES Conference, said the organisers, will attract world leaders, international policy makers, industry experts and investors from the public and private sector, to discuss

Empower awarded ISO certification Recognised for Information Security Management Systems

E

mpower has announced the company achieving certification to the ISO/ IEC 27001: 2013, Information Security Management Systems (ISMS).

The certificate, the announcement said, was granted by BSI, a Royal Charter Company that certifies Management Systems globally.

Empower revealed that to ensure compliance with the rigorous requirements of ISO 27001:2013, it underwent a comprehensive

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January 2015

audit and assessment covering 12 domains across 89 functions related to Information Security governance, operations and assurance.

Ahmad Bin Shafar, Empower CEO said: “As technologies become more and more prevalent in daily life and business, the protection of information, such as private customer data, financial records, plant processes, etc., becomes absolutely critical for not only government, but private

practical and sustainable solutions to future energy challenges.

Envisaged as the centrepiece of Abu Dhabi

organisations, as well.

At Empower, we have taken this responsibility very seriously and have ensured that our systems and processes meet the internationally recognised ISO/ IEC27001:2013 standards.�

Theuns Kotze, Regional Managing Director for BSI

Sustainability Week, WFES, is reportedly also a platform for energy sector stakeholders to interact with their peers, exchange technology, share best practices and form business partnerships.

Middle East and Africa, terming the certification the most rigorous global security standard for Information Security Management Systems, offered his congratulations to the Empower senior management team on fulfilling the requirements of the certification.

Theuns Kotze and Ahmad Bin Shafar

JCI supplies centrifugal chillers for Mall of Egypt York chillers to help mall earn LEED Gold certification

J

ohnson Controls has announced that it will supply its York centrifugal chiller solutions to the Mall of Egypt, a 160,000-square-metre gross leasable area spread over two levels, and registered for the USGBC LEED Gold certification.

Giving details, Mohamed Mekawy, Sales Manager at Johnson Controls, said: “Sixty-eight per cent of a building’s energy consumption typically comes from the HVAC system. The York chiller

advt 147x107

11/23/14

models being used on this project have been tested for operating efficiencies higher than specified under ASHRAE 90.1. Additionally, low refrigerant charge requirements and the use of environment-friendly, zero ozone depletion refrigerant HFC R134A will help the client get two credits in EA CR4.1 of the LEED rating system. We help our customers determine the right solutions that deliver maximum

4:30 AM

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efficiency and operational savings for their business, and in this project, the Johnson Controls team has suggested solutions that will further increase system efficiency by 15%.”

Claude Allain, Vice President and General Manager, Middle East for Johnson Controls, added, “We are proud to be associated with this project that is a landmark in sustainable leisure developments.”

HVAC PRODUCTS

ELECTRICAL PRODUCTS

Marketed by:

Dubai, UAE: Al Quoz, Third Interchange, P.O. Box 80955, Dubai, UAE Tel: 971 4 3307263, Fax: 971 4 3306242 Email: astartrd@eim.ae

Abu Dhabi, UAE: Al Falah Tower, 7th Floor, Flat No: 701, Muroor Road P. O. Box 31737 Tel: 971 2 4913419, Fax: 971 2 4913420 Email: astarauh@eim.ae

Doha, Qatar: Grand Hamad Street, Old Doha Bank Building, Opposite: Arab Bank, Floor No: 4 - Room No: 401 Post Box: 55741, Doha, Qatar Tel: 44683982, Fax: 44580844 Email: alphastar@qatar.net.qa

January 2015

69

REGIONAL

Tabreed refinances existing debt facilities

SNIPPET

Says AED 2.6 billion refinancing reflects company’s financial strength

N

ational Central Cooling Company PJSC (Tabreed), the UAE-based regional District Cooling company, has announced the completion of the refinancing of its current AED 2.6 billion debt facilities.

Giving details, Tabreed said that the AED 2.6 billion refinancing comprised an AED 692 million senior term loan facility (Facility A), which matures on December 31, 2018, and an AED 1,450 million senior term loan facility (Facility B), maturing on March 31, 2021, as well as an AED 450 million revolving credit facility (RCF), with

Jasim Husain Thabet

a maturity date of March 31, 2021.

Tabreed revealed that the refinancing had been consolidated into a smaller subset from Tabreed’s existing syndicate of banks, with ADCB, FGB and Mashreqbank acting as Mandated Lead Arrangers.

The conditions, margins, and tenor in the new agreement, Tabreed claimed, reflected its established position as a leading utility infrastructure business.

Jasim Husain Thabet, Tabreed’s CEO, echoing this, said: “As a result of Tabreed’s robust utility business model, which is anchored in long-term, stable and recurring revenue streams, we have taken the opportunity to refinance our existing debt and strengthen our balance sheet. The new terms in the agreement are yet another endorsement of our company’s financial strength and positive future outlook.”

World’s first solar battery a reality?

A

merican researchers have claimed to have developed the world’s first solar battery, which recharges itself using air and light. Scientists reportedly created the device by combining a battery and a solar cell. The device is expected to reduce the cost of renewable solar energy and contribute to the future energy mix.

Altaaqa Global breaks ground for headquarters Facility to serve as hub for global operations

A

ltaaqa Global CAT Rental Power, provider of temporary power solutions, announced breaking ground at the site of its new headquarters at the Dubai World Central (DWC) on December 3, 2014.

The facility, said the announcement, will house the head office, an asset monitoring and control centre, a training centre, an equipment servicing

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January 2015

centre and recreational areas, together serving as the hub for the company’s worldwide operations.

The groundbreaking ceremony was led by Altaaqa Global Chairman, Fahad Y Zahid.

Speaking on the occasion, Zahid said, “Once completed, the headquarters will propel Altaaqa Global to the position of a global operator with its own

(L-R) Steven Meyrick, Haytham Zahid, Majid Zahid,Usman Mahmood, Fahad Zahid (Chairman) with DWC executives, Justin Wilshaw, Tariq Albadri and Mohsen Ahmad

resources to manage, maintain and service its assets in-house.”

In his keynote speech, Steven Meyrick, Board Representative of Altaaqa

Global, said, “Immediately following this ceremony, we will begin construction on the first totally dedicated Caterpillar IPP facility in the world.”

‫‪REACH THE INDUSTRY‬‬ ‫‪LEADERS IN THE ARABIC HVAC‬‬ ‫‪MARKET BY ADVERTISING IN‬‬ ‫‪ARABIC SUPPLEMENT‬‬ ‫‪www.climatecontrolme.com‬‬

‫‪www.climatecontrolme.com‬‬

‫‪www.climateco‬‬

‫األخبار برما للأنابيب تد�صن حمطة �صعودية جديدة توقيع اتفاقية بني كل من �صركة الزامل وات�ش اأم اأي ينبع تبدء العمل على مرفق لت�صنيع ال�صوف احلجري‬ ‫معايير مجاري الهواء نظام حمكم �صد الت�صرب والتن�صيم يف اعمال جماري الهواء ملخص الحدث هــل نتخلــ�ش من موائــع التربيــد القدميــة؟ اأم نقنــن ا�صتخدامهـا؟‬ ‫ملخــص الحـدث اجلولــة الأويل ملراجعـــة موائـــع التربيـــد قصـة الغـالف اأبطـــال الطـاقـــة عـين على بلـد ق�صــة النجـــاح يف اململكة العربية ال�صعودية‬ ‫عيــن على منتــج مــن اأجـل هـــواء نقـــي ونظيـــف وجهــة نظـر اأ�صباب دميومة ال�صمام الثنائي امل�صع لل�صوء‬ ‫تحت المجهر قبل ان يحـدث الزفري ‪-‬املفاهيم اخلاطئة حول تنقية الهواء واأن هذا املو�صوع ي�صتحق املزيد من الهتمام‬

‫‪www.climatecontrolme.com‬‬

‫أخبار موؤ�ش�شة �لإمار�ت لأنظمة �لتربيد �ملركزي “�إمباور” تعقد �تفاقية مع جمموعة تيكوم لال�شتثمار لتزويد م�شروع (دي ‪ )3‬بخدمات تربيد �ملناطق بطاقة �إنتاجية تبلغ‬ ‫‪� 120‬ألف طن تربيد‪�• .‬لحتــــاد �لأوروبي يتطلــع �إىل توجيــه �لأولويـــة لقـــــدرة �ل�شبكــــات �حلر�ريــــة و�للجنــــة �لأوروبيــــة لإعـــــد�د تقريــــر عن مقايي�س كفاءة �لطاقة‬ ‫حوار صحفي مـع ماريـــو �شينفري�تــن‪� ،‬خلبيـــــر �ملعتمــــد لتطويـــــر �لأبنيـــــة �خل�شـــر�ء و�أول من �أن�شـاأ كلية للح�شــول‬ ‫‪www.climatecontrolme.com‬‬ ‫على زمالــــة (لييـــــد) خـــــارج �لوليـــــات �ملتحــــدة �لأمريكيـــة تحـت المجهر �شــــوق �ل�شو�غـــــط نقــلــــــة نوعيــــة‬

‫ركــة هانيويــل ينجحــان فــي القبــ�ض على تهريــب موائــع تربيــد مقلــدة افتتـــاح ج�ســـر املتــرو املكيــــف اجلديـــد فـي و�سط‬ ‫االخبــار‪ :‬اململكـة العربيـة ال�سعوديــة و�سركــة‬ ‫دبــي • اطــــالق حملــة فكـــر ‪ ,‬كـــل واقت�ســـد تحـت المجهــر‪ ::‬ن�سمـــــــة هــواء منعـــــ�‬ ‫منعـــــ�ض وجهــة نظــر‪:‬اال�ســــاءة نـــــوع ال�سمــام الثنائـــي امل�ســـع لل�سـوء ‪ -‬احلل‬ ‫الغيــــر مكت�ســـف لتوفيـــر الطاقـــــــة • تطبيقــــــات نظـــــم هـــــواء التجديـــــد اخل�‬ ‫اخل�سو�سيــــة باملناطــــــق اال�ستوائيــــــة مقابلـــة صحفيــــة‪ :‬مــع دكتـــور اك�ســـل‬ ‫ميكـــاوالوا عــــن هــــــادات‬ ‫�سهــــــادات تخفيـــــ�ض انبعاثــــــات الكربــــــون تقريـــر‪ :‬موؤمتـــر �سي ‪ - 3‬الريا�ض ‪ -‬اململكـــة العربيــة‬ ‫ال�سعوديــــــة أخـــرى‪ :‬حتديـثـــات جمعيـــــــة مهند�ســــــــي التدفئــــــــة والتهويــــــة والتكييــــــف االمريكيــــة‬

‫امل�صتدامــــة �صفحـــة‪6‬‬ ‫أخبـار المنطقـة اإ�صــاءات فـي موؤمتــــر اأبو ظبــي �صفحــة‪ 5‬موضـوع دحرجة كــرة التنميـــة امل�‬ ‫ال�صم�صية �صفحة‪14‬‬ ‫وجهة نظر كلفة احلفاظ على الربودة �صفحة‪ 10‬وجهة نظر اإطاللة عن كثب على التربيد املدعم بالطاقة ال�‬ ‫‪www.climatecontrolme.com‬‬ ‫السلسلة تفاعل مت�صل�صل �صفحة‪28‬‬ ‫‪ 26‬حلقات‬ ‫استكمال الحدث حلقات ال�صل�صلة �صفحة‪26‬‬ ‫املحدث ‪ ،‬هايدرونيك ت�سنع لفافة نحا�سيـة جلهاز معاجلــة ا‬ ‫ادي‬ ‫دليلها الإر�سادي‬ ‫‪BSRIA‬أن) تطلق‬ ‫التداخليآر اآي ا‬ ‫أخبـار بي اأ�س ا‬ ‫�صفحـة‪22‬‬ ‫نعتـرف به‬ ‫الذيأيه (ينبغي ا‬ ‫تحت المجهر تنقيــة الهــواء الرتابــط‬ ‫البنـــاء ال�سعـــودي ‪ 2011‬م ) موضـوع م�ســـروع تربيــــد مناطــــق فـي �سي‬ ‫موضـوع اإغـــراء ال�‬ ‫�صفحــة‪36‬‬ ‫وجهـة نظـر احلــل هـو اأبــراج تربيـــد مبيــاه البحـــر �صفحــة‬ ‫على خطى تربيد الهـواء الداخـل للمولدات االحرتاقية تحت المجهر راأب ال�سـدع (درء اأ�سـرار‬

‫ة األ جي عن قفزات هائلة مببيعات نظامها للتكييف نوع ‪ Multi V III‬حدث بالصور يتناول �سالمـة الغـذاء دهانات مميزة الدهانـات الواقيـة‬ ‫على ال�سوء الأخ�سر قصة الغالف ماء عذب من ماء البحر على الطريق اأثـر عـزم حمرك ال�سيارة على النقـل املربد مقابلة صحفية تقنية‬ ‫ت مر�سح حمتمل لتخفي�ض انبعاثات غاز ثاين اأك�سيد الكربون على الطريق املفتاح يف التواجد حمليا تحت المجهر ال�سعي احلثيث نحو م�سافـي‬ ‫هواء عاليـة الكفـاءة تحت المجهر التغيري هـو يف الهـــواء وجهة نظر قـراءة يف �سناعـة تكييـف وتربيـد الهــواء‬ ‫وجهة نظر ال�ستخــدام المثــل‬ ‫مثــل للمــــوارد نقطة نهاية رحلـــــة حيـــــاة ووجهـــــة نظـــــر‬

‫إحـداث تغيري(ا�ستعمـال ماء البحر يف ابراج التربيـد) نقطة نهاية اإجنازالعمل باأ�سلوب خمت‬

‫ملحق ربع سنوي جمللة كالميت كنترول الشرق االوسط‬ ‫جمللة كالميت كنترول الشرق االوسط‬

‫ملحق ربع سنوي جمللة كالميت كنترول الشرق االوسط‬

‫ملحـق‬

‫ملحق الربع األول لعام ‪ 2012‬م‬

‫ـق إضافـي‬

‫ملح‬

‫ملحـق إضافـي‬

‫ملحق الربع الثاتي لعام ‪ 2012‬م‬

‫ملحق ربع سنوي جمللة كالميت كنترول الشرق االوسط‬

‫ملحق الربع األول لعام ‪ 2013‬م‬

‫ملحـق إضافـي‬

‫إضافـي‬

‫خريطة الطريق تخطو لألمام‬

‫ملحق الربع الثاني لعام ‪ 2014‬م‬ ‫‪Headline HVACR‬‬ ‫‪Media Partner‬‬

‫ملحق ربع سنوي جمللة كالميت كنترول الشرق االوسط‬

‫ملحق الربع الثالث لعام ‪ 2011‬م‬

‫المسؤولية إنما هي عاتق الناس‬

‫ملحـق إضافـي‬

‫إضاءات في‬ ‫مؤتمــر أبو ظبـي‬

‫نظرة عن قرب لسياسات المملكة‬ ‫العربية السعودية الخاصة بالطاقة‬ ‫وأثرها على مستقبل المملكة‬

‫ملحق ربع سنوي جمللة كالميت كنترول الشرق االوسط‬

‫تزخر السعودية بفرص ذهبية تتيح إنتشارا أكبر للتبريد المناطقي واالنتاج‬ ‫المـزدوج ‪ ,‬إال أن مهمـة بلـورة األمـور إنما تنهض بها كواهل الناس‬ ‫ملحـق إضافـي‬

‫معدات تبريد وتكييف‬ ‫نشاز تتنافر مع النموذج األمثل‬

‫تحدث مايكل بيكر من شركة نيمفيا انفايرنمنت الى بي سوريندار على‬ ‫هامش مؤتمر الطاقة المستقبلية العالمي عن انعكاسات التقنية للبحث‬ ‫عن الماء العذب تحت طبقات مياه البحر المالحة على المدى الطويل‬

‫أبطال الطاقة‬ ‫‪PUBLICATION‬‬ ‫‪LICENSED BY IMPZ‬‬

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‫لقد قمنا بمراجعة عدد من المبادرات التي قامت بها شركات بالمنطقة للوصول‬ ‫للمستوى األمثل للراحة مع تحسين كفاءة استخدام الطاقة في المباني خالل‬ ‫الفترة االنتقالية نحو نظم ادارة اكثر احترافية في استخدام الطاقة‬

‫ت‬ ‫ح‬ ‫ـ‬ ‫د‬ ‫ث‬ ‫ا‬ ‫آلن!‬

‫دعا الم‬ ‫ا ؤتمر السنوي الثا‬ ‫ني ألنظمة التبر‬ ‫ألو‬ ‫يد‬ ‫س‬ ‫ذا‬ ‫ط‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ل‬ ‫ت‬ ‫مز‬ ‫يار‬ ‫يد‬ ‫ال‬ ‫من الم‬ ‫تدفق ال‬ ‫مجموعة تشريعات أ شاركة بين صفوف مساهمي متغير في الشرق‬ ‫ال‬ ‫كثر‬ ‫صنا‬ ‫توا‬ ‫عة‬ ‫نحو إنتاج‬ ‫فقا وخلق مناخ ي‬ ‫هذا‪ ،‬ويوجد الجزء األول من ت شجع على اإلبد‬ ‫اع بصورة أكبر‪.‬‬ ‫قر‬ ‫يرنا‬ ‫ال‬ ‫شا‬ ‫مل‬ ‫با‬ ‫لداخل‪.‬‬

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‫‪FOR ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES:‬‬ ‫‪Frédéric Paillé‬‬ ‫‪Managing Director & Associate Publisher‬‬ ‫‪T: +971 (4) 375 6833 • M: +971 (50) 714 7204‬‬ ‫‪F: +971 (4) 434 1906‬‬ ‫‪E: fred@cpi-industry.com‬‬

‫ملحق الربع الرابع لعام ‪011‬‬

‫‪CCME Arabic Q2/2014.indd 1‬‬

‫‪EDITORIAL-RELATED QUERIES:‬‬ ‫‪B Surendar‬‬ ‫‪Editorial Director & Associate Publisher‬‬ ‫‪T: +971 (4) 375 6831 • M: +971 (50) 509 2457‬‬ ‫‪F: +971 (4) 434 1906‬‬ ‫‪E: surendar@cpi-industry.com‬‬

‫‪www.cpi-industry.com | www.climatecontrolme.com‬‬

REGIONAL

Al Shirawi FM wins Emirates Crown Tower

Will offer IFM services

A

l Shirawi Facilities Management, (Al Shirawi FM), has announced winning a contract with Emirates Crown properties to manage their entire 63-floor residential tower in Dubai.

Al Shirawi FM revealed that as the managing FM partner, it would be offering its entire facilities management range, which includes Integrated Facilities Management (IFM) services, to meet the tower’s evolving requirements.

Speaking of the win, Evie

Boustantzi, General Manager of Al Shirawi FM, said: “We are excited and, above all, proud to serve the Emirates Crown residents community.

This is one of the most prestigious buildings in the Marina, a great addition to our existing portfolio. We are keen to bring added value through our customer-centric team culture….

We have already started our green initiatives implementation as part of our ISO 14001 programme, and look forward to demonstrating savings and extended assets lifecycle.”

Empower network saves carbon emissions Savings has potential to fuel new power plant

E

mpower has revealed in an announcement that its network has saved 891,607.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in 2013, or the equivalent of displacing up to 383,506 passenger cars off the roads.

Empower’s network also saved, the announcement added, 777 MW in power plant capacity or 2.64 billion kwH of consumption in 2013, when comparing the electricity consumption of its systems with that of traditional air conditioning systems. The savings has the potential to fuel a new power plant, as per existing capacity standards of electricity facilities in the region, the company claimed.

According to Empower, its carbon emissions savings portfolio is in line with the UAE’s long-term national initiative to build green economy.

“Empower’s systems use about 50% less energy compared to traditional air conditioning systems, while providing indispensable and reliable cooling services for thousands of residents in Dubai,” explained Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower. “As our systems use less electricity and, therefore, save on fossil fuels, our operations also result in savings of harmful carbon dioxide emissions.”

72

January 2015

Leminar commences operations in Kuwait Envisaged as one-stop solution for HVAC requirements

L

eminar Air Conditioning Company has announced inaugurating its office and showroom in Kuwait City recently.

Located at the Al Rai area of Kuwait, the showroom, claimed the company, features a one-stop solution for mechanical contractors’ HVAC requirements, offering customers products like air

conditioning equipment, copper coils and fittings, ventilation products, rubber insulation, compressors and a wide variety of HVAC supplies from leading brands.

Speaking at the event, Navin Valrani, CEO of Leminar, said: “We are extremely excited about opening our operations in Kuwait. Kuwait’s long-term

development prospects are strong, and we intend on not only being a significant player in Kuwait’s

HVAC industry, but also contributing positively to Kuwait’s long-term development plans.”

January 2015

73

REGIONAL

Crane appoints Leminar UAE distributor for Hattersley

Leminar is already a Hattersley distributor in Qatar

Philips event highlights healthcare and sustainability Showcases products like Smart Air Purifier and energy-efficient lighting

Navin Valrani and Mark Youssef

L

eminar Air Conditioning Company, announced being appointed the exclusive distributor for Hattersley products in the UAE. The announcement came as Leminar, already a Hattersley distributor in Qatar, revealed that it closed in on a record year in Qatar for Hattersley, part of Crane Building Services and Utilities.

The agreement was signed, said Leminar, at Crane’s regional headquarters in Dubai, between Mark Youssef, President of Crane Middle East, and Navin Valrani, CEO of Leminar Air Conditioning

Company.

Speaking after the signing of the distributor agreement, Youssef remarked, “We are delighted to further extend our partnership with Leminar into this very important market in the region, and look forward to grow our business together successfully in the coming years.”

Valrani, added, “Crane has been an important strategic partner for us in Qatar for the last few years, and this agreement for the UAE reaffirms our commitment to them as one of our key principal suppliers.”

Ramboll acquires Environ

Will help address air quality management and environmental impact assessment

D

anish design and engineering consultancy, Ramboll has announced its acquisition of US-based global environmental consultancy, Environ, adding to its fold more than 1,500 environmental and health science specialists in 21 countries.

Ramboll claimed that

74

January 2015

the merger placed it among the top 10 leading environmental consultancies globally.

According to Ramboll, Environ, primarily working with multinational clients, offers services, such as site solutions, air quality management, due diligence, health sciences, environmental impact

P

hilips has unveiled the company’s “Innovation and you” brand campaign.

The campaign, inaugurated by Ronald de Jong, Chief Market Leader at Philips, featured real stories about how the company’s innovations are improving people’s lives across the Middle East and Turkey, an announcement by Philips said.

According to Philips, the event also showcased solutions that, it said, will help solve some of the region’s greatest challenges, including products to help people live a healthier life and ways in which energy-efficient lighting solutions will create more sustainable cities.

One of the products on display was the Smart Air Purifier, which reportedly combines chemicalfree filtration technology with advanced smart technology to help control air quality in real-time via a person’s smart phone. This, claimed the manufacturer, helps those suffering from allergies or respiratory problems be in control of Indoor Air Quality.

assessments and water services.

With Environ on board, Ramboll said that its presence will be particularly strong in the Nordics, North America, the UK, Continental Europe, the Middle East and India, supplemented by representation in Asia, Australia, South America and Sub-Saharan Africa.

Commenting on the acquisition, Ramboll

Group CEO Jens-Peter Saul called the acquisition “an important milestone”, while Environ CEO Stephen Washburn added, “Joining forces with Ramboll puts us in an even stronger position to continue working on the most challenging environmental and human health problems, including the implications of global urbanisation, climate change and resource scarcity.”

Airedale conducts pilot training programme in ME Covers data centre design and maintenance

A

iredale International announced embarking on a data centre design and maintenance training programme in the Middle East to support field engineers and technicians working with Airedale equipment and customers and business partners in the region.

They were reportedly joined by HVAC Technical Works Managers from the British Embassy in the UAE and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The programme, Airedale revealed, covered topics, such as key components of data centre cooling systems, requirements for installation and commissioning, faultfinding techniques and maintenance requirements.

Following the pilot programme’s success, Airedale said that it would be rolling out an extensive programme throughout the Middle East, which will initially focus on Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar.

Airedale Training Manager,

Keith Nicholls, said, “The training was intended to provide a comprehensive understanding of Airedale’s precision cooling products, coupled with specialist training for each discipline attending on the day.”

Commercial Director, Mark Viner, who attended with

Managing Director, Clive Parkman, and Middle East Regional Manager, Andrew Walker, added that the company was committed to ensuring customers know how to get the best out of their applications in terms of energy efficiency and resilience.

January 2015

75

REGIONAL

Carlisle launches new products in Qatar LEED-compliant insulation adhesives and duct sealants introduced

C

arlisle HVAC Products, a US-based manufacturer of duct sealants, insulation adhesives, hardware, and accessories, announced that it recently launched its products at a seminar hosted by its distributor, Kazema Supply and Parts, at the Crown Plaza Hotel, Doha, Qatar.

The company said that it introduced its LEED-compliant insulation adhesives and duct sealants, and added that its products meet ASTM, UL, and EPA certifications.

“Carlisle’s mission is to provide the most innovative, energy-efficient, highest-quality materials on the market,” said Eric Gordon, Carlisle HVAC Products’ International Sales Manager.

Rakesh Saxena, Carlisle Sales Representative and GM of Trimac, added, “We are excited about our partnership with

Bristol compressors opens Dubai office

Sees market change as opportunity for growth

B

ristol Compressors International, manufacturer of compressors for the air conditioning, heat pump and refrigeration industry, has announced the opening of a new sales office in the Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone, Dubai, to serve existing and future Middle East customers.

The operation, said the announcement, will be headed

by Joe Thomas, who has been selected the General Manager of Bristol Compressors, MENA region.

“The Middle East region has long been a strategic market for Bristol Compressors, and is poised

76

January 2015

Kazema and look forward to distributing Carlisle’s highquality, LEED-compliant insulation adhesives and sealants in Qatar.”

Fadhel Al Kazemi, President of Kazema Global Holding, underscored that Kazema Supply and Parts was fully committed to distributing Carlisle products to the local HVAC industry.

for continued growth in the future,” said Chris Robinson, Director of International Sales for Bristol Compressors. As the region focuses on increased energy efficiency and environmentally friendly refrigerants, Bristol Compressors is well-positioned to serve these requirements.”

President and CEO of Bristol Compressors, Ed Gniewek, added: “The Middle East air conditioning market is changing at a quick pace.

We know it is critical to provide a full-time presence in the region to ensure the highest level of customer service and responsiveness to market needs.”

AHRI certification for Safario Cooling Factory Receives Performance Rating for five types of coils, as per AHRI Standard 410

U

AE-based coil manufcturer, Safario Cooling Factory has announced that it has obtained AHRI certification for five different categories of coils.

The company elaborated that it received the AHRI Certificates for Performance Rating as per AHRI Standard 410 for its Chilled Water Coil; Heating Coil; DX Coil for R-407C; DX Coil for R-410A; and DX Coil for R-22.

In the context of receiving the certification, Safario Cooling Factory claimed that it takes strict quality control process to ensure that its products are manufactured as per AHRI standards and certification that entails rigorous, independent annual evaluation to verify that the company performs according to its published claims.

Andrews Group celebrates 50 years

Plans to introduce new climate control products

A

ndrews Sykes Climate Rental has announced celebrating reaching the 50th year milestone in business this year for its Andrews brand.

The brand, the announcement informed, was initially started as Andrews Industrial Equipment in the early 1960s in Wolverhampton, UK, and that the company spread its branches into various divisions of climate control. In 1989,

the company merged with Sykes Pumps, and since then, is known as Andrews Sykes.

As it looked behind, the company said, it was proud of the landmarks crossed. Moving forward, it revealed that it was planning to introduce new products to the market and improve its services by developing a close relationship with its clients across all sectors.

January 2015

77

GLOBAL

EIA releases report on trends in ODS smuggling Highlights loopholes in illegal trade threatening ozone layer recovery

I

n a news item posted on November 13, 2014, on its Web site, Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has announced releasing a report, titled 'New Trends in ODS Smuggling', drawing attention to the fact that the threat of black market ODS looms greater than ever.

The report, said EIA, brings together analysis of trade and emissions data, recent reported seizures and a look at the global refrigerant and feedstock market to highlight some key areas of concern that need to be addressed by the Montreal Protocol.

EIA claimed that the trade data analysis in its report signalled towards significant discrepancies between China’s reported hydrochlorofluorocarbon-22 (HCFC22) exports to various countries and their reported HCFC-22 imports from China.

EMI to launch HVACR market data collection for 2015 Heat recovery systems and pool dehumidifiers new categories added

E

urovent Market Intelligence, the European Statistics Office on the HVACR market, has announced that it will launch its annual data collection, in which most manufacturers selling throughout the European, Middle-Eastern and African markets (EMEA) will take part.

The first data collection will reportedly be launched for the January to March segment.

According to EMI, apart from data collection for Liquid Chilling

78

January 2015

In this context, Senior Climate Campaigner Fionnuala Walravens said: “While there are several possible explanations for this, EIA is concerned that HCFC-22 exports from China are being mis-declared as other non-ODS alternatives upon

Packages, Fan Coin Units, Air Handling Units, Precision Air Conditioners, Heat Exchangers, Adiabatic Coolers, Rooftops, Air Filters and Cooling Towers, Heat Recovery Systems and Pool Dehumidifiers are two new categories for data collection added this year.

Another addition for 2015, said EMI, will be to offer its participants information on their products’ associated markets, free of charge.

With regard to geographic coverage expansion, EMI informed that India will, once again, be a priority. With this in mind, it said that it will attend the ACREX trade fair taking place in Bengaluru in February. EMI will also be at the ISH trade fair in Frankfurt in March.

import.”

In light of this, she observed that environmental protection departments and customs should be monitoring trade in HFCs very closely.

Another area of concern raised

by EIA is the potentially huge illegal trade in ODS shipped in large tanks, such as ISO tanks, with verification of the contents using refrigerant identifiers being woefully inadequate.

According to EIA, its report also draws attention to alarmingly high atmospheric concentrations of carbon tetrachloride (CTC), a highly toxic ODS, whose use for emissive purposes was banned in 2010.

EIA pointed out that ongoing use as a feedstock agent is still permitted by the Montreal Protocol, but scientific reports using atmospheric data have found that observed emissions are 40 times greater than would be expected from reported feedstock use.

The report called on Parties to the Montreal Protocol to take steps to monitor and control CTC use or ban it totally.

SNIPPET

Exploding climate change myths

E

xploding climate change myths In her latest book, This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate, Naomi Klein, author of bestsellers, The Shock Doctrine and No Logo, throws the spotlight on the impact of the capitalistic economic model on the environment.

Though the book is a wake-up call and a scathing indictment on capitalism, it says there’s hope, yet, if we move from a free market economy to find an alternative future.

New-age material to help cool buildings Outer space the ultimate dumping ground for AC reject heat?

A

ccording to a news report by Chris Cesare in Stanford News dated November 26, 2014, a team of Stanford engineers, led by Electrical Engineering Professor, Shanhui Fan and Research Associate, Aaswath Raman, has invented a multi-layered ultra-thin material that can help buildings radiate heat away into outer space.

The duo reportedly revealed the energy-saving

breakthrough in a scientific paper. “We’ve created something that’s a radiator that also happens to be an excellent mirror,” said Raman, the paper’s lead author.

The concept is reportedly based on the fact that the outer space is very cold and vast, and can act as a reject heat “landfill”.

This is how, the news report says, the idea works: To make one part of Earth’s

Sonitec-Vortisand technology named finalist Cross-flow microsand filtration technology recognised at ADRIQ

S

onitec-Vortisand has announced that its cross-flow microsand filtration technology has been nominated in the Innovation/Product category for ADRIQ Gala des Prix Innovation de l’association pour le développement de la recherche et de l’innovation du Quebec (ADRIQ).

The award, said Sonitec-Vortisand, is given to manufacturers and designers who are leaders in industrial research and innovation.

Sonitec-Vortisand was reportedly selected as a finalist for the award based on its successful launch of the H2F Vortisand for various segments, including large cooling towers, pre-treatment for reverse osmosis systems and other high-flow applications.

surface (such as an individual building) cool down, you need to reflect the sunlight which falls on it back into space, while at the same time tapping as much radiative cooling from it as possible.

The researchers claim that the material has been designed to be costeffective for large-scale

Daikin celebrates 90 years Claims introducing many industry ‘firsts’ like the VRV system

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aikin has announced celebrating its 90th year of heating and cooling solutions.

Giving details, the company said that it started as a small business in Japan in 1924, and now has more than 51,000 employees globally with a range of air conditioning and air purification products.

On completing nine decades in the industry, Masanori Togawa, CEO of Daikin, said: “Daikin’s success over the past 90 years is a result of listening to our customers and delivering solutions that meet their changing needs. Whatever the future holds, Daikin will

deployment on building rooftops, and could one day reduce demand for electricity.

The device, if and when it becomes a viable proposition, is not likely to replace air conditioning completely. But the prospect of at least part of a building’s cooling system being electricityfree is an attractive one. continue to develop energyefficient solutions to improve comfort, reduce costs and lower environmental impact.”

Michel Farah, Senior Manager, Product Management of Daikin Middle East, added: “Daikin Middle East was established in 2006, and has grown exponentially since then….

We have installed state-ofthe-art AC systems in iconic regional landmarks, such as the Emirates Towers and Burj Al Arab in Dubai and the Qasr Al Sarab resort in Abu Dhabi, among others.”

Ryoji Sano, VicePresident of Daikin Middle East highlighted that since the company began manufacturing cooling systems and refrigerators in the 1930s, it has launched a number of industry ‘firsts’, including the first heat pump air conditioner in 1958 and the first VRV systems in 1982, which he claimed “have set the standard for the VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow) industry”.

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GLOBAL

Fresh-Aire UV expands

Dr Mosemann honoured at Chillventa

Adds IAQ test rig

eurammon Honour Award for refrigeration engineer

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urammon has announced that Dr Dieter Mosemann was awarded the eurammon Honour Award in recognition of his lifelong commitment to the field of refrigeration.

Monika Witt, eurammon Chairwoman, presented the award to Dr Mosemann during the lecture event Chillventa 2014 in Nuremberg, the announcement elaborated.

In the course of his professional career spanning more than 40 years, he developed 22 compressors for refrigeration and air conditioning systems and heat pumps, eurammon said, highlighting Dr Mosemann’s achievements, and revealed that he was one of the five founding fathers of the former Carbon Dioxide Interest Group (c-dig), committed to advocating the use of CO2 as a coolant. He played an active role as a distinguished expert in the F-Gas Review, drawing attention to the refrigeration and air conditioning applications using natural refrigerants, eurammon elaborated.

“We are acknowledging him with the Honour Award in recognition of not just his professional career but also his devotion to and enthusiasm for natural refrigerants,” explained Monika Witt in her laudatory speech.

Dr Mosemann, while accepting the award, thanked above all, his team and colleagues for his achievements.

ACREX India to focus on sustainable HVACR solutions

Expected to attract international associations and wide product spectrum 80

January 2015

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resh-Aire UV, manufacturers of Blue Tube UV and other HVAC Indoor Air Quality products, has announced expanding its headquarters in Jupiter, Florida, by 50%.

The expansion, said the company, was to accommodate a growing workforce, a newly purchased air purification product test chamber and a recently launched European market penetration.

According to Fresh-Aire UV, the test rig enables it to analyse and certify its UV, gas-phase air purification and photo catalytic oxidation (PCO) products, as well as other air cleaning apparatus, in compliance with ASHRAE 52.2 (particulate and biological contaminants) and 145.2 (gaseous contaminants including VOCs) filtration product test methodology.

It also reportedly calculates IAQ device clean air delivery rates in compliance with ASHRAE’s upcoming SPC-185.1 (inactivating airborne microbes) and SPC-185.2 (inactivating microbes on irradiated HVAC unit surfaces) UV standardisations.

The company also revealed that it recently established a Denmark-headquartered distribution network for Europe under the name of Fresh Aire Europe.

CREX India 2015, a trade fair for air conditioning and refrigeration systems and building services, will take place in Bengaluru, India, from 26 to 28 February, NürnbergMesse, has announced.

ACREX India 2015, organised by the Indian Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE) and NürnbergMesse India, will witness the latest trends in sustainable and environment-friendly solutions, reflecting the theme, “Less Energy=More Life”, the announcement highlighted.

Also focusing on the issue of global warming, the event, claimed NürnbergMesse, will be an ideal platform for many international associations and organisations like AMCHAM, CAR China, CIBSE, EBTC, KRAIA Korea, REHVA, UNEP, US Commercial Services and VDMA Germany, to meet the Indian industry for networking.

With climate protection at the top of the agenda, the event will reportedly be accompanied by technical workshops, seminars, presentations and conferences.

ASSOCIATIONS & Societies PICVs can deliver a more sustainable solution for a greener world” The recently held ASHRAE seminar in Dubai endeavoured to test the pulse of the HVACR market in the region. By Nickyta Ray, Features Writer

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here are clear and demonstrable pump energy savings achievable by the design of variable flow DPCV or PICV systems, compared to constant flow 4PV systems, according to a case study on energy efficiency presented by Eng Luca Baroli, Solar HVAC Products Manager, Fratelli Pettinaroli SpA. He was speaking at the ASHRAE technical seminar, held on November 23 at Arjaan Rotana hotel, Dubai, which focused on ‘Balancing of chilled water distribution systems’.

The seminar also looked at how PICVs can deliver a more sustainable solution for a greener world.

Fratelli Pettinaroli, on the occasion, introduced a range of controls for heating and cooling systems.

Pump savings Variable speed pumps and modulating power generators

(chillers or boilers), which are much more efficient than equipment used in constant volume systems, are fully compatible with DPCV and PICV systems, argued Baroli. For example, he said, the energy used by a pump has a cubic relationship with pump speed.

Therefore, if pump speed can be reduced by half, the pump will only absorb one-eighth of initial energy consumption.

When asked how he would prove that the largest savings are achievable by PICV systems – 70% savings on pump energy compared to a constant flow system and 30% relative to a DPCV system – he replied: “The figures are revealed at the design stage. Once the system arrangement is made, any engineer can easily calculate system duty points and compare them to detect potential savings.”

The same old syndrome The seminar gained momentum

Proposed ASHRAE/IES climate zone expansion to include ME Energy Standard will add Climate Zone 0 to cover humid and dry areas

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SHRAE has announced that it has proposed Addendum w, which is one of 10 proposed addenda to ANSI/ASHRAE/ IES Standard 90.1-2013, Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings.

Giving details, ASHRAE said that the addendum was developed in response to an update of ASHRAE Standard 169-2013,Climatic Data for Building Design Standards, which now contains updated climate data and additional Climate Zone 0, with humid (0A) and dry (0B) zones.

as the benefits of 4PV systems working at 100% secondary flow-rate at all times was discussed. That chillers have to deal with the Low Delta-T Syndrome and that secondary pumps have to always run at maximum speed for no reason, were also on the anvil for discussion.

Saving water and energy top of the list HVAC professionals evidently regard reducing energy used for heating and cooling buildings a pressing issue. In light of this, Baroli said: “If one looks at the water side of any HVAC system, they know controlling valves play a fundamental role in delivering good or bad balancing performances, along with chiller, pump and the whole BMS system. Thus, everything starts from there – a badly balanced system which will be inefficient.”

Speaking on energy consumption, he highlighted that the energy used for heating and cooling buildings accounted for approximately 20% of the world’s global energy consumption and its reduction was a mission.

“Both new and old buildings can be rated, from an energy-efficiency stand point according to national schemes, which typically refer to international standards, LEED, for instance,” he said.

Addendum w, ASHRAE informed, adds this climate zone to 90.1, and has global implications for the standard, as Climate Zone 0 does not exist in the United States, and is primarily used in the equatorial regions of South America, Africa, the Middle East, southern Asia and the south Pacific.

According to ASHRAE, starting from December 5, the proposed Addendum w is open for public comment at www.ashrae.org/

“And the factors that most contribute to a positive high rate are insulating materials and a well-designed HVAC system, able to adapt to variable load conditions.”

The way forward The general agreement was that though the market in the region offered great opportunities in the construction sector, the high levels of skill and quality of performance required of engineers and contracting companies were such that not everyone could enter the market.

Speaking on the road ahead, Liju Thomas Eapen, the Managing Director of Al Arif Air Conditioning Systems LLC, and Chapter Secretary & Historian, ASHRAE Falcon Chapter, UAE, pointed out that research and best practices needed to be implemented right from the orientation of the building, its façade design and insulation.

“As the world population is swelling, the demand for energy is insatiable,” he said.

“As a city grows, with the urban population demanding new residential and commercial buildings, sustainability is questionable. It’s high time the Middle East region took the initiative to set up a research centre to develop refrigerants and systems suitable for highambient conditions that are sustainable for high ambient countries.”

publicreviews and closes for review on January 19 2015.

“It gives the standard more of an international view with maps and data never before available to users,” Dru Crawley, Chair of the Standard 169 committee, said.

“Previously there was the single US map. Now there are high-level (one degree latitude/longitude) maps of the world, covering each continent and major countries.”

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MARKETPLACE Greenheck

Zip-Clip

Large dynamic fire dampers

Wire suspension systems for HVAC requirements

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laiming that they are the largest of their kind in the industry, Greenheck has announced introducing four new UL-listed, non-actuated, dynamic fire dampers.

The manufacturer lists the following product features and benefits: • The new dynamic fire damper models can protect oversized openings in buildings.

• Featuring a fabricated steel 3V blade type, Model DFD-210 has a maximum size of 128” x 100” with a 1.5-hour fire resistance rating • Model DFD-230 has a maximum size of 72” x 48” with a threehour fire resistance rating.

• Featuring fabricated steel airfoil blades, Model DFDAF-310 has a maximum size of 128” x 100” with a 1.5-hour fire resistance rating • Model DFDAF-330 has a maximum size of 120” x 96” with a three-hour fire resistance rating.

laiming that it is the only company offering engineers a total suspension solution, Zip-Clip, a UK-based company manufacturing wire suspension systems, has announced introducing high-quality wire solutions.

The company informed that it works with UK Trade and Investment (UKTI), and that its products have not only been approved by the Arab Engineering Bureau for use in the Doha redevelopment and regeneration projects, but it has also designed, developed and dispatched customised systems for four new museums with wicker ceilings in the Msheireb Town Project.

The manufacturer lists the following product features and benefits: • The wire suspension systems speed up the installation of HVAC, electrical and mechanical requirements.

• They ensure safety and ease of use.

• The products are independently tested off site by NEL/TUV, Lloyds, British and Apave.

• All clips are manufactured with highquality zinc alloy and are UL certified.

• The oil impregnated sintered wedge is designed to provide smooth locking.

SKM WCCB Series R-134a water-cooled centrifugal chillers SKM has announced introducing WCCB Series R-134a water-cooled centrifugal chillers.

The manufacturer lists the following product features and benefits: • The chillers come with a cooling capacity of 450-1,400 tonnes.

• They provide PLC-based control panel with LCD touch screen display.

• The COP meets ASHRAE 90.1-2015 requirements.

• The special outer fin shape and inner grooved copper tube yield high heat

transfer performance in the condenser and evaporator.

• The chiller features Falling Film evaporator that has lesser refrigerant charge compared to traditional flooded and helps earn LEED points for Enhanced Refrigerant Management.

The compressor • The semi-hermetic two-stage centrifugal compressor gives seven per cent more efficiency and more stable operation at low-load condition with minimum surge compared to single stage. It offers:

• Refrigerant-cooled two-pole high-efficiency induction motor • Precise inlet guide vane control for step-less capacity modulation • Built-in oil pump for better lubrication of bearings and gears • Low-oil carry-over with internal two-stage oil separation • Optional VFD for improved integrated or non-standard part-load values.

looking for HVACR products?

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January 2015

RectorSeal

BlueDiamond

Desolv mini-split clean kit

Condensate removal pump range

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aying that it is a time-saving cleaning and post clean-up tool for all ductless mini-split air conditioner evaporator coils and blower fan blades, RectorSeal has announced introducing, Desolv kit.

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laiming that it resolves a list of common failings and weaknesses faced by installers, BlueDiamond has announced introducing a range of condensate removal pumps.

The manufacturer lists the following product features and benefits: • The kit includes one gallon of patented Desolv coil cleaning agent; a five-gallon collection/carrying pail; a collapsible framework with drawstrings for tightening around the evaporator encasement; a plastic splash guard; and two funnel-shaped bags for collecting the cleaning agent into the pail.

• The collection bag includes an eight-foot-long extendable drain orifice tube for accommodating unconventionally high evaporator coil locations.

• Translucent bags allow visibility of descending liquids and particulates.

• The kit complements RectorSeal’s full line of ductless mini-split installation accessories.

Flamco and Sentinel Commercial PressDS pressurisation and inhibitor dosing unit

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laiming they have jointly solved the corrosion, limescale and pressure loss problems in sealed heating/chilled systems, Flamco and Sentinel Commercial have announced introducing PressDS – a dosing and top-up pressurisation unit.

The manufacturers list the following product features and benefits: • PressDS is purpose-designed to maintain the minimum water pressure of sealed heating and chilled systems, while adding Sentinel Commercial’s inhibitor products in appropriate concentration.

• The unit automatically doses the correct amount of inhibitor following system leak repairs or parts replacement.

• Both X100 inhibitor and X500 inhibited antifreeze can be used.

• A real-time display shows the status of the equipment, while monitoring the system pressure and the health of its own components.

• It is easy to maintain, fuel-efficient and helps achieve Carbon Reduction Commitment goals.

The manufacturer lists the following product features and benefits: • The complete BlueDiamond range uses an identical patented pumping principle called Rotary Diaphragm, which offers reliability and a three-year warranty.

• The condensate is drawn into the pump by vacuum and mechanically driven by a reinforced elastomer diaphragm to the outlet under pressure.

• This allows the range to tolerate suspended solids and slurries and helps prevent call outs to stalled or clogged mini piston pumps.

• The pumps can pump both air and water, allowing them to be mounted in any orientation.

• They sense condensate by an electronic sensor, and in most cases operate only when condensate is present.

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