CCME - Oct 2019

October 2019

How inadequate maintenance mechanisms and improper design considerations are impacting carbon monoxide-abatement schemes in basement parking lots across the GCC region

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October 2019

COMING SOON

19 FEBRUARY 2020 CHICAGO, USA

OVERVIEW It is likely 2020 will be referred to as the year when Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) systems finally earned a patient hearing in the United States. In March 2019, ASHRAE Guideline 41 on design, installation and commissioning of VRF systems came up for Public Review, perhaps representing a significant shift in thinking in the United States. (The Guideline is expected to be released in early 2020.)

For long considered an enigma – perhaps even an oddity – VRF systems, which emerged in Japan in the early 1980s – are at long last being viewed as a commercial heating and cooling option for projects across the country, where traditional ducted systems remain the system of choice for heating and cooling in the built-environment. Suddenly, the prospect of zone-based heating and cooling and greater energy efficiency among comparable systems, is finding appeal among consultants, contractors and developers. Still, the absence of substantial field performance data is a barrier for acceptance, as are some other factors.

The World VRF Congress is a non-parochial, third-party platform that seeks to provide an in-depth understanding of VRF technology and an insight into its energy consumption and other aspects through relevant city- and state-wide case studies from the United States and the rest of the world. Produced by CPI America, a sister company of CPI Industry, publishers of Climate Control Journal and Climate Control ME, the Congress is part of a broader mission by the publishing house to present various heating and cooling approaches that lower indirect greenhouse gas emissions, reduce the total cost of ownership and offer reliable comfort heating and cooling across multiple end-user sectors.

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VOL. 14 NO. 10

INTERVIEWS

20

Tracking the District Cooling industry in the Middle East

‘District Cooling is at the heart of conversations surrounding climate change mitigation’ Bader Al Lamki, CEO, National Central Cooling Company (Tabreed)

22

‘Our vision is to make District Cooling a normal member of the infrastructure family’

POST-EVENT REPORT

Dominic Mc Polin, Chief, Central Planning - Central Planning Office, Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, Bahrain

4

3rd EDITION

page

THE 12 silent killer

How are inadequate maintenance mechanisms and improper design considerations impacting carbon monoxide-abatement schemes in underground parking lots across the GCC region?

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‘We are throwing away USD 1 trillion worth of food’

3rd edition 30 SEPTEMBER 2019 FALCON BALLROOM, LE MERIDIEN HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTRE, DUBAI, UAE

PERSPECTIVES

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COVER STORY

TRACKING THE DISTRICT COOLING INDUSTRY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

PHOTO FEATUTE

SUPPLEMENT

A CLIMATE CONTROL MIDDLE EAST SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

OCTOBER 2019

We need to rethink our food system to tackle climate change, say Kathleen Rogers and Dr Shenggen Fan

32

How many MBBR carrier media do I really need?

In the case of wastewater treatment, the answer lies in determining the organic load that needs to be removed, says Joo Nian

34

24

Biomimetics at work

Walking the tightrope The third edition of DC Dialogue, held on September 15 in Dubai, provided a platform for service providers, government authorities, consultants, contractors, clients and other stakeholders to flesh out existing challenges in the market in order to utilise District Cooling in the fight against climate change.

October 2019

The use of biomimetic principles in cooling towers lowers operational costs, reduces water usage, improves efficiency and safeguards operators as well as customers from potential health issues arising out of biological growth, argues Hakan Gronlund.

REGULARS 06 eDItor'S note Pondering over interconnection 38 Regional News 62 Global News 68 market place

October 2019

5

EDITOR’S NOTE

Pondering over interconnection

I

Surendar Balakrishnan Editor @BSurendar_HVACR

October 2019

Get the next issue of Climate Control Middle East early!

How inadequate maintenance mechanisms and improper design considerations are impacting carbon monoxide abatement schemes in underground parking lots across the GCC region

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n a case of point and counterpoint, the third edition of DC Dialogue, on September 15 in Dubai, saw District Cooling stakeholders arguing over the feasibility of interconnecting the reticulation network in a manner that different District Cooling utility companies could tap into the chilled water flowing through the pipelines (see related stories on pages 22 and 24).

The ‘possible’ camp said the technology is available for interconnection and added that it is imperative we consider the approach, to have a viable backup, in case any particular utility finds itself financially unable to continue providing chilled water. The ‘not quite possible’ camp pointed to potential commercial conflicts, before adding that a greater challenge is the availability of technology. Highlighting hydraulic balancing as a major issue plaguing the industry even in cases where a utility provider singly owns the reticulation network, the members of the camp said the problem would be exacerbated with interconnection. Further, interconnection would aggravate the situation in the constant endeavour to stave off the threat of low delta T syndrome, the members said.

Likewise, two camps formed while discussing the use of solar energy in District Cooling. One camp insisted it is possible to use solar energy for even 30% of the needs of a District Cooling scheme, while the other held firmly to the view that the yield from solar farms is still low to power the typically high energy demand of District Cooling plants.

Later in the month – on September 30, to be precise – a vastly different set of participants met under the aegis of the third edition of The Client, Consultant, Contractor Conference, in Dubai. The discussions were not so much arguments as they were agreements on points raised. Participants in panel discussion after another agreed that things have to change to ensure the good health and wellbeing of the community of specialised MEP consultants and MEP contractors, and HVACR equipment manufacturers and suppliers. As one participant, Jean van Loggerenberg of CKR Consultants, wryly put it: “We are busy, and we are doing a lot more for a lot less at the moment. The lowest cost wins, and that is a problem. Clients understand the cost of everything but not the value of it, so we have a case of missed opportunities. Projects are being delayed, because contractors are being awarded for the lowest price.”

Overall, the conference was anything but trite remarks and platitudes. There was a genuine sense of urgency for a resolution, and the tone authentically earnest. We shall be carrying a detailed report on the conference in the next issue of the magazine. In the meanwhile, you have plenty to read and chew on in this issue.

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While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

October 2019

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ERSPECTIVE

Kathleen Rogers is President, Earth Day Network. Dr Shenggen Fan is Director General, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and a Commissioner, EAT - Lancet Commission. They can be contacted at dzeck@mediaforum.org.

‘WE ARE THROWING AWAY USD

1 TRILLION WORTH OF FOOD’

We need to rethink our food system to tackle climate change, say Kathleen Rogers and Dr Shenggen Fan he way we produce, consume and discard food is no longer sustainable.

That much is clear from the UN climate change report, which was released on August 8, 2019. The report warns that we must rethink how we produce our food – and quickly – to avoid the most devastating impacts of global food production, including massive deforestation, staggering biodiversity loss and accelerating climate change.

While it’s not often recognised, the food industry is an enormous driver of climate change, and our current global food system is pushing our natural world to the breaking point. At a press conference releasing the Special Report on Climate

T

8

October 2019

Change and Land, report co-chair, Eduardo Calvo Buendía stated that “the food system as a whole – which includes food production and processing, transport, retail consumption, loss and waste – is currently responsible for up to a third of our global greenhouse gas emissions”.

In other words, while most of us have been focusing on the energy and transportation sectors in the fight against climate change, we cannot ignore the role that our food production has on cutting emissions and curbing climate change. By addressing food waste

and emissions from animal agriculture, we can start to tackle this problem. How do we do that?

Livestock production is a leading culprit – driving deforestation, degrading our water quality and increasing air pollution. In fact, animal agriculture has such an enormous impact on the environment that if every American reduced their meat consumption by just 10% – about six ounces per week – we would save approximately 7.8 trillion gallons of water. That’s more than all the water in Lake Champlain. We’d also save 49 billion pounds of carbon dioxide every year – the equivalent of planting one billion carbonabsorbing trees.

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What’s more, to the injury from unsustainable food production, we add the insult of extraordinary levels of food waste: Nearly one third of all food produced globally ends up in our garbage cans and, then, landfills. We are throwing away USD 1 trillion worth of food, or about half of Africa’s GDP, every single year. At our current rates, if food waste were a country, it would be the world’s third-largest carbon emitter after the United States and China.

To ensure global food security and sustainable food practices in an ever-growing world, we need to re-examine our food systems and take regional resources, such as land and water availability, as well as local economies and culture into account. To start, the United States and other developed countries must encourage food companies to produce more sustainable food, including more plant-based options, and educate consumers and retailers about healthy and sustainable diets. Leaders must create policies that ensure all communities and children have access to affordable fruits and vegetables. And we all can do our part to reduce food waste, whether it’s in our company cafeterias or our own refrigerators.

Technology also plays a part. Developed countries should support and incentivise emerging innovative technologies in plant-based

foods, as well as carbon-neutral or lowcarbon meat production.

Developing countries, on the other hand, face high levels of undernutrition, as well as limited access to healthy foods.

Many nutrient-dense foods (such as fruits, vegetables and quality meats) are highly perishable, often making prices significantly higher than ultra-processed, nutrient-poor and calorie-dense foods. The high cost of nutrient-dense foods creates a significant barrier to healthy diets, as seen in urban Malawi and many other countries.

By promoting enhanced production of healthy and nutritious foods while also improving markets in low-income countries, we can lower prices and increase accessibility of healthy and sustainable diets. Politicians can also tackle systemic inequalities by redirecting agricultural subsidies to promote healthy foods, as well as investing in infrastructure, like rural roads, electricity, storage and cooling chain.

Change must happen at every level if we want to build a better food system.

International participation and resourcesharing can spread regional solutions across countries. And working for change at the ground level – among individuals, communities, local and federal governments and private entities – can help fight hunger and food inequality firsthand.

Yes, our food system is broken, but not irrevocably so. The challenges are enormous, but by understanding the problem and potential solutions, we can effect critical changes in the ways we produce, consume and dispose of food.

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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OVER STORY

THE SILENT

KILLER Are inadequate maintenance mechanisms and improper design considerations impacting carbon monoxide-abatement schemes in underground parking lots across the GCC region?

Hannah Jo Uy has the story‌

12

October 2019

silent killer. That is how Dr Farheen Khanum, Environmental Geography, Director, Environment, Mruna DWC, describes carbon monoxide.

Everyone could be a potential victim of this colourless, odourless gas, adds Syed Taqi, Managing Partner, Green Tech, considering it is commonly present in underground parking lots that do not have the proper ventilation in place to remove the exhaust coming from vehicles. “There is a certain level we can inhale, but when it goes above those safe levels, it is very harmful,” Taqi explains, “You cannot feel it, but when you are inhaling it over a period of time, it has very serious consequences.”

Those health-related consequences, Dr Khanum says, include shortness of breath, heart problems and nausea. “I have seen so many issues that could lead to suffocation due to insufficient air ventilation,” she says, adding that it is an issue commonly seen in underground and multi-storey parking lots in high-rises. People are not taking it into consideration, she says. They could be sleeping or locked up in their car, with the AC running, she adds.

Given the odourless nature of the gas, she says, people are often not aware of its negative impact, until it’s too late. In tragic instances, it has been too late, she says, recalling a news report of a child having died in a locked car, owing to poor ventilation.

Taqi says that children are truly most at risk and susceptible to CO poisoning, adding that effects could be easily felt if unsuspecting shoppers in malls or commercial developments would have to walk a long distance from where they have parked to the building. “If there are no systems or sensors installed, it could cause a lot of health problems, maybe even death, if exposed for prolonged periods,” he says, underlining the importance of safety measures within buildings.

In view of the potentially chilling consequences, Atul Jayanth, Regional Sales Manager-GCC, Greystone Energy Systems, points out that implementation of carbon monoxide management solutions is an essential requirement for all facilities that handle movement of high volumes of vehicles and human beings, such as enclosed or underground car parks within shopping malls, commercial buildings and residences.

He adds that greater attention and involvement of all stakeholders, including owners, building services personnel and FM

companies are necessary. “It is imperative to educate every one of the dangers of inferior CO measurement and control, as well as the potential consequences,” he says.

“Fortunately, most major stakeholders are aware of the necessary industry standards and regulations, which are followed at the time of new construction or retrofit.”

A

REGULATIONS AND INDUSTRY PRACTICES Dr Farheen Khanum

Syed Taqi

Atul Jayanth

Brian Suggitt

Brian Suggitt, Managing Director, Systemair, also highlights the growing attention being placed on the issue, saying that there has been definitive awareness on the topic, with many consultants doing their due diligence by seeking advice from specialist companies that have many years of experience, prior to design, which would then be substantiated

by CFD analysis.

To ensure proper design, a lot of features must be taken into consideration by consultants, Jayanth says, emphasising that requirements vary according to the type of car park, whether it is enclosed, partially ventilated or has other unique features. The type and surface area of the car park and the number of car park levels are also factored into the design and implementation of the CO control system.

Suggitt adds that in each project, the size of the car park and active area of the car park are important to the level of ventilation and air movement required. “Size and foot traffic in malls is obviously substantially more than in residential towers, so consequent traffic flow is higher,” he explains. “All aspects of required ventilation and air movement have to be considered as well as how the fresh air will be introduced and the contaminated air removed.” As such, Jayanth points out that correct design and installation is of prime importance as “any errors can be detrimental to an optimal system, leaving people potentially exposed to lethal levels of CO”.

Jayanth says that many countries in the GCC region and the Middle East also have regulations that adhere to standards and codes prescribed by organisations such as ASHRAE, which helps in promoting better quality designs. “The focus is on maintaining acceptable air quality by ensuring the presence of ventilation systems that monitor and perform the task of air quality (CO) control,” he says.

Elaborating on existing regulations, Suggitt explains that the principles of tunnel ventilation were originally the basis for usage of induction fans within enclosed car park areas. “Overall, CPV in the region

October 2019

13

OVER STORY

The most effective solution, by far, is to secure client approval for the solution and for the client, be it an owner, developer or occupant, to drive compliance and enforcement

14

October 2019

is designed using BS7346 part 7,” he says, “whereas tunnel ventilation utilises PIARC principles. Within tunnel ventilation, it is imperative to know the traffic flow, traffic direction, shape of the tunnel and also the demographics of the type of vehicles the tunnel is designed for. In both cases, assumed fire positions and sizes of fires have to be incorporated.” Suggitt adds that in the GCC region, while some countries allow for the use of induction fans, as part of the design of the car park ventilation, in other countries, only the use of ducted systems is allowed. “Overall, for countries where tunnel ventilation is required, PIARC principles and induction fans are generally accepted, with little alternative,” he says.

Also touching on regulation is Paul Groves, Business Development Manager, Khansaheb Industries for Spiralite, who points out that in relation to mechanically ventilated car parks, the Al Sa’fat Green Building Regulations mandates a mechanical ventilation system that will provide six air changes per hour (ACH) for general ventilation on all levels and 10 ACH on the first floor, in the event of a fire. Taqi adds that under the Green Building regulations, installation for CO sensors is mandatory, as they are designed to sense carbon monoxide, which would then give signal for the ventilation to switch on to provide three, six or 10 air changes, depending on the movement of the cars.

GAPS IN THE CHAIN Groves says that while, undoubtedly, there are a number of regulations in place, there is scope for improvement when it comes to enforcement. “MEP consultants typically don’t enforce spec or design, as their clients don’t include that in their scope or budgets,” he says. “As a result, contractors often deviate under the convenient guise of ‘value engineering’, also known as ‘lowest cost and quality, where we won’t be caught and, if we are, that the penalties are less than the increased margins’.”

Suggitt adds that historically, shortcuts are made within car park ventilation systems by breaking down total solution elements in a bid to reduce cost. The supply and exhaust fans, jet fans, controls, CO sensors and CFD analysis all come from different sources. “The parties concerned for construction then have to rely on everyone providing exactly what is required for the total system to work in the manner planned and envisaged,” he says. “It never

Paul Groves

Jeff Foster

does, then the jet fan system gets a bad name, which it does not deserve. The whole system – from design to supply of all component parts – should come from one source.”

Adding to this, Taqi says that despite clear regulations in place to ensure sensors are installed, he has seen many sensors in many car parks to be “nothing more than a dummy in the wall”. In the event that there are systems present, he says, improper installation has deemed it unreliable. “We are following what is written in the specification, but some specifications are not designed properly,” he says, adding that this is due to consultants being unaware of proper design, contractors looking to save money and clients being unaware of the consequences. “MEP contractors are responsible for installing the system properly,” he says, “but this is rarely the case.” Hussain says he has seen sensors installed at a height of one metre or less. “It should be 1.5 to 2 metres,” he says. “If it is less, the car can hit it, and if it is more, the sensor does not matter.

Installing the sensors at the proper height should be made mandatory.”

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October 2019

15

OVER STORY

Pamela Chikhani

THE BIGGEST CULPRIT: MAINTENANCE While design and installation are vital issues, the lack of a proper maintenance scheme has been viewed as potentially the biggest culprit for the unreliable carbon monoxide systems in the built-environment today. Jeff Foster, Business Development Manager, Greystone Energy Systems Inc., says that for the most part, regulations, such as those dictated by ASHRAE and enforced by engineers and municipal Civil Defense, limit pre-installation or installation deficiencies.

However, he says, typically, it is over time that the systems seem to deteriorate, owing to the maintenance personnel not following the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance procedures. “I have seen installations that may have been designed, installed and commissioned properly and yet, over many months, have never been considered or maintained,” he says.

Suggitt shares the same observation.

“When buildings are designed to high levels of product and systems to enhance the best IEQ, they are expected to be maintained to hold that level,” he says. “Unfortunately, one of the major issues is the lack of specific maintenance for the upkeep of a building or its systems. For example, once a building has achieved a LEED certification, from the day it receives that certification it is never checked for continual compliance.”

Weighing in is Jayanth, who says the biggest gap that should be highlighted is post-installation calibration and maintenance.

“Most often, CO sensors are forgotten after installation,” he says. “In this region, as the sensors are typically installed in harsh conditions, with heat, humidity and dust, the concept of maintenance is extremely important.” Jayanth says that the causes for lapses in this regard include hesitation to invest in the expense of calibration services as well as lack of understanding among

16

October 2019

stakeholders with regard to the importance of calibration and subsequent consequences for not doing so. “Calibration plays an important role in ensuring longevity and optimal performance of the sensor,” he says. “However, it is overlooked in many cases, resulting in sensors that do not perform optimally, which in turn affect the entire process of air quality management.

The onus on maintenance would lie on both the owners and FM providers.”

Foster points out that most carbon monoxide detector manufacturers provide their own calibration kits and the step-by-step procedure to perform the recommended annual calibration of their CO sensors. He adds that most property owners have trained personnel in-house fully capable of performing this task.

However, Taqi says that too often, such measures are not being taken by the FM team managing the property. “I am seeing very few people doing it,” he says. “It has to be made mandatory. If sensors are not activated, the system will not be working.

Periodic calibration must be done at every site, the sensors have to be checked – it is about saving lives.”

REGULATION In view of these prevailing issues, Taqi believes the industry would greatly benefit if the government would implement a stronger regulatory scheme to mitigate bad practices related to CO systems and IEQ, and take safety to the next level by focusing on two key aspects. Firstly, to address improper design and installation of CO sensors, Taqi recommends that the specification for CO systems and sensors should come from authorities and be made mandatory in order to maintain a certain standard and ensure equipment choice and installation are suitable to address the needs of the project.

Secondly, Taqi says that there should be stricter regulations for mandatory building inspection to ensure sensors are operating as intended. He says an authority should come in and conduct inspections, else people take it for granted. There are instances where the sensors are available, but they are not working or have not been calibrated properly, he says. “I would recommend that the Civil Defense or the local municipality takes control and monitors that the system is in place and is maintained periodically,” he says. “Coming to the IoT era, the levels can

be easily monitored over the cloud. We’ve got the solutions, it needs the right approach, and along with it for tougher, and more stringent rules to be practiced when it comes to life safety and IEQ in buildings. It’s a safety issue.”

Jayanth also believes that a regulatory framework that includes regular inspections of building systems would ensure better practices. Foster adds, “I would like to see mandatory calibration, requiring the maintenance of records, as well as periodic inspections, perhaps by the local Civil Defense.”

Groves says that in Dubai, there is much more concern for compliance with fire and smoke regulations (DCD), where there is very little deviation from the required standards, due to the incidents of fires and the actions of DCD in driving specifications and enforcement. “Given the health and other risks, the same approach should be taken for carbon monoxide abatement,” he says.

AWARENESS NEEDED TO DRIVE INVESTMENT With urgency in his voice, Groves points out how the gaps in the design and specification; in the selection and installation process; in the compliance and enforcement process; in the measuring and monitoring process and in the operation and maintenance process are all severely compromising IEQ. “The main problem is the exclusion of the consultants beyond the design and specification stage,” he says.

Pamela Chikhani, General Manager, Secure Parking, is also one that advocates a holistic approach, speaking from the perspective of an FM provider, who has often had to inherit poor design of consultants. “A lot of smart clients involve us from the design stages of the building and take our recommendation and actually apply them,” she says. “But, some involve us too late, which is not the right way, because we can only do small changes that are cosmetic rather than fundamental.

The fundamental changes, advice, experience and feedback should be given at the design stage – this is where our added value is most effective.” As such, Chikhani says the company is working on educating project owners, as well as consultants and contractors on the importance of collaboration.

Dr Khanum also discusses the importance of having the correct approach. “Consultants have to make clients aware,” she says. “The owner of the building should know about how important a factor it is to consider [proper IEQ]”. For Groves, educating the market is truly vital, considering the level of investment and awareness with many aspects of ventilation is far too low. “I had a meeting with the mechanical team and chairman of a large and very prestigious hospital group in Dubai, and they were actually bragging that they had never cleaned inside their ductwork, completely contrary to all relevant standards and regulations and particularly alarming in what should be a sterile environment,” he says. “Their casual approach was caused, to a large extent, by a lack of awareness of what the inside of a duct looks like after several years of not being cleaned and the impact that has on the wellness of the building occupiers – in this case, the patients!”

Groves says that stronger engagement with clients can also help overcome contractors “value-engineering out” innovations owing to budgetary pressures. “We have found that the most effective solution, by far, is to secure client approval for the

solution and for the client, be it an owner, developer or occupant, to drive compliance and enforcement,” he says.

Adding to this, Foster says that property owners must be made aware by the relevant departments – either internal maintenance or external FM companies – that their systems are no longer capable of proper CO control. “I have even seen buildings where the car park ventilation was simply turned on, wasting valuable energy and costing unnecessary expenses,” he says. “By not maintaining the system, not only are you risking the health and well-being of the occupants, your equipment may be working unnecessarily, causing frequent breakdowns and higher energy costs.”

To this end, Chikhani highlights the hidden benefits of investing in specialised consultancy. “You think it’s a cost,” she says, “but if you pay a little bit for the advisory you will save a lot of headache down the line from devising the wrong parking strategy and driving away business from your clients. The consultancy charges are nothing to what problems might come up when the car park is live.” Taqi is in agreement, pointing out that at its core, lack of awareness breeds bad practices, asking, “What is the level of investment when you are taking into consideration life-safety measures?”

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

Write to editor@cpi-industry.com

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10TH MIDDLE EAST COLD CHAIN FOOD SAFETY CONFERENCE 15 January 2020 Dubai, UAE ‘The influence and importance of culture, ethos, consumer expectations and behaviour on a nation’s food safety and quality assurance eco-system’

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A CLIMATE CONTROL MIDDLE EAST SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

TRACKING THE DISTRICT COOLING INDUSTRY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

POST-EVENT REPORT

3rd EDITION 15 SEPTEMBER 2019 FALCON BALLROOM, LE MERIDIEN HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTRE, DUBAI, UAE

INSIDE: ‘District Cooling is at the heart of conversations surrounding climate change mitigation’

‘Our vision is to make District Cooling a normal member of the infrastructure family’

Bader Al Lamki CEO, National Central Cooling Company (Tabreed)

Dominic Mc Polin Chief, Central Planning - Central Planning Office, Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, Bahrain

October 2019

19

INTERVIEW

Bader Al Lamki, Tabreed

‘DISTRICT COOLING IS AT THE HEART OF CONVERSATIONS SURROUNDING CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION’ Bader Al Lamki, CEO, National Central Cooling Company (Tabreed), discusses how District Cooling can address the global energy-efficiency conundrum, the move to enhance operations through integration of artificial intelligence, and how the UAE is poised to export its knowledge and expertise of sustainable cooling solutions to other countries. Excerpts from an exclusive interview he gave to Hannah Jo Uy of Climate Control Middle East, on the sidelines of the 24th World Energy Congress (WEC), held in Abu Dhabi from September 9 to 12…

s Tabreed, what sort of contribution do you foresee District Cooling utility providers as making in addressing energy efficiency and sustainability issues being discussed in the Congress? Could you speak about the company’s decision to participate in the World Energy Congress, which is especially significant, with the UAE hosting it for the first time? Is this indicative of the country’s aim of taking a leadership role in the global energy transition?

A

Absolutely! First of all, we are proud and delighted to be participating in WEC to showcase our experience in the District Cooling space. We play into the demand-side management and energy-efficiency pillar under the energy conundrum, and we have a wealth of experience in this space that we have attained over the past 20 years. Today, we have a portfolio of nearly 75 District Cooling plants, serving communities with our sustainable cooling solutions.

The impact that District Cooling can contribute to this topic is quite significant

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and substantial. Today, if we look at the energy produced, especially in the hot areas in the Middle East and North Africa, and in some other countries experiencing harsh summers and hot conditions, nearly 50%, on average, and 70%, at peak hours, every day of the energy produced is consumed by cooling requirements. As such, if you are able to find a solution that provides cooling to communities and societies in a way that is also consuming less, you are basically immediately helping sustain energy for the longest time possible.

You are helping to make energy more sustainable by virtue of reducing its carbon footprint. Today, with our portfolio of 75 plants, the carbon emission avoided per annum is nearly one million tonnes, which is quite a substantial figure. So, you can see that the contribution from District Cooling is something that is at the heart of the conversation of climate change and mitigation of rising temperatures in the planet.

Bader Al Lamki

We are proud to be among the earliest companies to play in this sector. Since 1998, Tabreed has been providing sustainable cooling to our clients. Year after year, we are not only increasing our portfolio but also increasing our knowledge, our experience and our know-how, which I believe, today makes us more credible than others in this space. As such, we look forward to seeing even more penetration of District Cooling in the future, as urban planning starts to grow further and societies continue to demand for cooling across the globe.

Considering that a number of stakeholders have identified inefficient and outdated installation and design of conventional mechanical cooling systems as a heavy burden on the energy grid and a strong contributor to Urban Heat Island effect, how can District Cooling help overcome challenges of conventional frameworks? As District Cooling requires more urban planning, how important is stakeholder engagement, especially among the public and private sectors, developers, consultants, contractors and even technology providers, to ensure the most efficient plant design and operations are in place?

This is very important, everybody has to contribute. Awareness has to increase, and stakeholders need to be more aware of the solutions out there. That’s why a platform, such as WEC [is important], and that’s why Tabreed is also here to demonstrate the solution, demonstrate the facts and the impact that it has, such as the one million tonnes per annum of CO2 avoided. It doesn’t only take efforts from developers like Tabreed, the financial committee also has to contribute

to this by providing smart financing and technology.

We are proud that last year in Tabreed, we managed to raise sukuk, which was a successful one; it provides us with the liquidity to fuel our growth. We raised sukuk of nearly USD 500 million, which is something that demonstrates that District Cooling is also understood by the financial community and, as such, should continue into the future. But we also need to have policy-makers to really push the right frameworks to promote District Cooling as a solution for new urban planning involvement.

We also need to bring in technology and innovation into this sector.

As Tabreed, we take pride in the fact that we are at the forefront of technology.

For example, our plant in Bahrain utilises seawater for cooling. This is something that is more sustainable than the alternative of using potable water, which is scarce and costly.

We are moving into the next industrial revolution of digitilisation and artificial intelligence, and we operate our plants, some of them, unmanned, because they are fully automated. We have artificial intelligence tools and knowhow. We have engineered the solutions in-house, and they allow us to plan our maintenance and to predict downtime.

That way, we are more efficient and are able to increase our availability. Also, it increases our efficiency to our clients. Integrating digitalisation and artificial intelligence into operating procedures is something we are already exhibiting on the ground.

We have reached an Emiratisation target of nearly 40%. Again, we also have a commitment to knowledge transfer and education. It’s part of the corporate social responsibility of the company, and this is a commitment we take very seriously.

It takes all those stakeholders – developers, policy-makers, financial institutions, technology and innovation solution providers – to really help accelerate the penetration of District Cooling across communities. We are proud to be one of the pioneering companies in this space that has the know-how that we can take forward to our clients, wherever they are.

Moving forward, do you see the UAE taking a leadership role in District Cooling, globally?

Absolutely, without a doubt.

Do you feel that one day, the UAE could potentially export the knowledge and expertise it has gained over the years to other countries with a similar need for sustainable cooling solutions, such as Australia? Also, what are the company’s expansion plans in the region and beyond?

Fantastic! Definitely. I think the UAE and Tabreed would be at the cornerstone for this leadership. The UAE is probably one of the countries that has the highest District Cooling adaptation, and we are proud that today, our contribution is nearly 1.1 million tonnes of refrigeration that is installed. So, the UAE is already showing leadership by example, and as a company, we are also proud that we are not only domestic. Today, we have a footprint in Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain.

We are in India. We are looking to expand further in Egypt, hopefully, and in other North African countries. We will follow the business opportunity, wherever it is. In time, our know-how and experience makes us again credible. I think we can demonstrate our value proposition to our clients, wherever they are, but it is a journey. Today, we are starting in the Gulf and across the Middle East. In time, we will expand where it makes sense for us to expand.

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

Write to editor@cpi-industry.com

October 2019

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INTERVIEW

Dominic Mc Polin, Ministry of Works, Bahrain

‘OUR VISION IS TO MAKE DISTRICT COOLING A NORMAL MEMBER OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE FAMILY’ Dominic Mc Polin, Chief, Central Planning - Central Planning Office, Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, Bahrain, speaks with Hannah Jo Uy of Climate Control Middle East on the feasibility of interconnection and the complexity surrounding regulation, and provides an update on government directives being rolled out in Bahrain to promote adoption of District Cooling. Excerpts from the interview…

H

ow feasible is interconnection of District Cooling plants in the GCC region?

It’s feasible. We have just done it with two companies and looked at the hydraulics, so they can connect. The technical side is no problem, the issue is the business side. Once again, how does the government intervene in a business? We can bring them to the table and say, ‘Look we want to incentivise interconnection.’ Why are we interested in interconnection? Because we want to reassure people, businesses and citizens who are dependent on one company that if it fails, or if there is a bankruptcy that there is an interconnection with another system, even if it’s on a temporary basis.

It’s just a psychological feeling that there is a safety net, and these are things that are important to change the market. More than the excellent engineering and increases in efficiency, these are wonderful things, but unless those things are passed on to the consumer, there will be no change. The biggest thing is the reduction in the capex, because developers do not pass on the savings of the difference between District Cooling and conventional cooling. They take

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You discussed the importance of regulation and government intervention. What should these regulations target?

Dominic Mc Polin

that savings, and all of the capex is in the tariff, so you have this capex-distorted tariff for District Cooling to citizens and businesses. So, we want to share the savings. What are those savings? You avoid building a substation, for example. That’s a big savings to a developer. You avoid all the cabling, the electrical mechanical equipment you normally install for a conventional chiller. That’s an enormous saving. You want to share that saving with the District Cooling to bring the capex down to make that tariff attractive.

There is a range of targets. First of all, you can do inefficient District Cooling, so we don’t want to have District Cooling with inefficiencies, we want energy efficiency, and we want some kind of price control to consumers.

From our perspective, the most important thing is that we are giving our land, our streets to a District Cooling company. Our vision is to make District Cooling a normal member of the infrastructure family. What does that mean? It means that you’re in a street, you have a building, you have electricity, water, sewage and District Cooling – it’s a member of the family, it’s a non-thinking thing, it’s there. And in order to do that we have to open our streets to District Cooling, as opposed to masterplan project-driven District Cooling.

Our vision in Bahrain is to have a general accessibility to District Cooling. To do that, you have to have transparency at a very high level, because, why do I choose you over that company? What is my criteria when I allow one? I can’t allow 10 companies, there is not enough space

– it doesn’t make sense. So, when you are choosing to allow into your public roads a particular company, you have to have a set of rules, a set of rights and responsibilities and a transparency in making that decision – and that’s really at the core of this. We cannot get that level of District Cooling unless we have those rules in place.

But there are a lot of complexities surrounding identifying these rules.

Who are the stakeholders that should take part in making these rules?

Well, I’ve had over 140 hours of stakeholder consultations with developers, with customers and with the industry, trying to get a balance into these draft regulations, and I think we have achieved that. Customers, District Cooling companies, government, developers… do you know what they all have in common?

They all want regulation.

We have gone through a consultation period, as I said, with master-planners, with District Cooling companies and customers.

We believe we have got fair and simple regulations to address the whole spectrum of those issues.

like it or not, it’s part of the package, and we are determined to get more District Cooling quicker and satisfy our consumers.

How would you gauge the level of progress District Cooling has made in Bahrain as well as in other countries in the GCC region, in general?

It’s not fast enough, it’s too slow. We need more District Cooling, and we need it faster, and one last thing we have introduced is cost-recovery tariffs, which is helping advance its adoption.

The electricity is now full-cost-recovery

for expatriates, commercial and Bahraini second homes. Same with water.

District Cooling has always had difficulties because of the price differential.

Now, hotels are looking for solutions for energy efficiency. Obviously, it’s helping the government save money, and it is creating a market for District Cooling. We just want to give it a push.

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

YOU R G ATEWAY TO THE H VACR IND USTRY IN THE M ID D LE E AST

How far away are you in the process of implementing these regulations?

It has to go through the political process.

I am presenting, I’m pushing, and I’m hopeful.

Stakeholders we have spoken to have often complained that the existing District Cooling framework does not incentivise retrofits and energy savings, because doing so would affect the Delta T and lead to potentially millions annually in penalty charges. Could you comment on that?

We have a potential to make meaningful changes and do really important things, quickly. We lose if we leave it to the marketing department of a District Cooling company. As government, the answer is, ‘No way, this cannot be.’ If we are to take our commitment seriously – and those commitments are clear, we have signed on to COP 21 – we have major commitments made.

We have introduced in Bahrain a National Energy Efficiency Action Plan and the National Renewable Energy Action Plan. In the Energy Efficiency plan, District Cooling is there. Whether companies

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POST-EVENT REPORT 3rd EDITION

WALKING THE TIGHTROPE Although District Cooling has been accepted e will see global warming and problems inflicted on the earth increase to the as a sustainable cooling solution, lack of point that it will be too costly to deal regulation, inefficient designs and negative with,” said George Berbari, CEO, DC customer experience, owing to high cost, PRO Engineering and Author of The Energy Budget. Addressing the service have hindered its adoption in the UAE. providers, government authorities, The third edition of DC Dialogue, held manufacturers, consultants, contractors on September 15 in Dubai, provided and other stakeholders during the third edition of DC Dialogue on September 15, in Dubai, he emphasised that the industry needs a platform for service providers, to position itself in a way that recognises District Cooling’s vital government authorities, consultants, role in broader sustainability targets. Dominic Mc Polin, Chief, Central Planning – Central Planning Office, Ministry of Works, Municipalities contractors, clients and other affairs and Urban Planning, Bahrain, agreed, pointing to the IPCC Special stakeholders to flesh out existing Report, which says, limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees C will require challenges in the market in order “unprecedented” transitions and that UNEP has identified District Energy as one of the key strategies for tackling climate change. to utilise District Cooling in the Berbari added that District Cooling is also essential in the development of fight against climate change. carbon-neutral cities. Presenting Denmark as an example, he highlighted the Hannah Jo Uy of Climate significant contribution of District Energy, complemented by renewable energy initiatives, in helping Copenhagen push towards achieving carbon neutrality by Control Middle East shares 2025. For the GCC region to also move in a positive direction, Berbari pointed out, key insights from the stakeholders must address inefficiencies in the design and operation of District Cooling discussion… networks, as well as in the existing financial models, all of which serve as bottlenecks to

W

the wider adoption of District Cooling in the region. “I was one of the pioneers of District Cooling, but I’m not proud of where we are today,” he said. “This is not my aspiration for District Cooling. We need to change, and I see the seeds of that now.”

Dr Adib Moubadder, CEO, Emicool, said that undoubtedly, District Cooling is an important pillar in the UAE’s 2050 Energy Strategy, which can also be observed in the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030 target of having 40% penetration of District Cooling, as part of Demand Side Management initiative in Dubai. However, he pointed out that there is a long road ahead,

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L-R: Amal Hamadeh, Eyad Ismail, Dominic Mc Polin and Eid Mohammed

considering penetration of District Cooling today is only between 18 and 19%. “If we talk about 40%, it means we need to add more than 2.5 million of tonnage,” he said.

Raed Al Ahmed, Deputy CEO, Emicool, said that in the last year, penetration of District Cooling has only increased by 0.7 %. “If the target in 2030 is to increase by 24%, that’s a number of seven per cent per annum,” he said. “We are at 0.7%. How are we to reach the 2030 target doing only tenth of what we are asking for?” Al Ahmed emphasised that the issue is a serious one, in view of urbanisation and projected increase in

That’s what I call coffee-shop gossip, because everyone has a story.

You have to question the ethics of some consultants, because they want to design the big chillers on the roof and all of that

will be dismissed in Dubai, and we will population, which is set to drive demand for have around 90% utilisation of installed cooling, up from 15,000 MTRh in 2018 to capacity.”

22,000 MTRh by 2030.

Enhancing efficiency and plant room In view of the expected demand, Mc Polin optimisation is also something District stressed that there is no time for subtleties.

Cooling providers said they are looking into, “No doubt, all governments are committed,” in the move towards the ideal figure of he said. “There are a lot of innovations, 0.77 kW/TR. Ismail Almarzooqi, but it’s not fast enough, it’s all CEO, Dubai South said such too slow. We have problems a level of efficiency is with over capacity of achievable. “We had empty buildings. We plants built 12 years need a place to ago running on 1.4 arbitrate, to share kilowatt, today benefits and make running on 0.95, the industry grow.” and we still have Dr Moubadder, room to improve agreeing with our efficiencies,” Mc Polin’s words, he said, adding added that the that a strategy that success of the District Dubai South has Cooling model is based George Berbari employed to do so is on a quadrant of four: implementing mandatory the government, developer, review of customers’ heat end user and service provider. load calculations before allowing “If we manage the interest of all four them to connect to the plant. “Most of on a professional platform,” he said, “we will the time, people are overdesigning,” succeed in DC.” he said. “A lot of buildings sent to us with 4,000 tonnes have gone out from THE ROADMAP TOWARDS us 2,500 tonnes.” Almarzooqi said it is REACHING 0.77 KW/TR important to stop wastage at the design For their part, District Cooling providers stage and focus on optimising the plant, said they are working towards addressing taking into consideration the prevailing issues within their own emerging technology geared respective plants. Fares towards optimisation Ahmad, General Manager, enhancement, such Emaar District Cooling, as variable-speed said a number of drives, and control initiatives have been instruments to implemented in an optimise watereffort to reduce cooled chillers. excess capacity Dr Moubadder in collaboration also said he with developers. Dr believes that 0.77 Moubadder added is feasible but that that he believes idle there are inherent capacity in Dubai challenges, considering does not exceed 25% Raed Al Ahmed each plant is different of the installed capacity and has its own set of among the main players in requirements. However, he said, the market, following providers’ technology, such as artificial intelligence, innovative efforts. “Many prestigious can play an important role in achieving locations are utilising existing capacity, the target. “We are working heavily on moving forward,” he said. “With data putting systematic approach for an AI available to us, in five years, idle capacity

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POST-EVENT REPORT 3rd EDITION

SUNNY SIDE UP!

Service providers discuss opportunities for integration of renewable energy in District Cooling

Ismail Almarzooqi

I

ntegration of renewable energy is an aspect that District Cooling providers are looking into, in a bid to enhance efficiency and lessen the plants’ burden on the energy grid. Ismail Almarzooqi, CEO, South Energy, said that there is strong potential for solar in this regard, not only because District Cooling is evolving but also because the solar industry is rapidly changing. “Prices are dropping, and capacity is increasing per square metre,” he said. “We used to install one megawatt for 1,000 square metres; today, we can install for 5,000 square metres. It can affect, eventually, how we design future plants.” Fares Ahmad, General Manager, Emaar District Cooling, said the company is also exploring integration of solar in projects, where applicable. “I don’t think it’s only solar, driven by the District Cooling provider or developer that can make a difference,” he said. “Utilising solar developed by the Dubai government, connecting the solar to the DC plant is something we see coming in the future, as well.” However, Ahmed emphasised that initiatives have to be scaled according to the plant, and challenges do exist in terms of the commercial aspect of integration, as well as in terms of obtaining necessary approvals from relevant authorities, which, he said, can be challenging.

Dr Yousif Al Hammadi, Senior Vice President - Business Development, Tabreed, said the Abu Dhabi-headquartered utility is working closely with colleagues in Masdar to explore existing technologies that can be implemented. He pointed out that a number of factors must be taken into consideration when it comes to utilising solar. “You have to have the right area, right support and right fit,” he said. “There is no one size that fits all needs and demands.

I would cautiously say that there is a future, there is hope. The UAE is increasing targets to utilise clean energy, and we need to help and support them to achieve that target, but like I said, it requires a lot of elements.”

Dr Adib Moubadder, CEO, Emicool said he is optimistic about hybrid plants, adding that the company has done a plant of five-megawatt hybrid, and succeeded in the first stage of two megawatts capacity. “It will come in stages,” he said, “but the hybrid of solar, it’s coming for sure.”

Sougata Nandi, Founder & CEO, 3e Advisory & 3e Apps, offered a more cautious view. “When you talk about supplementing or supporting District Cooling with solar, you are talking of something scientifically challenging, because you are trying to support a high-density energy activity with a low-density source.” Even if solar power can be brought in from a different location, Nandi said issues related to transmission and distribution would have to be addressed. “Then, it becomes a holistic project, rather than a DC provider and his solar plant,” he said.

Almarzooqi said he believes there are opportunities for a more diverse mix of renewable energy.

“The use of tri-generation with LNG and solar, and others, are feasible,” he said. “Especially for us at South Energy. We have 145,000 square metres and abundant land. Our strategy is to supplement DC with any sort of renewable energy in the coming 20-25 years.”

Almarzooqi said that the use of geothermal – another form of energy under consideration – is largely dependent on cost and that it must make commercial sense. Ahmed echoed this when he said: “There are a lot of challenges when it comes to geothermal and a lot of limitations. But, I think we are focusing on only one aspect of renewable. Electricity plays a major role, but also we should not ignore water, and there is a lot of things we can do. We are relying too much on potable water.” Ahmed pointed out that the industry must also look into opportunities for TSE and into addressing potential challenges related to its availability to further enhance efficiency.

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Fares Ahmad

Dr Yousif Al Hammadi

Dr Adib Moubadder

Sougata Nandi

L-R: Fares Ahmad, Dr Yousif Al Hammadi, Dr Adib Moubadder, Sougata Nandi and Ismail Al Marzooqui

bankrupt. “The numbers are not working system,” he said, sharing the company’s own Dr Yousif Al Hammadi, Senior Vice out, but it’s like any accountancy – it’s how technology-related initiatives. Such initiatives, President – Business Development, Tabreed, you do the figures,” he said, “Especially with he pointed out, require heavy investment and pointed out, however, that reaching lifecycle costs. If they are doing properly, that in order for AI technology to truly be an efficiency of 0.77 is not only about it’s a no-brainer, but we continuously have utilised in a way that will achieve such a integration of technologies, such as this foggy chit chat, talking clients out of level of efficiency would require VSD or artificial intelligence. “It connecting to District Cooling.” a paradigm shift in the starts from the beginning, mindset of District Cooling from the design, the EPC companies’ board and and the operation COUNTERPOINT shareholders. philosophy,” he said.

Hassan Younes, Director & Partner, Griffin Muna Al Nahdi, “The key element is Consultants; President, ASHRAE Falcon Manager – Energy the end user and Chapter, said that such practice does exist, Management, how we react to recalling a project where a consultant South Energy, them, so operation recommended against District Cooling and also advocated plays a vital role despite his (Younes’) efforts to highlight for greater in achieving this its benefit for that particular application, flexibility, especially 0.77 kilowatt per the client went with a conventional system. in the adoption hour.” Ahmad also “Organisations are not one person,” Younes of technologies, touched on the issue said. “You have to convince everyone – from Muna Al Nahdi highlighting how AI of operation, sharing the engineer to management – with a and unmanned plants that Emaar District Cooling lifecycle cost and discuss other benefits, like could pave the way for planned is working to further engage ‘you don’t have refrigerants in the buildings, preventive maintenance. “We treat the with end-users, FM providers and teams you don’t have your own chillers and it could DCP as a fixed asset, but technologies are managing assets, and that he believes the lead to less environmental noise’.” Younes advancing, be it chillers or controllers,” she 0.77 target is not far from being achieved. said apprehensions some consultants have said. “Optimisation doesn’t have only to be However, in view of the many hurdles towards District Cooling is from the lack of in existing plants. Don’t treat it as it is in District Cooling companies are already due diligence, adding that consultants could the next 25 years. Practices are improving, facing, Dr Moubadder said that issues benefit greatly from revisiting old industry standards are changing, and we are aggravated by consultants projects. “Few go back to their need to be innovative to operate plants in offering misleading own designs to see what most optimum way.” information to developers has happened,” he said, Manufacturers and solution providers can and presenting District “which I think should help promote adoption of such technologies, Cooling as more be done to see if you Dr Moubadder said, by playing a more active expensive without were successful.” role in sharing solutions with District Cooling taking a proper Mansour providers in a way that could minimise review of lifecycle Kharoub, Associate financial risk by possibly sharing in the cost. Mc Polin Principal – Mech savings. Responding to Dr Moubadder’s offered the same Engineering words, Nermeen Hammouda, General observation. “That’s Services, Khatib Manager – Applied Equipment, Johnson what I call coffee& Alami, said that Controls, GCC, underlined the importance shop gossip,” he said, admittedly, there of collaboration in the move to enhance “because everyone are designers that Nermeen Hammouda efficiency. “We are not a supplier, we are a has a story. You have to do not have the level solution provider,” she said, adding that the question the ethics of some of specialisation and are value offered by quality manufacturers is consultants, because they want to unprofessional; and they push not only in supplying the VSD or providing design the big chillers on the roof and all their views without care. However, digital optimisation, it is in sharing technical of that. They bad-mouth District Cooling, and Kharoub said that designers also face a know-how in the evaluation of the plant, in they talk clients out of it. I’ve seen this over number of challenges, sharing his own partnership with the customers to address and over and over again.” experiences on a project, where the team specific requirements. As such, she said, the Mc Polin said that common myths was forced by the District Cooling provider to client, owner and District Cooling provider propagated in relation to District Cooling increase capacity by 30-35% when they were would benefit from working hand in hand is that it’s expensive and dangerous and applying for connection. “We have to find a with equipment suppliers in all steps of the that the facility could lose its cooling if left way in the middle,” he said, pointing out project. with no alternative and if the provider goes that total calculation for heat load is a

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POST-EVENT REPORT 3rd EDITION

choice, and that the responsibility for Low balancing act to ensure it is not overdesigned delta T must come from all stakeholders. or under-designed.

Operation and maintenance are also Sagar Kulkarni, Managing Director, affecting efficiency of buildings, Kharoub Consistent Engineering Consultants, weighing said. He shared that in one project, his team in, said that in one project for a hotel found that the facility management team building, the team of Consistent Engineering had created an imbalance in the system. established cooling load at 1,600 tonnes.

“After four or five years, it was not anymore “We applied to the District Cooling provider, the project we had delivered,” he said. Younes and we got a notification that the plot can added that this is an issue that comes with only reach 1,200 tonnes,” he said. “They said, the level of investment, or lack thereof, ‘You have done something wrong.’ We went being made towards quality operations and back, changed the calculation load, fresh air maintenance teams. “How do you expect requirement and diversity, and we were not able to go beyond 1,500 tonnes. After a lot of an operator of a building with 1,000 tonnes of refrigeration taking AED 2,500 to deliberation, we realised the plot was for a deliver good quality work?” residential building, subsequently Financial constraints, converted to a hotel building said Timothy McLaren, after special permissions, Senior Commercial but the provisions Contracts Engineer, were done during Ramboll, is an the master. So, such overarching issue are the challenges that impacts the when you talk about entire value chain.

District Cooling.”

“Consultants work Kharoub said to a budget,” improper selection of he said. “When control valves and the you talk about the lack of commisioning harmonisation of so are also culprits that Hassan Younes many systems within the lead to inefficient design budget we established, if and issues related to Delta it doesn’t work, we have to go T. “Most of the projects don’t back to the client and say, ‘We have a have enough time to do commisioning, problem, we have an unharmonised system.’ and occupants come in before they start,” And if it’s not sufficient, we need to redesign, he said. Echoing this, Kulkarni said that and it’s a big ball that continues. It’s all consultants are working according to the best about the budget at the end of the day.” design parameters, but the detailing, such as Younes said while a lot of responsibility selection of PICVs must be better addressed does fall on consultants, commissioning at the contracting level, where a lot of the agents, contractors and operators, the final issues happen. “Full-time supervision of this, decisions are still dependent on the owner. at times, doesn’t happen,” he said. “Design “I worked with a project where the original is one part, but I say 70-75% of the issues design had 900 tonnes, my calculation go to contracting and commissioning.” was 300, the owner went for 400, and the Weighing in on issues facing contractors, actual consumption was 250,” he said. As Sriram Nagarajan, Senior Manager, Voltas Limited, said that often, contractors are made such, Younes discussed the importance of ASHRAE’s Owner's Guide for Buildings Served responsible for Low Delta T, which is an issue

by District Cooling, which was released that can be aggravated by poor equipment

L-R:Mansour Kharoub, Sagar Kulkarni, Timothy McLaren and Sriram Nagarajan

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earlier this year in an effort to address lack of understanding in the market, especially when it comes to low Delta T. Sharing highlights of the main changes that eventually led to an extra 60 pages on the Guide, Younes said the first chapter includes an additional section on building owner’s benefits, and the second chapter elaborates further on refrigerant selection and the typical responsibility of a DCS provider, a building owner and design engineer.

Chapter 3 added sections on refrigerant phase out, case studies on counterflow chillers arrangement and cooling tower location. “Chapter 4 added and elaborated more on valve vaults,” he said. “And Chapter 6 provided comparisons on energy storage technologies.” Younes said much of the changes were directed towards Chapter 8, which was rewritten to include additional sections on the organisation and structure of O&M, personnel requirements, procedure and documentation, training, performance and metrics, administration and support, outsourcing, maintenance frequencies, refrigerant management, maintenance programmes and strategies.

THE FOURTH PILLAR While it is important to educate developers and building owners, Sougata Nandi, Founder & CEO, 3e Advisory & 3e Apps, said there is a greater need to have a better grasp on the needs of the ‘real consumer’. “The consumer is not the big building developer,” he said. “The consumer is each unit in the tower. Unless you are able to empower them, engage them and influence demand, whatever you do in the supply side will plateau. The time has come to focus on the consumer side of things, not just the master developer or building owner but the thousands of consumers that pay chilled water bills every month.”

Mc Polin added: “The biggest problem we have with District Cooling is that customers don’t like it, citizens don’t like it, because it’s a monopoly. It’s an issue of trust,

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POST-EVENT REPORT 3rd EDITION

Members of the audience

and it’s an issue of individualism versus communal.” Mc Polin likened the issue to that of public transport. “Without a doubt, public transport is the best solution, but people still want to drive cars,” he said. “People still want to be in control of their houses and apartments. There is a psychological issue, so when we intervene we have to understand that we have a duty of care to the customer to reassure them and to physically make sure they are not a victim of a monopoly that doesn’t work, because they have no alternative.”

In reference to recent headlines showcasing dissatisfaction with District Cooling services, Al Nahdi, quoting Bill Gates, said, “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. We need to learn to ask difficult questions.” She underlined the importance of developing the right financial model that will benefit customers and the need to divert towards a more customer-centric business. A first step in doing so, Al Nahdi said, is to engage with customers and have a better understanding of their needs. “Don’t treat District Cooling as one solution that fits all,” she said. “You need to sit with them and understand operational requirements and their targets.”

Muna added that customers should be viewed as part of the team, instead of a silent user of the service. “Consultants, contractors and utility providers – we are the experts,” she said. “It’s unfair if we leave only important decisions to us and not involve the consumer who will suffer most from those decisions in the coming years.”

Eyad Ismail, Director of Engineering, Engineering, Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone, pointed out that essentially, as customers are cost-driven, for District Cooling to see greater adoption there

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must be a way for benefits to be shared.

Eid Mohammed, Senior Mechanical Engineer, UAE Ministry of Infrastructure Development, seconded this saying there must be a specific financial mechanism that will serve as an incentive for the public. Berbari said such a behavioural change can be seen in Copenhagen, where people can save approximately EUR 1,600 if they are connected to District Energy.

Weighing in, Mc Polin highlighted the importance of passing on the savings the developer achieved in no longer having to build a substation, and reduced cost on cabling as well as electrical and mechanical components in the building.

“Where does the savings go?” he asked.

“It goes out of the equation, and the entire capex is carried by District Cooling.

This is a crazy business model doomed for failure and overloading consumer with extraordinary high [cost]. We need capex down, we need savings shared – be it government, developer, whoever it is, [they should] capture the savings and make sure it goes to the business model, and that’s when you have customers asking and begging for District Cooling.

That’s the scale, level and target we need to go for.”

A REGULATORY TIGHTROPE Mc Polin said that to address these issues, a top-down and bottom-up approach is vital. “Top-down is obviously regulation,” he said. “Everybody talks about it, but we can’t deliver them. We are continuously pushing for regulation, because government cannot get District Cooling fast enough. It’s a business, and a business is driven by its own rules

of business. When governments try to intervene with a business case, there is a danger it might over-regulate and destroy the business, so it’s finding that balance in meeting government objectives fast enough, while allowing business to develop and those benefits to be shared.”

Amal Hamadeh, Project Manager – Demand Side Management, UAE Ministry of Energy, echoed this. “Regulation for DC is vital, so we don’t turn away customers,” she said. “As it stands, there are some issues with billing that make DC unattractive, and this is not a message we want to come across. Moving forward, there has to be more conversation for keeping industry alive and keeping customers happy.”

Dr Moubadder said that without a shadow of a doubt, policymakers must implement strict policies in the utilisation of District Cooling, adding that doing so would go a long way in removing the issue of excess capacity. However, Dr Yousif Al Hammadi said that government bodies have their own set of challenges. “We always like to point fingers at government bodies – that they have to step up – but at the same time, we have to feel sorry for them. Innovation is progressing at such a pace they are suffering to come up with right regulation and mechanism to catch up.”

Mc Polin admitted that the developing regulation can be likened to walking a tightrope, especially when it comes to making District Cooling a normal part of the infrastructure family. “See, District Cooling is an orphan,” he said. “Most utilities are government utilities. This [District Cooling] is a company, a business that is going in the opposite direction,” he said. “It’s difficult to regulate, because it’s not the normal state going to private, this is private going to state. This is a different polarity

in regulations, which means it has to have a little something special in these regulations, an understanding of the business and an understanding of the obstacles… and the biggest obstacle, really, is the consumer, and consumers don’t like it.”

The only way forward, Al Nahdi said, is collaboration. “I call upon all of you, not just those [that are] part of District Cooling plants, but also consultants, contractors, O&M teams and manufacturers – we need to

challenge ourselves before challenging our customers. If we don’t think sustainability, we will end up in a point where we will have no customers at all.”

Despite the complexity surrounding the issue, Berbari said he remains thoroughly optimistic, so long as the dialogue continues.

“Something more has to be done, and the good news is, it is being done,” he said.

“Industry is ready for it. And conferences, like this one, put the seed for these changes.

Probably in my 25 years in District Cooling, the key thing I have learnt is perseverance. Be optimistic, never give up and keep on. Change will happen one bit at a time – but we have to keep rocking the boat.”

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

Write to editor@cpi-industry.com

Hamon, integrated cooling and air quality solutions for a cleaner environment Hamon is a multinational Group with over 100 years experience in the design and supply of cooling technologies (wet and dry cooling) and air quality systems to the power industry, as well as other energy intensive sectors.

We engineer, manufacture, deliver and erect all cooling system types as well as dust, acid gas and NOx removal systems with over 50,000 references worldwide in all types of applications.

Our local teams are ready to support you on the specifications of the project, its implementation as well as the maintenance of the equipment.

HAMON COOLING TOWER COMPANY Dubai Airport Free Zone Authority Building 4W B-Block, Office 649 P.O. Box 293647 Phone number: +971 4 6091672 info.hctc@hamon.com www.hamon.com

October 2019

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ERSPECTIVE

Joo Nian is is with Germany-headquartered Mutag.

He can be contacted at info@mutag.de.

HOW MANY MBBR CARRIER MEDIA DO I REALLY NEED? In the case of wastewater treatment, the answer lies in determining the organic load that needs to be removed, says Joo Nian

ypical questions clients ask with regard to applying MBBR in wastewater treatment are: “How ought we to calculate the required amount of carrier media?” and “How do you quote your carrier media?”

The basic and correct way to determine the required amount of MBBR carrier media in a wastewater treatment application depends on the organic load that needs to be removed, which is directly influenced by the flow rate, influent and effluent concentrations.

T

Organic Load = Flow Rate x (Influent Concentration - Effluent Concentration) Once the organic load to be removed is known, the required carrier media quantity can be calculated. Different types of carrier

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October 2019

media have their own different removal rate or efficiency. Yet, this removal efficiency is strongly dependent on the application and water temperature.

For a serious calculation, these factors must be put into consideration first before deciding on the removal efficiency of a carrier media. After all, the one that actually treats the wastewater is the bacteria that grows on the carrier media and not the carrier media itself. As a living organism, the activeness of the bacteria is influenced by the surrounding conditions and the substances to be degraded by the bacteria.

To draw an example, 'Who would prefer to eat ice cream during cold weather!'

Once the removal efficiency is determined, we can calculate the carrier media requirement for a certain wastewater application:

Carrier Amount =

Organic Load Removal Efficiency

TOM’S STORY Let me explain the point I am trying to make through a story.

Tom owns a production factory. Every day, the factory produces 10 kg of a certain product. Based on his experience, Tom knows that on average, one trained worker with correct tools could manage to pack and ship out 1 kg of the product daily. Being a predictive man, Tom considers the probability that one worker might get sick. To be on the safe side, he has eleven trained workers instead of ten. This helps him to prevent the warehouse from an overcapacity, in case that one of them is sick or the factory has to increase its production capacity. With his eleven trained workers and correct tools, Tom’s factory operates smoothly every day without trouble.

Now, let us look at the biological wastewater treatment process. Applying the example of Tom’s factory, the “product” is equivalent to the organic load to be removed by means of wastewater treatment, whereas the trained workers and tools are equivalent to the carrier media and biomass in the wastewater treatment process, respectively.

Similar to the workers who cannot pack and ship out the products without tools, the carrier media without biomass cannot remove the organic load from the wastewater.

If one day, Tom’s factory starts producing another type of product that requires a different packing method, what Tom needs to do is to wait for his workers to become familiar with their new working tools instead of dismissing his eleven workers and hiring a new group. The same applies to biological wastewater treatment, too: The biomass that grows on the carrier media will gradually adapt itself to be able to remove a different type of organic load or load’s concentration, respectively.

Note: Product Worker Tools 11th Worker

= Organic Load = Carrier = Biomass = Safety Factor

CHARACTERISTIC OF A GOOD MBBR CARRIER MEDIA For Tom, to make sure that his factory can run smoothly, he needs skilled workers as well as a good set of tools for his workers. The lack of one of the two will slow down the packing speed. For biological wastewater treatment

MBBR carrier media

with the MBBR process, besides the biomass, the carrier media, which acts as housing for the bacteria, is very important.

A good MBBR carrier media provides not only a protected habitat for the bacteria to grow but also ensures that all bacteria that grow on it are sufficiently supplied with nutrients for their metabolism. During the metabolism process, the bacteria consume

dissolved organic substances. In other words, the wastewater is biologically treated. Without sufficient nutrients, the growth of the bacteria is hindered or, still worse, the bacteria die. These phenomena will reduce the removal efficiency and lead to an unqualified wastewater discharge. Hence, a proper selection of the carrier media is essential. This decision will affect both the organic removal performance and the cost required to run the plant.

A good MBBR carrier has the following characteristics: • A large protected surface area to maximise the amount of biomass • A porous surface to strengthen the biomass’s adhesion • An optimal substrate diffusion depth to ensure the metabolism • Wear-resistance for durability In terms of the treatment, a good MBBR carrier media makes sure that all biomass is

active to remove the organic substances from the water. From the user’s point of view, a good MBBR carrier media eases the operation and provides all forms of savings, such as in construction and operation.

SUMMARY Although a MBBR carrier media might just be a piece of plastic, or of other materials, its role in wastewater treatment is vital to keep the biomass active in order to deliver the highest organic removal performance.

In a wastewater treatment application, the required amount of MBBR carrier media depends on the organic load that needs to be removed by means of the bacteria’s metabolism. The water temperature and the type of substrate influences this metabolism rate.

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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ERSPECTIVE

Hakan Gronlund may be contacted at hakan.gronlund@h2ovortex.com.

BIOMIMETICS AT WORK T The use of biomimetic principles in cooling towers lowers operational costs, reduces water usage, improves efficiency and safeguards operators as well as customers from potential health issues arising out of biological growth, argues Hakan Gronlund.

TYPICAL CONFIGURATION VPT IS A “PLUG AND PLAY” SOLUTION, EASY TO INSTALL AND TO OPERATE

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he vortex process technology (VPT), which is based on a worldwidepatented vortex generator, uses ‘biomimetic principles’ for its design at its foundation. Biomimetics is based on the belief that nature, at times, is a good engineer.

Biomimesis is the scientific method of learning new principles and processes based on systematic study, observation and experimentation with solutions observed in Nature.

The complex and biomimetic shapes inside the VPT demand precise 3D production.

Advanced CAD technology is used for prototyping and production. This facilitates a direct connection between design, testing and production.

CHALLENGES IN COOLING TOWERS AND EVAPORATIVE CONDENSERS It is common knowledge that improperly maintained cooling towers (CT) can cause problems, such as yielding warmer cooling water due to scaling and biofilm, which can reduce the efficiency of the chiller, and result in potential health issues from biological growth. Typically, a toxic mix of chemicals is needed as a special precaution in maintaining CT/EC (evaporative condenser) design

WHAT ARE A TYPICAL VPT-CT PROJECT’S GOALS?

WATER SAVINGS Operating the cooling towers at higher COC (5 - 10), Saves Water though lower make-up water Depending on site water, can reuse up to 100% blow-down water for other purposes such as irrigation, lower sewer discharge Earns customer water incentives

REDUCE CHEMICAL USE Reduced operational costs of purchased chemicals and lower service costs Reduced toxic elements in blow-down water More sustainable, supports a circular economy

SAVE ENERGY Better heat transfer, degrades and prevents cooling tower scale Embedded Energy: Additional upstream/downstream kWh/kW savings from reduced water pumping and water treatment

CONTINUOUS PERFORMANCE MONITORING Monitoring and Control system integrated with delivered technology Consistent with Best PracticesWeb access and reports

conditions. Also, with chemicals becoming more regulated, they come with associated high costs, plus necessitate training of technicians on storage and handling. And then, there is the danger they would interact with each other or biocides.

Indeed, CTs and ECs require consistent attention and maintenance to counter scale, settlement of contaminants, clogged nozzles, biofilm and microbiological growth.

Then, there are issues relating to overuse or under use of chemicals, and excessive water use and discharge. They also require the maintaining of proper design heat exchange metrics. An absence of training and funding for operations can spell trouble.

15% – 40% Reduction

50% -100% Reduction Usage/ Discharge

6 – 10% ReductionChillers

Consistent Results

scale. They can give additional upstream and downstream kWh/kW savings from reduced water pumping and water treatment.

VPT provide for reduced chemical use, leading to reduced operational costs of purchased chemicals and lower service costs.

There is reduced toxic elements in blow-down water. Overall, reduced chemical use supports a circular economy and is a more sustainable approach.

Further, VPT aid in continuous performance monitoring. The monitoring and control system is integrated with the delivered technology and comes with the features of Web access and reports.

TYPICAL CONFIGURATION WHAT VPT CAN DO VPT can usher in water savings. Operating the cooling towers at higher cycles of concentration (COC) of 5-10 saves water through lower make-up water. Depending on site water, it is possible to reuse up to 100% blow-down water for other purposes, such as irrigation and lower sewer discharge.

All of these can earn the customer water incentives. = VPT can help save energy. They come with the promise of better heat transfer, and degrade and prevent cooling tower

VPT is a plug-and-play solution. It is easy to install and operate. The ease they provide has found wide acceptance, with typical customers including data centres, food and beverage sector, large hotel chains, pharma sector, process industries and chemical industries.

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.

October 2019

35

photo feature

Filippo Sona, Managing DirectorGlobal Hospitality, Drees and Sommer

3rd edition

Mohamed Mazen Gamay, Consultant Sales Manager, Samsung Gulf Electronics

30 SEPTEMBER 2019

FALCON BALLROOM, LE MERIDIEN HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTRE, DUBAI, UAE

Andrea Pagan, Application Manager, CAREL Industries

Dharmesh Sawant, Sales Director, Qingdao Hisense Hitachi Air-conditioning Marketing Co., Ltd.

CONVERGENCE he 3rd edition of The Client, Consultant, Contractor Conference, on September 30 in Dubai, saw a diversity of building industry stakeholders, including government officials, architects, MEP and general consultants, MEP and general contractors, end-users L-R: Abdulrahman Hussein, PMO - Technical Control, North 25-Project Management of MERAAS; Prabhu Ramachandran, CEO; Paul Groves, Business Development Manager, (clients) across multiple sectors, Khansaheb Industries LLC; Gurjit Bhui, Engineering Manager, Grand Hyatt Dubai and manufacturers, suppliers and Hanan Ahmed, Head of Engineering & Maintenance Services, Al Baraha Hospital FM firms participate in the discussions.

Produced by CPI Industry, the conference largely focused on fostering a business-enabling environment for the specialised MEP community Sougata Nandi, Founder & to facilitate their efforts in CEO, 3e Advisory & 3e Apps contributing to socio-economic and sustainable development goals and targets, as established by a multitude of government entities.

As expected, the most eagerly awaited discussions revolved around commercial challenges and legal redress of nagging issues relating to the selection of consultants and contractors for projects, payment delays and, broadly speaking, the drafting of contracts, in the context of an economic slowdown in many parts of the world. While the discussion on commercial aspects was meant to be a debate, the participants, largely speaking, concurred on the points raised.

L-R: Dani Elamana, Technical Director, Camfil Middle East FZCO; Matteo Zanesco, Managing Director, Carel Here, we bring you the conference in Middle East; Mohamed Mazen Gamay, Consultant Sales Manager, Samsung Gulf Electronics; Dharmesh pictures‌ Sawant, Sales Director, Qingdao Hisense Hitachi Air-conditioning Marketing Co., Ltd. and Manish Tamhane,

T

Technical Manager, Serck Services Gulf Ltd Co

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October 2019

Dani Elamana, Technical Director, Camfil Middle East FZCO

Paul Groves, Business Development Manager, Khansaheb Industries LLC

Martin A Kohler, Area Sales Management & Marine Applications, Klingenburg GmbH

OF VIEWS

Manish Tamhane, Technical Manager, Serck Services Gulf Ltd Co

The discussions during The Client, Consultant, Contractor Conference were less of a debate and more of a nodding of heads in assent, as consultants and contractors laid out largely homogeneous scenarios confronting them in the marketplace

L-R: Daniel Xu, Partner, King & Wood Mallesons MENA; Euan Lloyd,Senior Counsel, Al Tamimi & Company; Rachel Ewin, Director, Contract Services Turner & Townsend International Ltd. and Peter Anagnostou, Senior Associate, DLA Piper

L-R: Ayman Saad, Project Manager - Dubai Hills Estate - DCP1 & CHWN Projects, Allied Consultants Ltd; Jeรกn van Loggerenberg, Partner, CKR Consulting Engineers; Mansour Kharoub, Associate Principal - Mech Engineering Services, Khatib & Alami; Timothy McLaren, Senior Commercial Contracts Engineer, Ramboll; Vasanth Kumar, General Manager, IFMC Electromechanical Works LLC; Suresh Kumar, General Manager, Voltas; Khaled Derhalli, Regional Director, EFECO; K Anbalagan, Managing Partner, Proleed Engineering Consultants and Dr Zahid Rizvi, CEO & General Manager, Aspire Consulting

L-R: Euan Lloyd, Senior Counsel, Al Tamimi & Company; Mansour Kharoub, Associate Principal - Mech Engineering Services, Khatib & Alami; Fares Ahmad, General Manager, Emaar District Cooling and Asim A Hashmi, Sales Director Applied, S.K.M Air Conditioning LLC

Detailed report in the November 2019 issue of Climate Control Middle East.

October 2019

37

REGIONAL NEWS

H.E. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer honours Ahmad Bin Shafar during a recognition ceremony attended by Empower board members

H.E. Saeed Al Tayer commends Ahmad Bin Shafar for his pivotal role in developing Empower Praises the CEO of the District Cooling utility for supporting global efforts for environmental sustainability over the past 15 years

By CCME Content Team

.E. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman, Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), honoured Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO, Empower in recognition of his pivotal role in enhancing the cooling sector in the Middle East, promoting Empower internationally, and supporting global efforts for environmental sustainability over the past 15 years, the District Cooling utility said through a Press release.

The honouring ceremony was attended by Empower board members, the release added.

According to the release, Empower’s efforts have contributed to achieving the vision of UAE’s wise leadership to make Dubai the most sustainable city in the world. As a result of these efforts, Dubai was crowned as the ‘Champion City’ for District Cooling, globally, with a capacity of nearly two million tonnes of refrigeration, on the sidelines of the 8th International District Energy Association (IDEA) Annual Conference, which took

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place in 2018 in Dubai, the release said.

According to the release, Al Tayer commended Empower’s progress over the past years. Human resources and leadership, led by Bin Shafar, the release said, and his success in overseeing a distinguished team, are the main factors behind the success. Bin Shafar’s contributions and significant efforts in implementing strategies to achieve sustainable development also supported this achievement, the release added.

Al Tayer said: “This recognition is a culmination of Empower’s efforts that have enabled it to become the world’s largest district cooling services provider, over the past 15 years.

It also confirms Empower’s leading role in the field of district cooling, globally. Empower has signed major agreements with international companies in the district cooling industry.

Empower will continue to play a pioneering role in supporting the global district cooling sector and following the wise leadership’s vision to transform Dubai into

October 2019

a global hub for clean energy and green economy. Dubai has adopted district cooling through Empower, to contribute to low energy consumption and, hence, reduce carbon emissions.”

According to the release, the success of Empower's strategy, which has made it the world's largest district cooling services provider over the past 15 years, goes back to its reliance on providing district cooling services according to international standards.

Empower, the release said, provides environmentally and economically viable district cooling solutions for residential, commercial, office and hotel buildings.

According to the release, Empower acquired Palm Utilities in 2013, including its district cooling service entity, Palm District Cooling (PDC), from Istithmar World, which is considered to be one of the largest ever acquisitions in the district cooling industry, with a total value of USD 500 million (AED 1.83 billion).

From Dubai to the world, Empower launched the ’Owner’s Guide for Buildings Served

by District Cooling’ and an updated edition of the ‘District Cooling Guide’, in collaboration with The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), for designers and building owners around the world, the release said.

Bin Shafar said: “This appreciation reflects Empower’s success over the past 15 years, with our staff cooperating to make new and lasting achievements that drive us to move steadily towards the future. This recognition also drives us to work harder to keep abreast of the tremendous developments taking place in the world and Dubai.

“In the coming years, Empower aims to strengthen the company's infrastructure.

Empower currently provides district cooling services to more than 1,090 buildings, catering to more than 100,000 customers.

The company operates more than 1.43 Million RT.”

‘A holistic systems approach is the future of pumps’ IoT, BMS integration vital for predictive maintenance and faster commissioning, says Grundfos representative

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

achieve that? That is umps have been on through smarter and more an innovation fast intelligent controls, which track over the past are digitally enabled and few years, said Ronak based on technologies, like Monga, Segment Development artificial intelligence, which Manager for Building Services, can enable predictive analysis Grundfos Gulf, Levant & Ronak Monga and maintenance.” Monga Pakistan, who shared that the pointed out that today, many company is placing greater stakeholders are still largely reactive, leading focus on leveraging controls to solve HVAC to increased operating and maintenance issues and that a systems approach is the costs. “The most common predictive future of pumps. Today, Monga pointed maintenance being done is not predictive out, the company’s circulating pumps at all,” he said. “It is actually repetitive, are consuming only 17% of the energy greasing bearings in the pump room now they would have in 1999, highlighting the and then, because you have a schedule. But, 83% jump in efficiency. “But, how do we how can we come to a point where we can envision the future?” he asked. “We see that predict that maybe in the next three months, these revolutionary changes will be slower my bearings may fail, and that is why I need and more gradual when it comes to the to order the bearings, so I have no down efficiency by way of improving mechanically, time.” such as by improving the design of impellers Monga said a major challenge in today’s and internal components. So, we want to built-environment is commissioning. He look outside and to take a holistic systems said that commissioning, which typically approach. When you start thinking about takes a long time, can be reduced to a few that, you have to really see how your pump minutes and can be executed using mobile connects to the rest of the equipment and phones. “Pumps,” he said, "are also equipped how they work together to deliver the most with wireless communication, so multiple efficient operation of an HVAC system.” pumps can communicate amongst each Monga pointed out that in addition to other wirelessly, to ensure they are running efficiency, reliability should be taken into in the most optimal way.” Monga said the consideration. “Systems are designed and pumps are also connected to BMS and can be engineered to operate efficiently at Scada systems, allowing them to exchange the highest reliability for up to 25 years,” much more than the typical information he said. “How can we help our customers

P

taken from pumps, such as speed and consumption of energy and flow.

Monga said: “It is through these technologies we say, let’s not do HVAC the way we have been doing, which is buying pumps from one manufacturer, and buying controls, sensors and variable frequency drives from others, hoping they all work together. But rather, why not buy this equipment as one from a single source?”

Monga emphasised that this is the overall direction the company is taking and that Grundfos, in particular, is in a good position to take a leadership role in this regard, as it can leverage knowledge and experience in the market. “We are the largest manufacturer of pumps in the world,” he said, “If you are producing 17 million pumps, you have information and data collected from those 17 million pumps.” Monga said stakeholders must understand that such equipment is much more than parts of a puzzle, and that it is important to look at the bigger picture.

“The future of HVAC,” he said, “has to be different than what it is today, if we are really to take the leapfrog towards sustainability that we have been talking for so long.”

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October 2019

39

REGIONAL NEWS

Clarity, communication key to avoiding cashflow conundrum Camfil MD discusses key contractual issues that must be addressed, the importance of being selective with projects and the need for transparency

By Ranjana Konatt | Features Writer & Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

larity and clear communication would go a long way in dealing with cash-flow issues, said Nigel Hawley, Managing Director, Camfil Middle East FZCO, as he discussed how scheduling and forecasting can mitigate challenges related to project delivery.

“Everything needs to be discussed upfront, documented and ideally put into the formal contract,” he said. “Relying on anything outside of the contract, no matter how friendly the discussions are at the outset, is to be avoided, because it is only what is in the contract that can be enforced.” As such, Hawley said that parties must seek to enforce their right to be paid and that to this end, a cost-effective arbitration service would be especially helpful.

Hawley warned that stakeholders must be wary of red flags within the contracts.

Providing examples, he said: “Any terms that suggest payment is linked to events outside of our direct control – that is, ‘pay when paid’ – should always be avoided.

And liquidated damages above the contract value.” He also said that there is no excuse for any party to have an out-ofdate contract, considering no contract can be amended unilaterally, once signed. “If something is changed, both parties must agree and re-sign, so they should always have the latest version,” he said.

“Anything less than this is just bad management.”

Hawley pointed out that it is vital for companies to discuss such matters in order to protect their cash-flow, which, for manufacturers, can be particularly challenging. “We are under pressure, because we both manufacture locally, which requires the advance purchase of materials, and we also bring in finished goods from

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October 2019

Kingspan: There is a need to educate the market on the benefits of pre-insulated ducting Company official emphasises that updated UAE Fire and Life Safety Code allows for only UL 181 preinsulated ducting

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

n 2019, the UAE market changed totally to accommodate only UL181 preinsulated ducting (PID), said Paul Barnard, Head of HVAC Specification, Kingspan Insulation, who pointed out that the updates to the UAE Fire and Life Safety Code meant that no PUR or PIR pre-insulated ducts can be used.

Barnard said that in view of the new regulations, it was important to highlight to the market that not all pre-insulated ducts are banned. “With the new 2019 changes, not everyone was aware that the UL 181 Phenolic Duct was still acceptable,” he emphasised, pointing out that UL 181 requirement has improved

I

As such, Hawley said that sister companies,” he said. greater transparency on how “Relatively long lead times the money will flow down the mean we often suffer from chain from the master developer negative cash flow payment would be especially helpful in for goods and materials, safeguarding the interests of the many months before we construction community. Hawley are ultimately paid by our said that large contractors should customer.” Hawley said that Nigel Hawley be forced to disclose payment this has been a cause of stress for projects, especially since, as manufacturers, history when bidding for a contract. “This would allow contractors, who honour they must continue to honour commitments payments to their suppliers, to be selected previously made, but have not always been for the work and give sub-contractors paid for. “There is a ripple effect,” he said. more confidence in the fact that they will “If we are not paid then we cannot pay our eventually get paid.” Additionally, Hawley suppliers, who then won’t supply for the said, being able to have recourse against the next project. This leads master developer or project owner would give to further delays, late the sub-contractor more confidence they will delivery and, then, late payment. And so the circle ultimately get paid. “This recourse should include assistance to help ensure the subcontinues.” contractor distributes money down the chain Hawley said that, as when they get paid,” he said. a result, suppliers are Hawley said that while self-regulation becoming more and more is the best course of action, public selective when it comes sector support in publishing such types to the projects they are of information would go a long way in willing to participate in. protecting the financial interest of business “If there is above average owners as well as in ensuring the quality of risk, it is best to decline equipment being installed. “The government than participate and not has a role to play in ensuring appropriate get paid,” he said, adding that suppliers at standards are set, included and followed, the bottom of the supply chain are those that when projects are designed and contracts are are most exposed and affected. “These are drawnup. This would avoid a flight to “cheap the very companies who are least prepared to weather such challenges, and this often results inferior products” that do not meet the required standards.” in them going out of business,” he said.

the quality of PID due to the rigorous testing required ductwork, thus providing greater space for other services. to achieve the UL listing.

“Architects love having high ceilings, which sometimes Barnard pointed out that it is important to raise affects MEP designers, as there is less space to design in awareness on the issue to ensure compliance with the MEP Services,” he said. “So, PID is a perfect solution existing UAE codes as well as to avoid potential project for space-saving ductwork.” Barnard added that the delays. “What I try to say to consultants is to update speed of installation in relation to PID, is four times faster the specification to phenolic to UL 181, as per the new when compared with traditional ductwork and insulation.

Paul Barnard regulations, and contractors will quote accordingly at This, he says, leads to important intangible benefits the tender stage, and then there are no delays in jobs that stakeholders must be made aware of with regard due to incorrect pricing,” he said. Barnard added that Chapter 18 of to project delivery. “A hotel can open up earlier and start accepting the UAE Code focuses on Stakeholder Responsibility, which should guests earlier than expected, thus generating income earlier for the encourage greater due diligence among people when it comes to client, “ he pointed out. “The contractor completes the job faster specification and is meant to raise standards within the HVAC industry. and, thus, gets paid quicker and is on to the next job.”

This is one of the many issues that the market should be made Barnard added that when it comes to PID, concerns relating to aware of, said Barnard, who highlighted that there is also a need to damage should not serve as a bottleneck, as it has proved itself raise awareness on the benefits of installing pre-insulated ducting robust, once installed and that in the event of damage, it would be (PID) over traditional sheet metal. Considering PID is a hybrid and easy to fix. combination between ductwork and insulation, Barnard said that the Currently, Barnard said, PID still has only 30% of the ductwork solution is a two-in-one system and that it would solve a lot of the market compared to sheet metal. “We have lots to aim at,” he said. issues faced by traditional ducting. Barnard said that he also wanted “Having said that, Dubai is probably the largest PID market in the to highlight the intangible benefits associated with choosing PID, most world.” Overall, Barnard pointed out that adoption of PID continues notable in relation to space, weight and time. to have positive momentum and is gaining strong popularity in the Elaborating further, Barnard said that with PID, there is no need to market, adding that Kingspan has recently updated its factory to allow for additional space required of traditional insulation covering the conform with the new UAE regulations.

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REGIONAL NEWS

Imdaad achieves 27% energy savings in Manzeli staff accommodation Group CEO highlights positive ROI, following implementation of an Energy Control Management system for HVAC systems and the use of real-time data to optimise operations

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

mdaad was able to achieve 27% energy savings in Manzeli, the company’s staff accommodation, following the installation of an Energy Control Management system (ECM) for HVAC systems and the use of insights from real-time data to optimise operations, said Jamal Lootah, Group CEO, Imdaad. The project was detailed in a comprehensive case study, which Lootah said showcases the company’s commitment to test its own energy-saving solutions within its operations before administering it to clients to ensure its positive impact on the overall operating cost. “We make 100% sure that it will not affect people and, second, that the machines will not be affected,” he said.

According to the study, the ECM for the accommodation’s HVAC setup integrated all existing control systems within the building into one central

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location and that in addition to monitoring the performance of individual pieces of equipment, Imdaad was able to realise energy savings through effective monitoring of energy expenditure and setting control strategies.

One way in which ECMs can reduce energy waste within the context of HVAC systems is by matching real-time data to occupancy, the study said.

Providing an example, the study noted that if a room is being unnecessarily and aggressively cooled during off-peak times then this can be identified and rectified through the ECM, with potential savings being both forecast and then verified after the change has been made.

The study said that in the case of a staff accommodation building, such as Manzeli, occupancy is much higher at night or during peak shift timings, when compared to an

JCI launches YORK YZ magnetic bearing centrifugal chiller in the Middle East Chiller offers the widest-operating envelope to support the region’s climate, company says

By CCME Content Team

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October 2019

Jamal Lootah

office building, where such a pattern is likely to be reversed.

The study said that Imdaad places great emphasis on the importance of real-time granular data and that data that is viewed over days or weeks will fail to address intra-day volatility in occupancy and equipment performance, which is key to making improvements.

Sharing insights from the company’s analysis of its data, Lootah said: “We found out that the ACs should be switched off from 2am to 4am in the night, where no one will feel the difference. We put a sensor to measure heat

and temperature.” The study said that through the use of permanent metering, electricity usage was documented against baseline numbers in order to demonstrate the ECM’s effect.

The unmetered aspects of the project were, and still are, measured by confirmation of key parameters and verification that key equipment is operating as specified, said the study.

According to the study, the project had a total investment of AED 500,000, with estimated annual savings of AED 260,000 for a simple payback of 1.9 years. The study noted that the project took one year to complete, including a four-month construction period and that although an internal project, there was still a guaranteed energy cost saving of 16% identified and committed to between business units, which was exceeded, with a total saving of 27%.

ohnson Controls has launched the YORK YZ magnetic bearing centrifugal chiller to its Middle East customers, the company said through a Press release. The YORK YZ delivers up to 35% annual energy savings, reduced maintenance costs and is optimised for ultimate performance with a low-GWP refrigerant, the release quoted the company as saying. The cooling capacity for the Middle East units ranges from 165 to 1,350 tonnes of refrigeration (580 to 4747 kW), the release said.

“With the launch of the YORK YZ chiller, we are proud to be delivering another industry-leading chiller to meet the demands of our customers in the Middle East,” said Claude Allain, VP and GM - Building, Technologies and Solutions, Middle East & Africa, Johnson Controls. “The extreme dry climate of the region presents a variety of cooling challenges. Coupled with the success of magnetic bearings in the region, the operating range map of chillers for the Middle East makes the YORK YZ an ideal choice for a variety of application needs in the Middle East.”

According to the release, since its initial launch, in 2018, the YORK YZ has made a significant global impact, capturing top honours in North America, China, Europe and Australia. The YZ chiller, the release said, was named 2019 AHR Innovation Award winner in the Cooling category. The success of the chiller,

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ENGIE: FM to play a vital role in Middle East’s unfolding energy efficiency narrative Company official discusses Engie Cofely’s move to provide holistic energy management solutions, highlights strong government directives towards nZEBs

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

acility management (FM) will play a vital role in the Middle East’s unfolding energy narrative, said Frederic Claux, Head of Assets, Engie MESCAT, and board member, Tabreed. Claux said the increasing importance the region is placing on energy efficiency and energy savings is one of the reasons the company acquired Cofely BESIX Facility Management (CBFM), now called ENGIE Cofely, earlier this year. “This will be used as a platform across the region to broaden the type of services we offer, to move away from pure facilities management to installation and energy efficiency concession,” he said. “For instance, we install panels on the roof of large buildings of government entities and, at the

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and various industries that same time, manage the facilities would also be interested in and optimise consumption.” such projects. “It’s a huge Across the GCC region, market that is opening,” he he said, government entities said. Already, Claux pointed are paving the way for the out, there are many net-zerodevelopment of projects that energy buildings built and integrate renewable energy and operational in other regions, are showing greater interest Frederic Claux adding that this has been a in net-zero-energy buildings key development objective in Australia, (nZEBs). “In Oman, as well as in Bahrain, Europe and the United Kingdom. In the they want to equip ministry buildings with region, Claux said that he believes flagship solar panels,” he said, by way of giving an projects would pave the way for broader example. development in this direction. “Masdar City Highlighting the importance of a is a great example,” he said, “So, too, will holistic approach in the move towards be the innovations presented at Expo 2020 net-zero-energy buildings, Claux said in Dubai. I’m sure many examples will be that through ENGIE Cofely’s FM and on show there.” energy efficiency portfolio, there is strong Claux said that Cofely Engie will potential to offer the relevant solutions strengthen its position in key markets, to real estate developers, companies such as the UAE, and will start further developing its presence in Saudi Arabia, Oman and India. “Beyond the region, too, we are strong in FM in France, and many European countries, as well as in Northern America,” he said. “Plus, we aim to expand in Asia and Australia.”

the release added, has already been seen in the Middle East, as the first YORK YZ project has been sold in the region. Globally, the release further added, this is the second largest YZ project sold to date and will be installed later this year.

According to the release, the YORK YZ is the first chiller fully optimised for ultimate performance with a next-generation lowglobal-warming-potential (GWP) refrigerant – R-1233zd(E). Chosen for its efficiency, safety, availability, low environmental impact and cost, the non-flammable refrigerant has an ultra-low GWP of 1 and is readily available from refrigerant manufacturers, the release quoted the company as claiming.

The YZ chiller, the release said, can deliver significant energy savings and lower operating costs by taking advantage of the offdesign conditions, where chillers operate 99% of the time. The YZ chiller, the release said, operates with entering condenser water temperature as low as 40°F (4.5°C), providing enhanced performance in every operating condition and the widest operating envelope in the industry. The YORK YZ, the release added, uses an optimised singlestage design to provide industry-leading, real-world energy efficiency.

► The YORK YZ magnetic bearing centrifugal chiller

October 2019

43

REGIONAL NEWS

dmg events to host second edition of HVAC R Expo in November GCC region investments in HVACR systems in the region are estimated to exceed USD 68 billion over the next decade, the organisers say, quoting a report by HVACR Expo and MEED Projects

By CCME Content Team

he second edition of HVAC R Expo will take place from November 25 to 28 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, dmg events, the organisers, said through a Press release.

According to the release, there are growth opportunities for HVACR stakeholders in the Middle East market, with GCC region investments in HVACR systems estimated to exceed USD 68 billion over the next decade, as per a recent report published by HVAC R Expo and MEED Projects, Elaborating on the report, Josine Heijmans, Portfolio Director, dmg events, said: “The UAE alone represents 31% of the total needed investments for HVAC R solutions in the GCC over the next 10 years, and as demand increases we can expect the market to develop, in line with government goals, such as energy conservation and smart initiatives.”

According to the release, HVAC R Expo will be co-located with The Big 5 construction exhibition, once again this year. Featuring five more co-located shows alongside HVAC R Expo, The Big 5 will offer 360-degree building

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solutions from inception to completion for construction professionals in the region, the release said.

“With HVAC R components being a key element in the region’s construction projects, it is important for us to continue to include the Expo alongside The Big 5,” Heijmans said. “Similarly, and with this latest market update, it is an unmissable opportunity for the industry to network and do business with industry professionals from all around the world and explore the latest innovations and technologies across the four show days.”

According to the release, products on display at HVAC R Expo will relate to climate control, air quality and ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration and heating, HVAC equipment and services, and building automation. Industry heavyweights already signed up to exhibit include the likes of SKM, Fawaz and Zamil, the release said.

The HVAC R Expo is backed by the ASHRAE Falcon Chapter. Hassan Younes, President of the Chapter, said: “We expect to see government representatives,

consultants, contractors, owners, suppliers and manufacturers all in one forum at HVAC R Expo. It will be the ideal place for creating solutions to the challenges we face as construction stakeholders.”

To capitalise on the diversity of industry professionals expected to attend, HVAC R Expo will also host the HVAC Pioneers’ Summit, the release said, adding that visitors can profit from the free-to-attend and certified HVAC R Talks on offer.

At its launch edition, in 2018, HVAC R Expo welcomed over 11,000 visitors that met and did business with 200-plus exhibitors from 21 exhibiting countries, the release quoted the organisers as claiming.

According to the release, HVAC R Expo will be co-located with The Big 5, The Big 5 Heavy, Middle East Concrete, Middle East Stone, The Big 5 Solar, and Urban Design & Landscape Expo.

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REGIONAL NEWS

Raffles Dubai discusses initiatives that led to Green Key certification Hotel’s Cluster Director of Engineering highlights investment in HVACR equipment and personnel with an eye towards enhancing energy efficiency and improving IEQ

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

affles Dubai has been awarded the Green Key certification, an international ecolabel for tourism and hospitality facilities, in recognition of the hotel meeting mandatory and voluntary benchmarks towards sustainable operations. Sushant Sushant Pawar Pawar, Cluster Director of Engineering, Raffles Dubai and Sofitel Dubai Wafi, discussing the HVACR-related initiatives the hotel’s engineering team implemented over the past few years in its effort to enhance energy efficiency and improve indoor environmental quality (IEQ), said the team upgraded the hotel’s GRMS (Guest Room Management System) to ensure automated control over the lights, curtains and air conditioners in unoccupied rooms using motion sensors and controls.

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“The chiller plant system was also upgraded with a demand flow control system in 2015, and this initiative was able to reduce the HVAC consumption by 20%,” he said.

Other initiatives, Pawar highlighted, have been the replacement of halogen and incandescent lights with LED bulbs and the installation of water aerators and water savers in showers and faucets, leading to 15% savings in water consumption.

Pawar also said the engineering team facilitated ongoing retrofit projects with a demand control system for its airhandling units, fresh air-handling units and kitchen exhaust fans. “This actually optimises speed and reduces energy consumption at the same time,” he explained, adding that Raffles Dubai conducts frequent energy audits to identify potential energy-saving areas. Pawar said that in a bid to cater to an eco-conscious clientele, Raffles Dubai recently installed a universal electric vehicle-charging station in the hotel car park, to underscore its support for technology that produces no emissions and, thus, improves air quality.

Pawar said that even during the design and construction phase, Raffles Dubai already made a conscientious effort to integrate energyefficiency practices and initiatives towards plumbing, electrical and air conditioning equipment, which he said, are typically built to be utilised to the maximum load capacity, which is beyond what is actually required in real life. “It is important to evaluate the hotel operation and make sure to optimise the equipment systems and gain maximum energy savings at the same time,” he said. “The initial focus is to adjust the operational hours and capacity of the equipment, as per the operational requirements and not let it run on full capacity.”

Although such initiatives require investment in resources and manpower, Pawar said that he believes Raffles Dubai has showcased the commercial payback of spearheading such initiatives, considering that following the implementation of energy-saving practices in 2011, the total energy consumption has reduced by more than 30%, saving the property more than AED 2 million. “I definitely believe that implementing such initiatives does make a case for the ROI of investing in energy-efficient equipment and practices,” he said, “In addition, Raffles Dubai recently signed an energy management contract to reduce the energy consumption with an implementation of major equipment retrofit. This initiative will further reduce the hotel’s energy consumption by AED 1.2 million per year.”

MEA smart cities market investments set to double to USD 2.7 billion by 2022 KPMG makes the prediction during the 6th Annual Arab Future Cities Summit

By CCME Content Team

of new gateways that technology together to support the drive opens for them, helping them towards smart cities, and in identify and respond to the line with Dubai's vision 2021 critical need to be planet- and to transform the emirate into profitability-compatible. We look a smart city, the Summit was forward to being part of this move a platform to discuss and towards building the smart cities showcase new technologies, Rémi Pouchucq of tomorrow.” opportunities and trends.

As part of a presentation he Rémi Pouchucq, Business made on the topic of Edge Computing, titled Development Manager, Middle East & ‘The Rise of Edge Computing: Applications Africa, Edge Computing, Small & Medium and Benefits’, Pouchucq shared insights on Data Center, Schneider Electric, speaking new trends in the world of digitisation and on the sidelines of the event, said: “Large how it is impacting people’s lives, ultimately investments are going into technologies that paving the way towards smart cities, the enable smart cities, and the UAE has set itself release said. Pouchucq also shared insights as a benchmark for smart city innovation about new technologies, followed by a dive in the region. With urbanization moving at into the growing number of applications its current pace, developing solutions that available in the market today, the release tackle issues in terms of energy, safety, said. The session, the release added, ended mobility, sustainability and overall wellbeing with an exchange of best practices and remain at paramount importance to us at requirements in innovation and the role that Schneider Electric. Thanks to the numerous technology plays as a catalyst, accelerating government-lead initiatives, businesses and the drive towards a smarter, digital world. individuals are becoming increasingly aware

he market investments into smart cities in the Middle East and Africa are set to double from USD 1.3 billion in 2018 to USD 2.7 billion by the year 2022, according to a KPMG report.

Schneider Electric, in a Press release, quoted the report, in the context of discussions during the 6th Annual Arab Future Cities Summit, on September 16 and 17 in Dubai.

According to the release, the Summit highlighted the region’s rapid development to become a global leader in smart cities, with Dubai being at the forefront of this transformation. With this growth, the role of digital technologies and smart solutions is ever increasing, the Summit concluded.

According to the KPMG report, building cities integrated with next-generation technologies, such as the Internet of Things (IoTs) and artificial intelligence (AI) begins with making investments that leverage on advanced IT infrastructure.

According to the release, with top industry leaders and market players coming

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REGIONAL NEWS

EmiratesGBC: Green Key gains strong momentum in UAE

Elaborating on the mandatory number of Green Key hotels and voluntary benchmarks needed underlines the mounting to achieve the certification, interest among hotel operators Fayyad said that the Green to go green. “Hotels in Key baseline criteria list covers Dubai are now mandated to 13 categories: Environmental comply with 19 sustainability Management, Staff Involvement, requirements outlined under Majd Fayyad Guest Information, Water, the Dubai Sustainable Washing and Cleaning, Waste, Tourism initiative of the Energy, Food and Beverage, Indoor Dubai Department of Tourism & Commerce Environment, Green Areas, Corporate Marketing,” he added. “This further Social Responsibility, Green Activities and highlights the governmental commitment to Council’s Technical Manager Administration. These, he said, are, then, spotlights growing interest among advancing sustainability performance across divided into two categories – Imperative, hotel operators with 30% increase the hospitality sector.” which comprises 63 criteria and Guideline, Fayyad said that the positive trend is set in number of certified hotels in which comprises 68 criteria. “The Imperative to continue, considering that Green Key and 2019; says programme’s ‘energy’ criteria must be fulfilled in all Green Key Wyndham Hotels & Resorts have just signed criteria accounts for adequate certified establishments,” he said. “The a collaboration agreement at the global control of AC systems based Guideline ones must increasingly be fulfilled level, which will help increase the number on seasonal changes, thermal to show continuous improvement year-onof certified properties in the UAE. Interest, insulation and efficient glazing, year.” he said, is also growing, owing to the many amongst other aspects Discussing the impact of the criteria on benefits Green Key certification offers.

HVACR operations, Fayyad confirmed that “Green Key provides proof for customers and

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor the energy performance of hotel properties partners that a tourism establishment has does play a significant role in achieving high sustainability standards – Green Key. He said, “Energy criteria assured through third-party reen Key has gained strong include proper registration of verification,” he said. “[It momentum in the UAE, said consumption, adequate control Majd Fayyad, Technical Manager, also] provides a stepof AC systems based on seasonal by-step framework for EmiratesGBC, who pointed out changes, installation of efficient hotels to achieve their that by July 2019 there were 42 certified lighting, proper maintenance sustainability goals, hotels across the country, an increase in and cleaning, usage of energyhelps in reducing a number of more than 30% compared to efficient appliances and systems, hotel’s utility bills through the previous year. “In addition to Raffles thermal insulation, efficient glazing, reduction of energy and [Dubai], a number of hotel groups in the usage of renewable energy, key card UAE have joined hands with us for the Green water use, and it can be control systems, motion detectors Key programme,” he said. “We have certified used as a marketing tool to and heat-recovery systems.” these hotels and look forward to continuing further attract and engage Fayyad added that Green Key eco-friendly customers the collaboration with these hotel groups also puts a concerted focus and others.” Fayyad said that the growth in and partners.”

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Oasis Coils & Coating opens new facility in Dubai The new manufacturing and coating unit will significantly increase production capacity and meet the growing demands of the market, says company’s CEO, Navin Valrani

By CCME Content Team

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October 2019

AE-headquartered Oasis Coils & Coatings LLC (OCC), which manufactures HVAC coils and heat pipes, inaugurated its new facility expansion in Al Quoz Industrial Area in early September, the company said through a Press release. Navin Valrani, the company’s CEO; Pramodh Idicheria, the COO and other members of the leadership team and staff were present during the inauguration.

According to the release, the opening of the new facility has enabled OCC to expand its existing facility to a fully integrated, state-of-the-art coil manufacturing and coating facility. The newly expanded facility, the release said, will serve existing and new customers; it also represents incremental demand created in the existing HVAC market.

Valrani said: “Today, we have created a milestone in the history of Oasis Coils & Coating. The expansion of the facility was made possible by Oasis Coil’s existing presence in the region and showcased our ability to lead in the HVAC industry. With this new facility, we will significantly increase our production capacity and meet the growing demands of the market.”

Idicheria added: “Our commitment to producing quality products, exceptional customer service and timely delivery has helped us establish a loyal customer base in

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on indoor environmental quality (IEQ), especially with regard to an establishment’s smoking policy, the use of environmentally friendly products, disinfection substances and fragrance spray and perfume in connection with washing and cleaning.

Fayyad said that it is important to understand that the Green Key philosophy addresses both resource efficiency, with regard to environmental management, and environmental education, with regard to staff training, guests and suppliers’ engagement. “As Green Key is operated as a non-governmental and non-commercial certification programme, national operators can keep audit and certification costs low, allowing hotel properties to focus their spending on their operations rather than certification costs,” he explained.

Admittedly, Fayyad said there are some investment costs required to meet the Green Key criteria, such as installing flow restrictors and LED lights, depending on the hotel and situation. “In nutshell, achieving Green Key requires the appointment of an environmental manager from amongst the staff of the establishment, and periodic meetings with the management and staff to review progress and set goals,” he said. “It is highly recommended to involve all departments in the application process, so that each department can assess its compliance and provide all necessary information to achieve certification.”

Empower connects its service to Deira Waterfront Will supply 20,000 TR to project, company says

By CCME Content Team

mirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) has commenced providing District Cooling services to the first phase of Deira Waterfront project, the District Cooling utility company said through a Press release. The District Cooling project is part of the contract between Empower and Ithra Dubai, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), the release said.

Ahmad Bin Shafar Empower specified through the release that its project for Deira Waterfront will be executed in two phases using innovative technologies in District Cooling. The first phase includes providing around 20,000 tonnes of refrigeration (TR) to 18 buildings, covering an area of 570,000 square metres, the release said, adding that the second phase includes providing 25,000 TR to 28 buildings, covering a total area of around 910,000 square metres.

Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO, Empower, said: “We are happy to partner with Ithra Dubai in the world's largest waterfront project and one of Dubai’s leading real estate projects. This reflects the confidence of real estate developers and stakeholders in district cooling services.”

Bin Shafar stressed that Empower has begun a new phase of expanding District Cooling services to Dubai's largest real estate projects. The number of buildings served by Empower’s District Cooling services has increased by eight per cent from last year, reaching a total of 43 new buildings during the first half of 2019, with a cooling capacity of more than 56,000 TR According to the release, Deira Waterfront is one of the prominent real estate projects in the emirate. It reflects the leading development role for Dubai’s sustainable projects, the release said. The project would occupy the last remaining Persian Gulf coastline of Dubai; it is a conglomeration of canals and artificial archipelago, as well as residential and commercial buildings, hotels and other vital facilities that support Dubai as a tourist and commercial destination, the release said.

“Empower has connected its services to major projects in Dubai, including the Royal Atlantis Resort and Residences at Palm Jumeirah, the Dubai Arena and the ICD Brookfield Place in DIFC,” Bin Shafar said. “Empower has also begun its experimental operation in the Cityland Mall project in Global Village area.”

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L- R: Navin Valrani, Mathew Gudinho, Pramodh Idicheria, Roshan Roy and Denson George

the region. As a result of exceptional growth and the need to meet the increasing demand of our customers, a factory expansion was a natural next step in our journey. This new facility will allow us to leverage our current management and supply chain expertise to take us to new heights.”

Roshan Roy, Global Sales Manager, Oasis Coils & Coatings, said: “With this new expansion of our existing facility, we have launched two new coil production lines and a second spray coating area, which will enhance our growth and solidify our position in the region. This new facility is a significant investment in the coating of coils and further ensures that we offer a complete solution to our customers.”

October 2019

49

REGIONAL NEWS

World Energy Congress discusses disruptive technology, shifting economic models World Energy Council discusses importance of diversified energy mix, and creative partnerships and investments; forecasts future of Middle East’s oil and gas sector

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

During a keynote address, he World Energy H.E. Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Congress, from UAE Minister of State, and Chief September 9 to 12 in Executive Officer, Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi discussed National Oil Company (ADNOC), disruptive technology and highlighted the importance shifting economic models on of the UAE being host to September 11. The United H. E. Suhail Al Mazrouei the prestigious event. “The Arab Emirates hosted the 24th Congress will provide important edition of the Congress, which information to engage on key saw participation of high-level issues on the evolving energy government officials, scientists, landscape,” he said. “The theme entrepreneurs and decisionshould serve as a reminder to makers across the diverse mix the industry of its responsibility of industries within the energy to provide energy needed for sector from over 150 countries. sustainable economic growth.”

H. E. Suhail Al Mazrouei, UAE Younghoon David Kim Al Jaber added that this is Minister of Energy and Industry, especially crucial, as society inaugurated the Congress. enters the “Age of Disruption”, Speaking on the occasion, he pointing out that emerging underlined how the decision to economic powers are shaping hold the event in the country a new geopolitical order, and was an opportunity to showcase traditional commerce is being the international community’s challenged by new models. “Car support of the UAE’s effort to sales are down, but car ride transition and diversify its energy H.E. Dr Sultan Ahmed Al services, like Uber and Careem, mix. “For more than 95 years, the Jaber are taking off,” he said. “Stores Congress has been a platform are not as busy as they used to be, but online where government and companies discuss sales are soaring. In short, conventional future solutions to take care of some of the manufacturing networks are being most challenging issues facing humanity and fundamentally, challenged and reshaped.” planet earth,” he said.

However, he pointed out that in the face of Younghoon David Kim, Chair, World such unprecedented changes, new operating Energy Council, said, “Global energy leaders models, no matter how they evolved or are acutely aware of the pressing need for transform, will always require energy. change to ensure development is sustainable Kim said that The World Energy Council is in terms of supply and use of energy." set to publish the three pathways for energy transition, which is set to be a definitive guide on implications of rapid innovation on the energy industry and an annual index measuring how countries balance energy security, reliability and equality. “For the first time, governments can use integrated policy tool to track and compare year-on-year performance,” he said.

Al Jaber added that robust population growth and historic rise of the middle class has led to greater spending power, driving demand for energy. He pointed out that over three times of the current energy consumed

by Europe will be added to global energy

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demand in the next two decades.

To meet such growing demand, Al Jaber said, it is important to integrate and optimise a diversified energy mix, emphasising the leadership role in creating a diverse energy ecosystem, and highlighting the great strides the UAE has made in terms of renewables, particularly solar and nuclear. “We know that the world will still rely on oil and gas as a majority source for many decades to come,” he said. “In fact, about USD 11 trillion of investment is needed to just to keep up with current projected demand. In the UAE, the leadership set ambitious target to be a reliable and responsible supplier for energy markets At ADNOC, we are on track to achieving sustainable capacity goal at four million barrels per day by 2020 and five million by 2050.”

Al Mazrouei discussed the UAE’s longterm energy strategy, pointing out that the country’s investment in solutions could be considered unprecedented from a country that is responsible for supplying so much oil and gas to the global market.

“We will continue as a reliable supplier of hydrocarbon,” he said. “But our leadership wants us to do it in a way where we, together with national oil company, reduce the carbon footprint by 70% by 2050. So, that’s quite a commitment we would like to share with you all. We are encouraging all the countries to try to diversify the energy mix to include cleaner forms of energy. We would like this to be a platform where solutions are created and opportunities are given to entrepreneurs.”

Al Jaber emphasised that meeting energy needs responsibly and economically will require a renewed spirit of partnership with new sets of investments and energy companies, where best practice is shared, technology is leveraged and capital is efficiently used “We stand ready to forge strategic, value-added commercial partnerships with governments and industry leaders and innovators across the entire value chain,” he said. “By bringing together energy leaders from public-private sector, we will stay ahead, we will protect our environment, and there is no limit to opportunities we can unlock jointly.”

Data-driven technology takes centrestage at FM EXPO Exhibitors highlight growing importance of investing in innovative solutions and EXPO’s role as platform for knowledge exchange to encourage best practices

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

he growing importance of datadriven technology in the move to enhance efficiency and promote sustainable building operations was a key topic of discussion during the FM EXPO, from September 17 to 19 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Prabhu Prabhu Ramachandran Ramachandran, Founder and CEO, Facilio, said that this trend can be observed by the increase in number of participating technology vendors, which, he said, is a good sign of the sector’s initiative to adopt and integrate innovation solutions.

“Even among the visitors coming in, their expectation is more on tech,” he said. “They want to understand how tech can be used to optimise operations. Customers, building Jamal Abdullah Lootah owners and FM companies are all moving towards efficiency – energy efficiency, workforce efficiency or asset efficiency – and looking at how technology can be used [in this regard].” Ramachandran said there is a growing number of RFPs in the market that underscore end-users’ inclination for new technology offerings over traditional solutions.

Stephen Morris Jamal Abdullah Lootah, Group CEO, Imdaad, shared a similar observation. “Technology is always our number one focus at Imdaad,” he said. “In today’s economy, there is a pressing need for cost-effective solutions, and we believe that we can leverage technology to develop them.” In keeping with that, Lootah said the company endeavoured to create a more interactive stand showcasing its portfolio of solutions at the EXPO. “We included

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live demonstrations of what we do, how do we do it, how we engage with our clients and offer them value through our solutions,” he said.

Lootah said that in addition to presenting new solutions to the market, FM EXPO continues to offer a valuable platform for educating the industry on best practices. “As an industry leader, we believe we have a responsibility to transfer knowledge within the broader ecosystem,” he said, adding that to this end, Imdaad continues to host its Work Series. “We bring in instructors from all around the business sector – this includes developers, consultants and contractors,” he said.

In addition to the Imdaad Work Series, the FM Forum and Waste and Recycling Summit hosted a number of seminars on a number of issues facing the industry. Stephen Morris, Global Head FM Sector, RICS, facilitated one such seminar, during which he highlighted that in addition to promoting best practices, it is important to educate the entire value chain on the need to adopt standards to raise the bar within the industry and promote consistency across organisations. “One of the biggest challenges for FM over the years, particularly for the Middle East region, has been the quality of procurement” he said, pointing out that there are gaps owing to typical processes. “Not one organisation is following the same standard of approach of how we would cost something, how we would measure something or how we would even deliver that tender process. What we are trying to emphasise today is that there is a huge range of standards, and if everyone, from service provider up to client, uses the same standards we have consistency, we have accuracy, we have greater value and a better outcome.” Morris added that implementing standards would help develop stronger relationship between the client and the chosen service provider, which will further bring value to the project. Such stakeholder engagement, he further added, is vital, considering FM sector’s role in ensuring energy efficiency of operations.

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REGIONAL NEWS

Eurovent Middle East holds technical discussion on VSDs Cross-section of industry experts comes together for HVACR Leadership Workshop to discuss advantages, applications and innovations in variable speed drives

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

he latest edition of Eurovent Middle East's series of ‘HVACR Leadership Workshops’, on September 11 in Dubai, saw a discussion on issues related to variable speed drives. A cross-section of industry experts from the Association's member companies helmed the discussions.

Jesper Therbo-Pedersen, Danfoss Drives, kicked off the workshop by discussing the

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and the value of seasonal importance of taking into efficiency in the Middle consideration energy efficiency East. Inverters, he said, can across all parts of the HVAC greatly contribute to efforts system, and providing technical to mitigate the contribution details aimed at promoting of cooling to global warming, specification of highly efficient but that issues surrounding drive and motor systems that Jesper Therbo-Pedersen refrigerants, evaporator meet IEC/EN 61800-9-2 and and condenser efficiency, class IE2 standards. “It’s not compressor technology, as only about the motor, it’s also well as installation must be about the driven equipment,” he addressed. After outlining said, touching on the importance operational benefits of inverter of specifying high-quality fans, technology, Joshi stressed that pumps and compressors to currently there are no regulatory ensure total efficiency of the frameworks incentivising system. Therbo-Pedersen went adoption of inverter systems on to discuss heat loss, pointing Utpal Joshi and that current labelling out that even a 2-4% loss leads mechanisms do not represent to significant heat generation. the value that inverter-based However, he stressed that there equipment can offer end users are intelligent ways to remove and their value compared to heat and that a number of drive non-inverters, adding that in the suppliers offer backchannel Middle East only four per cent of cooling, which is a smart and equipment installed is based on economical way of removing inverter technology, compared heat loss. He also touched on Deepak Bhat to almost 100% in Japan. mitigation of harmonics, and Deepak Bhat, Manager, the importance of applying IEEE Large Tonnage Chillers Sales (GCC), Johnson 519-recommended limits to only the PCC and Controls, highlighted the advantages not to individual pieces of equipment. of Variable Speed Drives in improving Utpal Joshi, VRV Consulting Sales, Daikin performance of medium-voltage centrifugal Middle East and Africa, elaborated on how chillers. “Centrifugal chillers account for 60% inverter technology improves the energy of the building’s consumption, he said. “If efficiency of air conditioning systems

Eolisair: Better IAQ leads to enhanced guest experience Company’s CEO discusses benefits of Eolis Air Manager in relation to the hospitality sector and the company’s business model to encourage adoption

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

ndoor air quality (IAQ) is between eight and 10 times more polluted than outside air, said Ludovic Labidurie, CEO, Eolisair, emphasising the importance of air treatment on the sidelines of The Hotel Show, held from September 17 to 19 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Labidurie said that the main objective of the company’s participation was to introduce the Eolis Air Manager to the hospitality sector and highlight its benefits to hotels and its guests.

Labidurie said that there is strong potential for the hospitality sector

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to adopt such equipment in view of the region’s growing awareness for good IAQ and owing to the competitive advantage that can be gained from investing in products that ensure health and comfort of visitors as well as provide an enhanced guest experience.

Elaborating on the product, Labidure Ludovic Labidurie said that unlike typical air purifiers designed for the consumer market, the Eolis Air Purifier is a professional application that complies with stringent regulations of healthcare facilities. The system, Labidure said, offers a host of innovations, including motor turbine monitored by sensors leading to greater control of VOCs and PM 2.5, in addition to five different filters, each of which, he said, is tested individually by independent laboratories and treats various types of air pollutants. The product, he said, has been verified by laboratories such as Enviro’ and Industrial Solutions Middle East, which is the official laboratory approved by the Dubai Municipality, as well as URS testing laboratory, TIPEE laboratory, IFTH and TERA environment.

Labidurie said the company has developed a specific business model to showcase how the air purifier can benefit the hospitality

unit by taking the end wall you are a typical District Cooling and populating it with fans. plant, you are looking at large Originating in the US to address motors sitting there consuming needs of data centres, he said continuous power, running at full that fan array projects are load. The only way to optimise growing fast in the Middle East is to make sure they operate at for new buildings as well as for the right speed.” Currently, he John Fernandez retrofits. Advantages, he said, said, variable speed drives are includes high air flow, reduced not common in medium and equipment footprint, improved large equipment – a trend, he air distribution, lower power added, is about to change. One consumption, lower cost and misconception he discussed is in-built redundancy. Fernandez that MV VSDs are expensive with also discussed common unattractive payback; however questions related to design he countered that the cost and of fans to ensure maximum size of MV VSDs have reduced performance. with improved technology and, Matteo Zanesco Matteo Zanesco, Carel, hence, it is time to reevaluate discussed variable speed drives these misconceptions. He also in the context of cold chain. discussed that contrary to the In addition to benefits related belief that District Cooling plants to energy savings, Zanesco operate at full-load conditions, highlighted that integrating the plants seldom see full Delta such technologies also results Temperature, and as such, in better comfort and food chillers are loaded between 60 Frank Taaning Grundholm preservation, especially in and 80%. combination with other Providing an IEQ angle, John components, such as electric expansion Fernandez, Managing Director, ebm-papst valves and advanced control algorithms.

Middle East, shared insights on advantages “It’s not just about temperature but also using fan arrays, and presented case studies humidity, which is often more relevant in of successful international reference projects. terms of effect on food preservation,” he said.

Fernandez explained that fan arrays serve as Such technology, he added, also serves as an an alternative fan concept for AHUs, where environmentally friendly solution that can be the building itself serves as the air-handling

sector. An important application for the product that Labidure discussed is in relation to housekeeping services. “A main issue for hotels is how to treat smell in the room between guest occupancy,” he said. “In that case, we have the deep clean treatment in the machine.” Labidurie said that the machine complements the air conditioning and ventilation maintenance scheme offered by FM companies, especially in the GCC region, where heat and humidity can often provide a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses. “If we consider a 60-square-metre room, with 2.5 metres for the ceiling,

readily used for natural refrigerants and can have low noise levels in most applications.

Finally, he said the quantity of data available from the system can be leveraged to eliminate food waste and increase system reliability, leading to lower operational cost.

Frank Taaning Grundholm, Vice President, Global HVACRsales, ABB motion, ended the workshop by looking at the applications of digitalisation within the HVACR sector and opportunities it offers the entire value chain.

Grundholm highlighted the importance of making innovative and disruptive technologies relevant to the industry by aligning them with efforts to increase efficiency through predictive maintenance, condition monitoring, data sharing and using algorithms “to do more, and do it better”. Grundholm said efficiency can be attained through a continuous cycle of analysing the data, and acting on it. “It’s not always you need more data,” he said. “You need a structured way of looking into it.”

Digitalisation, he emphasised, can also deliver value through product lifetime by avoiding equipment deterioration, reducing downtime and improving overall productivity.

the small machine can renew and clean the air in this place in about two hours,” he said. “We have the sensor monitoring air quality, adjusting the speed of the fan, and as soon as the air has impurity the machine will detect it and automatically treat the problem.” He said that the company is also targeting FM companies, who have shown interest in the product, in a bid to widen its portfolio of services to its customers.

Labidurie said the company is also working with hotels to offer the machine as an additional option for guests who are especially conscious about indoor air quality. “We are giving this machine for free to the hotel, and they invoice the use of the machines to the guest, but for less than AED 80-90,” he said.

“We are forgetting that 25% of the population is suffering from breathing allergies and asthma – this would be a good [option] for them. Also, for families, if you have kids with you, you want for them to have a safe environment and good indoor air quality.

In that case, you will have the machine inside the room, you will pay additional fee that is really not that much, and basically for our part, we do revenue-sharing with the hotel. For the hotel, it is no investment, because we are bringing the machine for free, and they provide a new guest experience, and if guests have this, they can really tell the difference. Essentially, hotels aim to provide good sleep and comfort.”

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MistAmerica showcases outdoor cooling solutions at Hotel and Leisure Show Company official discusses benefits of solutions for hospitality sector, applications of precooling solution and market presence across the GCC region

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

equivalent to 12,000 BTUs, or one istAmerica showcased its range tonne of air conditioning. Given the of outdoor cooling products rapid air exchanges, outdoors, this type during its participation in the of technology is considerably more Hotel and Leisure show, from sustainable than trying to use direct September 17 to 19 at the Dubai World cooling methods, such as air conditioning.”

Trade Centre. Andrew Waskey, Director He added that the products also have – GCC region, MistAmerica, said the minimal maintenance and operating costs. company aimed to highlight its flagship “I think a lot of people aren’t aware products, such as the Mist360 Breeze Fan of this kind of technology,” Waskey said. and the Mist360 Max Fan, which he said, “They think, it’s going to get could replace traditional ceiling people wet and it’s going fans by cooling the air rather to be uncomfortable, but than just moving around hot air. if they visit places where “These products have achieved it’s installed, they can considerable success in the understand how it will work commercial sector over the years, in their project.” Waskey said but there wasn’t an affordable that the company, through commercial-grade cooling fan for its participation, also aimed the residential market until the Andrew Waskey to address misconceptions company launched the MiniCool related to the technology by explaining fan on Kickstarter, two years ago,” he the technical aspects of the products. An said. “At this show, MistAmerica’s recently example of a common concern Waskey patented larger residential cooling fan – said he has seen come up is in relation to the Wave Fan – also made its international legionella, which, he said, is not a valid début.” concern once people understand the Waskey said visitors from the show stringent water treatment process behind expressed strong interest in the company’s the systems. Another issue that concerns products. He pointed out that evaporative stakeholders, Waskey said, is the system’s cooling is the most efficient and highly applications for humid environments. sustainable method of cooling large However, he pointed out that the system outdoor areas. “Last year, the company continues to be installed in tropical areas, was awarded ‘Outdoor Cooling Project such as the Philippines and the Caribbean of the Year’ award during the Climate with greater humidity levels than typically Control Awards, for an evaporative cooling seen in Dubai or in coastal GCC region project that was 94% more efficient areas. Further, he mentioned that through than traditional air-conditioning,” he the company’s weather control station said. “Every gallon and a half of water the system can automatically adjust the that is evaporated per hour generates a amount of mist and cooling, depending on heat offset, from latent heat reduction,

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the relative humidity. “Real time adjustments are instantly made to the high pressure mist pump through a pressure transducer and a proprietary variable frequency drive program,” he said. “This allows the mist systems to cool even – as crazy as it may sound – when it is raining.”

Waskey said the company is also offering its air conditioning pre-cooling technology – the “MAAC-PC” (MistAmerica Air Conditioning Pre-Cooling system) – for the air conditioning and facility maintenance market. The solution, he said, is especially ideal for extending the life and capacity of large chillers, as it is able to reduce energy consumption, enhance savings and prevent compressors from overheating, thus extending the lifecycle of the chillers.

“We were asked to apply our products in one hotel as an experiment at the request of one clever director of engineering, and the results were fantastic,” he said. “Just covering one quarter of a chiller, the system was more efficient than other evaporative cooling solutions that facility had tried.”

The technology’s water treatment system, Waskey said, averts the risk of calcification of the evaporator coils; further, the nozzle technology incorporated in the system ensures the mist does not leave the coils wet.

“At a humid location during a typical July day, the Delta T (change in temperature) that we recorded at the exhaust section of the chiller after passing through the evaporative coils was 8.6˚C,” Waskey said.

“Even though some clients estimate that the ROI for the systems is 2-3 months, many companies take advantage of our very affordable rental rates for these systems.”

Hisense launches ducted split range with top-discharge condensers New high-ambient range with R-410a refrigerant is for the UAE market, says company

By CCME Content Team Moan Abraham

isense on September 30 launched a new range of ducted split 1:1 with top-discharge condenser units for T3 conditions for the UAE market. The launch happened during the 3rd edition of The Client Consultant Contractor Conference, organised by CPI Industry.

Speaking on the occasion, Moan Abraham, Vice President & GM (Middle East & Africa), Hisense Middle East, said the condenser units feature high-efficiency scroll compressors, which run on R-410a.

In addition, he said, the units feature high-performance heat exchangers and score high on reliability, with the ability to operate in temperatures up to 55 degrees C. Abraham said that Hisense’s residential ducted splits are designed and manufactured to meet the requirements of homes, offices, hotels and residential apartments. The ducted splits with the top-discharge condensing units, he added, are available in four different models, starting from 2.5 tonnes of refrigeration (TR) to 5 TR at nominal

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AHRI condition, which make them ideally suited in terms of a small footprint, overall space saving and a pleasant exterior appearance.

The ducted splits, Abraham said, are designed and rated in accordance with ESMA, ESTIDAMA and MEW regulations. The units, he added, are suitable for operating in a wide range of ambient temperatures in cooling mode, starting from 55 degrees F (13 degrees C) up to a maximum of 131 degrees F (55 degrees C).

The condensing units, Abraham said, are provided with fully hermetic scroll-type compressors, designed for high efficiency and provided with advanced controls and safety devices. All compressors, Abraham said, are provided with crankcase heaters, which warm the oil and protect against the possibility of migration of refrigerant into the compressor during off cycle. HP and LP controls are provided for the safe operation of the compressor, Abraham said, adding that the specific design of the condensing unit is suitable for high-rise building installation, with a vertical lift of up to 35 metres.

Eurovent Middle East provides ESMA with consensual feedback on revised regulation for air conditioners Association’s Managing Director discusses its progress in the region and the importance of having a representative HVACR body on the ground

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

urovent Middle East has provided Emirates Authority for Standardization and Metrology (ESMA) with consensual feedback on a revised regulation for air conditioners, highlighting where the industry has concerns, and suggesting resolutions to Markus Lattner critical points. Markus Lattner, Managing Director, Eurovent Middle East, said: “This saves time and effort from all sides, while ensuring transparency and equal access to the discussions. Likewise, we are giving such inputs on minimum energy performance requirements to several other regulators and encourage regulations in areas where we think it would lead to considerable improvements. We will hopefully see specific results within the next few months.”

Lattner said the inroads the Association has made in the region is a testament to its commitment since it started two and half years ago. “People can see that we are quite active, and we get

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really positive and encouraging feedback,” he said. “What has been missing before was coordination among the industry. Now, we can provide a platform, where issues which concern all manufacturers can be discussed and approached in a transparent and open way. The exchange of information within our internal meetings is excellent and truly valuable for all our members.”

Lattner said that proximity to local stakeholders and a strong understanding of the region’s specific environmental conditions as well as the details unique to the market underscore the importance of having an association of HVACR manufacturers on the ground.

“Every country, every region faces its own issues,” he said. “Only the people in the Middle East really understand their environment and what it takes to be active here. This region is like no other in the world. It surely deserves its own opinion, its own way and its own solutions. Eurovent Middle East is an association for the Middle East, in the Middle East and from the Middle East. While our members are from all around the world, we all share one thing – our expertise and passion in and for the region.”

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28 AWARD CATEGORIES: 1.

MANUFACTURER/SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR (AIR TREATMENT)

14. HVACR ACCESSORIES MANUFACTURER/ SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR

2.

MANUFACTURER/SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR (AIR MOVEMENT, VENTILATION)

15. PROJECT OF THE YEAR (OUTDOOR COOLING SYSTEMS)

3.

MANUFACTURER/SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR (FIRE SAFETY)

4.

BUILDING ENVELOP OF THE YEAR (CONTRIBUTING MANUFACTURER/ SUPPLIER)

16. PROJECT OF THE YEAR – IEQ (HEALTHCARE, ACADEMIC, HOSPITALITY, COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL)

5.

BUILDING PERFORMANCE SERVICES (TESTING AND CERTIFICATION)

6.

DISTRICT COOLING COMPANY OF THE YEAR

7.

8.

9.

O&M COMPANY OF THE YEAR (CHILLED WATER PLANT) DISTRICT COOLING UTILITY PROVIDER OF THE YEAR INNOVATIVE MANUFACTURER/ SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR (CHILLERS)

17. HVAC CONSULTANT OF THE YEAR 18. HVAC CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR 19. BUILDING EFFICIENCY RETROFIT PROJECT OF THE YEAR 20. COMMISSIONING/RE-COMMISSIONING COMPANY OF THE YEAR 21. FM COMPANY OF THE YEAR (ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND IEQ) 22. IOT INTEGRATION INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR 23. HVACR ENGINEER OF THE YEAR

10. MANUFACTURER/SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR (CHILLED WATER SYSTEM EQUIPMENT AND COMPONENTS, LESS CHILLERS)

24. YOUNG HVACR ENGINEER OF THE YEAR 25. MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR (VEHICLE ENVELOP)

11. MANUFACTURER/SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR (STANDALONE DX)

26. COLD STORE OF THE YEAR

12. MANUFACTURER/SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR (VRF SYSTEMS)

27. DOMINIC DE SOUSA AWARD FOR INNOVATION

13. GCC REGION MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR

28. EDITOR’S CHOICE AWARD

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REGIONAL NEWS

Honeywell launches Genetron App for Middle East region First-of-its-kind global initiative will strike a blow at counterfeiters of refrigerants, company says

By Surendar Balakrishnan | Editor

oneywell launched a customer-centric app to essentially enable contractors, service maintenance companies, technicians, authorised trade partners, distributors, wholesalers and retailers to differentiate between genuine and counterfeit refrigerants in the Middle East. The Genetron digital app, based on a closed digital ecosystem, features the use of a sophisticated QR code, said Amir Naqvi, Regional Business Leader, Honeywell Fluorine Products, META. Stating that a key challenge in the market is the presence of counterfeit products, Naqvi said that Honeywell enjoys “very good brand equity” among customers, a situation that attracts IP infringement, counterfeiting and resultant safety, toxicity and flammability issues.

Counterfeiting, he added, also gives rise to the possibility of the product not meeting the right specs, which can affect the overall system.

Amir highlighted how the company works with local authorities, including Dubai Economic Department and Customs, and how time and again, they have seized counterfeits. But, he added, the issue of counterfeiting keeps coming back. “We tried to put innovations in packaging, but counterfeiters are smart, and they are at our heels,” he said. “We tried to raise awareness and informed customers informally.” Honeywell, he said, felt the need to formalise the flow of information, and this prompted it to roll Amir Naqvi the app out.

The app, Amir said, would also serve the functions of technical support and knowledge sharing. He spoke of how Honeywell gets asked a lot of questions on different products. The app, he said, would enable the company to not only answer the questions but also use the questions to inform the company in drafting contents for webinars for structured stakeholder engagement. As an example, he pointed out to a webinar the company would be conducting on October 28, 2019 on the topic, ‘Refrigerant Safety and Handling’.

The app, Amir said, would also help keep the company’s customers up-to-date on regulatory dynamics in the market. “We have seen tremendous regulations, globally,” he said.

“F Gas is one such regulation for low-GWP refrigerants and phase out of HFCs. The Kigali amendment puts a timeline for HFCs. ESMA and SASO have AC standards. We would like to share that knowledge with the industry, as much as we know, on right alternatives for certain applications.”

Amir said the app is an ideal tool, given the fact that in today’s world, the mobile phone is a basic way of communication. “A technician working in a remote area sees Honeywell only through the packaging, and he needs to be sure he is seeing a genuine product,” Amir said. “By connecting through the Genetron app, which brings a phone and QR feature together, the technician will be able to identify if the refrigerant is original or a counterfeit.”

Yiannis Bessiris, General Manager, Honeywell Advanced Yiannis Bessiris Materials, META, said the app will work on any phone introduced in the last eight years, and has a 2 MP camera. All the customer or technician has to do is to download the app, register on the app and scan the QR code to verify the product, Bessiris said. “When you scan the product, you have a physical proof of authentication,” he said. “The QR code is what will tell you 100% if you are dealing with an authentic product or a fake product. It is about using the power of digtalisation, the power of connectivity. Equally important, the app will provide customers an access to Honeywell. There is a fundamental lack of skills in the region, and there are so many changes happening in the refrigeration sector, and this is where we will bring the refrigerant community together. And that is going to revolutionise the market.”

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Integrated design can reduce first cost while ensuring sustainability Industry insider discusses design and commissioning challenges that serve as potential bottlenecks for the development of more efficient buildings in the Middle East

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

wareness campaigns and educational initiatives alone are not sufficient to override the cost-centric thinking that drives most projects in the Middle East region, said Haytham Abdel Rahman, WELL AP, LEED Specialist, Senior Architecture Prof – High Performance Design, Architects Crang & Boake Inc., who pointed out that while some clients would understand and be willing to invest in better quality specifications and equipment in view of lifecycle benefits, there will always be clients that primarily take into consideration first cost. “However, there are many opportunities where integrated design can actually reduce the first cost,” he said.

Providing an example, Rahman said that a factory that utilises vault solar tube for daylight harvesting could reduce the need to install lighting fixtures by 50% or more.

In such cases, he said, the design optimised first and operating cost in a way that leads to minimum expenditure, even when compared to conventional design.

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Haytham Abdel Rahman

Rahman said it is also important to integrate active and passive design elements, not only to ensure overall efficiency of a building but also for the health and wellbeing of its inhabitants. “We should not forget

Information vital to accelerate adoption of innovation, says Belimo Company official discusses evolution of valve technology over the years and manufacturers’ obligation to explain benefits of its products

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

it is because the education nformation is vital to process is required to bring accelerate adoption of about the change, and we innovative technologies, are working on persuading said Colin Bridges, people that there are better Business Development ways to control systems other Manager, Belimo, who pointed than conventional globe out that manufacturers have valves, which have been a a responsibility to explain Colin Bridges common method of control their products to stakeholders for maybe the last hundred years. Belimo and be a catalyst for change within the has innovated and adapted its ball valve industry. technology, and there is a good reason Providing an example, Bridges shared for that. It is important to explain what that he still recalls the time, around that reason is, and to give people a choice.

20-30 years ago, when ball valves were They don’t need to do what they did last first introduced that there was great time; they can do something better, but in reluctance among stakeholders to move order to do something better they should away from gate valves. “Even though it have the information that gives them was clear that ball valves were superior in the confidence to do that. That’s about the way they isolated and held pressure, changing hearts and minds through an it took an enormous amount of time for educative process.” people to change,” he said. “I believe

I

to include a natural ventilation plan to get some fresh air into the building,” he said, pointing out that doing so can have a significant positive impact, even just a few months down the line. Benefits, he said, includes flushing out VOCs and other emissions that may arise out of changing the furniture or laying new carpets out.

“Thus, we will end up with less indoor air pollution and better IAQ,” he said.

“However, natural ventilation design is not just about proper sizing for the windows, as per ASHRAE 62.1. Architects and mechanical engineers need to ensure the flow of external air to an indoor space as a result of pressure differences arising from natural forces.” Rahman said that advanced software that calculate the effectiveness of stack ventilation, cross flow ventilation and wind towers size should be part of standard practices.

However, Rahman admitted, there are challenges that serve as bottlenecks to more integrated designs that promote energy efficiency and IAQ. A potential roadblock he discussed is in relation to specification and instances of copy-and-pasting. He pointed out that construction and contracting frameworks significantly affect the manner in which specifications are prepared. “In a publicly funded, conventional design-

Bridges also highlighted the growing importance of data moving forward, sharing insights from Belimo’s energy valves, which is leveraging data in a proactive manner. “It is not just about gathering data for the sake of it, it’s about having a device that can react to that information in a way that is beneficial to the system.” Belimo, he said, had done so in two distinct ways. One is through measuring, reacting and controlling water.

“That autonomous technology can make a comparative analysis on board the valve itself in a smart way,” he said. “So, it controls the flow very accurately. We also have similar initiative inside the device, which enables us to control the Delta T, which is a key performance indicator of the health of the circuit.” Bridges pointed out that having these two elements active 24/7, harvesting data, then, acting upon the data that is received and then storing the data, which can then be reviewed to be later used for analysis and to identify trends, would greatly contribute to the overall efficiency of the system and a reduction of long-term operating cost.

(The interview with Belimo took place on the sidelines of the ‘Innovation in HVAC summit’, in September 2019 in Dubai.

Climate Control Middle East would like to thank the organisers for the opportunity of conducting the interview.)

bid-build scenario, specifications must be accurate, coordinated and hardened against unqualified substitutions as much as possible,” he said. “In contrast, specifications prepared for a design-build entity using private funds might need to include as many options as possible for diversity of manufacturers and quality of materials to provide the design-builder with the ability to exercise options and adjust material quality to suit the budget.”

In both cases, Rahman said, the best quality for the least cost and construction duration is the goal. He explained that considering that specifications are part of the overall construction documents, linking the process through integrated design tools, such as BIM, would go a long way in combating the use of old specifications or specifications that are no longer relevant to the project.

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REGIONAL NEWS

‘Innovations in HVAC’ highlights need for greater adoption of disruptive technology Organised by Belimo, Grundfos, Kingspan and Reflex, event discusses the importance of opting for new solutions in view of energy efficiency, IEQ and climate change

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

‘I

nnovations in HVAC’, a technical seminar, organised

by Belimo, Grundfos, Kingspan and Reflex, on September 3 in Dubai, shone the light on the need for greater adoption of disruptive technology. Held under the theme, ‘Shaping the Future of the HVAC Industry’, the seminar spoke on disruptive technology in the context of global and regional targets related to energy efficiency, water conservation, and fire and life safety. ‘Innovations in HVAC’ also featured live digitalised demo stations and working technological solutions.

Hassan Younes, President, ASHRAE Falcon Chapter and Director and Partner, Griffin Consultants, moderated the event and delivered a keynote presentation on Low-Delta T. Underscoring the importance of the event, which saw manufacturers and suppliers coming together to provide clarity on technical issues related to the built-environment and showcasing new solutions, Younes said.

“We try to bring together all the stakeholders and make sure they understand and know about new technologies, and this is a platform for that. As the engineering community, we do sometimes lack insight on what’s happening and the [new] technologies. I have seen a lot of consultants still using really old standards from the 1990s and early 2000s, and things have moved on quickly. I do think this is required, and I hope to see more of these events, be it from different companies, manufacturers or societies.”

Colin Bridges, Business Development Director, Belimo, pointed out that manufacturers and suppliers have a responsibility to communicate the benefits of their solutions, considering they would know it best following the enormous investment on research and development behind such products. “We recognise that when you are a premium manufacturer that is doing things differently, it is your responsibility to explain them,” he said. “We are asking people to do things differently, and we are doing it for a reason, which is to improve and enhance their systems. These benefits require explanation. We are all trying to change behaviours, and to change behaviours is to show the benefits that can be derived from those changes.” Ultimately, he said it’s about changing people’s decisionmaking processes but doing so in such a way that is within the framework of accurate information.

In a statement issued by the organisers, Paul Barnard, Head of HVAC, Kingspan Middle East, said: “The HVAC industry, particularly the ductwork market, has traditionally been reluctant to change. It is time to embrace new types of materials that help save energy in buildings. This starts by honing of skills and training of HVAC contractors on the new technology, whilst updating specifications and introducing the best performing systems.”

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Hassan Younes

Colin Bridges

Ronak Monga

Paul Barnard

Moustapha Fahmy

Providing a background on the driving force behind the organisation of the event, Ronak Monga, Segment Development Manager for Building Services, Grundfos Gulf, Levant & Pakistan, said: “The idea was to partner with technology leaders who are pioneering innovation in their own respective way. In an HVAC system, components don’t work alone. They are the sum of many parts that create an overall system. The importance of HVAC systems has been stated again and again, but it is still underrated.” Monga emphasised that it is important to look at the overall system in terms of energy efficiency, indoor environmental quality as well as overall sustainability throughout the lifecycle of the building. These, he said, formed the basis of the agenda of the event, as companies aimed to address basic and main challenges that customers face when executing HVAC systems. “It was our ambition through this event to showcase the technological innovations that we have that will resolve these challenges to overcome issues plaguing HVAC systems,” he said.

Moustapha Fahmy, Regional Sales Director IMEA, Reflex, echoed Monga on the importance of a holistic approach, through the statement: “To maximise operational efficiency, it is critical to consider all HVAC system components. System water, one of the most important components, is usually underestimated. The water quality has an enormous influence on the efficiency of the HVAC systems.

Modern control and measurement technology help us guarantee the maximum functionality at minimal energy losses.”

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GLOBAL NEWS

UL, Underwriters Laboratories announce leadership succession Keith Williams to retire as President and CEO after 15 years of service; Jennifer Scanlon to become President and CEO of UL – the first woman to lead the 125-year-old organisation; Terrence Brady to become president and CEO of Underwriters Laboratories

By CCME Content Team

L and parent company, Underwriters Laboratories on September 23 announced through a Press release that Keith Williams has decided to retire as President and CEO, after 15 years of service. Williams will continue to support each organisation through an interim period to ensure a smooth transition, the release added.

According to the release, the UL Board of Directors has appointed Jennifer Scanlon as President and CEO of UL and as a member of the UL Board of Directors, effective September 30, 2019. Scanlon most recently served as President, CEO and a Director of USG Corporation, a 116-year-old innovative building products manufacturer and one of UL’s oldest clients. Over her 16-year career at USG, Scanlon led the company through some of its most significant strategic moves, including establishing the global joint venture, USG Boral Building Products, and divesting L&W Supply, the release said. In 2018, she negotiated the sale of USG to Knauf for USD 7 billion, which represented a 76% premium to the company’s stock price compared to when Scanlon was named CEO, the release added. The transaction closed April 24, 2019. She is the first woman to serve as president and CEO of UL. James Shannon, Chair of the UL Board of Directors and of the Underwriters Laboratories Board of Trustees, said: “Jenny brings exceptional integrity, experience, talent and technology expertise to UL. A Chicago-area native, Jenny also has a global perspective that is certain to benefit UL, having previously led USG’s 8,000 employees around the world. Given her dedication to safety and innovation and her demonstrated success in growing a global business, we are confident she is the right leader for UL at this time.”

Speaking in response to the appointment, Scanlon said: “It is an honor to be joining UL, as technological advances continue to drive dramatic changes in UL’s clients’ operations. As a mission-driven organization with a record of innovation, UL is in a unique position to assist our clients in enabling the safe adoption of their products.

I look forward to working with UL’s 14,000 talented associates around the world to advance our capabilities and build on UL’s 125year legacy of safety and trust.”

Underwriters Laboratories also announced through the release that its board of trustees has appointed Terrence Brady, currently President of Underwriters Laboratories, as President and CEO of Underwriters Laboratories, effective January 1, 2020, upon Williams’ retirement from that role. Brady will continue to lead

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the transformation of the 125-year-old non-profit organisation to become the world’s leading safety science research and standards development institution, the release said.

Shannon said: “Given Terry’s strong track record at our organization, we know that he will continue to be a significant Jennifer Scanlon asset as the new President and CEO of Underwriters Laboratories. At Underwriters Laboratories, Terry has excelled in all of his leadership positions, helping to develop our strategy and drive its execution. Terry’s first-hand knowledge of Underwriters Laboratories, its history, mission and opportunities will serve Underwriters Laboratories and its stakeholders well.”

Brady said: “For 125 years, Underwriters Laboratories has strived to instill trust through the science of safety. I am excited to build on this heritage as President and CEO to further the trust in our organization, which will remain key to our success. Ground-breaking safety research, standards development and outreach all continue to be priorities as we look to collaborate with our stakeholders to make the world a safer place.”

Speaking about Williams’ tenure at, and retirement from, UL and Underwriters Laboratories, Shannon said, “In his 15 years with our organization, Keith has made significant, long-lasting contributions that have enabled us to successfully extend our safety mission around the world. Today, UL and Underwriters Laboratories each benefit from a strong operating foundation to support their respective growth and leadership well into the future. We wish Keith the best in his retirement and also offer our deep gratitude for his dedication and service to UL and Underwriters Laboratories.”

Williams said, “I am proud of all that we have accomplished over the past years and thank the outstanding associates across UL and Underwriters Laboratories who have joined me in transforming – and strengthening – our organization. I pass the baton to the next generation of leadership knowing that we are better positioned than ever to help advance innovation and solve the critical safety, quality, security and sustainability challenges around the world.”

(Editor’s Note: Climate Control Middle East adheres to British English.

However, American expressions and spellings are retained, if part of quotes, or if part of a job title or the name of an organisation.)

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October 2019

63

GLOBAL NEWS

GCHV showcases its technologies in FEBRAVA 2019 Chinese AC manufacturer exhibits its latest mini-VRF system, full DC inverter EVI VRF technology, its new floor & ceiling indoor unit, 16-SEER inverter top discharge outdoor unit and air-handling technology

By CCME Content Team

he Guangdong Chigo Heating and Ventilation Equipment Company (GCHV) showcased its technologies at FEBRAVA (International Exhibition on Refrigeration, Air Conditioning, Ventilation, Heating and Air Treatment), from September 10 to 13 at the Centro de Exposições Imigrantes in São Paulo, Brazil, the company said through a Press release.

Describing FEBRAVA as the most most famous and largest refrigeration and air conditioning industry exhibition in South America, GCHV said through the release that the show offered a window for China's refrigeration, air-conditioning, ventilation and heating products to enter the South American market.

T

Mexichem becomes Orbia

And Mexichem Fluor has been renamed Koura, company says

By CCME Content Team

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October 2019

GCHV booth

GCHV made use of the show to exhibit its latest mini-VRF system, full DC inverter EVI VRF technology, its new floor & ceiling indoor unit, 360° cassette system, 16-SEER inverter top discharge outdoor unit and air-handling technology, the company said through the release. “GCHV’s latest miniVRF, which has a Class A energy-efficiency certification, uses high-efficiency inverter compressors, and can achieve maximum capacity output in 180 seconds,” a GCHV representative said during the event. At the same time, this machine adopts a new design and a new compact box to adapt to

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highly confined space, greatly improving the market identification of the product, while at the same time, ensuring that the structure is more solid and stable, the representative added.

Commenting in the context of the performance of the GCHV products, the release said that the market share and brand influence of GCHV in South America is expected to reach new heights, leading to an increase in pace of internationalisation.

exichem Fluor, part of a community of companies under the umbrella of a larger company, called Mexichem, has launched new names, with Mexichem, henceforth, to be called Orbia and Mexichem Fluor to be called Koura, the company said through a Press release.

“Orbia” is a combination of the Latin word for spherical globe (Orb) and Bia, the personification of force in Greek mythology, the company said through the release, adding that putting the two together gave the word the meaning, ‘a force for the world’.

Koura, the company said, has its origins in the word, ‘courage’, sometimes spelled as ‘kouraj’. The company said it is excited to adopt a new name that reflects its identity as a company that takes a courageous approach to the safety and health of its people and the environments and communities it operates in, to innovation and to advancing life around the world.

Elaborating on what the new brand names mean for Mexichem Fluor customers, the company said no contracts, purchase agreements or existing arrangements need to be amended, because the legal entity names will remain the same. The company said through the release that it simply wanted to make its customers aware of the new brands, because they would begin to see the Orbia and Koura logos on communications, products and signage.

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65

GLOBAL NEWS

Barack Obama to speak at 2019 Greenbuild Conference & Expo The event is expected to bring together more than 20,000 of the world’s business, environmental and social leaders, USGBC says

By CCME Content Team

ormer US President solidifying its commitment Barack Obama will be to creating a higher living one of the keynote standard and a better quality speakers at the 2019 of life for everyone, the release Greenbuild Conference & Expo, said, adding that this year, with scheduled to take place from Greenbuild Atlanta’s theme, November 19 to 22 at the 'A New Living Standard', Georgia World Congress Center, the USGBC is taking that Barack Obama in Atlanta, Georgia, the US commitment to the next level, Green Building Council (USGBC) said through showcasing Greenbuild as the platform a Press release. to celebrate the people who are working According to the release, Greenbuild to challenge the status quo and raise the Atlanta will bring together more than 20,000 standard of living for every person on the of the world’s business, environmental and planet. social leaders to motivate, inform and inspire The former US President’s participation is the activities that accelerate the USGBC’s one of the highlights of the event. “President mission.

Obama knows a lot about challenging the The USGBC launched the Living Standard status quo and fighting for change,” said Campaign at Greenbuild Chicago in 2019, Mahesh Ramanujam, President & CEO,

F

USGBC. “In times of great challenge and cultural change, President Obama lead the country towards a stronger economy, a more equal society, and a nation more secure at home and more respected around the world. During his two terms, President Obama worked tirelessly to redefine the American narrative so that people could see America the way he always has – as the only place on Earth where so many of our stories could even be possible.

“The future of the human race is interlaced with the future of the planet, and the sustainable practices we celebrate and advance at Greenbuild remind us that our success as sustainability advocates, practitioners and professionals is more than a movement, it is a responsibility.”

Belgium, Greece and the UAE set to participate in The Big 5 Construct Kenya Besides the exhibition, the show will host over 40 free-to-attend and CPD-certified education sessions, says dmg events, the organiser of the show

By CCME Content Team

he Big 5 Construct Kenya – the official exhibition of Kenya’s National Construction Week, organised by the National Construction Authority (NCA) – will showcase top local and international construction brands and offer free access to education sessions, providing a platform where visitors can network, do business and keep updated on investment opportunities in the country, dmg events, the organisers of the show, said through a Press release. The show will take place from November 5 to 7 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), in Nairobi. It will be held under the patronage of the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing, Urban Development and Public Works.

Muhammed Kazi, Portfolio Director, dmg events, said: “We are excited to bring back The Big 5 Construct Kenya 2019. Following a 70% growth of the exhibition in 2018, we are delighted to announce that the event continues to grow this year with all new country pavilions. We look forward to contributing to Kenya’s National Vision 2030 and Big Four Agenda.”

International exhibitors from Belgium, Greece, Qatar, Turkey and the UAE have confirmed participation, the release said. The show will feature new Egypt and Kuwait country pavilions, which highlight an

T

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increased interest in Kenya’s investment opportunities, the release said.

Hammad AlZubi, Manager, Promotion and Export Opportunities Department, Public Authority of Industry (Kuwait), said: “Kenya is gaining importance as a logistic center for all those who want to enter the African market and the landlocked countries in Central Africa through the ports of Kenya.”

Ensuring that the entire building cycle is represented at the event, exhibitors will display the latest building innovations and solutions across five product sectors: Building Interiors, Building Materials & Tools, Building Services, HVAC-R, and Concrete & PMV, the release said.

More than just an exhibition, The Big 5 Construct Kenya will bring together industry pioneers to host over 40 free-to-attend and CPD (continuing professional development) certified education sessions, the release said.

Jacklyne Betty, Analytics Consultant, KPMG (East Africa), and speaker at the event, said: “Information sharing is essential, and most industries are grappling with the repercussions of simply not being in the know. To have free education at The Big 5 Construct Kenya will greatly benefit the industry.”

October 2019

67

MARKETPLACE

This section contains updates on newly released regional and international products.

Electro-Chemical Devices OZ80 Ozone Analyzer

lant engineers who’ve switched, or who are thinking about the switch, to ozone (O3) disinfection of water for high-temperature evaporative cooling towers will find that its reagent-less OZ80 Ozone Analyzer provides a green-friendly design that helps them optimise treatment while at the same time reducing cost, simplifying maintenance and avoiding complex environmental issues, Electro-Chemical Devices (ECD) said through a Press release.

The OZ80 helps ensure effective ozone treatment of cooling tower water to prevent bacterial growth, scaling and corrosion, the release said. Ozone as a disinfectant replaces the need for chlorine and other harsh biocides and inhibitor chemicals that are considered toxic hazards, and require special wastewater treatment and effluent monitoring, the release said.

In comparison to reagent-type analysers that come with multiple components, which first must be installed and then require field calibration, the OZ80 Analyzer is factory-assembled and factory-calibrated, prior to arrival, the release said. All the technician needs to do is mount the panel and connect the drain lines, plug in the power cord and select the outputs on the display as 0 to 2.0 ppm for water disinfection or 0-20.00 pm for oxidation and bleaching operations, the release added.

P

According to the release, dual-range measurement of both ozone parameters also is available with the OZ80 Analyzer. Ozone is a colourless to pale blue gas that, in low concentrations, gives off an irritating acidic odour. It is a strong oxidiser, stronger than either chlorine (Cl) or chlorine dioxide (ClO2), the release said.

Ozone reacts quickly and disintegrates into oxygen gas without the formation of harmful disinfection byproducts (DPBs) common to chlorine disinfectants that require additional costly treatment, the release said. It also increases the amount of oxygen in the water, the release said.

CAREL E2V-CW electronic expansion valve AREL, which specialises in control solutions for the air conditioning, refrigeration and air humidification sectors, has introduced E2V-CW, its new electronic expansion valve with copper fittings designed for transcritical CO2 applications.

Announcing the launch of the valve through a Press release, the company said the goal of reducing the environmental impact of refrigerant gases and the consequent interest in CO2, combined with the desire to reduce the costs associated with this technology, drove the development of a new generation of high-performance components. The new E2V-CW family, featuring copper fittings, has been developed as the evolution of the previous series of high pressure valves, the release said.

E2V-CW is installed by simply brazewelding the special copper fittings, rather than the more complex and expensive welding techniques required for stainless steel, the release said. This installation simplicity further lowers the barriers to the use of

C

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CO2, and allows OEMs of Hecu and Heos condensing units to optimise their line assembly processes using K65 copper pipes, the release said According to the release, the E2VCW uses modulating equipercentile control, guaranteeing the utmost accuracy and a rapid response in the control of refrigeration systems.

This feature is common across the entire range of CAREL ExV valves, and ensures extreme precision at lowcooling capacities and a fast response to sudden variations in load at high capacities, the release said. It is the only efficient solution for circuits with an extended range of modulation, the release added.

The E2V-CW has a stainless steel filter supplied as standard, the release said. Furthermore, a wide range of hermetic stators is available, suitable for any type of installation, the release added.

Together, the release further added, these guarantee the highest reliability for any application, even in extreme conditions.

According to the release, O3 is gaining ground as a disinfectant and bleaching agent in multiple industrial processes. It has been used for years in municipal drinking water and wastewater treatment plants, the release pointed out. It is useful at several points in the drinking water treatment process as an oxidiser for removing metals from well water as well as organics, odours and colour from surface water, too, the release said.

The OZ80 Analyzer features powerful amperometric sensors to detect and monitor O3 levels, the release said, adding that the sensors are manufactured with a gold cathode, a silver anode and a rugged microporous membrane. Unlike many other analysers, there are no reagents required with the OZ80 Analyzer, the release said. Its O3 sensor technology and pH measurement are reagentless designs, the release said. These sensors, the release added, keep the cost of ownership low by not requiring expensive reagents.

According to the release, the O3 sensors are smart sensors, with their identity and calibration information stored internally.

Communication between the OZ80 Analyzer’s T80 Transmitter and

the O3 sensor is via MODBUS, the release said. The sensors are flow-sensitive requiring a minimum flow rate of 0.5 ft/sec; above this flow rate, the reading is virtually independent of the flow rate, the release said.

According to the release, the OZ80 Analyzer’s constant head flow control device (CFD) maintains the optimum flow rate moving past the sensor for sampling purposes. The CFD’s automatic flow control capability, the release said, eliminates the need for pressure regulators and rotameters, which are required by many other H2O2 analysers to reduce system maintenance and lifecycle operating costs. The minimum flow rate required by the CFD, the release said, is 10 gal/hr, and the maximum flow rate is 80 gal/hr, with the sample draining at atmospheric pressure.

(Editor’s Note: Climate Control Middle East adheres to British English. However, American expressions and spellings are retained, if part of quotes, or if part of a job title or the name of an organisation.)

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October 2019

69

MARKETPLACE

This section contains updates on newly released regional and international products.

BITZER

Alfa Laval

ECOLITE condensing units

OptiLobe rotary lobe pumps

ITZER has expanded its range of condensing units to include a new series, comprising seven air-cooled ECOLITE models, the company said through a Press release.

The models have been designed for lowand medium-temperature applications and are available in an attractive housing, the release said.

Among the models are three ECOLITE LHL3E condensing units with one fan, and four LHL5E models with two fans. They open up a wide range of applications, from 1.5 kW to 5 kW in the low-temperature refrigeration range, and from 3.5 kW to 16 kW in the mediumtemperature range, the release said. The models typically can be applied in cold stores, display counters and small shops, the release said. Their compact, low-sound design and the use of efficient components, in combination with the capacity control of the semihermetic compressors, make them exceptionally adaptable, the release said.

According to the release, the company’s VARISTEP mechanical capacity control enables the condensing units to offer stepless capacity adjustment in a range from 50 to 100%, the release said. The LHL5E models enable flexible capacity control between 10 and 100% as an optional feature, the release said. ECOLITE has also been specially developed for low-sound operation, and features a robust and corrosion-resistant housing for outdoor use, the release said. Thanks to their compact construction, the condensing units can also be easily integrated even when space is limited, the release reflected the company as claiming. Another advantage of the series, the release said, is the low refrigerant charge required, thanks to efficient mini-channel condensers with a high heat transfer rate. BITZER, the release said, has also integrated proprietary components, optimised for the system as well as its ECOLINE reciprocating compressors in the ECOLITE series.

According to the release, the entire series is Ecodesign-compliant and has been designed for use with common refrigerants, including those with a low global warming potential, such as HFO blends. The extensive equipment and plug-and-play concept, the release said, make installing and commissioning the condensing units very quick and easy.

According to the release, all the components of the ECOLITE condensing units are easily accessible, whilst its controller offers intuitive operation and enables use of the BITZER Electronics Service Tool (BEST). BEST, the release said, assures a user-friendly overview of parameters and the operating status and also offers support via a data logging function and the convenient setting of parameters.

B

Controller with BEST software interface

BITZER liquid receiver Sound insulated compressor housing Minichannel condenser

Photo courtesy BITZER

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Additional fan for compressor cooling

October 2019

BITZER ECOLINE VARISTEP compressor with capacity control

A

lfa Laval has introduced the OptiLobe rotary lobe pumps, which the company described through a Press release as being costeffective, reliable and versatile alternatives for general applications requiring gentle product treatment and easy serviceability.

To meet the requirements of lower flow rates and higher production capacities, the release said, the addition of the Alfa Laval OptiLobe 10 and OptiLobe 50 adds four new pump sizes to the product range. The new pumps, the release said, will also provide the possibility of having heating/cooling front covers for processes, where products tend to harden at low temperatures.

According to the release, the OptiLobe's

high-precision rotors and low-shear operation ensure gentle handling of delicate products.

With full cleanability, the OptiLobe also complies with the world's leading hygienic standards, the release quoted the company as saying.

According to the release, seal faces in the OptiLobe have direct contact with high-velocity product media. This ensures a fast and secure Cleaning-in-Place (CIP) process, reducing both cleaning time and contamination risk, the release said.

Engineered for use within the food, dairy, beverage and home-personal care industries, these positive displacement pumps conform to CE directives and EHEDG, 3-A and FDA hygienic standards, the release said.

The OptiLobe pumps, the release said, are engineered with a wide performance envelope, due to an advanced rotor shape design and a rotor case that incorporates cusps. In addition to maximising pump efficiency, the designs feature reduced pulsation and noise emissions, the release said. The OptiLobe pumps, the release said, also reduce the possibility of product damage by internal product recirculation.

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