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Country rEPort: China

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March 2018

regional news 혲 uaE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Dubai Land Department launch Sustainability report

Licence to Chill chiller replacement or retrofit?

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global news 혲 ahri voices support for american innovation and Manufacturing act 혲 Four European industry associations campaign against use of high-GWP refrigerants

THE RISE OF ROBOTIC TECHNOLOGY AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE... AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE HVACR INDUSTRY Perspectives

The sky is not an infinite sink Dr Iyad Al-Attar, Independent Air Filtration Consultant

Controlling the wind Saher Hilal, Samsung Electronics, Saudi Arabia

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VOL. 13 NO. 03

MARCH 2018

cover story

18

How are robotic technology and artificial intelligence bringing change in the industry?

Country report

42 4

Building the great Brand of China How are Chinese HVAC manufacturers defining themselves in the face of local and global market complexities?

March 2018

sunhao4

March 2018

5

find inside VOL. 13 NO. 03

Q&A

MARCH 2018

The age of 3D-printed heat exchangers is here

10

Vikrant C Acute, Associate Research Scientist, Center for Environmental Energy Engineering (CEEE), University of Maryland, discusses the dynamics behind a research that led to 3D-printed titanium heat exchangers.

32 LICenCe to CHILL

PERSPEcTiVES

Controlling the wind

24

14

Saher Hilal, Head of Systems AC & IT B2B, Samsung Electronics Saudi Arabia, shares strategies for eliminating uncomfortable cold air in the built-environment.

Dan Mizesko, Managing Partner, US Chiller Services, discusses energysaving opportunities in chillers.

The sky is not an infinite sink Independent air filtration consultant, Dr Iyad Al-Attar, examines the underlying links between power generation, air pollution and air quality.

POST-EVENT REPORT

26

A cosmopolitan affair An in-depth coverage of the 2018 ISK-SODEX Istanbul

MArKet FeAture

38 6

Chiller replacement or retrofit – what suits you best?

REGULARS 08

The implications of a preoccupation

Get the drift?

What are the key market drivers propelling the cooling tower segment?

48 57 70

March 2018

eDItor'S note

regional news Global news Market place

March 2018

7

EDITOR’S NOTE

The implicaTions of a preoccupaTion

I

Surendar Balakrishnan Editor @BSurendar_HVACR

COUNTRY REPORT: CHINA

How are Chinese HVAC manufacturers pursuing market expansion strategies?

March 2018

regional news UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Dubai Land Department launch Sustainability Report

Licence to Chill chiller replacement or retrofit?

Dan Mizesko, US Chiller Services

Violation of copyright continues to blight the HVACR industry

global news AHRI voices support for American Innovation and Manufacturing Act Four European industry associations campaign against use of high-GWP refrigerants

Get the next issue of Climate Control Middle East early!

THE RISE OF ROBOTIC TECHNOLOGY AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE... AND WHAT IT MEANS TO THE HVAC INDUSTRY Perspectives

The sky is not an infinite sink Dr Iyad Al-Attar, Independent Air Filtration Consultant

Controlling the wind Saher Hilal, Samsung Electronics, Saudi Arabia

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t is often said of the English Premier League that most owners of top clubs seem to have their hand on the lever to lower the guillotine blade on managers at the slightest stumble. How much of that trigger-happy attitude are we seeing in our industry? Are wildly fluctuating global and regional geo-political and economic scenarios quickly influencing decision-makers to slacken their approach to green goals, say, if not to jettison their plans altogether. Are external factors pushing them to seek the comfort zone of a business-as-usual mindset, which is seen as anathema to the efforts needed to achieve greater energy efficiency, lower indirect emissions, improve indoor air quality, strengthen reliability or to improve the cold chain.

In the past year or so, I have often heard MEP consultancy and contracting firms bemoan their plight of having to chase payments over applying their minds on their core business. The preoccupation is over ensuring their teams are paid on time and that the rent and utility cheques are honoured. There is often a chasm or a disconnect between what is discussed at conferences and the reality on the ground. Topics of critical importance, like innovations, design and installation best practices, testing and commissioning and the need for specialised facilities management services are consigned to the backburner to pay attention to immediate goals. So, we find ourselves facing a scenario, where the best of technologies perhaps are not used to their fullest potential. We may have lengthy discussions on pressure-independent control valves, pumps and motors, but issues with hydraulic balancing persist in reticulation networks in centralised chilled water schemes, not to mention the seemingly perennial challenge posed by the low delta T syndrome, among others.

We are seeing the same scenario being played out in the realm of indoor air quality, where the technologies to help keep the air clean exist, but perhaps are not widely applied with any measure of conviction or sense of purpose, with the broader goal of contributing to efforts to a healthy society in mind. And this is leading to an increase in building-related illnesses, among other challenges.

The scope of discussions on sustainable development needs to be widened to cover issues beyond equipment and the underlying technologies. At a very fundamental level, it is about ensuring the happiness and financial security of the wealth of stakeholders available in the market. If their interests are taken care of in a structured manner, underpinned by policy, there is a very good possibility of progressing towards market transformation.

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THE 6TH ANNUAL MIDDLE EAST

VARIABLE REFRIGERANT FLOW CONFERENCE THE INROADS VRF TECHNOLOGY HAS MADE IN THE KINGDOM 19 March 2018 | Ibn Turki Ballroom, Sheraton Riyadh Hotel & Towers, Saudi Arabia

CPI INDUSTRY TO HOST ITS FIRST VRF CONFERENCE IN THE KINGDOM

Such a conference represents an excellent platform to bring together interested manufacturers and legislation entities to formulate a clean vision for the future approach of VRF industry in the region.

With increasing attention being given to reduce power consumption, as enshrined in the Saudi Vision 2030 (National Transformation Programme), talks on energy-related regulations have intensified like never before in the Kingdom. The 6th Annual Middle East Variable Refrigerant Flow Conference aims to address the current and predicted challenges, while also, discussing the trends in the industry.

H.E. Nabil Molla, GSO Secretary General, GCC Standardization Organization (GSO)

KEY SPEAKERS CONFIRMED SO FAR: t t t t t t t t

Numair Alamdar, Independent Consultant Faiz A. Alharbi, Standards Expert-Electrical and Electronic Standards Department, Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) Khalid A Al Mulhim, Business Development Director, Suhaimi Design – Protecooling, Saudi Arabia Tarek M Al-Sitt, Senior Standards Researcher Standards & Metrology Department, GCC Standardization Organization (GSO) Dr. Moataz T Bakheet, Director, Madinah Office & Western Region Projects, Zuhair Fayez Partnership Michel Farah, Vice-Chairman, Eurovent Middle East Mohamed R Zackariah, Chief Consultant, Suhaimi Design – Protecooling, Saudi Arabia Tarek Zarzour, VRF Department Head, High Gulf Contracting

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9

Vikrant C Aute, University of Maryland

Vikrant C Aute, Associate Research Scientist, Center for Environmental Energy Engineering (CEEE), University of Maryland, speaks on a US Government-funded research that led to 3D-printed titanium heat exchangers, the feasibility of hybrid manufacturing approaches and bottlenecks that prevent manufacturers from implementing more efficient designs. Excerpts from the interview with Hannah Jo Uy‌

10

March 2018

I

n 2016, CEEE, in partnership with 3D Systems and the US Department of Energy's Building Technologies Office, used direct metal printing (DMP) to manufacture a miniaturised heat exchanger as a single, continuous piece. Could you further elaborate on the project and comment on its implications for the HVACR industry?

In our centre, we have been working on all sorts of heat pump technology in systems and components. In my particular research, I look at next-generation air-to-refrigerant heat exchangers. We have been doing that for over 10 years now, when we got this funding from the US Department of Energy to develop that technology further and come up with a heat exchanger that is 20% lighter, smaller and more efficient than current state-of-the-art [technology].

This project started in 2013, and as part of that research we developed some algorithms and a heat exchanger innovation framework that allows us to invent new heat exchangers. The big simulation core can invent a new heat exchanger for new applications. [Now] we can dream up heat exchangers, but you cannot manufacture it using conventional manufacturing technologies – that is where 3D printing comes in. With 3D printing, you can circumvent most of the challenges [associated with] traditional manufacturing techniques.

For this heat exchanger, we decided to combine traditional [methods] with 3D printing and [then] tested the performance.

When I say ‘test’ I mean really measuring the performance of the heat exchangers in our laboratory. That gives us a lot more confidence in the analysis and design of the heat exchangers. We need to [see the] performance to make sure our design is correct, so we use 3D printing to prototype

the heat exchanger and see that it, indeed, had a good design [and] the benefits we claimed it had.

The idea is to present the result to the conventional HVAC industry. The hope is that it will motivate them to invest in manufacturing technologies so they can make more efficient heat exchangers. For a conventional manufacturer to set up a new assembly line is a significant investment.

We are talking about multi-million dollars over multiple years and they need to make sure the design actually works. We use this 3D-printing technology to fabricate the heat exchanger and show them it works.

The centre used titanium for this prototype, correct? An expensive material that is unlikely to be replicated in conventional manufacturing assembly lines…

That is where it gets interesting. We are using 3D-printing technology for

March 2018

11

Vikrant C Aute, University of Maryland

Vikrant C Aute

prototyping purposes to test our design.

At the time, titanium was the only option available for 3D printing, [so] we went with that. It is by no means cost-combative with heat exchangers [in the market]. We cannot use titanium, it’s for prototyping only, to make sure the design, indeed, beats current designs. [It’s] meant to serve as an impetus to manufacturers to start investing in conventional technology that can make the same design using the traditional materials, such as aluminium and copper. Since it concluded in 2016, we were awarded a follow-up project as well, which is being negotiated. [There is] some interest from manufacturers to continue to do this work, to address technical barriers.

Has the centre explored other materials for 3D printing?

There was also something done in plastic, if I’m not mistaken?

The underlying technology [we have used] for this heat exchanger has many different applications; [it’s] not limited to air conditioning. That framework and underlying approach [is] used by two other professors for other applications. One of them is [for] plastic heat exchangers. The heat exchangers we are designing have very small flow channels or tubes. When you go into these small dimensions, the thermal conductivity of the material doesn’t matter anymore. Traditionally, we use aluminium and copper [owing to their] strength and thermal conductivity, but when you [use] this new design, thermal conductivity doesn’t matter. [This] points to a whole new of avenue of materials to [consider].

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March 2018

Is the centre looking to 3D print other components of HVAC equipment?

Our focus for now is heat exchangers, because when you look at an air conditioning system, there are four main components, and two of them are heat exchangers. Heat exchangers already comprise more than 50% of the material and cost, and [have] a significant impact on the efficiency of the [overall system]. That’s the reason we are focusing on heat exchangers. My colleagues are looking at [other] components, such as compressors, but not necessarily with 3D printing.

Do you believe that the HVACR industry would one day integrate 3D printing for large-scale manufacturing purposes?

I think that [it] will come. We are doing some research work in that direction, but it will take some time, because a conventional manufacturing industry, like the HVAC industry, is huge. [There are] so many suppliers and OEMs involved. For that change to happen, it takes time. What I see happening is kind of an intermediate or bridging step, where these OEMs will leverage 3D printing and we see a hybrid heat exchanger – a part is manufactured with conventional low-cost [materials and techniques], and a certain part [is] manufactured using 3D printing to get a more exotic design, [for a] performance and cost trade-off.

Would such products be able to withstand the high-ambient conditions in the Middle East region?

I think it can be applied to high-ambient conditions. It’s not so much [about] the heat exchanger, [or] the high level of design; [what] matters more is the [overall] system design.

Do you think this approach would help with the overarching environmental goals being presented by many countries?

I think it would help. With 3D printing as an enabling technology you can make this efficient, not only to reduce overall energy consumption, but these new designs are [also] more compact than current designs.

What that means is your air conditioning system will use less refrigerant, which contributes to emissions. The majority of the refrigerant in air conditioning [equipment] is in the heat exchanger.

When we make the heat exchanger smaller and more efficient [while having the] same cooling performance, we help to not only reduce cost and consumption, we also help the environment [by using] less refrigerants.

Depending on how compact the new design is, you can expect a reduction of 10-30%. It also depends on system design.

If you have an outdoor unit on the roof, there is still the pipe [needed] to connect

it; we cannot get rid of the pipe. But the heat exchanger itself, the volume can be reduced by 10-30%. That may not translate to 30% reduction of refrigerant because of piping, [but there is] a lot of potential there.

What do you consider to be the main bottleneck preventing manufacturers from implementing more efficient designs and adopting an approach that utilises 3D printing?

The research that we do is all published and public, so today these designs and information are already available to manufacturers. The biggest challenge is the cost, because when you want to manufacture this new design you need to set up and invest in a new assembly line.

If you do 100% 3D printing you need to invest money in getting a good 3D-printing

machine, and more than one. And you have to cultivate the skill set [of the people] to operate and maintain [the equipment].

I think, at the end of the day, it comes down to [the] first cost [involved in] fabricating these heat exchangers. In the Center, our research is supported by more than 30 HVAC companies, worldwide, and they are aware of the design. These are big [companies]. But there are about 400 or so, worldwide that make heat exchangers, and not everyone has the access to a level of capital to make that move. That’s why I think there might be a hybrid approach, where they don’t have to scrap investment they have made over the years but leverage it – [they can have] part of heat exchangers [manufactured in a] conventional [manner] and have more specialised components 3D-printed. My comments about the adoption of 3D printing are in the context of the conventional and stationary HVAC market. Other markets, such as automotive

and aerospace, where space/weight is at a premium, I think would adopt this technology sooner.

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

Write to editor@cpi-industry.com

EDITOR’S NOTE: Climate Control Middle East adheres to British English; however, this article contains some instances of American English, which we have left intact, in the interest of retaining the accuracy of the quoted material.

March 2018

13

ERSPECTIVE

Dr Iyad Al-Attar is an air filtration consultant.

He can be contacted at iyad@iyadalattar.com.

The sky is not an infinite sink

Let us renew our hearts and re-engineer our minds, says Dr Iyad Al-Attar, as he examines the underlying links among power generation, air pollution and air quality

14

March 2018

S

olar radiation and greenhouse gases that trap heat are the main causes of climate change. CO2 emissions – owing to the burning of fossil fuels and to industrial processes – amount to 65% of total CO2 and three-quarters of the global greenhouse gases. Recently, global emissions from all anthropogenic activities reached a record high of 45 billion tonnes, following a projected two per cent rise in burning fossil fuels, such as oil, gas and coal, a United Nations study revealed. Electricity and heat generation accounted for 42% of total greenhouse gas emissions, as reported by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Our global energy demand, as measured by Total Primary Energy Supply (TPES), has demonstrated a 150% increase between 1971 and 2015, relying mainly on fossil fuels combustion (IEA). The drivers of the global energy demand that have increased over the past 25 years are: Urbanisation, industrial development and population growth. Ultimately, such factors are reshaping the world’s economies, straining the Earth’s resources and producing a lot of waste. As a result, the world has witnessed a serious need for future energy resources – on a global scale, driven by diversification and growth in developed countries, and in heavily populated countries and emerging economies, such as India and China. However, the energy sector stands as a main contributor of air pollution, where around 6.5 million deaths are attributed to poor air quality; the premature death rate due to this amounts to three million each year. In fact, poor indoor air quality is considered the world’s fourth-largest threat to human health, with high blood pressure, dietary risks and smoking occupying the top three ranks.

While urbanisation is sought by nearly all economies, it makes cities canyons for pollution, as they attract population, construction, traffic and extensive energy use. Urban vehicle emissions pose an additional pollution challenge, as pedestrians and vehicles co-exist in the same proximity. Globally, coal-fired power plants are used to generate twofifths of the global electricity supply and contribute to around one-third of the global

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ERSPECTIVE

Why are we treating the Earth as a limitless sewer and the sky as an infinite sink where all pollution is dumped irresponsibly?

CO2 emissions. The health and environmental impacts of coal combustion-related sulphur dioxide emissions are well pronounced, a major cause of respiratory illnesses and an originator of acid rain. Countries such as South Africa and the United States use coal for 94% and 65% of their power generation, respectively, while China and India use coal for about 70-75% of their generation. The electricity demand in China exceeded 20% use of the world’s electricity production in 2015, partly due to its 57% increase in urbanisation.

According to the United Nations, the urban population of the world has grown rapidly from 746 million in 1950 to 3.9 billion in 2014, with more than half the world’s population living in urban areas. The world’s urban population is expected to surpass six billion by 2045. Much of the expected urban growth will take place in countries of the developing regions, particularly Africa. As a result, existing infrastructures will buckle if they do not grow to meet the needs of their transportation, power generation, education and health care. Further, heavily populated cities promote degraded living conditions, which necessitate enhancing energy generation and usage, as well as enhanced urban and indoor air quality.

There is nothing comforting about the confirmation of the WHO air quality model, which states that 92% of the world’s population lives in places where air quality levels exceed WHO limits. On another count, UNICEF revealed that almost one in seven of the world’s children, 300 million, live in areas with the most toxic levels of outdoor

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March 2018

air pollution – six or more times higher than international guidelines. So how much of the air quality degradation should be blamed on power generation, in general?

In fact, in 2015, the International Energy Agency estimated the global energy-related emissions for: CDx to be 107 (Mt), with transport (over 50%), followed by industry (26%) and power (14%) coming after HD2 to be 80 (Mt), with one-third of it coming from the power sector It is evident that the energy sector is by far the largest source of air pollution from human activity. Therefore, renewable energies are called upon to participate in the shifting process from coal-fired power plants or land-based gas turbines. Electricity generated by renewable technology played a vital role and accounted for around 90% of the growth in power generation in 2015; wind power alone produced more than half of the increase (IEA). The success of employing renewable technology is driven by falling costs and aggressive expansion in many emerging economies.

Urbanisation, industrial development and population growth are key factors for infrastructure expansion, where HVAC equipment is vital to making indoor conditions thermally comfortable. The power required to operate such equipment is generated by means of an energy mix, where land-based gas turbines are currently a dominant source of energy, used around the world for power generation. However, the growth rate of renewable technology has encouraged several countries, including India, to take a pledge to be fully renewable by 2050. The great environmental promise that renewable energy holds for cleaner climate and enhanced energy security is substantial. Particularly as building another power plant may neither be a feasible option nor the only answer to counter the increasing demand of power.

Amid all these challenges and everincreasing demand for power, air quality has become a critical issue, irrespective of application. Considering the millions of tonnes of SO2, NOx and PM (Particulate Matter) emitted every day, filtration techniques alone, particularly conventional ones, may be unable to accommodate the increasing pollutant concentration present in the atmospheric air. In fact, if greenhouse gases have been measured for decades, why is it that HVAC systems even today have hardly incorporated air filter technologies to deal with all air pollutants at different

concentration and particle size distribution?

How can we achieve progress if we allow various processes to emit a wide array of pollutants into our atmosphere and, then, seek prevention through filtration technologies? If the world is serious about making a difference with regard to enhancing air quality, our best practices must be consistent with our environmental responsibilities. Clearly, regulations alone cannot stop humans and their activities from polluting our environment. Clean Air acts and the frightening pollution death rates will neither stop polluters nor fix their processes. Filters alone will not capture all pollutants at different concentrations, so to slow down climate change we ought to initiate the change in ourselves. We need immediate actions, functional mechanisms and a ‘Marshall Plan’ to reduce emissions, fix our industrial processes and envision smarter ways to ease the pressure on our planet.

THE FINITE SKY

So before we stand and admire a landscape of a city or cities and congratulate its government for such prosperity, let’s reflect on the underlying consequences that the nation is bound to face as a result. Let’s question whether air quality was part of the urbanisation plan and a parameter in the prosperity equation or not. Why are we treating the Earth as a limitless sewer and the sky as an infinite sink where all pollution is dumped irresponsibly? How can we go back to the same sky and expect it to be clean, clear and the sole source of fresh air?

Is it fair to ask how much waste we produce, compared to how many natural sources we are consuming? Prosperity should entail passing to our next generation a greener planet than the one we inherited, better indoor air quality than the one we inhaled, more efficient HVAC systems than the ones that make us thermally comfortable and re-engineered power generation technologies. Aspiring for prosperity places upon us a need for overcoming our fears and becoming fully renewable, as we become gradually independent of fossil fuels. While we are trying to renew our energy, why not renew our hearts and re-engineer our minds towards smarter production and use of energy.

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.

March 2018

17

OVER STORY

Robotics and Artificial Intelligence

Winds of How are robotics and artificial intelligence shaping the HVAC industry? What are the implications?

By Benwen Lopez | Assistant Editor

18

March 2018

R

ecords show that the history of industrial robots can be traced back to 1954, when George Devol designed the first model. Even then, robots were programmed to do limited and repetitive tasks.

However, as technology evolves and with artificial intelligence penetrating multiple sectors, industry insiders believe the entire robotic industry has made a revolutionary paradigm shift, and transitioned to more critical roles of maintenance and even providing comfort to human beings, as companions and caregivers.

Industry insiders assert that high labour costs and lack of specific talent, which is prevalent in almost every part of the world, has paved the path for robotics and artificial intelligence to penetrate different industries. Agreeing with these impending factors, Frank Nijdam, Managing Director Europe, Walraven, says, “To counter the high labour costs in Europe, we have to adopt a high level of automation.”

He further says the lack of specialised talent is a constant challenge that keeps prodding the industry, owing to the task of offering

Manufacturers are looking for better features, where they can transform their production lines with fully automated, programmed robotic solutions

specialised training to personnel, which is sometimes cumbersome, owing to the continuous investment and time taken for the training. “However in the case of robots, we just have to programme them once, and let them do the job,” Nijdam says.

Speaking from a manufacturing perspective, Kollina Hanskehian, Business Development Director, DigiRobotics Technologies, says: “On the manufacturing side, robots and smart technologies play the best role in accelerating the tech wheel in any factory.

They can help achieve the production targets and reduce the cycle time for each production.”

Sharing details of how his company has adopted robotics in the manufacturing process, Nijdam says that Walraven has two product groups – clamps and fixing rails – where robotic technology has been fully integrated with the manufacturing process.

Explaining the cycle, he says that right from the raw materials to the final quality check, as per specifications, the robot manages everything based on the algorithms with which it has been programmed. Enthusiastically he adds, “We employ robots not just because of the reduced time to produce the products but also because of the precision they have while assembling the products, which reduces wastage and costs tremendously.”

change

March 2018

19

OVER STORY

Robotics and Artificial Intelligence

EVOLUTION OF THE TECHNOLOGY

Kollina Hanskehian

Frank Nijdam

Charles Khairallah

Sibin James Chacko

Ramesh Caussy

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March 2018

Robotics and artificial intelligence have gone through multiple evolution cycles. With a protean approach, robots are switching from repetitive tasks to intelligent applications.

Elaborating on the evolution of the technology, Hanskehian says: “Five years ago, robotic solution enquiries were few and basic. But now, manufacturers are becoming more aware of the level of innovation, and are looking for better features and advantages, where they can transform their production lines with fully automated, programmed robotic solutions.”

Voicing a similar view and elaborating on the level of acceptance of robotic technology in the HVAC industry, Charles Khairallah, President, Robotics Design, says, the evolution of robotics is pushing service providers to ideate and develop even better technologies. He says, “The acceptance of robotic technology in the HVAC industry is growing worldwide. The market is shifting to robotics, and robots will be catalysts in the cleaning and maintenance industry. This is why it is important to put forward high-quality robots to help build trust between the robot and the end-user.”

Further explaining the role of robots in the maintenance side of HVAC, Khairallah says that even today, in a significant number of cases, duct cleaning is still archaic, and manual cleaning is a mundane and highly time-consuming task, which has led to disastrous accidents, unexpected overhead costs, and can also be extremely detrimental to a ductcleaning professional’s health, especially in hazardous environments. To counter these complex challenges, he says, duct cleaning robots are a clear solution to occupational hazards and play a critical role in difficultto-reach places. “Robots perform cleaning, coating, sealing and inspecting with more precision, and in some projects, they take one-fourth of the time than what a manual labourer takes," Khairallah says.

"These robots are highly in demand by responsible duct-cleaning professionals worldwide.”

Sharing a similar view, Sibin James Chacko, Executive Director, EMCC, an

HVAC contracting company, says that with ducts requiring intense maintenance, to prevent the build-up of mould and moisture, it is a challenge to efficiently clean a ducting system, especially when there are harder-to-reach areas. “When it comes to deep-cleaning of ducts, robots play the role, especially in huge areas with difficult accessibility,” he says.

Elaborating on the robotic solutions offered by his company for the maintenance of ducts, Khairallah further says: “We offer the portable ANATROLLERM robots, which are effective for airbrushing in rectangular and circular HVAC ducts. They are precision-machined from a rugged aluminium mono-block designed for years of continuous use in the most severe industrial environments.”

Khairallah further explains that these robots increase the efficiency of the ducting system through their sophisticated cleaning process. “The robot efficiently inspects, cleans, coats and seals the duct and provides the highest quality of work,” he adds.

Stressing the importance of cleaning ducts, he says: “Ducts are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, and they account for one in six people suffering from allergies. The HVAC industry suffers from not being able to maintain the indoor air quality (IAQ), which in return spreads, airborne infections.”

As IAQ gains focus in the industry, robotics has made inroads in this particular segment. One such invention is a mobile robot, Diya One, the brainwork of Dr Ramesh Caussy, CEO & Founder of France-based Partnering Robotics. The philosophy behind the robot is close to his heart, he says. “I was tired of seeing my daughter often fall sick due to air pollution,” he says. “Therefore, I chose to re-direct my skills, and invent Diya One, which will tackle air pollution effects, and be a great benefit for the entire community.”

Speaking with a sense of understated pride, Dr Caussy further says: “When I first spoke about using a robot to clean air to a bunch of scientists, they thought I was crazy. But today, I have demonstrated that I could bring a change in the current system through this invention.”

He adds that this invention not just cleans the air, but also increases the overall performance of the HVAC system, while reducing the energy consumption.

Explaining the key features behind the robot, Dr Caussy says: “The robot is fitted with neuroinspired artificial intelligence.

While detecting polluted air, the robot sucks in the air, purifies it through H13+filters and emits it into the room. While doing so, it can remove 99.95% of the air pollutants, bacteria, viruses and odours, without the use of chemicals.”

The robot, he adds, can also share data related to IAQ and HVAC systems with maintenance companies. By improving the IAQ, and the efficiency of the HVAC systems, the health and the productivity of the occupants are also improved.

THE FLIP SIDE

With sweeping changes made by the robotics industry, challenges still lie un-countered, although some of them are not complex to deal with. The main challenge is the threat to the workforce.

Although an inventor of automation, Dr Caussy, stresses the need for an ethical system. “Ethics must play a strong role in the robotics industry," he says. "We must discern to identify

whether robots would render human beings, useless or used-less. Robots must be used to assist people and not to replace people.”

Stakeholders like Khairallah assert that robotics combined with artificial intelligence represent the future and can help human beings in many fields.

However, offering a word of caution, he adds: “Robotic technology must be regulated to be controlled,

March 2018

21

OVER STORY

Robotics and Artificial Intelligence

and humans must have total control over this technology. If we don’t control our technology, the technology will control us.”

Speaking on the impact on the labour force, Hanskehian adds: “I have always been asked such a question.

However, from my experience, I have observed that with robots coming into existence, the workforce skill requirement changes, and there is a need for technical talent, who can implement the hardware and software integration of robots.”

She further asserts that her company has been facilitating training of employees to develop the ability to control robots, especially workers who are exposed to harsh environments.

Sharing a similar view, Nijdam adds that while robots do bring down production costs, there is a need for skilled labour, especially in process

engineering. “So automation does not necessarily kill jobs, but rather it creates a different set of jobs,” Nijdam says.

Echoing Nijdam’s thoughts, Chacko adds that owing to the speciality of the jobs, the impact forms barely 0.05% of the total jobs available in the market; therefore, the implications may not be as drastic as they are portrayed to be.

BRACING FOR THE FUTURE

Without a doubt, robotics and artificial intelligence are going to become an integral part of the industry, and there will be some implications. However, as Khairallah puts it, “If we do not control technology, then technology will control us.”

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

Write to editor@cpi-industry.com

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March 2018

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Controlling t It is time we got serious about eliminating uncomfortable cold air in the builtenvironment, says Saher Hilal

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f we go back in time to when the very first air conditioner was invented, then providing a controllable “wind� by simulating Mother Nature was always the target. Humankind took the first step in that regard thousands of years ago, while trying to find different ways to purify and humidify the wind breezing through home windows.

During the last century, air conditioners, as being able to control the air temperature, came to be part of our daily lives. And air quality came to be defined as being largely based on air temperature, humidity and purification.

A major influencer of thermal comfort has been the location of the air conditioner, a factor that directly has

24

March 2018

affected air distribution. To date, it has arguably not been possible to control this factor, even through deploying a specialist in air conditioning. Indeed, the reality has been that the architect has considered air-distribution only in terms of matching certain decoration requirements or, at best, has coordinated with the air conditioning designer in cases where air conditioning has been part of a turnkey project.

To date, individual tenants have traditionally decided on the location of the air conditioning system. And for long, manufacturers have tried their best to design indoor units to provide comfortable air distribution, regardless of their location. Against that backdrop, the next logical step in design perhaps is to explore how best to simulate Mother Nature

the wind Further innovations through paying attention to the architecture of the design can yield a wider inlet, allowing for more air flow than other units in the market. Likewise, if the outlet has optimal width and angle, extra v-blades and a large fan, the possibilities are that much stronger for ensuring the air is cooled and expelled faster, farther and wider, to reach every corner of the room.

It’s about striving to reach the desired ideal of controllable wind.

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.

in controlling the wind. Such a design should include flexibility as a key factor in locating the indoor unit without compromising on the endeavour to meet the consumer’s expectation for maximum thermal comfort. Indeed, the design ought to eliminate uncomfortable cold air in the built-environment and, at the same time, meet the equally important requirement of reduced power consumption, translating to reduced electricity bills.

An approach to design such an air conditioner could involve gently dispersing cold air through numerous micro air holes. I am talking of a two-step cooling system, which first lowers temperature in a fast-cooling mode and, then, automatically switches to a wind-free cooling mode, in the process creating “still air”, once the desired temperature is reached. Such an approach can also reduce energy consumption by more than 70%, compared to operating in fast-cooling mode.

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ISK Sodex

ISK-SODEX Istanbul, recognised as the third-largest HVACR fair, globally, received a more diverse range of international visitors in its 2018 edition, thus providing a snapshot of global trends driving the industry. Exhibitors showcased their latest innovations and current product ranges, shared their strategies for penetrating local and overseas markets and explained how they are navigating an increasingly homogenous business environment that puts a premium on efficiency, quality and cost. In this comprehensive coverage, Hannah Jo Uy of Climate Control Middle East presents profiles of those that participated…

Awal Gulf Manufacturing Atermit Turkey-based Atermit, highlighted the HVAC applications of its foam solutions, namely EPP (Expanded polypropylene), Piocelan (PE-PS Copolymer) and EPS (Expanded Polystyrene). İlker Kiliç, Automotive Project and Sales Leader, said the foam products provide noise and thermal absorption.

Additionally, he said, the company is producing HVAC accessories, such as heat exchanger housing and building inlets. The company, he said, is exporting to Russia, South Africa and some parts of Europe.

Bahrain-based Awal Gulf Manufacturing highlighted a wide range of products, including wall inverter, cassette inverter, ducted units, inverter air-handling units, chillers, packaged units and mini chillers. Omar Habib, General Manager, Marketing, Export Sales, said it’s the first time the company is introducing its brand of packaged units, designed for the Egyptian and Turkish markets, with the condenser in the indoor unit.

Blauberg Ventilatoren German company, Blauberg Ventilatoren, is a regular fixture in ISK-Sodex, said Alexander Pawlenko, Senior Export Manager.

The ventilation company, he said, is focusing on energy-saving technology through its EC motors, as well as providing integrated solutions for energy and heat recovery. Pawlenko said he believes 90% of the group’s products can be sold in the Turkish market and that the country could be a hub for many African nations, in view of Turkish construction companies’ projects in countries such as Kenya, Ethiopia and Nigeria.

Frigo Block Frigo Block exhibited new-generation refrigeration systems with trans-critical CO2 booster, propane chillers and retrofit central systems. Ulaş Sinan Aslan, Export Manager, said the product range was developed to address demand in the market for new-generation and environmentally safe refrigerants. The compressors, he said, are from Germany, but the unit is designed and produced in Frigo Block’s factory. The product, he said, is being introduced to the Turkish market for the first time, to highlight the company’s compliance with EU regulations. Europe, he said, has been a good market.

A cosmopoLIT 26

March 2018

BROX Brox showcased its product range in the field of thermodynamics and its portfolio, which includes steam boilers, thermal oil boilers, and steam generators. Ibrahim Mahli, Foreign Trade Manager, said the company is also dealing with wasterecycling equipment. Mahli said the Turkey-based manufacturing company highlighted its thermal oil boiler, used mainly in oil factories. The oil, he said, can be heated at 200 degrees C, at low pressure and promises to be a safe system.

BVN Ventilation Systems and Electrical Motors In addition to its standard range of products, BVN highlighted its internal jet fans of up to 1,600 diameters. Can Kağan, Export Sales and Marketing Manager, said it is the first time the product is being introduced and that internal jet fans with fire-resistance properties are gaining popularity. He added that the company’s product could work at up to 400 degrees C, for up to two hours. Kağan also said the company manufactures external rotor motors and provides OEM options to international manufacturers.

FAF Valves Company

Cooper and Hunter Cooper and Hunter highlighted its existing range of air conditioning systems, including split type, multi splits, heat pumps, VRF systems and lightcommercial products, such as cassette and duct-type systems.

The company’s global strategy, said Sergey Kozyk, Commercial Director, East Europe Division, is to cooperate with local partners for sales, installation, and service and maintenance support. The company, he added, is looking to enter the Middle East market. Kozyk added that R-32 is becoming the refrigerant of choice, especially in the European market and even in countries such as Turkey, which are not required to comply with EU regulations. Kozyk said that there is significant uptake for split-type air conditioners, mini splits and VRF systems in Turkey.

FAF Valve Company, in addition to highlighting its product range, emphasised its production capacity.

Hashmi Khan, Area Sales Manager, said the Turkey-based company is manufacturing valves up to BN 2000 and has reached the South American and Russian market.

Khan added that Turkish manufacturers are slowly gaining more acceptance in the GCC region market.

Friterm Friterm showcased its products related to refrigeration, in addition to its products for energy power plants, which include dry coolers, oil coolers and two types of adiabatic dry coolers – one with a PET system and another with an eco-mesh system. The company highlighted its ammonia evaporator, which Serdar Tümen, Business Development Manager, said has Eurovent certifications. The company also showcased its glycol evaporator, air-cooled condenser with energy-saving fans, AC fans, EC fans, step motor control fans, coils with aluminium tubes and aluminium casing, and copper and coated coils. The company additionally showcased a number of coils, developed as per customer requirements. Tümen said the spiral coils, fins and tubes of carbon can be used for steam turbines, and serve as examples of the new offerings of manufacturers in Turkey.

ITAN AFFAIR March 2018

27

ISK Sodoex Stanbul

Itech Cooling Systems

General Filter | Havak A joint venture between Italian company, General Filter and Turkish manufacturer, Havak, General Filter Havak showcased its full range of air filters. Ahmet Gökşin, General Manager, said the company has a comprehensive solution, including simple cassette filters, HEPA filters and activated carbon filters for orders, as well as a full range of gases. The company, Gökşin said, is distributing to Europe, Middle East, Asia and North Africa and is looking to further improve production.

The filter market in Turkey, he added, is growing and that there has been increased emphasis on energy efficiency.

ISKAV ISKAV (Heating Cooling Air Conditioning Research and Education Foundation) expressed its commitment towards improving the knowledge and standards of the HVAC industry during the show. Barbaros Dİnçer, Project specialist, spoke about the foundation’s efforts to enhance quality, emphasising that he hopes human capacity in Turkey will be more focused on both technical and management aspects. Dİnçer said the foundation organises lessons on export and import practices, testing, adjusting and balancing (TAB) and other technical programmes, along with notable universities.

Lefa Turkey-based distributor, Lefa highlighted its solutions, which include adhesives, insulation, laminations and motorcasing equipment for transformers, testing equipment and instruments for regeneration of transformers. Eray Atak, Chemical Engineer and Technical Consultant, said that Lefa is also active in the energy industry, distributing heat transfer oils, biomass and turbines.

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March 2018

Istanbul-based Itech Cooling Systems highlighted its standard units with heat pump chillers for heating and cooling. Oktay Kahraman, Export Manager, said the company previously produced plastic auxiliary equipment before moving to HVAC, with chillers ranging from 2 kW to 1,750 kW. Kahraman said the company has presence in Europe and Russia and is looking to expand its presence in North Africa. He added that the company’s special models have Eurovent certification. Speaking on trends in Turkey, Kahraman said the company has seen an uptake of VRF technology and chillers.

Klimexs (Industrial Cooling Systems) Klimexs, a manufacturer of panel air conditioners and evaporative cooling systems, highlighted its elevator air coolers, along with a range of indoor and outdoor equipment. Recep çotuk, Sales Engineer, Operations Manager, said the company also produces a telecom air conditioner, designed to address heat loads inside field cabinets and interior panels with heat-sensitive electrical, electronic or telecommunication equipment to ensure proper operations. The company, he said, also supplies its elevator air cooler in the Middle East market – Dubai, in particular.

Niba Cooling Towers/CENK Speaking on behalf of both CENK and Niba Cooling Towers, Ersan Bakanay, Mechanical Engineer, CENK, shared that originally CENK was developed in relation to Cooling Towers, whereas Niba, while also providing cooling towers, focused on packaged units. Recently, Bakanay said, both companies have made new certified designs for cooling towers, which includes standard towers, hybrid towers and adiabatic towers. Bakanay said the company also produces FRP cooling towers and that these have passed through standard C production. Bakanay shared that he has seen demand for packaged units in Turkey and that the company is trying to sell directly to other markets.

Bakanay added that the company has seen demand to upgrade old and existing cooling towers in countries such as the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Belarus and Uzbekistan.

Makro Test

Makroteknik Turkey-based Makroteknik highlighted its range of products, including flanges, profiles, connectors and air channels, as well as supporting accessories.

Nurettin Ozdemir, General Manager, said the company works on promoting its own products and encouraging distribution to various sales channels. Ozdemir emphasised the strong aftersales support the company offers in terms of applying and installing air channels, as well as certificates, to ensure compliance with global standards.

Turkey-based Makro Test highlighted the technical knowledge and expertise associated with its services.

Işik Yücesoy, General Manager, said the company offers HVAC Testing, Adjusting and Balancing (TAB) and validation of clean rooms, among other services. Yücesoy said the company is certified and offers its solutions in Turkey, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, among other countries. The company, he said, is looking to enter the UAE – Dubai, in particular.

Regin

ODE Insulation Turkish manufacturer ODE insulation emphasised the company’s ability to address Building as well as HVAC applications.

Ozan Turan, International Business Development Executive, said that in 2017, the company increased production capacity for bituminous membrane and that they are “currently producing 35% of total Turkey market demand”.

Swedish-based Regin highlighted its Building Management Systems, controllers, software, valves and actuators, which Peter Winberg, Country Manager, said reflects the company’s move to further enhance its presence in Turkey.

Winberg said Regin has been present in the local market for 15 years and, of late, the company has seen an increasing emphasis on energy-saving features from stakeholders.

March 2018

29

ISK Sodoex Stanbul

Sanmu Sanmu showcased its range of fans, including axial fans, centrifugal fans, Electronically Commutated (EC) fans and EBMS. Oliver Xin, Sales Manager, said the company is currently exporting to Germany, Russia, and North and South America.

Refkar Turkey-based Refkar showcased its existing product range, which includes shell-and-tube-type heat exchangers, condensers and oil coolers for various applications. It was the first time Refkar showcased the CO2 applications of its product range. Herman Haçaduryan, Deputy General Manager, Sales and Marketing, said Refkar is active in Turkey and exports directly to 20 countries.

Seeley International Seeley International announced the appointment of Erkom, a Turkish company, based in Ankara, as the new official distributor for Turkey. Francesco Checcacci, Sales Manager, Europe, Asia, Africa, shared that Erkom will facilitate the distribution of Breezair evaporative coolers to the local market and will address new installations, maintenance of existing units and supply of spare parts. Checcacci said that the Turkish market is the most important for the company in terms of units sold in EMEA and that it is looking forward to the positive outcome of the stable partnership and to having an exclusive distributor.

30

March 2018

Rothenberger Rothenberger showcased a new connecting system for copper pipes for air conditioning and refrigeration applications, as well as its existing product range.

Ingried Gerber, Technical Instructor, said the current practice among installers is to braze. However, Gerber said, the system, “connects and creates the press fitting in merely three seconds”. She said workers “see with their fingers” and feel the robust quality of the end result.

SOSIAD

The Association of Refrigeration Industry and Businessmen (SOSIAD) participated in the show to represent the interests of its 90 member companies and to strengthen communication channels.

Systemair HSK Systemair HSK demonstrated two new products, said Ayça Eroğlu, General Manager.

The first, Eroğlu said, is a DX unit with cooling equipment and the second is a DX airhandling unit. All of the cooling equipment, she said, is in the air-handling unit and no chiller is needed. The main purpose of the unit, she said, is to eliminate bad odour in food courts as well as for use in hygienic applications. The booth also showcased other Systemair products, such as fans, Frico air curtains, water-source rooftop cooling units and heat pump fan-coil units, among others. She emphasised that the company aims to be a “solutions provider not merely an equipment supplier”, to Turkey and international markets.

Secop Secop, specialising in compressors and refrigeration, highlighted its range of products for natural refrigerants. Özkal Sönmez, Application and FS Engineer, Middle East and South Asia, said the company has significantly invested to develop natural refrigerant compressors following global environmental initiatives.

Secop, he said, has positioned itself for a market that will shift to natural refrigerants, particularly in Europe, where awareness towards global warming and ozone depletion is palpable. In Turkey, he said, a lot of companies still use R-22, which he described as a refrigerant of the past.

Turkish Society of HVAC and Sanitary Engineers (TTMD) Handan Özgen, Foreign Affairs and National Associations Coordinator, expressed positive feedback towards the event. The main objective of the association, she said, is to share knowledge, theory and experiments, to help advance innovation within the industry.

She said the body organises seminars, lectures and symposiums to promote correct information and improve industry practices.

In an effort to cultivate further integration, Özgen said, TTMD has started to induct architects in the association. The move, she added, would foster a more cohesive dialogue among stakeholders.

Üntes Üntes exhibited products for the international market and emphasised its commitment to quality by highlighting the company’s testing laboratories in its factory in Ankara, said Serkan Uzun, Export Sales Director. Uzun said the company has four laboratories, two for chillers and heat pump units, one for packaged units and another for fan-coil units. The company, he said, manufactures water chillers and heat pumps for commercial buildings. Uzun also highlighted two of the company’s products – the first being the tropical rooftop packaged units, especially for T3 conditions in GCC countries, which, he said, can work up to 55 degrees C. The second unit Untes has recently introduced is its new range of air terminal units, which, Uzun said, is three times higher in capacity than the available ranges and has almost 35 kW cooling capacity.

More profiles and photographs will shortly be available in the digital and online platforms (www.climatecontrolme.com).

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

Write to editor@cpi-industry.com

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March 2018

31

Dan Mizesko is the Managing Partner of Al Shirawi US Chiller Services. He can be contacted at dan@uschillerservices.com.

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ver 60-70% of the energy in buildings in the GCC region is attributed to cooling. In most large buildings, chillers constitute the cooling system of choice. Making them as efficient as possible is an important element in the effort to reduce building operating costs.

This article addresses energy-saving opportunities in chillers. There are significant efficiency improvements that can only be cost-justified at the time of purchase. If a poor purchase decision is made, you may be saddled with high operating costs for many years to come. If you have a heavily used aircooled or water-cooled chiller, if your chiller has insufficient capacity, if it is experiencing frequent problems or if you are considering the purchase of a chiller for expansion or redundancy, this article should be of interest to you. If your chilled-water system is less than 10 years old and not in need of imminent replacement, it is unlikely you will be able to cost-justify replacing the chiller, based on energy-efficiency savings alone.

However, it’s very possible a retrofit might be your best option and will allow you to save substantial energy.

32

March 2018

THE PURCHASE OF A NEW CHILLER

First, let’s understand the terminology of chiller efficiency for some readers who may not be aware. Chiller efficiency is generally expressed in terms of kW per ton (kW/ tonne.) A kW is a kilowatt of electrical input.

A tonne of cooling is equivalent to 12,000 BTU of cooling per hour. More efficient chillers will have lower kW/tonne ratings, indicating they use less electricity to deliver the same amount of cooling. You should also understand that chillers may have a Full-Load (FL) rating and an Integrated Part Load Value (IPLV) rating. The IPLV is a weighted average of efficiency measurements at various partload conditions. It is a standardised way of comparing chillers at conditions more representative of field conditions (I have gone into this in more detail in previous articles in this column). New chiller efficiency IPLV can vary widely from as low as 1.25 kW/ tonne (standard-efficiency, air-cooled screw compressor) to as high as 0.38 kW/tonne (high-efficiency, water-cooled centrifugal compressor.) In other words, energy operating cost can be more than two-anda-half times as high for the lower-efficiency

chiller. For every 100 tonnes of chiller capacity, this can lead to savings of more than AED 400,000 over 10 years.

The following tables show efficiency recommendations for various types of chillers. The columns list the recommended level (based on Standard 550/59098 of the American Refrigeration Institute) and the best available IPLV for that chiller type. Values are based on standard rating conditions, specified in ARI Standard 550/590-98. Only packaged chillers are covered.

When replacing or installing a brand new system, the facility owner must decide between air-cooled or water-cooled chillers. Air-cooled systems eliminate the need for cooling towers, condenser pumps, condenser piping, water consumption and cost related to cooling tower loop, condenser water treatment, cooling tower fan and condenser pump electric kW cost; all the above cost savings will reduce installation and O&M costs. However, as you can see from the tables above, air-cooled chillers are significantly less efficient than water-cooled

t i f o r t e r r

o

equipment, so decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, taking all the above into consideration.

When selecting a chiller, pay careful attention to sizing. Oversized chillers are not only more expensive to purchase, they may waste energy due to poor low-load efficiency.

When replacing chillers, consider other energy retrofits that may reduce cooling load, such as improved building insulation, window glazing or lighting improvements.

The lower cooling load may allow a smaller chiller that may justify the other improvements.

Consider multiple-compressor chillers for redundancy and to allow staging compressors. Multiple-compressor chillers allow for fewer compressors to run at part load (99% of the chiller’s operation) and

take better advantage of condenser relief, as the full condenser is available for cooling with fewer compressors in operation.

Variable-speed centrifugal chillers allow chillers to operate at increased efficiency at part-load.

Oil-less, magnetic-bearing centrifugal chillers are the most efficient in the world, operating even more efficiently than a variable-frequency drive (VFD) conventional centrifugal chiller. An oil-less, magneticbearing centrifugal chiller can operate between 0.33 and 0.37 kW per tonne. No other type of chiller comes close to this efficiency.

Oil-less, magnetic-bearing centrifugal chillers are also now available in air-cooled chillers, making the selection of air-cooled chillers a very attractive option.

There are also savings to be realised in high-efficiency pumps and motors and in efficient cooling towers (variable speed fans).

Chilled-water pumping systems may involve “primary” and “secondary” loops and can be quite complex. Conventional primary/ secondary pumping systems are starting to lose favour, especially in larger chilled-water plants that suffer low delta-T syndrome.

Strategies to save energy, such as variable primary systems, are proving to be more energy efficient. Ensure that your system design engineer has evaluated the pros and cons of alternative chilled-water pumping strategies, though.

THE RETROFIT OPTION

Chiller retrofits can now offer a solution to buildings and facilities in the region

March 2018

33

LICENCE TO

that have ageing water-cooled chillers.

The solution will allow the buildings to keep their existing chillers and not have to replace them with expensive new chillers.

A retrofit allows them to modernise their chillers without any loss of capacity and will also make the existing chillers much more energy-efficient while allowing the building/ facility to move away from currently phasedout refrigerants. A retrofit will allow conversion of the chiller’s refrigerant with no capacity loss and greatly improve the efficiency of the chiller by substantially lowering the kW per tonne performance.

No centrifugal chiller offered today (even with a VFD installed on the compressor) can operate as efficiently as an oil-less, magnetic-bearing centrifugal chiller. Magnetic bearings offer superior reliability and performance for chiller operation. As I had earlier written on the benefits of the technology, I assume you understand the inherent performance benefits.

A retrofit of an existing, large-tonnage, singlecompressor chiller to multiple, oil-less, magnetic-bearing compressors will ensure unparalleled savings, as it will operate even more efficiently than the current single, oil-less, magneticbearing chillers offered in the market. I’m recommending installing multiple smaller compressors, which allow substantial savings due to part-load staging of the compressors, as well as a larger heat exchanger on the condenser, when operating under lighter loads. This offers large opportunities for additional savings beyond the efficiencies of a single compressor oil-less, magneticbearing chiller. Chillers using the variablespeed, oil-free, multiple centrifugal compressors with magnetic bearings offer a rated efficiency in the range of 0.33-0.37 kW/tonne (integrated part-load value/IPLV).

HISTORY OF THE OILLESS, MAGNETIC-BEARING COMPRESSOR

Research and development on a new oilless compressor started in 1993. The design goals for developing a small centrifugal compressor included lubricant-free operation and a direct-drive system. The result of these efforts is a compressor that has a capacity

34

March 2018

of 60-90 tonnes, uses refrigerant R-134a, uses magnetic bearings (no oil) and a directdrive system (no gears). Additional benefits include a lightweight design (80% less than traditional compressors) and reduced noise and vibration. By 2001, beta test sites proved the compressor design was viable for market introduction.

OPERATION

The compressor’s rotor shaft and impellers levitate during compression and float on a magnetic cushion. Two radial and one axial magnetic bearings are employed. The compressor has an integrated VFD. Now,

VFDs provide the best part-load efficiency and operate most effectively with centrifugal compression. The speed of the compressor adjusts to changes in load and/or condenser water temperature. The minimum load on the compressor is 15%. The auto balance feature repositions the magnetic bearing 100,000 times a minute to maintain centred rotation at all times. It uses 1.6 amps to start up (elevate the shaft) and operates at 16,000-40,000 RPMs. The motor is a permanent magnet brushless DC motor, and the motor, electronics and VFD are refrigerant-cooled. The compressor is designed to handle a power outage; the motor becomes a generator. After the compressor comes to a complete stop, the rotor de-levitates normally onto touchdown bearings. Should the computer fail, the compressor is designed to handle eight “crashes”.

The oil-less design eliminates some typical operating problems associated with oil-flooded compressors. Water-cooled units often use flooded evaporators, and any oil in the evaporator tubes will cause a decrease in heat transfer.

ASHRAE Research Study 601 determined that the vast majority of installed chillers have an excess amount of oil in the cooling system. The systems in the study had between 2.9% and 22.9% of oil in the cooling system. For the purpose of lifecycle cost, it is assumed that 3.5% oil concentration occurs after two years of operation for flooded evaporator systems. A level of 3.5% of oil in the refrigerant charge reduces system efficiencies by eight per cent.

▶ The chart, below, demonstrates the dramatic ill effects of oil in the

cooling system

March 2018

35

LICENCE TO

Front Radial Bearing

Rear Radial Bearing

Motor

▶ Magnetic

bearings and sensors keep the shaft properly centred and positioned at all times

Rotor

Impellers Axial Bearing

Sensor Ring

Sensor Ring

The rotor shaft is held in position with 10 separately controlled electromagnetic cushions, which continually change in strength to keep the shaft centrally positioned. The shaft’s position is monitored with 10 sensor coils, whose signal is fed back to a digital controller. Movements of less than 0.00002” are sensed and adjustments are made, accordingly. Backup carbon or roller bearings are fitted to catch the shaft and prevent damage, should a control or bearing failure occur. The shaft is monitored and positioned at 100,000/sec.

The compressor’s speed adjusts automatically to match the load and current operating conditions, so that optimum efficiency is gained. Primary capacity control is done using the on-board VFD and only uses the Inlet Guide Vanes (IGVs) to supplement VFD controls. IGVs prevent surge conditions at low turndown. IGVs normally operate at the 110% position. The slower the compressors, the greater the efficiency; as speed is reduced, energy consumption is reduced.

Chillers with oil-less magnetic technology have virtually no vibration, and the sound is substantially less than any other chiller on the market today. A chiller with five compressors, operating at full speed, only produces 75 DB of sound at 10 feet, about the sound level of your television.

In addition, having five or six compressors allows for much better capacity control and gives the chiller redundancy in the unlikely event of a compressor not being operational.

An oil-less magnetic chiller will allow up to six compressors in one circuit and provide the ability to use the entire heat transfer surface, even when using few compressors, thereby ensuring very close approach temperatures and improved efficency.

36

March 2018

A brief list of benefits of oil-less magnetic bearing centrifugal chillers includes:

Cd d^a ^c i]Z gZ[g^\ZgVci hnhiZb Cd d^a ejbe Cd d^a ]ZViZg Cd d^a hjbe Cd Y^hedhVa ^hhjZh d[ lVhiZ d^a disposal (considered a hazardous material) Cd d^a hidgV\Z gZfj^gZbZcih Cd d^a [^aiZgh Cd d^a VcY [^aiZg Xdhi Cd d^a VcVanh^h gZfj^gZY Cd WZVg^c\ lZVg$WZVg^c\ replacements Cd k^WgVi^dc Cd k^WgVi^dc iZhi^c\ gZfj^gZY <gZVian gZYjXZY hdjcY :medcZci^Vaan ^begdkZY Z[[^X^ZcXn GZYjXZY bV^ciZcVcXZ Xdhih HbVaaZg VcY a^\]iZg X]^aaZg 8dbegZhhdg gZYjcYVcXn LViZg"XddaZY XZcig^[j\Va X]^aaZg l^i] a range of 85 TR-1,200 TR, so it’s suitable for any chilled water plant, from the smallest to the largest.

If consideration is given to a retrofit approach, I recommend that Eddy Current

testing and inspection is performed on the chiller’s condensers and evaporators and any defective or rejected tubes are replaced. It is essential to recover the existing refrigerant charge, remove existing compressor and controls, clean the interior shells, and remove any oil and contaminants. It is important to install a new control system and oil-less, magnetic-bearing compressors with all required interconnecting piping, sensors and valves. It is essential to evacuate and dehydrate the system and to charge it with virgin refrigerant. It is important to put the chillers into beneficial operation and to benchmark tonnage and kW per tonne operation. That way, there will be no loss of capacity; and it is possible to achieve increased efficiency.

There you go… now you have it: Replace or retrofit, you now know your options.

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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Systems Components Services Facility Services

March 2018

37

FEATURE

Cooling towers

C

ooling tower systems are mainly designed to maintain a cool environment for various applications, without causing any pollution breakout or breakdown of temperature control systems. However, some factors turn the heat up for the industry.

Industry insiders point out that factors such as energy efficiency, water efficiency and prevention of legionella are among the top areas of concern for the industry and, in some cases, turn up the heat. Further elaborating, they say even these factors are propelled by elements, such as materials and the kind of technology used while building the cooling towers.

KEY DRIVERS

In the GCC region, cooling towers are exposed to corrosive environments; therefore, material selection is a crucial component. One of the key technology elements introduced to the market is Pultruded Fibreglass Reinforced Polyester (PFRP), says Imran Ali, Managing Director, HVAC & Power Solutions.

“PFRP material for cooling towers is most preferred in this region, for it has many advantages over the conventional materials of construction, such as concrete, wood and steel,” Imran Ali says. “The material possesses exceptional chemical and corrosion resistance to acid, salt and sand. It is also resistant to seawater, brackish water, treated sewage water and others.”

While the selection of construction materials is critical to driving energy efficiency, the other technical considerations that need focus are the drift eliminators, says Saad Ali, General Manager, Middle East & Africa, SPX Cooling Technologies.

“Considering that water efficiency is of paramount importance, drift eliminators play a key role in trapping large water droplets and [preventing] mist from escaping the cooling tower, which reduces the wastage of water,” he says.

Sharing a similar view, Dumont Swezy, Vice President – Business Development, International Cooling Tower, says: “Drift eliminators play a crucial role in reducing wastage of water, because they can achieve the lowest measurable drift rate, which can go as low as 0.0005% of circulating water flow. But there have also been significant advancements made in the heat transfer media component. We now see a greater heat rejection and tolerances towards water qualities.”

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March 2018

COOL, The problem is that the quality of raw material is a compromise, which impacts the pricing and the entire chain

Saad Ali also points out that one of the factors that drives up the efficiency of the towers is the acoustics. “While cooling fans are required for the air movement, they need to do so with very low vibrations and sound," he says ,"Incorporating low-noise fans are crucial for the towers, as they drive up the efficiency.”

Further elaborating on efficiency, Saad Ali, says, “Cooling tower owners need to ensure that they move away from huge amounts of water and high energy usage, by using energy-efficient motors.”

Industry growth can also be attributed to local partnerships, says Neeraj Bhojwani, Business Development Manager, Rapid Cool Group. “To supply quality cooling tower components, we have partnered with Brentwood Industries, manufacturers of superior quality that are tested as per the CPI 135 standard,” he says.

CRITICAL RISKS

It is a no-brainer that one of the biggest critical risks for cooling towers is the nightmarish threat of Legionella. As was widely reported in the media, in November 2017, Disneyland shut down two of its cooling towers, after one person died and 11 fell ill owing to the disease.

Speaking on the prevention of Legionella, Swezy says, “It is important for cooling tower owners and operators to regularly test and maintain good water treatment protocols to prevent any outbreak of Legionella.”

Adding to Swezy’s views, Imran Ali, says: “Legionella grows best between 22 and 45 degrees C. Anything above this temperature kills it, and any temperature lower than 20 degrees C, makes the bacteria dormant.

If the application does not allow you to play around with the temperatures, then a good water treatment practice must be established, with a dual biocide programme, utilising both oxidising and non-oxidising biocide, at least twice a year, along with thorough inspections.”

Imran Ali further asserts that along with these procedures, corroded parts must be replaced and algae and scaling must be removed, under trained professionals.

Offering a concurring view, Saad Ali affirms that prevention of Legionella is a top priority for his company. “When exposed to sunlight, the growth of Legionella is prevented. Other ways of preventing the disease are through drift eliminators, which act as louvres, and move the water,” he says.

To effectively pre-empt an outbreak of Legionella, Saad Ali says, cooling tower operators and owners must carefully study the ASHRAE Standard [on] Minimising the Risk of Legionella Associated with Building Water Systems.

STANDING TALL

What heats up the cooling tower market?

How can owners and operators protect their critical installations?

By Benwen Lopez | Assistant Editor

March 2018

39

FEATURE

Imran Ali

Saad Ali

Cooling towers

Elaborating on the type of technologies offered by his company, he says: “We offer ultraviolet light disinfection technologies, which will prevent any buildup. Our filtration system is also our water sweeper system that cleans the tower from the bottom of any stagnated water and sludge. We also ensure that the make-up water is cleaned thoroughly.”

Pointing back to the selection of products, Bhojwani says, “Choosing a good product that has been independently tested is a core principle to prevent an outbreak of Legionella.” The other practice, he says, is to sign up with good maintenance companies, who understand the fundamentals of Legionella and have the expertise to tackle it. On the other hand, he adds, when cooling towers are designed and constructed, enough space for maintenance access must be provided, so that personnel are not struggling just to enter the tower for maintenance.

schools and organises technical seminars to raise the level of interest among budding engineers.

The geo-political situation in the Middle East, Saad Ali says, adds to the list of concerns, especially when countries break their diplomatic ties with each other. “The political instability among countries like Syria, Egypt, Turkey and some African nations, affects the growth patterns of the industry,” he adds.

On the other hand, the industry also views opportunities, especially in the retrofit area. “Industrial opportunities, such as retrofitting, can grow when governments start to reduce subsidies, so it also depends on governments to drive the growth,” Saad Ali says.

WRAPPING UP

Although the industry is faced with multiple challenges, water, energy efficiency and prevention of Legionella remain the core market concerns, and from what it seems, it requires a concerted effort by manufacturers, owners and operators to ensure that these three areas of concern remain under control.

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

Write to editor@cpi-industry.com

MARKET DYNAMICS

Dumont Swezy

Neeraj Bhojwani

40

March 2018

The dynamics of the cooling tower segment are a combination of challenges faced by cooling operators and owners as well as opportunities, which the industry needs to take advantage of.

Highlighting some of the challenges faced by cooling tower manufactures, Saad Ali explains that delay of payments is a big challenge in the industry, but which is prevalent in other industries, as well.

Even from a distributor’s perspective, stakeholders like Bhojwani feel the heat of delayed payments. “Cooling towers are relatively new in this region, and people continue to squeeze in on the pricing,” he says. “The problem is that the quality of raw material is a compromise, which impacts the pricing and the entire chain.”

The other challenge, Bhojwani adds, is the lack of specialised future talent, which is why his company collaborates with engineering

Without #airconditioning and cooling, you wouldn’t be reading this today, because the server farms that drive the #computing technologies we use on a daily basis would not be able to function without #cooling.

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COUNTRY REPORT

China

Building the

great Brand of

CHINA How are Chinese brands navigating increasingly stringent regulations and rising consumer demand in a gigantic local market, while battling historical prejudice from overseas in a business environment where reputation is a valuable currency? Hannah Jo Uy of Climate Control Middle East has the storyâ&#x20AC;Ś 42

March 2018

C

hina’s concerted efforts at developing a modern silk road has injected its HVACR industry with renewed vigour, as companies eagerly showcase their manufacturing prowess and technical knowledge to raise the profile of China-made equipment abroad. While an immense market in itself, China

is also grappling with global trends – and all this at a time when the government has undertaken measures to meet environmental and economic targets.

“After the Paris agreement,” says Moan Abraham, Vice President and General Manager for Air Conditioning, Hisense Middle East, “there was a big initiative from the Chinese government to implement these environmental regulations at the small scale as well as at the industry level.”

Abraham says China’s commitment to the Paris Accord and to the broad cause of the reduction of greenhouse gases is unquestionable and that this has led to increased inspections and intolerance towards manufacturers, who do not comply with the increasing number of standards.

Mark Wang, General Manager of International Sales, Chigo HVAC, echoes this: “China keeps introducing new regulation towards air conditioning products,” he says, “and it’s mainly focusing on energysaving.” Zhan Jie, Overseas Department Director, Haier Commercial Air Conditioning, says there has been joint effort between government and manufacturers to upgrade energy-saving products. “Products,” he says, “need to be in accordance with standard rules of government departments or thirdparty inspection agencies to obtain the compliance verification and certification permit.” Wang adds that a number of

government tenders now require suppliers to demonstrate energy efficiency through certificates.

Jie says that recently, the Chinese government had signed an international agreement to phase out R-22. Further touching on trends related to refrigerants, Wang says that he has seen hydrocarbons taking the place of Freon and that there has been a shift from high power consumption to low carbon energy saving and that this has been a driving force in technology development among manufacturers.

Currently, Wang says, R-32 is being viewed as the best replacement for R-410A. “China continues to promote urbanisation as well as the development of the air conditioning industry,” Jie says, while speaking in the context of the company’s move to promote magnetic-bearing technology for energy savings to address emerging demands. Jimmy Liao, Technical Manager, Midea Commercial Air Conditioner (Middle East and Africa), says that new policies encouraging more efficient HVAC systems, have led to an uptake of air-source heat pump water heater systems. “There is a big project held by the government, called coal-to-electricity,” Liao says, “which encourages people, especially those in the countryside, to use the air-source heat pump system to supply heating as well as hot water to replace the traditional method of burning coal.” Jie shares a similar observation, saying that the change from charcoal heating into electric heating has increased demand for heat pump air conditioner, which accelerates R&D of such energy-saving products.

A HOUSEHOLD GAZE

Wang says that owing to changes in government policy, mega projects have become saturated, and more and more manufacturers are shifting their attention towards the household central air conditioning market.

Driven by increasing real estate prices, Wang says, 2017 saw a 50% increase in demand for household central air conditioners compared to 2016. This, he says, is because the gap in price between traditional and central air conditioners is closing. The preference for central air conditioning, he says, is also owing to aesthetics, as stakeholders find it easier to design according to the wishes of the clients, and to the fact that an outdoor unit typically also takes up lesser space.

March 2018

43

COUNTRY REPORT

China

Mark Wang

If a product is made in the West, there is a perception that the high cost is owing to labour and material [expenses]. What China is trying to do differently is using technical investment and innovation to help provide people with more affordable products of the same quality

Moan Abraham

Wang says that in addition to the government increasing EER standards of products, there has been an uptake of high-end apartment projects, featuring inverter-based systems from real-estate developers, further driving demand for such systems, and that there has been palpable improvements in the mind-set of end-users in the local market.

“In the China market, inverter systems are dominating,” Liao says, “especially in the residential sector. More than 80% of the residential split air conditioning sold in the last two years were inverter-based.

Most of the main suppliers, including Midea, already have a plan to stop producing non-inverter systems within a couple of years.”

THE PUSH FROM OUTSIDE

Wang says that with more and more HVAC brands entering the China market, local manufacturers are being forced to improve and innovate to maintain market share and stand out among the competition. Jie seconds this: “The conventional rule for new products’ research and development,” he says, “[is the] need to acquire the requests of the local market by means of interaction with local customers as well as installers to develop the products that solve users’ complaints, especially to iterate and lead in the industry.”

Abraham adds: “In China, growth rates are pretty much driven by real estate.

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March 2018

The population needs housing, and the demand is still there.

However, what the government wants now is for Chinese brands to offer global products.” This, he says, has driven companies to invest in technology and market themselves as a brand of choice, owing to the equipment’s technical advantages and ability to comply with international standards, and not merely as a low-cost solution.

Abraham also emphasises that affordability, which everyone is looking for, need not be associated with inferior quality, noting that many leading Chinese companies invest heavily in technology to reduce cost and increase efficiency through innovation and not by lowering standards.

“If a product is made in the West,” he says, “there is a perception that the high cost is owing to labour and material [expenses].

What China is trying to do differently is using technical investment and innovation to help provide people with more affordable products of the same quality. Particularly a better engineering product [that is] technologically more advanced, by being lighter in weight, through new methods of heat transfer, or through the reduction of coil sizes.” This, he says, reflects growing emphasis on R&D, which Hisense is investing five per cent of its revenues on. “We are a technology-oriented company,” Abraham says. “We innovate to make it more affordable; it’s not just about labour cost. There is just a lot of automation and big-scale manufacturing in China, which brings the cost down.”

THE FORAY OF VRF SYSTEMS

China is also known for the strong penetration of VRF systems. Wang says the explosive growth of real state set the stage for the technology. Jie seconds Wang’s view, saying that the continuous implementation of environmental-protection and energyconservation regulations, combined with the energy-saving features of VRF technology, has also promoted its rapid development in the local market. “Within this decade, the market capacity of VRF has tripled,” Wang says. “The mini-VRF market also [has been able to] keep high-growth speed. With the

continuous economic development, mini-VRF will occupy large volumes of the wall-mounted products’ market, because it is popular among the end-users.”

Wang adds that the strong uptake of the system is the result of Japanese brands entering the Chinese market in the 2000s, which helped local designers familiarise themselves with the technology and understand its benefits, compared with traditional water-cooled air conditioners, in terms of energy saving, easier maintenance, faster cooling and heating. Today, they prefer to use VRF in their project designs,” he says.

Wang says that with Chinese brands, such as Gree, Midea, Chigo and Haier, developing their own VRF systems, the price has dropped dramatically. “These brands take full advantage of their brand image and sales channels to let more and more end-users know about VRF,” he says.

“We can also say that the Chinese brands drive the whole VRF market forward.”

Manufacturers, Wang says, are still eager to invest in VRF technology. For Chigo’s part, Wang says, the company enjoyed strong sales of its full-DC-inverter VRF in 2017, adding all manufacturers place great importance on innovation to meet demands of various market segments. Lately, he says, demand for good heating performance, low noise, high efficiency and big capacity are driving competition among VRF products. ‘In the Chinese market,” Liao says, “for most of the non-government projects, once the project owner decides to use VRF, consultants and designers will design the system

March 2018

45

COUNTRY REPORT

China

Zhan Jie

Jimmy Liao

according to the owner’s decision, even if they don’t prefer VRF technology. This has a very important impact in the beginning years of introducing VRF. As more and high-rise applications started installing VRF, and it works perfectly, the consultants, even for the government projects, have started to accept and acknowledge it.”

Jie points out that from a Chinese perspective, VRF in the Middle East market has much room for development. Abraham says that while VRF has become more acceptable, compared to five years ago, there is still a long way to go, citing resistance from stakeholders, who prefer to apply traditional systems as a bottleneck. “Some consultants won’t design anything using VRF,” he says.

This risk-averse attitude, Abraham says, is especially noticeable in countries that have a high concentration of expatriates, as most are present to fulfil a contract and are scared to make a mistake. Liao, by way of sharing his perspective, says: “In the Middle East, if you want to sell VRF, you have to get the approval from the consultant, but sometimes, it is very difficult, especially when [you have] an experienced consultant that has been designing big chiller systems for many years, and suddenly you ask him to design the VRF system that he might be not so familiar with. He would be hesitant, question you or even refuse [to consider the technology] – it is normal. So, the key to [advance the] penetration of VRF technology is to convince the consultants to accept and understand that VRF can be used in high-rise applications and even performs better on

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March 2018

some aspects compared to chiller system.”

Jie believes that there is a need for local government, industrial associations and consultants to work together to promote the benefits of VRF technology. Drawing a comparison, Abraham says the strong uptake of VRF technology in Europe is owing to the full implementation of regulations throughout Europe, which made it a single market, enabling manufacturers to comply and enter the region. Whereas, in the Middle East, he says, regulation is still evolving.

“Once a more cohesive regulation is in place and compliance is monitored,” Abraham says, “acceptance will go up. We need a level playing field, and the only way to do it is by regulation.” In such an environment, he says, country of origin is and should no longer be a barrier.

BATTLING WRONG PERCEPTIONS

Making a case for the competitive advantage of Chinese manufacturers, Liao says Chinese companies have more leverage to survive, develop, accumulate profit and, then, invest on the R&D of new products and new technologies, as it has the most complete supply chain and the biggest air conditioning market. This, Liao says, is a winning formula for Chinese companies to go head to head, if not surpass, manufacturers from other countries. “At the same time,” he adds, “there is a huge group of highly trained professional engineers, consultants and designers, not to

Just because, for example, a UL test facility is located in China, does not mean that it is inferior to the UL test facility in the US

mention more and more graduates with superior educational background.” Jie also says the quality of Chinese products and the capability of manufacturers to innovate have significantly improved. “The gap with Europe, the United States, Japan and South Korea,” he says, “has gradually narrowed, and [China] will take up a larger market share in the future.”

Calling China the ultimate source for residential air conditioners in the market today, Abraham says that while there is brand acceptance, what needs to be developed is the commercial segment, where “institutions trust our band”. He adds: “There, we need to do a lot of work, building more on capability services, providing technical support and letting the people know about our quality through third-party certification.”

Jie says that in addition to tradeprotection tariff barriers, prejudices against Chinese products, based on historical reasons, “have affected the global development of Chinese products and technologies to a certain extent”. Abraham believes that the negative perception is largely customer-driven. “Customers outside China go to China looking for a low-cost solution,” he says, stressing that it is not a fair indicator of Chinese companies’ capabilities. Abraham provides an example: “You can manufacture a glass for one dollar with safety requirements, or you could just say, ‘I need a glass at the cheapest price’.

There is demand for [cheap products], which is causing the supply.” Abraham stresses that global companies, such as Apple, have manufacturing bases in China and receive the same high-quality products, as required by their own standards.

As evidenced from Hisense’s customeroptimisation strategy, Abraham, says that what Chinese companies are doing now is filtering customers. “We don’t want to deal with every customer that comes in,” he says.

“We need good-quality customers. They need not be big, as long as they know what

they want.” Customer optimisation, he says, is essential to create brand equity.

Touching on the importance of marketing initiatives, in line with this, Abraham points to sponsorships undertaken by Hisense for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, as an example. The objective, he says, “is to increase sales and improve brand visibility to gain longterm customer confidence”.

Touching on certifications in China, Abraham says there is no need for manufacturers to obtain overseas certification, when the country has more than enough facilities and laboratories.

China, he says, has all the leading certification bodies. “Just because, for example, a UL test facility is located in China, does that mean it is inferior to the UL test facility in the US?” Abraham emphasises that, as such, within China, there is strict regulation in certification of companies; however, the high standards in the country’s building practices, which are at par, if not higher than global standards, is not communicated well to international stakeholders, owing to language barriers.

Internally, however, certifications to demonstrate the highest quality constitute a mandatory practice within the country.

Most companies in China, Abraham says, have adopted global standards for their own benefit. However, he says, mindsets must change, and this will only be possible through continuous education and more effort from the government to bring in leading players in China. “It’s a chicken-andthe-egg thing,” he says. “A brand has to be accepted, then the product is tested. If big

brands manufacture in China, it’s accepted.

It’s always brand acceptance before product acceptance.”

The Great Wall of China, Abraham says, was not built overnight. Similarly, the tedious task of raising the profile of Hisense and Chinese brands will be done “brick by brick, wall by wall and pillar by pillar”. “It needs that time,” he says, “and trust among partners ready to engage.”

Liao remains optimistic, not only for Midea but for the collective progress of Chinese companies, globally. Pointing out that there are many markets in the world, where Chinese suppliers are dominating, Liao believes that “Made in China” will ultimately be transformed into a tag that guarantees quality technology.

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

Write to editor@cpi-industry.com

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Integrated solutions for a clean environment

March 2018

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UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Dubai Chamber discuss sustainability of UAE start-ups

Ministry of Climate Change and Environment holds Environment and Business Majlis 2018

By CCME Content Team

he UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment recently held the Environment and Business Majlis meeting for 2018, which was hosted at Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s headquarters, the Ministry said in a Press communiqué.

The meeting was attended by His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, as well as members of the UAE start-up community, the communiqué said.

The meeting, organised by Dubai Startup Hub, was attended by His Excellency Majid Al Shamsi, 1st Vice Chairman, Dubai Chamber; His Excellency Hamad Buamim, President & CEO, Dubai Chamber and representatives of six green start-ups from the UAE, the communiqué further said.

During the meeting, Dr Al Zeyoudi called on entrepreneurs to reach out to government entities in the UAE that can support their growth and development. Dr Al Zeyoudi stressed that innovation and technology play an important role in solving a range of today’s sustainability issues. “Innovation and technology generate a wide range of socio-economic values and create jobs, and therefore, innovation is at the heart of our development agenda to drive our economic diversification objectives,” he said.

Addressing the Minister and participants, Al Shamsi noted that there is huge potential for the UAE start-up community

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L to R: H.E. Hamad Buamim, H.E. Dr Thani bin Ahmed Zeyoudi and H.E. Majid Al Shamsi

to play a major role in contributing towards the country’s sustainability vision by developing innovative business ideas and solutions that can reshape the future and add value to society, the communiqué elaborated.

According to MOCCAE, the start-ups – Tayar, Wavex, Junkbot, Smart Sensor Devices, Astron, Pure Harvest and EcoSound – were given an opportunity to showcase their projects and solutions in the fields of air quality, food security and energy saving. They also participated in an open and constructive dialogue with the minister, which focused on key challenges they have faced, as well as new business opportunities opening up in the market.

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UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, Dubai Land Department launch Sustainability Report Collaboration with local and international bodies to provide a reference for all sustainability stakeholders

By CCME Content Team

ubai Land Department (DLD), in cooperation with the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE), on February 13 launched the Sustainability Report, DLD said through a Press communiqué. The report was launched on the sidelines of the sixth World Government Summit, which Dubai hosted from February 11 to 13, the communiqué said.

The report was prepared in accordance with a Memorandum of Understanding, with the signatories being the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), DLD, MOCCAE and the United Nations. The objective behind the signing was to address the state of the environment in Arab cities, with an emphasis on real estate sustainability in buildings and construction, the communiqué further said.

His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said that achieving a balanced relationship between development and the environment in the UAE has received great attention from the nation’s wise leadership, with the principle of “integrating the environmental dimension into the comprehensive development plans” playing an essential role in the country's development policy.

Al Zeyoudi added: “We believe that transforming our national economy into a

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HE Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi

low-carbon, sustainable green economy is not only the responsibility of the government sector but also of our wider society and those concerned with development in the public and private sectors.”

His Excellency Sultan Butti bin Mejren, Director General of DLD, commented: “We are proud to launch our report on the sidelines of the World Government Summit.

The report is a reference for researchers, specialists and all relevant institutions and agencies in the field of sustainability.”

The report was supported by a number of green building councils in the Arab region, as well as the EU project for the

DSI announces unaudited preliminary Q4 2017 results Company says it has returned to profitability, declares 11% quarterly increase in revenues

By CCME Content Team

HE Sultan Butti bin Mejren

Mediterranean region in the field of real estate sustainability, the communiqué said.

It highlights the state of real estate sustainability as well as sustainable laws, regulations and efforts in a number of Arab cities, documenting a wide range of governmental and private sector initiatives that have contributed to the advancement of sustainability initiatives in the Arab region, the communiqué further said.

The project is the first official report on the state of real estate sustainability in the Arab region and has received support and accreditation from the United Nations, the communiqué elaborated.

ngineering and construction services company, Drake & Scull International (DSI), has announced its preliminary unaudited financial results for Q4 2017, through a Press communiqué.

According to DSI, its overall quarterly revenue has increased 11%, to AED 656 million, compared to the preceding quarter (Q3 2017). The company said it returned to profitability, and reported a net profit of AED 0.7 million for Q4 2017, compared to a net loss of AED 359 million, recorded in Q3 2017.

The communiqué further said that DSI’s total projects backlog stood at AED 5.5 billion, supported by AED 494 million worth of new projects in the MEP and water treatment sectors secured in the UAE and Saudi Arabia during the current fiscal year.

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EmiratesGBC outlines nine priority areas for 2018 to promote sustainable development Strategic priorities are aligned with UAE Vision 2021 and UN Sustainable Development Goals, body says

By CCME Content Team

he Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) has set nine priority areas that will lead its activities throughout 2018, it said through a Press communiqué. According to EmiratesGBC, the priority areas approved by its Board of Directors have been identified to align with the UAE Vision 2021 National Agenda and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“EmiratesGBC has set out nine priority areas of 2018 after closely examining the UN SDGs and UAE’s 2021 Vision to establish how we can contribute to the global sustainability agenda as well as the UAE’s national priorities,” said Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman, EmiratesGBC. “For this reason, each of EmiratesGBC’s priority areas is aligned with a relevant SDG to create a more targeted impact.”

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Saeed Al Abbar

The nine priority areas are: Building Retrofit Training: To operate a training programme that provides capacity building for industry and government, encouraging retrofit of existing buildings.

Benchmarking/Building Efficiency Accelerator: To support Dubai’s commitment to the global ‘Building Efficiency Accelerator’ programme and

‘Commissioning is the key to ensure systems are being installed correctly’ Industry insider says if commissioning is not done properly, manufacturers could void warranty of systems

By Benwen Lopez | Assistant Editor

Michel Farah

Rijo Abraham

hen sophisticated HVAC systems are installed, an essential area of installation is commissioning, said Michel Farah, Director – Corporate Environmental and Social Responsibility, Daikin Middle East and Africa.

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expand EmiratesGBC's benchmarking efforts to help operators and owners across various sectors gauge their building and operational performance and, ultimately, offer a measurement to encourage stronger energy-efficiency measures.

Technical Publications: To produce technical papers and publications relevant to the green building industry.

Publications will include case studies, white papers and bi-annual reports.

Emirates Coalition for Green Schools: To engage UAE schools and encourage energy-efficient operations and retrofits of existing school facilities.

The programme promotes best practices and makes green building information readily available for school administration.

Explaining this aspect, Farah said: “Commissioning is the bridge between design and operations, and that is the key step to ensure systems are installed correctly, and operating as the designer intended them to. If commissioning is not done properly, the warranty of the system could be voided by the manufacturers.”

Highlighting another aspect of commissioning, Rijo Abraham, Deputy Manager – Energy Efficiency, Farnek Services, added: “While commissioning of equipment is essential, re-commissioning is also an important practice that needs to be factored in. In this part of the world, building management systems are usually re-commissioned, but we should transition to a framework that covers re-commissioning of all critical assets in a building.” @EuroheatPower We're using #districtheating Explaining some of the to #cleanair by benefits of re-commissioning, working towards improving #heating Abraham said, through this systems in Coyhaique, the process, the efficiency and most polluted city in Latin America according to @WHO. functionality of the equipment Check out Renato's story! are enhanced. Ideally, he http://www.districtenergyincities. org/district-energy-helpadded, re-commissioning must coyhaique-school-children-staytake place every two years. warm …

Speaking of challenges, Abraham added that while some contractors are aware of the benefits of re-commissioning, it is the UN District Energy end-user, who must take the @DES_Initiative decision.

Members of the Emirates Green Building Council

Green Key: To operate and grow the Green Key eco label to support sustainability in the hospitality industry in the UAE. Annual Awards: To implement a MENA regional Awards Programme annually that honours companies, who have demonstrated clear implementation of sustainable design, construction and/or operation of buildings and structures.

Outreach and Awareness: To host

informative events, building tours and workshops, including the flagship Annual Congress, to educate and build capacity on green building topics within the industry.

Membership: To retain current members and recruit new members, thus broadening the Council’s impact for sustainable building practices. nZEB Centre of Excellence: To lead the movement for Nearly Zero Energy Buildings in the UAE.

Some of the SDGs that EmiratesGBC has aligned with include: Goal 3, which emphasises Good Health & Wellbeing; Goal 6 for Clean Water & Sanitation; Goal 7 for Affordable & Clean Energy; Goal 9 on Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure to promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation; Goal 11 on building Sustainable Cities & Communities and Goal 13 on Climate Action to combat climate change.

Al Abbar, added: “We are living during a critical time for humanity. Our natural resources are being depleted, and with a fast-growing global population, we must think long-term – especially for future generations who have the right to inherit a sustainable, clean world.”

Tools must be complemented by training

Refco recommends such an approach to enhance skill set among stakeholders

By Hannah Jo Uy | Features Writer

that the hard n a conversation with Climate Control Middle work, intent and East about the importance of using the right investment towards tools in HVAC installations, particularly in the specifying energy-efficient calibration of refrigerants, Sheb Powell, Area Sales equipment is often “thrown Manager, Refco, said a vital aspect often overlooked is in the garbage” in the face of poor ensuring that technicians are properly educated and installation, owing to lack of training. “It’s have the necessary skill set to optimise the available Sheb Powell like having a Ferrari but putting wagon tires from an tools. “The bigger picture I see is that technicians oxcart on it,” he said. “You’re just not going to get the that generally buy [very expensive tools] don’t have performance it’s designed to do. You have to have the the education on how they are supposed to be using correct installation, with the [proper] evacuation and charging of them,” he said. Powell said this has contributed to a price-driven the refrigerant for that equipment to work the way it’s designed market, since when they are not armed with the right knowledge, to work from the manufacturer and in order to realise the energy many technicians cannot discern the benefit of advanced tools and efficiency benefits.” focus only on the expense. “Once they understand,” he said, “then Powell said that without this approach, stakeholders are killing they buy the good tools. My role has changed from a sales person the equipment. “It’s like driving the car with four really low, almost to a teacher.” Powell said that, in view of this, Refco has kick-started flat tyres,” he said. “You’re wasting the gas, whereas you just had strong training programmes across the GCC region. to have the right tyre pressure, then the car would do what it’s Powell was quick to point out that the issue of training is not supposed to do for the mileage.” Powell said that in a region where confined to the GCC region, and that it is a bottleneck that exists air conditioning and refrigeration are responsible for more than in other countries. He added that bad practices have ramifications 50% of the annual cost of a building, the issue presents itself with in the life and efficiency of equipment. Powell said when speaking much greater urgency. with top engineers in the air conditioning industry he emphasises

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Selection of cables for effective fire safety is of prime importance Industry insider says fire-protection systems with inferior-quality cables can become redundant

By Benwen Lopez | Assistant Editor

nstallation of sophisticated fire-protection systems also demands good-quality cables that connect the systems, said Steve Williams, Commercial Manager, Wrexham Mineral Cables, while citing that cable quality is a commonly overlooked component in systems.

Elaborating on the issue, Williams said: “Conventional cables that connect fire alarms, smoke-detection systems and emergency lighting, usually burn out within 30 minutes of the fire incident, owing to the plastic polymer in them. When polymer plastic burns, it not only heats quickly, but it also adds more toxic fumes to the fire incident. With inferior-quality cables, fire-protection systems can become redundant, especially during an emergency,” Williams added.

Elaborating further, Williams said that owing to the high temperatures in the GCC region, polymer-based cables tend to break down quickly and need frequent replacements.

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Speaking of alternative solutions, he said, “The alternative to this problem is the use of copper-constructed, mineralinsulated cables." These cables, he added, can withstand a temperature of up to 950 degrees C for over three hours, and they can last up to 25 years. They can be used in various connected fire-protection applications and need no maintenance or frequent replacements.

Explaining another key characteristic of the cables, Williams said the outer covering material is a zero-smoke, zero-halogen material that does not emit toxic fumes.

Alexander Abrass with the Optyma TM 52 Product

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By CCME Content Team

anfoss has introduced the Optyma High Ambient 52 Pack to the Kingdom’s market, the company said in a Press communiqué.

According to Danfoss, the Optyma 52 is built with reciprocating compressors, and the units are tailor-made for outdoor use as well as resistant to harsh conditions, thus making them suitable for commercial refrigeration applications.

Commenting on the launch, Alexander Abrass, Senior Sales Manager, Middle East, Turkey and Africa, Danfoss, said: “Food safety in the dairy and meat industry, restaurants or convenience stores relies on an unbroken and efficient farm-to-fork cold chain. When refrigeration systems are operating in high outside temperatures, the use of reliable products to maintain the cold chain is critical. The Optyma 52 condensing units run safely and reliably up to 52 degrees C. “The Optyma 52 has been designed with this very unique market in mind and showcases benefits such as extreme tolerance against corrosion and cost savings as a result of very low maintenenace requirements.”

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Leminar increases retail footprint in Abu Dhabi Distributor opens its second showroom in the capital

By CCME Content Team

eminar Air Conditioning Company has opened its second showroom in Abu Dhabi, the company said in a Press communiqué. The new showroom, in the Mussafah area, will complement the existing one on Hazaa Bin Zayed Street, the communiqué said. It will showcase the company’s complete range of building services products in addition to ventilation products and a wide range of air conditioning equipment, the communiqué further said.

Kartik Raval, General Manager, Leminar Air Conditioning Company, said: “We have seen a steady growth in demand for the brands we represent here in Abu Dhabi. The primary reason for setting up this new showroom, therefore, was to cater to the immediate needs of our customers here. As a solutions provider, we will also be able to offer our valueadded services, such as Stress Analysis, Seismic Analysis and Plant Room calculations to them.”

Pramodh Idicheria, COO, Leminar Air Conditioning Company, commented: “As a distributor, our focus has always

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L to R: Pramodh Idicheria; Navin Valrani, CEO, Leminar Air Conditioning Company and Kartik Raval

been on making our brands as visible and as accessible as possible. Our retail expansion is an important part of the strategy, and we look forward to opening more outlets across the GCC [region] in the years to come.”

According to Leminar, the company presently has seven other retail outlets, including three in Dubai and one each in Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.

Smardt Chiller, US Chiller Services join forces

Plan to upgrade HVAC energy efficiency in New York and Gulf markets, chiller company official says

By CCME Content Team

mardt Chiller and US Chiller Services today announced the formation of two new relationships, with service provider contracts executed for New York Tri State area and regional Arabian Gulf markets, in a Press communiqué. Both contracts are effective immediately and give US Chillers priority access to Smardt chiller products and services as well as the CPECS chiller plant energy optimisation technology, the communiqué said.

Montreal-based Smardt is a purveyor of oil-free centrifugal chiller technology and has supplied about 7,000 chillers, which are in operation across the globe, the communiqué

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said. US Chiller Services is a global independent large-tonnage chiller and energy services company with operations throughout the United States and the Arabian Gulf, the communiqué further said.

Speaking about their collaboration, Jared Peters, General Manager, Smardt’s Solutions division, said: “Our joint opportunities are enormous, with US Chiller Services responsible for hundreds of thousands of tons of aging chiller plants and superb HVAC engineering resources in both New York and the Middle East. And when we drive down HVAC energy consumption together across this big base, improved owner profits last throughout the life of the chiller plant.”

Commenting on the partnership, Dan Mizesko, Managing Partner, US Chiller Services, said: “We’re really excited to be working at last with the Smardt technology, products and solutions. This will make a big contribution to our building owners.”

Roger Richmond-Smith, Founder, Turbocor and Chairman, Smardt, added, “This is a new partnership that can be very big for both companies, and together we can drive it a long way.”

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Carrier spotlights new range of VRF systems and chillers at technical seminar

“Considering that you have tall towers in UAE, the piping for this system can extend up to a maximum length of 1,000 metres.”

She added that the systems are available in four different ranges, which include a mini VRF. For the Saudi Arabian market, Lecerf added, owing to the power difference in Saudi Arabia, Carrier has a Future of VRF looks optimistic, says company official unique range for the Kingdom, which is 60Hz, while the rest of the Middle East, including UAE, is 50Hz. “The units

By Benwen Lopez | Assistant Editor designed for Saudi are certified by the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO),” she said.

Speaking on the new chillers, Rajesh Malik, Country Products & Solutions Manager (Commercial, Residential and Aftermarket-UAE), UTS Carrier, said: “We are all excited to launch the new range of AquaForce Vision 30KAV chillers with Greenspeed Intelligence. These units are designed to surpass regulation requirements regarding energy efficiency and acoustics levels.”

Eve Lecerf Rajesh Malik Faisal Malik Highlighting some key features of the chiller, Malik said the product has a resonator integrated into the compressor, which reduces the sound significantly. arrier Middle East launched a new range of variable Further elaborating on the acoustics aspect of the chiller, Malik refrigerant flow (VRF) systems and chillers at a February said, “The volume control combines with the function of the variable15 technical seminar in Dubai. frequency drive (VFD), which gives the user precise control of the Highlighting the key features of the VRF system, load.”

Eve Lecerf, Senior Sales Engineering Manager, Sales Engineering, Speaking on the VFDs, Malik said Carrier is introducing air-cooled TOSHIBA Carrier (Thailand), said, “The Xpower VRF system is built in VFDs that neither require any liquid chilling nor need to be connected with a twin-inverter rotary compressor technology and is suited for to the fluid chilling system. “The benefit of the VFDs is that they do high-ambient temperatures of up to 46 degrees C.” not require a lot of maintenance when you are looking for a failure Lecerf added that the inverter compressors provide accurate of the pumps, condensation issues and filling of chilling systems, and capacity management, which is a requirement for back-load there is no capacity drop,” he said. efficiency, and they use less oil. She further said a dual-vane feature Faisal Malik, Head of Marketing Operations, Carrier Middle East, minimises pressure losses between high- and low-pressure chambers, said, “The purpose of today’s forum was to connect with the HVAC increasing system efficiency, while also enhancing the reliability of professional community across the UAE and showcase to them what the compressors. we plan to introduce in 2018.”

Elaborating on the twin-rotary compressors, Lecerf said, they Speaking on the penetration of VRF, Malik added that the growth allow “the system to respond precisely to the capacity needs of the pattern of the technology has been going up, as consultants begin to end user while minimising energy losses”. understand the benefits of the technology, which makes the future Speaking on other features, such as the piping, Lecerf said, for VRF look optimistic.

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A need exists for tougher enforcement in smaller projects People aren't aware that the air in their homes can be up to 50 times more polluted than outdoor air. it's time it become more of a key health consideration, click here to learn about our work to improve support of better #IndoorAirQuality

My Health My Home @MyHealthMyHome

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Consultant says copy-and-paste approach is a prevailing issue in smaller developments

By Hannah Jo Uy | Features Writer

need exists for more stringent enforcement measures in smaller projects, said Nada Musa Al Mansoury, Consultant, Drease Home. While speaking to Climate Control Middle East, she said that adequate enforcement measures were needed in villa developments to overcome the prevalent copy-and-paste approach from one project to another, which was adopted to avoid having to involve a mechanical engineer.

Al Mansoury said that more often than not, MEP consultants are only called on later, in case there is a problem, and that for the most part, after securing the necessary approvals, consultants are not concerned with the application of the designs, passing off the responsibility to the next party. “For example, if I design a ducted system, whether split or Variable Refrigerant Volume (VRV), they will say I need a false ceiling, because there will be a duct running overhead,” she said. “They say, ‘No problem, just do it, we will not provide a false ceiling, and some other person will take care of it’.” As a result, Al Mansoury said, the other party has to change the design and will have to either remove the false ceiling, remove the duct or change the overall MEP design, which is costly and time-consuming for the clients.

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Hira Walraven AC Industry opens new office in Dubai “We aim to be a supplier of choice in the MEP industry”, says company official

By Benwen Lopez | Assistant Editor

ira Walraven AC Industry on February 12 opened its new office in Dubai.

Ramesh Hiranandani, Owner, Hira Industries and Jan Van Walraven of Netherlands-based Walraven Group inaugurated the office.

Speaking on the occasion, Ravi Wadhwani, General Manager, Hira Walraven AC Industry, said: “This office is another success story for the Hira Holding Group. Besides being a corporate office, it is a production and warehousing facility. It is our trend to manufacture products, locally, which the competition cannot manufacture here, and we aim to be a supplier of choice in the MEP industry.”

Wadhwani further said the partnership with Walraven adds innovative technical support, especially with the heavy-duty rail. “They have come up with new products, such as anchors and firestops, and we look to manufacture these products here,” he said.

Speaking on future product launches, he added: “We are looking at the heavy duty rail as a huge investment. We will also be able to supply frame systems Ramesh Hiranandani and Jan Van Walraven for contractors to directly mount participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony the products on.”

He further added that the challenge for the group is to keep growing and innovating, as the group ventures into new projects in countries like India, Philippines and Sri Lanka. “The company,” he said, “has just finished supplying products for the first IKEA store in India, which will be inaugurated by the end of 2018 in Hyderabad.”

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Herz Middle East organises technical seminar Event focuses on highlighting a range of “compact HVAC solutions”

By Benwen Lopez | Assistant Editor

erz Middle East, at a February 14 technical seminar in Dubai, showcased what it described as compact solutions for HVAC systems.

Speaking to Climate Control Middle East, Vijay Dhutale, Sales Director (Middle East), said: “We focused on highlighting our range of compact HVAC solutions to developers and consultants.” He added that the range included pressure independent control valves (PICVs), differentiator pressure control valves (DPCVs), fan-coil unit (FCU) valve packages (HERZcons) and commissioning centres, which can be connected to up to six FCUs and efficiently control each of them.

Dhutale further said the products have been used in projects such as the Presidential Palace, Abu Dhabi, and city centres across the UAE.

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IAQ management presents good opportunities for the HVAC industry Challenges, such as prevention of moisture and mould build-up, are opportunities in the GCC region, industry insider says

By Benwen Lopez | Assistant Editor

hile good management of indoor air quality (IAQ) is a critical practice in the GCC region, it also presents excellent opportunities for the HVAC industry, said David O’Riley, Managing Partner, Britannia International.

Sharing his thoughts on the subject, O’Riley said: “Most towers in the UAE do not meet actual IAQ standards, although the government agencies have David O’Riley published regulations. Apart from monitoring of relative humidity and CO2 levels, issues such as particulate matter are of paramount importance.

It has been established that particulate matter of up to 2.5 microns can find their way into the human bloodstream and lungs.”

He added that currently, there are few systems in this part of the world capable of extracting particulate matter of those levels, and this is one opportunity.

The other opportunity, he further added, is the prevention of high levels of humidity in buildings, along with moisture and mould. “Mould colonies are like tribes, so you have two different colonies growing next to each other, and they want to defend their own space. To defend their space, they release mycotoxins into the air, and mycotoxins are proving to be carcinogenic,” he said.

He further said that the danger to human health in air conditioned buildings is substantially based on the fact that the indoor environment, which includes elements like materials used in the construction, are conducive to mould buildup. To tackle the issue, he added, buildings need to have the right technology, which the industry can provide, but the government agencies must mandate these practices.

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District cooling is the way forward for air conditioning, says Empower CEO reports robust growth and net profit of AED 772 million in 2017

Ahmad Bin Shafar

By Hannah Jo Uy | Features Writer

istrict Cooling is the way forward for air conditioning, said Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower. Bin Shafar made the statement following the announcement that Empower recorded a net profit of AED 772 million in 2017, with total revenues amounting to AED 1.96 billion, during a press conference on February 19, in Dubai.

Bin Shafar expressed optimism at the robust growth, sharing that Empower currently has a total cooling capacity of 1.34 million tonnes of refrigeration (TR). Currently, Bin Shafar said, Empower has 73 plant rooms serving 1,000 buildings and that the number of customers has increased from approximately 65,000 to 85,000.

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“I’m proud of my team,” Bin Shafar said. “The profit increase comes from research and development [through] various stages of the plant rooms. [We undertook some] optimisation to increase efficiency related to [the] profit mechanism [in order] to be more flexible.” The customer, he emphasised, is the focus.

Bin Shafar shared that District Cooling is not merely a service provider, but that it represents a national interest, and the company is focusing its attention on addressing growing demand in the UAE. Highlighting significant projects in 2017, Bin Shafar shared that Empower connected various buildings in Jumeirah Village South and Bluewaters development, in addition to The Opus tower in Business Bay and various hotel developments across Dubai. Touching on upcoming real estate projects, Bin Shafar shared that Empower will be working on the Museum of the Future and on the Innovation Hub, an upcoming business park.

Bin Shafar emphasised that there is growing trust towards District Cooling from master developers, as they are eager to optimise efficiency of projects that require massive investments.

“The master developer,” he said, “is 100% sure what we do is correct, otherwise why would he choose District Cooling, if he didn’t find it to be a viable solution that is profitable? [The developer] would not spend AED 3-5 billion on a beautiful project and risk it.

Building owners strongly believe that this is the way forward.”

Violation of copyright continues to blight the hvac industry Industry voices in the GCC region say duplication of technical data and branding elements is worryingly widespread

By Benwen Lopez | Assistant Editor

Ajith Abraham

Ravi Wadhwani

ith millions of dollars invested in developing a product’s brand, design and technical data, it becomes an emotional legal issue when such elements are lifted by other companies and projected as their information. This was the view of a crosssection of HVACR manufacturers that Climate Control Middle East spoke to.

“A common duplication issue we see is when catalogue content is duplicated,” said Ajith Abraham, Territory Manager - Building Service Products, Leminar Air Conditioning.

“Very often, we have observed that technical data is duplicated by non-authorised companies and passed off as their content.”

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Peter Robinson

Sharing a similar view, Ravi Wadhwani, General Manager, Hira Walraven AC Industry, said, “When companies copy the technical data of products, the only element that is changed is the company name.”

From a branding perspective, Wadhwani said: “When we click pictures of our products, we ensure that the logo embossed on the product is prominent. But sometimes the violators do not bother to edit these visible elements in the picture and try to pass it off as their own product under their company name.”

Adding to Wadhwani’s view, Peter Robinson, Area Marketing Manager, Grundfos, said: “When logos are ripped

off, little can be done if the logo has been re-sized or colour changes made to it, even if the primary design has been retained, unless the logo has been published as it is without any changes.”

Robinson added that legal action can only be initiated when a product has been duplicated owing to the patent protection.

He further said that companies could protect themselves by ensuring every aspect of the product is patented and the trademarks registered.

Highlighting another product duplication issue, Abraham added, “We sometimes have come across products duplicated using the exact design, excepting for the weight, which implies that there has been a compromise on the internal components, leading to a drop in pricing.”

To counter this issue of copyright infringement, the stakeholders believed that along with reporting such cases to authorities, it is through constant dialogue and awareness among end-users, especially with contractors and consultants that the challenge can be countered.

NEWS GLOBAL

Chigo to provide VRF systems to two stadiums for 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia Representative says total capacity is 4,200 kW; shares company strategy to be main OEM supplier and provider of customised solutions

By Hannah Jo Uy | Features Writer

higo HVAC has successfully won the tender to provide VRF systems at two stadiums for the 2018 FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) World Cup, said Mark Wang, General Manager, International Sales of the China-based company. The total capacity of the systems, Wang said, is 4,200 kW. The World Cup will take place in Russia from June 14 to July 15.

Speaking on Chigo’s global marketing strategy, Wang said the company aims to be the main OEM product supplier, addressing customised requests of

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different clients. He said, “Nowadays, our sales are all over the world; each market means chances to us.”

Wang said the company recognises the Middle East as one of its most important markets. He added: “Due to its tough climate and weather, air conditioning is a must in this area. Especially [with regard to] VRF, the market size of the product is enlarging day by day in the Middle East.”

Wang said that in view of EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio) regulations, there is great potential for VRF in the region.

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DUBAI, UAE

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

Empower, Business Bay, Dubai UAE

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

March 2018

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NEWS GLOBAL

Kelvion launches KDC Dual Discharge Air Cooler Company official says new product combines the potential of its three brands

Empower, Honeywell to explore cooperation in energy-efficient technologies Companies discuss adoption of new alternative refrigerants for reducing energy consumption and meeting environmental targets in the GCC region

By CCME Content Team

By CCME Content Team elvion, the Bochum, Germany-based company said through a Press communiqué that the creativity potential offered by its three brands, Goedhart, Küba and Searle could be seen in its new KDC Dual Discharge Air Cooler. A product of joint development work, three teams designed the new air cooler, for commercial refrigeration, the company said. Beginning immediately, the Kelvion KDC will replace the Goedhart FC38D, Küba DP and Searle DSR cooler ranges, the company further said.

Explaining its features, the company said the air cooler is designed for uses in commercial HVACR, cold rooms and freezer rooms. Its EC fans ensure energy efficiency, and its dual air discharge enables uniform distribution of temperature – since the air flow is guided along the ceiling and deep into the room. Two fixed fan speeds enable either high air capacity or quiet operation with low draft, the company claimed.

According to the company, the KDC is designed in its standard version for synthetic refrigerants or brine. Depending on model size, the maximum cooling duty is from 1.4 to 23 kW with HFC (SC2*), or from 2.8 to 37.7 kW with cooling by brine**. The optional 45/90-bar version enables the use of CO2 and provides maximum cooling duty ranging from 1.7 to 23 kW***, depending on model size, the company said. Further features of the KDC include its low weight, a low silhouette design and its drip tray, hinged on both sides to give access to the bottom for cleaning and maintenance. The company further explained that options include a CAL distributor for multiple injection of refrigerant, as well as an easily accessible condensatewater pump for medium-temperature cooling.

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* tL1= 0°C | t0= -8°C | DT1 = 8K | R404A [SC2] ** tL1= +16°C | tS1= +4°C | tS2= +8°C | Water [SC10] *** tL1= 0°C | t0= -8°C | DT1= 8K | R744 | 45/60 bar

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hmad Bin Shafar, CEO, Empower, and George Koutsaftes, President, Honeywell, have agreed to explore opportunities to improve energy efficiency in the region, as the UAE gears up to become home to leading smart cities in the world, Empower said through a Press communiqué. The two company representatives met recently, during which they focused on the latest environmentally friendly refrigerant solutions for cooling buildings, which could help Empower further conserve energy in its operations, the communiqué said.

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Ahmad Bin Shafar and George Koutsaftes

The two leaders exchanged knowledge and shared latest innovations, like lowglobal-warming-potential (LGWP) refrigerants focused on energy efficiency, the company further said. Energy- efficient refrigerants not only help improve energy efficiency but also meet environmental targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the communiqué said. GCC region countries are key signatories of the Kigali amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which is focused on phasing down the use of high-global-warming hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

According to Empower, earlier this year, the company purchased 60 advanced, eco-friendly EcoWise chillers, one of the largest trade deals in District Cooling, with a total capacity of 200,000 tonnes of refrigeration (TR), which helped the company in its drive towards achieving its carbon emission reduction goals.

Bin Shafar said: “Empower welcomes Honeywell’s efforts to explore collaboration opportunities regarding eco-friendly alternative refrigerants as well as some of the innovative concepts in managing District Cooling that could further enhance UAE’s smart city initiatives. Empower supports all efforts that would push the country towards achieving its global commitment to phase out harmful gases from industries and build a sustainable city.”

Koutsaftes added, “Honeywell is committed to developing next-generation technologies that help meet the global goal of conserving energy, as well as eliminating GHG emissions that contribute to global warming. With annual, average energy usage in the UAE projected to increase to five per cent through 2020, there is a strong demand for these types of solutions. Together, Empower and Honeywell are working to help customers to meet regional goals of sustainability and energy efficiency.”

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March 2018

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NEWS GLOBAL

The Hudson Institute conducts policy seminar on the Kigali Amendment Think-tank discusses ‘Environmental Policy in the 21st Century’

By CCME Content Team

he Hudson Institute, a public policy think-tank in Washington D.C., held a policy seminar on the Kigali L-R: Paul Camuti; Dave Doniger, Senior Strategic Director, Climate & Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, entitled Clean Energy Program, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC); Tom ‘Environmental Policy in the 21st Century: The Future of Duesterberg, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute; Pat Michaels, Director of the Center for the Study of Science, CATO Institute and Steve Yurek the Kigali Amendment’ on February 5, 2018.

The half-day event featured a keynote address by Steve Forbes, Editor-in-Chief, Forbes, and a panel that included representatives from the White House, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Harvard’s Center for Risk Analysis, and energy efficiency advocates. Steve Yurek, President and CEO, Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) and Paul Camuti, Chief Technology Officer, Ingersoll Rand, spoke on the panel representing the HVACR industry. The event was broadcast live and can be viewed on the Hudson Institute website.

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Carrier unveils new ductless air conditioning system in North America The 9,000 BTUh system features humidity sensor and an occupancy infrared sensor, which can detect human movement in a room, says company official

By Benwen Lopez | Assistant Editor

arrier has launched a single-zone ductless system, rated at 42 SEER, said Meredith Emmerich, Managing Director – Ductless and VRF, Carrier Corporation.

Speaking at the product launch, at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), in Las Vegas, Emmerich said: “This is the most efficient air conditioner you will see in the market. The system is a 9,000 BTUh, and 15 HSPF single-zone system that can provide 100% cooling and heating.”

Further elaborating on the system, Emmerich added that through its smart WIFI controllable sensors, the system could also tackle humidity management. “The humidity sensor allows the system to make automatic intelligent decisions for a comfortable built-environment,” she said.

Emmerich further said the system also features a specialised occupancy infrared sensor that can detect human movement in a room, so that the energy can be reduced when the room is unoccupied.

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Empower pays AED 400 million dividend to shareholders Robust strategy, effective implementation made this possible, CEO says

Ahmad Bin Shafar

By CCME Content Team

istrict Cooling services provider, Empower has paid AED 400 million as dividend to its shareholders from the profit of the company for the year ending December 31, 2017, the company announced in a Press communiqué. The company had earlier declared a net profit of AED 772 million in 2017, an increase of 20% over the year 2016, the communiqué said.

Empower’s total revenues in 2017 amounted to AED 1.96 billion, an increase of 6.1% compared to Did you 2016, the company further said. know? Indoor air Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO, pollution can affect Empower, said: “[This was] made your health and symptoms can mimic possible through a robust strategy those of a common cold. and its effective implementation.

Investigate for sources of This supports the vision and indoor air pollution if you notice aspirations of our wise leadership any of these ailments. #IndoorAirQuality to transform the Emirate into the #IAQ #ClearTheAir leading global centre for [the] #CareAboutYourIndoorAir green economy.”

According to Empower, the company expanded its activities in 2017 by connecting new projects and increasing the customer-base to 85,000, which includes master Sustainable USAR developers, building owners and @SustainableUSAR end-users.

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Europe’s shift to natural refrigerants palpable, says Lu-Ve Group Representative of Italian company highlights advantages of CO2; shares strategy in view of emerging trends

By Hannah Jo Uy | Features Writer urope, along with the rest of the world, is moving towards the adoption of natural refrigerants, such as CO2, ammonia, glycol and R290, said Fabio Liberali, Chief Communications Officer, Lu-Ve Group. “In particular, the use of CO2 fluid is becoming more and more popular as a radical solution to eliminate the greenhouse effect caused by halogenated hydrocarbons in the HFC category,” Liberali added, “The Global Warming Potential (GWP) of CO2 is, in fact, very low compared to HFCs – one against several thousands; also, CO2 does not present any problems of toxicity and flammability nor of impact on the ozone layer.”

Providing an example, Liberali said the company has invested in CO2 by designing

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Fabio Liberali

a test plant in its laboratory. “The test equipment is made up of a climatic room operating at a constant temperature,” he said. “It is one of the few plants with such characteristics available in Europe dedicated to heat exchangers.” Lu-Ve, Liberali said, has also developed a line of products specifically for CO2 unit coolers

as well as for sophisticated gas coolers, which “in transcritical CO2 plants substitute traditional condensers in HFC installations”.

Liberali said that the company is positioning itself with certifications, as well, saying that in 2000, the company was the first in Europe to obtain Eurovent “Certify All” certification for the whole range of its unit coolers, air-cooled condensers and dry coolers, providing assurance for optimum operating conditions and minimum cost throughout the whole life cycle of the installation. Eurovent, Liberali explained, certifies all the information given in the catalogue, such as power rating, air quantity, energy consumption, noise level and construction features.

Four European industry associations campaign against use of high-GWP refrigerants Action to stop using high-GWP refrigerants far too slow, says EPEE official

By Benwen Lopez | Assistant Editor

our European industry associations have published a document appealing to HVAC contractors to phase out R-404A and R-507A refrigerants, said Andrea Voigt, Director General, European Partnership for Energy and Environment (EPEE), one of the advocating associations.

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Andrea Voigt

The other groups participating in the campaign include the European Association of Refrigeration, Air conditioning and Heat Pump Contractors (AREA); Association of European Component Manufacturers (ASERCOM) and EFCTC, which represents the European Fluorocarbons and Sulphur Hexafluoride Manufacturers.

Speaking on the development, Voigt said, “EPEE had undertaken a market survey, as part of our Gapometer project, during which it was observed that despite the huge increase in prices of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and its severe shortage, the action to stop using high-Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants like R-404A and R-507A has so far been too slow.”

Voight further said, “The sector where these refrigerants are mostly used and which can, therefore, make a huge contribution to achieving the phase-down steps is commercial refrigeration.”

Voight added: “At the same time, while they can make a great difference to change the situation, contractors are a tough audience to reach, as there are so many of them. That is why the four associations have come together to try and reach out to contractors across the European Union in an unprecedented effort, in their local languages.”

Highlighting the crux of the document, Voigt stressed that the key message the associations want to send out is that there is an urgency to move away from using high-GWP refrigerants and implement alternative solutions, even in new equipment. “If you want to stay in business, you have to stop installing R-404A and R-507A,” she said.

From a retrofit perspective, Voigt said that if there are high leakage rates and other problems, and if the equipment has not reached the end of its lifecycle, a retrofit is a good option.

However, she added that even while conducting a retrofit procedure, contractors must use low-GWP refrigerants.

Quoting from the document, Voigt said that pure hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs), CO2, hydrocarbons, ammonia, or reclaimed or recycled HFCs do not fall under the phase-down category.

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Lu-Ve Group introduces new series of condensers

Company also presents what is describes as an intelligent defrosting apparatus; innovations, it says, are a result of collaboration with Polytechnic University of Milan

By Hannah Jo Uy | Features Writer

Speaking on Nidea, the intelligent defrosting apparatus, Liberali he Lu-Ve Group recently introduced a new series said the product was conceived to avoid the waste of energy of condensers and a new intelligent defrosting involved in the electrical defrosting of unit coolers, apparatus to the market. Fabio Liberali, emphasising that the product decreases defrost Chief Communications Officer, Lu-Ve said. energy consumption, compressor energy consumption The innovations represent a fruitful cooperation and level of heat dissipated in the cold room while between the company and Politecnico di Milano increasing coefficiency of performance (COP). “Nidea (the Polytechnic University of Milan), which the is the intelligent response to the waste involved in the group has worked with since 1986, he added. traditional way of periodic and constant defrosting Elaborating on the new series of condensers, based on the logic of precaution,” he said. “In a Liberali said Emeritus (the name of the series), traditional system, the cycle is, in fact, activated which is available for Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Fabio Liberali independently of the real need for defrosting, and this NH3, Propane and CO2, “brings together the means wasting energy.” benefits of spray systems and adiabatic preLiberali said Nidea has two temperature sensors, cooling, all assisted by an advanced control which determine when the defrost cycle has ended and that its sensors system”. The features, he said, make the product suitable for calculate and record the parameters to establish the optimal start and air conditioning and refrigeration, adding that when Emeritus duration of defrosting. The product, he said, is adaptable and has a selfis applied to CO2 gas coolers, “high system COP can be reached calibrating system to automatically change parameters and set points even during the hottest hours of the year, extending the in accordance with the working conditions of the moment, adding that geographical limits, where trans-critical systems can be costthe product provides significant energy savings when compared to effectively constructed (the ‘CO2 equator’)”. traditional defrosting of four defrosts a day.

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BITZER ECOLINE+ is “Refrigeration Product of the Year” Compressor manufacturer, BITZER receives award from ACR News magazine for its ECOLINE+ reciprocating compressors

By CCME Content Team ritish HVACR magazine, ACR News has recognised and honoured Bitzer for its ECOLINE+ reciprocating compressor with the ‘Refrigeration Product of the Year’ award. The ECOLINE+ series is for trans-critical CO2 applications.

L-R: Representatives of Bitzer (centre two) exult on winning the award The magazine described the ECOLINE+ as the most innovative refrigeration technology product of the year, during an awards ceremony on January 24, in the United Kingdom, BITZER said through a recent Press communiqué. A crucial factor in the decision of the six-member jury was the energy-efficiency of the compressors, as well as the low global warming potential (GWP) of the refrigerant used – CO2 (GWP 1) – among other aspects, the communiqué said. The ACR News awards have been conferred since 1997 and recognise companies that demonstrate excellence in the way they operate or in what they produce, the communiqué said, adding that BITZER had previously been honoured in 2014, and, thereafter, has received the ‘Refrigeration Product of the Year’ award for the second time in 2018.

Gianni Parlanti, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, BITZER, said: “ECOLINE+ is the most efficient CO2 compressor available in the market today. It is the result of over 20 years of commitment that BITZER has always had for solutions that protect the environment. The combination of natural refrigerants and maximum energy efficiency is a constant challenge for BITZER. Today, this prestigious recognition allows us to say that we are winning this challenge.”

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Honeywell to defend EPA ruling on the use of HFCs before SCOTUS

Transition from HFCs is in favour of safer solutions such as HFOs, says company official

By Benwen Lopez | Assistant Editor

ollowing a recent US District Court ruling, upholding a judgement it made in 2017, prohibiting the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) from requiring US HVACR manufacturers to replace hydrofluorocarbons (HFC) refrigerants with safer alternatives, Honeywell has decided to file an appeal against the ruling before the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), said Josh Byerly, Spokesperson, Honeywell.

Speaking on the development, Byerly said: “Honeywell is deeply disappointed in the District Court’s decision not to review its earlier ruling regarding the [US] EPA’s

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Clivet to introduce new products at Mostra Convegno Company says its participation would showcase synergy between Clivet and Midea

By Hannah Jo Uy | Features Writer

Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) programme. We believe the court missed an opportunity to reverse its initial decision, which ignored the original intent of SNAP to direct the US EPA to replace ozone-depleting substances with safer alternatives.”

Byerly added that the appeal was to ensure that American HVACR companies continue to innovate, manufacture and commercialise next-generation technologies that are better for human health and the environment.

“The transition from HFCs in favour of safer solutions, such as hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs), which radically reduce the greenhouse gas impact of refrigerants, aerosols, solvents and blowing agents, is already well underway,” he said.

Offering an example of the progress towards better refrigerants, he said, California is implementing a programme to reduce 40% of HFCs and other greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and has already begun to adopt phase-out requirements for some applications covered by SNAP. Byerly further said that 11 other states, aligning with the SNAP programme, are also seeking solutions to transition to technologies that are safer for human health and the environment.

According to the US EPA, the SNAP programme to phase out HFCs was initiated in 2015 by former US President Barack Obama.

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livet will debut a few products at Mostra Convegno 2018, slated to be held from March 13 to 16, 2018 at Rho, Lombardy, Italy. Andrea Guderzo, General Manager, Clivet Middle East and Africa, said the company is eager to showcase the “perfect synergy between Clivet and Midea” after the Chinese appliance-manufacturer, Midea acquired the Italian company in June 2016. The solutions, he said, range from applied solutions to residential heat pumps as well as VRF and mono/multi-split systems.

Andrea Guderzo Speaking on new products to be unveiled to the public for the first time, Gurderzo said the company will be introducing its full-inverter ATW heat pump, ELFOEnergy Storm, which has a capacity of up to 90 kW; a rooftop SMARTPack-i with full inverter design and the new inverter-based, direct-drive, water-cooled centrifugal chiller for the high-end market segment.

The company, Guderzo said, will also be showcasing a few of its other products, which it believes will address the needs of the emerging markets. In view of the growing trend towards nearly Zero Energy Buildings, Guderzo said Clivet is highlighting ELFOPack “to show how to integrate cooling, heating, domestic hot water and mechanical ventilation in one single ATA package, to simplify design and installation.”

“Visitors will also have the chance to see the refrigeration core module of SPINChiller3,” he said.

“The Multiscroll bestseller from Clivet is available from 200 to 1400 kW in an impressive variety of versions – air-sourced, water-sourced and split. And the full-inverter Primary Air package, ZEPHIR3 will be displayed, complete with thermodynamic energy recovery and electronic air purification.” Lastly, Guderzo said, the company is also highlighting its Sphera residential ATW full-inverter heat pump, R-32 split solutions and the new VRF line-up, with a cooling capacity of 32 HP per single module unit, during the show.

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A role for IEQ in protecting against toxic gas attacks

ASHRAE conducts 2018 Winter Conference, AHR Expo

Aria Technologies emphasises the importance of air modelling for risk assessment

By CCME Content Team

Industry professionals meet to discuss energy-efficiency strategies

By Hannah Jo Uy | Features Writer

Bjarne W Olesen Jacques Moussafir

ndoor air quality is a field where modelling and numerical simulations could be extremely useful. Jacques Moussafir, President and CEO of Aria Technologies, a French company specialising in air modelling and assessment of the atmospheric environment, is reluctant to “speak for his chapel”, yet maintained that he is aware of the value that the technology has towards effective design of the built-environment – even in preparing for unfortunate situations. Typically, Moussafir said, air modelling is applied to ensure proper ventilation and indoor air quality.

Their services, he said, are particularly ideal for department stores, “which are famous in France and attract as many people as the Louvre”. However, Moussafir said, there is “a darker side to what they do”, pertaining to their value in the field of risk assessment.

“Department stores [are] crowded,” Moussafir said, “so there is kind of this convergence between the studies we do for indoor air quality and the studies we do for emergency response.” Speaking of worst-case scenarios, Moussafir said there is a whole process in which to properly organise a quick evacuation system and how to release the proper fresh air in case of toxic gas attacks.

“In our field of activity,” Moussfir said, “for ordinary indoor air quality, the technology has a lot in common with [emergency] response, where we have to think of what people do in scenarios in department stores or places such as the Paris Metro. So, a lot of technology has been developed with French emergency response entities, so we do not only work on [tracking] conventional pollutants.”

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he exchange of global best practices and new energyefficiency strategies brought HVAC&R professionals to Chicago in late January for the 2018 ASHRAE Winter Conference and AHR Expo, ASHRAE said through a Press communiqué.

The Winter Conference took place from January 20 to 24 at the

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Palmer House Hilton, while the ASHRAE co-sponsored AHR Expo, took place from January 22 to 24 at McCormick Place, ASHRAE said. According to ASHRAE, this year's Winter Conference was one of the largest in its history, with more than 3,200 registrants. The AHR Expo attracted more than 70,000 visitors and included more than 2,100 vendors, ASHRAE further said. "The Winter Conference and AHR Expo are prime opportunities for attendees to stay on top of the latest information and technology needed to work toward a more sustainable world," Bjarne W. Olesen, ASHRAE President, said.

During the conference, ASHRAE signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Associazione Italiana Condizionamento dell'Aria Riscaldamento Refrigerazione (AiCARR), ASHRAE said. The agreement

Mitsubishi to showcase inverters, HFO refrigerants in Mostra

Mauro Montello

Challenge lies in making all HVAC components work together, says company representative

By Hannah Jo Uy | Features Writer itsubishi Electric Hydronics & IT Cooling Systems will emphasise its inverter solutions and new ecological HFO refrigerants, alongside other product innovations, during its participation in Mostra Convegno 2018, slated to be held from March 13 to 16, 2018 at Rho, Lombardy, Italy.

Mauro Montello, General Manager Sales & Marketing, said the company is advocating an integrated approach. “Our new challenge,” he said, “lies in the ability to make all the components of the HVAC system work together, not just air conditioning units.”

This, he said, is vital towards achieving “real energy efficiency for the whole building”.

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Ziehl-Abegg increases global turnover by around 12% formalises the two organisations' longstanding commitment toward the promotion of common cooling and heating related endeavours, ASHRAE further said.

According to the communiqué, as part of ASHRAE's global outreach initiative, the Associate Society Alliance meeting brought together members and representatives from 60 HVAC associations from around the world.

More than a 1,000 people attended the plenary session of the Winter Conference, providing a forum for the presentation of awards to experienced and emerging leaders in the industry. Keynote speaker, Debbie Sterling, Founder and CEO of GoldieBlox, closed the session with an empowering presentation on closing the gender gap in STEM fields, the communiqué further elaborated.

The 2018 ASHRAE Annual Conference will take place from June 23 to 27 in Houston, Texas, USA, with the 2019 Winter Conference from January 12 to 16, and the AHR Expo, from January 14 to 16, in Atlanta.

"We would like to continue to grant these subsidies, together with your support, to move to #natural #refrigerants” - Sho Nakamura, Japan Ministry of the Environment #ATMOJapan #GoNatRefs

ATMOsphere @ATMOEvents

Company reports posting record sales of EUR 540 million and an alltime high of 3,900 employees

By CCME Content Team

▶ Manual assembly of circuit boards for electric

motors at a Ziehl-Abegg facility

an and motor manufacturer, Ziehl-Abegg said it had posted growth of around 12% in the year 2017, in a Press communiqué. The company said its turnover rose from EUR 484 million to EUR 540 million, according to provisional figures for the recently concluded financial year. The company added that the number of employees reached a new record high of 3,900.

Peter Fenkl, CEO, Ziehl-Abegg, said the growth in sales was worldwide. "Our expectations have been significantly exceeded in Asia as well as in North and South America," he explained. However, even countries, where sales had been halved, due to political upheavals, a few years ago, have recovered well, posting increases in the double-digit percentage range, he further said. He referred in particular to the Ukraine and Russia as examples of this development.

The new Ziehl-Abegg company in Dubai is proving to be Peter Fenkl a good starting point for business in the Middle East, he added. Even supposedly crisis-hit countries, like Iran, are reporting growth, especially in the elevator motor business, he pointed out.

The growth in sales is being accompanied by an expansion of the workforce, Fenkl said. A year ago, Ziehl-Abegg employed 3,550 people, worldwide; now, that figure is 3,900, he added. “This rapid growth not only poses a challenge for us in terms of production but also in the integration of new employees,” explained Fenkl, adding, “Our suppliers also need to be able to keep pace with the rapid growth in sales." Fenkl further said that Ziehl-Abegg has also improved and expanded its production capabilities. He mentioned that in the year just past, the company had invested a record EUR 43 million.

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March 2018

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NEWS GLOBAL

Fujitsu, Ventacity to offer “smart HVAC solution” for commercial buildings Solution to control Fujitsu’s VRF system load to keep buildings at set-point temperatures, says company official.

By Benwen Lopez | Assistant Editor

ujitsu General America has partnered with Portland, Oregonbased Ventacity Systems to offer a smart HVAC controls solution for commercial buildings, said Sal D’Auria, Founder and CEO, Ventacity Systems.

Speaking on the development, D’Auria said: “Our partnership with Fujitsu will take the HVAC industry into the 21st century. With this solution, HVAC contractors will be able to apply modern cloud-based technology and simple automated processes to provide commercial buildings with a healthier and efficient built-environment.”

Further elaborating, D’Auria said, the solution is a combination of Ventacity’s energy-efficient ventilation and the HVAC 2 Smarter Building Platform Whole-Building Controls with Fujitsu’s full line of Air stage variable refrigerant flow (VRF) cooling and heating systems.

“The plug-and-play integration between the Airstage system and

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the cloud-enabled, heat recovery ventilator effectively controls the VRF system load to keep the building at a set-point temperature, while ventilating as per ASHRAE standard 62.1,” he added.

Highlighting another feature of the solution, D’Auria said, “The platform is connected to a cloud-based system that provides real-time monitoring of buildings and captures vital analytics for better optimisation.”

Haier launches new range of air conditioners System can improve indoor air quality within 15 minutes while cooling, says company official

By Benwen Lopez | Assistant Editor

aier has launched a new range of air conditioners that clean the indoor air from pollutants while cooling the room, said Youning Wang, Vice President, Haier Air Conditioning.

Speaking on the launch, Wang said: “The new Haier Clean Cool Series was designed bearing in mind the deteriorating quality of air. It is a two-in-one system of an air conditioner and air purifier that can clean the indoor air of a room within 15 minutes, while cooling.”

Explaining the filtration process, he added that the system is equipped with a professional purification unit, a negative ion generator, high-efficiency filter and a SuperIFD ionisation purification module. Regarding efficiency, the space capsule purification system ensures effective purification, with a CADR value of up to 450m³/h.

Highlighting the challenges, he said, the biggest was to achieve maximum purification without affecting the cooling effect. Ultimately, an innovation, called capsule purification, which uses total closed vector direct technology, helped the company achieve the desired outcome.

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March 2018

Barriers exist for penetration of vaccines in developing countries

Industry expert stresses on the importance of a robust cold chain to ensure potency of temperature-sensitive medication

Air cargo industry investing to deliver cold chain requirements, says CCA Chairman says standards for pharmaceutical industry continue to increase

By Hannah Jo Uy | Features Writer

By Hannah Jo Uy | Features Writer

large number of low-income and developing countries face socio-geographic issues, such as population size and power availability, in addition to financial Mahesh Krishnamoorthy constraints that may pose as barriers for vaccine coverage. This was the observation Mahesh Krishnamoorthy, CEO and Founder, Degree M Labs, shared with Climate Control Middle East, citing the main issues as vast geography, population size, availability of power in remote areas and terrain (desert, mountains, etc.), as well as a host of other possible cultural barriers. In addition to this, Krishnamoorthy stressed that vaccines are biological products that slowly become inactive over time and must be kept within narrow temperature ranges from manufacturers to those receiving them. “When exposed to temperatures outside of this narrow range, the loss of potency may be accelerated,” he said.

Krishnamoorthy shared that there have been many instances of vaccine-associated paralysis and other disabilities caused by vaccines, reported from many countries. However, he emphasised, as there is no record of the temperature at which the vaccines have been stored and transported available for enquiry, “the reason is usually not pinned down”.

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he air cargo industry has been investing to deliver the requirements set by shippers. This was the observation that Stavros Evangelakakis, Chairman, Cool Chain Association (CCA) shared with Climate Control Middle East, when asked about the important role airline companies play in thermal integrity of vital pharmaceutical products and food, in a bid to limit loss. This, he said, has been the trend from shippers to consignees. “For the pharmaceutical industry,” he said, “the requirements are very high, and it keeps on increasing.

The manufacturer is also responsible for the integrity of their product by choosing the right suppliers. On the perishable sector, we [would] like to also see a standard on how to handle those goods, similar to the pharmaceutical industry.”

Citing International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Center of Excellence for Validators (CEIV) as an example, Evangelakakis said community approaches, such as these, have urged many supply chain members to go under strict operational excellence. When it comes to handling products in the air, he said, the process is the same as ensuring the correct process on the ground, while maintaining the same temperature. “The biggest difference in case of temperature deviation, resulting in discarding the products, is actually the value,” he said.

Speaking on trends in terms of best practices, Evangelakakis said he has seen notable investment towards facilities, process, training and qualifications, and that the same has been done on the RFS side in terms of forwarding and the airline community.

"There is a caveat, Evangelakakis said, “Of course, the setups are not adequate everywhere, but we are getting there slowly. It’s a common approach, and every part of the supply chain should ask itself, 'Do I do enough to Air handle such products'?” conditioning and As chairman, refrigeration are Evangelakakis said responsible for he would like to 7% of global carbon work towards a emissions - double that of standardisation for the aviation and maritime perishable goods, of the industries combined. same standard as those being implemented in the healthcare industry, sharing that he advocates clear instruction on the temperature range and United4Efficiency a dedicated label for @U4Efficiency perishables.

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March 2018

67

NEWS GLOBAL

AHRI voices support for American Innovation and Manufacturing Act

Trade organisation hopes it will establish a pathway for implementation of Kigali Amendment

Bell & Gossett launches Parallel Sensorless Controller for pumps Parallel pumping is a proven method for improving efficiency in pumping systems, says company official

By Benwen Lopez | Assistant Editor

By CCME Content Team

he Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has announced its strong support of the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2018, introduced on February 15 by Senators John Kennedy, Tom Carper and Chris Coons. AHRI, in its role as the trade association representing producers and users of refrigerants, said it has a keen interest in ensuring that the coming global phase-down of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants is accomplished in a smooth and orderly manner with as little impact on manufacturers and consumers as possible.

The Bill will help accomplish that goal by establishing a pathway for the United States’ implementation of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol that establishes a framework for the global phasedown, AHRI said.

According to AHRI, the Bill would: 8aVg^[n i]Z Vji]dg^in d[ i]Z :ck^gdcbZciVa EgdiZXi^dc 6\ZcXn (EPA) in regulating HFC refrigerants and provide a marketfriendly approach to rulemaking, which would help facilitate a cost-effective transition to alternative refrigerants while maintaining or enhancing the performance of the equipment that uses the new refrigerants. :cVWaZ i]Z :E6 id ZhiVWa^h] Vc =;8 e]VhZ"Ydlc bZX]Vc^hb using a cap-and-allocation system that encourages innovation and the commercialisation of alternative refrigerants, preserving American technology leadership.

Egdk^YZ i]Z egZY^XiVW^a^in cZZYZY [dg 6bZg^XVc eg^kViZ"hZXidg investment in HFC replacements.

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Stephen Yurek, President and CEO, AHRI, said, "We applaud the introduction of this bill and thank these Senators for their leadership. Enhancing US technological leadership and supporting US industry and the jobs it creates and sustains are key components of our support for the Kigali Amendment, and this bill will create a certain pathway for implementation of Kigali if, as we hope, it is submitted to and ratified by the Senate."

Scotland Has a Plan to Become a World Leader in Renewable Energy #SmartNews

Caelus Green Room @U4Efficiency

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March 2018

ell & Gossett (B&G), a brand of Xylem, recently launched its Parallel Sensorless Controller, a device that provides advanced system staging of up to eight pumps in a parallel configuration to maximise system efficiency, said Jordan Ruff, Product Line Manager, Americas, Xylem.

Speaking on the development, Ruff said: "Parallel pumping is a proven method for improving efficiency in pumping systems with higher control heads. It can control up to eight pumps, it gives users greater options in optimising system efficiency and it replaces the need for a wired differential pressure transducer."

Highlighting the features of the solution, Ruff added that the device comes with a 5.7-inch touchscreen that displays real-time graphical feedback and enables energy modelling. It relies on pump-specific algorithms, such as speed, torque and power data to predict where the pump operates on its curve, and it meets the ASHRAE 90.1 system efficiency requirements.

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California court orders implementation of delayed DoE efficiency regulations Trump Administration must comply, Court says

By CCME Content Team

he Federal District Court for the Northern District of California on February 15 ruled that the Trump administration must implement four energy-efficiency regulations, including an efficiency standard for commercial package boilers, which it has delayed for more than a year, the Air-conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) revealed.

The US Department of Energy (DoE) wrote the regulations and made them public in December 2016, under the Obama administration, AHRI said. However, when President Trump took office, his administration took advantage of a 45-day window for error corrections to review the rules, AHRI added. The DoE has still not published the rules in the Federal Register, the final step to implementation, but the court has ordered them to be published within 28 days of its ruling, AHRI said. The DoE is reviewing the decision and considering its next move, which may include appeal, AHRI added.

AHRI said it had intervened on behalf of DOE and will continue to discuss the next steps with the administration.

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RGF Environmental Group launches two IAQ products Company official says products use bi-polar ionisation process to reduce airborne particulate matter

By Benwen Lopez | Assistant Editor

California Cooling Act introduced State introduces the legislation to combat greenhouse gases in refrigerants and air conditioners

GF Environmental Group recently launched two indoor air quality (IAQ) products for the HVAC industry, said Astrid von Oetinger, International Sales Coordinator, RGF Environmental Group.

Speaking on the occasion, Oetinger said: “Clear Sky DM and Clear Sky MS are designed as low-cost, self-cleaning, maintenance-free treatment options for air treatment. The DM model is designed for in-duct installation, and the MS model is designed to be integrated with a mini-split system.”

Explaining the features of the system, Oteinger said the Clear Sky is an entry level IAQ product, which uses bi-polar ionisation to reduce airborne particulate matter in the conditioned space. The products produce high concentrations of both positive and negative ions that will reduce bacteria, mould and particulates in the conditioned space.”

Elaborating on the dynamics of the products, Oteinger said that the bipolar ioniser sends out ions into the air conditioned space, and when the ions come in contact with particulate matter or airborne contaminants, they release their positive and negative charges, which makes the particles clump together, creating larger particulate matter, which either fall out of the air or can be easily captured by existing filters.

This process, she said, reduces the presence of respirable and fine suspended particles, PM 2.5 and PM 10, from the air, so that the occupants do not breathe in these particles.

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Preventing heat exchangers from exploding Industry insider says presence of flame prevents gas leak and explosion

By Benwen Lopez | Assistant Editor

By CCME Content Team

enator Ricardo Lara on February 6 introduced legislation in the California Assembly to prohibit the use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) in California, AHRI (AirConditioning, Heating & Refrigeration Institute) communicated through a Press communiqué. The bill, titled the California Cooling Act (S. 1013), would prohibit use of all class I and class II substances listed in the Clean Air Act, the communiqué further said.

According to AHRI, this legislation would also allow the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to list or delist additional substances in the future.

The legislation mirrors some of the current regulatory activity already being undertaken by CARB, AHRI said.

AHRI added that the legislation also includes an intent statement, noting it is the author's goal to develop an incentive programme to speed the replacement of these compounds with alternatives that have lower global warming potential.

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ne of the essential practices of preventing heat exchangers from exploding is to ensure that the flame exists as part of its gas-firing sequence, without which there is a risk of gas being unloaded into the heat exchanger and causing an explosion, said Bryan Orr, Co-founder, Owner, Kalos Services. Orr shared his thoughts on this subject in a blog post on hvacrschool.com.

Explaining the flame-sensing process, Orr said: “For flame detection, flamesensing rods are stuck into the flame and connected to the furnace board.

Once the board sends a signal to the gas valve to open, it monitors the current flow on the flame-sensing rod. It does this by generating an alternating current potential (AC voltage) at the flamesensing terminal, which is connected to the sensor with a conductor.”

He further said that when no flame exists, there would be AC voltage at the rod and no current (amps), and if there were a flame, a small micro amp direct current (DC) would be present, as a

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path is made between the rod and the ions in the flame. “This small DC signals to the board that the flame exists,” Orr said. “If the board does not sense this micro amp DC within a few seconds, it will shut off the gas valve and try again.”

He further said that the board outputs this flame-sensing terminal right at the beginning of the sequence to confirm that the path is ‘open’ with no flame.

Elaborating on the safety of flame sensors, Orr added that flame sensors fail when they short out due to a cracked insulator, or if they are broken, or if they are not correctly placed in the flame, or get coated in silica (glass) or carbon.

Explaining some of the methods to test a flame sensor, Orr said, it must be ensured that the furnace is properly grounded while checking if the polarity is reading correctly, and the rod positioned in a way that it would be covered in the flame. He further suggested that the meter must read in the microamp scale with a 0.10 resolution.

March 2018

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NEWS GLOBAL

Danfoss reports delivering a strong performance in 2017 Record growth and strong earnings, CEO says

By CCME Content Team Kim Fausing

et sales at Danfoss for 2017 increased by more than DKK 4 billion (USD 676 million) to reach DKK 43.3 billion (USD 7.1 billion), corresponding to 12% growth in local currency, Denmark-headquartered Danfoss announced in a Press communiqué.

According to the company, the operating profit rose to DKK 5.1 billion (USD 842 million), net profit improved by 13% to DKK 3.3 billion (USD 547 million) and the cash flow continued to be strong, on level with 2016.

Kim Fausing, President and CEO, Danfoss, said: “We are very satisfied with our 2017 results. We have made significant investments in growth initiatives and digitalisation, and we acquired several key technologies that will help us retain our position as a leading technology provider.”

Fausing added that the company has seen particularly strong growth in the BRIC countries and in the United States.

He said: “We are entering 2018 with momentum across our businesses. Our products and solutions perfectly match the global trends, such as electrification, urbanisation and increased focus on energy efficiency, to fight climate change.”

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#IAQFact The

smoke in wood burning fireplaces can damage lung tissue and lead to serious respiratory problems when breathed in high concentrations #IndoorAirMatters

My Health My Home @MyHealthMyHome

(Editor’s Note : Currency conversions in the article are as per February 28, 2018.)

MARKETPLACE

This section contains updates on regional and international products.

E Instruments International Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) monitors ▶ AQ Pro

▶ AQ Comfort

▶ AQ VOC

A ▶ AQ Expert

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March 2018

ccording to E Instruments, its four models -AQ Pro, AQ Comfort, AQ VOC and AQ Expert- come with simple-to-use PC software that enables clients to: 8dccZXi l^i] JH7 XVWaZ dg XdccZXi l^gZaZhhan k^V Bluetooth GZXdgY YViV dc Xdci^cjdjh iZhih [dg bjai^eaZ YVnh without hassle HZZ GZVa"i^bZ iZhi^c\ YViV ^c ZVhn"id"jcYZghiVcY \gVe]h 6XXZhh VcY \ZcZgViZ gZedgih [dg hidgZY iZhih VagZVYn dc the monitor

Ranging from basic CO2 measurements to fully customisable sensor configurations, E Instruments’ said its IAQ monitors offer a range of solutions for IAQ Professionals.

INDUSTRIAL REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS AREN’T AVAILABLE OFF THE SHELF. BUT YOU CAN GET EFFICIENCY AS STANDARD.

High efficiency even for the largest systems: The extensive BITZER portfolio of open and semi-hermetic reciprocating and screw-type compressors delivers utmost flexibility in the planning of systems as well as their adaptation to full and part load operation. At BITZER, you will find solutions for NH3, CO2 and R134a as well as for booster, cascade or single-stage systems – providing energy-efficient and environment-friendly control of systems in the megawatt power range. Learn more about our products at www.bitzer.de

March 2018

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