Climate Control Middle East February 2015

DC & FINANCE: BANKING ON IT Senior bank officials discuss various finance-related scenarios

FEBRUARY 2015

PERSPECTIVE: OPEN-PLAN OFFICES

The bane of sustainable development

EDITORIAL CAMPAIGN: IEQ in Schools Are schools a magnet for air pollutants?

PERSPECTIVE:

BIM: Putting the ‘smarts’ into construction

COUNTRY REPORT: SAUDI ARABIA

COOLING THE KINGDOM

The Sultanate STEPS UP TO THE PLATE Oman scores double coup with the Innovation Park Muscat and a first-of-its-kind tri-generation plant PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

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VARIABLE REFRIGERANT FLOW CONFERENCE 30-31 March 2015 • Habtoor Grand Beach Resort, Jumeirah Beach, Dubai, UAE

KEY TOPICS • • •

•

•

•

Harmonisation of regulations; unification of certification process Aligning VRF technology to the requirements of green codes in the GCC region VRF technology in the context of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy’s roadmap, aimed at shaving power and water consumption Comparing standalone chilled-water systems with VRFs on energy efficiency and other performance aspects Working with architects in incorporating design features that will enable the use of VRF systems in high-rise buildings Working with consultants from the early stages of a project, to enable the drafting of designs that are compatible with VRFs

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• • • • • • •

GCC region regulatory initiatives on retrofitting and their implications for the VRF industry The progress made in retrofitting Existing Neighbourhoods with VRF systems Case studies of regional and international retrofitting initiatives Diversity of applications most suited for VRF systems, including in healthcare, education Analysing the merits of VRFs systems from an end-user perspective Consultants’ perspective on the VRF technology Best practices in piping, best practices in commissioning, fresh air coverage Overview of operational data in the GCC

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Overview of low-GWP alternative refrigerants for high-ambient countries Water-cooled VRF systems Response time for aftermarkets, aftermarket training Training for end-users, consultants and contractors (including installers) on the VRF technology Training of maintenance personnel for handling high-pressure systems and for dealing with different pressures Clarity on long-term maintenance of VRF systems… who will maintain them in the long run?

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Opportunity to articulate their views on policies, regulations and standards related to energy, energy security, environment (refrigerants – direct and indirect emissions), urban planning, socio-economic development (affordability, etc.)

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contents VOL. 10 NO. 2 FEBRUARY 2015

Dr Abdulbaqi Ali Al Khabouri, Director of Science & Technology Parks, The Research Council

Schools EDUCATION IN THE GULF IS A TOP PRIORITY H.E. Dr. Ali Al-Garni, Director General of the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States, details the strategies being adopted by the region to position its education system among the best in the world.

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10 PAGE

A PROACTIVE

sion PAGE

58

COVER STORY The constantly underrated Oman scores double coup with the Innovation Park Muscat and a tri-generation plant

SPECIAL MARKET SUPPLEMENT: Peeling back the layers

Without sufficient and effective regulations to guide the sector’s players, paints remain stuck in their decorative slot. Fatima de la Cerna has more.

4

February 2015

20 PAGE

ARE SCHOOLS TURNING INTO POLLUTION MAGNETS? Real estate activity and vehicular traffic are contributing to air quality woes in schools through passive pollution coming from construction sites and busy roads, observes Moheet Vishwas.

22 PAGE

A+ FOR IEQ PROGRAMME The School District of Philadelphia (SDP) has received recognition from the US EPA for its IEQ initiatives. We bring you a comprehensive report prepared by SDP’s Environmental Director, Francine Locke, on the District’s award-winning programme.

PAGE

ON TO THE NEXT STEP Other than raising the authorities’ awareness of IEQ concerns in schools, getting the HVAC industry involved in the campaign should be a priority.

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PERSPECTIVE

42 PAGE

LICENCE 36 TO CHILL PAGE

An open-and-shut case

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48

Dubbing open-plan offices a bane of our times that compromises sustainable development, Sougata Nandi enumerates ways to obviate the hurdles they pose.

Cracking the Sustainability Code

Codes and rating systems may be driving sustainable building practices, but challenges and opportunities abound the construction sector’s sustainability schemes, says Nivine Issa.

Take 15 For optimal utility of chilled water plants, Dan Mizesko recommends 15 best practices

PAGE

52 PAGE

Putting the ‘smarts’ into construction

Philip Janssens demonstrates that Building Information Modelling systems is an effective tool that enables architects, engineers, contractors and owners to collaborate throughout the lifecycle of a building.

DC Finance & Economics PERSPECTIVE: 32 28 DISCUSSION: Counting the Cost of Money Talks PAGE

PAGE

Banking professionals examine the current mindset of the financial community on District Cooling

District Cooling District Cooling versus standalone systems: how do their economics compare? Tim Griffiths shares his views.

54 FILTER-TALK All washed out Is the combined approach of deploying air filtration and compressor washing enough to combat contaminant deposition? Dr Iyad Al-Attar asks

REGULARS 06 ED'S NOTE

A tale of two cities

NEWS 66 72 74 76 78 80

Regional Global Comings & Goings Associations & Societies Marketplace History

Cover image: Grand Sultan Qaboos Mosque in Muscat, Oman. Photograph by Wofgang Zwanzger

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38

Feature: Up in the air Though the interest in green innovations is there, a persistent challenge is keeping the air side of the HVAC industry from its sustainability goals.

62 Country Report: Saudi Arabia The Kingdom, in a bid to establish energy security, is seeking energy-efficient cooling technologies.

February 2015

5

A tale of two cities

T

he blueprint of the Dubai EXPO 2020 is likely to be released towards the end of the year. And as per the statement by the Chief Executive of MENACorp, the quantum of investment in EXPO-related developments is expected to be in the region of AED 70 billion.

Qatar, meanwhile, is tightening its bootstraps to run the marathon towards its 2022 target. Given the timeline, it soon enough would have to ramp up on its development momentum.

One cannot but not notice that the development-related deadline of the two events will almost coincide. And that is bound to throw challenges of acquiring and retaining skilled human resources to carry out architectural, structural and MEP functions. Building and furbishing structures in the GCC region require an innate understanding of innumerable imponderables, including the singular ambient conditions of high temperatures, high humidity, dust and sand. It is, therefore, inevitable HR directors will begin their search for skilled minds and hands from within the region – and this can turn attritional in nature.

It could so easily be a return to the Dubai of 2007, characterised by unreasonably tight delivery schedules, which engendered a frenzied period of construction activity. People came and exited assignments with such frightening and frequent regularity that there was scant scope for the proverbial rolling stone to gather the much-needed experience and tactical nous needed for highquality work. The turnover also removed a vital element from the psyche – taking responsibility for one’s actions. In the frenzy, engineering assignments that required a contemplative approach were reduced to the ignominy of a copy-and-paste culture. Best practices were jettisoned and corners cut with aplomb. Today, we are witness to their implications – of black mould infestations in the builtenvironment and IEQ gone terribly wrong, of energy inefficiencies, which are putting pressure on the grid and on demand-side management calculations.

The situation can go awry, considering the focus of activity will not just be on Dubai, as it more or less was in 2007, but also on Doha, largely speaking.

Considering the building up of momentum is at an early stage, there is still time left for the region to usher in value engineering principles and to adopt a measured approach. The onus is on not just the architectural, structural and MEP communities but also the master-developers and building owners as a single cluster of stakeholders, and the planners, policy-makers, regulators and the enforcement agencies in government as another cluster, to act – and with swiftness. The region is on a mission to deliver two world-class events, and it simply deserves the very best of approaches and acumen.

B Surendar Editor @BSurendar_HVACR

DC & FINANCE: BANKING ON IT Senior bank officials discuss various finance-related scenarios

FEBRUARY 2015

PERSPECTIVE: OPEN-PLAN OFFICES

The bane of sustainable development

EDITORIAL CAMPAIGN: IEQ in Schools Are schools a magnet for air pollutants?

PERSPECTIVE:

BIM: Putting the ‘smarts’ into construction

COUNTRY REPORT: SAUDI ARABIA

COOLING THE KINGDOM

Get the next

The Sultanate issue of Climate STEPS UP TO THE PLATE Control Middle Oman scores double coup with the Innovation Park Muscat and a first-of-its-kind tri-generation plant

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February 2015

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February 2015

7

THE

BIG PICTURE

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February 2015

“B

ut you are ignoring seafood!” remarked a chef during a food safety conference in the GCC region in 2014. “That’s where you see several instances of temperature abuse.” The big picture involving cold chain disintegration is food safety, no doubt; it is equally important to safeguard the reputation of a country – frequent food safety outbreaks could even impact tourism.

February 2015

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cover story

A PROACTIVE

sion

While Doha is projecting Qatar 2022 as a triumph and Dubai is preening over Expo 2020, Muscat, like the proverbial tortoise, is steadily making headway towards its place under the Middle East sun. The creation of Innovation Park Muscat and DC PRO setting up a trigen plant to cool it are evidence of this. We bring you details of the twin achievements.

By Pratibha Umashankar, with inputs from Nickyta Ray

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February 2015

D

istrict Cooling was ushered into the region nearly two decades ago with a lot of fanfare as the ideal solution to provide cooling during the punishing desert summers. Qatar and the UAE, especially, took to it in a big way. Its many advantages, including the fabled cost and energy efficiency made District Cooling a fashionable term in the HVAC industry in the region.

And then came recession, disrupting the best-laid plans of District Cooling providers. The construction activity grinding to a painful halt exposed the underbelly of the system – miles of reticulated network, unoccupied edifices and idling plants with bloated capacity not working to their full load. Faulty or non-existent meters and flat tariffs leading to unequitable billing, added to the District Cooling woes.

The second coming

But all that is set to change now, say industry insiders, not only for District Cooling but also for the region’s economic well-being in general, with widespread signs of recovery. And this time around, home-grown R&D is also part of the equation.

Innovation Park Muscat (IPM), designed to create an enabling environment for researchers, scientists, start-ups, SMEs and multinationals, is proof of this.

And to add credence to this, DC PRO Engineering, UAE, a business entity dealing in District Energy, co-generation (cogen) and tri-generation (trigen) has decided to implement, what it calls “an award-winning, ultramodern and ultra-efficient” trigeneration project at IPM. This promises to be an interesting mix – Oman, an innovation

A walk in the park

Innovation Park Muscat (IPM) is an arm of The Research Council (TRC), Oman’s exclusive research-funding body and leader of research development in the country. TRC’s avowed objective is to serve as a hub dedicated to promoting and supporting research, scientific enquiry and innovation in the Sultanate.

T

he work for the park has been under way since 2013. The project is divided into four main phases, comprising a total built up area of 280,000 square metres. Phase 1 is expected to be ready by the end of the year.

Over a period of 10 years, IPM is expected to provide 3,000 jobs for entrepreneurs and researchers, especially Oman nationals, and encourage homegrown business incubation.

The facilities offered will include a fabrication workshop for prototyping and a social centre to encourage interaction among technologists and entrepreneurs. Through this endeavour, IPM is striving with researchers to bridge the gap between knowledge creators and end-users.

Underscoring this, Dr Abdulbaqi Ali Al Khabouri, Director of Science & Technology Parks, The Research Council, said: “IPM would also encourage exchange of knowledge among academia, universities, research and development institutions, along with the business community. It would also help create innovation-based companies in the country.”

At a time when the region’s water resources and fossil fuels are challenged, the Park is planning to use gas, renewable and geothermal energy.

“Energy, which includes renewable energy, and environment, water resources, health, food and biotechnology, are the main sectors which would contribute in changing the innovating climate with the IPM,” said Dr Al Khabouri.

In light of this, thermodynamics studies of the environment have reportedly been conducted to understand the climate of the buildings, sunrise, sunset and other building specifications.

Thicker walls and high performance windows are being constructed for minimal heat penetration. The balconies and courtyards of the buildings have been planned to be wellventilated but away from the sun’s rays.

Overall, the primary energy saved from the combined trigen AND the PV plant is as high as 84% February 2015

11

cover story

park, DC and trigen – tossing months of cautious optimism, the status quo and the waitand-watch mantra through the window.

Future provision of a geothermal well heat rejection system is also considered in the design

An oasis of innovation

IPM, where DC PRO is working towards setting up the plant, is located in Al-Khoudh, neighbouring Sultan Qaboos University, Rusayl Industrial Estate, Knowledge Oasis Muscat and Oman Botanic Gardens.

Described as a project of national significance, IPM is an initiative of The Research Council (TRC) of Oman, and is widely expected to enhance the sultanate’s economic, entrepreneurial and knowledge base by supporting the growth

of innovative and researchdriven domestic companies in areas that include energy, health science, water, environment and food and biotechnology.1 It claims to provide a vibrant ethos to give Oman a competitive edge. (Also see Box: A walk in the park.)

The trigen project

Accorded an “Honourable Mention” in the Sustainable Project of the Year category at the 2014 Climate Control Awards, DC PRO’s District Cooling project, is planning to synchronise locally produced power with 1 MW photovoltaic (PV) energy from a PV plant, along with the national electric grid, to save 75% of primary energy, compared to traditional electric-powered District

ading into wastewater Haya Water, Muscat, has been co-opted to provide sewerage connection to IPM, and will supply it with treated sewage effluent water for irrigation. Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) technology – a combination of a membrane process like microfiltration or ultrafiltration with a suspended growth bioreactor – has been selected by Haya Water for the project.

E

xplaining MBR technology, Fahad Salim Nasser Al Owaisi, Civil Engineer-Hydraulic Modeler, Haya Water, Muscat, said: “Our engineers have installed a modern water reuse system amidst challenges. Haya Water, through the use of innovative tunneling technology and other modern techniques, would minimise disruption, ensuring the effective implementation of the project using MBR systems.”

Treated Sewage Effluent (TSE) is expected to replace potable water for District Cooling at a later stage, again supplied by Haya Water.

Speaking about this, Sultan Saif Al Amri, Project and Maintenance Engineer, The Research Council (TRC), said, “We would be using treated water for both District Cooling and irrigation purposes. Waste water would be allowed to drain to the sewage plant.”

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February 2015

February 2015

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cover story

hy trigen?

Tri-generation or combined heat, power and cooling (CHPC), is the process by which some of the heat produced by a co-generation plant is used to generate chilled water for air conditioning or refrigeration. An absorption chiller, linked to the combined heat and power (CHP), facilitates this.

Trigen is known to offer several benefits, including2: • Onsite, high-efficiency production of electricity and heat • Reduced fuel and energy costs • Lower electrical usage during peak summer demand • Engine heat used to produce steam of hot water for onsite use • Significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions • No harmful chemical pollutants, since water is used as the refrigerant • Helps improve building’s energy-efficiency ratings Cooling that is typically fed by centralised power generation.

With the availability of natural gas at the site, the plant comprises 4 x 1.4 MW gas engines with LHV electricgenerating efficiency of 41.7% and total efficiency of 87%. It also involves the deployment of two 550 TR, triple-effect absorption chillers, two 400 TR, single-effect absorption chillers, in series with ultra-efficient series counter-flow water-cooled chillers with variable-speed centrifugal compressor, and two pairs of 1,450 TR each in series with 10,200 tonne-hour stratified chilled water thermal storage, which can deliver 1,800 TR of peak discharge capacity.

The PV plant is partially distributed over the roof floors of a few of the buildings, and

street parking shading roof, among other areas, next to the plant.

Overall, the primary energy saved from the combined trigen and the PV plant is as high as 84%, as compared to traditional systems, George Berbari, CEO of DC PRO, highlights. He explains, “IPM has the most efficient trigeneration plant in the world, where DC PRO Engineering have generated electric power with two-stage exhaust recovery and hot water recovery that generate steam to power tripleeffect absorption chillers.”

It also helps generate hot water to power single-effect absorption chillers that are put in series with series counter flow centrifugal chillers and thermal storage, he reiterates.

“The coefficient of

performance (COP) of the ultraefficient triple effect absorption chillers is 1.75 to 1.8, and the Innovation Park has achieved close to double that with a COP of 3.45 at the harsh ambient temperature and humidity of Oman,” Berbari underscores.

Oman, where dry-bulb and wet-bulb design temperatures are 42.8 degree C and 30.2 degree C respectively, a worldrecord high COP of 2.85 conversion from LHV natural gas to cooling energy for centrifugal compressors and absorption chiller will produce 4.4 degree C chilled water leaving temperature, he claims.

The makeup water source for the District Cooling process will apparently be potable water in the initial phases, and will be provided by the potable water storage tank located below the thermal storage tank.

However, there is provision for future alternative source of treated sewage effluent (TSE) water, supplied either directly to the process (through the government utility company) or through a provisional RO plant, where space has been allotted in the basement. (Also see Box: Wading into wastewater.)

Future provision of a geothermal well heat rejection system is also considered in the design, which will be implemented in the future, based on geothermal well testing, Berbari informs.

Marching ahead hand in hand

IPM and DC PRO seem to share a passion and a vision for energy efficiency and

conservation. IPM, on its part, with its emphasis on R&D, wants to ensure that the primary energy saved from combined trigen (combined cooling, heat and power) and photovoltaic plant is high. DC PRO has managed to prove the technical and commercial feasibility of the plant, where payback for standard District Cooling is less than six years. As far as power generation infrastructure is considered, the company wants to safeguard capital cost and operating cost savings, while being environmentally sustainable. Berbari envisages that the project will save 75% primary energy or natural gas, as compared to standard electric District Cooling, and 84% compared to air-cooled chillers. This explains why the project is being heralded as the most efficient District Cooling scheme in the world.

References

1. http://www.peie.om/ tabid/943/ArticleId/647/ Innovation-Park-Muscataspires-at-making-Oman-a-hubfor-science-and-technology. aspx 2. http://www.clarkeenergy.com/gas-engines/ trigeneration/

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

Tabreed is a success story with 67 plants across the region. Our business of District Cooling is swelling with key partners in the GCC. I aspire to grow the business of District Cooling around the GCC and to help hone UAE nationals to be leaders in the future. As an individual, I am diligent to go through the business requirements and aim to grow selectively in the right place and in the right time with proper contracts, and through building the right relationships with government entities.

Jasim Husain Thabet, CEO, Tabreed 14

February 2015

MPAIGN A C L A I R O EAST EDIT E L D D I M CONTROL E T A M I L C A

Schools

ENDORSED BY

HEALTH MINISTERS’ COUNCIL FOR THE COOPERATION COUNCIL STATES

February 2015

15

IEQ IN SCHOOLS

ast month, the focus was on the micro-flora in the air in the classrooms. This month, we have chosen to look at chemicals and the severe concerns their presence evokes.

Chemicals abound schools, not just in beakers and cans in the science labs, but also as paints and adhesives in classrooms and other facilities. And they invade from our bustling, trafficladen roads into the bloodstream of learning, unsuspecting, innocent children and of their teachers and the support staff.

This is a global phenomenon, with few exceptions. And the responsibility of finding solutions as much lies with the masterplanners of cities, and the health and education officials, as with electromechanical engineers and disciplines responsible for constructing the built-environments and for making them fit for inhabitation. It also lies with those that maintain the facilities and with the school administrators.

As a first step to finding solutions, we need to ask ourselves the question: ‘What is the extent of awareness amongst the various professional disciplines entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring good health in schools?’ A logical second would be, ‘Is the need for awareness recognised, in the first place?’

And several specific questions come to mind…

What is the nature of independent surveillance mechanisms and systems for tracking occurrences of diseases associated with indoor air pollution, including carbon monoxide poisoning, childhood lead poisoning, lung cancer, allergies, asthma, mesothelioma and Sick Building Syndrome?

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February 2015

What measures are being taken to establish routine monitoring of blood-lead levels in all children (of ages one to five), as part of regular check-ups?

Are physicians and medical facilities required to report blood-lead levels above the threshold limit to a national agency?

What initiatives have been taken to organise a health unit within each urban centre in the country that investigates elevated blood-lead levels by inspecting homes and schools for conditions or sources that may be contributing to lead exposure?

What KPIs have been established in relation to the incidence of diagnosed cases of illnesses associated with indoor air pollution (per a population of 100,000)?

This editorial campaign is aimed at finding answers, which we hope to share in this and in subsequent issues and, further, during the World IEQ Forum, which we shall be hosting in early October, with a special emphasis on schools. To date, we have been fortunate in receiving the support of such bodies as Dubai Municipality, the Health Ministers’ Council for Cooperation Council States and the Saudi Quality Council. More are expected to join. There is a tremendous build-up of momentum. I invite you to come on board, so we can support the cause of creating a healthy and education-enabling environment.

B Surendar surendar@cpi-industry.com

IEQ IN SCHOOLS

n o i t a c u d E a s i f l u G e h t in top priority

H. E. Dr. Ali AlKarni, Director-General of the Arab Bureau of Education for the Gulf States (ABEGS) speaks on the aspirations of the region and the strategies being adopted to position the educational system in the region among the best in the world. he Bureau was established before the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), so that should give you an idea of the importance given to education in the region. Education in the Gulf is a top priority.

We, in the GCC, believe that the natural resources we are enjoying will not last forever; the only resource that will remain is the human capital.

The education expenditure in the GCC region is high; it surpasses the international average. Each country in the GCC has allocated an extra fund for education in addition to the official budget, stressing the importance they place on education.

As a region, we have met most of the criteria of education defined by UNESCO. It is not, however, secret that the output of our education is not at the level aspired by our societies. That’s

not to suggest we are far behind. Our students, on completing high school, have succeeded in joining universities around the world, but we still have to strive for a better quality of education that meets our development needs.

Ministries of education in our Member States are concentrating on developing attractive school environments that will foster talents and over achievements.

Curricula and teacher training are also two areas of development on the agenda of our ministries of education. It is important to enable the younger generation to compete globally.

Education has become an investment opportunity, and the private sector has become involved. At the Bureau, we are part of major projects related to developing the standard of education in the region, and we want our system to be the best.

We have achieved a lot, but cannot relax.

(As told to B Surendar)

Our students, on completing high school, have succeeded in joining universities around the world, but we still have to strive for a better quality education that meets our development needs

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February 2015

February 2015

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IEQ IN SCHOOLS

Are schools turning into pollution magnets?

With real estate activity and vehicular traffic on the rise in the UAE, schools close to construction sites and busy roads bear the brunt of air pollution. Moheet Vishwas draws attention to this form of passive pollution.

atching an army of cranes dawn over the crimson horizon in the mornings isn’t a forgotten sight anymore. Dubai is soon expected to become the crane capital of the world once again – of the non-ornithological kind, that is – after the announcement of Expo 2020. It is a welcome shot in the arm for the UAE’s construction industry, as the Expo-related infrastructure development is expected to cost approximately over USD nine billion. This does not take into account a host of developments planned or announced by the public and private sectors to support the event.1 Real estate on the upswing

20

correlates to increased vehicular traffic on roads. These two factors together contribute to rise, both in pollution levels and the number of pollutants in the air.

It’s exhausting!

Case in point is, increasing number of vehicles on roads release more exhausts and gaseous fumes into the air.

Diesel exhaust, for instance, is a complex chemical mixture comprising finite particles that are toxic in nature. These contaminants, such as benzene, arsenic and formaldehyde, pose carcinogenic health risks. They are called PM2.5 or particles smaller than 2.5 millimetres

February 2015

– small enough to enter the bloodstream through our lungs, causing lung diseases and cardiovascular problems, such as heart attacks and strokes In such a scenario, students and staff in schools situated near heavy-duty areas like the Sheikh Zayed Road stand the risk of being exposed to these pollutants. Though the polluted air burdens the filters on fresh air intake louvres, a wellmaintained HVAC system can still negate the effects inside the classrooms. However, children will be affected in outdoor areas, such as playgrounds.

According to WHO (World Health Organization), exposure

to particle pollution causes premature death and is linked to a variety of significant health problems. It can lead to the development of chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma in children. Even more worrying is the fact that these particulates can hamper healthy growth of the brain in children and render them less capable of cognitive activities.

Thus, vehicular traffic combined with rampant construction activity could lead to health problems of epic proportions in any developing region, such as Qatar and the UAE.

The Commons Environmental Audit committee recently released a damning report on air quality in 16 major cities in the UK. The findings in essence reveal that air pollution levels have gone from bad to worse in urban areas, and that the basic design of cities has to be altered.2 We need to learn lessons from this report vis-à-vis IEQ in schools.

Turning the problem inside out

Being aware of the potential dangers of outdoor air pollutants on children is just half the story. Indoor air pollutants can be higher than outdoor air pollutants, and curbing them can prove to be an even more challenging task.

There are no regulations in place to periodically check or monitor the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in schools, though the Dubai Municipality has time and again raised concerns over it.

Numerous researches have made it evidently clear that poor IAQ in schools can cause a reduction in

the students’ productivity and prolong their exposure to harmful air particulates, whereas good IAQ can enhance the students’ concentration, improve the teachers’ performance and give the campus inhabitants a clean bill of health by reducing the number of sick leave days taken due to Sick Building Syndrome.

Back to basics

This lays quintessential emphasis on the air filtration systems in schools. Inadequate filtration of air or poor maintenance of filters can result in HVAC components becoming pollution emission sources, which, in turn, affect the IAQ in schools, and by extension, the health of students and staff.

In this context, schools need to ensure that they have in place properly designed and efficiently operating HVAC systems that are appropriately placed. The maintenance of filters, air intakes and exhausts in source areas, in compliance with ASHRAE guidelines, is equally important. This can go a long way in combating air pollutants, and microorganisms and keep them to a minimum.

Some of the precautionary steps that can be taken are: • Fresh air supply intake should be just enough to maintain the mean CO2

The DM initiative

In 2013 the Dubai Municipality launched an initiative to study the IAQ and levels of pollution in schools and other public buildings. The study was expected to be completed towards the end of 2014. Its findings are greatly anticipated, as the data will help put together solutions and practices that can help ensure basic health and safety of children in schools and elsewhere.4

level below the ASHRAE recommended 1,000ppm.

The difference between outdoor and indoor CO2 levels should never be more than 600ppm.

• Concentration of microbial contaminants, such as bacteria and dust are higher at high relative humidity levels and lower ventilation rates. Schools must, therefore, comply with ASHRAE Standard 62, which states that: a) HVAC components must be designed to maintain 65% RH or less. The standard dictates that the HVAC systems must be designed to maintain a dew point temperature of 16.8 degree C. b) Classrooms should be supplied 15 cfm (cubic feet per minute) of outside air per person in the room.

The concentration of CO2 can be a good indicator of ventilation rates.

It cannot be stressed enough that in conjunction with a well-designed system, the maintenance of its air quality filters is of paramount importance. The presence of moisture in Air Handling Units must be controlled. Moisture or high relative humidity content in air can be a result of poor control of humidity or inadequately maintained cooling coils. In light of this, scheduled preventive maintenance of HVAC components and air filters must become mandatory.

To avoid the dire situation that schools in the UK find themselves in, planning guidelines in the UAE need not allow schools to be built near major roads or areas with traffic congestions. Building regulations and local authorities, like Dubai Municipality, need to ensure that any school already existing within 150 kilometres of such areas are fitted with competent air filtration systems.3 The governments in the

region could, perhaps, drive the change by introducing a scheme that offers financial incentives to vehicle owners who drive hybrids or any other environmental friendly vehicles. The UAE government, for instance, in its efforts to ensure a sustainable future has announced the UAE Vision 2021 National Agenda.

The first part of the Agenda seeks to make an impact on the improvement of Air Quality Index (AQI) as a Key Performance Indicator.

The AQI is basically the daily measure of how clean or polluted the air is and its effects on human health.

Maintaining optimum air quality both indoors and outdoors is a complex issue and needs a holistic approach. Government initiatives and agendas can certainly raise awareness, but the change can be brought about only when people, in general, share the responsibility. Schools, too, need to take the lead as educators to raise awareness among students and parents about IAQ and IEQ.

References 1. https://www.venturesonsite. com/news/how-dubai-expo2020-will-benefit-the-uaeconstruction-industry/ 2. & 3 http://www.dailymail. co.uk/news/article2864733/1-000-schools-riskkiller-pollution-Calls-air-filtersystems-fitted-protect-childrentoxic-fumes.html 4. http://www.khaleejtimes. com/kt-article-display-1. asp?xfile=data/ nationgeneral/2014/ July/nationgeneral_July21. xml&section=nationgeneral

The writer has a master’s degree in Energy and a bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Electrical Engineering. He works as an engineer in Dubai and can be contacted at moheet. vishwas@gmail.com

February 2015

21

IEQ IN SCHOOLS

s t n e d u t s g Givin

r e w o p lung ctive and taken both proa s ha a hi lp de in schools rict of Phila and IAQ levels The School Dist Q IE e th e ov The res to impr the “Report of reactive measu We bring you t. bi lity am ua its Q l in ta ith vironmen that come w hia’s Indoor En lp tal de en ila Ph nm ro of vi t e, MS, En ck School Distric Lo e in nc a es ared by Fr e report provid Program”, prep Philadelphia. Th of t ric ist D ol . on Director, Scho ities in the regi to school author helpful pointers

Top priority he School District of Philadelphia (SDP) is a public school system that was awarded a United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) Great Start Award in 2011 for the accomplishments of its Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) programme. The SDP is a member of the EPA’s School Health and Indoor Environments Leadership Team, and was named an IAQ Mentoring School District by the EPA in 2013.

22

IEQ has become a priority for the SDP. In March of 2014, the SDP hosted the US EPA’s “Healthy Children – Healthy Schools” Conference in Philadelphia, where approximately 200 environmental, facilities management, academic and clinical professionals joined forces to discuss IEQ issues in schools. The organisational culture of the SDP has gradually shifted into a direction that acknowledges and embraces the relationship between facility conditions and student health and academic outcomes.

In addition to IEQ, the SDP manages multiple regulatorymandated environmental

February 2015

health programmes related to the indoor environment.

These include programmes for managing asbestos, lead-based paint and universal hazardous wastes, including mercurycontaining fluorescent light tubes and acid batteries.

The SDP structure

The SDP is a large, urban school district governed by a five-member School Reform Commission (SRC) that was established in December 2001, when oversight of the SDP shifted from a local school board to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The SDP serves approximately 160,000 students from pre-Kindergarten to 12th Grade. SDP has 279 schools and over 400 buildings. Over 90% of our

students are considered economically disadvantaged, and approximately 47,000 students have been diagnosed with asthma. About 60% of our students are African-American and 19% are Latino/Hispanic. [http://www.philasd.org/ about/#schools; data updated as of December 2014.]

The SDP is one of the largest and oldest school districts in the United States, with an average school building age of 63 years. The actual age of buildings ranges from five years to 120 years. The SDP has five US Green Building Council, LEED-certified schools, and was the first in the United States to have a public school designated as LEED Platinum.

The SDP also has one school that is designated as a LEEDcertified existing building (EB).

Asthma and absenteeism

Philadelphia, as a city, has a large disparity when it comes to children’s health and asthma. Philadelphia has the highest asthma prevalence rate among children compared to all the counties in the state of Pennsylvania. Economically disadvantaged, AfricanAmerican and Latino children experience asthma at a greater rate than others. Asthma causes chronic absenteeism and takes children away from learning in the classroom – the SDP’s educational mission is affected by this illness.

The SDP’s building stock and systems are getting older and more deteriorated every day, and funding is not available to repair or replace facilities at the desired rate. Chronic moisture and mould in schools cannot be easily prevented or controlled in some buildings without undergoing major capital improvements, such as designing and installing new roofs, applying exterior masonry restoration and installing new windows. It is currently estimated that USD four billion is required to bring

February 2015

23

IEQ IN SCHOOLS

Photos courtesy Francine Locke

all buildings to a state of good repair.

Many of SDP structures have deteriorated building envelopes and antiquated ventilation systems that do not fully protect the indoor environment from extreme weather conditions, such as freezing cold temperatures, heavy rain, snow or high heat and humidity.

Water penetrates through some of the SDP’s building’s walls and ceilings, causing interior paint and plaster damage.

In these buildings, walls and ceilings require maintenance routinely to remove

Lawton Elementary School

Dampness, dust and mould can exacerbate asthma, which makes the IEQ a high priority for the Division of Facilities and Operations Powell Elementary School

efflorescence and dust that find their way on to surfaces. Mould is always a concern that is met with swift action by the SDP’s maintenance department, but nevertheless, the condition is difficult to stop with chronic dampness and water intrusion as a continuous issue.

Dampness, dust and mould can exacerbate asthma, which makes the IEQ a high priority for the Division of Facilities and Operations.

Removing the triggers The District conducts both proactive and reactive IEQ inspections based upon the EPA’s Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools programme. The proactive IEQ inspections

24

are focused at high asthma prevalent schools. High asthma prevalent schools are defined as those schools with a high (>20%) percentage of students who use their emergency asthma medication while at school, in comparison to the overall school population.

With IEQ inspections and reporting, the District is working to remove asthma triggers and other environmental health concerns from schools. Over the past year, the District has completed over 1,000 IEQ corrective actions at schools.

These range from mould remediation to removing airfresheners from classrooms.

In addition to the number of IEQ corrective actions and

February 2015

their completion, another performance outcome that is being used to measure the IEQ programme’s progress is student emergency asthma inhaler medication use over time. The goal is to see a decrease in medication usage as environmental triggers are remediated at a school.

The IEQ Dashboard Report

Since 2010, a major part of the SDP’s IEQ programme has been an Industrial Hygienist who conducts both proactive and reactive IEQ assessments virtually on a daily basis.

The Industrial Hygienist communicates with facilities staff, the principal and teachers,

while on site conducting an assessment. A detailed and point-by-point report with a photo log of environmental conditions is developed from the assessment. This is called the SDP’s IEQ Dashboard Report. The report’s findings are categorised into the EPA Tools for Schools indicators of Mould/Dampness, Ventilation, General Cleanliness, Point Source and Pest Management.

Over 5,000 corrective actions have been identified since 2010.

The IEQ Dashboard Report is essentially a Tailored Environmental Intervention for the school. The report provides findings, corrective actions and the responsible parties for implementing the corrective actions. The IEQ Dashboard is reviewed biweekly with an IEQ Committee. The IEQ Committee’s core members are Maintenance staff, Operations staff, the Office of Environmental Management & Services (OEMS) and other SDP departments, depending upon the issues on the dashboard. In some cases, Capital and Food Services staff will be asked to sit in on the committee’s biweekly meetings, because there is a need for

a coordinated approach to resolving issues. This is the case for most of our Integrated Pest Management (IPM) issues.

AHERA inspections

In addition to IEQ inspections

by SDP’s Industrial Hygienist, environmental health is also integrated into EPA-mandated Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) inspections. Because AHERA inspections are required by law, and conducted twice per year at every school, the SDP decided to incorporate another component to the inspections – seeking out environmental health issues in classrooms, such as visible mould, rodent droppings and paint/ plaster dust and deterioration.

These observations are reported by our AHERA inspectors in addition to asbestos damage, and as a result, dozens of instances of active water leaks, mould and other issues have been identified from this approach.

The Capital improvement plan for the next five years is taking into consideration data collected by OEMS, which includes observations of active roofing leaks, paint and plaster damage from chronic water intrusion and a multitude of other building envelope and ventilation issues. With this data, SDP is incorporating IEQ issues that impact health into funding for fixes.

The SDP is partnering with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the Philadelphia

OEC Elementary School - Remediation Activity

The organisational culture of the SDP has gradually shifted into a direction that acknowledges and embraces the relationship between facility conditions and student health and academic outcomes Federation of Teachers Union, to pilot a proactive Dampness and Mould Assessment Tool (DMAT).

Since 2011, SDP has provided feedback to NIOSH about the usefulness of the DMAT in proactively finding mould and dampness in schools, and how to refine the tool to make it more useful and easier to use by other school districts.

Communicating “fixes”

During this process, the SDP has trained nine inspectors on how to conduct the DMAT assessments. The SDP has

Key Elementary School: mold growth and water damage was observed on the flooring

incorporated a refined version of the DMAT assessment criteria into the biannual AHERA inspections and developed an easy-to-use scope of work for remediation tool that gives an immediate report to the Maintenance Division when mould or water leaks are identified. This allows OEMS to communicate “fixes” when mould findings occur.

In addition to the DMAT pilot programme, the SDP and the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers Union have also joined NIOSH in a public health research project involving health and environment at 50 elementary schools during the Spring of 2015. This is a very comprehensive study that involves on-site environmental surveys and Internet-based health surveys that teachers

will complete. Environmental dust samples will be collected in a group of schools for microbiological analysis, and other environmental measures will be collected for ventilation. NIOSH will investigate associations between environmental and health conditions and investigate associations between objective microbial measurements from environmental sampling and dampness/mould scores from the DMAT data. A major goal is to use the information collected to assist schools nationally to understand how building-related symptoms in occupants might be associated with environmental problems in buildings, which will help to motivate appropriate remediation and maintenance.

As the SDP moves forward with the IEQ programme, further work and initiatives are under way to attain the goal of reduced asthma triggers in classrooms. This includes initiatives, such as door sweep inspections to identify penetrations around doors and entranceways that allow for pest entry; classroom de-cluttering campaigns; and, training for building, administrative and instructional staff about asthma triggers and how to remove them. Over time, SDP will continue to become more strategic and data-driven so as to illustrate the health and environmental outcomes of the programme.

February 2015

25

IEQ IN SCHOOLS

Helping ’em

breathe easy

out the e authorities ab th of s es en ar ificant While raising aw schools is a sign in y lit ua Q l ta en -opting the Indoor Environm w be put into co no t us m rt fo ef ing improve first step, turers into help ac uf an m t en HVAC equipm eathe. e air students br the quality of th puts from ankar, with in sh a m U a h b

By Prati Nickyta Ray oor Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) in classrooms affects the physical and mental wellbeing of students.

This, in turn, takes a toll on their ability to concentrate, grasp and process concepts and information and solve mathematical problems.

Overall, it leads to increased absenteeism and low productivity.

The lurking dangers

Various researches conducted on school-going children show that if the air they breathe contains more than tolerable levels of microscopic dust and fibres and biological particles, such as mould spores and pollen, they aggravate respiratory problems.

Dr Laurențiu Pestrițu, Global Product Manager, Insulation, at Hira Industries, underlines

26

this when he says: “Our air is always contaminated, not only with naturally generated pollutants (like carbon dioxide) but also with manmade pollutants like volatile organic compounds (VOCs), industrial fibres, highly acidic particles of dust, spores of mould and bacteria.”

The building blocks of good IEQ

It is an axiom that technologies employed and materials used in buildings can contribute to a better IEQ, not only in schools but also in all built environments.

Keeping this in mind, his company carefully chooses pipe and duct insulation materials which can minimise the cause of indoor air pollution, claims Dr Pestrițu. He stresses that a nonfibrous, closed-cell material that has built-in antimicrobial and antifungal protection could be the right kind of insulation material to provide a safe

February 2015

IEQ. “The insulation material effectively saves energy while preventing condensation without the need of external water vapour barriers,” he explains, and adds, “It is dust and fibre-free, making it suitable for use in schools, among other places.”

Giving an empirical instance of how the right kind of ducting material can help improve IEQ, Tawfiq M Attari, Global Sales & Technical Director of Ductsox, says, “We have worked with GEMS schools in the UAE to minimise indoor air pollution in the multipurpose halls and sports arena with the help of homogenous distribution of air through our ducts.”

That buildings have a massive impact on the natural environment has become a hot-button issue in the construction industry in recent times, leading to sustainable construction methods gaining ground. Highlighting this, Peter Robinson, Marketing Manager at St Gobain-Gyproc Middle East, warns that children spend a lot of their time inside

school buildings, which exposes them to greater levels of formaldehydes from items, such as electrical goods, cleaning products, paints and varnishes. “Schools are an obvious concern, as we need to create the best environment for students and teachers,” he says, and adds, “But there are solutions available to address the absorption of formaldehyde and improve the indoor air quality. Advances in building design means improvements in air sealing.”

Plasterboard systems that help convert formaldehyde into inert compounds are effective in improving Indoor Air Quality of schools, Robinson stresses, and informs that boards consisting of an aerated gypsum core with other additives encased in, and firmly bonded to strong paper liners, are suitable for dry lining internal surfaces.

This, he believes, permanently removes formaldehyde circulating indoors.

The industry’s onus

Speaking about challenges of maintaining a healthy environment in academic structures, Attari says, “We have rules to abide by for implementing good IEQ in schools, but they are seldom followed and implemented. If they are implemented, we will have a stewardship of natural resources and improved air quality in schools.”

Attari points out that the LEED certification system gives utmost importance to schools, and likens it to a report card for buildings.

If this is indeed true, then the industry needs to actively address concerns about IEQ in schools. This might not only help buildings garner LEED points, it could also create the right kind of atmosphere for students to come out with flying colours.

Note: To be continued in March

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DISCUSSION DC & finance

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY Understanding the current thinking on financing for District Cooling infrastructure Report by B Surendar

O

Moderator: Rob Thornton, IDEA President

Director, Global head, Infrastructure & Transportation, Standard Chartered Bank • Adrian Sender, Executive Manager, Corporate Finance Wholesale Banking, Doha Bank • Farrukh Zaman, Senior Vice President, Corporate And Investment Banking Group, Large Corporates Division, Mashreq Bank

Panellists: • Stephen Davies, Deputy General Manager, Corporate Banking, Commercial Bank of Dubai • David Dubin, Managing Director, Capital Markets Origination, Head of Projects & Infrastructure, Finance, EMEA, Citibank • Deepa Bharadwaj Pasumarty, Managing

The discussion revealed the guarded mind-set of the financial community towards District Cooling, and yet a willingness to loosen the purse strings, provided some key questions were answered in a satisfactory manner, including settling down its identity as a utility, considering that investors are keen about utilities as an asset class. Excerpts from the discussion…

ne of the highlights of IDEA’s District Cooling conference in mid-December 2014 in Dubai was a panel discussion involving banking professionals.

The participants were…

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February 2015

We are conservative by nature, so tell us what the potential for action is, if something goes wrong. Be fully transparent about your cash flow position

David Dubin: We take a great deal of interest from a risk point of view, be it in District Cooling here or District Heating in Scandinavia, and were involved in the Palm Utilities acquisition [by Empower]. I am curious about the next step, about contract monetisation than traditional bank finance.

Dubin: The cost of capital is a bit on the independent side.

Utilities are an asset class that investors want to be in.

Adrian Sender: One of the key benefits is the masterplanning aspect, where sufficient de-risking takes place.

The other key we take a lot of comfort [from] is the government ownership.

Zaman:

Deepa Pasumarthy: We see District Cooling as a clean energy tool, and we look to see how we can move this thing forward, what the blockages are and how we can change that.

Farrukh Zaman: District Cooling is nascent in the UAE and, as a result of that, financing of District Cooling is also at a nascent stage. District Cooling is the way of the future, and it is clean and green.

Rob Thornton: What kind of information do you need from us [the District Cooling industry] on underwriting, risk assessment points of view? Would you characterise District Cooling as an asset class? What is the way to de-risk it, you think?

But the attractive element is bond or sukuk. Aircraft financing is mobile, you can take it back, but pipes?

Pasumarthy: How do you successfully position it as a utility-side business, though?

The linkage to real estate makes it difficult to argue. Yes, it is critical infrastructure, but it is linked to real estate and the associated risks. So we need to see regulation and areas where we need protection from a corporate basis.

You would like to see more institutional money coming into the market, be it bond market or sukuk.

But here, bank funding is cheap.

Lending is still not on project basis. As the industry matures, demand patterns stabilise; then, we are going to see more investors coming in. We can start looking at new projects rather than who the owner is.

Stephen Davies: The structure is important, I agree with Farrukh. As the market matures, as more sophisticated financial instruments come into play, we will see progress.

Thornton: What homework should District Cooling companies do before meeting with a bank? What should they do to compete with the best you can offer?

February 2015

29

DISCUSSION DC & finance

Pasumarthy:

Davies:

We would like to see a comprehensive business plan around the asset class. The availability and robustness of customer contracts, and the management track record and ability to deliver are very, very important. What is the competitive landscape is again something we will be looking for.

Be realistic with your financial projections. Secondly, because we are conservative by nature, tell us what the potential for action is, if something goes wrong. Be fully transparent about your cash flow position, etc.

And do show us your Plan B, if things go wrong.

Private Equity is perhaps the wrong type to come into this business because of their return threshold.

Be it Canadian Pensions or Dutch Pensions, they are good business partners, because they have long-term capital. Their mindset is a bit different from the corporate type of equity.

Infrastructure funds are long term.

Sender:

Sender: It seems obvious but [people] often get it wrong: [It works well] if the client has a good understanding of what they want from different sections in a bank. If you approach a wrong unit, you might get a wrong solution.

Zaman: We are very clear who is going to be requiring financing in the UAE. Do I see new players? It is very difficult to say. It is better to talk at the start to come up with a plan how the company is going to look like five years from now. It’s good to have a chat beforehand than to go with a fixed deal. For new entrants, the market looks very difficult. Let’s stay away from speculative demand, which Empower has done very well.

Thornton: So don’t bake the cake much ahead, yes?

30

Dubin:

February 2015

Sovereign Wealth Funds going to buy infrastructure assets makes sense to me.

The export credit agencies are primarily on the heavy equipment side, but they are active, so why not District Cooling Thornton: In North America, a lot of capital is looking for home, and now private equity has found District Energy, and our visibility is greater, and so it is willing to lend to District Energy.

How is a bank different from a private equity fund?

Zaman: We see more and more homegrown Private Equity funds. District Energy returns are attractive, but do we have more players, more activity?

Thornton: Do you see EXIM financing as an opportunity?

Zaman: Yes, but there are more opportunities for Sukuks. The export credit agencies are primarily on the heavy equipment side, but they are active, so why not District Cooling. But the attractive element is bond or sukuk. Aircraft financing is mobile, you can take it back, but pipes?

Member of the audience (Mark Spurr from FVB Energy): What aspect of regulation can make District Cooling a more bankable investment?

Zaman: Transparency of tariffs, and here government regulations may help. [We need to establish] what is the basis of the charges? Why so much here and something elsewhere?

At the same time, you don’t want overregulation.

Sender: Probably encourage competition in the sector, to do away with monopoly.

Zaman: District Cooling is here to grow in the UAE, and it is going to grow manifold, it is a given. Banks and financial firms will have to work together. Come up with common standards, be it technology or regulation, and see where we go from here.

Are we going to the bond market or private equity? They need a sort of understanding on structure.

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

Dubin: Regulation may or may not, in itself, be useful, but many investors like regulation, but they like it for the wrong reason.

Thornton: Regulation is really applied when there is a monopoly. We want helpful regulation, which in some cases will give banks the confidence that this is a mature market, but not an overlay of cost burdens.

Zaman: You don’t want a compliance regime, like what we face right now. I fully agree with Rob. Sender: If there is regulation, how does it fit into the overall legal framework, though?

Thornton: I am going to ask you to put your crystal balls and give your five-year projection on the future for District Cooling. How would we mature from a banker’s perspective, to become a credit-worthy business?

Davies: In the GCC, summer is not going to go away, and I think it is the sharing of information going forward and learning from developed markets on what went right and what went wrong.

Dubin: This industry is going to have very strong penetration and growth avenues for longer-term finance, if serious amenities can have back-up systems, so if one amenity becomes bankrupt, then another taking over will give comfort zone to us.

UL

Pasumarthy: Transparency on contract structures [is important]. As we look at expansion of business, the nature of risks will change. How do we evaluate them and protect ourselves is something important.

February 2015

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PERSPECTIVE DC & ECONOMICS

COUNTING THE COST OF DISTRICT COOLING Tim Griffiths compares the economics of District Cooling as against standalone systems in the context of District Cooling receiving a bad press in recent times.

D

istrict Cooling was effectively introduced to the Middle East in the late 1990s and was rapidly adopted by several new property developments.

In many cases, customers soon found that their cooling charges were higher than expected and, many complained, even

32

February 2015

higher than alternative methods of cooling. District Cooling, thus, got itself a bad name.

The aim of District Cooling is that by using more efficient chillers and serving more buildings, it should be possible to achieve economies of scale, resulting in overall cost savings.

District Cooling is most effective in high-density city centres, serving a range of high-rise buildings. Traditionally, such buildings have been cooled by siting air-cooled chillers on the roof, and so the principal comparison that we should make is between these two methods of cooling.

DC versus air-cooled chillers

The comparison affects both capital expenditure (Capex) and operating expenditure (Opex). In both, there are trade-offs between costs savings and additional costs, and it is the net effect on both Capex and Opex that concerns us.

In order to compare Capex, which is an immediate expenditure, with Opex, which are costs stretching well out into the future, we need to look at the cash flows on a DCF basis.

water-cooled chillers have a useful life of around 30+ years, whereas aircooled chillers need to be replaced after 15-18 years

14 of the 15 warmest years on record have all fallen in the first 15 years of this century.” — President Obama #SOTU #ActOnClimate

By contrast, an extra chiller for the District Cooling system may only account for an extra 10% of capacity

Plant cost: The equipment used in District Cooling (usually water-cooled chillers) is more expensive per tonne than the air-cooled chillers used for standalone systems.

However, this additional cost is partially offset by the fact that water-cooled chillers have a useful life of around 30+ years, whereas air-cooled chillers need to be replaced after 15-18 years. To be valid, therefore, the comparison must be made over similar periods.

To offset these additional costs, there are several factors that favour District Cooling.

Redundancy: In order to ensure that effective cooling is available whenever required, all systems need to have a certain amount of extra capacity available. In the case of chillers, this is at least one unit. For a standalone system, this may constitute an extra 25% or more of capacity. By contrast, an extra chiller for the District Cooling system may only account for an extra 10% of capacity.

Diversity: A District Cooling system may serve many buildings with a variety of uses. Buildings with different uses (residential, offices, retail) may achieve peak consumption at different times.

Generally, the peak demand for all buildings together will be less than the sum of the peak demands for each

Additional equipment: A District Cooling system incurs additional Capex that the standalone system does not need: • An Energy Transfer Station (ETS) at the interface between the District Cooling system and each customer’s premises • The distribution network carrying the

Impact on Capex Increase in costs Reduction in costs

Network

ETS

Barack Obama @BarackObama

chilled water from the central plant to the customers building.

The above chart demonstrates the additional Capex (red) and Capex savings (green) that result from a District Cooling system compared to the baseline Capex for standalone chillers.

Redundancy

The choices business & government leaders make today can build a cleaner, healthier future.

- Jim Yong Kim http://ow.ly/IjimY

World Bank @WorldBank

Dirty air filters restrict air flow making your HVAC system work harder to keep you comfortable. http://www.energystar. gov/heatcool

Diversity

Plant Cost

U.S. EPA @EPA

Thermal Storage Cost of standalone chillers

RESULT Slight increase / decrease in Capex

February 2015

33

PERSPECTIVE DC & ECONOMICS

Impact on Opex

separate building.

As a result of both redundancy and diversity, a District Cooling system will be able to install a lower capacity and still serve all its customers effectively. This can result in significant savings in Capex.

Network

Cost of standalone chillers Increase in costs Power Consumption

Thermal storage: Cooling energy can be generated during off-peak times, stored in the form of chilled water or ice, and released during peak periods.

Depending on the demand profile, a certain amount of thermal storage can be substituted for chillers. On a tonne-for-tonne basis, thermal storage is cheaper to install and operate than chillers.

The result for these offsetting factors is different in each case. However, in many such comparisons, the result is generally a slightly higher Capex for District Cooling than for the standalone equivalent.

The result for Opex is much clearer, as shown in the chart (right).

DC versus watercooled chillers Water:

Water-cooled chillers use evaporating water for dispersing the heat into the atmosphere, and this has a cost that air-cooled chillers do not incur.

RESULT Substantial reduction in Opex

Thermal Storage

The financial result, of course, depends on the cost of electricity

Power: Water-cooled chillers are very much more efficient – at around 1.0 kW per tonne – than aircooled chillers (around 1.7 kW per tonne) in power consumption. This constitutes a considerable saving in power over the 30+-year life of a

system. The financial result, of course, depends on the cost of electricity. In the Middle East, where electricity is heavily subsidised, the benefit to customers of District Cooling is reduced, whereas the government is a major beneficiary of District Cooling through the reduction in the subsidy.

Reduction in costs

Thermal storage: Thermal storage should also deliver some Opex savings through reduced maintenance costs, etc.

The net impact of all these factors for a district where District Cooling is applicable is a long tail of substantial Opex savings, which should more than compensate for any slight increase in Capex.

To determine whether District Cooling is economically viable for a particular property development, it is essential to conduct a proper study that takes into account all the above factors. The writer is the CEO of International Project Developers, which advises on the strategy, development and financing of major projects, especially District Cooling. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered accountants in England & Wales. He can be contacted at tim.griffiths@ipdteam.com

I am optimistic we can do better today than yesterday. Stability and prosperity are the way forward for the GCC region. We need to focus on the energy needs of the next generation. We have a responsibility of preserving oil for them. We have to take care of energy efficiency and optimise when we build infrastructure projects. I don’t build District Cooling for myself but for society, for the new generation… for our children and our grandchildren.

Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO, Empower 34

February 2015

February 2015

35

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

e k a T

15

practices to t s e b r fo r e on a ready reck hilled water plants. s e iv g o k s e fc Dan Miz timal utility o p o r fo d e w o be foll

H

ere are 15 best practices I would like to share with you to get maximum reliability and efficiency from water-cooled plants. I will discuss each of them in greater detail in the coming issues. For now, here are the pointers.

System logs

Maintain an accurate log of the primary indications of system operations. This should include condenser and evaporator entering and leaving temperatures, chiller load, various pressures (oil, refrigerant, etc.), depending on chiller type, equipment in operation, motor voltage and amperage, weather conditions and any other important factors.

Chiller diagnostics

Perform chiller diagnostics and chiller energy diagnostics on at least a weekly or a monthly basis.

Chilled water reset

Reset the chilled water temperature to the maximum that is required to meet the load on the system. This is best accomplished with automated controls and

36

February 2015

programming to reset on a dynamic basis.

Refrigerant level monitoring

For centrifugal chillers, monitor and log the sight glass levels in the evaporator shell. Check approaches and pressures. If in doubt, weigh out.

Condenser (cooling tower) temperature

Maintain the lower condenser temperature recommended by the chiller manufacturer, as per AHRI selections and optimum plant energy consumption.

Maintain chiller condenser tubes in a clean condition The first line of defense is

to follow good water treatment practices. This includes taking steps to control biocides, algae and suspended solids. Filtration will assist in suspended solids control. Mechanical brushing of condenser tubes should be done annually, at the minimum.

Condenser and chilled water flow

Verify the condenser and chilled water flow by measuring it at least annually. A clamp-on or insertion flow meter can achieve this, if permanent measurement tools are not installed.

Motor cooling

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

When reviewing chiller logs, pay particular attention to the motor amperage as against the voltage to detect increases in amp draw. Check the motor for cooling problems. This should be a part of all annual chiller reviews.

Chiller employment

Always consider efficiency versus load when starting and stopping chillers. Various chiller designs have different partial-load and full-load efficiencies. Also, consider the efficiency of the chillers on line as a group. Choose the best combination for the best energy efficiency.

Chiller water flow isolation Isolate both the chiller evaporator and condenser from the system when the chiller is not in service. Automatic valves are the ideal solution.

Use automatic tube cleaning systems

On condensers in high-fouling applications, automatic tube cleaning systems can save significant energy by maintaining tube heat transfers surfaces in a clean condition.

Cooling tower water filtration

The use of side-stream sand, spring, or disk filters are the most effective ways to remove suspended solids in cooling tower water. Filters designed for this purpose can remove 90-95% of all suspended solids larger than five microns.

This level of filtration, which is equal to or better than drinking water, will eliminate the problems associated with dirty cooling tower water. Selection

and sizing is site-, equipmentand location-dependent. Owing to the fact that solids are small and airborne (making them low in specific gravity), centrifugal separators are not effective for this application. A filtration system should include a properly designed basin sweeper system to reduce or eliminate the sludge blanket that forms in tower basins.

Hot deck covers

On cooling towers with hot decks, install and maintain hot deck covers. Ensure that procedures require the replacement of the covers following maintenance activities.

Hot deck nozzles

Hot deck nozzles should be inspected on a monthly basis

in normal operating conditions. Where frequent problems are encountered with nozzle plugging, install a line strainer on the return line to the tower.

The perforations in the strainer should be one-half the size of the smallest opening in the hot deck nozzle. Install a two-inch ball valve in a convenient location for blow down of the strainer, and check it frequently.

Cooling tower cleaning

The cleaning of cooling towers should be done often to prevent any significant buildup of dirt in the tower and tower fill.ď ś

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37

FEATURE

Air treatment and air movement

Up in the air That there is a pressing need to come up with energy-efficient solutions has been acknowledged by the HVAC industry. From manufacturers to consultants, stakeholders are advocating green innovations. But an old challenge refuses to go away. In the quest for sustainability, the general lack of awareness is proving to be a tricky roadblock, writes Fatima de la Cerna.

O

il prices may be volatile, but the economic downturn is nothing but old news in the GCC region – or at least that’s what market optimists and exuberant financial analysts would have us believe. Terms like “slump,” “recession” and “crisis” have

38

already begun to sound stale.

They were once buzzwords that populated headlines, but their banner status has been withdrawn to make way for a decidedly more welcome bunch: growth, recovery and stability.

In the region’s HVAC industry, the strengthening of the economy is illustrated through reports of housing schemes

February 2015

planned in Saudi Arabia that number in the hundreds, and the billions of dollars’ worth of construction projects that are in the works in the UAE and Qatar in preparation for Expo 2020 and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. But there is no time to relish the moment, for even as economic stability is

celebrated, concerns over environmental repercussions are claiming their share of the spotlight. The current boom in construction activity may be opening new opportunities for HVAC companies, but it is also heightening worries over energy efficiency and sustainability.

And even as the GCC region continues to rejoice in the double win of the World Expo and the World Cup, noise over strained resources and energy usage is gaining in volume.

Heeding the call

The call for energy-efficient HVAC products is certainly not new. Conservationists have been making it for decades through demands for ecofriendly technologies, and regulatory authorities have responded by introducing green regulations and programmes.

In the UAE, the Green Economy for Sustainable Development initiative launched

by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, is

The general public and the facility management’s lack of awareness is one. Ignorance of proper protocols or best maintenance practices and periodic audits is another

seeing support from associated initiatives like the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030 and the Green Building Regulations and Specifications, which are spearheaded respectively by the Supreme Council of Energy and the Dubai Electricity and Water Efficiency (DEWA), working in collaboration with Dubai Municipality.

The air side of the HVAC industry, on its part, has also risen to the challenge. Airtreatment and air-moving equipment manufacturers and their peers in allied sectors have come up with green designs and better selection, and continue to do so, as the correlation between Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ) and occupant health and productivity has become more firmly established.

The ducting sector, for instance, has been described as having seen much progress in terms of efficiency.

Ductwork, which Carlisle HVAC Regional Sales Manager John Guthrie refers to as “probably the single most important element of any HVAC system”, has improved

In the UAE, we are directly taking from the vision of our leaders, either as individuals or as a government body. The leadership in the UAE believes that if people have rights and services, they can reach their goals and be happy. And if they are so, they are productive and willingly participate in developing the country. The approach is, ‘Be happy and you will work hard’, which is the exact opposite of the thinking elsewhere, where people say, ‘If you work hard, you will be happy.’

H.E. Abdulla Abdulqader Al Maeeni, Acting Director, General, Emirates Authority for Standardization & Metrology

Killing the machine Forego maintenance, and you risk lowering the lifespan of not only your HVAC product, but also your entire building, warns Renjithkumar Rajan. As Senior Mechanical Engineer at Obermeyer Middle East, he is all too aware of how maintenance checks are often back-burnered by facilities owners and contractors.

“A

t the start of the project, everything appears so smooth and promising,” Rajan says. “Contracts are drawn, and those contracts identify plans necessary to carry out the maintenance requirements of the building, of the HVAC systems in place, including that of Air Handling Units (AHUs), dampers, blowers and even of the ductwork.”

Those plans, believes Rajan, oftentimes fail to see fruition, though. “Maintenance teams are typically active in the first year or two after construction,” he highlights. “That’s usually how long they get paid to do checks. On the third and fourth years, however, the checks go down in frequency, until eventually they completely stop. After that, the maintenance team will show up only when a problem has been reported.”

To call this trend alarming and costly is an understatement,

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39

REPORT

AIR MOVEMENT

says Rajan, and explains: “Most clients and contractors are only concerned about money, about initial costs. But when HVAC systems are not periodically cleaned and maintained, their durability and efficiency become compromised, and then designers are unfairly blamed.”

Illustrating his point, he shares the view that an AHU of great quality and design, for instance, can function with efficiency for 20 to 25 years, if maintained properly. If not, the same AHU will only have four to five good years before becoming bogged down by problems. “The same is true of other air treatment and airmoving devices,” he adds. “People use filters, but who is monitoring the state of the filters? How about dampers? Dust settles, resulting in blockage and affecting airflow.

How about the ducting system?

Yes, the ducts are being cleaned, but is anyone cleaning the coils and checking the state of the coatings? These are questions that clients and contractors should be asking themselves, because something very valuable is at stake here, and that is life.”

By life, he is no longer referring to that of HVAC equipment or technologies. “Many of us in the HVAC industry don’t realise that we are dealing with human lives here,” Rajan elaborates.

“It’s an awareness and negligence problem. We have the capacity of keeping people safe from health hazards, such as fungus, mould and chemical air pollutants. We are responsible for something as important as Indoor Air Quality, and many of us are unfortunately unaware of our role.”

with the introduction of more effective sealants, coatings and adhesives.

The industry, he says, has advanced greatly since the duct tape was invented. He cites innovations like rolled elastomeric sealants, sprayed sealants, and robotic sealing and coating systems as being particularly useful in achieving proper and more durable duct fitting, thus conserving energy through leakage prevention and ensuring good Indoor Air Quality (IAQ).

Betec Cad Director, Sriram CMP, confirming the pressure being placed on the HVAC sector to aim for green alternatives, shares the information that his company pursues certifications from international testing and

40

certification laboratories, and treats IAQ as a priority.

He says, “IAQ is a very challenging subject, because it is a huge factor affecting human living and health conditions.”

recently been released, such as UV or activated O2-based technology that promises germicidal and pollutionmitigation properties. It has not been properly validated in the Gulf, at least to the best of our knowledge. So we will have to wait and see or, if given the opportunity, conduct tests to understand its capability and durability.”

Despite the excitement the talk of a novel system is creating, there is no denying that certain things have not changed. “The challenges have remained the same.

The general public and the facility management’s lack of awareness is one. Ignorance of proper protocols or best maintenance practices and periodic audits is another,” says Mathews.

Mathews’ assessment echoes those of others in the industry. Dr Iyad Al-Attar, an air filtration consultant and an empanelled columnist in Climate Control Middle East, observes that “the general tendency is to be reactive to certain circumstances, rather than being proactive”. He laments the fact that there is only concern about clean air when a disaster, such as an epidemic, strikes. When it is over, he says, the concern evaporates.

Same old, same old

Shelly Mathews, Technical Consultant at Advanced Biotechnology Centre, however, admits that while the air movement and air treatment sectors are evolving and growing, technology-wise, some problems have not seen any resolution.

“The technology is readily available,” he says, explaining that new products are continuously being introduced on the market, with many in the development stages. He adds: “Some interesting systems have

February 2015

The general tendency is to be reactive to certain circumstances, rather than being proactive

This inconsistency, experts agree, can be largely attributed to a deficiency of knowledge and comprehension of efficient designs and practices among not only the laypeople but also the stakeholders. In Guthrie’s view, it is widely known in the HVAC industry that ductwork usually goes decades without being cleaned, resulting in ducts turning into “a breeding ground for mould, mildew, fungus and microbes”.

Billy Prewitt, Carlisle HVAC Marketing Manager, in corroboration of his colleague’s statement, adds that while it is up to experts to determine the severity of mould infestation, facility managers and owners should take steps to tackle the issue before it becomes serious.

But the question is, if owners and managers lack the know-how necessary to recognise health hazards posed by a “sick facility”, how can they act? Prewitt believes that “it is the job of the HVAC industry to provide the public service of highlighting the dangers of poor IAQ ... and to offer top-level service in design, remediation, and future prevention”.

The human element – key driver of change

“No matter what technology there is, the human element is still the key to optimised energy usage,” says Mathews.

“Training and certification, therefore, are important.”

With that in mind, his support for energy-usage regulations and green building codes, which some HVAC players claim are too stringent, comes as no surprise. “Frankly, I think the regulations are in place for a good reason,” he stresses.

“And authorities are actually patient with building owners and facility management.”

Speaking about the UAE, he goes on to add that compared with the rest of the GCC states, “It does seem more proactive

SNIPPET

Rooting for a greener screen A panel discussion of industry producers and experts at the Bafta “Greening the Screen” event held in London, as part of the 2015 television and film awards season, concluded that the industry was not doing enough to address key sustainability issues and encouraging behaviour change. Sustainability leaders from the BBC and the UK film companies presented tips to reduce the environmental footprint of screen productions.

Two tried best practices suggested were, using hybrid cars to transport actors and cutting paper usage by 75% by making printed scripts an option.

Putting an emissions target in the contract was another suggestion. It was felt that stars have the most power to usher in the sustainability culture.

Taking the lead, Cameron Diaz reportedly requests that her film sets use no polystyrene cups since they are impossible to recycle.

February 2015

s_bukley / Shutterstock.com

and strict where regulatory compliance to environmental audits is concerned. But most developed countries have far tougher regulations and penalties.”

Complying with these regulations, Mathews stresses, will go a long way in providing solutions to many of the challenges plaguing the HVAC industry, such as counterfeit products, restrictive designs resulting in monopolistic practices and a buyer’s market, whose decisionmaking is influenced more by price than quality.

Requiring strict compliance might also just help address the awareness and ignorance problems, with the public, in general, being pushed to becoming more conversant with matters of sustainability and efficiency. On the possibility of this happening, Mathews expresses optimism when he says: “When personal well-being and the health of one’s family become the focus, the consumer will look into comprehensive measures. And really, in the end, educating the populace, starting with the young generation, is crucial.”

41

PERSPECTIVE

Sougata Nandi is Technical Advisor – Sustainable Development, CPI Industry. He can be contacted at sougata@ cpi-industry.com

AN OPEN-ANDSHUT CASE Dubbing an open-plan office a bane of our times that compromises sustainable development, Sougata Nandi enumerates ways to obviate the hurdles it poses.

S

ignificant progress has been made in the UAE’s sustainable development space over the last 10 years. In 2004, there was no green-certified space in the country. Today, there are around 100 LEED-certified projects in existence, ranging from new construction to commercial interiors. All new buildings in Abu Dhabi are mandated to follow Estidama

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February 2015

Sustainable Development

guidelines, and Dubai, too, has rolled out green building guidelines.

The growth of certified green space is, perhaps, the fastest in the UAE amongst all countries in the world. Both technical and commercial challenges to building green have been overcome.

The debates today do not centre on whether green certification is possible or not. The real estate sector

now needs to look ahead and focus on managing these projects as green projects for their entire lifecycle. And herein lie several challenges.

The obstacle race to sustainability

What exactly are these challenges? And how do we overcome them? From a technical angle, there appears to be solutions for each of these challenges.

Some of these solutions need to be consistently applied. These are the simple ones, like keeping the energy and water footprint

Sustainability is not a onetime project, but an ongoing process for the entire lifecycle of a building

of the buildings down to a minimum, or at least down to the levels predicted by the energy model at the time of the design. Maintenance teams need to make this a 24x7 habit, because sustainability is not a onetime project, but an ongoing process for the entire lifecycle of a building.

Indoor environmental qualities (IEQs) can also be readily managed.

Primarily through consistent maintenance regimens throughout the lifecycle of the building. IEQ also needs the support of fit-out processes that could easily be managed and controlled via sustainable and robust fitout processes and guidelines.

For example, one of the biggest culprits in IEQ for all interiors is paints. Specifying

environment-friendly paints easily eliminates this challenge, or low VOC paints that are nowadays readily available in the market.

Therefore, what really is the big stumbling block today for sustainable development to take root in the final mile? Having worked at different stages of a building lifecycle and having worked for both a developer and several service providers, I believe that the final hurdle that sustainability experts need to overcome is the concept of “open plan” offices.

Diverse stakeholders will need to synergise in order to overcome this hurdle – as diverse as chalk and cheese, unfortunately.

Ramifications of the open-plan concept

So, what does an “open plan” concept really imply?

When commercial buildings are designed, the interior layouts are kept open, except for common areas. Unless a commercial building is being designed for a specific end-user, for example, the headquarter building of

The HVAC air side systems are designed to cater to the entire floor and not as per individual sub-zone requirements

a corporate, the design is focused on core and shell elements. The architect and MEP engineers have no idea as to who the end-users will be (other than the fact that it will be an office or a laboratory or a studio, etc.), and what their specific functional requirements are.

Broadly, it is known that there will be managerial cabins, workstations for staff, pantry, storage, etc. However, office layouts generally follow an organisational structure. Cabins are sized as per hierarchy, open-plan areas as per departments and their staff strength, support equipment areas as per administrative requirements.

How does this real-life scenario pan out with the MEP design and, more importantly, with the green

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43

PERSPECTIVE

Sustainable Development

time and at the right cost – a seemingly simple goal, and yet, very complicated to achieve, specially given all the unknown variables at play. This entails ensuring the correct ducts are reaching the right sub-zones, with right level of controls and the enduser is paying the relevant amount for this use.

How do we know this is not happening currently?

Ever faced the challenge of satisfying all occupants with a single temperature setting? Same thermostat controlling the peripheral zone as well as the inner zones, inadequate air flow in subzones (particularly the CEO’s cabin!), thermostats located on top of a photocopy machine and, most critically, constant conflict with the landlord regarding air conditioning bills are all visible signs of spaces that are in continuous conflict with sustainability, environmentally as well as economically.

Why are these phenomena compromising sustainability?

That is because almost invariably, these situations result in the HVAC systems remaining in operation continuously or in their being frequently switched ON and OFF to satisfy human comfort. In either case, energy consumption shoots up and/or productivity goes down, both results going against the grain of economic and environmental sustainability.

Two colleagues fighting over the thermostat setting is a common sight in almost all offices in the UAE. While personal comfort

It is not the best solution to control airflow by placing a cardboard on the FCU/VAV outlets!

certification requirements?

Building design guidelines and standards specify the amount of fresh air in zones on a floor-by-floor basis.

Green certification guidelines like LEED, etc., also specify the number of thermostats and light switches needed to comply with certification requirements. And these requirements are complied with during the design and development process. The number of light switches, of course, only come at a later fit-out stage.

Unfortunately, during the design process, in the absence of the knowledge of the number of cabins, meeting rooms, other rooms and open plan areas, the HVAC air side systems are designed to cater to the entire floor, and not as per individual sub-zone requirements.

Therefore, what is missing in this cog so far is the location of the thermostats and light switches and ducting layouts.

And herein lies the main hurdle.

The challenge of light switches is not monumental, and is easily addressed by appropriately zoning the lighting circuits and allocating switches for these

44

February 2015

zones so that individual, as well as zonal control can be achieved.

We have all been witness to large openplan offices with dozens of lighting fixtures, and all controlled by a limited number of switches. A familiar sight in these offices is 10% occupancy but 100% lights on. Worse, all lights on when only one person is working or during breaks, only because limited number of light fixtures cannot be kept ON due to lack of adequate switching.

This scenario is changing dramatically due to green certification requirements, as also the increasing sensitivity to energy costs. Occupancy sensors and daylight sensors only enhance the efficiency achieved. Of course, some offices do go overboard with occupancy sensor and photo sensor on each and every light fixture – entirely unnecessary and largely avoidable.

Let’s focus on the real and major challenges to this concept of openplan commercial spaces.

Essentially, this challenge can be crystallised into delivering the right cfm [Cubic Feet Per Minute] at the right place, at the right

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PERSPECTIVE

Sustainable Development

requirements may vary, this happens largely due to the fact that the same thermostat controls the periphery as well as the inner zones. Due to the incident sunlight, peripheral zones will always be warmer than inner zones and, thus, will need lower temperature settings. This problem may or may not be easy to solve, as it is also dependent on the location of the FCU/VAV. Ducting layouts can end up changing dramatically from the original design intent over the years, due to the changes in the businesses functional requirements, changes in management structure, expansion and reduction of cabins, etc. While office layout changes may be necessary occasionally, they must be kept limited in degree.

Simultaneously, it must be ensured that the right cfm is reaching the right zone through accurate duct sizing and segregation.

It is not the best solution to control airflow by placing a cardboard on the FCU/VAV outlets!

This needs to be followed up by appropriate commissioning and ensuring leakages are not left unattended.

The other key challenge of open-plan offices is purely commercial but has severe environmental implications.

We are all familiar with the fact that in centrally air conditioned buildings, tenants have to pay for AC charges on a pro rata basis, based on the square footage of leased area. A high-rise tower in TECOM area is occupied half by a hotel and the other half by a commercial organisation.

The central AC cost is apportioned to both in proportion to their respective leased areas, although it is well established that a hotel is more energy intensive than a commercial office. Due to absence of BTU meters, the landlord has no option but to bill these two tenants in the traditional way. And BTU meters were not installed on a floor-by-floor basis originally, because like all other commercial spaces, this tower was also built with an open-plan office space in mind. There was no purpose found in installing BTU meters then, as one did not know how the space was going to be leased out, floorby-floor or zone-by-zone. In all probability, floor-by-floor BTU meters were perhaps value engineered out. The landlord today also does not want to install BTU meters, because the leasing pattern may change any year, and the entire investment, from an ROI point of view, has no commercial return for the landlord.

The commercial tenant is, thus, forced to keep paying for higher AC bills than they are actually consuming.

Inversely, the hotel benefits from lower AC costs, resulting in both the tenants becoming less sensitive to the carbon footprint of energy consumption. This is the biggest bane of openplan spaces for sustainable development.

Avoid the same thermostat controlling the periphery and the core zones simultaneously

46

February 2015

Overcoming the obstacles

How do we resolve these scenarios? The only way forward is greater synergy, or as green certification

frameworks like to refer to it, “integrated design process”, between diverse stakeholders.

It is highly unlikely that commercial buildings will shift away from open-plan offices. Thus, the design and fit-out processes have to work around this commercial limitation. a) First and foremost, the leasing teams need to understand the technicalities of building design, and technical teams need to understand the commercial criteria of leasing. b) As much as possible, developers need to look for potential tenants at the very beginning, understand their space requirements and build according to that.

While this is easier said than done, it is not entirely impossible. If this is not possible for the entire building, at least this can be executed for specific floors. c) The fit-out processes need to be more inclusive of the building developer’s MEP team. Some elements of this are already incorporated in the free zones, where every office fit-out has to go through necessary approvals from the building developer. d) While office layouts will always largely follow the organisational structure, they should also include the existing MEP systems and develop the layout plans around these systems.

This approach could potentially eliminate the unpleasant situations of a room’s thermostat having to be located in another room, and instead have them in “no man’s land”.

This is not so much a technical challenge, as of a mindset issue, particularly when locating top management personnel. e) Embrace long-term

planning for office layouts and not keep changing them as per the whim and fancy of the management.

Include management in the design process. When management changes, sensitise incumbent personnel before they move into their offices. I have never come across this being done, and this step alone could go a long way in ridding the bane of open-plan offices. f) Re-designing of ducts should not be done on

an ad-hoc basis, based on a contractor’s experience but should be based on sound engineering design.

This needs to happen in conjunction with the previous

It’s important to know your end-use requirements as early as possible in the design stage of the project lifecycle

step. g) Ensure that thermostats are appropriately located, away from hot spots, like next to the façade, which is exposed to sunlight or on top of plug loads. h) Avoid the same thermostat controlling the periphery and the core zones simultaneously. This applies to lighting switches, too. Peripheral zones

should always be controlled independently from core zones, as their inherent comfort conditions vary through the day. i) Develop commercial buildings using modular office concepts. There could be multiple types of modules in the same building and, perhaps, on the same floors. This will retain commercial flexibility while leasing, without compromising on the technical design aspects. j) And most importantly, know your end-use requirements as early as possible in the design stage of the project lifecycle.

For the sake of sustainability, perhaps the olden-day office designs were

the best, using window/split ACs for each room. While the individual efficiencies of such machines may be far inferior to the central cooling systems, the greater flexibility of control always ensured right Indoor Environmental Quality and lesser running hours of equipment. Enhancing productivity and reducing overall carbon footprint.

It is highly unlikely that real estate development will shift back to the localised AC systems. Therefore, perhaps, the time is now ripe for developers to shepherd the commercial market towards choosing from pre-designed offices rather than retaining 100% flexibility via open plan offices, at the cost of sustainable development.

February 2015

47

PERSPECTIVE

Nivine Issa is Sustainability Consultant at Alabbar Energy & Sustainability Group (AESG). She can be contacted n.issa@aesgme.com

Sustainable Development

CRACKING THE SUSTAINABILITY CODE Despite codes and rating systems driving sustainable building practices in the Middle East, there exist both challenges and great opportunities for the construction sector in its endeavour to embed sustainable development within its ambit, says Nivine Issa.

W

hen encountered with the term “Sustainable Development”, all industry professionals go back to its original definition reported by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development: “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”.

At this point in time, in a world where a significant portion of the population still lives in poverty, where consumption patterns have doubled, and where environmental pollution is on the rise, living sustainably is imperative.

The construction industry, being one of the most polluting sectors, offers significant opportunities to alleviate environmental pollution and overconsumption of resources. The Middle East, with its growing population and improved tourism, encompasses increased demands for infrastructure and development. Total construction projects value in 2013 in the GCC alone was estimated at USD 1.67

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February 2015

trillion, Saudi Arabia and the UAE accounting for more than 68% of the total value.

Needless to point out that with great opportunities lie great responsibilities, and as the world is moving towards more sustainable systems, the Middle East has been trying, but struggling to excel due to underlying economic, political, social and technical difficulties.

This article will analyse the challenges and opportunities that some countries in the Middle East have been facing, by demonstrating major achievements and examining the difficulties.

Eastern countries have initiated the development of their own green building codes, tailored to their unique environments and market needs.

The Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) of Qatar is one of the first green building rating systems in the Middle East, published in 2009. GSAS was developed by the Gulf Organization for Research and Development (GORD), and aims to promote sustainable practices in the construction industry of Qatar and the region. The code was developed as a result of a review of all existing green building regulations around the world.

GSAS’ sustainability criteria are grouped in eight categories: Water, Energy, Indoor environment, Cultural & Economic Value, Site,

An emerging trend, particularly with medium to large corporations around the Middle East, has been the integration of sustainability within their CSR strategy

Green building codes in the region Following international building guidelines like LEED and BREEAM, Middle

Urban Connectivity, Material and Management & Operations, with the most weightage given to energy and water, accentuating the country’s main sustainability challenges.

Abu Dhabi has played a pioneering role in the effective development and implementation of green building codes. With the birth of the Pearl Rating System managed by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, Abu Dhabi published its green building code for Buildings, Villas and Communities.

The code developed to promote the efficient use of resources, reflects the city’s specific needs and complements Plan 2030, which aims to optimise the urban planning scheme of the city.

Estidama’s sustainability criteria are grouped in seven categories: Integrated Development Process, Natural Systems, Liveable Villa/Building/Community, Precious Water, Resourceful Energy, Stewarding Materials and Innovating Practice.

Furthermore, the Lebanese Green Building Council (LGBC), a nonprofit non-governmental organisation founded in 2008, developed the ARZ rating system in collaboration with IFC (International Finance Corporation) in 2012.

ARZ incorporates international environmental standards and focuses on energy and water conservation, all the while responding to Lebanon’s unique conditions. With minimal sustainability awareness in the country and the existing political instability, and because the rating system is not mandatory, only few projects were certified.

Dubai’s own green building code, the Green Building Regulations & Specifications, was released by Dubai Municipality in 2011. The main aim of these regulations is to improve the performance of buildings in Dubai by reducing the consumption of energy, water and materials, thus improving the quality of life.

Dubai Municipality does not provide different tiers of certification but rather presents a set of regulations and guidelines for all buildings to follow.

systems are notable successes and demonstrate the important role of the public sector in driving sustainable building practices.

The United States Green Building Council recently released a report identifying the top 10 nations implementing the LEED rating system outside the United States. The UAE ranked ninth among the top 10 nations, which demonstrates private sector

initiatives of developers and architects in the UAE, who have chosen to implement sustainable practices in their projects.

Similarly, Kuwait plans on building the new Kuwait International Airport – Passenger Terminal to achieve a LEED Gold certification. The innovative design will incorporate major reliance on solar power, claimed to be one of its kind in aviation.

Achievements and opportunities

Whilst there exist challenges in embedding sustainability within the construction sector in the region, the above examples of codes and rating

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PERSPECTIVE

Sustainable Development

Despite CSR being fairly new to the region, corporations in the Middle East have correlated sustainability to the already existing programmes, such as healthcare and education, which is evidenced Human by the development widespread regional and natural participation in the Arabia wealth are not CSR Awards. necessarily correlated In recent years, to high interest and strategies for green awareness levels in procurement, sustainability energy conservation, water conservation and stakeholder and community engagement have emerged, and are Corporate social driving sustainability responsibility and within organisations from sustainability a corporate governance An emerging trend, perspective. particularly with medium to large corporations around the Middle East, has been the Challenges and integration of sustainability constraints within their CSR strategy.

Despite a plethora of

Other landmark projects would be the Masdar Headquarters located in Abu Dhabi, UAE, which recently achieved a 4-Pearl Estidama PBRS Rating. It achieved 40% energy savings through passive design and energyefficient technologies.

The above projects are case studies of sustainable practices in the Middle East to showcase the increased levels of sustainability awareness in the region.

opportunities in the Middle East to invest in sustainability, the region is faced with demanding conditions. From natural constraints to manmade challenges, Middle Eastern countries face significant impediments in implementing sustainable development.

A major natural challenge in the region is the scarcity of water.

The region only has one per cent of the world’s available fresh water, with an overall hot and dry climate. Furthermore, steep population growth and consequent environmental degradation do not contribute to governments steering their priorities towards a “greener” portfolio.

Another challenge would certainly be lack of awareness. Fortunately, the region is blessed with high levels of education with a large proportion of regional populations pursuing secondary and higher education.

According to the United Nations Development Programme’s Human Development Report of 2014, only four countries

SNIPPETS

The hybrid bird takes flight

Late December, researchers from the University of Cambridge teamed up with Boeing to successfully test the world’s first hybrid aircraft that can recharge its batteries, signalling low-carbon, green flight. Hybrid engines typically combine a battery and a petrol engine, and reportedly use 30% less fuel than a plane with a petrolonly engine.

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Band-Aid needed for supply chain Johnson and Johnson’s latest Citizenship & Sustainability report confirmed that the company had managed an absolute reduction in CO2 emissions of 5.7% against a 2010 baseline, and aimed for a 20% reduction by 2020. The company had also increased on-site renewable and clean energy capacity to 47.6mW – close to the firm’s Healthy Future 2015 target of 50mW. It had also increased its solar photovoltaic capacity to 17.43mW, reduced its transportation CO2 emissions by 15.8% compared to the 2010 baseline, and was on track to reach its 2015 target of a 20% improvement in vehicle fleet emissions, driven by the growing use of hybrid vehicles. The report, however, added that due to a highly complex supply chain, ensuring the highest sustainability standards in this area was a challenge.

killed-in-war” attitude, which in the Middle East are of low is a paradox faced by a few Human Development Index of the governments in the (HDI), which include Egypt, region when implementing Palestine, Syria and Yemen. sustainable development.

The HDI is an indication Over-consumption patterns of education, life standard, form another challenge for quality of life, literacy, life countries with very high expectancy and overall HDI, such as Saudi Arabia, welfare. the UAE and Qatar. Even Unfortunately, however, though their awareness levels human development and seem to be higher than those natural wealth are not in other countries, the Gulf necessarily correlated to States typically have amongst high interest and awareness the world’s levels in highest sustainability. resource If we take Retrofitting consumptions Jordan and patterns. For Lebanon as existing instance, examples, they buildings to reports peg have high the UAE’s HDIs, but their make them more water primary focus energy and water consumption is tourism, at 550 litres/ which typically efficient has proven to capita/ contributes be a financially lucrative day, which to their GDPs and can often investment that reduces significantly exceeds counter-impact operating costs within the world’s sustainable average. development. short payback periods Lastly, Moreover, whilst the region has there have long suffered been notable successes from political instability and in the region with the subsequent financial burdens implementation of green that need to be resolved and, building codes and rating as such, people seem to lean systems, there exists a huge towards the “I’d-rather-die challenge in dealing with the from- pollution-than-be-

That was hot!

It’s official. Last year was the hottest year ever, since record-keeping began in 1880, scientists have reported, underscoring warnings about the risks of greenhouse gas emissions, thus undermining claims by climate change contrarians that global warming is a myth. Extreme heat, said the scientists, blanketed Alaska and much of the western United States last year. Records were set across large areas of every inhabited continent.

existing building stock that was constructed before these codes came into force.

Retrofitting existing buildings to make them more energy and water efficient has proven to be a financially lucrative investment that reduces operating costs within short payback periods.

Despite this, there exist barriers to the widespread implementation of retrofit programmes, most notably the availability of financing and awareness amongst building owners.

Significant strides are being taken in this direction in Dubai, with the establishment of a comprehensive framework by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy to encourage energy-efficient building retrofitting. The widespread implementation of retrofitting existing buildings is crucial for the region to forge a path of sustainable development, and it is hoped that the initiatives in Dubai can lead to further programmes throughout the region.

End notes

Middle Eastern countries have throughout history proven their leadership and resilience towards all kinds of

challenges and, in the realm of sustainable development, are following a similar path.

Whilst the concept is still new in the region, a number of states in the Middle East have shown tremendous progress, through public sector efforts as well as private sector initiatives.

This, however, does not refute the fact that much more is needed. The region still has a long way to go.

A step forward would be having a harmonious approach towards the reformation of green building codes in the Middle East to have consistent baselines for energy, water and the environment. Likewise, increasing awareness levels and reducing overconsumption patterns is critical to truly move on towards a path of sustainable development.

All in all, the Middle East region possesses promising grounds for embedding sustainability in the process of urban development. We must, however, remain focussed and driven to create changes in behaviour throughout society towards sustainable consumption and production patterns. 

For every application the right meter and solution

visit us: www.landisgyr.eu

February 2015

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PERSPECTIVE

Philip Janssens is manager of Construction Piping Services (CPS), the project department within Victaulic.

Building Information Modelling Systems

PUTTING THE 'SMARTS' INTO CONSTRUCTION Positing the view that using Building Information Modelling systems can increase productivity, Philip Janssens demonstrates that it is an effective tool that enables architects, engineers, contractors and owners to collaborate throughout the lifecycle of a building.

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o boost productivity beyond what is achievable on the jobsite, mechanical contractors are progressively adopting prefab techniques, such as modelling, predesigning and prefabricating risers and racks that are installed in long corridors. Prefab is especially useful for the quick installation of piping, ductwork, electrical and drywall.

In this regard, just as CAD and prefabrication revolutionised the design and construction functions and has become the industry norm, so is Building Information Modelling (BIM) set to become standard practice globally for the efficient whole-life management of building projects.

BIM enables architects, engineers, contractors and owners to collaborate throughout the lifecycle of a building: from earliest design concept to demolition of the building. It works on the principal of spending time and effort at the very outset to reduce the risk of

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problems onsite that can be difficult to resolve, cause delays and incur additional costs.

And although the concept of BIM got off to a slow start, it is now gaining ground globally, including in the Middle East.

Improved onsite coordination

Leading manufacturers in the pipe-joining sector have taken steps to allow users to effectively integrate products into BIM software systems.

At an individual project level, company experts work with designers, who will include systems in their drawings to help them understand how the products can be best used and routed in specific software.

BIM confirms, for example, that prefabricated sections can be dropped in as required, and that there are clear access routes

for maintenance staff, or otherwise clearly shows if there are clashes, in a way that would not be possible with other methods.

Where changes are needed, they can be made safely, quickly and easily.

For instance, if an elbow needs to be moved to avoid hitting another component, this can be done in minutes using the model, as clicking on a component identifies the product and gives dimensions, whereas, it might take hours in the field.

If the designer changes the diameter, the component also changes, and the layout drawing and bill of materials are automatically updated. This would be much more complicated, time-consuming and costly with another method.

With BIM software programs, such as Revit, users can draw all piping and other disciplines from the building to the ducting

Where changes are needed, they can be made safely, quickly and easily

A standard for the need for accuracy in and electrical preplanning grows. In turn, a work in one content creation standard for content creation model, and needs to be developed so needs to be developed so co-ordinate that manufacturers have a to ensure that manufacturers have a greater understanding of what no greater understanding of engineers desire. The richer collisions or the content, the easier it is for interferences what engineers desire the exportation of reports that occur between can analyse systems for items the different like energy performance or systems or trades. ongoing maintenance.

The 3D model is Data-rich content leads to a powerful visual BIM provides a visual communication tool to help stakeholders effectively constructible 3D-models that representation of how a manage project information empower facility maintenance building and its services fit managers to optimise and together – a useful tool for manage maintenance more contractors and engineers efficiently. Robust models to ‘walk’ clients through, so support energy performance they can see how things are testing, streamlined positioned. maintenance and Projects that have access to reliable produced drawings using Using BIM information, the extensive Revit BIMsuch as part enabled Victaulic CAD to focus on identification, library, include the design detail installation London Heathrow Airport manuals and New Terminal 2 – recent and pre-construction much more.

Building Services Project of work delivers rightMany of the the Year finalist – and the Designing with BIM boosts construction phase aforementioned Weggeler Centre, Almelo, a first-time results performance trends rely heavily flagship BIM project in the on information, Netherlands. technology and collaboration. Without any Demand for data-rich of these components, the content most powerful advantages of Typically, older structures BIM will be absent from any and retrofit projects lack the project. Stakeholders must, sophistication of 3D models therefore, tackle projects and detailed drawings. To with strong execution plans develop the data, we are that lead coordination noticing a trend of digitally Clash detection identifies piping collisions at an early stage to avoid problems and set standards on how scanning existing buildings, on site subcontractors work together, such as hospitals, hotels so that everyone is reading and colleges. The buildings the same play book while are scanned internally and gaining insight and delivering externally to help develop best-in-class projects. data-rich 3D models. In addition, scanning helps contractors working on new Lifetime of benefits builds assess productivity by With a growing number comparing current and past of products and support building scans. available, the way forward to The “I” in BIM stands project success is clear. Using for information. As such, BIM to focus on design detail data-rich content is in and pre-construction work demand, and will only delivers right-first-time results continue to grow as the on the job and allows for capabilities of BIM become easy maintenance and smooth fully realised. Content operation for the life of the Many important global projects that have used the Revit BIM-enabled CAD library from Victaulic, including the new London Heathrow Airport Terminal 2 creation is taking off as building.

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FILTER-TALK Dr Iyad Al-Attar is an air filtration consultant.

He can be contacted at iyad@iyadalattar.com

degradation in the overall performance.

Filtration and compressor washing

Is deploying air filtration, combined with compressor washing, effective in combating contaminant deposition that compressor blades are prone to? asks Dr Iyad Al-Attar, and advocates fortifying air filtration to keep the blades contamination-free.

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erhaps the term “performance degradation” is a common complaint, despite the rigorous efforts made by manufacturers of various components to provide their best to sustain the designed performance of turbines.

Compressor fouling

[1, 2]

Compressor fouling is a serious operational problem and can be defined as the deposition process of different contaminants on the compressor blades.

Fouling occurs when airborne particles (smaller than 10μm) impact the blades’ surface and, in certain cases, adhere to their surfaces. Erosion, corrosion and heating are also common culprits causing

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performance degradation.

Here, it is imperative to differentiate between fouling and erosion, as the latter is caused by particles larger than 10μm, which can be efficiently captured by preliminary air filters.

Considering the large amounts of clean air required to be compressed and, then, injected into the combustion chamber, the role of air filters becomes critically preeminent. Gas turbines rely heavily on the air filtration segment to remove such contaminants as smoke, oil mists, carbon and sea salts, all of which are capable of fouling the compressor blades. The result is particles adhering to the surface of

the blades, causing a buildup of an additional layer of particles, which causes an increase in surface roughness. Consequently, the aerodynamics of the flow around the blades can be altered, leading to component efficiency reduction and, eventually,

Fouling varies, depending on the environment and the particle concentrations, challenging the gas turbine, in general. Severe and frequent sandstorms experienced in the Arabian Peninsula, for example, pose a major challenge to operation managers in terms of operation and maintenance. The techniques used to tackle such fouling issues begin with the filtration stages installed in the forefront of the process.

Certainly, air filtration seems to be the “readymade” solution to removing unwanted contaminants from gas turbines. Some people tend to believe that more the filtration stages and greater the filters class selected, the more would be the cleaner air provided, signifying less or no compressor washing.

However, while introducing additional air intake filtration, one must consider the filter cost, replacement frequency and the pressure drop they induce on the system.

While considering all these factors, it is also important to consider the inherent benefits of enhanced filtration.

While introducing additional air intake filtration, one must consider the filter cost, replacement frequency and the pressure drop they induce on the system

If the only fear of using highly efficient air filters is their pressure drop, perhaps we should ask: Where is the pressure drop coming from?

Figure 1: Example of online compressor washing in action [2]

Figure 3: New compressor blades prior to installation (image courtesy R-MC Power Recovery Ltd) Figure 2: Scanning electron microscopic image of dust-loaded fibrous filter media (Filter Class F8)

The current market tendency suggests using Absolute filters and smart housings capable of holding two stages of filtration on one frame, leading to space efficiency inside the filter housing. If the housing cannot accommodate the additional stages, then filter-housing upgrades and/or alteration or, in some cases, a new filter housing, is essential to complete the mission. This would involve tremendous work and additional outage

time, if not considered earlier on in the design. Therefore, a careful and early study of the environmental conditions under which a gas turbine will operate is an essential factor to be considered in its early design stages.

These filtration considerations make concerned individuals lean towards the other side of the equation, and place greater emphasis on compressor cleaning techniques and their frequency.

Figure 4: Fouled compressor blades (image courtesy R-MC Power Recovery Ltd)

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FILTER-TALK A third and common approach employed entails a combination of balanced filtration and compressor cleaning, since it works with existing designs and requires no filter housing alteration.

However, is the combined approach of utilising air filtration and compressor washing effective enough in combating contaminants challenging the compressor blades and, consequently, impeding its performance?

It is critically important to question the effectiveness of compressor washing and how much of the degraded performance it can recover.

While compressor washing may remove particles, it might not undo certain damages caused by particles, such as erosion, which can alter the blade surfaces and, therefore, its aerodynamics. This issue raises an important question:

Dr Iyad Al-Attar is an air filtration consultant.

He can be contacted at iyad@iyadalattar.com

Why should we allow particles/contaminants to reach the compressor blades and, then, worry about compressor washing?

Shouldn’t the cleaning job be done preventively by delegating it to the air filters? Why shouldn’t we use a more proactive approach and reinforce the air filtration stages, so that particles/contaminants do not reach the compressor blades in the first place?

Can advanced air filters play a more efficient role in protecting a compressor and, therefore, easing the demand on frequent compressor cleaning? If the only fear of using highly efficient air filters is their pressure drop, perhaps we should ask: Where is the pressure drop coming from? Are existing air filters advanced enough to provide the highest

efficiency at the least pressure drop? If not, we need, then, to question what exactly is ailing existing air filters that they don’t do what is expected of them.

Summing up…

Clearly, no one can provide any sweeping conclusions prior to conducting a techno-economic assessment that takes into account different filtration and compressor washing techniques[ ]. Further, additional challenges, such as harsh environmental conditions, fuel consumption and other maintenance factors must be taken into account in assessing each situation individually.

2

The take-home conclusion

While writing this article, I came to realise how

Getting to the heart of the matter An ode to Hero, da Vinci, Al-Adin, Euler, Barber et al

F

or all the generations that were born to find wall sockets for their radios, televisions and many electrical appliances, have you ever wondered how our lives would be without power? In fact, we get very irritated if our air conditioning or heating systems were to be switched off for even a short period.

Today, we feel

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isolated if the battery of our smart phones and laptops is not charged. Our patience could dissolve in seconds if we missed our favourite television show or if there was no power to run our washing machines, dishwashers, iron

and other appliances. We even demand that plane seats should be equipped with power sockets to charge our devices, in order to stay connected. And the list could go on. Nevertheless, how did power make it to our homes and offices? How did it make our daily lives extremely reliant on power and at the mercy of its availability?

Gas turbine – the heart of power generation The first time I laid eyes on a

privileged we are to enjoy the inventions of many scientists, engineers and scholars, who spent their lives making ours better.

Our demand and reliance on power today dictates how crucial it is to realise our responsibility, not only towards generating it efficiently but also towards using it effectively. So make sure you turn off the lights on your way out.

REFERENCES 1.

Kurz R. Brun, K., 2012.

“Fouling Mechanisms in Axial Compressors”. J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power 134(3), GT2011-45012.

2.

Roberto Sugliano, 2010.

“Techno-Economic Analysis of Different Filter Systems in Combination with Compressor Cleaning”.

Master Thesis, Cranfield University.

gas turbine layout, I was stumped by the degree of complex details and the number of components working in harmony. Several questions rose in my mind immediately: Who designed all of this? Who initiated the idea of a gas turbine?

Was it invented all at once or over a period of time?

Was power generation the main purpose in mind? Was “necessity” the mother of gas turbine invention? Was this invention attributed to a single individual?

Going to the roots: Definition [1, 2, 3, 4] What is a gas turbine? The term “gas turbine” is usually a short form for a “gas

How does a gas turbine work? [1] In very simple terms, a gas turbine brings together cleaned air by means of filter housing and, then, compresses it. Fuel and air are mixed together, then ignited, and the resulting gases are expanded through a turbine. The turbine’s shaft runs the generator to produce electricity.

History [1, 2, 3, 4] The history of the gas turbine can be traced back to 150 BC, when a Greek inventor, philosopher and geometrician, Hero, who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, invented a toy called the “Aeolipile”. The toy was driven (rotated) on top of a boiling pot of water by virtue of hot air flowing in vertical tubes.

Although some references consider Hero’s engine a gas turbine, Hero at the time, did not discover a useful purpose to his invention.

Leonardo da Vinci portrayed a chimney jack that rotated due to the

effect of hot gases to drive a barbecue spit in 1500 AD. Taqi Al-Adin in his writings in 1551 described an impulse steam turbine that drove a spit. Giovanni Branca introduced a similar concept in 1629, but with a jet of stream to rotate a turbine, which in turn, rotated to operate machines.

The contributions continued to develop the gas turbine theory, and in 1678, Ferdinand Verbiest built a model carriage that used a steam jet for power. {Sir Isaac Newton (1687) formulated the three laws of motion, which formed the basis for modern propulsion theory.

The Swiss mathematician, {Leonhard Euler {(1707-1783) analysed Hero’s turbine and conducted experiments with his son, Albert around 1750. He published his application of Newton’s Law to turbomachinery, known now as Euler’s equation, which enabled a more scientific design approach (1754).

The First Patent for a basic turbine engine had to wait until 1791, when John Barber designed a horseless “propelling carriage” that included a reciprocating gas compressor, a combustion chamber and a turbine.

Although nothing practical came out of this patent, Barber was the first to provide detailed knowledge of the principle of the gas turbine, and in 1972, a working model based on Barber’s specification was built and displayed at the Hannover Fair in Germany.

Barber’s concept was thorough, but given the

technology of the day, it was not possible for the device to create sufficient power to both compress air/gas and produce useful work. Nevertheless, references suggest that the credit for the idea that led to the modern gas turbine could clearly be given to Barber.

The influence Ferdinand Redtenbacher’s (1860) books on the theory and construction of turbine led Franz Stolze (1872) to design a “fire turbine”. References suggest that Stolze designed the first true gas turbine engine, as the illustration he submitted for its patent was undeniably close to the modern configuration. His axial engine used a multistage turbine section and a flow (few-stages) compressor, which had inefficient diffusion.

This engine never ran under its own power.

Aegidius Elling’s (18641949) attempt to solve Stolze’s problem rested in his proposal for a centrifugal compressor, and his design was the first gas turbine with excess power (1903-1904). In 1897, Sir Charles Parson patented his steam turbine that was used to power a ship, and in {1914, {Charles Curtis filed the first application for a gas turbine engine.

Sir Frank Whittle in England (1937) described in his patent a jet engine operation that ran on fuel used for jet propulsion. The list of contributors extends to recent years, and references offer abundance of attribution to many great people who

Nicku / Shutterstock.com

turbine engine”, which is a heat engine that is based on the thermodynamic cycle, developed by George Brayton. Gas turbines are designed to convert the energy of a fuel into some form of useful power. The function of this engine is to exchange the heat energy product of the combustion to mechanical work. This transformation of energy is through the working of fluid (air) with an output torque turning a shaft (power generation) or as a velocity to produce thrust (aerospace applications).

made power possible and available.

Centuries of development Although the theory of gas turbine and its anticipated functions were established over the past four centuries, the manufacturing of gas turbine was faced with great challenges. The unavailability of required materials impeded the full implementation of the theory into practice.

The gas turbine operation requires components capable of sustaining excessive temperatures for an extended period of time. Further, additional challenges, such as the growing power demand and fuel price, have highlighted the importance of efficient gas turbine performance. These crucial parameters altered the thinking of both gas turbine users and manufacturers.

– Dr Iyad Al-Attar References 1.

Claire Soares, 2011.

“Gas Turbine” A Handbook of Air, and Sea Applications. Elsevier.

2.

William W. Bathie, 1996.

“Fundamentals of gas turbines”. Second Edition, John Wiley & Son Inc. 3.

David Gordon Wilson, Theodosios Korakianitis, 2014. “The Design of High-Efficiency Turbomachinery and Gas Turbines”.

MIT Press.

4.

Klaus Hünecke, 2013. “Jet Engines: Fundamentals of Theory, Design and Operation”. Airlife, England.

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special market supplement | paints

Peeling back the layers With the public’s grasp of different health and environmental dangers caused by paints increasing, the industry is being pushed to assess itself and identify areas for improvement.

Without sufficient and effective regulations to guide the sector’s players, however, paints remain stuck in their decorative slot. Fatima de la Cerna has more.

T

o encourage a closer look at the paints industry and get a better idea of what changes it needs to undertake, there is one question that must be posed to manufacturers. This question, says Mark Swan, Director (Middle East) of Advanced Materials, is “What are you doing to help achieve UAE Vision 2021?”

The Vision, which was unveiled in 2010 by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, seeks to place the country among the world’s best, and it intends to do so by focusing on six national priorities, one of them being sustainable development and environment preservation.

Flying colours

As has been widely reported, the construction activity across the GCC is pursuing an upward trend, and it is taking the paints and coatings sector along with it. The rising demand has prompted market representatives to predict that if the upswing

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At the moment, paint contribution to energy efficiency is limited were to continue, the industry’s market size should hit USD 3.16 billion in two years. For 2014, the architectural paint industry alone was already estimated at USD 1.5 billion.

“Of the countries in the GCC, Saudi Arabia remains the top architectural paint market, mainly because of the market size itself, and the continuous indigenous demand coming from it,” says Ahmed El Bayaa, Regional Sales Manager at Caparol. He clarifies, however, that in terms of growth percentage, Qatar

February 2015

shows the biggest promise as a result of government development plans. “For the GCC [region] in general, government spending on housing, especially for locals and citizens, has been a growth driver,” says El Bayaa.

With the expanding size of the industry and the public’s heightening awareness of the environmental and health hazards of paints, manufacturers are finding themselves under scrutiny and being drawn deeper into discussions on ecoinnovation. What they can do, El Bayaa suggests, is invest in technologies that can improve the quality of paint products. “At the moment, paint contribution to energy efficiency is limited,” he says.

“And with how important paint is in IAQ considerations, companies should really look into advancements capable of reducing the negative effects of paint.”

Keeping up appearances

“Ask paint companies how

they are contributing to Sheikh Mohammed’s vision of a green UAE, and you’ll see how things really are,” says Swan, whose company is behind the air-purifying technology Airlite. By way of explanation, he cites a problem he considers a major issue that defines the paints sector: “Passive, that’s how paints continue to be. The only thing they do is offer decorative effect and, maybe, minor weatherproofing – very minor.”

This old and traditional purpose is limiting, Swan says, and elaborates, “They don’t have to be merely decorative. They can be developed and transformed into something good for the environment.” And any declarations of such development must be backed by evidence, he stresses.

“Some companies make such preposterous claims,” he says, shaking his head in disbelief, and recounts: “Just recently, I went into the store of this one paint company. They were advertising their products as having low VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) content.

But when I asked the person manning the store, I learnt that by ‘low’ they meant 30%.

Outrageous! It’s nowhere near the Green Building code requirement, which is below five per cent.”

Using as example his company’s own Airlite technology, which he says has received a certificate estimating its VOC content at .034%, Swan says that certification is not impossible to achieve, indicating that paint companies don’t really have an excuse not to comply with the requirement.

Room for improvement

In addition to VOC content, Green Building codes also test for heavy metals and determine SRI (Solar Reflectance Index) values.

facebook.com/Caparol UAE

February 2015 twitter.com/caparoluae

59 linkedin.com/company/caparol

special market supplement | paints But they don’t, according to Swan, check for antibacterial properties. This observation is shared by El Bayaa, who names regulations as a topic of concern.

“There are some regulations in every GCC country,” El Bayaa says. “But, at best, they are insufficient and need review. Without going into each separately, almost all regulations focus on paint composition but pay no attention to performance. One of the industry’s biggest challenges is, in fact, the absence of a minimum quality level set by local regulations towards performance of paints. This would provide a benchmark for the market, as well as guidance to companies on what to produce and to consumers on what to purchase.”

Other than regulations, El Bayaa also identifies local R&D as an area that needs more attention. “There is an absence of real research and development done locally, and not only on paint formulations but also on raw materials and supplies to produce paint,” he says. “All multinational companies have R&D centres somewhere in Europe or the US. They try to fit the products they develop there to the local market in the GCC [region] – an attempt that doesn’t always work.”

This incompatibility can be blamed on the unique weather conditions of the region. As was pointed out in a 2014 report prepared by Maniza Dewan and Roshni Jacob of Falak Consulting for Climate Control Middle East, GCC countries have the added challenge of harsh summers, making heat rejection a necessary feature of paints.

Canned solutions Despite the several issues the industry has to still address, El Bayaa, notes a positive development, which is the increasing market preference for eco-friendly solutions. He

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GCC countries have the extra challenge of harsh summers, making heat rejection a necessary feature of paints

Ahmed El Bayaa

Mark Swan

explains: “For some time now, the GCC market has been moving towards water-based technology as the basis for architectural paint selection, and while exceptions are still there, it is a widely accepted

February 2015

choice and a growing market at the expense of solvent-based paints.”

He’s not the only one who has noticed the encouraging change. Various industry sources have expressed an optimistic view about the general direction the paints sector is heading. Dewan and Jacob, in their report, state that “people are becoming increasingly aware ... of the health advantages of using ‘greener’ products”.

This awareness, which is already putting pressure on the industry, should motivate companies, says El Bayaa, and recommends that they adopt advanced technologies in their products.

With the needed technologies already available, Swan knows that everything’s possible, and can’t hide his excitement as he describes an “environmental cocoon” made feasible by paint products offering heat reflectivity or solar reflectance, antimicrobial and antipollution properties and minimal VOC content.

“People are constantly exposed to IAQ hazards,

regardless if they’re in their homes, offices, schools, hotels or malls,” says Swan. These hazards, he declares, can be avoided. “With antimicrobial and anti-pollution features, paint can absorb and destroy spores, mould, germs, NOx and many other air pollutants, including VOCs. And with a high SRI value, paint can help keep buildings cool and bring down energy costs.”

Swan then asks, “You know what can do all those?” and answers: “A forest. Trees absorb air impurities and cool the atmosphere. But we can’t have forests here in the Middle East because of water scarcity. So we have to find ways. With innovative paint technology, we can create a ‘forest’ without using a drop of water.”

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

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

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February 2015

61

COUNTRY REPORT

SAUDI ARABIA

Saudi Arabia and District Cooling – a symbiotic relationship?

Saudi Arabia, despite sitting on the world’s largest oil reserves, is seeking energy-efficient cooling solutions and future energy security. District Cooling making inroads into the HVAC sector suggests a larger role for the technology in the Kingdom’s growth.

By Rajiv Pillai

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February 2015

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ith billions of dollars awarded for construction and infrastructure projects, the HVAC market in Saudi Arabia is considered to be one of the biggest in the GCC region. The Kingdom’s rapidly growing industrial operations and population have increased the demand for water, power and cooling. The ongoing drive to optimise energy-efficient air conditioning methods has resulted in the need to implement District Cooling systems over traditional methods.

and, at the same time, significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reduced burning of fossil fuels. Despite this, District Cooling accounts for only five per cent of the total marketshare of air conditioning, with the lion’s share being grabbed by RACs and split systems. However, the rising electricity demand, increasing costs and the ongoing mega infrastructure projects will drive the growth of the District Cooling market in the country, as it is considered a more energy-efficient alternative. Abusaa, seconding this, reveals that according to global data, District Cooling can reduce HVACR-related power consumption by 50%.

Number crunching

Saudi Arabia currently has an abundance of energy resources. According to a paper by Y Alyousef and M Abu-ebid (“Energy Efficiency Initiatives for Saudi Arabia

Ghaleb Abusaa, CEO of en3 Solutions (The Three Factors Company), believes that the market share for HVAC and the refrigeration sector in Saudi Arabia is roughly estimated to be around USD 750 million and USD 300 million, respectively. Breaking this down further, he says: “In a country with an area around the size of Western Europe, and with around 60% of AC equipment being RAC (Room air conditioners) and around 30% being small split systems, the remaining 10% is only for central air conditioning systems and District Cooling. Public facilities, such as airports, universities, hospitals, schools, specialised research and new cities have also an important share for DC.”

A bustling HVAC marketplace

Evidently, there exists in the Kingdom, a huge market for HVAC products, with further potential for growth. One of the driving factors for this is a steady rise in population, currently at 30 million. This, in turn, will result in demand for more housing, more foodstuff and, thereby, more supermarkets and cold storage facilities, apart from cooling systems for homes and offices.

Residential and commercial buildings in Saudi Arabia reportedly account for a huge share of power consumption, with HVAC systems consuming nearly 70% of a building’s total power load. Logically, in such a scenario, District Cooling and trigen systems appear to be viable solutions to reduce the burden on the country’s growing power demand

The clock’s ticking…

The rising electricity demand, increasing costs, and the ongoing mega infrastructure projects will drive the growth of the District Cooling market in the country on Supply and Demand Sides”, 2012) that appeared in Intechopen.com, Saudi Arabia has the world’s largest oil reserves, the world’s fourth largest gas reserves, has abundant wind and solar renewable energy resources, and is the world’s 20th largest producer and consumer of electricity. The country makes little use of its renewable energy resources, and almost all its electricity is produced from the combustion of fossil fuels, putting a heavy burden

Not banking on sustainable projects

S

audi financial institutions have yet to make major investments in energy-efficient projects. Committing capital to investments in new energy technologies is still considered an adverse risk. A similar attitude is found in all electricity consumer sectors. Not only are institutions reluctant to make investments in energyefficient technologies, but the direct and indirect medium- and long-term economic gains of energy efficiency are also often overlooked

in favour of short-term capital-cost savings available with cheaper equipment and work practices. To make sustainable reductions in energy use, consumers need to see clear financial benefits, but with subsidised energy prices, consumers have little incentive to save energy.

February 2015

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COUNTRY REPORT

SAUDI ARABIA

on them. In light of this, the growing population is certain to cascade into a need for energy security.

Khalid Mulhim, Chapter Officer at ASHRAE Saudi Arabia Chapter, believes that the energy sector needs to be regulated to get things moving ahead in the direction of energy security. He

On the one hand, the Saudi Government has expressed interest in pushing for new and efficient HVAC technologies, on the other hand, it heavily subsidises power tariffs

Ghaleb Abusaa

Khalid Mulhim

admits that the country is trying to work towards it, when he says: “In conferences, we see specific decision-makers in government and manufacturing organisations.

We talk about regulation, and they are talking about changes.” He thinks this will affect the economy, as “it’s like a domino effect”.

Drawing attention to the fact that the effort needs to come from everyone right across the board, he highlights: “Awareness is also needed on the client’s part. The client should do a lifecycle cost analysis. We only talk about capital. We have to look at maintenance and recycling also. Clients need to be aware of what kind of benefits they will see.”

According to an analysis by Citigroup’s Heidy Rehman, reported in Al Jazeera on September 2012, it is predicted that Saudi Arabia will

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February 2015

run out of oil by 2030, or putting it euphemistically, Saudi Arabia will start importing oil in future, which makes it all the more pressing for the government to invest in and implement alternative sources for power generation, as also energyefficient cooling technology.

However, there exists an uneasy paradox when it comes to implementation. On the one hand, the Saudi government has expressed interest in pushing for new and efficient HVAC technologies; on the other, it heavily subsidises power tariffs, which leaves little motivation for consumers to switch to new energy-efficient technologies.

No doubt, the people of the Kingdom have benefited greatly from the government’s generous policies. But this has reportedly led to a lot of wasteful energy usage.

In a nutshell, the few of the challenges Saudi Arabia faces in meeting the existing energy demand are high subsidy burdens on the government owing to lower power tariffs, environmental concerns owing to excessive consumption of fuel in producing power and lack of legislations in the energy sector.

Looking towards DC and other technologies

Energy demand in Saudi Arabia is anticipated to double by 2030.

In the face of this, speaking about how the country is turning towards energy-efficient solutions, Abusaa says: “District Cooling penetration is improving and growing in terms of tonnage when compared to neighbouring countries due to the huge size of the Saudi market.

As far as trigen is concerned, I believe the market is promising, especially with overall growth rate being more than traditional power generation. This has created a line of business for private sectors being with trigen or multi-utility provision.”

District Cooling, as is widely known, comes with its own attendant list of disadvantages: Consumption of vast amounts of potable water; high

initial installation and operation costs; and unwillingness of consumers to be connected to a “centralised” network, believing that these systems restrict their choices.

Though Mulhim reveals that more and more District Cooling projects are coming up in Saudi Arabia, and that Makkah and King Abdullah Financial City are already on District Cooling, he agrees that client and provider issues need to be looked into. “If there is a single client, there is no issue, but it could be a problem if DC is set up with multiple clients,” he says, and adds, “Once we establish a DC of communities, some people are reluctant, as there is no protection for the end-user. I am putting all my eggs in one basket with one provider.”

In conclusion…

High consumption of electricity, combined with escalating energy prices has created a need for the introduction of energy conservation measures in buildings in Saudi Arabia. Abusaa spells out the challenges ahead: “Both the public and the government wish to see a reduction in energy consumption. But if you wish someone to do something, you need to make sure he can afford

to do what you wish. The rules and regulations are there. The question is how to implement that without disturbing the consumers.”

Although a Saudi building code exists, this needs to be strictly enforced, for actual savings can be achieved. Since the main purpose of building regulations in the country would be to reduce cooling demand, the authorities, in conjunction with the real estate sector, need to consider establishing building designs that encourage the implementation of energy-saving measures. This would have to cover the types of structures, materials and products used to improve building design and, at the same time, reduce energy consumption of cooling and lighting. In light of this, District Cooling and other new HVAC technologies are worth making an investment into by the Saudi Government.

February 2015

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REGIONAL

Tabreed records increase in net profit

Reveals adding 118,000 tonnes of cooling in 2014

N

to AED 1,130.6 million; and EBITDA increased by five per cent to AED 534.9 million.

Giving operational highlights, Tabreed said that the total group connected capacity across the GCC region increased by 14% to 957,000 TR. Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi, Tabreed’s Chairman, pointing out that 2014 represented the strongest year in the company’s history, said, “Our core chilled water business continues to perform well and exceed growth forecasts, with total connected

ational Central Cooling Company PJSC (Tabreed) has announced releasing its 2014 audited full year financial results, and declared that it connected over 118,000 tonnes of cooling to customers and that its net profit increased 20% to AED 326 million.

Giving financial highlights, Tabreed said that its core chilled water profit from operations increased by three per cent to AED 359.3 million; the group revenue increased by three per cent

Jasim Husain Thabet

Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi

Empower converts selected Jumeirah Group properties to DC More than 30,000 TR retrofit expected to come on-stream

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mpower has announced that it is set to construct more than 30,000 Refrigeration Tonnes (TR) facilities of District Cooling systems for the Jumeirah Group.

The signing ceremony for the District Cooling agreement, said the announcement, was held at Burj Al Arab on December 23, 2014. The project will reportedly include retrofits for several properties, including Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Emirates Academy of Hospitality

66

Gerald Lawless and Ahmad Bin Shafar

Management and Madinat Jumeirah, which includes three hotels – Al Qasr, Mina A’Salam and Dar Al Masyaf – as well as the conference

February 2015

facilities, Souk Madinat and the 340-room extension to Madinat Jumeirah, which is currently under construction.

According to Empower,

capacity across the group now approaching one million tonnes of cooling, delivered to many of the region’s most critical landmarks and infrastructure projects.”

Jasim Husain Thabet, Tabreed’s CEO, added: “The major contracts we have signed with leading organisations across the UAE, from the agreement with Meraas Leisure and Entertainment to the renewal of our contract with the UAE Armed Forces and the acquisition of the District Cooling plant on Al Maryah Island, not only strengthen our footprint across the whole of the UAE but also underscore the importance of District Cooling and the energy savings it enables.”

the first load delivery is expected this month to Jumeirah Emirates Towers, with subsequent developments expected to come on-stream within the next two years.

“Empower currently serves District Cooling to 70 hotels in Dubai, and we are delighted to be extending this service to a number of Jumeirah Group’s properties in the city, said Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower.

Gerald Lawless, Jumeirah Group President and Group CEO, added, “By switching over to District Cooling technologies, which use significantly less energy compared to conventional cooling systems, we are expecting a considerable saving in the electricity now consumed by our properties.”

Tabreed renews DC agreement with Aldar

Photo courtesy www.wtcad.ae

A 30-year contract will facilitate additional connections to future projects

a reduction in energy consumption, thereby contributing to a decrease in our nation’s carbon footprint. We are excited by the future possibilities and collaboration opportunities this renewed District Cooling agreement will present.”

N

ational Central Cooling Company PJSC (Tabreed), has announced the renewal of its District Cooling agreement with Aldar Properties PJSC (Aldar).

The renewed agreement, the announcement elaborated, has a duration of 30 years, and sets the framework for additional connections to future projects.

According to Tabreed, it currently has six plants with a total capacity of approximately 160,000 TR that deliver cooling to some of Aldar’s landmark projects like Yas Island and the World Trade Centre in Abu Dhabi, among others.

In this context, Jasim Husain Thabet, Tabreed’s CEO, said: “The strengthening of our partnership with one of the region’s most prominent real estate developers is an endorsement of our commitment to providing a utility service that is environmentally enable1 advt 147x107 11/23/14 friendly, 4:30and AMhelps Page

World Trade Centre, Abu Dhabi

HVAC PRODUCTS

ELECTRICAL PRODUCTS

Marketed by:

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

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

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

February 2015

67

REGIONAL

Qatar Cool receives ISO 9001:2008 certification Calls it a testament to its commitment to quality

Q

atar Cool (Qatar District Cooling Company), has announced recently being certified by the International Standards Organization (ISO) for the quality management system (ISO 9001:2008) from the British Standards Institution (BSI) in Qatar.

Using ISO 9001:2008, claimed Qatar Cool, has helped ensure that customers get consistent, good quality services, which in turn brings many business benefits to the company.

Yasser Salah Al-Jaidah, CEO at Qatar Cool, commented on the occasion: “Receiving the ISO 9001:2008 certification is a great milestone. We invested a great deal of effort in perfecting our internal processes to be able to offer the best value in all our dealings with different stakeholders. The certification is yet another testament to our commitment to quality in everything we do.”

Omar Rashid, General Manager at the BSI, added: “I

Yasser Salah Al-Jaidah with Omar Rashid

applaud Qatar Cool for leading by example…. Being part of the ISO society is an assurance to all stakeholders of Qatar Cool’s commitment to pursuing operational excellence at all levels.”

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

Pollution tarnishes the Taj ENGI NE E R ING

EN ER GY

EN VI RON M ENT

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

THE THREE FACTORS COMPANY

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February 2015

Engineering

Energy

Environment

The Taj Mahal is slowly turning brownish-yellow owing to air pollution, according to an Indo-US study. The year-long study by the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Wisconsin, both in the United States, IIT Kanpur in India, and the Archeological Survey of India, have held deposition of dust and carbon-containing particles emitted in the burning of fossil fuels, biomass and garbage responsible for the discoloration. The study confirms what has been suspected for long – Agra’s poor air quality is impacting the most celebrated monument of love.

Johnson Controls’ York chillers for Kuwait University

Chillers with environmentally friendly refrigerant to reduce energy and operational costs, company says

K

uwait University’s Shadadiyah Campus has received 36 York centrifugal chillers from Johnson Controls.

The centrifugal chillers reportedly feature environmentally friendly refrigerant and will be installed in a series counter-flow arrangement to ensure an additional six per cent efficiency gain.

Johnson Controls claimed that the chillers will help the university reduce energy and operational costs while operating under extreme weather conditions.

“Every dollar saved with energy efficiency is an investment in educational programmes,” said Claude Allain, Vice President and General

Manager, Middle East, at Johnson Controls. “We work with universities throughout the world to significantly reduce utility costs and ensure that financial resources remain directed towards quality education.”

Dr Marcus Schumacher, Vice President, Distribution

Channels, Alliances and Strategy, Johnson Controls, added, “We are delighted to be associated with the first District Cooling project in Kuwait and commend the university for their commitment to environmental sustainability.”

by A I R H A N D L I N G U N I T S Mekar products conforms to the european

nergy ellateed

roduct directive

For Inquiries, Please contact us at: Mekar Air Handling Units LLC

Mekar is an Italian manufacturer of high quality chillers, air handling units and fan coil units.

Our strength lies in our diverse and energy efficient product range, flexibility in design and manufacturing which is backed up by reliable after sales engineering support.

Dubai:

tel. +971 4 3574469

Abu Dhabi:

tel. +971 2 4122253

Qatar:

tel. +974 4 4153742

Riyadh:

tel. +966 5 00360470 +966 5 99878838

Jeddah:

tel. +966 2 6632204 ext. 1107

Kuwait:

tel. +96524815077 ext. 673

Italy:

tel. +39 045 6630536

February 2015

69

REGIONAL

Magenta to promote Echun’s current transformers Will represent company in the Gulf and India

E

chun Electronic has announced appointing Magenta, a Gulf-based energy management consultancy company as its authorised representative to promote its entire range of Current Transformers in the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and India.

According to Echun, Magenta brings extensive experience in the energy monitoring and management services, chiller plant management and optimisation, in hospitality, medical, education, commercial and residential sectors, apart from data centres.

In this context, Kathy Zhang, International Sales Head at Echun Electronic, said: “We appointed Magenta for a number of reasons: their reputation as a leading energy management solutions provider with a proven track record of delivering outstanding results, and their extensive experience with energy monitoring, chiller plant design and optimisation in one of the largest chiller markets in the world.”

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February 2015

Sunil N Kanal, Director and CTO at Magenta, commented: “Our partnership with Echun greatly increases our penetration into this important market. We are now able to offer our customers a complete Electrical Energy Monitoring solution with Echun’s Current Transformers products, including Rogowski Coils, which can provide energy monitoring and consumption of each individual device.”

February 2015

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GLOBAL

Danfoss wins AHR Expo Product of the Year award Company also took top honours in Green Building category

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anfoss has announced that its Turbocor VTT Series Compressor has won the AHR Expo 2015 Product of the Year award during the Innovation Award ceremonies on

January 27 at the HVACR event in Chicago.

The new Danfoss VTT (Variable Twin Turbo) Series Compressor was chosen from among the top Innovation Award winners in 10 industry-related categories,

the announcement elaborated.

Intended for commercial air conditioning or process cooling applications that require a high-efficiency solution, the compressor qualified to compete for the top award by taking top honours in the Green Building category, Danfoss claimed, and added that the entries were judged on the basis of innovative design, application, market impact and value to the HVACR industry.

According to Danfoss, the entry fees from the AHR Expo Innovation Awards are donated to a

local charity in the city where the Expo is held.

This year, a total of USD 16,400 was donated to Metropolitan Family Services, the Chicago area’s longest serving human services agency.

“Danfoss and all the winners of the AHR Expo Innovation Awards deserve special recognition for their efforts to lead the way in achieving greater energy efficiency,” said Clay Stevens, President of International Exposition Company, which produces and manages the AHR Expo.

SKM Air Conditioning at Tanzania Buildex 2015 HVAC equipment manufacturer plans expansion in East & West Africa

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KM Air Conditioning, manufacturer of HVAC equipment, participated in Tanzania Buildex 2015, held from January 29 to 31, where it showcased its HVAC-related products.

SKM has reportedly provided air-cooled chillers, chilled water fan coil units, air-cooled packaged units and decorative split units to several projects in Tanzania, such as hotels, factories and residential apartments.

Speaking about the company’s business interest in the region, SKM Marketing Manager, Shahnam Ali, commented: “We have chosen this market because of its growth potential, and it seems very promising. As we already have our operations in North Africa, we are here to strengthen our presence and network with industry counterparts, as we are now focusing on expanding in East & West Africa.”

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Systemair invests in China Will manufacture AHUs for local market

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ystemair has announced signing a lease contract for an industrial building at Wujiang Industrial Park in Suzhou, China, for the production of commercial Air Handling Units for the Chinese market.

The building, said the announcement, is now complete and the production of AHUs is expected to start in spring 2015.

“The market is already showing great interest in our products, and our experience is that local production provides good opportunities for additional sales of our entire product range,” said Systemair’s CEO Gerald Engström.

Kamstrup rebrands itself Seeks new corporate identity in metering solutions market

K

amstrup, the intelligent energy and water metering solutions provider, has announced undergoing a branding process to develop a new corporate identity.

The forging of a new identity, the company claimed, is aimed at bringing customer demands and technology closer together and focusing on data analytics that deliver added value to AMR and AMM solutions amidst market challenges.

The company, however, will not change its focus on innovation and technology, said Per Asmussen, CEO of Kamstrup.

February 2015

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COMINGS & GOINGS

Yasser Salah Al Jaidah is Qatar Cool’s new CEO Brings breadth of experience in energy industry Qatar District Cooling Company (Qatar Cool) has announced the appointment of Yasser Salah Al Jaidah as its new CEO. Before joining Qatar Cool, Al Jaidah was the GM and Director of South Hook LNG, UK, the largest liquefied natural gas terminal of Western Europe and provider, the announcement elaborated, and gave further details: He has over a decade of energy experience, and has held positions in the field, which include maintenance, operations engineering, project management,

marketing and venture projects. He has worked on a range of worldwide projects in Qatar, Korea, Japan, France, Norway, the United States, Italy, Singapore and the UK. He has a BSc degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Missouri, is certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP) from the Project Management Institute (PMI) and has an Executive MBA from HEC-Paris in Shanghai, China.

On the occasion of his appointment, he said: “I am honoured and privileged to join Qatar Cool as Chief Executive Officer. I am committed to continue and build on to Qatar Cool’s success by empowering the Qatar Cool team to reach its full potential as we enter the next stage of growth, which must go hand in hand with the expansion of Qatar’s infrastructure. As a Qatari, I feel a sense of responsibility in utilising my worldwide experience to plant my seed in the realisation of the Qatari National Vision.”

Faisal Jassim Trading Co appoints new COO

Moan Abraham appointed GM of Hisense Middle East

Messaykeh brings experience in building products and services

Will be responsible for air conditioners and VRF systems

Faisal Jassim Trading Company (FJTCO) has announced the appointment of Azzam Messaykeh as Chief Operating Officer, reporting to the Chief Executive Officer Rafael Khlat.

The announcement added that Messaykeh would be leading FJTCO teams, with all Division Managers and Support Functions Managers reporting to him.

In his recent role, Messaykeh served as Vice President and General Manager for Johnson Controls Channels and MENA, and reportedly brings to his new company experience in building products and services.

On behalf of FJTCO, Khlat said, “He will be taking the company to new successes.”

Messaykeh added, “I am very excited about my new role and the opportunity we have in FJTCO to grow and develop into the next era in building services.”

Hisense Middle East has announced Moan Abraham’s appointment as its General Manager, Air conditioners, for the Middle East region.

He will be based in Dubai, said the announcement, and will be responsible for residential, light-commercial air conditioners and VRF systems.

According to Hisense, Abraham has over 21 years of experience in the HVAC industry in the Middle East.

His previous assignment was with Johnson Controls, where he was the Regional Director of Unitary & VRF Product Management for the Middle East region, with his career in the company spanning over a decade, dealing in the York brand UPG & VRF business.

Speaking about his new role, Abraham said that Hisense is a USD 15 billion multi-industry company from China, and that Middle East and Africa region are part of its growth strategy, which will be spurred by establishing the Hisense brand in RAC, LCAC and VRF product lines through channel partners.

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February 2015

New appointments at Trans Gulf Stuart McGregor joins as new GM and Luke Walker is CCO Trans Gulf Electro Mechanical LLC has announced that Stuart McGregor has joined the organisation as General Manager.

Giving details, Trans Gulf said that McGregor, who comes with 29 years of experience in the MEP industry, including in the Middle East, will be based in Dubai and oversee all of the company’s current activities in the UAE, Qatar and Sri Lanka.

“I am extremely excited about the opportunity Trans Gulf has in all the three countries that we currently operate in,” said McGregor. “During 2015, we will continue to target projects that complement our delivery skills, grow our resource levels and look at new countries and regions to operate in.”

Trans Gulf also revealed that Luke Walker has joined the company as Chief Commercial Officer and will manage all of its commercial and contractual matters within the business sector.

Walker’s professional career reportedly spans over 30 years in the MEP contracting industry, mainly in the commercial and contract management of international projects in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. He called joining the company as its CCO “a true privilege”.

I aspire for raising awareness about sustainability and for creating a green community within the region. I pursued my interest and introduced solar panels in the company. I am hoping that young engineers would join me in leaving a print and working towards achieving sustainability.

Rashed Mohd Al Sayegh, Managing Director, TeknCoat

February 2015

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ASSOCIATIONS & SOCIETIES

AHRI launches ACB certification programme AHRI Standards 1240 (I-P) and 1241 (SI) will serve as rating standards for programme

T

he Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has announced launching a new certification programme for Active Chilled Beams (ACB) – its 44th performance-certification programme for the HVACR and water heating industry.

According to AHRI, the Standards 1240 (I-P) and 1241 (SI), Performance Rating of Active Chilled Beams, were published this month, and will serve as the rating standards for the new ACB certification programme.

AHRI gave further details: The programme includes active beams that are defined as air induction and diffusion devices that introduce conditioned air to control temperature and/or humidity and deliver primary air through a series of nozzles. The programme will certify water flow rate, water pressure drop, water coil capacity, primary air flow rate, sound generation and induced air flow rate.

“This programme, as with all programmes, is the result of hard work and dedication by the industry to develop a rating standard for products, as well as a manual for managing a fair and balanced certification programme that can be utilised by consumers, government, contractors, design engineers and, of course, manufacturers,” said Vice President of Certification, Bill Tritsis.

AHRI added that manufacturers interested in joining the ACB programme can contact Mary Opalka at mopalka@ahrinet.org.

Performance data for certified products in the programme will reportedly be available in the AHRI Directory of Certified Product Performance at www.ahridirectory.org.

ASHRAE Oryx Qatar Chapter plans a slew of events

ASHRAE honours HVACR industry achievements Outstanding contributions to the field recognised at Winter Conference

A

SHRAE has announced honouring 66 people for their contributions to the Society and the builtenvironment industry at ASHRAE’s 2015 Winter Conference, held from January 24 to 28 in Chicago, USA.

ASHRAE gave the awards highlights: • The F. Paul Anderson Award, ASHRAE’s highest honour for technical achievement given for notable achievement of outstanding services performed in the HVACR field, was given to Presidential Member, Damon Gowan, Fellow ASHRAE, Life Member, retired President and CEO, EMCORGowan, Inc, Houston, Texas.

• Rolla Carpenter, 1852-1919, author of the first heating and ventilating textbook for engineers, and a pioneer in many areas, including application of heat pumps in commercial buildings, was inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame, which honours deceased members of the Society who have contributed to the growth of ASHRAE-related technology or the development of ASHRAE as a society.

ASHRAE also reportedly elevated 14 members to the grade of Fellow – a membership grade that recognises members who have attained distinction and made substantial contributions in HVACR and the builtenvironment, such as education, research, engineering design and consultation, publications, presentations and mentoring.

 February 9, 2015 Topic: Tunnel Ventilation  February 21, 2015 Topic: Control Environmental Tobacco Smoke in Restaurants Bar and Casinos

Range of HVAC-related seminars lined up

 March 18, 2015 Topic: Role of CFD in Building Design

I

 March 25, 2015 Topic: Knowledge and Selection of Pressure Independent Control Valves (PICVs)

n an official communiqué, The Board of Governors of the ASHRAE Oryx Qatar Chapter has announced the calendar of the forthcoming programmes of the Chapter.

The Board has listed the following event schedule and topics:

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February 2015

 April 4, 2015 Topic to be announced later

Further details, said the communiqué, are available at http://www.ashraeqatar.org/.

DuctSox MENA recognised at AHR Expo 2015 Receives International Sales Award

D

uctSox, manufacturer of fabric duct air dispersion products, has announced naming DuctSox MENA, Amman, Jordan, the International Rep of the Year – 2014, at the International Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Exposition (2015 AHR Expo), in Chicago.

According to DuctSox, the 11-year old DuctSox MENA, headed by Tawfiq M Attari, Global Sales/Technical Director, was not only its top international rep but also recorded sales that ranked highly among other manufacturer’s top representatives in the company’s North American home base.

“Tawfiq is extremely dedicated to our product line and yearin year-out, ranks high in sales among our top reps in the US,”

R-L: Cary Pinkalla and John Lipscomb, present the “International Rep of the Year – 2014” award to Tawfiq M Attari, along with David Jaw, DuctSox Inside Sales

said John Lipscomb, International Sales Manager, DuctSox, Peosta, Iowa, who presented the award along with DuctSox President, Cary Pinkalla.

February 2015

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MARKETPLACE

GrayWolf Sensing Solutions

E Instruments International

DirectSense TAB tablet PC-based environmental test meter kits

AQ Comfort-1 Model IAQ monitor

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C

The company lists the following product features and benefits: • The kits meet lower cost DirectSense IAQ, TVOC, TOX, HVAC and AIR applications.

• They come with a protective pouch with hand strap (for 8" and 10" versions), probe adapters, hard-shell security case and capacitive stylus.

• The probes may be used cross-platform (tablets, GrayWolf's AdvancedSense meters, WolfPack area monitors and/or WIN XP/7/8 laptop PCs).

• The 10" tablet offers multi-probe and long-term monitoring.

• The smaller tablets offer portable display of measurements, snap-shot data-logs and/or short-term trend logging.

• All three tablets come with cameras that enable direct attachment of photos and videos to data files on-site.

• Their microphones allow audio note attachment for documentation of field surveys.

• Via the included WiFi card, the 10" tablet empowers optional GrayWolfLive cloud software for remote access to logged files, and optional remote alerts/alarms.

The manufacturer lists the following product features and benefits: • It is a convenient and economical all-in-one tool.

• It offers immediate response time.

• Real-time data logging includes, CO2, temperature, % RH, dew point and wet bulb.

• It comes with magnetic rubber boots; an easy-to-use menu system; PC software and USB; Li-Ion rechargeable battery; and optional CO sensor for safety.

aying that when it comes to environmental measurements, such as Indoor Air Quality assessment, worker exposure monitoring or general HVAC testing, appropriate sensor technology is crucial, GrayWolf has announced introducing new multi-parameter air measurement kits that include 7", 8" or 10" tablet PCs.

laiming that it provides HVAC professionals real-time data logging for analysis, E Instruments International has announced launching AQ Comfort-1 Model, a handheld IAQ monitor.

Hira Industries

New Aerofoam Calculation Software

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aying that the software helps end-users design MEP projects, Hira Industries has announced developing and launching the New Aerofoam Calculation Software (ACS).

The manufacturer lists the following product features and benefits: • Building on the previous software, The New ACS offers access to a wide range of calculations related to minimum insulation thickness required to control condensation, heat loss through single or multilayers, changes in temperature of flowing and stationary media, freezing times, etc.

• It has been customised by a developer specialised in thermodynamic software and has fully integrated Aerofoam details, like technical values and item codes.

• It is configurable not just for MEP works designed for residential and commercial facilities but also for chemical, food & beverage, nuclear and oil & gas industries.

• It is available as a desktop or cloud-based application.

• It has a more informative and intuitive user interface.

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February 2015

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Picture this: It’s a hot and dry summer evening in Egypt, circa 1300 BC. The lady of the house hangs yards of damp cloth over the open doors and windows. A light breeze blows across and over the wet curtains. The interior cools to create a comfort zone, and the family sits down to enjoy a meal.

That’s evaporative cooling for you!

In fact, ancient Egyptians are credited with being the first to use evaporative cooling using this simple and practical method. They also used wet blankets (no idiomatic pun intended) and reed mats soaked in water for this purpose. Jugs made of porous material filled with water did the same trick.

What was more ingenious was these jugs of water, or specially cast ceramic blocks with porosity uniformly distributed all over and dipped in water, chalk moulds, pads of water-soaked linen placed outside the house in the path of the wind, all acted as “wind catchers”, with the resultant evaporation cooling the air outside even before it entered the house.

Palm trees strategically planted around the house or in the courtyard itself, near placid pools of water, and ponds outside the house, as part of the building layout, with breeze playing over them and wafting into the living spaces were also great wind catchers.

Pads of moist cloth were placed over apertures on top of buildings to ensure that a steady stream of air wafted into the interior. Overhead water tanks with a slow drip system kept the pads moist. In short, large wet surface areas were created for evaporation.

Passive cooling? Well, yes, for passive cooling is a method that uses wind and water evaporation for cooling, with no blowers used. All right, “no blowers” was not a tradition strictly followed by the royalty and the rich. They had slaves constantly fanning these pots of water or reed mats or other So the Romans had hypocausts and frigidariums and the Koreans had ondols. And the Indus paraphernalia inside and Valley Civilisation may have predated them all when it came to making indoor air behave itself. outside the mansions, with But wait, the Egyptians were pretty cool too! lotus leaves, we are told, to accelerate the cooling process.

Pratibha Umashankar Well, in a sense, it could be

Cleopatra’s beauty secret – evaporative cooling?

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February 2015

called “passive cooling”, as the slaves, exploited as they were, had no choice but to passively and silently keep fanning the water jugs and jars.

If all this sounds a bit farfetched, and if proof, indeed be needed, an Egyptian fresco dating back to 2500 BC shows servants fanning water jars, which are regarded as an early documentation of human endeavour to condition the air.

It is believed that this practice was prevalent even in ancient India.

During most of the year, the winds in Egypt blew, and still blow, from the north. And then there’s the great Nile, as the carrier. The architectural design had doors and windows of buildings strategically placed and other wind catchers incorporated to face these winds to facilitate evaporative cooling.

This form of cooling had an added bonus: it acted as a

humidifier by adding moisture to the arid desert air and the built environment.

And what about winter? It was time to make ice.

And again, good old evaporative cooling came to the rescue. Shallow ceramic pans of water were kept in the direction of the cold desert breeze. This, coupled with near-zero humidity

A stone heat pump?

Ancient Egyptians knew how to move stone slabs. The massive pyramids are testimony to this. But the technique was not only used for helping pharaohs make a safe trip to the nether world, but also for practical purposes. For example, they moved stone blocks out into the desert at night, and inside during the day. Are we thinking heat pumps here? Well, going strictly by the definition, “A heat pump is a device that provides heat energy from a source of heat or ‘heat sink’ to a destination. Heat pumps are designed to move thermal energy opposite to the direction of spontaneous heat flow by absorbing heat from a cold space and releasing it to a warmer one.”1 And stone walls have thermal mass to both store heat and “coolness”.

1. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_pump

helped create a layer of ice. Ice was then scooped out from these “ice trays”, wrapped in some kind of insulating material, buried deep in the earth, and taken out in small portions on hot days. It kept the drinking water cold and helped preserve food longer. Natural refrigeration, d’you think?

Passive cooling in our times Passive cooling is defined as a building design approach that focuses on heat gain control and heat dissipation in order to improve indoor thermal comfort with low or no energy consumption.

Designing the layout of the house with cooling techniques akin to the ones used by ancient Egyptians, like breeze catchers, trees around the house, creeper trellises, plant screens, high chimneys and roof ponds, increase thermal comfort, reduce heat gain from the walls, cut energy costs and yield “green benefits”, say experts.

February 2015

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