CCME - June 2020

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

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EXCLUSIVE: Q&A WITH STEPHEN R YUREK, ON AHRI’S MENA REGION OFFICE

June 2020

ANALYSIS business outlook: What it would take to survive, thrive

The importance of façade design in the healthcare sector PERSPECTIVES

Dynamic HVAC systems for shared office spaces

Frank Taaning Grundholm, Vice President – Global HVACR Sales – Drives, ABB Motion

Smart buildings: Considering All-Over-IP

Nabil Khalil, Executive Vice- President, R&M Middle East, Turkey and Africa

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June 2020

Present

HVACR Virtual Conference Series:

Theme: Averting a dangerous warming feedback loop OFFICIAL PUBLICATIONS

4th edition

16 July 2020 | 4pm - 6.30pm (UAE time, GMT+4) | 8am - 10.30am Eastern Standard Time (EST) 1pm - 3.30pm British Summer Time (BST) | 8pm - 10.30pm Singapore Time (SGT)

OVERVIEW

SPEAKERS (SO FAR)

According to the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD), more than ever, cooling must be compatible with climate goals to avoid a dangerous warming feedback loop.

While low-GWP refrigerants are already in use across the industry, some options introduce safety hazards through fire and combustion risks and so, would have to pass through the scrutiny of building codes and of those contractors that are reluctant to accept even mildly flammable gases.

And if they do pass the scrutiny, the next challenge is technological, as their use may require significant modifications to vapour-compression equipment.

According to a 2016 Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory study, an estimated 700 million air conditioning systems will be in use by 2030. Not surprisingly, the call for settling the refrigerant debate is growing louder by the day.

Equally, there is a growing global call for Article 5 Group 2 countries to consider making the transition to environmentally friendly refrigerants even much ahead of the commencement of the ‘HFC freeze and phase-down steps’, in 2028.

It is in this context that CPI Industry presents the 4th edition of Refrigerants Review – the global dialogue on refrigerants in the context of HVACR systems, brought to you as a webinar and as part of the HVACR Virtual Conference Series.

Yaqqoub Almatouq Kuwait National Ozone Officer; Head, Ozone section, Environmental Public Authority, Kuwait

Dr. Moataz T Bakheet Director, Madinah Office & Western Region Projects, Zuhair Fayez Partnership, Saudi Arabia

Didier Coulomb Director General, International Institute of Refrigeration, France

Ibrahim Hesham Hassanien Mechanical Engineer, Allied Consultants, UAE

Mazen K Hussein Head - National Ozone Unit, Ministry of Environment, Lebanon

Edgard Soares Pinto Neto National Expert in Refrigeration, UNIDO, Brazil

PARTCIPATING COUNTRIES (SO FAR) Brazil

Lebanon

France

Saudi Arabia

Kuwait

UAE

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

VOL. 15 NO. 06  JUNE 2020

Mohanad Abobakr elaborates on the importance of façade design in the healthcare sector

INTERVIEWS

HERE AND NOW

08

The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) is well on its way to establishing a Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region office, in Dubai. Surendar Balakrishnan in conversation with Stephen R Yurek, President & CEO, AHRI, on the specific objectives behind establishing a presence in the region, among other topics.

BUSINESS WOULD HAVE TO REWRITE THE SCRIPT FROM GROUND ZERO

REPORT

STOPPING CORONA FROM STICKING TO THE SURFACE

ANALYSIS

24

BRAZIL'S rendezvous WITH PROPANE

32

Two of the country’s prominent supermarket chains report promising results after testing R-290 in their facilities, says Edgard Soares Pinto Neto, UNIDO Refrigeration Expert

WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE

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DANCING THE CHANGE

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The next dollar is definitely coming from those avenues that flow harmoniously with the overriding global themes of decentralisation, de-homogenisation and individualisation in the wake of the thematic changes brought about by an event such as COVID-19, says Krishnan Unni Madathil

Amidst a COVID-induced clamour for sophisticated air filtration technologies, it is important to be fully aware of blind spots, including the equipment that would need to be replaced to accommodate possibly a further pressure drop, says Dr Iyad Al-Attar

PERSPECTIVES

PERSPECTIVE

page

on the cover

CONSIDERING ALL-OVER-IP

Unlike field bus systems that are presently being used in buildings, All-Over-IP networks open up better possibilities for the development of smart buildings, argues Nabil Khalil, Executive VicePresident, R&M Middle East, Turkey and Africa

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16

COVID-19 is surely a game-changer and a new beginning for many, says V Sekhar Reddy, Managing Director, Lexzander, an engineering and construction management firm

REGULARS 06 eDItor'S note 4TW from water as a solar park 4

June 2020

35 Regional News 40 Global News

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EDITOR’S NOTE

4TW from water as a solar park

I

t is astonishing that floating solar power projects the world over today contribute over 3 GWpeak of power. Even more astonishing is the estimate of the potential global capacity, which could be as high as 4 TW. In a typical floating solar power project, the solar panels are installed on floating structures that could be deployed on inland and inshore waters to overcome the shortage of vacant land. The considered view is that if implemented and maintained properly, solar power projects can steer the world towards a decarbonised economy at a quicker pace than ever imagined.

Another interesting bit of news is the Norwegian government investing NOK 3.6 billion (USD 385.7 million) on a green transition package, which includes placing faith in a bouquet of solutions, including hydrogen fuel, renovation of buildings, more efficient batteries, offshore wind, circular economy and green shipping.

Of particular interest is the government’s inclusion of hydrogen fuel, which it sees as important for the country’s quest to realise its high-bar energy and climate goals. The sentiment towards hydrogen as a source of energy is quite strong in the country. However, while it is acknowledged that the emission from the use of hydrogen is only water, for the gas to be an emission-free carrier of energy, it ought to be produced through an approach that entails no emissions. This is the argument stated by Nils Røkke, Chairman of the Board, European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) and Executive Vice President Sustainability, SINTEF Energy.

Quite interesting! We need more such instances of conviction-based approach to pull the world back from the precipice of calamitous climate change. Lest we forget, the fight against global warming must persist and cannot be temporarily brushed under the carpet while we grimly battle COVID-19.

Surendar Balakrishnan Editor @BSurendar_HVACR EXCLUSIVE: Q&A WITH STEPHEN R YUREK, ON AHRI’S MENA REGION OFFICE

June 2020

ANALYSIS business outlook: What it would take to survive, thrive

STOPPING CORONA FROM Get the next issue STICKING TO of Climate Control THE SURFACE Middle East early!

The importance of façade design in the healthcare sector PERSPECTIVES

Dynamic HVAC systems for shared office spaces

Frank Taaning Grundholm, Vice President – Global HVACR Sales – Drives, ABB Motion

Smart buildings: Considering All-Over-IP

Nabil Khalil, Executive Vice- President, R&M Middle East, Turkey and Africa

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June 2020

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7

Stephen R Yurek, AHRI

The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) is well on its way to establishing a Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region office, in Dubai. Surendar Balakrishnan in conversation with Stephen R Yurek, President & CEO, AHRI, on the specific objectives behind establishing a presence in the region, among other topics. Excerpts from the interview‌

Stephen R Yurek

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June 2020

W

ITH WHAT SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES IN MIND ARE YOU ESTABLISHING A MENA OFFICE OF AHRI? AHRI, as a globally respected advocate for the HVACR and water heating industry, is committed to lead and serve the manufacturers in the MENA region as a source of credible information on standards, certification, testing, product efficiency, etc., that manufacturers, specifiers, the public and government officials can access and utilize, almost as an extension of their own technical staff.

AHRI has hired a seasoned local leadership team, supported by a dedicated senior technical team in the region to support the region’s regulators and HVACR industry. Being staffed locally by experienced industry professionals allows the AHRI MENA Office to better address the concerns and issues of the MENA region while having additional resources to call upon from the combined intellectual capital of AHRI’s other offices in Washington, DC and China, as well as AHRI’s members that manufacture more than 75% of the world’s HVACR and water heating equipment.

WHAT ADDITIONAL BENEFITS CAN AHRI MEMBERS EXPECT FROM YOUR PRESENCE IN THE REGION? The new MENA office will allow local and global HVACR and water heating manufacturers to take advantage of local technical and policy expertise in their work on standards and certification programs that would best meet the needs of the region. This is especially important in the MENA region because of the growing trend

to institute minimum energy performance standards (MEPS). The office will also offer a platform to discuss important industry issues, such as the coming refrigerant transition, to share best practices, and to provide informational seminars and events.

WHAT WOULD BE THE NATURE OF YOUR WORK IN THE REGION? WOULD TESTING AND CERTIFICATION OF PRODUCTS IN LARGELY HOMOGENOUS REGIONAL AMBIENT CONDITIONS BE AN AREA OF FOCUS? One of the primary goals of the MENA office is to increase the use and awareness of the AHRI standards and certification programs among manufacturers, consultants, government officials, Gulf Standard Organizations and NGOs. The office will coordinate the interests of all stakeholders to provide regionally relevant AHRI standards and certification programs that can be used as a path of compliance for minimum energy performance standards (MEPS).

AHRI will also work to ensure a level playing field for competition and accurate industry ratings by implementing AHRI certification programs using regional conditions. AHRI has been administering independent certification programs for more than 60 years to ensure that products within the certification programs perform as advertised.

WOULD YOU BE LOOKING TO ENTER INTO STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS WITH EXISTING LABORATORIES, OR TO ESTABLISH YOUR OWN LABORATORY, OR

LABORATORIES, IN THE REGION? As an accredited certification body, AHRI has always used accredited third-party testing laboratories in the region, and that practice will further increase by accrediting additional labs in strategic global locations.

Laboratory accuracy, however, is an important qualification. For example, a laboratory’s accreditation to ISO Guide 13025 is just a basic management/quality check and really doesn’t guarantee that it can accurately test a given product, particularly if testing is based on less technically stringent standard. The importance of laboratory accuracy and competence cannot be overlooked, as it can greatly alter test results. AHRI has a dedicated technical team of laboratory experts that work to ensure that all contracted laboratories meet tough additional testing requirements, including mandatory correlation testing and audits.

WOULD THE OFFICE TAKE THE SHAPE OF AN ADVOCACY PLATFORM, REPRESENTING THE INTERESTS OF HVACR MANUFACTURERS? WOULD YOU LOOK TO TAKE THEIR SPECIFIC NEEDS – FOR INSTANCE, A LONGER TIME SCHEDULE FOR PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT TO MEET THE NEEDS OF EVOLVING ENERGY RATING SYSTEMS – TO THE REGIONAL STANDARDS BODIES FOR QUICK AND SATISFACTORY SOLUTIONS? AHRI’s MENA Office will be an advocate and a resource for local and global HVACR and water heating

www.climatecontrolme.com

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Stephen R Yurek, AHRI

manufacturers on standards and certification programs that would best meet the needs of the region. The office will also offer a platform to discuss important industry issues, such as the coming refrigerant transition, to share best practices, and to provide informational seminars and events.

MANUFACTURERS IN THE REGION TYPICALLY ARE CONFRONTED BY PAYMENT DELAYS AND BAD DEBTS, AMONG OTHER ISSUES – ALL WITH THE POTENTIAL OF DISRUPTING OR EVEN THREATENING THEIR BUSINESSES. WHAT ROLE WOULD AHRI PLAY TO SUPPORT MANUFACTURERS? WOULD YOU FOSTER DISCUSSIONS AMONG A MULTITUDE OF STAKEHOLDERS, INCLUDING DEVELOPERS, CONTRACTORS AND SUBCONTRACTORS, TO HELP RESOLVE CONFLICTS? No – that is not our role.

WHAT SOLUTIONS DO YOU FORESEE AS OFFERING IN A LARGELY COST-SENSITIVE MARKET, WHERE DESIGN INTENT OFTEN FALLS PREY TO VALUE ENGINEERING, AS IN CUTTING CORNERS, DIRECTLY AFFECTING THOSE MANUFACTURERS SHOWING SUFFICIENT COMMITMENT TO R&D AND PRODUCT QUALITY? AHRI has a long track record of successfully transforming price-sensitive – often noncertified – markets to those focused on long-

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June 2020

term – often certified – economic returns.

AHRI conducts trainings and works closely with contractors, specifiers and owners to demonstrate exactly why specifying certified products will be beneficial in the long run. This includes pairing the potential benefit of a consultant’s request for an AHRI-certified product to ensure performance meets a higher target against the potential cost of such a requirement.

That comparison has shown that even a one per cent lower performance has a huge adverse cost impact over the lifetime of the product. So, it becomes an obvious advantage to request certified product performance. It won’t be easy, but it can be done, and AHRI has the knowledge and experience to transform a market.

AS ELSEWHERE, COVID-19 HAS BATTERED THE HVACR INDUSTRY IN THE REGION. WHAT MAY WE EXPECT FROM AHRI IN TERMS OF LEADERSHIP AND DIRECTION? FOR INSTANCE, WOULD YOU LOOK TO CONTRIBUTE TO EFFORTS AIMED AT DRAFTING A ROADMAP OF RECOVERY AND FINANCIAL STABILITY IN THE POST-LOCKDOWN PHASE? AHRI is a forum and a resource for sharing best practices and information not only from the MENA region but [also from] around the world. This will, of course, include helping localities recover from this pandemic in any way we can.

COUNTRIES THE WORLD OVER ARE RACING AGAINST TIME

TO DEVELOP AN EFFECTIVE VACCINE TO QUELL THE PANDEMIC. ACCORDING TO MANY THINKTANKS, AN EQUALLY FORMIDABLE CHALLENGE IS THE SAFE TRANSPORTATION OF LIKELY TEMPERATURE-SENSITIVE VACCINES TILL THE LAST MILE. WHAT LEADERSHIP WOULD AHRI LOOK TO EXTEND TO THE MENA REGION IN STRENGTHENING THE COLD CHAIN TO ENSURE VACCINE INTEGRITY? AHRI is the largest global industry association, representing more than 75% of global HVACR and water heating manufacturers. Our ability to assemble, organize and lead any industry effort – utilizing direct-line communications to top industry leaders, who can make decisions and commit resources – is unmatched by any other industry organization. In addition, AHRI has the resources and ability to provide timely deliverables in the areas of standards, certification programs, training and regulatory advocacy.

GENERALLY SPEAKING, WHAT MEASURES WOULD YOU TAKE IN SUPPORT OF THE ONGOING REGIONAL CAMPAIGNS AGAINST COUNTERFEITING, GIVEN THAT THE EASY AVAILABILITY OF FAKE EQUIPMENT IMPACTS MANUFACTURERS OF GENUINE PRODUCTS IN TERMS OF REPUTATION AND PRICING, AND SEVERELY COMPROMISES

SAFETY AND THE STEPS BEING TAKEN TO CURB INDIRECT EMISSIONS? Many manufacturers already participate in AHRI certification programs. Promoting the specification of “AHRI Certified” can be an important tool to avoid counterfeit products. Through its sophisticated webbased interactive directory, AHRI can provide solutions to identify non-certified or counterfeit products and equipment.

IN THE LARGER INTERESTS OF GLOBAL EFFORTS AIMED AT MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE, WOULD THE MENA OFFICE OF AHRI WORK TOWARDS CAMPAIGNING FOR A SPEEDIER TRANSITION TO ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY REFRIGERANTS, EVEN MUCH AHEAD OF THE COMMENCEMENT

OF THE ‘HFC FREEZE AND PHASE-DOWN STEPS’, IN 2028 FOR ARTICLE 5 GROUP 2 COUNTRIES? AHRI has been the leader in a careful, prudent, deliberate global approach to the adoption of alternative refrigerants.

Our global efforts will enable developed and developing nations alike to ensure proper training and the opportunity to take advantage of evolving technical developments in both equipment and refrigerants.

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

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11

Analysis

covid

19

I

Have often been asked to what extent has COVID-19 already redefined the way we do business.

Let me preface my answer by saying this: My aim here is to avoid the chest-beating, wailing and plain hysteria that has been blared out from so much of the media, mode notwithstanding, and to instead look at the situation with sombre eyes, and find the most reasonable ways to navigate the situation.

COVID-19 has presented a thematic shift in the conduct of affairs at all the levels one would reasonably be expected to care about. It did not have to be a virus; it did not have to be COVID-19 – it could have been any other phenomenon.

We are at a hinge. The current setup was always poised for a shift.

The shift in the status quo can broadly be attributed to the change in behaviour of three core forces – centralisation, homogenisation and collectivised responsibility.

CENTRALISATION By the term, ‘centralisation’ I am referring to the tendency among people, across the ages, to create arrangements in order to streamline their interactions and make them more efficient. When formalised, these arrangements became institutions, complete with codes of operation and strict modus operandi.

Over a period of time, these institutions slowly ended up accruing more and more power for themselves, cannibalising from the losses in the organisational ability, agency and flexibility of smaller, less-complex entities, leave alone the individual.

These tendencies are not new; the large political empires of history were little more, in this view, than attempts at centralisation. However, they were, for the most part, short-lived, for the practical technologies to effectuate this did not really exist, as impressive as their attempts were. With the progress of technology, and the rapidity of its advance in the 20th century, the forces of centralisation have been turbocharged.

Indeed, the world has not witnessed a greater period of centralisation as it has since the formation of the order of 1945, which still holds to a great degree. This is rare and unusual in the history of the world, and has been made possible only by the technology underpinning it.

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Krishnan Unni Madathil is a Chartered Accountant, a member of the ICAEW and Audit Partner with Bin Khadim, Radha & Co. Chartered Accountants. He may be contacted at krishnan.madathil@binkhadimradha.com.

WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE The next dollar is definitely coming from those avenues that flow harmoniously with the overriding global themes of decentralisation, dehomogenisation and individualisation in the wake of the thematic changes brought about by an event such as COVID-19, says Krishnan Unni Madathil

HOMOGENISATION The Industrial Revolution brought with it the ability to drastically reduce the cost of goods manufactured through a simple theory first reflected on, at that time, by Adam Smith of Scotland, when he posited that the cost of manufacture of a part of a product was dramatically reduced if the processes that went into its manufacture were separated and repeated – that is, “specialisation of processes”.

Homogenisation has to do with consumption patterns, and could also

be referred to as the “concentrated specialisation of consumption patterns”.

This, again, is a tendency that had its early beginnings with the Industrial Revolution and the mercantilism of the early modern age, but which underwent successive turbocharges in the period after 1945, when the geopolitical ascendance of mass manufacturing and the industrial economy was reconfirmed; after 1991, after the free market triumphed over autarky; and after 2001, when China joined the WTO.

It is telling that the coronavirus has impacted those countries hardest where the populations live in close, dense clusters; countries where the population is far more dispersed, such as much of non-urban SubSaharan Africa Never before in history have so many people with so many patently observable differences eaten the same food; sipped the same (branded) beverage; worn similar clothes; read similar books; lived in similar dwellings; spoken the same language; heard or watched exactly the same news; reacted to situations in the same way; entertained themselves in similar ways; had similar or matching thought processes; communicated using the same devices; even, had the same diseases; essentially, lived the same template lives. It is as terrifying as it is saddening,

but “diversity” is a lost phenomenon, and most among us don’t even understand its true meaning or the depth of its deficit; our understanding of it is – to put it pithily – skindeep.

COLLECTIVISED RESPONSIBILITY A corollary of the increasing centralisation of institutions has been the gnawing away of the individual’s sense of personal responsibility towards various expressions of more collectivised responsibility. There is

a reinforcement of sorts here – in return for the acquisition of greater, more intrusive powers to the centralised institutions, those institutions promised ever greater incentives for the individual to part with what would have been usually considered his personal concerns, which would incentivise the institutions to acquire even more, and so on.

Early calls for this began with the Revolutionary French call for “Liberté, Êgalité, Fraternité”; formalised first in the welfare state of Imperial Germany; and it met its apogee in the social programmes of the Soviet Union in the 20th century, parts of which even found adoption in the freest society of them all – the United States – with the various programmes coming under the New Deal and the War on Poverty, all of which are now part of public policy du jour.

Versions of this have been adopted in pretty much every single country in the world, leaving practically the entire world dependent on the state, or institutions with similar powers, in some way or another in matters, which would have previously been considered, again, strictly personal concerns.

These three forces – centralisation, homogenisation and collectivised responsibility – have progressively reinforced each other, in turn, and the velocity of this reinforcement has been turbocharged at key inflection points over the preceding 20, 30, 60, 100, even 300 years. The physical manifestations of the interplay of these forces have been nation-states, complex governmental bureaucracies, powerful intergovernmental organisations, large domestic and multinational corporations and other similarly large, monolithic social orders, entities and lifestyles.

To all of these institutional arrangements and the forces reinforcing them, the novel coronavirus presents a systemic, thematic challenge. We are, therefore, looking at a future, where these forces will turn in on themselves – that is, we are moving towards greater decentralisation, de-homogenisation and greater assignment of responsibility, accountability and choice to the individual (and a greater diffusion of power). This is the great phenomenon we are on the verge of witnessing.

It is not that these countervailing forces have not acted during the course of history – they, indeed, have. The key difference in the current scenario, when compared to previous eras, is the extreme simplicity, rapidity and convenience of information

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13

Analysis

covid

19

flows, which will significantly temper the global societal response to the situation we find ourselves in. The pace of change, therefore, has the potential to be multiplied manifold. Many of the countervailing forces, in the form of rapid technological advances that had already been chipping away at the prevailing social, economic and business order leading up to January 2020 will only reinforce themselves and accelerate the pace of change still further, owing to the thematic change in the status quo brought about by COVID-19. Adjustment times, however, will have shrunken rapidly – for governments, for businesses, for people.

The powers that be the world over will do everything they can to maintain the status quo – cue the bankruptcy filings, bailout calls, “too big to fail” arguments, maniacal moneyprinting (quantitative easing, of course!) all due in short order over the next few months the world over – but it will likely be beyond them to maintain it, and they will be met inevitably with disillusionment and failure; indeed, the countervailing forces are simply too strong, in most cases. The organisations – and the people – who survive this phase and thrive in the next will be those who understand this fundamental shift in the play of forces and manoeuvre accordingly.

So, is it reasonable to expect a rebound soon enough, or are we in for a protracted period of uncertainty? All analyses here forth are valid and useful only until a vaccine is developed, after which it can be expected reliably for people to return to their old ways. My working assumption is that such a remedy will not be developed for quite some time. This makes for a more sombre analysis, based on more earthy assumptions. Quite a few things are being learnt and discovered even during the course of the restrictions – the most revealing has been the great extent to which information and communications technology has rendered the traditional office irrelevant, from an organisational perspective. Cue a severe crash in office real estate prices the world over.

I have already indicated the primary forces at play – forces that have been chipping away at the edges of the status quo heading to the outbreak of the pandemic.

The velocity of these forces will only ever accelerate. Over the past couple of months, we have been hearing debates over the

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June 2020

Krishnan Unni Madathil is a Chartered Accountant, a member of the ICAEW and Audit Partner with Bin Khadim, Radha & Co. Chartered Accountants.

He may be contacted at krishnan.madathil@binkhadimradha.com.

“shape” of the recovery curve – whether it will be a U-shaped curve, a V-shaped one, or any among the 26 English alphabets. All this presumes that the vanguards of the current status quo will definitely emerge after the hinge; and that it will be business as usual after that. In my view, the presumptuous lot are ignoring the fundamental forces at play.

One is looking at not an alphabet-shaped recovery curve but rather at a starburst, with a lot of creative destruction.

So, where will the next dollar come from? The next dollar will definitely come from those avenues that flow harmoniously with the overriding global themes of decentralisation, de-homogenisation and individualisation in the wake of the thematic changes brought about by an event such as COVID-19.

Prospectors must understand how these forces apply to their goldmines (revenue sources or customers), and then tailor their business structure to enable these forces to act smoothly and robustly, making a healthy buck in the bargain. Businesses that do not do this are the ones that will make the headlines – for the wrong reasons – in double-quick time over the next 12 months.

CASHFLOW AND FINANCIAL STABILITY Which brings us to the existential question on cashflow and what we, indeed, must do to ensure financial stability. The high and mighty have already started doing what I have been prescribing elsewhere. Cut costs.

Rapidly. It is important for businesses to survive, so that they can be the providers of opportunity in the future. It is important to identify the densest cost centres and trim them down to size.

In the GCC region, these tend to be payroll. It is worthwhile for managers to consider renegotiating the type of contracts they have with their human resources, and consider deploying their services, for instance, on a contract basis rather than on an employment basis. It is important, of course, to make good on the contractual obligations to existing employees, but a clear review must be had of onerous expenses, and prompt action taken to arrest these.

The other main burden on cash flows tends to be payments to lenders. Early, honest, transparent communications and information-sharing with institutional lenders will at least ensure a modicum of space and time in which to organise sufficient finance to make good on contractual obligations to institutional lenders.

WHERE DOES THE HVACR INDUSTRY STAND IN ALL THIS? Now, if cashflow is one aspect, building confidence for inter-stakeholder commercial transactions to go through is another. The stakeholders in the case of the HVACR industry would typically be consultants, contractors, FM professionals, manufacturers, suppliers and building owners. So, what course of action or direction should they take to build confidence and regain lost ground?

Well, in my view, there are no magic bullets for any stakeholders to bite that could suddenly get them back to where they were immediately before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. An event like COVID-19 will have a thematic effect on the economy, affecting even the nature of contracts on which employment is secured.

It will be important, most of all, for stakeholders to cultivate the necessary linkages among themselves and maintain professional acquaintance and contact using the latest communications technology in order to sustain the degrees of confidence required for transactions to continue to take place. I would say the key attributes, going forward, will be flexibility, reachability and raw technical competence.

There are, of course, two types of HVACR industries – one that focuses on industrial air conditioning, and the other that focuses on residential and commercial air-conditioning. The pandemic will impact either branch separately. I follow on from the model I spoke of earlier – decentralisation, de-homogenisation and dissipated responsibility.

The activities of industrial enterprises will fluctuate depending on the changes in the global supply chain model. The Chinacentric model of global manufacturing and industrial activity will make way for a more dispersed, coagulated model, settling at the regional or national level, which for the GCC and the wider MENA region will mean a renewed spurt in industrial activity for the local market. This, of course, will be after a necessary adjustment phase.

As for the residential and commercial sector, the following few months will possibly witness a dramatic downturn in occupancy, at first. There could then be a renewed push among the resident populations to resort to dispersed living, as opposed to apartmentbased accommodation. It is telling that the coronavirus has impacted those countries hardest where the populations live in close, dense clusters; countries where the

population is far more dispersed, such as much of non-urban Sub-Saharan Africa, even non-urban India (despite their drawbacks on other counts) have gotten off quite lightly by comparison; even if I admit this is a developing story. This push towards more dispersed living could either be governmentincentivised or be self-propelled from among the residents themselves.

Speaking of government, as a corollary to the real estate industry, the HVACR industry can expect to be an indirect beneficiary of government support for the real estate industry in various markets. For some participants in the HVACR sector that are government-owned, there could be direct support from the government by way of grants or cash contributions, but here, too, support to the HVACR industry will inevitably be presaged by the requirements of the real estate sector as a whole.

On the whole, it must be understood that the state, as such, is not the go-to unit of authority or accountability it once was – despite what you read in the news. State apparatuses are very much not in control of the situation, and their primary aim is to limit the damage, to themselves first, and then to their prime constituencies. If anything has been revealed by COVID-19, it is that the state can only do so much in the face of the forces unleashed by the sudden stoppage of a global system, which relied, above all, on a constant churn in activity.

HAVE YOUR SAY! We welcome your views on the article.

Write to editor@cpi-industry.com

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V Sekhar Reddy, Lexzander

COVID-19 is surely a game-changer and a new beginning for many, says V Sekhar Reddy, Managing Director, Lexzander, an engineering and construction management firm, in this interview he gave to Surendar Balakrishnan. Excerpts…

T

O WHAT EXTENT HAS COVID-19 ALREADY RESHAPED THE BUSINESS LANDSCAPE?

It is too early to say, but it has brought world economies and businesses to their knees and is going to test the resolve of nations to stand up and fight back to normalcy. The wellbeing and economies of nations will be stress-tested, and businesses would have to rewrite the script from ‘Ground Zero’.

Adaptation to the new challenges is the key. Given its connectivity, excellent infrastructure, facilities and investorfriendly approach, the UAE – Dubai, in particular – will stand a good chance of benefitting from the global thoughtprocess to spread out manufacturing activities.

IS IT REASONABLE TO EXPECT A REBOUND, OR ARE WE STARING AT A NEWNORMAL THAT IS YET ELUDING DEFINITION? In my view, it cannot get any worse than this, and going north has to happen. But, the situation is surely a game-changer and a new beginning for many.

WHERE IS THE NEXT DOLLAR GOING TO COME FROM, DO YOU THINK? DO YOU FORESEE A THOROUGH REVIEW OF IEQ-

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V Sekhar Reddy

AND ENERGY EFFICIENCYRELATED OPPORTUNITIES IN THE POST-COVID SCENARIO?

case of all those economies that are able to make them grow hand in hand with their revival agenda and policies.

Starting from conscious consumerism, there are many areas where the world has to discipline its approach and take hard decisions, for a better tomorrow.

IEQ and energy efficiency-related opportunities and reforms ought to be the ones topping the list, at least in the

WHAT MUST WE DO TO ENSURE FINANCIAL STABILITY AND STEADY CASHFLOW? We need to see more planning and less adventurism. We need a reality check and to work out the ROI, by considering not just the economics but also the end product.

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V Sekhar Reddy, Lexzander

WHAT MUST CONSULTANTS, CONTRACTORS AND FM PROFESSIONALS DO TO REGAIN LOST GROUND AND BUILD CONFIDENCE FOR INTERSTAKEHOLDER COMMERCIAL TRANSACTIONS, ONCE COVID-19 IS CONTAINED? Respect, transparency and an ethos of acting responsibly would be the way forward. The focus ought to be on concentrating on core competencies with a great measure of honesty.

WHAT ARE THE JOBS OUT THERE IN THE MARKET, OR IS THE WORLD DRAINED OF ENERGY FROM FIGHTING THE VIRUS THAT IT WOULD TAKE A CERTAIN WHILE TO FIND THE WILL AND DIRECTION TO PUSH FORWARD? ARE WE STARING AT A U-, V OR L-SHAPED RECOVERY? I foresee a possibility of over-dependency likely giving way to a strengthening of inhouse and regional market development.

Neglected sectors, such as healthcare, pharma, sanitation and environment – in the contexts of indoor air quality and energy management will get a boost.

Given the worldwide impact, we must target a V-shaped recovery to at least achieve a U shaped recovery.

ARE WE STARING AT THE POSSIBILITY OF OPPORTUNITIES LIKE NEVER BEFORE, WHEN AS AN ESSENTIAL INDUSTRY, WE WOULD BE CALLED UPON TO MAKE BUILDINGS PANDEMICPROOF AND SECURE, WHICH COULD MEAN A NEED TO DIVE DEEPER THAN EXISTING IEQ MEASURES? Every adversity has an opportunity. How each think tank applies the lessons learnt, works out priorities and actions the essential aspects will define the future. The built-environment in which you spend a

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majority of your time certainly requires all the attention and care it needs. This pandemic has taught all of us that the topmost priority is good health. Whatever it takes, in a workable way, should be the goal.

is being delivered, right from inception to close out. Further, they ought to subsidise initiatives and introduce stringent measures to minimise deviations from a certain established quality parameter.

WOULD THE CALL FOR ENERGYEFFICIENCY WITH THE AIM OF CURBING INDIRECT EMISSIONS BE INTENSIFIED, GIVEN THE FACT THAT SCIENTISTS, FOR LONG, HAVE BEEN CALLING FOR ATTENTION TO BE FOCUSED ON PERMAFROST IN RUSSIA AND ELSEWHERE, WHICH HOLD THE THREAT OF VIRULENT MICROORGANISMS THAT COULD COME OUT OF A STATE OF DORMANCY, POTENTIALLY UNLEASHING THE NEXT PANDEMIC?

HOW SHOULD CONTRACTORS REMAIN COMMITTED TO PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT IN THE COVID CHAOS?

We really ought to stop adventurism and act more responsibly. This approach should be an intrinsic part of the new world order. Post this pandemic, we hopefully will pay more attention to the idiom, ‘Once bitten, twice shy’.

IN GETTING HVAC EQUIPMENT OUT TO MISSION-CRITICAL FACILITIES, LIKE HOSPITALS, DATA CENTRES, AND FOOD AND PHARMA SECTORS, WHAT ARE THE MANUFACTURING AND SUPPLY CHAIN- AND LOGISTICSRELATED CHALLENGES? IAQ must be given top priority, with emphasis on air-side equipment, imbued with highquality construction features, efficient air filtration systems, microbe-minimising ionising systems, or any such features.

IN WHAT FORM SHOULD GOVERNMENTS SUPPORT THE HVACR INDUSTRY ACROSS DIFFERENT MARKETS? To begin with, they ought to treat the HVACR industry as a necessity than as a luxury. They should invest in R&D and foster an environment of third-party checking mechanisms to ensure the right product

They ought to invest in ensuring the health and wellbeing of their human resources.

A safe working environment with good ventilation and hygiene practices is essential to give workers a sense of security.

In that, it is essential to train every individual to upkeep, act responsibly and take care of the surroundings. There ought to be incentives for good housekeeping and for efforts aimed at making the workplace safe.

TO WHAT EXTENT HAVE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, MACHINE LEARNING, DATA ANALYTICS AND ROBOTICS STEPPED IN TO HELP OVERCOME THE MASSIVE-SCALE DISRUPTIONS WE HAVE BEEN WITNESSING IN RUNNING OUR BUILDINGS? They have stepped in to help in a big way.

With this invisible intruder gaining an upper hand and humankind facing confinement to break the chain of the spread of the disease, these are the technologies that can come to our aid in different ways of addressing the problems we face.

A deeper understanding of the technologies and an interlinking of their features would minimise the outfall, should such an unexpected emergency ever surface again.

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Dr Iyad Al-Attar is an independent Air Filtration Expert and consultant on indoor air quality.

He may be contacted at iyad@iyadalattar.com.

Dancing the change Amidst a COVID-induced clamour for sophisticated air filtration technologies, it is important to be fully aware of blind spots, including the equipment that would need to be replaced to accommodate possibly a further pressure drop, says Dr Iyad Al-Attar

H

istory depicts our early rejection of the plumes left by industrialisation. Perhaps J.M. Turner’s painting from 1832 is a living testimony, as it expresses his anger not only with social oppression but also with air pollution (Figure 1).

Considering what we are up against today, we ought to be angrier than Turner; indeed, the situation has taken a turn for the worse. The various airborne contaminants we encounter (Figure 2) differ in their chemical and physical characteristics from those of the 1800s, but can be harmful even at low concentrations – it is, hence, vital for us to develop an in-depth understanding of air filtration.

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Spores

Dust Particles

Pollen

Cement

Fiber

Pollen

Skin Flake

Human Hair

Fiber delamination

Fly Ash

Cotton Lint

Figure 2: Various examples of suspended contaminants in the atmospheric air (image copyright: Dr Iyad Al-Attar)

Cubic Particles

Figure 1: ‘Dudley’, J.M. Turner, 1832

DELEGATING THE PROBLEM A good place to start while looking at air filters is to consider their blind spots, not just their capabilities. Practically speaking, air filters require tools and conditions to work properly and to ensure there is no deviation in performance from the test report the manufacturer provided. Today, much of the air we inhale in residential buildings, offices, malls, hospitals, airports and cars is conditioned by HVAC systems.

The characteristics of the air we breathe vary tremendously from one application to another, and we cannot blame the deterioration of air quality solely on one segment or invest all our research and development on one application.

THE LION’S SHARE OF AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS Globally, air conditioning constitutes around one-fifth of the total electricity used in buildings and is the second-largest source of global electricity demand growth after the industrial sector. In that context, the energy efficiency of HVAC systems is particularly important; by extension, the use of lowpressure-drop filters with enhanced efficiency is believed to be the order of the day in a non-pandemic situation.

In the pandemic mindset that has gripped us, though, there is much demand for an immediate retrofit to accommodate a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter, which in fact will lead to greater pressure drop. So, instead of blindly opting for HEPA filters, we must question whether our adherence to international standards that list HVAC and filtration guidelines is the issue, or if we need to make them fall under the analytical knife.

THE SUBSTRATA OF CHANGE To realign existing HVAC systems and air filters to fiercely defend our respiratory system, our plans to combat COVID19 must be novel in approach and methodology. Initially, all pernicious practices must be ceased in terms of air conditioning and filtration maintenance.

Debunking what is ailing our systems is an essential step in our troubleshooting method. My first article, 17 years ago, highlights the importance of air quality for our wellbeing, and the impact on health, if filtration is not granted due attention in the HVAC systems. Today, the daily death rates from COVID-19 suggest we have fallen harder and faster than we could have imagined.

While HVAC and air filtration technologies are essential for protecting health and ensuring wellbeing through providing contaminant-free air while maintaining thermal comfort, a cursory glance at fan-coil units (FCUs) reveals the use of a modest filter amidst a wide spectrum of pollutants. A detailed examination of a typical FCU catalogue reveals that only a few Pascals have been allocated for air filter installation and that the provision for improvement is rather limited.

The modesty of residential air filtration is not a trope. One can gauge the importance granted to residential air filters by ascertaining the space and thickness the designer allocates for them. Most residential systems rely on a single-stage filtration, which adopts the doctrine of washable filters.

The recent pandemic has emancipated our school of thought to install HEPA filters. Unfortunately, their installation is not as easy as their acquisition seems.

The installation has to be preceded by a minimum of three filtration stages, namely, fresh air, pre- and fine filtration, which calls upon retrofitting or equipment replacement to accommodate the new

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pressure drop. In the past six decades, the focus of air filter specifications was to capture solid particles with medium efficiency for offices and shopping malls. Indeed, healthcare and non-healthcare facilities gave minimal attention to bioaerosols, gaseous and odour control.

Such inadequate attention has to be branded as counter-intuitive. Absolute Filters must be accompanied by a test report that certifies their compliance and rates their performance. The report acts like a birth certificate that states the performance characteristics of the filter. Clearly, filter selection ought to be based on providing the best aerodynamic design, in terms of efficiency, with the least resistance to airflow. We ought to employ characterisation tools to reveal what our lungs inhale and our eyes fail to trace. Once revealed what was, heretofore concealed, I am certain that there is no price we will not pay to attain the air quality that keeps us safe.

Furthermore, continuous urban aerosol monitoring can be critical to urban planning and to gauging suitable maintenance schedules while predicting filter-clogging times. Monitoring can prove to be invaluable for shopping malls, airports, places of worship, schools and supermarkets, where tremendous variations in human occupancy exist.

Such variations may require an adaptive approach to provide the necessary filtration and HVAC tactics.

Dr Iyad Al-Attar is an independent Air Filtration Expert and consultant on indoor air quality.

He may be contacted at iyad@iyadalattar.com.

ACCEPTING AND MANAGING A NEW SYSTEM To dance the change, it takes more than a plan and a prudent approach. We must realise that yesterday’s approaches to tendering our way out locked us is a struggle or an exit strategy. We must believe in the need to reinvent the way we live and to capitalise on our knowledge and available technologies. In the past two decades, we did not dare to alter the quality of air we breathe; today, it is inevitable. What would the world be like if our powerful speech is heard by a conscious audience that is willing to advance? Perhaps the 16th century political-philosopher, Niccolò Machiavelli was right when he described the courage needed to change: “It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than a new system.” Those words ring true even today.

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

THE BLIND SPOTS OF HEPA FILTERS I earlier spoke about HEPA filters. Before I elaborate on these special filters, it is essential to understand a few hard facts. A good start to inspire change in the air we breathe is to intrinsically understand the dynamics of filter performance. The novel coronavirus requires not only new tools but also novel attitudes to inquisitively assess the proposed solutions. Particularly, the knowledge about COVID-19 is still evolving.

There is so much emphasis on using Absolute Filters to combat the virus. Numerous recommendations demand a higher class of HEPA filters to enhance air quality. However, it is important to highlight that appropriate Absolute Filter selection is equally important to provide the operating conditions needed to perform as designed. The parameters include face velocity, low particle concentration, low particle size distribution, and appropriate temperature and humidity levels.

Prior to finalising the specifications of HEPA or (UltraLow Particulate Air (ULPA) filters, a detailed account of the media properties used in their manufacturing must be forthcoming during the selection process by filtration consultants and/or engineers. Ultimately, appropriate filter selection should be delegated to filtration experts, who can be held responsible for their selection and the air quality we eventually breathe. The current pandemic has proven to us that filtration mistakes are not only expensive but can also be fatal. We lose ourselves when we compromise the principles we fight to defend, whether in terms of filter and HVAC selections or the preventative measures that never see the light of day. A filter specifications sheet carries no weight if it does not state the performance measures needed to outperform. Therefore, appropriate filter selection, operation and maintenance are of paramount importance.

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Mohanad Abobakr is a healthcare architect and specialist in healthcare façade design. He holds a master’s degree in International Façade Design and Construction from Ostwestfalen-Lippe University, Germany. He may be contacted at abobakr.m@outlook.com.

STOPPING

Mohanad Abobakr elaborates on the importance of façade design in the healthcare sector

H

ealthcare systems have been overwhelmed by a high rate of hospitalisation and quarantine measures necessitated by the persistent COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).

Thousands of lives have been lost, and millions have required medical care; the quality of care given has raised questions on the state of healthcare facilities.

The challenges that have emerged have highlighted the importance of refining healthcare frameworks and proposing innovative tools to accommodate the rapid increase in patients, worldwide.

It has become obvious that countries the world over have to expand, upgrade and retrofit existing healthcare facilities with appropriate selection of façades

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and building design materials, such as cladding, flooring and ceiling.

Healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs), caused through the transmission of pathogens from infected patients to other patients, visitors and healthcare personnel have gained much attention. Such infections can also be acquired through the devices used in medical procedures, such as catheters and ventilators. HAIs can extend hospitalisation stays and exert tremendous economic burden on patients and healthcare systems. Within healthcare facilities, environmental contamination is often identified as a major contributor to the transfer of pathogenic HAI. Research has shown that HAIs are linked to the presence of patients, visitors and medical personnel in the hospital environment.

Several design parameters can contribute to infection control. These parameters include urban design, geographic location, HVAC systems, selection of façades and the associated indoor air quality. Façades play a critical role in protecting buildings in terms of hygiene. Therefore, façade design and its selection are becoming increasingly important in current and future hygienic buildings. Figure 2 illustrates the schematic of protection agencies that complement one another to improve the performance of healthcare facilities. The interrelation of the aforementioned parameters cannot be overemphasised and require a universal performance optimisation approach to be implemented. This would mean an innovative healthcare design with an integrated method to accommodating various parameters (Figure 1).

FAÇADE, THE SKIN OF A BUILDING A building façade acts like a fence that controls the indoor environment in terms of radiation, particles and light, among other factors. While a façade may be regarded only as an external skin, it can also be used internally by means of modular cladding systems. This would involve the employment of surface finishes of operation theatres, patient rooms and intensive care units (ICUs), in which it is of critical importance to provide the highest level of hygiene.

There are two aspects as far as a healthy façade is concerned. The first aspect has to do with the design of external and internal systems, where the façade system has a high impact on the quality Figure 1: 3D rendering of future urban healthcare design of a patient’s health inside the building. In fact, the form affect patients psychologically in terms of of the skin and the façade units’ design daylight absorption quantity. However, while influence the air circulation and ventilation the façade protects from the outside, is it ratio due to the air movement mechanisms capable of doing so from inside-out? In other inside the façade. Furthermore, the design of words, can it protect the community from the façade units determines the amount of nosocomial infection? radiation that can be reflected or absorbed The implementation of different values in the rooms, besides that radiation, which of air pressure to prevent airborne infections penetrates into them; all these influence in operation theatres and ICUs have been the wellbeing of patients and other indoor considered broadly in the design of hospital occupants. On the other hand, the number of transparent and opaque units in the skin itself rooms. For example, the design approach

Transportation

used in operation theatres – of applying positive air pressure inside and negative air pressure outside the theatres – could be reformulated in the façade skin design of the hospitals to limit the prevalence of microbes in the outer atmosphere, as per Figure 3. The positive pressure values will restrict the airflow from the outside to the inside and will assist in preventing microbes from spreading to the inner atmosphere. Façade, in this case, will work as the first defensive line against the microbes coming from outside.

Ventilation

Lighting

Locatioin

Sterilization & cleaning

Building conditions

Insulation

HVAC Materials

Regulation

Figure 2: Schematic diagram of design parameters

Green spaces

Radiation

Buffer zones

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THE SECOND ASPECT: MATERIAL SURFACE SELECTION “Materials and finishes need to be robust and easy to maintain, as well as attractive.

Well-selected, fit-for-purpose furnishings will complement a clear approach to design”.1 Therefore, the importance of appropriate material selection plays a pivotal role in infection control, due to the continuous exposure to the surrounding environment.

Moreover, surfaces may vary in responding to microbes based on their material properties and on environmental factors.

Further, the surfaces in healthcare facilities could incubate nosocomial infection through inappropriate use of antimicrobial agents in hospitals. Consequently, characterising the performance of hygienic materials becomes increasingly important in healthcare facilities. This can be conducted by investigating their properties to assess their efficiency in thwarting microbial growth. In addition, the ability of the cladding material surface in preventing the adherence of microbes and their growth is also an essential element in healthcare facilities design.

ACIDIC ENVIRONMENTS AND DETERGENT RESISTANCE The materials used in hospitals as surface cladding should be suitable for acidic environments and detergent resistance.

Hospitals undergo daily sterilisation process, and one of the features subjected to detergents is the surface of hospitals.

The components that are used in the sterilisation process, such as detergents, increase the acidic concentration on the surfaces and, subsequently, lead to acidic corrosion in the surfaces, which in turn, increases the growth ratio of mould (Figure 4). For quite some years now, stainless steel material has been deployed in healthcare applications to improve hygiene. However, while the material's characteristic should ensure high corrosion resistance, the fact of the matter is that the detergents applied on the stainless steel affect the performance of the material in the way of ion exchange

Figure 3: Sketch of airborne precaution mechanism for façade.

between surface and solution, which leads to corrosion stain.

A recent study has shown that frequent sterilisation accelerates the ageing or deterioration of surface cladding materials and substructure[2]. However, some materials that are neither acidic nor detergentresistant are susceptible to corrosion stain ratio to a great extent, which may eventually lead to materials failure. So, the question to ask is, ‘Did inappropriate sterilisation approach affect our health in the long term?’

SELF-HEALING AND SMOOTH SURFACE Scratches on building surfaces could increase the ability of microbes to colonise in the material. Micro-organisms can settle in the grooves or scratch-depth, which may foster their reproduction over time. In that context, self-healing materials have gained great momentum through their application in various buildings. Self-healing, in this particular instance, is defined as the ability of materials to treat the light scratches through the reaction between the material itself and surrounding components. For instance, the components of stainless steel material react with oxygen and water to treat the light scratches.

Materials with self-healing performance characteristics will have a high influence on the health ratio inside the hospital. Besides, the smoother and denser the surface, the greater the hygienic performance (Figure 5).

This is because higher surface smoothness of the building materials reduces the

Figure 4: Diagram shows the influence of detergent use and acidic environment in materials corrosion rate

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adhering forces of the microorganisms.

Further, surface smoothness plays a role in decreasing the microbe’s colonisation on surfaces. Almost needless to say, wider applications of smooth surfaces in the facilities contribute to a greater level of hygiene.

Figure 5: Diagram shows that hygienic atmosphere ratio will increase respectively by increasing the smooth surface and self-healing feature

CONCLUSION Global demand is focused on better facilities and a hygienic atmosphere for both healthcare and non-healthcare buildings.

Therefore, quantifying the hygienic aspects requires further research and development, particularly to improve the wellbeing of human occupants. The need to improve has been intensified by the recent pandemic, which has placed more emphasis on reshaping all aspects of design that we have for so long taken for granted.

REFERENCES: [1] – Mike Kagioglou & Patricia Tzortzopoulos, Improving Healthcare through Built Environment Infrastructure, 2010.

[2] – M. Abobakr, Design study of different façades for various zones of hospitals and rehabilitation resorts, 2017.

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

For all your headhunting needs, please contact:

+971 50 3580708 or email

alissa@careersbay.com www.careersbay.com www.climatecontrolme.com

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Nabil Khalil is Executive Vice-President, R&M Middle East, Turkey and Africa. He may be contacted at Nabil.Khalil@rdm.com.

Considering All-Over-IP

Unlike field bus systems that are presently being used in buildings, All-Over-IP networks open up better possibilities for the development of smart buildings, argues Nabil Khalil, Executive Vice-President, R&M Middle East, Turkey and Africa

B

uildings have evolved tremendously in recent decades, and the Middle East is now home to some hugely impressive works of architecture – from the world’s tallest tower to buildings that have earned their place as global icons for their aesthetics and sustainable design.

While these marvels of modern engineering characterise the skylines of cities across the region, there is a clear eagerness to go a step further.

The rapid advancement of technology has made it possible to not only imagine the natural evolution of buildings but to also realise their transformation into Smart Buildings. By utilising technology to automate the operation of building systems, such as lighting, alarms, fire and life safety, HVAC and more, these structures have the potential to greatly enhance the safety, efficiency and comfort of occupants. Moreover, building owners can achieve these benefits while simultaneously enjoying increases in efficiency and reductions in cost, owing to the streamlining of operations.

With clear reasons to transforming new and existing developments into intelligent buildings, industry stakeholders are now tasked with identifying and understanding which technologies they must invest in.

Investors, building owners, planners and system integrators ask themselves this

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question on a daily basis, and if centuries worth of accumulated knowledge is anything to go by, the answer should be clear.

Just as in their traditional counterparts, intelligent buildings, too, must be built on a solid foundation, which, in this case, is the underlying network.

The gathering, processing and analysis of data from sensors and systems located all across the premises is fundamental to making a building ‘smart’. IP-based systems – also known as networked systems – are what make this possible.

These systems use Internet Protocol (IP)

possible over the local Area Network (LAN), as well as over the Internet and cloud.

When combined with Power over Ethernet (PoE) technologies, these systems have the ability to also address the question of power supply, as now, power and data can reliably and efficiently be connected via the same cable. So, let us take a look at some of the advantages of All-Over-IP networks to understand why they are the foundation for smart buildings.

INVESTMENT: Devices and systems, which work with Ethernet/IP technology, are favorably priced, as competition, uncomplicated standards and mass production have reduced the manufacturing costs. Furthermore, open standards and license-free software – which is free of charge – simplify the engineering of All-Over-IP solutions.

to communicate with one another through IP addresses and data packets, and all types of building systems, from HVAC controls to digital signage, can be IP-based.

I am convinced that, unlike field bus systems that are presently being used in buildings, All-Over-IP networks open up better

possibilities for the development of smart buildings. All-Over-IP means that all devices involved in building technology and building management communicate in the same way, without barriers, over Ethernet/Internet Protocol (Ethernet/ IP). And this seamless communication is

CONNECTIVITY: IP devices and networks speak the same language – end to end. They do not need any ‘translation’ among the server; operating systems, such as with gateways; and end devices. They are easy to connect to one another with standardised RJ45 cable interfaces, which simplify installation, commissioning and maintenance.

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OVERVIEW COVID has given an existential dimension to tech-buzzwords like AI, Machine Learning, IoT and data analytics in the context of building performance. With social distancing here to stay for the foreseeable future, the ability to remotely monitor, and be able to conduct diagnostics and handle Operation & Maintenance is of vital consideration.

Indeed, remote connectivity in asset management is indispensable in a new world order, including a post-COVID scenario, so we are ready, if and when the next pandemic strikes.

This sentiment of being prepared is gaining ground, and the ramifications are significant. It is being acknowledged that we need a transformation in the way we think and approach structural, civil and MEP works to make substantial provisions for future scenarios similar to COVID. And it covers software as much as it does all building performance equipment ‘Smart HVAC systems’, the next in the HVACR Virtual Conference series, brings into play a wide range of aspects for discussion.

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PERFORMANCE: The Ethernet/IP protocol enables the transmission of large quantities of data faster than field bus systems. This makes it possible to collect and distribute data from the entire network. The availability of a fast data connection allows new data-intensive applications, such as HD video or analytics to be used.

SCALABILITY: Buildings can be connected and controlled digitally, throughout. The current Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) can theoretically allocate 1,500 IP addresses per square metre. In practical implementations, there is no limit to the number of devices that can be addressed.

SECURITY: The star-shaped topology reduces the number of connection points and gives IP networks more operational reliability.

The access controls and authentication measures incorporated in the IP improve the security of building automation.

ADD-ONS: Thanks to the total availability of data from different components, new applications and technical solutions can be developed. An administrator can integrate these with the click of a mouse.

FUTURE-PROOF: The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is already working on the next generation of transmission technology with the new Single Pair Ethernet (SPE) standard for network connectivity. SPE will reduce the costs of connectivity even further and decrease the size, too. It is not, however, supposed to replace existing solutions but rather build on and extend them. SPE will be ideal for connecting a large number of small sensors and actuators, which is essential to unlocking the potential of the Internet of Things (IoT).

THE VISION With All-Over-IP solutions, the realisation of intelligent buildings will become less expensive and far less complex. They will, thus, become more flexible and will be implemented more frequently. This means that as an industry, we can move ever closer to the vision of an ecological, economical, convenient and secure building.

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

www.climatecontrolme.com

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Report

Propane in supermarkets

I

n 2016, the Brazilian government launched Stage 2 of the HCFC Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP), with funding from the Multilateral Fund (MLF) for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol.

The plan provides, in general lines, the measures to be adopted until 2023 for the elimination of the consumption of 464.06t ODS (ozone-depleting substance). The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) is responsible for implementing projects in the refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) sector.

UNIDO is assisting the Brazilian Ministry of Environment in providing technical assistance to 28 RAC companies in order to replace HCFC-22 in commercial refrigeration equipment and safely convert the production line and the facilities for storing and handling refrigerants.

Two of the biggest manufacturers of refrigeration equipment in the country, Eletrofrio and Plotter Racks, are part of the project with objectives to develop new

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Edgard Soares Pinto Neto is Refrigeration Expert with United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and may be contacted at e.soares@unido.org.

chillers using an environmentally friendly refrigerant and to install these chillers in a local supermarket for demonstration purposes.

Both companies developed a modular chiller based on propane (R-290). The refrigeration equipment was designed to facilitate its safe installation and maintenance. It can be installed outside of the store or in a machinery room, keeping the R-290 out of the sales area, whilst only the glycol, a secondary fluid, is inside the store to cool the display cases or cabinets.

The system was designed in a way that potential failures would be limited to only one module, while other modules would continue working.

In Brazil, chillers are usually charged with a refrigerant at the customer’s premises. This common practice had to be adjusted, as the flammability of propane requires additional

safety measures. Thus, the companies created a designated and safe area in their factories to handle propane. The assembly area is equipped with a special charging machine for flammable refrigerants, leak detectors, recovery machine for defective units, ventilation system, sensors and alarms.

Whenever a chiller needs to be charged with propane or whenever a defective module must be repaired, the service can be executed at the manufacturer's safe area, eliminating the need for refrigeration specialist technicians in the supermarket workforce.

ELETROFRIO PROJECT Eletrofrio was established in 1946 and is the largest company in the retail refrigeration sector in Brazil. The company produces components and systems

for supermarkets, such as refrigerated display cases and centralised refrigeration systems. For this specific project, Eletrofrio developed a water-cooled R-290 chiller for medium-temperature applications with three different cooling capacities: 10,000, 20,000, or 30,000 kcal/h. A typical installation requires at least three modules, and it can be configured according to specific cooling demand.

When converting a refrigeration equipment from an HFC refrigerant to propane, the refrigerant charge is reduced approximately by 50%. The volumetric refrigeration capacity of R-290 is higher than that of R-134a, meaning a smaller compressor in place. In this specific chiller development, ELETROFRIO PROTOTYPE Eletrofrio obtained a Being the first store in Latin America to charge reduction of use 100% natural refrigerant, the Condor 94%. This significant Supermarket, in the city of Curitiba, in the refrigerant reduction is southern region of Brazil, was selected justified by the adoption of a different system configuration. Eletrofrio shifted the system from a parallel compressor rack to a set of compact modular chiller. In addition, according to CO2 equivalent metric, the impact of the propane system is negligible. The propane system provides 99.99% t CO2 equivalent reduction compared with a similar capacity system charged with R-134a, which means a significant reduction in the total impact on climate. The cost of the modular chillers was five per cent more expensive than an R-134a parallel compressors rack.

Eletrofrio modules installed This difference in price is acceptable at Condor Supermarket due to the fact that the components were bought as single units for this project, without the benefit of the lower prices of purchase in bulk. Comparing the propane solution with an R-134a parallel through a call for expression of interest. compressors rack in another store from The company installed six R-290 modules.

Condor’s chain with comparable size and Each module was designed to be as simple cooling demand, also located in Curitiba, the as possible and has a variable-speed system with propane provided a three per compressor, a brazed-plate condenser and cent electricity reduction over the period of evaporator, an electronic expansion valve, one month. The system has been running a propane sensor and permanent airflow for more than one year without a single of refrigerant-containing components. The leak and, compared with the other system, electrical panel is isolated and located requires 30% less maintenance time, outside of the refrigerant-containing proving its reliability. module. Each unit has 20,000 kcal/h (23,26kW) cooling capacity and is charged with 1.9 kg of R-290, totalling 11.4 kg PLOTTER RACKS PROJECT of propane in the machinery room.

Plotter Racks produces centralised Besides cooling medium-temperature refrigeration systems for the retail sector, refrigerated display cases and cabinets, including small supermarkets, hypermarkets the glycol system serves as condenser and convenience stores. The company for CO2 refrigerant, which is used for lowwas established in 1995 and was the first company to produce and install a cascade temperature display cases in subcritical system with CO2 in Latin America. operation.

Plotter Racks modules installed at Bahamas Supermarket

The Plotter Racks team, with the support of international consultant, Omar Abdelaziz, developed an air-cooled R-290 modular chiller for mediumtemperature applications. Each unit has 10,800 kcal/h cooling capacity and a variable-speed scroll compressor, microchannel condenser, brazed-plate evaporator, propane sensor and a continuous ventilation system for the refrigerant-containing components. Each module is charged with 1.04kg of R-290.

The system incorporates a remote control system that allows Plotter Racks monitor the performance of the system in real time, ensure routine maintenance and reduce management and maintenance cost for the client.

The selected store for the demonstration project is located in Juiz de Fora, in the southeast region of Brazil, and belongs to the supermarket chain, Bahamas. The store was also selected through a call for expression of interest and received three propane modules that were installed in the roof of the store. The propane system is used for cooling medium-temperature display cases and cabinets and to condensate the CO2 used for low-temperature cabinets. Although the installation is quite recent and is still in a monitoring process, the initial tests in Plotter Racks laboratory showed a COP increase of 12-15% in partial load, when compared with a similar cooling capacity system using R-410A.

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Propane in supermarkets

For both projects, there is no need for on-site handling of propane. From the beginning, the project was designed to manufacture modular units, facilitating the whole system. So, in case one module fails, only the defective unit is transferred to the manufacturer’s designated propane service area, where it can be safely maintained, while the required cooling demand can be covered by the remaining modules. This is a key achievement of the project regarding the safety and reliability of the system.

Flammability was the biggest issue, imposing a special configuration of the system and compatible components, leading to a more expensive chiller.

Both companies designed the chillers to have the lowest possible charge, to be as simple as possible, to be selfcontained, to work with continuous ventilation of refrigerant-containing components, and to be equipped with a propane sensor. Additionally, the

Edgard Soares Pinto Neto is Refrigeration Expert with United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), and may be contacted at e.soares@unido.org.

manufacturing process was adjusted to reduce the chance of system failures. Each company developed a safety protocol to control the system operation. If the sensor indicates the presence of propane above a certain percentage of R-290 LFL (lower flammability limit), the system shuts down immediately. It is still possible that an eventual leak happens, but it is almost impossible or less likely to create a hazardous situation.

With the support provided by the Brazilian HPMP, Eletrofrio and Plotter Racks have introduced an environmental solution for the supermarket sector, which is expected to be a trend in Brazilian supermarkets in the coming years. The R-290 modular chiller will help both companies to develop new solutions and business models. These demonstration projects will also raise awareness regarding the advantages of using propane in refrigerating systems. The adoption of the R-290 will limit the future use of synthetic

refrigerant with high GWP (global warming potential) in the following years, and the demonstration activities in Eletrofrio and Plotter Racks companies will result in 157,6t of ODS elimination.

(The author would like to acknowledge Brazilian Ministry of Environment, Eletrofrio, Plotter Racks and UNIDO colleagues, who supported the implementation of the project and also contributed to this article.)

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

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June 2020

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REGIONAL NEWS

Facilio launches REbuild

Remote operations toolkit will help real estate owners safely restart property operations, firm says

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By CCME Content Team

I-driven property operations and maintenance platform, Facilio has launched REbuild, which the firm described through a Press release as a remote operations toolkit that helps real estate owners drive efficiency, boost productivity and improve operating margin. The program is in line with Facilio’s mission to provide robust tech solutions to address the dynamic challenges faced by commercial real estate owners, operators and property managers, the release said.

REbuild is aimed at revitalising the CRE industry, empowering it to survive and thrive in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the release said. The comprehensive set of new solutions and the virtual knowledgesharing series provides a powerful launchpad for the industry to generate quick wins by remotely controlling building operations, automating maintenance processes and restoring tenant confidence, while facilitating the exchange of practical insights with the global community, the release said.

“We created REbuild with a mandate to enable the real estate industry to safely restart property operations with Prabhu Ramachandran confidence,” said Prabhu Ramachandran, Founder and CEO, Facilio.

“Real estate owners and operators face a diverse set of challenges that are largely unprecedented in the industry, from deploying remote working arrangement to operating with leaner onsite teams, [and from] mitigating economic pressure to providing a safe and hygienic environment.

Our collaboration with these real estate leaders and experts allowed Facilio to quickly develop a program that will equip the

industry with comprehensive tools to adapt to the changing state of affairs in property operations and be better agile to operate efficiently and cost-effectively.”

REbuild, the release said, helps real estate owners streamline the logistics of restarting property operations across a portfolio and manage cost and workforce, while putting occupant and visitor health first. According to the release, the details are as follows…

• Hygiene management – REbuild allows property teams to quickly automate tailormade disinfection and deep cleaning routines across a portfolio, manage essential inventory, and share live hygiene and health updates with tenants.

• Visitor management – it streamlines visitor entry with QR-code-based touchless entry, helps guests pre-register to get vital information on travel history and wellness and traces the journey corresponding to the space and assets in the path of visitation.

• Portfolio analytics and compliance – it allows stakeholders to gain portfoliowide visibility of adherence to new HVAC guidelines and indoor air quality data, identifies areas to act on immediately and provides live dashboards to tenants on HVAC compliance.

• Portfolio automation – it equips operators deploy changes to multi-vendor building automation systems across properties based on altering HVAC guidelines and dynamic tenant requests, such as bulk changes to schedules and overrides, automating trigger-based sequence and audit logs.

• Touch-less occupant controls – it promotes tenants safety with touchless app-based access to spaces and comfort control. It provides occupants with intuitive apps to control high-touch points, like lighting, HVAC parameters or elevator calls.

• Operational command centre – it is a single hub of operational data to get a 360-degree view of property operations readiness, take data-driven decisions and holistically benchmark against COVID19 guidelines for hygiene, maintenance, BAS operations and tenant management.

The command centre allows owners to customise and extend the solution based on unique needs, existing systems and tools and to automate response workflows – all from one place.

Sumith Sukumaran, Operations Head, UAE-based Quality Group, speaking about REbuild, said: “Facilio has been immensely supportive in overcoming operational struggles in these tough times. Their REbuild toolkit provided granular visibility into our portfolio performance, allowing us to control expenses and scale efficiently during this hour. The transition was unbelievably smooth, and we could effectively deploy proactive measures, in adherence to the new operating guidelines.”

Ramachandran said he believes REbuild will evolve further in response to the industry’s needs, as the stakeholders navigate varied operational challenges in the post-pandemic world. “We started Facilio with a mission to bring technologydriven efficiencies to a conventional CRE industry that hadn’t adopted cloud, mobility or prediction in a meaningful way,” he said. “The global pandemic situation has now fast-tracked the need for building owners and operators to rethink portfolio operations in a data-driven fashion. Facilio will continue to work closely with system integration partners and other prop-tech providers to quickly roll out solutions for the safe and staged re-opening of properties and accelerated efficiency gains in the longterm.”

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REGIONAL NEWS

The Big 5 Dubai postponed to September 2021 In the meanwhile, dmg events, the organisers, will conduct a Digital Festival of Construction in November 2020, with the aim of assisting the industry and boosting its resilience through the current challenging times

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By CCME Content Team

mg events said its annual trade show, The Big 5, will next be held from September 12 to 15, 2021, at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Making the announcement through a Press release, dmg added that the new dates also apply to the specialised events that are staged alongside The Big 5 – The Big 5 Heavy, Middle East Concrete, HVAC R Expo, Middle East Stone, The Big 5 Solar, and the Urban Design & Landscape Expo.

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The decision to postpone the event, originally scheduled to take place from November 23 to 26, 2020 in Dubai, comes after a thorough consultation with key stakeholder groups in the wake of the effect of the coronavirus pandemic, dmg said through the release.

The new dates are the closest possible, enabling the global construction industry to come together for a successful trade event, and take into consideration a wide set of factors – most importantly the health, safety and convenience of all participants; the ease of travel; and the global events calendar for the industry, dmg said.

Ben Greenish, Senior Vice President, dmg events, said: “It was not an easy decision to take, but we believe it is the best for the construction players we proudly connect and have served since 1979.

“Over the past weeks, we made it our priority to listen to our exhibitors, visitors, and other key stakeholders. We understand how crucial a successful trade event is for their businesses, and how challenging planning ahead can be in such uncertain times. We have, therefore, decided to postpone this year’s event to offer an edition of the scale and nature expected of The Big 5 in 2021, which will boost the construction sector’s recovery efforts in the postCOVID-19 era.”

According to dmg, the early announcement of new dates will enable industry players to plan ahead and join an event that will bring benefit to the whole construction value chain. The new dateline will also be a significant distance away from the current restrictions and will allow both exhibitors and visitors to re-engage with old and new customers in a pleasant and highly productive environment, dmg said.

With Dubai moving the 2020 World Expo to October 2021, the next edition of The Big 5 will come at a time during which Dubai is expected to enter an exciting new growth phase, as it prepares to present an amazing showcase and 21st century city to the world, dmg said.

Meanwhile, The Big 5 will continue pursuing its mission to connect and empower construction players across the globe, dmg said, adding that it will do so in innovative ways, including the launch of a new Digital Festival of Construction, taking place in November 2020, with the aim of assisting the industry and boosting its resilience through the current challenging times.

Daikin announces imminent launch of mini VRV 5-s in Middle East and Africa

Units will contain “climate-friendly” R-32 refrigerant

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By CCME Content Team

aikin Middle East and Africa (MEA) recently announced that its Mini VRV 5-s air-conditioning system with climate-friendly R-32 refrigerant will soon be available in the region, as the company moves to strengthen Tuna Gulenc its contributions to the MEA region, following the rising environmental protection- and sustainability-related initiatives.

The newly developed Mini VRV 5-s, the company said through a Press release, was launched in Europe recently, marking a milestone in Daikin Europe’s bid to help reduce carbon emissions in the air conditioning sector. With best-in-class design versatility, the system is the solution for the air conditioning of smaller commercial applications and apartment buildings, the company claimed. The system’s intuitive online control and variable refrigerant temperature are all geared to provide optimum comfort, the company said.

Tuna Gulenc, Vice President-Sales, Daikin Middle East and Africa (MEA), said: “Following the successful launch of the system in Europe, Daikin is looking at bringing it to MEA territories to address the growing demand for environment-friendly offerings within the regional air conditioning sector. This latest innovation incorporates all the newest technological developments, including the low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerant R-32, to effectively meet the safety, environmental compatibility, economy, and energy-efficiency standards in the field of VRV.”

Union Properties initiates steps to claim approximately AED 1.5 billion Company says a subsidiary, which it 100% owns, has sought recourse to legal procedure

By CCME Content Team

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The VRV is an air-to-air heat pump that obtains its energy for cooling, heating and ventilation from a sustainable energy source and enables all-round thermal energy management in the building, the company said. All known VRV standards, such as Variable Refrigerant Temperature (VRT) technology, are also incorporated in the compact Mini VRV version, the company said.

Thanks to its compact dimensions, the outdoor unit is easy to transport and flexible to use, the company claimed, adding that the system is equipped as well with new asymmetric fan design, leak-detection system, stop valves and the company’s swing compressor.

With only one, newly designed, and larger fan, the Mini VRV 5-s provides a high airflow rate and reduced noise emissions up to 39 dBA, the company claimed. It can be combined with wall, concealed and cassette units, and now also with a door air curtain, the company said. It can also be integrated into a ventilation system, the company added.

The system emits lower carbon, owing to its single-component R-32 refrigerant, which is easy to reuse and recycle, the company claimed. The GWP of R-32 is only one-third of that of the R-410A refrigerant, commonly used in the market, and offers up to 75% of CO2 emission equivalent reductions, the company said.

Further, the Mini VRV 5-s, the company claimed, is already fully compliant with European LOT 21, Tier 2, and offers leading-edge seasonal efficiency, as it is designed with unique three-row heat exchanger.

nion Properties said one of its subsidiary companies, which it 100% owns, has initiated arbitration procedures to claim approximately AED 1.5 billion owed.

Making the announcement through a Press release, the company added that the claim is related to construction work for a significant project that was completed around 10 years ago.

Khalifa Al Hammadi, Group CEO, Union Properties, said the company’s Executive Management will not spare any effort in pursuit of the collection of the amount owed, and is taking the proper legal procedures, which are in the interests of the company’s shareholders.

Al Hammadi added that the company’s shareholders

and the financial market will be regularly informed of the developments of the arbitration, in accordance with the laws, rules and regulations of the UAE, and provided with full disclosure and transparency.

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REGIONAL NEWS

Honeywell to open gas detector factory in Saudi Arabia

Company says new facility will form part of its alignment to Saudi Vision 2020 and localisation commitments, supporting economic diversification

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By CCME Content Team

oneywell said it will open a new facility for the production of gas-detection devices in Saudi Arabia. The factory underscores Honeywell’s commitment to the In-Kingdom Total Value Add (IKTVA) programme, the company added.

Established to accelerate Saudisation, IKTVA’s aim is to achieve 70% localisation of production and jobs by 2021 and act as a key enabler of Saudi Vision 2030. The new “Made in the Kingdom” Honeywell factory will support IKTVA’s localisation objectives by creating production jobs for Saudi nationals that enhance workforce skills and capabilities, the company said.

Through the new factory, Honeywell said, it becomes the first international company producing gas detectors in the Kingdom, enabling local availability of the equipment, shorter lead times, and on-the-ground customer support. The devices will provide a reliable and cost-effective way to ensure the safety, compliance and productivity of workers who are operating in hazardous environments in Saudi Arabia, the company said.

“Our advanced gas-detection systems help keep workers safe and enable them to rapidly respond to gas leaks and site incidents,” said John Waldron, President and CEO, Honeywell Safety and Productivity Solutions (SPS). “We’re proud to bring new manufacturing capabilities to Saudi Arabia to help industrial customers maximize safety, improve operational performance and better mitigate emissions.”

Located at the extension of Dhahran Techno Valley, the facility will produce 10,000 portable gas detectors and 800 fixed gas detectors annually, when it reaches full production in 2022, the company said.

The production line includes the multi-gas Honeywell BW series, in addition to fixed detectors, including Searchpoint Optima Plus Point Infrared Gas Detector and XNX Universal Transmitter, the company said.

Norm Gilsdorf, President, Honeywell, High Growth Regions, Middle East, Russia, Turkey, Central Asia & Customs Union, said: “Honeywell remains committed to supporting the national Saudization drive and helping the country meet its Saudi Vision 2030 objectives. Over the course of our six-decade history in the Kingdom, we have continued to further the transformation of the country’s future through the establishment of localization initiatives and deployment of advanced solutions. This new facility marks another milestone in our Saudi Arabian history, providing new employment opportunities and expediting an increased drive for locally manufactured goods.”

Bassam Shadid joins Hamon Cooling Towers

GM for UAE and Saudi Arabia discusses business strategies for Middle East market and trends, in view of COVID-19

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By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

assam Shadid has joined Hamon Cooling Tower Company as General Manager for UAE and Saudi Arabia. In this new role, Shadid said, he will oversee the daily sales and operating functions of the company in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, as well as in other areas in the Middle East. “In the UAE, there will be more focus on the service business, while in Saudi Arabia more focus will be placed on new equipment sales in the general HVAC market,” he said.

Commenting on the current state of the HVACR sector, in view of COVID-19, he said: “The long-term outlook is still not clear. However, the HVAC market in the Middle East is still one of the largest in the world.

In the UAE, air conditioning has been classified during the COVID-19 situation as a vital industry. We, at Hamon, see a resumption of normal business activities, with many projects starting to show renewed activity at least from a quotation standpoint.”

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Shadid added that from his perspective, the cooling tower business, in particular, has seen little disruption, in view of new social norms dictated by COVID-19.

“General air conditioning business, Bassam Shadid however, will see more regulations, especially towards improving and enforcing IAQ standards, considering the latest pandemic,” he said. “This will be more in the area of air filtration and sterilization, especially in hospitals, food industry and hospitality.”

Shadid said that energy efficiency is another area where new advancements in technology will see the introduction of more energy-efficient products, which will be more visible in terms of building automation and control. That said, Shadid shared that to ensure business continuity, Hamon aims to place greater focus on the service, retrofit and refurbishment of existent cooling towers. Shadid said Hamon will also introduce new products for packaged small HVAC applications, Hamon Air Quality Systems and industrial heat exchanger products, mainly to address the requirements of the oil & gas sector across the Middle East.

Taqeef launches new e-shop

Initiative allows 100% contactless delivery and installation of air conditioning units

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By CCME Content Team

cooling but also world-class aqeef launched an customer support. Our e-shop e-shop, which the gives customers a personal company said enables touch, with all the ease of 100% contactless sales an online shop. There’s an support, from technical advice to interactive digital tool for installation.

Tariq Al Ghussein specification, plus there’s a Conveying the news through hotline to our sales team, who a Press release, the company can talk the customer through their options in said that the e-shop is designed to fill a real time.” gap in the market for bespoke ‘virtual Taqeef said next-day delivery and specification’ for residential air conditioners. professional installation by a team of The shop features an automated tonnage qualified AC technicians is also available for calculator* to ensure consumers get the customers, with the team implementing same level of desert cooling expertise, contactless delivery and installation whether in-store or online, the company and adhering to strict protocols, added. including protective Online shopping in the region has spiked equipment and on-site since movement restrictions, with 57% sanitation. The delivery of UAE shoppers admitting to increasing vehicles are also regularly their online purchases and the Dubai disinfected to ensure the Future Foundation reporting that the UAE’s utmost safety while installing e-commerce industry is set to account the Acs, the company added. for AED 12 billion of the country’s GDP Cooling products by 2023, the company said. To meet this purchased through the demand, Taqeef said, it created the online e-shop, the company said, are channel designed to replicate the showroom also eligible for its exclusive experience. free CoolCare protection and Tariq Al Ghussein, CEO, Taqeef, said: warranty plan, providing five “Movement restrictions and people years of free parts as well preferring to shop from the safety of their as repair labour. This, the homes mean many consumers have turned company added, is part of its to alternative and digital retail channels. ongoing commitment to fulfill In the electronics space, customers all the needs of customers with traditionally rely on technical expertise continuous delivery of its stand-out when making a purchase – especially when customer care and technical service. selecting residential ACs. So, for us, it was In addition to this, Taqeef important to create an online destination anounced that it will provide free AC that not only reflected world-class desert

delivery, installation and service to all key workers. Al Ghussein said: “We’re all indebted to the key workers of the UAE – it’s these brave people who have brought stability and safety to us all, and we wanted to recognise their commitment and sacrifice.

They’re the superheroes who are shaping the future and inspiring us all.”

LOOKING FOR REFRIGERATION PRODUCTS?

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GLOBAL NEWS

Belimo releases new pressure-independent piping packages They incorporate energy valves, ePIVs and PIQCVs, company says

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By CCME Content Team

elimo launched new pressureindependent piping packages with the following new valve assemblies: Energy Valves, ePIVs, and PIQCVs, the company said through a May 18 Press release. Belimo piping packages, the company said, incorporate valve assemblies with standard piping components to simplify the contractor’s job by eliminating numerous piping connections, saving both time and money with less opportunity for error.

With the new variety of valve assemblies, SelectPro makes it easy to configure piping packages accurately, the company said. SelectPro is a sizing and selection tool for accurately selecting valves, actuators, sensors and replacement solutions, the company claimed. All piping packages are shipped as a complete unit, providing single-point ordering for fast delivery and installation, the company said, adding that they are 100% tested and backed with a five-year

warranty on all EV, ePIV, CCV, QCV and PIQCV packages.

“These customizable assemblies dramatically simplify the contractor’s job by reducing connections to as few as four with less opportunity for errors,” said Aaron Nobel, Product Specialist, Belimo.

“With these new assemblies along with the existing pressure-dependent assemblies, we can provide solutions for a wide range of hydronic applications, easily configured using SelectPro.”

DriSteem to host webinar on dehumidification

Virtual event will focus on how to protect employees, in the context of COVID-19, reduce scrap and to improve quality by adding humidification systems in print shops, company says

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By CCME Content Team

riSteem on June 9 will be hosting a free webinar to address the importance of humidification systems in print shops, the company said through a Press release.

The webinar, which will last an hour, will be presented by David Baird, Senior Applications Engineer, DriSteem, the company added.

The webinar will focus on why controlling humidity is important for print providers, as proper humidification levels alleviate a variety of issues in the press room, while contributing to a healthy work environment and improving printer function, the company said.

Well-balanced humidity in print facilities will help improve quality and reduce waste from static-related ink smear and paper issues, while extending the life of cylinders and plates, the company said.

Even better, proper humidification helps protect the health of your staff and mitigate the risk of lost time from the flu, COVID, and other viruses, the company added.

Baird, the company said, will include topics that address: • Why humidification is important in print facilities • The role of humidity in addressing common problems, such as electrostatic discharge, paper moisture control, inefficient printer function and unhealthy work environment • Practical considerations for providing 40-60% RH in print shops

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Attendees will receive a 0.5-hour Professional Development Credit with a Certificate of Completion for all that attend the full presentation, the company said.

The webinar will start at 11.30am (EDT) and requires registration, the company said, adding that those interested my register at https:// register.gotowebinar.com/register/3621552015378516491.

“We are excited to offer this free webinar and educate people on all the benefits of humidification,” Jennifer Montville, Director of Marketing, DriSteem, said. “Most people do not put much thought into humidification until it is too late.”

ASHRAE online technical programme now available Includes technical sessions, leadership updates and virtual networking opportunities, Society says

By CCME Content Team

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he technical programme is now available for the 2020 ASHRAE Virtual Conference, with sessions starting June 22 and continuing through July 2, ASHRAE said through a Press release.

The technical programme includes eight tracks, with 300 speakers, and offers an in-depth learning experience, providing solutions, technology demonstrations and industry insights, ASHRAE said.

“ASHRAE is excited to re-imagine our annual conference and has proactively created a dynamic, interactive and virtual conference experience, with an affordable registration fee that makes it accessible to more industry professionals,” said Darryl K Boyce, 2019-2020 ASHRAE President, said.

The virtual conference will include 97 technical sessions, updates from Society leaders and virtual networking events, ASHRAE said. Live sessions addressing the

COP26 postponed to November 2021 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow was scheduled for November 2020

latest information relating to the COVID-19 pandemic will take place daily, starting June 29, ASHRAE added.

“Our robust technical program explores how building and energy systems interact, while examining how buildings are becoming integrated, flexible and resilient Darryl K. Boyce systems to respond to climate change challenges,” said Bing Liu, Conference Chair.

According to ASHRAE, the conference tracks are: • Fundamentals and Applications • HVAC&R Systems and Equipment • Research Summit • Professional Development • Grid-Interactive Efficient Built Environment • Multifamily and Residential Buildings • Zero Energy Buildings and Communities • Resilient Buildings and Communities According to ASHRAE, featured live sessions include: • COVID-19: Opportunities for Sustainable Development • Impact of COVID-19 on Buildings • SARS, MERS, Ebola, COVID-19: How to Prepare for the Next Epidemic • The Benefits of Off-Site Construction • Technical Consultants aren’t ‘Designers of Record’, so No E&O Insurance is Needed • It’s Not a Hot Potato! Engineering Cannot Delegate Design as They See Fit • Crafting an O&M Plan for a Net Zero/ Passive House: An Interactive Workshop

• Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings: Introduction and Demonstration Projects • Off-Site Construction for Resilient Buildings: Getting Details Right • ASHRAE’s Latest Guides for Zero Energy Design According to ASHRAE, the cost to attend the virtual conference is USD 99 for ASHRAE members and USD 329 for non-members, which includes an annual ASHRAE membership. It offers: • Twelve live technical sessions with live Q&A with presenters • An on-demand technical programme of more than 90 sessions • Scheduled live video chat sessions with speakers from on-demand sessions • Downloadable copies of all conference papers • ASHRAE Leadership Moments each day from Society leaders • Virtual networking happy hours According to ASHRAE, the technical programme will be accepted for many jurisdictions' continuing education requirements, and most sessions are approved for LEED AP credits and AIA learning units.

Professional development hours, ASHRAE said, can be earned for all on-demand sessions and 12 live sessions, upon successfully completing a short quiz. Registration, ASHRAE said, includes access to all the technical content on-demand for 18 months, adding that company packages are also available.

T

he COP26 UN Climate Change Conference, in Glasgow, will take place from November 1 to 12, 2021, the COP Bureau of the UNFCCC said.

The Summit was scheduled to take place in November 2020, but had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

COP26 President and Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Alok Sharma, said: “While we rightly focus on fighting the immediate crisis of the coronavirus, we must not lose sight of the huge challenges of climate change.

“With the new dates for COP26 now agreed, we are working with our international partners on an ambitious roadmap for global climate action between now and November 2021.

“The steps we take to rebuild our economies will have a profound impact on our societies’ future sustainability, resilience and wellbeing, and COP26 can be a moment where the world unites behind a clean resilient recovery.”

By CCME Content Team

www.climatecontrolme.com

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GLOBAL NEWS

Researchers launch race to develop sustainable COVID-19 vaccine delivery

Robust and strategic cold chain infrastructure, including community cooling hubs, vital for ensuring potential temperature-sensitive COVID-19 vaccine reaches billions of people around the globe

S

By CCME Content Team

Backed by the Shakti cientists are launching Sustainable Energy Foundation, a major new research experts from the University of project in India that Birmingham and Heriot-Watt will help to engineer an University, Edinburgh, are joining efficient and sustainable delivery forces with non-profit, commercial mechanism – ready to get an Toby Peters and academic partners to eventual COVID-19 vaccine to begin investigating the scale of billions of people around the challenge involved in distributing a globe. potentially temperature-sensitive Researchers racing to develop, COVID-19 vaccine. test and manufacture an effective Toby Peters, Professor of coronavirus vaccine will also need Cold Economy, University of to distribute the drug globally, but Birmingham, said: “Universal universal vaccine access is already vaccine access is already a major a major challenge, particularly in Phil Greening challenge. With COVID-19, rapid low-income countries across the mass immunisation will probably global South – partly due to the be required; maintaining a continuous cold lack of robust cold-chains. chain to rapidly transport and deliver COVIDThe Global Alliance for Vaccines and 19 vaccines to all communities, many where Immunization estimates that only 10% of electricity supply and cooling infrastructure healthcare facilities in the world’s poorest is often non-existent or unreliable, will be a countries have a reliable electricity supply, daunting task. while in some countries less than five per cent of health centres have vaccine-qualified refrigerators.

mass immunization requirements offer us an opportunity to not only increase our vaccine production but also create a robust logistics cold chain system that can handle the country’s overall vaccine needs. The vaccination program will require millions of citizens of all age group to be vaccinated within a short span of time. Our effort is designed to help India overcome this massive logistic challenge sustainably and create a model of global adoption.”

Research in India, led by Centre for Environment Education, and supported by commercial partners such as Zanotti (a part of the Daikin Group), Sure Chill and Nexleaf Analytics, will begin addressing on the group research to address a number of questions that will be key to solving the cold chain conundrum, including: •

• •

•

“Given most of the technologies deployed today will still be in operation in the next decade, the emergence of sustainable and offgrid cold chain devices allows us the opportunity to create sustainable solutions for COVID-19 vaccine deployment that also can deliver resilient and sustainable health cold-chain systems as a lasting legacy.”

Shubhashis Dey, Associate Director of Shakti Sustainable Energy Foundation, said: “COVID-19-related

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Does any country have the infrastructure, resources and planning capability to meet the demand of COVID-19 immunisation, while still meeting current vaccine needs?

If not, what infrastructure and training do we need in place?

What are the short- and long-term infrastructure financing requirements to create such an efficient vaccine delivery system?

Can we achieve this sustainably – economically, socially and environmentally?

Clean cold experts from the University of Birmingham and Heriot-Watt University are already working with Indian counterparts, Centre for Environment Education and MP Ensystems to explore how integrated ‘Community Cooling Hubs’ can integrate food cold chains with other cold-dependent services, such as community health facilities, social facilities and even emergency services.

Professor Phil Greening, from the Centre for Sustainable Road Freight at Heriot-Watt University, said: “We may have 12-18 months to engineer a robust, efficient distribution system to ensure any vaccine for COVID-19 can reach the world’s population, whether they are in urban or remote rural areas.

GEA claims new milestone in compressor efficiency The company presents GEA Bock HGX44e CO2 for industrial low-temperature applications “A radical approach like community cooling hubs could help meet the different communities’ cooling needs in a clean, affordable and sustainable way while helping to safeguard people’s health.

“There will be many knowns and unknowns in facing the coronavirus challenge, but a vaccine is one of the very few exit strategies around which scientists and government are aligned.”

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that, as a result of broken cold chain, there are more than 1.5 million deaths globally from vaccine-preventable diseases every year – 30% of which are among children under five.

WHO estimates that more than 25% of some vaccines may be wasted globally every year because of temperature control and logistics failure.

Researchers at the University of Birmingham and Heriot-Watt University believe that their work in this area will ultimately help to: •

•

•

Develop a short- to medium-term crisis exit solution aimed to deliver COVID-19 vaccine in a safe, efficient and clean manner, while still maintaining routine vaccine deliveries.

Create a long-term contingency framework through establishment of logistics specifically for medicine, blood, vaccines, that is cost-effective, sustainable and responsive to different levels of challenge – basic needs, natural disasters/ regional epidemics, national pandemics.

Deliver lasting value by meeting current unmet and future vaccine demand.

Professor Peters added: “Ultimately, we need a global effort to prepare the vaccine and, in parallel, a global strategy to develop the appropriate sustainable and legacy equitable cold chains and achieve this with minimum environmental impact.

“Out-of-the-box thinking is needed if we are to define sustainable and inclusive solutions that can be delivered quickly and at scale to beat this pandemic and unlock connections between COVID-19 vaccine deployment, sustainable cold chain and development of clean energy infrastructure.”

F

By CCME Content Team

uture-proof, reliable, and cost- and energy-efficient – these were the words GEA used in a Press release to describe its new generation of subcritical compressors, GEA Bock HGX44e CO2.

The use of the natural refrigerant, carbon dioxide (R744) sets a milestone, especially for industrial low-temperature applications in cold stores and in the food industry, the company added.

The main advantage for the user, the company said, is a minimum six per cent higher CO2 compressor efficiency compared to customary compressors on the market. “This allows operating costs to be significantly reduced,” said Manuel Fröschle, Product Manager Natural Refrigerants, GEA Bock GmbH, in Frickenhausen. “Our new series, which has been successfully launched on the market, scores points with customers, above all, through improved process efficiency with minimized energy costs, while at the same time expanding the range of applications and uses. And all this with the highest reliability, thanks to our proven GEA Bock CO2 compressor design.” The world premiere with simultaneous market launch of the subcritical CO2 compressors took place at GEA Bock's trade fair appearance at EuroShop 2020, in February in Düsseldorf, the company said.

In addition to the significantly higher compressor efficiency, the new HGX44e CO2 series, with its four model variants, sets further standards for subcritical CO2 compressors, the company claimed. These include extended operating conditions – for example, optimised hot gas defrosting and an extended frequency and temperature range with evaporating temperatures from -50 to -15 °C and condensing temperatures up to +15 °C, adapted maximum permissible operating pressure (LP/HP 30/55 bar) and a performance spectrum with swept volumes from 27.7 to 49.2 m3/h (50 Hz) and corresponding refrigerating capacity from 51 to 90 kW, the company said. In addition, the refrigeration and air-conditioning specialists from Frickenhausen, the company claimed, have optimised the running characteristics of the new compressors. Minimised noise, vibrations and pulsations, the company said, ensure a high level of user comfort as well as a high level of system safety and reliability with minimised maintenance requirements.

“Our HGX44e compressors for the natural refrigerant CO2 offer planners, investors and operators clever solutions for industrial low-temperature applications, where functionality, cost-effectiveness and climate protection go hand in hand,” Fröschle said. “We call this The °Clever Art of Cooling.”

www.climatecontrolme.com

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GLOBAL NEWS

Scientists call on WHO to review link between humidity and respiratory health

Urge UN body to produce clear guidelines on the minimum lower limit of air humidity in public buildings, in the wake of COVID-19

A

By CCME Content Team new petition has called on the World Health Organization (WHO) to take swift and decisive action to establish global guidance on indoor air quality, with a clear recommendation on the minimum lower limit of air humidity in public buildings, 40to60RH.com, the body behind the petition, said through a Press release. The move would reduce the spread of airborne bacteria and viruses in buildings and protect public health, the release said.

Supported by leading members of the global scientific and medical community, the petition is designed to not only increase global awareness among the public on the crucial role indoor environmental quality plays in physical health but also to call emphatically on the WHO to drive meaningful policy change – a critical necessity during and after the COVID-19 crisis, the release said.

As COVID-19 continues to put pressure on health systems and the economy globally, the group calls on the WHO to review the extensive research that shows an indoor humidity level of between 40% and 60% relative humidity (RH), is the optimum threshold for inhibiting the spread of respiratory viruses, such as influenza, the release said, adding that this is a threshold that many public buildings drop below every winter.

Professor Dr Akiko Iwasaki, PhD, The Waldemar Von Zedtwitz Professor of Immunobiology and Professor of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology at Yale, and an investigator for the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, said: “Ninety percent of our lives in the

Kelvion launches heat exchange solution for the dairy industry

Company says its NL100M Plate solutions is equally ideal for oil and other high viscose media

K

developed world are spent indoors in close proximity to each other.

When cold outdoor air with little moisture is heated indoors, the air’s relative humidity drops to about 20%. This dry air provides a clear pathway for airborne viruses, such as COVID-19. That’s why I recommend humidifiers during the winter, and why I feel the world would be a healthier place if all our public buildings kept their indoor air at 40 to 60% RH.” According to the release, evidence shows the important role indoor humidity levels play in preventing virus transmission and improving immune system response. The release said there are three key notable findings suggesting why indoor air should be maintained at 40-60% RH in public buildings, such as hospitals, care homes, schools and offices throughout the year: • Breathing dry air impairs our respiratory immune system’s ability to efficiently capture, remove and fight airborne viruses and germs, rendering us more vulnerable to respiratory infections.

• When the RH is lower than 40%, airborne droplets containing viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2, shrink through evaporation making them lighter. This enables the particles to float for longer in the air, increasing the likelihood of infection.

• The vast majority of respiratory viruses suspended in dry atmospheres survive and remain infectious for much longer than those floating in air with an optimum humidity of 40-60% RH.

elvion said its new NL100M is ideal for a wide range of dairy products. A challenge in those applications is that the product needs very careful handling, with minimum stress to achieve the desired smooth texture and viscosity, Kelvion said by way of highlighting the NL100M’s capability.

The answer to the challenge, the company elaborated, is a heat exchange solution that combines low velocity with low pressure. With conventional plates, low

velocity reduces the performance, leading to a build-up of deposits on the surface, but the plate heat exchanger with NL100M plates, and with the OptiWave plate design, offers an outstanding interaction of the plate profile and corrugation depth, the company claimed. It ensures high heat transfer rates by means of uniform distribution of the product over the entire width of the plate, the company said. The large gap of 4.15mm keeps the original product’s viscosity at a high level, the company said, adding that

By CCME Content Team

The new NL100M plate

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Dr Stephanie Taylor

Dr Stephanie Taylor, MD, Infection Control Consultant at Harvard Medical School, ASHRAE Distinguished Lecturer & Member of the ASHRAE Epidemic Task Group, said: “In light of the COVID-19 crisis, it is now more important than ever to listen to the evidence that shows optimum humidity can improve our indoor air quality and respiratory health. It is time for regulators to place management of the builtenvironment at the very center of disease control. Introducing WHO guidelines on minimum lower limits of relative humidity for public buildings has the potential to set a new standard for indoor air and improve the lives and health of millions of people.”

Dr Walter Hugentobler, MD, General Physician, former lecturer, Institute of Primary Care at University of Zürich, commenting on the role humidity can play in combatting these dry indoor environments, said: “Raising air humidity by humidification reduces the risk of virus spread in hospitals and other buildings at low-cost and without causing negative effects. It can also be easily implemented in public buildings, both in private and workplace environments with relative ease.

Humidification gives people a simple means of actively combatting seasonal respiratory infections.”

The petition, the release said, specifically and directly targets the WHO, due to the pivotal role the organisation plays in setting global guidelines for indoor air quality. Today, there are no recommendations from WHO on the minimum lower limit of humidity in public buildings, the release said, adding that if the WHO publishes much needed guidance on minimum lower limits of humidity, building standards regulators around the world would be encouraged to act urgently.

If these steps were implemented, the release said, there is optimism that the following effects could benefit global health systems and the world economy: • Respiratory infections from seasonal respiratory viruses, such as flu, being significantly reduced • Thousands of lives saved every year from the reduction in seasonal illness • Global healthcare services being less burdened every winter • The world’s economies massively benefiting from less absenteeism through illness • A healthier indoor environment and improved health for millions of people Global guidance on the minimum lower limit of relative humidity for public buildings, the release said, could be a swift, effective and straightforward way for regional governments and organisations to safeguard public health.

in the food and beverage industries, the company added.

The NL100M plate offers the ideal compromise between flexibility and efficiency, the company claimed, adding that it is suitable for operating pressures of 16 bar, provides connections with a nominal diameter of 100mm and has a heat exchange surface area For dairy products and other high viscose media of 0.47m² per plate. With a gap width of approximately 4.15mm, the company said, it provides furthermore, the NL100M is suitable for oil enough space to allow media containing and steam and glycol applications, where low particles to pass through and also provides pressure drop is the limiting factor. improved heat transfer, compared to plates The new NL100M plate, big brother to the with even bigger gap width or wide gap NL80M plate, is available in titanium, as well, patterns. for ultra-purity and cleanliness, the company The advantages of reducing the gap said. And, it’s already making its mark, with width to approximately 4.15mm are a large orders coming in from contractors

significant improvement in heat transfer in the double digit percentage range and lower energy consumption, the company said.

Customers benefit from a good heat transfer rate, less build-up of fouling and extended production times, the company added.

The product’s PosLoc assembly system and EcoLoc gasket system ensure easy assembly of the heat exchanger during installation and maintenance, the company said. The PosLoc design makes sure that the plates of gasketed plate heat exchangers align automatically during assembly and seal tight, the company said. The EcoLoc gaskets can be attached easily without special tools or adhesives, the company said. When the device is closed, the company said, the correct fit is established automatically, which results in reliable gaskets that can be replaced, if necessary, quickly and easily.

www.climatecontrolme.com

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GLOBAL NEWS

ASHRAE, UNEP invite Lower GWP Innovation Award entries

The exercise promotes innovative design, research and practice by recognising people who have developed or implemented innovative technological concepts applied in developing countries to minimise global warming potential (GWP) through AC and refrigeration applications

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By CCME Content Team

SHRAE said it is accepting According to the release, the award’s entries for the 2020 ASHRAE selection criteria include: and OzonAction of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) • Description of innovation in field of Lower GWP Innovation Awards. The award lower-GWP refrigerants promotes innovative design, research and • Confirmation project has been practice by recognising people who have implemented in a developing country developed or implemented innovative • Extent of need technological concepts applied in developing • Environmental impact achieved, countries to minimise global warming including specific reference to the potential (GWP) through refrigeration and GWP chemicals’ contribution air conditioning applications, ASHRAE said • Description of further application through a Press release. The award, offered in developing countries from both for the second year, is part of ASHRAE-UNEP the technology and economic OzonAction joint workplan for 2019-2020, perspectives, including how the under the global cooperation agreement, innovation is financially feasible to established by both parties in 2007, ASHRAE be replicated said.

“With the phase out “We are living at a watershed and phase down of many moment under the Montreal refrigerants currently used in Protocol, when developing countries developing countries, it is critical must find long-term solutions to that the refrigeration and airreplace HCFC refrigerants while conditioning industry promote simultaneously minimizing climate a rapid transition to energyimpacts,” said James S Curlin, Acting Darryl K. Boyce efficient solutions that lessen Head/Network and Policy Manager the impact of ozone depletion for OzonAction. “It is vital to and lowering global warming potential,” empower the research community to identify said ASHRAE President, Darryl K. Boyce. “By new approaches and alternative refrigerants identifying innovation, ASHRAE and UNEP that work for those countries. UNEP believe the awards will hasten adoption OzonAction is proud to join with ASHRAE to of lower GWP technologies in developing select projects that are proposing innovative countries.” approaches that address the ozone, climate and energy dimensions.”

The entry period ends September 1, 2020, ASHRAE said. Information about the award and the online submission form can be found at www.ashrae.org/ lowerGWP, ASHRAE said, adding that entries will be judged by an international jury of experts in the field of refrigerant research and management selected by ASHRAE and UNEP. According to the release, the individuals who worked on projects selected for the

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2020 awards will be announced at Montreal Protocol-related events. ASHRAE and UNEP will also team up to disseminate information to specialists and government officials in developing countries about the projects selected, to raise awareness of successful technology applications.

In 2019, ASHRAE and UNEP identified five projects – two Residential Applications and three Commercial/Industrial Applications for awards…

•

•

•

•

•

Low Charge Ammonia Vapor Compression Refrigeration System, implemented in India HFC-161 Application for High Cooling Capacity Household Air Conditioners, implemented in China Packaged Chillers with Integrated Air Handling Units Using HFC-32 and HC-290, implemented in Saudi Arabia CO2 Transcritical Refrigeration System for a Hot-and-Humid Region, implemented in Thailand Low Charge Propane Chiller for a Supermarket Refrigeration System, implemented in Brazil

Copenhagen is in a group of European cities, including Amsterdam, Paris, London & Oslo, that are setting the global pace for air quality improvements.

London leads on ultra-low emission zones, Oslo on electric cars, & Paris is championing a 15-minute city.

Brent Toderian @BrentToderian

10th ANNUAL CLIMATE CONTROL

AWARDS 2020 24 November | Dubai, UAE

Widely called the ‘Oscars of the HVACR Industry’, the objective of the black-tie, gala dinner event is to recognise merit across the various disciplines of the HVACR industry and to raise the bar on building performance, cold chain and fire safety, to name three. To achieve the objective, CPI Industry enlists the services of seasoned HVACR and other relevant domainspecific professionals as judges and of a third-party certification agency to evaluate companies under several categories. Into its 10th year, the Awards exercise serves as an objective and accurate barometer of the industry.

www.climatecontrolawards.com

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