CCME December 2015 by Climate Control Middle East

INTERVIEW: Anthony Mallows, Masdar City

‘The whole city serves as a test bed for building cities of the future’

DECEMBER 2015

AWARDS 2015 IN A League of their own

Beyond an IoTa of doubt Policymakers and industry leaders are looking to IoT to help usher in the era of smart cities, but is the HVAC community ready to go online?

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contents vol. 10 no. 12  December 2015

page

COVER STORY

Welcome to the Internet of Things With smart buildings and smart cities becoming regular fixtures in conversations on sustainability, experts are pointing to IoT as the way to go for bigger energy savings.

EDITORIAL CAMPAIGNs

POST-EVENT REPORT page

IEQ IN

SCHOOLS page

‘Stale air is still the norm in many schools’ Offering empirical data to prove that better Indoor Air Quality promotes higher academic success rates, Dr Jason Shilliday of TROX Middle East makes a case for controlled ventilation.

page

IEQ IN page

IEQ

‘In this industry, we need to develop our own language instead of using another’s’ Nasser B Abulhasan of AGi architects speaks about his firm’s work on a cardiac research and rehabilitation centre in Kuwait.

Q&A ‘Why are we ignoring the 90%?’

December 2015

World

HEALTHCARE

Rolando Furlong and John Mandyck of UTC share their insights on the impact of energy subsidies on the Green Building movement in the Middle East and, together with Dr Joseph Allen of Harvard, discuss the details of a study linking enhanced IEQ to improved cognitive functions in building occupants.

page

Forum

Day 2 of the World IEQ Forum 2015 featured the participation of education and HVAC industry experts, who discussed measures to achieve healthy indoor environments in schools. Hospitality industry stakeholders were also present to share recommendations on how to combat mould and odours in hotels. We bring you the second of our two-part comprehensive coverage of the event.

PHOTO FEATURE

The big snapshot The Big 5 Dubai, tagged as the largest construction show in the Middle East, served as a platform for the industry to showcase cost-effective and innovative techniques. We bring you the show, in pictures...

page

AWARDS 2015

POST-EVENT report

23 NOVEMBER 2015  GODOLPHIN BALLROOM JUMEIRAH EMIRATES TOWERS, Dubai, UAE

In a league of their own ‘Twas a night for the books, as CPI Industry brought glamour to the HVACR community with the 5th Annual Climate Control Awards, in keeping with its tradition of honouring outstanding performances in the region.

page

Q&A ‘The whole city serves as a test bed for building cities of the future’

REGULARS

Ed's note 06 Quelling the disquietude

Anthony Mallows, Director of Masdar City, reveals details about the city’s 6,000 TR District Cooling plant – currently under construction – as well as its cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council and the building standards it follows.

NEWS 86 92 96 100 102

Regional Global Associations & Societies Comings & Goings Marketplace

page

80 LICENCE TO CHILL Outsource and relax

page

HISTORY

104 The tip of the iceberg

Dan Mizesko, saying that the District Cooling business could get too unwieldy to go at it alone, identifies several advantages of outsourcing some O&M services to private sector specialist companies, when it comes to reaping long-term benefits.

PERSPECTIVE In the pipeline Sandeep Mendiratta of Thermaflex International Holding makes a case for preinsulated piping systems, which he believes can better weather the wear and tear of time.

page

MARKET FEATURE

#ClimateChange can transfer risks of foodborne diseases from 1 region to another, threatening public #health http:// ow.ly/VBQ9n #cop21

Chiller tales Demand for chillers won’t be waning anytime soon, say industry insiders, who reveal that despite the downturn, the chiller market continues to grow.

FAO Newsroom @FAOnews

December 2015

Quelling the disquietude or the growth and well-being of the construction industry in the GCC region, there are certain aspects that need to rise above immediate market sentiments, like the anticipated economic slowdown – if it is not already upon us, that is. Cyclical movements of the economy simply cannot be allowed to dictate the course of things – they strictly ought to be kept at bay, else, every action towards a short-, medium- or long-term goal has the potential of becoming a self-defeating exercise. Contractors in the construction industry in the GCC region have for long been besieged by challenges, which they privately reveal, are so hugely distracting that they are perhaps preventing them from giving a comprehensive and sophisticated response to even marquee projects. The key to overcoming the challenges is to clearly identify them and arrive at a consensus as affecting all contractors. The consensus then becomes the basis for presenting the collective problems to the authorities as a group, so the urgency and importance is conveyed for a timely resolution. Typically, contractors in the region have for long faced challenges related to either shortage or non-availability of materials, both of which have traditionally required longer lead times to set right. Numerous instances abound of delays in clearance at the port. And if those were not enough, there is the typical scenario of high inflation and an increase in cost of materials and services. Further, contractors are done in by a cross-section of vendors offering poor quality of after-sales services or causing delays in supplying spare parts. Equally distressing are the contract-related disputes that crop up, owing to poor contract administration. And then, there is the scourge of considerable delays in payments and resulting negative cash-flow scenarios. The squeeze is tight, and contractors are expected to deliver despite these tribulations. In short, the very environment fosters a sense of inertia and disquietude. Such challenges abound in markets the world over, but to use the global context to throw a smoke-screen is a self-defeating exercise. The region has lofty ambitions, and its leadership is keen on projects of an unprecedented nature. The sense of purpose and intensity behind the search for solutions to the challenges surely then need to be of a higher level, don’t they?

F B Surendar Editor @BSurendar_HVACR

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December 2015

COVER STORY

December 2015

Beyond an IoTa of doubt The Internet of Things, or IoT, is built on cloud computing and networks of data-gathering sensors, which experts say, is going to make everything in our lives from light switches to cities â&#x20AC;&#x153;smartâ&#x20AC;?. Should the HVAC industry join this Internet revolution? Most certainly, say industry veterans. By Rajiv Pillai | Features Writer

December 2015

COVER STORY

“T

hat’s my house in France,” says Richard Jowsey with a grin. On his MacBook is a dashboard displaying different readings, right from temperature to humidity levels. “It’s 17 degrees C in the house right now,” Jowsey says, pointing at the dashboard. “My heating devices come on at 16 degrees C. And I am here [in Dubai].” Jowsey, an IoT ninja, is the Regional Director at Urbanise, an Australia-headquartered company. He is at Urbanise’s MENA office in Dubai. To the uninitiated eye, the office appears as any other. But a close look at the ceiling and door crevices makes you notice tiny sensor devices. Being in a post-Snowden era, wary visitors might begin to feel uncomfortable. However, Jowsey would probably remind them that the devices are there to, in fact, keep the occupants comfortable. He says that his house in France has similar devices installed, which is why he is now able to remotely monitor it. Futuristic? Could be. Welcome to the Internet of Things (IoT). A conversation with Sougata Nandi, Founder and CEO of 3e Advisory, reveals possibly the most simple and accurate definition there

Richard Jowsey

Sougata Nandi

Toni M Prince

Charles Blaschke

Colin Bridges

Christopher LaBorde

Smart Metering Smart Solutions Smart People Smart Customers Togehter we

Manage energy better

December 2015

is for the Internet of Things or the Internet of Everything (IoE), “The Internet of Things is nothing but making anything and everything available over the Internet,” he says. It implies that every device, sensor or equipment that consumes energy and has readable information, can be made visible and available through the Internet, he

energy consumption and energy generation.” This is exactly what Jowsey is doing – monitoring his house and avoiding site visits. He agrees with Nandi, and believes that IoT won’t change anything in the way we look at air conditioning. He says, “I think what we can do is

functionality, he explains, will further extend into actually operating these devices through the Internet, thereby making everything pervasive. Nandi clarifies that IoT is not going to manage HVAC systems. “That function will always remain with the automation systems that currently operate HVAC systems,” he says, and adds, “All that IoT is likely to do in the context of HVAC systems is, making them visible and communicable from any location on the planet. Programming and re-programming instructions can then be delivered via the Internet to individual devices and to HVAC systems collectively. IoT will eliminate costly and time-consuming site visits, and will allow collaboration between not only systems within a building but also amongst buildings and utility, driving efficiencies in

bring relevant information to the appropriate people as and when they want it.” However, he points out that the way information is measured and what is measured are very important. “Traditionally, we monitor heating and ventilation by the look and feel of the space,” he explains. “When I walk into an office, I don’t look at the Building Management System (BMS) as a consumer. I feel the environment. Is it too hot or too cold? And that’s my gut feeling. I think that people tend to get too involved in what the computer says.” He thinks it’s far more useful to have a picture of a space rather than have some technician look at a computer data, which may not be able to pinpoint the real problem. He asserts: “And I think that’s how we can

Effectively controlling and monitoring HVAC systems can offer massive savings, and the only way to do that is through technology – sensors, hardware and software. And the broad way of saying this is adds. the Internet of This Things

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December 2015

COVER STORY

HACKERSINC A tech-savvy villain hijacks a city by launching an attack on the city’s computer infrastructure, diverting traffic by penetrating into traffic management systems and wreaking mayhem, while a veteran cop tries his best to save the day. That’s the plot for the movie Die Hard 4.0. This is not reality. At least, not yet.

hen questioned about the vulnerability of IoT to a cyberattack, René Bonvanie, CMO of Palo Alto Networks, admits that nothing is safe. “You are storing more information now, and that becomes more attractive to the attackers,” he says. He, however, reminds us that it is the same problem we have always encountered: René Bonvanie “It says that we cannot assume anything in the system is safe. The modern IoT infrastructure consisting of sensors and actuators and applications that run over the Internet is now being seen as any other application. It’s not that different from others, but the amount of application and security levels that we see for it goes far beyond anything that we’ve seen before.” Also talking to Climate Control Middle East about security is Rabih Dabboussi, Managing Director and General Manager at Cisco UAE. An IoT expert, he says: “Security is very important, and we talk about it as often as we talk about IoTs. Smart cities and digitisation are really attractive, but when you start talking about security, everybody gets scared. Well, we don’t want to scare everybody. What we want to do is make sure everybody understands that security is essential, and it needs to be embedded in every solution, especially now, as we move from 15 billon devices to 50+ billion devices in such a rapid time.” Dabboussi cautions that because one is not always nearby to resolve a situation when a system is hacked, one should always adopt a certain managed approach. “I call it a cloudbased approach, and it’s really a better solution,” he says, “and this needs to be applied on a per-device basis.”

transform it. We can be real. We can be practical. We can be relevant.” Jowsey pauses and tries to add another adjective. At this point, Toni M Prince, who is also at the

Energy in buildings is not a hardware problem. It’s not an equipment problem. It’s a software problem. It’s a technology problem

corporate office, jumps in: “This is what Richard calls an evidence-based approach. For air conditioning there has to be a specific range of room temperature, air-flow, humidity level, vibration, etc. You need data to verify claims.” Prince then asks: “How do you verify the claims made by a building owner that the maintenance has been done? How can one verify if a contractor has done his job?” With proper granular data, those questions are no longer rhetorical. Prince, as a cloud computing and IoT veteran, and former Director of HP Cloud Computing for MEMA, and Urbanise Reseller, knows what he’s talking about.

How’s the weather?

IT compnay, Cisco reveals that IoT will be a USD 19-trillion global business by 2025. Private-sector firms can create as much as USD 14.4 trillion of value, while cities, governments and other public-sector organisations can create USD

December 2015

4.6 trillion. The information was shared at Cisco’s press event on October 19, 2015, at the World Trade Centre, Dubai. Nandi adds that a significantly large chunk of IoT will be linked to HVAC devices and equipment, as well as

energy metering. Giving his view on why and how the HVAC industry, especially in the UAE, can benefit from IoTs, Charles Blaschke, General Manager at taka solutions, estimates that air conditioning in the UAE constitutes anywhere from 60% to 75% of the total building’s energy consumption. He says: “Effectively controlling and monitoring those HVAC systems can offer massive savings, and the only way to do that is through technology – sensors, hardware and software. And the broad way of saying this is the Internet of Things.” Blaschke asserts: “Energy in buildings is not a hardware problem. It’s not an equipment problem. It’s a software problem. It’s a technology problem.” In this context, he reveals: “We are developing our own

December 2015

COVER STORY

That’s all okay, but who pays for this? Sougata Nandi, Founder and CEO of 3e Advisory, asks a pertinent question: Deploying IoT requires additional capex. The issue is, who’s going to foot the bill for the capex? Should it be the equipment owner, the maintenance contractor or the building owner?

ené Bonvanie, CMO of Palo Alto Networks, responds, “All of the above.” He elaborates: “It’s a shared responsibility. I think inherently when somebody installs a system that has any access to your information that you, as a building owner, or a factory owner, generate, you assume that there is building security, and you also want to test the quality of that security. So, inherently, there has to be a great level of service for the quality of the device itself. That’s the manufacturer’s responsibility. They cannot walk away and say that’s someone else’s responsibility. Now, the integrator who installs this has some responsibility as well, because often times, they will find themselves building some sort of common framework in which these different technologies interact. The last guy who should take responsibility is the guy who owns the building. Your primary responsibility as the operator of a building is to test the quality of the systems you put in place.”

Rabih Dabboussi

Rabih Dabboussi, Managing Director and General Manager at Cisco UAE, has a different view on the issue. He believes that it all depends on the situation and who benefits the most from it. He elaborates: “There’s got to be multiple commercial models. And in some cases, there will be a revenue-sharing model. In some cases, there will be a build–operate–

transfer (BOT) model. If we are talking about buildings, specifically, the actual developer might say, ‘because I want to differentiate myself from the others, I would like to spend and invest in capex’. If it’s about smart lighting, obviously, it’s a cost reduction in operations. So, it might make more sense to the operator of that building to invest in smart lighting. If it’s about safety and security, the actual owner or builder of the venue might be required by law to ensure there is a specific code that is adhered to for specific devices that identify fire accidents, etc., which have taken place in the building, because most of these are requirements of the future.”

December 2015

customised software. We are also deploying the hardware that can feed in the software, which can make energy efficiency possible.” Colin Bridges, General Manager at Belimo Automation, Qatar, too, believes that the HVAC industry can benefit a lot by going the IoT way. “Reducing cost and increasing availability of more communicative field devices should enable a more sophisticated and drilled down view of what is really happening in the [HVAC] system,” he explains. Christopher LaBorde, Business Development Manager at TrakRef MENA, believes that it’s not just the HVAC industry that would benefit, when he says: “The IoT fundamentally has the same goal across all industries, and that is to make lives easier for people.”

What’s happening in the Middle East?

Talking about the current market status of IoT in the Middle East, René Bonvanie, CMO of California-based Palo Alto Networks, says: “The Middle East is a region that has heavily relied on technology and, therefore, has always been an attractive target. The technology that is used here is no different from the technology used in the United States. If some things succeeded in the United States, it will succeed here [Middle East], as well. So, this part of the world has jumped several generations when it comes to technology. Much similar to Silicon Valley.” However, Blaschke disagrees, as he thinks that there is a still a long way to go for the Middle East building technology scenario. “When we go into a building here [in the UAE], we fight just to have the basic BMS working,” he reveals. “Very critical sensors and controllers in systems

don’t work in the BMS. So, if you don’t have a basic functioning BMS, you are miles and years away from having a fully integrated IoT system. I feel we are a good 10 years away.” However, he is quick to point out that technology is becoming cheaper and more available. He elaborates: “Sensors are becoming cheaper, and people understand it. Different types of software are being developed by companies like ours and others, and it will be easier to deploy them and get more information, further driving savings.” Bridges, on his part, believes that building legislation, along with the need to optimise costs, will be the main driver in the Middle East market. “We see from our perspective a greater interest in retrofitting communicative devices into existing buildings as part of an energy-reduction strategy,” Bridges says. “As energy costs rise, so will this interest [in IoT].”

Phasing out humans

Although it is evident that the need to optimise costs in the Middle East is paramount, the reality of the situation may not bear this out. Jowsey cites an example of a tower in Business Bay, which has three teams of people, with two in each team, whose job is to walk around the building looking for duct leaks. “So, let’s say those technicians get an average of AED 5,000 a month, that’s AED 30,000 a month, just to employ them to walk around a building,” reasons Jowsey. Pointing to the sensor in the room, he says, “If you install a leak detector, it will cost you AED 36 a month, and it monitors every seven minutes. All I want to do is to minimise the people, mitigate risks and optimise results.” Bonvanie shares a similar view, when he says that there

December 2015

COVER STORY

It’s not BMS! BMS is not IoT! BMS is an early manifestation of Machine-to-Machine (M2M). BMS has been around for decades. The primary objective of BMS, as is practised today, is to centrally monitor and manage all the equipment and devices in a facility. BMS can be programmed to operate as per a set of instructions and system responses. The IoT is an enabler – a communication mechanism that can transfer data back and forth. This data can be sensory information like temperature, current, runtime, etc. or a set of instructions, like commands. The actual programming of the devices and equipment will reside in the controllers or BMS itself. Data itself will remain stored in the devices or a server location, connected to each other via the Internet.” – Sougata Nandi, Technical Advisor for Sustainable Development at CPI Industry: Basically, IoT is a concept that extends the use of data and introduces analytics in a very open platform in a flexible way. The IoT integration transforms the traditional BMS into something useful and connected all across. And it gives you wider integrated sensing and control. A BMS system only works in a building, while the IoT can turn a city into a smart city. It plays a larger role because of the data analytics. It’s a huge shift.” – Toni M Prince, Former Director of HP Cloud Computing for MEMA, and Urbanise Reseller

has been a long reliance on humans, leading to a barrage of bad decisions. He gives an example, “People leaving their homes for a week and not switching off the air conditioning, and therefore, wasting countless amounts of energy.” He reiterates, “I think we can do a much better job for the society and the environment, if we minimise human decision making.” Apart from minimising the human aspect, Nandi addresses the issue of how the HVAC industry players can effectively leverage IoT to their benefit. He breaks the issue down into three components: (1) Preventive maintenance planning and business planning of equipment replacement or upgrade, (2) Supervisory visibility in the performance of HVAC equipment and (3) Energy efficiency and carbon footprint reduction. With regard to preventive maintenance and business planning, Nandi says that IoT can assist in collecting Big Data for analysis by subject matter experts, who can then share business intelligence, for both equipment owners and maintenance contractors, for informed decision making. When it comes to the second component, he says that since it is physically impossible to

monitor the performance of each and every device and equipment in HVAC systems, IoT can solve the problem by bringing all information on to a smart tablet or a smart phone, and help analyse trends that would identify potential problems before they occur. And lastly, IoT can bring each and every device, sensor and equipment onto a common platform, accessible and programmable from anywhere in the world. Nandi believes that it would also allow multiple levels of views into each and every device, facilitating corrective action if a device were to go faulty and, thus, monitor energy efficiency.

The Internet of Integration

Despite the advantages that can be reaped from IoT, there is one primary challenge faced by the industry – “integration”. LaBorde asks the industry to be patient when it comes to integration. He explains, “IoT could also be called the Internet of Integration, and as anyone in the Facilities Management (FM) world knows, integration can take time.” The market is currently

"In Qatar, we are privileged to have very good support from the government, as well as from the Qatar Foundation, and that support is placing the country in a prominent position in the area of Green Building. QGBC has now conducted out-of-country training projects. We just trained people in Egypt, and we have conducted a workshop in Dubai, because as a Green Building Council, our responsibility is not limited to Qatar. Our role includes raising the whole region. So it is my hope for Qatar to lead the Green Building trend, while also sharing its experience and expertise with other nations and helping them develop." - Eng Meshal Al Shamari, Director, Qatar Green Building Council

December 2015

COVER STORY

California? It is the future. We're 40% #renewable, but we will get to 100.

Arnold @Schwarzenegger

balancing two forces when it comes to IoT, LaBorde highlights, and offers an analysis: “The first force is the negative demand caused by the integration challenges. The second force is a positive demand created by the reduction in the influx of money into the region, with the drop in oil prices over the last 18 months. The first is causing people to slow down and do their research, and the second is giving them the energy to dig even deeper to do more research and move forward and buy technology, because they now see that they need high-quality products that can help solve their problems and help their ailing profit margins.”

environment for products that don’t deliver what they promise. He predicts that the end result would be a stronger Middle East that is more protected from oil price fluctuations, by being able to have a more effective infrastructure.

Blaschke, too, agrees that there are integration problems. However, he thinks that new integration protocols are making it much easier to integrate various disparate systems. “So it’s not a proprietary system like the old Honeywells and Johnson Controls of the world, where we don’t have access to those systems,” he says. “Now, we have this open platform, where everyone has access.” Bonvanie, on his part, foresees common standards eventually catching up with ground reality. LaBorde believes that the net result of the forces in the market will create a slightly tougher business

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IEQ IN

SCHOOLS A Climate Control Middle East editorial campaign

ENDORSED BY

HEALTH MINISTERS’ COUNCIL FOR THE COOPERATION COUNCIL STATES

December 2015

global view

Giving vent to better performance Offering empirical data to prove that better Indoor Air Quality promotes higher academic success rates, Dr Jason Shilliday bemoans the fact that despite such clear findings, mechanical ventilation does not form part of the school building standards in many countries, including technologically advanced ones like Germany. He makes a case for controlled ventilation.

ducation is a basic right

According to Article 26 of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit...”

Education is the future

Education policy occupies a position of eminent importance, and not just because education is a fundamental entitlement. Providing good education for children and young people is crucial to a country’s future. “It increases the chance for economic growth and is, thus, an important prerequisite for fighting poverty,” confirms the BMZ*, adding: “A welleducated workforce improves the quality and quantity of the working capacity of a country. Higher education and research

December 2015

are the foundation stones of new discoveries and innovations. Consequently, they help strengthen the competitiveness of a country and make it possible to create jobs.” It is no surprise, therefore, that, in Germany, education spending makes up 18% of the federal budget, for example, and in 2010 exceeded Euros 100 billion for the first time – even though, at just under five per cent, the country still seems miles away from the medium-term goal of “10% of gross domestic product”. In comparison, in countries, such as the United States, South Korea and Denmark, education spending is around seven per cent of the GDP.

Refurbishment backlog in education

So just what state are educational institutions in Germany? Around half of all schools and pre-schools are in need of refurbishment. And the ambitious targets set by climate policy can only be achieved by pushing forward the energy-

efficient refurbishment of public buildings, which still constitute 40% of primary energy consumption.

Massive energy-saving potential

Energy-efficient refurbishment of educational institutions would have a far more far-reaching effect, leading to a noticeable increase in performance, than just saving energy. Introducing thermal insulation measures and an air-tight envelope would mean an improvement in air quality – something that is proven to lead to tangible educational success. And, according to international studies, this can only be achieved using mechanical ventilation.

Introducing thermal insulation measures and an air-tight envelope would mean an improvement in air quality – something that is proven to lead to tangible educational success

Cost-efficient ventilation

Where there is high density of people, there are natural boundaries on the effectiveness of opening windows for ventilation. This practice also impacts the comfort conditions of schoolchildren. Those sitting right by the window freeze, while the rest are “suffocating in the fug”, making it all the more surprising that stale air is still the norm in many schools. Investing in good quality air amounts to a little over Euros 40 per child, per year, compared with operating costs of Euros 5,000 to 6,000 per schoolchild. This is negligible, representing less than one per cent of the total.

Kitchen Exhaust Filtration Systems System Overview

Pioneers of good quality air in schools

Measuring air quality using carbon dioxide as an indicator can be traced back to Max von Pettenkofer, the Bavarian hygienist, who said, “The corruption of the air is not caused solely by the carbon dioxide content; we simply use this as a benchmark from which we can then also estimate a higher or lower content of other (pollutant) substances....” Pettenkofer carried out a number of tests in which he measured the carbon dioxide content of the air in schools, hospitals, pubs and living spaces, and compared it to the odour reported by the room occupants. The Pettenkofer value of 1,000 ppm of carbon dioxide is named after him. He concluded, “I am

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December 2015

ectrosmog” to monitor air quality

global view

overwhelmingly convinced that it would substantially boost the health of our young people if we were to keep the air in school buildings, where they spend on average nearly one fifth of the day, so clean and pure that the carbon dioxide content never exceeded one part per thousand.” It is astonishing to think that as far back as in 1884, Pettenkofer’s influence led to Article 9 of an educational decree from the royal government of the Upper Palatinate region in Germany, mandating that “ventilation chimneys should be created to achieve the necessary replenishment of air. These must have two openings: one near the floor and the other near the ceiling.” This was the beginning of modern ventilation systems in schools.

Stale air is the norm in schools

Today, the reality looks sadly different. CO2 levels as high as 6,000 ppm were measured in a school in Berlin. The result: difficulty in concentrating, tiredness, headaches, odour pollution and increased risk of infection. There is only one cure for these ills – mechanical ventilation using a room air conditioning system. Since there are usually 35 people tightly packed into a classroom, a fresh air-flow rate of

30 m3/h/person is required to reach the ideal state of 1,000 ppm of CO2. Field tests carried out in schools paint an unambiguous picture – up to 20% better performance.

Good grades for the AHU

In the context of room air conditioning systems, Professor Werner Jensch from Munich University of Applied Sciences, likes to quote a head teacher, whose school has an old building without ventilation and a new building with ventilation. Jensch claims, “The children in the new building perform on average half a grade better than those in the old building.” 

*Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit) The writer is Business Development Manager, TROX Middle East. He can be contacted at j.shilliday@trox.ae CPI Industry accepts no liability for the views or opinions expressed in this column, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided here.

SNIPPETS

“Electrosmog” to monitor air quality “Electrosmog” to monitor air quality Former British Science Minister Paul Drayson, a peer in the UK’s

House of Lords, has developed a way of channeling “electrosmog” – the invisible clouds of electromagnetic radiation that enable mobile and Wi-Fi networks. Called Freevolt, the energyharvesting system draws power from multiple wavebands of the electromagnetic spectrum with an antenna. The technology, which was recently launched, was placed inside a personal air pollution sensor called CleanSpace, to allow individuals to monitor the air quality around them. The sensor, called Tag, combined with a mobile app, keeps track of carbon monoxide levels and transport choices made by the user. This is reportedly the first commercial device to be powered solely from ambient radio frequency energy. Drayson plans to license the technology to other commercial partners to produce and market tools or wearables.

December 2015

IEQ IN HEALTHCARE A Climate Control Middle East editorial campaign

December 2015

IEQ in

HEALTHCARE Interview

‘Management and operations are the true life of a building’ Nasser B Abulhasan, a Principal at AGi architects, speaks with Fatima de la Cerna of Climate Control Middle East, about his firm’s work on a cardiac research and rehabilitation centre in Kuwait, and explains why passive design elements are just as critical as active systems in achieving good IEQ and energy efficiency.

In this industry, we need to develop our own language instead of using another’s, without understanding anything

December 2015

hat design elements and approaches did AGi architects adopt for its work on the Hisham Abdullah Hamed Al-Sager Cardiac Center in Kuwait? How did they contribute to maintaining the quality of the building’s indoor environment? From our point of view, the overall environment of a facility is not limited to what’s visible. When we talk about environment, we’re also talking about the perceptual environment – about the air you breathe, the sound you hear, about the overall experience you get when in any facility, be it healthcare or otherwise. We look at those elements as critical parts of design, and not just secondary considerations. Good quality acoustics, good quality air – those must be inherent in hospitals. It’s important not just to look at it from a hygiene perspective. Hospitals are not only about bacteria. You have people working there in hundreds, and they have to be comfortable and they need to have fresh air. But they should also have access to the outdoors. In terms of the cardiac centre, we made sure that all the windows were openable. That was a crucial element in the design, because while we are in a hot climate, as long as you have openable windows that look out into internal courtyards, you actually get cooler air. The combination of internal courtyards and openable windows work well in getting the breeze in and out. I’ve experienced this myself. During

construction, when we didn’t have any electricity in the building, it was still quite cool. And that was because of the passive systems we used to ensure the building was climatically controlled. So, those are a couple of measures we’ve taken, and we don’t think of them as add-ons but as inherent parts of design.

Could you elaborate on how you incorporated openable windows into your design to achieve both good IEQ and energy efficiency?

Because of the location of the building, it’d gain a lot of heat if there were large windows. So what we’ve done is place long but thin windows. On top of that, we added these horizontal louvres that protruded outside to make sure that when the sun hits, it’s actually hitting the louvres and the rays don’t go in, which means you only get daylight. This strategy has worked to our advantage, because the building is fully insulated and we are preventing direct sunlight from going in, which is what you want to do in this type of climate. If you were in England, on the other hand, you would be looking for the sun. Unfortunately, when people here look at the West, they want what they have there. But you cannot copy what the West has and what it is doing. It’s not practical and sensible, which you could observe from the high-rises here. They are fully glazed – from top to bottom – and you have to pump so much energy into them just to cool them down. How does that make sense? Why should I have all those

windows if I’d need to switch on all available artificial lights and start pumping energy to make the building cool? That contradiction is what we feel obliged to correct and do the opposite of, because I think that it is our role to look at various technologies and different ways of thinking and try to localise them, to think of how to adapt them to our needs and our conditions, and hopefully, rethink the way that we have been exporting ideas and solutions. In this industry, we need to develop our own language instead of using another’s, without understanding anything.

environment. I think that’s the biggest challenge, because it’s about daily operations and about the doctors and the rest of the staff – those are what count the most. How do you make sure that the quality of a facility continues to be at its best? Putting up a building is costly and involves hard work, yes, but management and operations are the true life of a building.

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

HAVE YOUR SAY!

What about the centre’s cooling or air conditioning requirements? Were there any specific solutions you looked into?

In general, there were various solutions in terms of their ability to maintain the quality of air – to produce purified air. The noise of the equipment was also considered. But I cannot tell you that there was anything extraordinary in terms of the kind of solutions that were looked into. For the centre, I think cooling was just simply cooling − chillers, for instance. But I know the filtration system we used is quite advanced. It was something that we had invested a lot of time and money in.

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

Kitchen Exhaust Filtration Systems System Overview

Based on your observation, how would you describe Kuwait’s healthcare sector at the moment?

Right now, I believe there are more than six or seven 1,000-bed hospitals being built as we speak. It’s really a big market. Of course, from my point of view, it’s a challenge, because to build that many hospitals – it’s not just about building them, because building them is the easy part. However, to equip them with not just the right technology and tools but also the right quality of doctors, and to make sure that they offer quality healthcare service – those are the actual challenges. In the end, building the facility is the easiest part of the whole process; what’s most difficult is managing and achieving a good healthcare

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December 2015

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IEQ â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a global concern, a global cause Day 2 of the World IEQ Forum 2015 focused on the challenges facing the education sector in improving the quality of indoor learning spaces, with education and HVAC industry experts discussing measures to achieve thermal and acoustical comfort, and healthy air quality. Stakeholders of the hospitality industry were also present to share recommendations on how to combat mould and odours in hotels. This is part 2 of our two-part comprehensive coverage of the event. By Fatima de la Cerna | Assistant Editor

December 2015

rganised by CPI Industry, the World IEQ Forum 2015, which took place on October 5 and 6 in Dubai, UAE, adopted a multi-pronged approach to the topic of Indoor Environmental Quality by highlighting three different segments – healthcare, education and hospitality. On Day 1, the agenda focused on the healthcare sector as well as on broad issues, such as regulations in different parts of the globe, in relation to air quality and other IEQ components and strategies to balance IEQ with energy efficiency. On Day 2, the discussions revolved around the education and hospitality sectors, and featured participation from manufacturers and consultants, as well as regulatory authorities like the Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) and Trakhees, and trade associations like ASHRAE and the Middle East Acoustic Society (MEAS). Moderated by George Berbari, CEO of DC PRO Engineering, Day 2 of the Forum kicked off with an address delivered by the Editorial Director and Associate Publisher of CPI Industry, B Surendar, who gave an overview of Climate Control Middle East’s editorial campaign on IEQ in schools and its key takeaways, including the observation that while schools in other regions are well-versed on the subject of IEQ, the same cannot be said of the schools in the Gulf states. “We’ve presented findings from schools in different parts of the world, like Finland, Hong Kong and the United States,” Surendar said. “We’ve also reached out to schools in the GCC region, but we’ve learnt that the level of awareness in the region is not quite as it is in other parts of the world, and what is perhaps lacking is the involvement of one of the most important stakeholders – the schools themselves.”

(L-R) David O'Riley, Managing Partner, Britannia International; PR Jagannathan, Sustainability Manager, Trakhees; and George Berbari, CEO, DC PRO Engineering

itself, and there is a definite role for all of us in this.”

IEQ in Abu Dhabi schools

Berbari, Moderator, Day 2 of the World IEQ Forum 2015

He clarified, however, that on a regulatory level, there is much interest in the region. “There is a lot of positive action from regulatory bodies like Dubai Municipality and ADEC, so the government is definitely involved,” he said, adding, “I’m going to bring into my speech a brief mention of the UAE National Agenda 2021. It is relevant to discuss

it here because of two specific goals that the government has identified. One is to place the UAE amongst the 15 highest performing countries in TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) and amongst the 20 highest performing countries in PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment)... These are goals the government has set for

There is a lot of positive action from regulatory bodies like Dubai Municipality and ADEC, so the government is definitely involved

Reinforcing Surendar’s statement about government’s interest in the issue of IEQ in schools, Jyoti Sharma, Acting Section Manager of the Design Section, Facilities and Infrastructure at ADEC, took to the stage after Surendar’s address, to speak about the measures ADEC is taking to ensure that schools under its umbrella are able to provide students with healthy learning environments. Providing a background on the scope of ADEC’s responsibility, she said: “Abu Dhabi is a very big emirate, with about 350 school facilities, as well as old stock, which we have been systematically refurbishing. We are also in the process of building a hundred additional school facilities.” Sharma, describing the refurbishments and new constructions as combining to make a “fair scorecard”, acknowledged that the kind of building activity they’ve undertaken comes with its

December 2015

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share of responsibilities. “We need to ensure that our schools are healthy for our students,” she said. “We’re striving to create a good learning and teaching environment, but what does that really mean? Simply put, it means the environment where children learn, and learn best. Therefore, we have to see to it that the schools are quiet and well-lit, and have a high quality of indoor air to prevent kids from falling sick. We have to reduce the toxic and harmful materials in the classrooms, as well as reduce the source of pollutants.” In order to achieve the goals it has laid out for its schools, ADEC has adopted different standards, including those outlined by the Abu Dhabi Occupational Safety and Health Centre (OSHAD) and the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC), Sharma informed, before pointing out that having standards to follow is challenged by the lack of verification. “There are standards, and we are trying to implement them, but there’s no verification,” said Sharma. “Estidama, so far, provides up to a construction rating. So, we have design and construction ratings, but what happens once buildings are operational? How will we know if a school building is operating the way it should be? For me, the root of our problems is systems not operating the way they’re supposed to.” Expressing hope that once Estidama introduces an operational rating system, ADEC and other agencies will have a reliable means of gauging the true performance

of schools, Sharma shared the information that ADEC, in the meantime, is pursuing various ways to maintain good IEQ in its schools. “We have an EHS (Environment, Health and Safety) Department, which takes readings of particulates and CO2,” she said. “We’ve also installed CO2 monitors in our schools, and we are, right now, working with the Abu Dhabi Quality and Conformity Council. They’re

schools, the day’s agenda featured presentations by Ashish Mathur, Vice President for Innovation and Technology at UVDI; Sougata Nandi, Founder and CEO of 3e Advisory; Dominic Parkinson, an acoustics associate at MEAS; and G Ramamurthy Thevar, Group Director of Engineering at Abjar Hotels International. Mathur explored the use of ultraviolet technology for air purification and disinfection,

We have to reduce the toxic and harmful materials in the classrooms, as well as reduce the source of pollutants trying to unify standards across the emirate, and we’re working with them to see if we can come up with some kind of verification standards. Hopefully, in a year or two, we’ll have results.”

In session

Continuing the discussion on IEQ in schools, particularly with regard to standards and challenges, which Sharma and Surendar stressed in their addresses, four of the day’s five panel sessions were devoted to different elements critical to the issue. These elements included GCC-wide policies focused on the well-being of students and related enforcement strategies; contaminants and measures to keep them out of classrooms; air-flow and other factors affecting thermal comfort; and impact of noise and vibration on students’ concentration. In addition to the panel discussions on IEQ in

December 2015

while Nandi spoke about the relationship between IEQ and sustainability. Parkinson, representing the Middle East Acoustic Society, drew attention to the importance of acoustical comfort by answering the question: Does noise from HVAC equipment prevent students from fully comprehending teachers’ instructions? Thevar, whose presentation introduced the fifth and final panel discussion of the day, the topic of which was combating mould in hotels, spoke about guest experience and health, from an IEQ perspective.

B Surendar

Jyoti Sharma

Sougata Nandi

Dominic Parkinson

Ashish Mathur

G Ramamurthy Thevar

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We bring you excerpts of the highlights of each session... SESSION 1 HIGHLIGHTS, in verbatim Topic: Policies and enforcement strategies to drive change in the school premises

Dr Tanmay Amladi, Specialist Paediatrician, Grand Infinity Medical Centre: There are a lot of issues regarding the environment of our buildings, and while I can only speak for Dubai, I think the environment conditions here are similar to those in other emirates and other GCC countries, as are the ways they are being handled. To put it briefly, the issues are the same, and one such issue is dust, which is not dealt with at two levels: Air conditioning systems are probably not serviced as regularly in every building as they ought to be, as per the guidelines of the Ministry of Health. Also, at an individual level, dust control is not something that parents are aware of, even though it is among the most effective ways to prevent allergic respiratory diseases in children.

Dr Farooq A Wasil, CEO, Goldline Education: There’s a lot of noise in schools about the need to protect the

environment, and yet indoor threats are not recognised. We need to engage school operators, to make them understand what the issue is all about and how they can drive change through operational procedures. We need to orient school leadership towards IEQ literacy, by having a programme for principals, for example. In the same way administrators regulate schools, in terms of teaching methodologies, competence of leadership should also be partly evaluated according to one’s understanding of IEQ requirements in schools.

Estidama, so far, provides up to a construction rating. So, we have design and construction ratings, but what happens once buildings are operational?

December 2015

Hassan Younes, Technical Director, Griffin Consultants: From a design perspective, new schools don’t have a problem. The problem lies in another area. This year, we had an initiative in our company to carry out Indoor Air Quality testing for free. We contacted schools for this, and when we went to check what the problems were, we found maintenance to be a major issue. For example, in some of the schools, the fresh air handling units were available, but they were shut off, with one reason being that maintenance personnel think it’s too hot outside to bring in fresh air. You hear the craziest ideas from the maintenance people. To improve the IEQ situation in schools, there should be accreditation for maintenance personnel.

Rajat Upadhyay, CTTC Chair Committee, ASHRAE Falcon Chapter: At ASHRAE, we deal with different government departments and get in touch with different authorities to discuss implementation of new regulations. But the standards are not our only concern. Their adoption is also dependent on the location. A standard or equipment may be successfully implemented or used in the United States, but it might not be suitable to this region. A fresh air handling unit designed in 36 degrees C, for example, won’t be effective here in the UAE. So, we don’t only design but also consider the local conditions of a particular region, and we are in close touch with most government agencies, to get the best results out of standards and regulations.

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SESSION 2 HIGHLIGHTS, in verbatim Topic: Keeping contamination at bay in the classroom and other school facilities Rajiv Raghavan, Manager (School Operations), GEMS Education: I’ve come to understand that quantification is now the biggest challenge. There is no data that specifically tell us how many are getting effected by which contaminant. From an operations perspective, I can say that a lot of regulations have come into place. Dubai Municipality springs to mind, especially its regulation on water tank cleaning. And they do check if schools are observing this regulation. But water is visible – you can see it passing through filters or coolers. When it comes to air or gas, however, it’s harder to detect contaminants. You can’t see CO2 or VOCs, so the challenge is to create awareness to ensure that measures are taken to reduce micro-flora and other pollutants.

Christopher Rajamani, Technical and Business Development Manager, Al Hoty-Stanger Laboratories: The air segment is still lacking when it comes to regulations. In Abu Dhabi, HAAD (Health Authority – Abu Dhabi) monitors the environmental conditions in hospitals, schools and other buildings. In Dubai, we only have the Green Building Regulations that provide guidance on what tests need to be done. We need more. In this region, dust is one of the biggest issues facing schools. And I don’t know how often you clean your filters, but we do receive complaints from offices and schools about odours. The first thing we do when responding to complaints is check the filters, and most of the time, they are the problem.

There is not enough air exchange, leading to foul odour and accumulation of dust and bacteria. Charles Blaschke, General Manager, taka solutions: We go into buildings at times and find filters and AHUs on the roof, which is fine, because that’s where they usually are. But the roof can only be accessed by a small ladder, so how can you bring tools or equipment or the actual filters up there? Design and installation should also

incorporate accessibility.... But the overriding challenge that everyone has touched on is that we don’t have sufficient information. We don’t have the data that would inform us when there’s a filter that needs to be changed or what the actual measurements of different particles are. Raghavan: In our schools, our operations manager understands that facilities maintenance must be a priority. We have a general maintenance technician assigned for every school, who focuses primarily on air conditioning. So, filters do get cleaned, but is it done effectively? That needs testing. IEQ and energy efficiency?

To improve the IEQ situation in schools, there should be accreditation for maintenance personnel

December 2015

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IEQ Forum

SESSION 3 HIGHLIGHTS, in verbatim Topic: The status of thermal comfort in classrooms in the region

PR Jagannathan, Sustainability Manager, Trakhees: Thermal comfort is a complex subject. It cannot be limited to MEP systems alone. It’s a combination of passive and active systems in the building. For example, you can have the best air conditioning system and the best building design, but if the envelope is leaking, you’ll have a hard time not only achieving thermal comfort but also meeting energy efficiency requirements. It’s not something that you can fix just with the use of a cooling system. Also, thermal comfort is not an exact figure. It’s not the designers who will decide what’s comfortable but the end-user.

Professor William Frisk has stated that having good IEQ in the United States would save the economy USD 300 million a year. That’s three per cent of the US GDP

David O’Riley, Managing Partner, Britannia International: There are two words that seem to be lost in this part of the world, and they are “due diligence”. We have talked about the disconnect between the various parties and stakeholders involved in the development of buildings, schools in particular. But that disconnect, I suspect, is much bigger than has been discussed today. I think that disconnect starts right at the very beginning. You can have the best design team in the world, who can design the best school in the world, but then, you give the project to a company to build. The first instance of disconnect comes there. Of all the projects here in the UAE, I’ve never seen one built to plan. They don’t even get close. Why is that? I would suggest that it’s because of this little thing called money. People responsible for paying the bills don’t want to, so they don’t pay enough money for the consultant, who is responsible for due diligence, to do his job properly. The first difficulty faced by people in this region is that they end up with buildings or schools that they didn’t actually design or pay for.

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SESSION 4 HIGHLIGHTS, in verbatim Topic: Acoustical comfort in the classroom and its impact on school children

Sarah Huskie, Head of Acoustics, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff: I think many people here are aware of why acoustics are important, especially when talking about students in schools. If children are not hearing the words the teachers are speaking, if they are not able to concentrate in their classrooms because of high levels of background noise, it will really affect their education. And there have been many studies done in the United States and the UK on the impact of noise on students. I think one of the biggest issues that we face here is a lack of regulation and requirement to meet acoustic standards that are recognised in other parts of the world. For example, the Dubai Green Building Regulations mandate that schools meet the requirements of Building

Bulletin 93, which is very detailed in terms of acoustic criteria for schools. But the issue being faced here is that the criteria are not being met and regulated. Nobody is checking to make sure that schools are meeting the criteria. Berbari: It’s important that we are talking about this, because we as consultants don’t get paid to conduct studies on acoustics. We put the specs in and pass them to the contractor; the contractor then passes the information to the supplier, but the supplier doesn’t have any expertise in relaying the data that he has. And so, installation is carried out, with nobody checking during the commissioning stage. The end-result is much higher noise levels than what we specify. That’s the cycle. Parkinson: At the early stages, people are not really aware of acoustic requirements, not even those identified in Building Bulletin 93, but those

You can’t see CO2 or VOCs, so the challenge is to create awareness to ensure that measures are taken to reduce micro-flora and other pollutants

requirements have to be met. But, as has been touched on several times today, there’s no real policing to make sure that standards are being followed. We’ve been commissioned to test a few projects, and HVAC is generally a troublesome area. There are issues like – are HVAC systems balanced? Are they set up correctly? But as a general rule, we are not called in. There are only a few schools where noise is tested. Acoustic testing is not part of the culture here just yet. Huskie: The situation here is not the same as it is in the UK, where Building Bulletin 93 is enforced. There, as

acoustic consultants, we are brought right at the beginning, during the planning stages and right through construction and testing – to the very end. And if our participation is enough, then there aren’t that many issues at the construction stage, because everybody is aware of how important acoustics are. Everybody understands that changes to the HVAC systems will affect the acoustics of a building and that changes to the facade design will also have an impact. The awareness is there, and it’s maintained throughout the project. The issues that we’ve observed here have not been tested at schools, which nobody is actually designing acoustically.

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Forum

SESSION 5 HIGHLIGHTS, in verbatim Topic: Combating mould in hotels

Abdullah Gallioun, MEP Project Engineer, IFA Hotels & Resorts: Mould is mould, whether it is in hotels or other buildings. It’s the same. The point is, we need to control the reasons behind the mould. It’s not cancer. Simply removing it from the building will not solve the problem. No, we need to find the cause of mould, and only then can we control it. If I found mould and addressed it without solving the main reason, the building will get mould again and again. So, from the beginning, we need to identify a benchmark. And as important as guest experience is, it shouldn’t be the benchmark. It should be engineering guides and standards, and we have many of them. Chapter 25 of the ASHRAE Handbook – Fundamentals, for example, contain very simple standards that any chief engineer should be able to understand. We need to read that. I say this because in one of the projects I

worked on, I met with the senior project manager for MEP, from the contractor’s side, and I asked him about dry bulb and wet bulb and if he was considering ASHRAE, but he didn’t understand. He was a senior project manager, yet he didn’t know what ASHRAE was. So, I think that knowledge should be a benchmark. Let’s start with that, and then we can focus on ventilation rates, on pressurisation, etc. Muhammad Ihsanullah Qamar, Cluster Director of Environment, Health & Safety, Rotana Hotel Management Corporation PJSC: With regard to mould concerns, we have to do some sort of need-analysis to discover, first of all, what the problem is exactly. But the problem of mould definitely exists, and not only in old property. It can occur in new properties as well; hence, why need-analysis is important. It can identify root causes and effects.

We need to control the reasons behind the mould. It’s not cancer. Simply removing it from the building will not solve the problem

December 2015

Muhammed Asif Waheed, Cluster Chief Engineer, Accor Hotels: I’ve come to realise that most of the buildings built after 2004 or 2005 are not properly sealed. And as operations engineers, our life has not been easy trying to protect the property. I don’t believe that it’s always an issue with the design. Sometimes, yes, but I think most of the time, it’s poorly carried out commissioning and installation. Let me give you an example: we had a case, wherein, we received complaints from hotel guests of mouldy smell. So, we checked the ceiling – we checked everything – and discovered several problems, including improperly installed HVAC equipment. The building was also not effectively sealed, so outside air was coming in, and there was condensation. In another property, the fresh air unit in the kitchen was next to the exhaust system. That one

I can say the problem was the design. The people behind it did not consider the direction of the air, resulting in guests complaining about cooking smells and odours, especially whenever the chef grilled food. Gallioun: I faced the same issue. We were trying to retrofit a 17-storey hotel, and it had one fresh air handling unit on each floor. At the time, I was trying to understand what the issue was. So I opened the access door of one of the units and, suddenly, about 20 litres of water just fell on me. The unit was old, and there was obviously no service or maintenance of any kind. The hotel also had problems with odours, so we checked the service floor and noticed that the fresh air louvre was right next to the exhaust louvre. We’re back to standards, back to technical guidelines, for as per ASHRAE, you need to have five metres between the two, and that’s the minimum. Having the right design the very start could have mitigated many of the problems at that hotel. 

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December 2015

ADVERTORIAL

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LG Electronics is jumpstarting its rise to becoming the undisputed leader in the HVAC solutions market in the future. At its general stockholder meeting earlier this year, the company announced plans to shift its focus towards business-to-business (B2B) sales. Enhancing the industry’s B2B infrastructure and finding further solutions for the HVAC sector, LG believes, will lead to the company rising to become a total HVAC solutions specialist.

of the Multi V series hit the market. Since then, the product has continuously improved, with the increase in the company’s technological capabilities. Thus, by the time the Multi V IV came out in 2013, the line had added an energysaving function, a high pressure oil return and many other features that now define the Multi V line as the best HVAC solution.

23 service centres with a fleet of engineers and technicians with 200 service vehicles and an advance call centre. Hamad was promoted in 2013 as Senior Technical Manager to support B2B Shaker business in applied products, which include special services, maintenance contracts and installations business.

What is LG Multi V IV Tropical? The variable refrigerant flow (VRF) air conditioning system has evolved to become one of the most advanced, versatile air conditioning solutions available on the market. Capable of providing greater comfort, energy efficiency and reliability, VRF systems are highly regarded by building managers, business operators and engineers. Multi V IV Tropical has achieved its objective of creating the most efficient VRF system around the world. The new model employs the company’s propriety compressor, refrigerant, heat exchange and oil control technologies. Advancements in these key areas of VRF technology allow Multi V IV Tropical to accommodate longer piping and to perform effectively in the most challenging environmental conditions.

History The history of LG’s business unit goes back to 1968, when the company (then called GoldStar) rolled out Korea’s first residential air conditioner. Since the company first commenced making chillers for large commercial buildings in 1970, the commercial air conditioning business has grown exponentially, especially within the last 20 years. In 2008, LG became the first company in the industry to sell its 100 millionth air conditioning unit. The success of LG air conditioners has grown from very humble beginnings to become one of the giants in the highly competitive HVAC industry. Building on its success, the company now offers a broad portfolio of air conditioner products that are compatible with any building anywhere, including those which have limited space, skyscrapers that touch the clouds, large factories and giant concert halls. In order to become a true total HVAC solution provider, LG also supplies giant buildings with central air conditioning systems and HVAC solutions, such as chillers and BECON (Building Energy Control).

LG surging ahead in commercial air conditioning Among the company’s (commercial air conditioning) CAC, its most well-known line is the Multi V series. In 2004, the first generation

www.LG.com

December 2015

See you at HVAC R Expo Saudi 2016 Growing with the company Basim Hamad, Senior National Technical Manager of Shaker Group, says, “In Saudi Arabia, with Shaker, sales grew from 2 MSR in 1999 to 220 MSR in 2014. LG's development of ductless CAC with unique features attracts customers for ductless CAC, mainly freestanding and cassette.” Hamad joined Shaker group in 1995, as Product Support and Training Manager to support SHAKER HVAC business in all product categories, including ducting and ductless products. He was promoted as National Service Manager in 2004, with a mandate to build the current service level in the Kingdom, which includes

In 2016, LG-Shakers will participate in the HVAC R EXPO SAUDI, brought by the organisers of The Big 5 Saudi, the owners of the largest HVACR buyer database in Saudi Arabia. The Expo will be held from January 11 to 13, 2016 at the Jeddah Centre for Forums & Events. HVAC R EXPO SAUDI addresses the need for a dedicated and focused event, offering products, training and education solutions for the entire Saudi HVACR industry. With multi-billion dollar developments and mega projects, there is a proven demand for HVACR products, services and technologies in the country. Please visit www.hvacrexposaudi. com.

December 2015

Q&A‘Why are we INTERVIEW

ignoring the 90%?’

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Carrier, on November 4, conducted the 28th edition of its Distinguished Sustainability Lecture Series in Abu Dhabi. Climate Control Middle East met with Rolando Furlong, Vice President for Controls & Security − Middle East, and John Mandyck, Chief Sustainability Officer, of United Technologies Corporation (UTC) to get their insights into the Green Building movement in the Middle East, and how it is affected by energy subsidies, among other sustainability-related issues; and with Dr Joseph Allen, Assistant Professor at Harvard, who shared details about a study he conducted, linking enhanced IEQ to improved cognitive functions in building occupants.

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Interview by B Surendar, Editorial Director & Associate Publisher, CPI Industry, and Fatima de la Cerna, Assistant Editor, Climate Control Middle East On the topic of sustainability in the Middle East, would you say that the message is trickling down to the last person in the chain? Joh

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John Mandyck: I think the Middle East region, in general, and the UAE, in particular, are taking great steps to embrace sustainability. We see it in the commitment for Green Buildings, whether it’s the adoption of the Pearl Rating System in Abu Dhabi or the increase in the number of LEEDcertified buildings across the region or the development of new energyefficiency goals in Dubai, which we’ll see come into effect soon. So, I do see sustainability taking hold where it needs to, with the thought leadership and from an infrastructure standpoint. Has it reached every last person? I don’t

We’ve come very far in the United States with energy payback as the value mechanism to adopt Green Buildings

llen

December 2015

think it has reached any last person anywhere. But that only means that we have more work to do to educate and inform.

In conversations on sustainability, would you agree that the focus seems to be more on energy security than carbon emissions? Also, have you observed any shift in the way sustainable development itself is defined nowadays? Mandyck: In the Middle East, I do see a commitment to reduce carbon emissions, though it may come in a form different from what we see in other parts of the world. Saudi Arabia is a great example. The Saudi government is very committed to energy efficiency, because they’ve realised that if they don’t change development practices, they will start to consume as much oil as they export. They have embarked on a programme

to upgrade the energy efficiency of 90,000 mosques, so the commitment is there. And it is the same case across this region, which is blessed with oil reserves. Energy has been either for free or at very low cost, and so the incentive to save energy hasn’t been quite the same as what we see in other parts of the world, where energy prices are much higher. I think we have to look at the Middle East in a different way. The question is: How do you move a market when energy isn’t as costly as it is in other places? How do we accelerate the Green Building movement in the face of that? I think we have to redefine the value of Green Building to do that. We’ve come very far in the United States with energy payback as the value mechanism to adopt Green Buildings. I think we have the potential and the need to accelerate, for the sole reason that when it comes to the true cost of

occupying a building, energy is just one per cent of the cost; 90% is the salary and benefits of the people in the building. So, yes, we need Green Buildings to focus on energy as well as saving water, but we also need them to focus on improving the health and productivity of the occupants. In line with that, we turned to Harvard University and to Dr Allen to do some cutting-edge research* on the cognitive benefits of occupying a Green Building versus a non-Green Building. I think the research has great potential use in the Middle East, because now payback for building green can come in the form of increased productivity of the workers inside the buildings. Dr Joseph Allen, Assistant Professor, T.H. Chan School of Public Health at Harvard University: My perspective is from that of a

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December 2015

Q&A

INTERVIEW

faculty member at a school of public health. For me, energy, Green Buildings and carbon emissions – they’re all about human health. The line of research that I do tries to link building factors and systems with improvements in Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), and ultimately that is important because it links to improved health. But what we’ve done in this study, for the first time, is look at Green Building factors that lead not only to improved health but also improved cognitive performance, which is a direct indicator of productivity. And what we found was striking. There was a doubling of cognitive performance scores among those who spent time in an optimised Green environment, which is a Green Building with enhanced ventilation. And in some cognitive function domains, we see an even higher increase in scores for areas like how people respond during a crisis and formulate their overall strategy, and these function domains are the most closely linked to productivity and salary.

How do you see the research findings translating in the GCC region? And what is Carrier going to do to bring about more awareness of IEQ issues? Mandyck: The fascinating part about Dr Allen’s research is that it’s about controlling two variables: CO2 and VOCs.

December 2015

We’re not talking about inventing some brand-new technology or controlling for some exotic condition. The parameters in which the study was based are relatively achievable anywhere, just by setting the proper specification for ventilation and filtration, and that can be done in the United States or the Middle East – it can be done anywhere. Ventilation and filtration are used in many buildings across the world. What’s unique about the research is the first-of-its-kind nature. This type of laboratory research has never been done before. The results were published only last week, and this is the first place where we’ve brought the research in a public forum. We brought it here, in the Middle East, because we think it has strong potential here to advance the Green Building movement. Our commitment is to bring this data to the marketplace and to share it openly through events like today’s, and to bring world experts, like Dr Allen of Harvard, to the Middle East and to other places in the world, so we can share best practices and engage in a global dialogue on how we can change the way we build buildings in the future. Dr Allen: We’re always talking about why we’re ignoring the 90%. We spend 90% of our time indoors, and what I’m learning from being here is that in some of the summer months here,

more like 98% of people’s time is spent indoors. So we know that IEQ is critical to our health and well-being, and our study now shows that, in offices, it goes beyond health; it also relates to cognitive function performance. Our ability to make decisions is influenced by the indoor environment. And the principles are universal. They can also apply to schools and other types of built-environments. If we improve IEQ, we’re improving the health and the cognitive function performance of people in indoor spaces.

Could you share with us the specifics of your research? How was it carried out? Who were the participants? Dr Allen: We asked office workers, architects, designers and those with manager-level positions to come to our facility and proceed with their normal work. But what’s unique about the facility where we did this – the Syracuse Center of Excellence – was that from the floor below, we could manipulate their environment without them knowing it. To them, it looked like a normal office, but from the floor below, our engineers and technicians were slightly changing a few variables, namely the amount of outdoor air ventilation, the amount of VOCs and the amount of carbon dioxide independent of ventilation. The participants went about their normal work routine, and then at the end of the day, they were given a cognitive function test. We tracked how they performed by making them undergo simulation and by asking them to respond to prompts. But the test was really open and dynamic. We tracked how they responded to crisis, how they planned and made decisions, and linked those to the prompts fed to them over the course of their day, during the simulation. So, that’s the nature of the tool. An important aspect of the project was that it was a double-blind study. The participants didn’t know what we were doing. Each day, they showed up and the room would look the same, but we were actually changing one variable every day. The analysts in charge of the cognitive function assessment were also blind to

Our ability to make decisions is influenced by the indoor environment. They can also apply to schools and other types of built-environments what was happening, which removed the chance for bias. It’s a really strong study design that allowed us to look at individual effects from single variables. And on the last day, we were able to compare the combined effects of those three variables in what we called our green-plus environment – a Green Building with enhanced ventilation – against a conventional building, which is an indoor environment that’s designed to simulate most office buildings. We found that there’s a great improvement in cognitive performance scores in people in the green-plus environment, and one of the biggest drivers for improved performance was the doubling of the outdoor air that entered the space.

More than what ASHRAE recommends? Dr Allen: Yes. It’s a good thing that you brought up ASHRAE, because the ASHRAE standard is a minimum standard for acceptable IEQ. It is not the standard for good IEQ or for healthy IEQ. It’s simply acceptable; and it’s a minimum. And we tested that by doubling ASHRAE’s minimum. We looked at 40 CFM (cubic feet per minute) of outdoor air per person, and there we saw a big impact on cognitive function scores.

You mentioned that of the overall cost of the building, energy use is actually very minimal. But when we

look at how IEQ is approached in this region, especially in relation to balancing it with energy efficiency, the usual focus is the latter, leading to – for example – building designers or owners asking for fewer air changes. How, then, can technologies and study findings that work well in the United States be adopted here? Mandyck: What you’re raising is the complexity of the global environment. The technologies have to be applied in the local environment. And we don’t think that it’s an either-or proposition. You can have proper IEQ and energy efficiency at the same time, as long as you design for both. We, as an industry, have been placing one against the other, but why is that? Why can’t we design for both optimum outcomes? If we really want to look at payback, doubling the cognitive function of your workforce has a financial benefit in the form of productivity. That should be an incentive.

In the GCC region, we have observed CAPEX being the dominant consideration when it comes to design and equipment selection. A whole range of decisions is made based on CAPEX as opposed to OPEX. If rollbacks were made on subsidies, do you think there would be a shift in market preference and behaviour?

December 2015

Q&A

INTERVIEW

We linked video to various cooling technologies, so cooling is automatically adjusted based on the number of people that the cameras count

Do you see more OPEX-related decisions? Mandyck: Last year, McGraw Hill estimated that 47% of the United States commercial construction was Green construction. That happened without subsidies and without government mandates. That happened because the market made better decisions, because they see the value in Green Buildings. They see the value in reduced operating costs; they see the value in increased asset value. Green Buildings have higher occupancy rates, so they command higher rent rates and higher cash flows. We’ve seen the Green Building movement grow based on market dynamics of value and payback, and the reason why we’re interested in the Harvard research is because we think it adds a whole new dimension to Green Buildings and re-establishes the value-base for how they can be thought of in the future and how they can be paid for, through productivity gains in addition to energy gains – if there are energy gains to be had. Rolando Furlong, Vice President, Otis and UTC Climate, Controls & Security, Middle East: Of course, if the price of energy goes up, there will be higher incentive to go for high efficiency products. But I truly see a strong commitment from governments in the Middle East to sustainability, and the Green Building movement has accelerated in recent years in the region. And when you put issues like increased cognitive productivity in Green Buildings, we feel that the incentive is even higher.

The blueprint for Dubai Expo 2020 is not yet out, but we would imagine that the people in charge are looking at cutting-edge HVAC technologies to serve the Exporelated facilities. Likewise in Qatar, in the case of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. How are UTC and Carrier looking to fill the requirements? What are you looking to introduce to the market? Furlong: These events are, of course, going to generate significant investment in infrastructure, and we are committed to supporting them to the best of our product-line and engineering capabilities. To give you a couple of examples – we just introduced a new centrifugal chiller, which goes up to 3,000 TR and is wellsuited to District Cooling and mega-

December 2015

developments. I also think that we can do a lot with electronics and controls. We have Automated Logic, a UTC brand, and within the Carrier operations, we have the i-Vu platform, which has a very intuitive interface that is Web-based. We also have examples of projects we carried out recently, where we linked video to various cooling technologies, so cooling is automatically adjusted based on the number of people that the cameras count. We did that in the Vatican Museum.

In 2014, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the Dubai Smart City Initiative. How is Carrier planning to position itself, in the areas of smart cities, smart buildings and IoT (Internet of Things)? Furlong: At the end of the day, what is a smart building? It’s a building that not only is efficient but also features systems that are integrated to deliver superior functionality, in the sense that when the last person leaves, the cooling and the lights are turned off. I’ve also talked about the integration of video into other systems like cooling. Obviously, electronics and controls put everything together, and UTC’s Automated Logic and Carrier’s i-Vu platform are flexible, adaptable.

In Saudi Arabia and the UAE, there is a shift from marquee developments to affordable housing projects. How affordable are your systems, from an affordable housing perspective? And are you looking into that segment? Furlong: Carrier Middle East has a full range offering. We cater to mega sites, but we also have excellent value propositions for residential developments. We certainly strive to find the right solution for each application. I think what truly makes Carrier competitive in the Middle East and what makes it successful in residential developments is the fact that it has local manufacturing footprint – we have factories in Saudi [Arabia] and Egypt. It’s certainly a major differentiator for us. And it offers us competitiveness on different levels. It makes us competitive when it comes to not only meeting customers’ expectations in terms of value but also ensuring that the products are specifically designed for this region.

11-13 January January 2016 2016 11-13 Jeddah Centre Centre for for Forums Forums and and Events Events Jeddah Stand No. No. E66 E66 Stand December 2015

The Climate Control Awards 2015 ‘Twas a night for the books, as CPI Industry brought glamour to the HVACR community with the 5thAnnual Climate Control Awards, in keeping with its tradition of honouring outstanding performances in the region. HVACR A-listers gathered for a gala dinner in an atmosphere filled with celebration, music and entertainment – and, of course, recognition among their peers. The event saw a total of 34 awards (including an honourable mention), in 31 categories, acknowledging the finest contributions in innovation, business and expertise, presented to the industry’s top players. We bring you a glimpse of the thrilling Awards night, in pictures...

December 2015

AWARDS 2015 23 NOVEMBER 2015  GODOLPHIN BALLROOM JUMEIRAH EMIRATES TOWERS, Dubai, UAE

December 2015

Guests enjoyed welcome drinks as they mingled with friends, colleagues and peers at the foyer of the Godolphin Ballroom, of the Jumeirah Emirates Towers, before the start of the ceremony.

Prelude

December 2015

AWARDS 2015 23 NOVEMBER 2015  GODOLPHIN BALLROOM JUMEIRAH EMIRATES TOWERS, Dubai, UAE

The Producers B Surendar, Editorial Director and Associate Publisher of CPI Industry, and Frédéric Paillé, Managing Director and Associate Publisher of CPI Industry, worked tirelessly with the rest of the CPI Industry team to ensure that the 5th Annual Climate Control Awards would be a memorable one for everyone present.

B Surendar, Editorial Director and Associate Publisher of CPI Industry

Frédéric Paillé, Managing Director and Associate Publisher of CPI Industry

The judges and the moderator

Eng Fahad Mohammad Saeed Hareb, Director of the Air Quality Department, UAE Ministry of Environment and Water

Comprising distinguished representatives from the public and private sectors, the members of the jury panel were generous with their time and efforts, making sure the entries were thoroughly evaluated, and merit and achievement in the region’s HVACR industry were given due recognition. KPMG, having prepared the framework for the evaluation of entries, monitored the entire selection process.

caption

Faraz Said, Associate Director, Transactions & Restructuring, KPMG

The CPI Industry Team

(L-R) B Surendar, Charles Blaschke (General Manager, taka solutions); Kandasamy Anbalagan (Managing Partner, Proleed Engineering Consultants), Jasim Mohamed Al Ali (Manager, Major Projects, Infrastructure, Power and Water Planning - Distribution Planning, DEWA), Sougata Nandi (CEO and Founder, 3e Advisory), Ghaleb Abusaa (CEO and Founder, en3 Solutions), Faisal Ali Hassan Rashid (Director, Demand Side Management, Supreme Council of Energy), David O'Riley (Managing Partner, Britannia International), Redha Hassan Salman (Director of STP Department, Dubai Municipality), Shamim Rashid-Sumar (Director of Business Development [Middle East] and Project Manager, Aon Fire Protection Engineering Corporation), Anwaar Al Shimmari (Director, Projects Planning Department, UAE Ministry of Public Works) and Frédéric Paillé

December 2015

On a high note In addition to a sumptuous meal, attendees of the Awards ceremony were treated to high-voltage song numbers by none other than the Managing Director and Associate Publisher of CPI Industry, Frédéric Paillé, and the Chairman and Publisher of CPI Media Group, Dominic De Sousa. And cranking up the excitement level of the evening were aerial performers, who put on quite a dazzling spectacle of energy and ability, while the talented CPI Band concluded the show on a high note, with a musical performance that had more than a few members of the audience singing and clapping along – a night of cheer and celebration, indeed!

December 2015

AWARDS 2015 23 NOVEMBER 2015 ď ł GODOLPHIN BALLROOM JUMEIRAH EMIRATES TOWERS, Dubai, UAE

GCC Region Manufacturer of the Year GAMI

Architect/Architecture Firm of the Year Goettsch Partners Inc

Rental Cooling Firm of the Year District Cooling Utility Manufacturer of the Year (standalone DX, including VRF systems) Provider of the Year Saudi Tabreed District Cooling Company Manufacturer of the Year (chillers) (joint winner) O&M Company of the Year (District Cooling, chilled water systems) Trane/Ingersoll Rand

Manufacturer of the Year (hydronic systems) IMI Hydronics

December 2015

Manufacturer of the Year (pumping systems) KSB Aktiengesellschaft

In a league of their own

District Cooling Consultant of the Year DC PRO Engineering

Manufacturer of the Year (chillers) Daikin (joint winner)

Manufacturer of the Year (controls) Manufacturer of the Year (air movement) TROX Middle East

District Cooling Contractor of the Year ADC Energy Systems

Manufacturer of the Year (cooling towers) Tower Tech (Trane collected the trophy on behalf of Tower Tech)

Manufacturer of the Year (outdoor cooling systems) Evapcool

December 2015

AWARDS 2015 23 NOVEMBER 2015  GODOLPHIN BALLROOM JUMEIRAH EMIRATES TOWERS, Dubai, UAE

Editor’s Choice Award (L-R) Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman of the Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), and Mario Seneviratne, Managing Director of Green Technologies

Manufacturer of the Year (fire safety) Central Ventilation Systems (CVS)

Project of the Year (standalone DX, including VRF systems) Hi-Tech Equipment Trading

December 2015

Manufacturer of the Year (ventilation) Ruskin Titus

Manufacturer of the Year (high-side refrigeration equipment) Evapco Europe n.v.

Standalone Project of the Year (contractor/ contracting firm) Al Malki Trading

Sustainable Project of the Year Meraas Holding

Building Envelop of the Year (contributing manufacturer) Hempel Paints (Emirates) LLC

Manufacturer of the Year (air treatment) SKM Air Conditioning

O&M Company of the Year (IEQ) Smashing! Cleaning Services

Manufacturer of the Year (supermarket refrigeration equipment and furnishings) United Technologies/Carrier Commercial Refrigeration

Independent Testing Laboratory of the Year (IEQ) Al Hoty-Stanger Laboratories

Manufacturer of the Year (transport refrigeration - body building) Al Furat Refrigeration Devices

December 2015

AWARDS 2015 23 NOVEMBER 2015 ď ł GODOLPHIN BALLROOM JUMEIRAH EMIRATES TOWERS, Dubai, UAE

HVACR Accessories Provider of the Year Leminar Air-Conditioning

Marketing Initiative of the Year Winner: Qatar Cool

December 2015

Paradigm Shift Agent of the Year QTM

Marketing Initiative of the Year Honourable mention: TROX Middle East

Trophies and more

The winners of the Awards categories werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t the only ones to walk away with prizes on the night of November 23. A special raffle draw saw a lucky few winning a digital advertising package courtesy of CPI Industry, a banner on the Web site of careersbay.com, and a television set and an inverter AC, both provided by Hisense.

December 2015

AWARDS 2015 23 NOVEMBER 2015  GODOLPHIN BALLROOM JUMEIRAH EMIRATES TOWERS, Dubai, UAE

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December 2015

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Awards evalu at ion Moni tored B y

December 2015

ADVERTORIAL

Two in a row for TROX!

TROX Middle East wins Manufacturer of the Year Award for the second consecutive year and an honourable mention for its Xsmart Air Marketing Initiative TROX Middle East is pleased to announce that it has won two prestigious awards at the Climate Control Awards 2015, held in Dubai on November 23. It won the “Manufacturer of the Year (Air Movement)” Award for the second year in a row for its X-Cube line of air-handling units (AHUs). It also won the award this year in the coveted “Manufacturer of the Year (Controls)” category, for its line of products that works on demand-based room control strategies. It was also given an Honourable Mention for its XSmart Air Initiative, which has started to pick up momentum. About this recognition, Matthias Kasprowicz, Regional Managing Director of TROX Middle East, said: “TROX is a global leader in sustainable HVAC solutions, and has taken an energyefficient and green approach in its total HVAC solution offering, which will

help the Middle East meet its sustainability goals. We’re honoured to have our efforts recognised with winning the awards for the best manufacturer for controls and air movement, our new product lines will enable the market to have the highest quality solutions from a single source, which are well-engineered and totally harmonised.” The Controls line of products from TROX was launched at the ISH exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany, earlier this year, and the AHU range was only introduced to the Middle East Market in early 2015. TROX Middle East will be celebrating 40 years in the Middle East in 2016, making it one of the oldest and most prestigious brands to have a local presence. TROX is the market leader in the development, manufacture and sale of components, appliances and systems for indoor air conditioning and ventilation. Dedicated research has made TROX a leader of innovation in these fields.

About TROX

Our aim is to always make sure that human beings are the yardstick, and their well-being is our main goal. Since the company was founded in 1951, this has been the motto for company decisions. The interaction between all technical building services can make or break the entire system. This is why TROX offers everything from a single source. AHUs and ventilation components complement each other perfectly. This results in maximum energy efficiency, while the coordination effort during the design and installation stages for a project is reduced to a minimum. Working closely with its customers, TROX develops specific systems that take the relevant criteria for each building into account and meets the requirements of its occupants. This close cooperation leads to sustainable solutions that help increase people’s well-being and protect lives and the environment.

TROX leads in the development, manufacture and sale of components, devices and systems for the ventilation and air conditioning of rooms. With subsidiary companies in 28 countries in all five continents, 14 production facilities, and importers and representatives, TROX is present in over 70 countries. Founded in 1951, and with a staff of 3,700 employees, TROX generated sales around the globe of more than €500 million in 2014.

December 2015

ADVERTORIAL

Saudi Tabreed – geared to meet the energy needs of the Kingdom Saudi Tabreed District Cooling was recognised as the District Cooling Utility Provider of the Year at the Climate Control Awards 2015. Kamal Pharran, its CEO, acknowledges the honour and shares the vision of the company. As the CEO of Saudi Tabreed, and on behalf of our shareholders, I’m very much delighted to receive the District Cooling Utility Provider Award for 2015. We take this opportunity to thank Climate Control Middle East for organising such a prestigious event, which was fair and competitive. The attendance was quite overwhelming, with participation by many highly professional and dedicated businesses from the industry. We were particularly impressed with the way Climate Control Middle East highlighted the issue of climate change. This has made us proud, as we, at Saudi Tabreed, firmly believe that we are doing our best to reduce carbon emissions, District Cooling being the most efficient way of producing cooling energy. It has proved to be one of the technologies which help in stemming the ever-growing demand for electricity, and, in turn, reducing the consumption of fossil fuels. Saudi Tabreed started with a vision of transforming energy efficiency platforms

via District Cooling, going through the learning curve of introducing the technological platform to the government and semigovernment entities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and, more importantly, envisaging the value additions and advantages of adapting the District Cooling platform versus conventional cooling systems. We believe that District Cooling is an effective and sustainable key solution on energy optimisation for the Kingdom. It is the heart of its development and key competency, when it comes to energy savings and proper utilisation of allocated budgets for spending and civil expansion. In fact, a mandate has already been streamed via the Riyadh City Development Council to adapt District Cooling solutions to other mega projects within the city of Riyadh. Saudi Tabreed is, indeed, the leading player in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia,

December 2015

Kamal Pharran

with prestigious projects with key clients, like Aramco in Dhahran, King Abdullah Financial Center in Riyadh, the Jabal Omar Development in Makkah and, most recently, King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh, having a total capacity of 222,000 TR under BOO/BOT and EPC-O frameworks. Our solid track record in owning, designing, building and operating District Cooling schemes throughout the GCC region since 1998, having a total of 67 plants and with a total capacity of almost one million TR, is for sure one of our competitive advantages. Saudi Arabia is a country that experiences extreme heat for six months of the year. The country is really expanding. It is a large country, with a growing

population. And in line with that, the demand for cooling is also growing. I am sure that the government is facing many hard challenges to provide sufficient electricity to the Kingdom. District Cooling is one of the best solutions for the government and, with its improved technology, will satisfy almost 50% of the cooling demand of the country. More importantly, the appetite of Saudi Tabreed to invest in the long-term goals and future of Saudi Arabia is an essential part of the company’s vision. Saudi Tabreed’s business model is under long-term BOO/ BOT frameworks (25 or 30 years). We aspire to see the District Cooling industry in the Kingdom to expand and mature similar to that of the UAE and Qatar in the coming decade.

Energy Well Spent District Cooling Utility Provider of the Year 2015

Combining state of the art technology and professionalism with the best environmental practices, we aim to be the leader in reliable, efďŹ cient, and environmentally friendly district cooling services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Tabreed District Cooling Company P.O.Box 239, Al-Khobar 31952 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia :+ 966 13 887 2744 :+ 966 13 887 3744 : www.sauditabreed.com

ADVERTORIAL

(L-R) Shaik Younus, Regional Product Manager; Ammar Abdul Latif, QA/QC Manager; Magdy Mekky, CEO; Sheikh Khalid Al Qassimi, Vice-chairman & Managing Director; and Eugene Papaioannou, Factory General Manager

GAMI wins the GCC Region Manufacturer of the Year at the Prestigious Climate Control Awards 2015! GAMI is honoured to have been awarded the GCC Region Manufacturer of the Year at the 5th Climate Control Awards, held on November 23 in Dubai, UAE.

AWARDS 2015 23 NOVEMBER 2015 ď ł GODOLPHIN BALLROOM JUMEIRAH EMIRATES TOWERS, Dubai, UAE

December 2015

GAMI is a premier, leading local manufacturer, catering to the growing market needs of the HVAC industry in the GCC and regional countries. From its technical collaboration with HITACHI, GAMI has inherited the Japanese manufacturing and quality philosophy, which has allowed it to achieve an eminent position in the Middle East HVAC Industry, offering total solutions at competitive pricing

without compromising on quality. To assure adherence to our quality processes at all time, we have invested in three different testing laboratories for chillers, unitary and airside products. Our testing laboratories are TUV certified, and our customers are most welcome to witness the performance testing at our factory. Thanks to our commitment to quality, in a short period of time, GAMI has remarkably obtained global certifications, such as AHRI for chillers, Eurovent and UL for AHUs and TUV Certificate for our Hygienic Air Handling Units. Our entire range of rooftop package units and ducted split units are designed and approved to meet the energy standards set by various GCC legislations, such as ESMA, MEW, SASO, ESTIDAMA and others. Our main focus is not to open new markets but to cater to the unmet demands of the existing market in the Middle East. GAMIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s victory at the Awards can be attributed to its core values, dedicated and passionate employees, delivering world-class products, constant innovation, continuous Research and Development and commitment to excellence at all times.

PHOTO FEATURE

The big snapshot!

Photos courtesy DMG Events

December 2015

23 - 26 November 2015 dubai world trade centre

Tagged as the largest construction show in the Middle East, The Big 5 International Building and Construction Show, yet again, served as a platform for the industry to showcase cost-effective and innovative techniques. The event, which ran from November 23 to 26 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, became a meeting point for exhibitors with 45 free-to-attend seminars, in addition to conferences and live on-site demonstrations. The HVACR sector, as always, was one of the biggest represented sector at the event.

December 2015

Q&A

INTERVIEW

Masdar City

– a ‘greenprint’ for future cities Speaking with Fatima de la Cerna of Climate Control Middle East at the Ecocity World Summit, Anthony Mallows, Director of Masdar City, shared details about the 6,000 TR District Cooling plant that is being constructed in what is regarded as one of the world’s most sustainable communities. He also spoke about the city's cooperation with the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council and the building standards the city follows. Could you bring us up-to-date on Masdar City? And what are the projects in the pipeline? We’ve recently refined the masterplan and are now completely aligned with the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) requirements in our development strategy and masterplan. Masdar City’s aim of creating a leading hub for innovation, where people live, work and play, also entered a new phase earlier this year with the announcement in April of a new one- and two-bedroom residential complex. The mixed-use project, Neighbourhood 1 – of which completion is expected in Q1 of 2018 – is an important step forward toward completing the first integrated neighbourhood and the vision of Masdar City as a complete ecosystem focused on sustainability and innovation. We’ve also successfully, completed Phase 1 of our detailed masterplan, which includes approximately 1.25 million square metres of development. We’ve built about 150,000 square metres of buildings that form the first cluster, and we have three times that number either under construction, under design or in planning, to complete the first phase. That comprises the Masdar Institute, as well as the market-rate housing and apartments, and the completion of the first truly integrated neighbourhood in Masdar City. Also, early next year, we will be launching the second neighbourhood. There will be a total of eight residential neighbourhoods and three commercial and institutional neighbourhoods to make up the whole of Masdar City. On the technical front, we have a 6,000 TR District Cooling plant under construction. It is the first step in a scalable concept for District Cooling, because we’re a mixed-use dense compact development. It’s the first unit in a scaled-up District Cooling strategy, in which we will not only own the District Cooling supply but also reverse the model, whereby the less you use, the better it works. Conventionally, the business model is the other way around. We’ve also worked together with the UPC’s Estidama team on an innovation study, which demonstrated that as a result of the limited amount of recycled water available, it was more

It’s the first unit in a scaled-up District Cooling strategy, in which we will not only own the District Cooling supply, but also reverse the model, whereby the less you use, the better it works 68

December 2015

Would you describe District Cooling as an experiment, perhaps in the same vein as the podium*, which, I understand, will no longer be integrated in new developments? District Cooling is another example that shows how Masdar City is being developed as a “greenprint” for how cities of the future should be built. Cooling is a big energy user, so we need to figure out how efficiently we can do it. Our building design guidelines aim for very high sustainability standards. For instance, the buildings we have developed consume, on average, 40% less water, cooling and energy than other similar buildings, through both sustainable strategies and

Images courtesy Masdar Cuty

sustainable for us to use the available recycled water for irrigation rather than for District Cooling, which will, therefore, use potable water. We’re going to monitor very closely to see how much more efficient we can be when it comes to the total energy usage of creating cooling.

Revised render of part of Phase 1 passive sustainable approaches to design and planning. The idea behind District Cooling being an experiment, like the podium being an earlier experiment, is that the whole city serves as a test bed for building cities of the future, because technology changes so fast. The podium was a concept based on what was then already a fact – that mobility, especially private mobility, produced CO2, because cars

burn fossil fuels. We now have electric cars. We even have a technology that develops hydrogen fuel cells for vehicles that make electricity, but with water as the emission. So the podium, as the platform under which the city’s transit system would have been operated, is not going to happen throughout the whole city, but we’re still deploying the existing driverless, carbon-free PRT (personal rapid transit) pods.

December 2015

Q&A

INTERVIEW

People are suggesting the possibility of the UAE again encountering economic challenges, similar to those it faced a few years ago. In the event of a repeat of 2009, would you say that Masdar City is better prepared owing to its new financial model? Yes, I think we now have a much more robust development concept, which is less susceptible to fluctuations in the real estate market, and to what happened in 2009 and 2010, particularly with regard to our value proposition – not only is location important but also the operating costs for entities to come in. The other advantage is that we now have a critical mass of tech companies located in Masdar City Free Zone. There are now over 350 companies, and that number’s growing rapidly. We are building a community of tech companies that have the advantage of being in a free zone. But we’re also an investment zone. So commercially viable corporate tech companies are choosing to locate in Masdar City. And their R&D work is linked to the work that is being done at Masdar Institute. As our CEO, Dr Ahmad Belhoul, says, we have created an ecosystem of innovation in Masdar City, which is about not only the builtenvironment but also the community of knowledge.

Masdar City is generally described as a community, a neighbourhood. With both being primarily about people, how do you ensure the comfort and lifestyle of the building occupants, while still retaining

We’ve created an integrated approach, so the inhabitants are happy, productive and motivated, and then you get a far more sustainable environment IRENA Headquarters

December 2015

Masdar’s concept and character of being a sustainable city? About 10 years ago, people thought that the way to reduce the energy demand of buildings was to make them very tight and to re-circulate and reuse air. At Masdar City, we go beyond this. What we look at is the total performance of the environment, with people in it, and then we look to optimise it. One of the sustainability measures we use is the environmental productivity of inhabitants. We don’t optimise the air conditioning or the light standards for energy itself. We’ve created an integrated approach, so the inhabitants are happy, productive and motivated, and then you get a far more sustainable environment. We do so by constantly monitoring the indoor and outdoor environment through the use of sensors. Then, learning as we go, we harvest that information about building performance, so that the next building we build is even more responsive to its environment. While some of our buildings, such as Siemens and IRENA Global Headquarters, are air tight – in other words, there are no opening windows – and the buildings use recirculation with heat recovery, the indoor air quality is monitored so that the volume of makeup air, dealing with air quality, for example, is in fact, optimum. This is not only from an energy point of view but also from a productivity point of view, of the employees and the residents within.

Is there some sort of mechanism you use to gauge employee productivity? We rely on our tenants or our partners to do that. For instance, the Siemens Middle East Headquarters was designed specifically

with Siemens’ design requirements and performance standards in mind.

Other than Siemens, more companies will surely come in to set up their facilities. Do you have certain standards that you present to them as requirements to be followed, before allowing them to establish a building or facility in Masdar City? Working with UPC, we developed, as we went through our detailed master planning process, certain design requirements and development regulations. They are based on Estidama as well as good planning practice. We integrated a third layer, which is Masdar City’s sustainability guidelines. There are, in fact, nine criteria or nine elements** to sustainability that we layer in, over and above the development regulations and the design requirements. And then, we work very actively with the third-party developers, to help them, at no extra cost, to produce a building that outperforms the minimum 1 Pearl requirement. We have in Masdar City a minimum of 2 Pearls for any developer, but we help them achieve 3 Pearls, by assisting them in their design and development process. We are targeting above 3 Pearls for our own developments, and we’ve achieved that in both the Siemens building and in the IRENA Headquarters.

So, you are designing according to Estidama standards and not LEED? LEED and Estidama are slightly different. We believe Estidama is more comprehensive. However, LEED is better known globally, so we rank, assess and measure all our developments using both rating systems. For instance, while the Siemens building is LEED Platinum, in Estidama terms it’s a 3-Pearl building. On the other hand, the IRENA Headquarters was awarded a 4-Pearl Estidama rating. Estidama’s Pearl Rating System and the US Green Building’s LEED are not actually aligned; so we apply both. By doing that, we’ve come to realise that there are distinct advantages to the Estidama system. We also use Estidama for our master planning, and our first detailed masterplan, not yet rated, aims to achieve a 4-Pearl community rating from UPC. It is not only with buildings and infrastructure that we push for a high rating; the basic plan itself has that high standard. And we want to share that with the world, so that they can come to appreciate Estidama.

Estidama is more comprehensive. However, LEED is better known globally, so we rank, assess and measure all our developments using both rating systems

Render of the 6,000 TR District Cooling plant under construction Just to clarify, while Estidama is required, LEED is optional? The Estidama Pearl Rating System (PRS) is currently mandatory for proposed new-construction villas, buildings and community projects that fall under the ownership of developers. The PRS has been integrated into the building permit process at the various municipalities such that the construction of an applicable development is only possible if a project complies with the PRS requirements. However, Masdar City does both, since we also develop our own projects. We use those projects to demonstrate proofof-concept, to push the envelope. The Siemens building was built at LEED Platinum, with no extra cost for the sustainability requirements. It debunks the myth that sustainability costs more. But for third-party developers, yes, they are only required to do the Estidama PRS, not LEED.

What would you say is Masdar City’s role in pushing the UAE to the forefront of sustainability? Masdar City is only one part of Masdar. There’s Clean Energy, Special Projects, Masdar Institute and Masdar Capital. And Masdar itself is a component of the energy platform within Mubadala, who are our only shareholders. Masdar City’s role is to create knowledge that diversifies the UAE economy, as well as to be the place where you build a community of innovation and

research, not only on renewables but also on technology in general, and to demonstrate proof-of-concept about how you build a lowcarbon city. Masdar is Abu Dhabi’s future energy company, and will push us to be world leaders in all sectors of renewables, whether through Clean Energy, which builds utility-scaled power plants; Masdar Capital, which invests in renewable tech companies globally; or Special Projects, which pursues various initiatives on renewables all over the world. In the area of study and innovation in an academic setting or a university, like Masdar Institute, we’re creating a place where you can get that critical mass for cultivating knowledge in a research setting, and we are partnering with global companies like Siemens, Schneider, Lockheed Martin, GE and Samsung to create innovation that not only leads to new ideas and new knowledge but also has commercial application in the world. So, again, Masdar City is a greenprint or a role model for how you can build both a community of innovation and knowledge, and the city of the future. Footnotes: *Masdar City’s streets rest on a podium, beneath which runs a PRT system. **(1) Energy consumption, (2) renewable energy provision, (3) interior water use, (4) exterior water use for landscaping, (5) construction waste management, (6) operation waste management, (7) embodied carbon in materials, (8) sustainability rating system and (9) building performance monitoring

December 2015

PERSPECTIVE Sandeep Mendiratta

is Business Development Head - Middle East and Africa, Thermaflex International Holding B.V. He can be contacted at: s.mendiratta@ thermaflex.com

pre-insulated piping systems

In the pipeline A

healthy and comfortable indoor climate, is a basic living right. Facility owners and managers in the Middle East region try to make it their prime objective to guarantee this key necessity for the occupants. Large investments, in often complex cooling networks, are required to provide longlasting and energy-efficient cooling solutions.

Ground reality

Despite this, often, just after the first year of operation of a building, occupants begin to experience serious shortcomings of the systems. For instance, the cold surfaces of underperforming or damaged insulation leads to distribution systems attracting moisture from the air, causing condensation. In dryer climates, moisture is mainly caused by occupants themselves â&#x20AC;&#x201C; cooking, cleaning, transpiration and exhalation. Moisture, when combined with inferior insulation material, creates an ideal breeding and feeding ground for bacteria and numerous types of moulds. Mouldy ductwork can cause serious health risks. A few

December 2015

Saying that the tug-of-war between economic and ecological considerations often lead to compromising occupant comfort and health, Sandeep Mendiratta makes a case for pre-insulated piping systems, which he believes better weather the wear and tear of time.

As the system starts to degrade, repair expenses start to overtake maintenance costs of the common complaints from occupants are coughing, shortness of breath, irritated eyes and dizziness. At some point, the condensation also starts dripping down, causing stains and further formation of moulds on the ceiling and walls. As insulation material is also prone to soaking up the condensate, over time, it loses its insulation value, and start to absorb cold energy from carrier pipes and ducts. As the cooling system needs to make up for the coolness that is subtracted from the system, it begins to consume

extra energy to maintain the right flow of temperature throughout the network. In case the carrier pipes are made of steel, the wet insulation also causes corrosion. Within no time, the network begins to spring leaks, catalysing the aforementioned effects. Soon, pipes burst, and the system, or parts of it, needs temporary shutdowns to conduct the necessary repairs. It goes without saying that this leads to serious challenges, both for cost of ownership and, most important, occupant comfort. As these scenarios unroll, operational costs could develop exponentially. Temperature losses throughout the system may have to be compensated for by chiller installation and increasing the pump capacity. In both cases, energy costs escalate, leading to higher bills. Sometimes, extra investments may be needed to beef up cooling capacity to keep up with the demand. To limit the effects of condensation, investments need to be made to adopt

The closed-cell structure and other characteristics of polyethylene foam (PE) insulation results in very high water vapour resistance, which, in turn, leads to long-term defence against condensation, and makes a vital contribution to raising occupant comfort, while greatly lowering energy bills and environmental impact measures to contain the problems even before they occur. For instance, air filters, intakes, de-humidifiers and dampers may have to be installed. Additional maintenance would be required to prevent the spread of mould. As the system starts to degrade, repair expenses start to overtake maintenance costs. Engineers are aware of these risks, and anticipate them by including additional safety margins, leading up to 25% overdesign of the installations, ducting, piping and chillers, not to mention bracing themselves for residents’ complaints, claims and the eventual loss of business for owners. Consequently, facility

owners, managers and consultants search for reliable, yet simple solutions, to guarantee a secure supply for a minimal total cost of ownership. That way, they can ensure customer satisfaction throughout the entire operation time of their buildings. New products are constantly being developed to mitigate health and financial risks. However, taking on the problems also often means making compromises on other aspects, such as investment costs, ecological footprint and the use of healthy and recyclable materials. Therefore, we need to take a closer look at the solutions on offer, and zero down on a transition to innovative, smart energy systems that are

cost-effective and sustainable throughout their lifetime. To provide a healthy indoor environment to customers, we need healthy materials inside the building. Typically, when it comes to cooling, traditional systems simply don’t make the cut. That’s why, investors, contractors and building owners in the HVAC market are increasingly looking for healthier and more resilient solutions for their energy needs, especially for cooling. Also, whether replacing old systems in existing buildings or installing systems in new ones, tight time schedules need to be maintained to maximise occupation time. This requires systems that are also fast and easy to install so that downtime can be kept to a minimum.

Piping down

In this regard, preinsulated piping systems like polybutylene (PB) and polyethylene foam (PE) insulation outperform their metal, PEX and PVC counterparts. A few of their advantages are: •They eliminate any risk of corrosion. •They offer superior resistance to stress, sound and mechanical influences over a longer lifetime – in most cases even up to 50 years. •As they are flexible, much fewer joints are needed compared to rigid materials, reducing the risk of leakages and pressure losses, while cutting both installation time and labour needed up to 40%.

The bigger picture

Global threats to our societies including climate change, resource scarcity and ecosystem health are on the rise. Cooling is one of the most energyintensive requirement, as the demand is often 24/7 and 365 days a year. Adding up the increasing demand for cooling, due to increasing population, rising temperature and humidity levels, one can conclude that cooling is an expensive proposition, both ecologically and economically, and should be handled with care throughout the value chain. Energy infrastructure plays a key role here.

December 2015

PERSPECTIVE

pre-insulated piping systems

•This crucial value is further ensured by the light weight and easy, homogenous weldability of PB. •The closed-cell structure and other characteristics of polyethylene foam (PE) insulation results in very high water vapour resistance, which in turn, leads to long-term defence against condensation, and makes a vital contribution to raising occupant comfort, while greatly lowering energy bills and environmental impact. •PE insulation can also live, and probably outlive, the lifetime of the buildings they serve. •Both PB and PE are circular materials, and can be completely recycled to serve their original purpose. •Flexible polyolefins, too,

provide an ideal suitability for insulation applications. When it comes to district and group networks, too, pre-insulated piping systems and innovative network design can greatly increase installation ease and speed, along with system performance by using much longer pipes on coils. This minimises the number of joints and the risk of leakages, so that network lifetime is maximised, securing comfort for current, and future users. Healthy materials make for a healthy environment, both indoor as well as in the world around us. Smart and sustainable systems can offer an immense saving potential, while ensuring a reliable supply and minimising the

total cost of ownership of what are often experienced as costly ventures, especially when it comes to cooling. With the right cooling solutions, comfort, capital and environment, fortunately, need not be points of compromise. CPI Industry accepts no liability for the views or opinions expressed in this column, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided here.

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

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December 2015

ADVERTORIAL

Techniques for energyefficient evaporative cooling Markus Imholz, Head of Sales at Condair for Turkey, Middle East & North Africa, looks at the potential of evaporative cooling in an energy-efficient HVAC system. will prevent further moisture being absorbed and the resultant cooling effect. When used in an outside area, this isn’t a concern, but if employed indoors, ventilation is necessary to maintain a sufficiently low humidity and ensure efficient evaporation from the spray nozzles. It is vital that any water introduced to the air is pure. For this reason, systems should always incorporate safety features, such as regular purge cycles to prevent stagnation and sterilisation methods, such as silver ion or ultraviolet water treatment. Further measures, such as the reverse osmosis filtration, used on all Condair high pressure systems, guarantee hygienic performance.

An adiabatic humidifier evaporating 100 kilogrammes of water per hour will provide approximately 68kW of cooling to an atmosphere, while consuming less than 0.3kW of electricity. As the energy to evaporate the moisture is literally taken from the air, in the form of heat, it is far more energy- and costefficient than using traditional DX cooling. Given that an evaporative cooling system can release hundreds of thousands of litres per hour, its potential for low-cost, high-capacity cooling is great. So how can this potential be fully realised in both outdoor areas and in a modern building services system? Direct air cooling The use of traditional DX cooling is often not practical outdoors or in large ventilated indoor areas. In such a scenario, high pressure spray humidifiers provide a practical cooling alternative with minimal running cost and hygienic performance. A pump station purifies and pressurises the incoming water supply before it is supplied to a network of spray nozzles located in the area to be cooled. The amount of cooling achieved by the system is dependent on the humidity levels of the area, as high humidity

December 2015

In-duct cooling There are three main air-handling unit (AHU) strategies that utilise the potential of evaporative cooling. Direct evaporative cooling is when an adiabatic humidifier is located in the incoming fresh airstream, adding 0.68kW of cooling for every one kilogramme of humidity provided. Again, the cooling capacity of the system is dependent on the humidity of the incoming air, as dry air will absorb more moisture than humid air. As moisture is continually being added, it is important that an AHU provides a high percentage of fresh air, with active ventilation from the room to maintain the desired room condition without excessive humidity.

An alternative strategy is indirect evaporative cooling. Fresh outside air is cooled by a humidifier, passed through the AHU’s heat recovery (HR) unit, and then exhausted, while the return air from the room is circulated through the HR unit and re-introduced to the room. When the external airstream’s temperature is lower than the internal airstream, the cool thermal energy is transferred, cooling the room air without any mixing of internal and external airstreams. A higher velocity on the external airstream than the internal airstream increases the cooling capacity of the system. A third AHU strategy uses exhaust air in combination with an HR unit to pre-treat the supply air prior to it being introduced to the room. The air extracted from the room is cooled by a humidifier before being passed through the HR unit and vented outside. As the incoming air is run through the HR unit, the cooler temperature of the humidified exhaust air is transferred to it. The above techniques for economically cooling an indoor or outdoor atmosphere can offer a practical alternative or supplement to conventional cooling. Condair is the world’s leading specialist in evaporative cooling and humidification systems, and can provide free expert advice and assistance in the design and specification of such systems.

December 2015

MARKET FEATURE Chillers

Christopher Rajamani

Ahmed M Henedi

Magdy Mekky

Chiller tales Industry insiders reveal that despite the downturn, the market for chillers has been growing. Citing extreme climate and forthcoming events like Expo 2020 as reasons, they also share other insights on why they think there will be a perennial demand for chillers in the Middle East. By Rajiv Pillai | Features Writer

“N

inety-five per cent of any hospitality industry is heavily dependent on water. So, you need chillers to keep the entire system cool. UAE being a tourist destination, people demand a certain temperature.” This is an assessment and assertion made by Christopher Rajamani, Technical and Business Development Manager at Al Hoty-Stanger Laboratories. He also

believes that the market size for chillers is huge because of the extreme weather conditions in the region. Ahmed M Henedi, Managing Director at District Cooling Company, giving an overall idea on the market size of chillers for the UAE, says that aircooled chillers account for USD 100 million, whereas water-cooled chillers have a market share of USD 30 million, annually. Looking at other GCC countries, he

December 2015

surmises, “If we consider Saudi Arabia and Qatar as growing markets, I think the total will reach up to USD 300 million for aircooled chillers and USD 90 million for water-cooled chillers.” Several industry insiders think that the current economic slowdown is only a temporary phase, and that in the long run, there will be growth, and the chiller market will benefit from this.

There are several new players who are ready to cut their price, which will impact existing major players Warming to the demand

Magdy Mekky, CEO at GAMI, and Asim Hashmi, Sales Director (Applied) at SKM Air Conditioning, are of the opinion that the growing chiller demand is primarily because of the ongoing real estate development and replacement projects. Henedi includes the need for efficiency and reliability to this demand. Rajamani presents another

angle, when he says that new communities and the growing population spur the chiller market. He also believes that with EXPO 2020 coming up, one can expect a huge influx of tourists, who would be staying in furnished apartments. “This,” he says, “will increase the business of chiller manufacturers.”

Freezing point

However, despite the demand, there are several challenges facing the chiller industry. Mekky lists a few: • The cost factor – Even though the running costs are much less for high-efficiency chillers, their market acceptance is comparatively low due to the high initial costs involved. • Climate issues – Due to the harsh climatic conditions of the region, chillers must operate up to 52 degrees C at full load and up to 55 degrees C at reduced capacity. • High Integrated Part Load Value (IPLV) – This is the design aspect of manufacturing that indicates the chiller’s running efficiency at part-load conditions. • BMS connectivity – Integrating BMS with chillers remains a challenge. • Noise and vibration – Noise and vibration from chillers are ongoing issues. Henedi points out that the number of new District Cooling plants have reduced, and this has affected the market for new large-tonnage centrifugal chillers in the capacity of 2500 TR-3000 TR. To this, Hashmi adds, “There is also stiff competition with many international players entering the Middle East market.” Rajamani agrees that the market has become very competitive. He highlights that there are several new players who are ready to cut their price, which will impact existing major players.

What’s new?

With challenges come innovations. Mekky says that hydrocarbon is a retrofit solution for R22 chillers. He adds that there are innovations like Internet remote control and supervision of chillers. The other innovation, he says, is Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) chillers. “VFD contributes to high IPLV and low-noise operation,” he stresses. Hashmi, on his part, reveals that VFD-drive chillers are very useful when it comes to centrifugal capacity chillers. He explains: “When you are talking about a 1,000 TR chiller, VFD drives come into play. And when the chiller goes on part-load of 25-40%, definitely it gives the advantage. For air-cooled chillers, VFD drives are still not very popular in this part of the world [the UAE], the reason being that air-cooled chillers are not running on 30-40% load – this is because for most of the buildings, you have a multiple-chiller load. And at every moment of time, you have at least one chiller load in the building.” Henedi reveals that the recent innovations he has witnessed are primarily in the controls that allow for a safer operation of the equipment. He elaborates that improvements in the efficiency of the equipment is due to technological advancements in controls and equipment design and manufacturing. With these and several other ongoing innovations, many experts are confident that the demand for chillers will not ebb.

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

To retrofit or to replace – that’s the question Ahmed M Henedi, Managing Director, District Cooling Company: “The decision on replacing or retrofitting a chiller depends on the detailed payback analysis of the capital and operating cost of the replacement chiller versus the retrofit requirements. Considering the marked improvement in technology and, consequently, efficiency, it would be better to replace a chiller if it has been more than seven years in use in the case of air-cooled chillers, and 10-12 years in the case of centrifugal chillers. However, it should also be evaluated as to what advantage retrofitting would bring in terms of improving the efficiency and life of the chillers.”

Maintain and chill Ahmed M Henedi, Managing Director at District Cooling Company, believes that chillers are the heart of air conditioning for any chilled water-based HVAC system. He asserts: “It is very important to ensure that chillers are being looked after by a professional chiller company that is well aware and experienced in the operation and maintenance of chillers.” He explains: “Maintenance is generally divided into major and minor maintenance. Minor maintenance covers the general operational check-up of mechanical and electrical aspects of the equipment, while major maintenance may involve condenser cleaning, oil and filters replacement, non-destructive testing, such as eddy current, thermal analysis, vibration analysis, etc.” Magdy Mekky, CEO at GAMI, says that the condenser coils of chillers should always be kept clean, and that the airflow over the chillers should remain unrestricted. He stresses that scheduled inspections and maintenance tasks, as outlined by the manufacturer, should be carried out.

December 2015

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

Outsource and relax The District Cooling business could get too unwieldy to go it alone, and there are distinct advantages of outsourcing some of the O&M services to private sector specialist companies to reap long-term benefits, says Dan Mizesko.

he first thought that probably comes to most people’s minds who work for District Cooling companies, on the topic of outsourcing of services is the core activity rule: Never outsource a core activity! This leads to endless discussions on what the core activities really are: operation, maintenance, billing, collections, meter reading, customer service, sustainability…. As operation and maintenance (O&M) is a service towards the core activity of a District Cooling company – I think you’ll agree with me that chilled water plants are – and as such, it is closely associated with the core activity of District Cooling companies. Is it, therefore, wrong to outsource this service? I think that a firm position against the outsourcing of such activities is simply impossible, with the overlaying facts that District Cooling companies now have substantial numbers of chilled water plants, and finding and keeping trained and qualified staff in such large numbers is a massive challenge. I frequently hear about the irreplaceable commitments that District Cooling company staff has towards the functioning of their plants. The factual difference between the District Cooling company staff’s employment conditions and those of most of outsourced staff does, of course, not help in the transmission of the loyalty towards these core values of the District Cooling company. However, I can tell you for a fact – and there are plenty of examples from my own company – that

December 2015

Since specialist HVAC/ chiller contractors’ core business and reputation is based on the operation and maintenance of chilled water plants, they will make every effort to ensure the plant is operating at its peak

staff which is outsourced to O&M District Cooling chilled water plants have the same motivation as the company’s own personnel to deliver reliable and efficient chilled water. Operating and maintaining chilled water plants require some key personnel who are highly qualified. And with the massive number of new chilled water plants, outsourced specialised companies, which perform chiller services and O&M services can help District Cooling companies be more efficient. It’s not a case of us versus them; we can all partner to greatly improve the District Cooling industry and work together.

Cementing partnerships

The partnership concept towards common performance objectives would help in this context. The partnership concept in the outsourcing of O&M services is probably the issue that has evolved in my mind most during the last five years. I see huge benefits to outsourcing for not only District Cooling companies, which for all intent and purpose, are semi-government companies, but also for private sector chiller specialist companies. I have, therefore, developed some ideas, which could be adopted in our area. I can give a few subjective definitions of partnership, with no pretensions of being absolutely comprehensive:

joint benefits

Administrative costs associated with HR and PRO and the cost of accounting time to enter payroll, etc can all be eliminated by outsourcing, along with a substantial reduction of O&M supervision • A contractual relationship to enable both parties to face the same way • Working together to identify mutual objectives • Jointly seeking to resolve problems non-confrontationally • Providing continuous improvements for

What emerges from the above is the idea of common objectives and, therefore, common results. I would, in this context, draw the inference that the monitoring of these results is an entirely neutral activity. However, if we adopt a secretive approach towards the monitoring of performances, we can be assured that confidence between the two parties would be lost quickly. The key issue is to have servicelevel agreements between the parties, which are clearly defined at the beginning, thus avoiding the risk of false expectations. A typical servicelevel agreement can be defined as being effective from the time of a telephone call, until the moment when the on-call technician is on site, or the overall downtime of a certain type of equipment specified as less than a set value. All these criteria should be

defined when the contract is signed, so that the contractor can make sufficient resources available for the contract fulfilment. Furthermore, we should have some key performance indicators, which in a simple and unambiguous way, translate the performance into real numbers. I would like to highlight here the very positive feedback we have received from some of our partner customers after implementing some performance indicators into our present contract. It is important to attach a small but significant financial incentive/penalty to those results. I would, however, recommend refraining from too weighty incentives/penalties, as those are probably not enforceable from a legal point of view, and can, in addition, lead to undesirable behaviour. The point to be noted is that no matter how well a contract is defined,

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December 2015

there is nothing wrong in revisiting and modifying the service-level agreements or even performance indicators. All services evolve over time, especially in a regionally new industry, such as District Cooling, and it would be wrong if the contract agreements do not follow. We should, in this context, bear in mind that the service level can both decrease as well as increase. It is important to understand that a partnership relation between the service supplier and the client, as an alternative to a more confrontational contract relationship, does not allow any easing towards the full delivery of the service according to the requirements in the contract specification. Before concluding the partnership issue, I would like to highlight the necessity of regular communications between the two parties, and at all levels, so that any concern is addressed well before it becomes a crisis.

December 2015

The HVAC/chiller specialist contractor takes the responsibility for hiring, firing, motivating, supervising, training and disciplining the site staff, and shields the chilled water plant/building owner from any risks associated with these activities Looking beyond in-house personnel

Utility and District cooling providers have always faced challenges trying to develop and implement successful maintenance programmes. Traditional approaches to these challenges include hiring a maintenance manager, attempting to

train the maintenance crew, buying a computerised maintenance management system and developing an in-house preventive maintenance programme. These approaches are focused on improving maintenance using internal resources. However, now more than ever, especially due to the huge growth in the number of plants in the DC industry in the Gulf region, companies have options available to them when it comes to chiller service and maintenance, as well as District Cooling plant operations and maintenance, and outsourcing them to an HVAC/chiller specialist contractor is one of them. The following nine challenges will directly impact most facility managers and building owners, where outsourcing can be the solution that most impacts the bottom line in a positive way.

Keeping staff on their toes Typically, managers or owners rely on the competency of their engineering personnel for an in-depth operation

of mechanical systems. They cannot look over the shoulder of their engineering staff and know if preventive maintenance is being performed properly. With outsourcing to a specialist HVAC/chiller contractor, the supervision is done by highly trained and experienced personnel. Typically, all of the supervisors have moved up through the ranks of the company, and know the job inside out. These supervisors could review the operation of the plants on a regular basis in order to assess the performance of their engineers. Since specialist HVAC/ chiller contractors’ core business and reputation is based on the operation and maintenance of chilled water plants, they will make every effort to ensure the plant is operating at its peak, and that chilled water plant owner and managers are satisfied.

In case of emergency…

If there is a failure or breakdown of chillers, towers, piping network or other major components of the plant or HVAC equipment that the on-site staff cannot repair in a timely manner, the specialist HVAC/chiller contractor has other resources, including supervisors and management, to resolve the issues immediately. The plant/building manager and owners are not restricted to relying on in-house staff or calling an outside contractor on an emergencybasis.

At your service

In an effort to promote new business, specialist HVAC/chiller contractors will go out of their way to ensure all of their customers are satisfied with the service they provide, so as to use them as references for prospective clients. This means that the mechanical systems get extra attention and are kept in

The only way to keep up with the constantly changing technology in this field is through training. The specialist HVAC/chiller contractor typically has a continual training programme in place for key personnel. This consists of on-the-job training, night classes and speciality training from manufacturers and industry associations. A comprehensive training programme keeps personnel up-to-date on all new equipment and systems that help enhance their plant operation. It is to the specialist contractors’ benefit to offer training to promote their people and grow the company. With continual training, the specialist contractors’ personnel are promoted within the company, and are encouraged to gain more knowledge in all aspects of their work. This benefits the employee as well as the plant owner, with more experienced personnel operating their facility.

department is set up to search for the best for less in order to keep the employees happy and the cost to their customers low. Because of their ability to train and promote staff, a specialist contractor is able to better recruit young talent desirous of building a career. Another significant advantage to the owner is the option of picking and choosing the employees at the site. Dealing with many different personalities is a major challenge these days. With in-house staff, you have very little flexibility to separate people if the personalities do not work well. With outsourcing, if the contractor’s personnel do not work well with other on-site workers or management, the contractor can transfer people within the company as necessary. There is substantial management time and cost savings when the plant/building owner no longer has to deal with payroll, accommodation, transportation (such as service trucks, cars, bus), healthcare, uniforms, visas, end-ofservice benefits (gratuity), holidays and end-of-service airfare, demographic mix of the workforce (a labour department requirement) and other issues associated with in-house operation and maintenance staff. Administrative costs associated with HR and PRO and the cost of accounting time to enter payroll, etc. can all be eliminated by outsourcing, along with a substantial reduction of O&M supervision. Chilled water plant owners, managers and supervisors must deal with vacations and sick leave coverage for their plants. With in-house operations, this can be very difficult, as extra staff must be employed to meet the attendance requirements. When outsourcing, the contractor will have several backup people ready, who can step into the position immediately. The contractor also has the flexibility to provide coverage for sick leave at a moment’s notice.

Handling personnel issues

Eliminating liability

peak operating condition, clean and painted. The specialist contractor will look for all possible ways to improve the plant operation with new technology and cost-saving measures. The best selling point for a specialist HVAC/chiller contractor is a satisfied existing customer base.

Having the pick of qualified staff

The current job market is extremely tight. Good engineers, mechanics and technicians are very hard, if not impossible to find, no matter what part of the world. Insurance rates, as well as employee benefits are increasing. The specialist contractor is set up to deal with all aspects of personnel issues on a daily basis. The specialist contractor’s human resource

With in-house operations, the onus of all the liabilities (parts, labour and consumables) for any breakdown lies with the owner, manager and engineering staff. With comprehensive outsourced service, the liability is 100% with the HVAC/chiller specialist contractor. In today’s litigious society, the risks of employment are great, and being able to pass the risk of employment-

December 2015

related liability on to a contractor is of some material benefit to owners. The HVAC/chiller specialist contractor takes the responsibility for hiring, firing, motivating, supervising, training and disciplining the site staff, and shields the chilled water plant/building owner from any risks associated with these activities.

Ensuring guarantees

With outsourced services, chilled water plant and or building owner and managers have guaranteed budgeted cost, guaranteed performance, which can be incorporated into the service agreement, and high-quality guaranteed expertise thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s difficult to find and retain.

Easing the cash-flow situation

Last, but not the least, outsourcing also improves the ownerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cash-flow position. In a global liquidity crunch situation which the world is faced with today,

December 2015

plant and building owners can create extra cash flow by outsourcing to a specialist contractor. Rather than having to pay in-house personnel on a monthlybasis and pay their mobilisation costs upfront, owners who work with specialist contractors pay their bills after 90 days, thereby creating two months of extra cash flow not only on labour but also on all materials.

In conclusionâ&#x20AC;Ś

In closing, joint management (outsource services) methods through the partnership concept have been shown to be successful in several industries, and should continue to be developed in our regional District Cooling industry. This subject should not be unique for regional District Cooling companies as customers of outsourced services. The fact is that large parts of the world, including North America, outsource District Cooling O&M and chiller services, as do other comparable industrial areas, for example, power or water utilities.

Research has found that the trend towards more result-oriented contracts based on service-level agreements gain traction in comparison to the more traditional agreements based on work hours. With all the above in mind, I would urge District Cooling companies in the region to seriously consider outsourcing the O&M of at least a few of their plants to specialist chiller and O&M private sector companies. We can all grow and improve the industry and our bottom lines together. CPI Industry accepts no liability for the views or opinions expressed in this column, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided here.

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The Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; s Largest District Cooling Provider EMPOWER, Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation, is created with the objective of providing world class District Cooling Services to Dubai and the region. Empower is determined to satisfy the critical needs of its customers and in the process develop its own distinctive competencies.

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

REGIONAL

Hormann opens new facility in Jebel Ali Free Zone Expands presence in UAE with new products

(L-R) Darius Khanloo and Christoph Hormannn

Industrial, commercial and residential door manufacturer Hormann has announced opening a new facility, which includes a showroom, offices, warehouse and assembly plant, in Jebel Ali Free Zone in Dubai, as part of its plans to strengthen its presence in the region. Christoph Hormann, General Partner of Hormann, reportedly opened the new outlet displaying the company’s latest products, including garage doors, sectional doors, rolling shutters and domestic doors, among others. Speaking at the opening, Hormann, said: “We believe in the long-term growth prospects of the Middle East construction sector. Since we established our subsidiary in the region in 2009, we have come a long way. Our products are now widely used in the region, and are known for their quality and reliability. We have expanded our team here, and with our assembly plant in Dubai, we are able to make quicker deliveries.” Darius Khanloo, Managing Director, Hormann Middle East, added, “Hormann has worked on a number of prestigious projects in the UAE and the region, and with the opening of our new showroom featuring our latest products under one roof, we aim to be part of many more upcoming projects across the region.” The company informed that it is planning to launch the assembly of three types of high-speed doors: V5015SEL, V5030SEL and V6030SEL.

Corys Build Centre opens new store in Abu Dhabi Will stock products for MEP contractors and maintenance companies

orys Build Centre, a newly created retail business of the Corys Building Materials Group, and a supplier of pipes, fittings and complementary products in the region, has announced opening a new store in Mussafah in Abu Dhabi. The new store, the announcement revealed, will stock a variety of products, including pipes and fittings from Hepworth, Georg Fischer and other brands, and complementary products, including Tangit adhesives, Pattex sealants and FITT hose pipes. Jeremy Rowson, CEO of Corys Build Centre, said: “This store marks a major milestone in Corys Build Centre’s journey in the region, and is a clear example of our commitment to the UAE. It will provide mechanical, electrical and plumbing contractors and maintenance companies with access to a diverse range of products, all under one roof.” Corys Build Centre, which previously traded under the name of Hepworth Corys, will reportedly be increasing the number of outlets across the region and upgrade and rebrand its current stores.

December 2015

Empower adds Bluewaters project to its Dubai DC portfolio Will provide 25,000 TR of District Cooling services to Bluewaters

mpower has announced winning a strategic contract with Bluewaters, the subsidiary of the master developer Meraas Holding, to provide the Bluewaters flagship project in Dubai with 25,000 TR of District Cooling services, covering residential, retail and commercial buildings and hotels. The Master Developer Agreement was reportedly signed by Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, and Abdulla Al Habbai, Group Chairman of Meraas Holding. According to Empower, the contract, valued at AED 125 million, will kick off by end of this year, while the service will commence from the third quarter of 2016. “We are steadily expanding to new projects and developments in Dubai,” said Bin Shafar, during the signing ceremony. He added: “The Bluewaters’ District Cooling infrastructure to be developed by Empower will follow environmentally friendly standards, to provide the best energy-efficiency and water consumption levels. At a later stage, we plan to link it to our advanced measurement system. Selecting District Cooling over traditional cooling methods is a long-term investment that saves the consumer maintenance costs and ensures service availability around the clock.”

GE’s Nabil Habayeb receives Takreem Award Recognised for excellence in corporate leadership

abil Habayeb, GE’s President and CEO for the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey (MENAT), was honoured with the Takreem Award for Corporate Leadership, GE has announced. The announcement added that the award was in recognition of Habayeb’s efforts in improving the lives of people in the region, as Takreem identifies and honours Arabs who have excelled in their field and inspired others in their quest for cultural, educational, scientific, environmental, humanitarian, social and economic excellence. Habayeb, said GE, received the award from representatives from Takreem at the award ceremony held in Dubai. On being honoured, Habayeb said: “The recognition by Takreem is truly overwhelming. It recognises the diligent efforts of our teams at GE in partnering with the social and economic progress of the region. At GE, we have a responsibility to support the communities we operate in by building local capacity, driving local innovation, and establishing the right infrastructure to meet the needs of future generations. This award belongs to all our fantastic employees who are really passionate about making an impact on the development of this region.”

December 2015

REGIONAL

H.H. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum honours winners of Emirates Energy Awards Awards recognised contribution to sustainable energy initiatives

nder the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, H.H. Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) attended the Emirates Energy Award 2015 ceremony at Armani Hotel, Dubai, on 18 November.

Announcing this through a communique, event organiser

DSCE said that the Emirates Energy Award (EEA) was launched under the theme “For a Sustainable Future” to highlight the most important innovations and scientific research in the field of energy efficiency and management, and added that the awards aimed to honour individuals, leading authorities and institutions at the national, regional and international levels for their contribution to

sustainable energy initiatives. The various award categories were: The Large Energy Project; Small Energy Project; Energy Efficiency in the Public Sector; Energy Efficiency in the Private Sector; Education and Capacity Building; Research and Development; Young Professional Energy; The Special Recognition Award; Water Treatment; Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency; and The Special Recognition Award - Renewable Energy. In his opening speech, H.E. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, and MD & CEO of DEWA, highlighted the initiative of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum under the theme, “Green Economy For Sustainable Development”, and

his visionary directives aiming to make the UAE one of the global leading countries in the field of green economy and a global hub for exporting and re-exporting green products and technologies. He praised the efforts of all participants for their creative ideas and ambitious projects and initiatives.

Massar showcases supply chain solutions at Gulf Food Manufacturing

Calls telematics one of the key game changers for the food logistics sector Massar Solutions, a vehicle rental, fleet management and supply chain provider, has announced showcasing its supply chain solutions and mobile tracking and telematics systems at Gulf Food Manufacturing, held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from October 27 to 29. Citing Alpen Capital Food Industry Report 2015, Massar said that backed by encouraging macroeconomic drivers, food consumption in the GCC region was expected to grow at a 3.5% CAGR between 2014 and 2019, to reach 51.9 million metric tonnes (MT). Food consumption in the UAE alone, it said, was set to witness 4.8% CAGR – the fastest across the GCC region. Massar added that according to recent findings, between 20 and 30% of the trucks and delivery wagons supplying food stuff are needed to be equipped with the telematics technology. In light of this, ahead of Gulfood Manufacturing, Qusai Kankazar, COO and Deputy CEO of Massar Solutions, said: “Advanced telematics and mobile tracking systems are the biggest game changers for the food logistics sector, and have become a ‘must have’ technology for those looking to increase their profit margins and market share in the industry. The technology has proven itself to be highly effective in maximising fleet productivity and utilisation rates, which in turn helps optimise efficiency and increase profitability.” Qusai stressed that smart logistics solutions, which cover realtime data collection and driver training, can accelerate customer service levels, maximise driver and cargo safety, optimise routing and prolong the lifespan of the fleet.

December 2015

REGIONAL

Samsung Electronics unveils plans to bolster presence in ME and other overseas markets Cites operating costs and energy efficiency as areas of focus for product development and marketing strategy By Fatima de la Cerna | Assistant Editor [Editor’s note: The journalist travelled to South Korea for the Forum, on the invitation of Samsung Electronics.]

he year 2020 should see Samsung Electronics reaching its target annual sales of USD 10 billion – this was the projection that BK Yoon, President and CEO of Consumer Electronics Business, Samsung Electronics, shared during the kickoff event of the company’s AC Forum 2015, held on October 28, in Seoul, South Korea. Yoon’s announcement was part of a speech he delivered to officially launch Samsung’s 360 Cassette air conditioning unit, DVM Chiller, next generation DVM S 30HP and DVM S Eco 14HP.

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December 2015

The four new offerings, he said, would help achieve the goals the company has identified for itself. Other than introducing its new range of cooling solutions, the company revealed several initiatives it intends to introduce to strengthen its presence in the global HVAC marketplace, including focusing on key markets in regions like the Middle East. “In Korea, our market share is 50%,” said Charles Park, Vice President of the Sales and Marketing Team for Digital Appliances at Samsung, who addressed members of the press at an executive roundtable discussion. “We have been mainly serving the Korean domestic market. We haven’t really focused on countries overseas, because in order to do that in the air conditioning business, you need local infrastructure and significant investment – those were challenges. But our CEO has said that having invested and developed our technologies, there is now strong opportunity for us to expand our reach, especially since the overseas market for our DVM S range is growing quite rapidly. And that knowledge gives us confidence that our new products would also be successful.”

Going for the Gulf

While acknowledging that the company has only begun making inroads into the Gulf market in the early 2000s, despite being in the air conditioning business for 40 years, Park identified the region as among Samsung’s priority markets. “Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE, particularly Dubai and Abu Dhabi, are the geographical markets we are targeting in the Middle East,” said Park. “Of course, other markets are important, but considering market situations, we will focus on those first. As for the new products, they will be available in the region by the first quarter of next year. The region requires very different specifications because of its harsh environment, and so we have come up with versions of the products developed specifically to be able to withstand desert conditions.” Apart from the region’s climate, Samsung is taking into account the Gulf’s distribution channels and regulations in the strategy it is adopting for the region. “Middle East markets have varying distribution characteristics and infrastructure, as well as varying regulations,” Park said. “We consider those in our distribution set-up in each market. We comply with the regulations and distribute our products through different subsidiaries.” Also revealing that Samsung is bolstering its engagement with trade associations in the region and collaborating with

developers, especially Dubai-based firms, he added: “We are maintaining communication, so that we can provide them with the most optimal solutions. And we are making use of our strengths, so that both the consumers and the partners can grow with us.”

Energy efficiency as a market draw

Among those strengths is Samsung’s commitment to energy efficiency, Park stated. Expanding on his colleague’s statement, Jemyung Moon, Senior Vice President of the R&D Team for Digital Appliances at Samsung, said: “In the Middle East, energy efficiency is important, and this is an area that we make much of an investment in, because we want to ensure high performance despite the extreme climate.” Moon also pointed out that Samsung was prioritising eco-friendly solutions and technologies. “The first thing that we need to consider when we talk about eco-friendly manufacturing is the refrigerant,” he said. “In many countries, distribution of substances with high global warming potential (GWP) is either prohibited or limited, so we are doing our best to minimise the use of refrigerants with high GWP. We are also going to use micro-channel technologies in order to minimise refrigerant use itself.” When asked to comment on the use of alternative refrigerants, Moon answered: “For now, we believe that R410A is sufficient for us, and we will continue to develop based on it. But with regard to R32, R290 and other alternative refrigerants, we will review their strengths and weaknesses.”

OPEX versus CAPEX

Another of Samsung’s strength, noted Park, is its focus on reducing operating costs. “There are many markets where price competition is very tough,” he pointed out. “If we make the same products as the rest, we will never get beyond that game. What we are doing is making products that offer end-

users differentiated experiences and low operating costs. On the surface, our prices may seem higher than others’, but if you take into account all the ownership and user costs involved, our products will come out the better choice.” Park explained that while the pricing scheme for Samsung’s new products has actually not been finalised, the company will most likely look at higher price points. “We have not decided on specific prices, but we think that the benefits of our products, compared to those of conventional units, are significant enough that the premium price – if added – will still be attractive,” he said. This approach, he elaborated, will be even more evident in the way that Samsung intends to perform in one of its other target markets – India. “From our perspective, India has huge potential,” said Park. “Currently, it is predominantly a low-end market. At the same time, however, we are seeing a high-end segment forming quite rapidly. So, our basic strategy is not to compete with brands that are already targeting the low-end segment. We will go for the high-end instead, because they will recognise the premium for the type of solutions that we offer. When it comes to price, it should not only be a CAPEX issue. We also need to look at the operating costs, because the equipment is designed for long-term use.”

Plans for 2016

In addition to India and the Middle East, Samsung has identified Brazil and the UK as two other markets it is eyeing, Park said, revealing that 2016 will see the company staging road shows in cities like Mumbai, Rio and Sao Paulo, as part of its plan to further its footprint in overseas HVAC communities and as part of its AC Forum, which will continue until the first half of next year. The Forum, according to the company, will make its way to 117 cities in 50 markets, and will involve the participation of over 9,000 global partners and media practitioners.

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December 2015

GLOBAL

Pennsylvania introduces bill for tax free Energy Star products AHRI to monitor updates

nergy Star has revealed through a communiqué that Pennsylvania Representative Stephen McCarter (D-Montgomery County) has announced introducing H.B. 1602, a legislation aimed at creating a dedicated week for consumers to purchase Energy Star products free of sales tax. The current legislative language, the communiqué informed, includes any product meeting the energy efficiency requirements set forth in Energy Star product specifications established by the Environmental Protection Agency. The legislation has reportedly been referred to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Committee on Finance, and has yet to be given a date for consideration. AHRI informed that it had reached out to Representative McCarter’s office for additional details on his intent and goal, and will continue to monitor and report updates to members.

shecco launches guide and directory to natural refrigerants in China Helps connect with a fast-growing industry through specific information

s part of its GUIDE+ series of market intelligence publications, shecco has announced publishing its firstever business Directory on China’s natural refrigerant industry, “GUIDE+ Directory of Natural Refrigerant Businesses in China 2015”, which is now available for purchase. According to shecco, the GUIDE+ Directory profiles 201 companies in China using natural refrigerants in their businesses, providing information on their organisation type, which refrigerants they use or provide, as well as which application sizes they work with, and their contact details. It also reportedly includes a “Business Heat Map” showing the distribution of these companies across China by province, with a brief analysis on the Chinese market. On the release of the book, Nina Masson, shecco’s Deputy Managing Director, said: “The natural refrigerants’ market is a global one, and we are now seeing more multinational collaboration than ever before. With more than 200 companies listed in this directory, we are certain that businesses all around the world can take advantage of the burgeoning natural refrigerant market in China.” shecco said that more information about “GUIDE+ Directory of Natural Refrigerant Businesses in China 2015” is available at: http://publication.shecco.com/publications/ view/guide-plus-directory-naturalrefrigerants-business-china

December 2015

Messe Frankfurt India to enter building technology sector Launches Electrical Building Technology India

esse Frankfurt Trade Fairs India, has announced entering into the building technology sector in India by launching Electrical Building Technology India The new fair targeting electrical engineering and building automation technologies, will make its debut on 5-7 October 2016 at Pragati Maidan, alongside Light India trade fair in New Delhi. Amidst the recent infrastructure developments in India, many existing cities will be remodelled as the government’s new Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme is committed to spend INR 50,000 crore (USD eight billion) over the next five years for 500 cities and towns, said the Indian subsidiary of the trade fair organisers. Against this background, the combined fairs targeting segments of electrical engineering, building and home automation technologies, will present a specialised business venue, it said, revealing its plans of bringing stakeholders and innovators of lighting and building technologies to the country. Speaking about the new launch, Raj Manek, Executive Director and Board Member of Messe Frankfurt Asia Holding, said: “Prioritising energy efficiency and automation in building design and construction have come to be of vital importance today. Even the lighting field is dominated by technologies that focus on energy management and digital integration. Merging these high-growth sectors through the Electrical Building Technology India and our industry-leading Light India fair, will create valuable synergies and draw attention to innovations in the fields of lighting, electrical engineering, home and building automation for the Indian market, which is in the prime stage of planning smart cities.”

ME HVAC professionals visit Belimo Design consultants get insight into developments in air and water control solutions

elimo Automation played host, in September, to senior Middle East design consultants at its factory in Hinwil, near Zurich, Switzerland. Sharing this announcement in a press communiqué, the company said that the visit was organised to offer HVAC professionals the opportunity to view its production and testing facilities and newly built logistics operations centre The visit, added Belimo, also sought to provide the consultants insight into its energy-saving products, alongside its damper actuator and control valve business, as well as a better understanding of the wide range of both air and water control products for HVAC comfort and safety systems. David Stevenson, Managing Director of Belimo Automation, said: “It gave HVAC professionals confidence that quality, reliability and service always come first at Belimo. Our customers appreciate our quality products, and now we have expanded and improved our logistics capability to further improve the service levels to get those products to our Middle East customers when they are needed.”

Systemair acquires AHU production company in Slovenia Kolektor koling’s AHU range covers airflows from 500 m3/h to 80 000m3/h

ystemair has announced acquiring Kolektor koling, an Air Handling Unit (AHU) production company, part of Kolektor Group, in Slovenia. The company, said Systemair, is expected to have an annual turnover of three million Euros. Systemair will reportedly relocate the production into its factory in Maribor, Slovenia, within six months. According to Systemair, Kolektor koling’s AHU range covers airflows from 500 m3/h to 80 000m3/h, and can be used for different applications with customisation, for example, for hospitals. “With this step, we will increase our sales volume and presence in the Balkan countries,” said Roland Kasper, President and CEO for Systemair. “We look forward to the opportunities that the design and implementation of this product range will give us in the region.”

December 2015

GLOBAL Siemens tops in world’s largest climate-protection ranking Bags maximum points in Carbon Disclosure Project

Roland Busch

iemens has announced that for the first time, it has achieved the highest possible score in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), purportedly the world’s largest climate-protection survey. More than 5,000 companies worldwide, nearly 2,000 of which are publicly listed, reportedly provided data that was assessed

against the CDP’S scoring methodology, with a total of 113 companies making it on to the Climate A List. Siemens gave the details of the ranking: For the transparency of its reporting on the opportunities and risks associated with climate change, the company received 100 (2014: 99) out of 100 possible points. In addition, Siemens’ efforts to achieve energy efficiency and cut CO2 emissions enabled the company to reach Band A – the highest performance range. As a result, it was also included in the Carbon Performance Leadership Index. Susan Dreyer, a Director at the Carbon Disclosure Project, said: “We congratulate Siemens on reaching the CDP Climate A List and attaining the CPD’s highest climate score of 100 A. Siemens thus ranks among the four best DAX companies in terms of climate change disclosure.” Roland Busch, member of the Managing Board of Siemens, with special responsibility for sustainability, added: “We’re very pleased about our outstanding rating in the CDP’s climate change report. As one of the world’s largest providers of resource-saving technologies, Siemens has a clear responsibility to lead by example. That’s why we’re committed to making our global operations carbon-neutral by 2030.”

Distech Controls partners with Notman House Will provide its IP-based building automation solution to the tech hub

istech Controls has announced that it is partnering with Canadian tech hub Notman House, operated by the OSMO Foundation, which provides tech startups with flexible office to promote networking and community building. The announcement elaborated that the relationship would be two-fold, with Distech Controls providing Eclypse, its IP-based building automation solution, to Notman House, and the two organisations jointly holding innovation contests focused on green building technology, with Notman House residents being provided with environmental control and

December 2015

Obama administration recognises Daikin’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions Company makes three environment-related commitments at White House event

aikin Industries has announced that the Obama Administration has recognised it and other private sector businesses for their continuing commitment to reduce emissions of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and other powerful greenhouse gases that can contribute to climate change. This, said Daikin, transpired at the White House event hosted on October 15 by Dr Ernest Moniz, US Secretary of Energy, and Gina McCarthy, the Administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency. Daikin revealed that it made the following three specific announcements at the White House event: Goodman will begin production and sale of the first-ever high-efficiency Package Terminal Air Conditioning (PTAC) systems using the nextgeneration refrigerant, HFC-32, which it claimed were self-contained heating and air conditioning systems. It would continue efforts to strictly control and eliminate by-product emissions of HFC-23, a high global warming potential (GWP) material created during production of HCFC-22 – the commitment extending to both Daikin’s US and worldwide facilities. Destroying the HFC-23 by-product, said Daikin, would reduce GWP emission releases by an amount equivalent to 6.7 million metric tonnes of C02 per year. The company also reiterated an earlier announcement that it was offering manufacturing companies worldwide free access to 93 patents to encourage others to develop and commercialise air conditioning and heat pump equipment that use HFC-32 as a single component refrigerant. It is a non-ozone depleting substance, is energy efficient, affordable, is easier to recycle and has a GWP that is one-third of today’s most commonly used refrigerant, informed Daikin. Shinya Okada, Senior Executive Officer of Daikin Industries, said, “We are grateful that our efforts have been recognised by President Obama’s Administration, and we feel Daikin can contribute to the private sector leadership that is needed for global climate protection.”

advanced monitoring and analysis capabilities. Etienne Veilleux, President and CEO of Distech Controls, claimed that partnering with Notman House would allow the company to spur creativity and technology. Jean-Lou Paquet, CFO of Distech Controls, echoing this, said, “We are confident that, through Distech Controls’ contribution to the vibrant ecosystem that Notman House has built, our partnership will successfully bolster innovation throughout the building automation and energy management sector.” Noah Redler, Campus Director at Notman House, added, “Through Distech Controls’ solution, we’ll be able to literally ‘ECLYPSE the house’ to create Web platforms and apps that will help us better manage Notman, and be a driving force that will establish Montreal as a world leader in building automation solutions.”

Calefa wins Heat Pump City of the Year award Recognised for tapping waste heat from computing centre for District Heating

alefa Oy has announced that for the fifth time, the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA) has awarded the company Heat Pump City of the Year 2015, for a project in Mäntsälä, Finland.

Vesa Tamminen, CEO of Calefa. “We would like to offer hearty congratulations to all of Calefa’s staff on their great performance and their welldeserved award,” said Ralf Gasper, Bitzer Director Sales, Northern Europe and Baltic States. “We are very happy about the confidence placed by Calefa in Bitzer, and that our Ecoline compressors could contribute to the success of the project.”

Calefa explained that the aim of the project was to efficiently exploit the waste heat from a computing centre for District Heating, with 4,000 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions being reduced in the first phase, and up to 11,000 metric reduced tonnes every year. The company claimed that this was the first time that such a large amount of waste heat from a computing centre would be directly tapped for District Heating, with the process supported by 24 six-cylinder Ecoline compressors from Bitzer. “We chose compressors from Bitzer because they have stood for high quality, reliability and good performance for decades,” said

December 2015

ASSOCIATIONS & SOCIETIES

ASHRAE 2016 Winter Conference on January 24-27 Updates on ASHRAE standards featured at tech programme

SHRAE has announced that up-to-date information on the standards that guide industry technology, along with presentations focused on upcoming ASHRAE publications, will be featured at the ASHRAE 2016 Winter Conference. Outlining the events, the Technical Program, said ASHRAE, will feature eight tracks, 100 sessions and more than 300 speakers, and will run from January 24 to 27, and will offer over 200 Professional Development Hours, as well as Continuing Education Units, which can be applied towards a Professional Engineering license in many US states. According to ASHRAE, among the standards addressed in the programme are: ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 205, Standard Representation of Performance Simulation Data for HVAC&R and Other Facility Equipment; ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 188-2015: Legionellosis: Risk Management for Building Water Systems; the ICC/ASHRAE 700 National Green Building Standard; the International Green Construction Code (IgCC) sponsored by ASHRAE, the American Institute of Architects, the International Code Council, the Illuminating Engineering Society and the U.S. Green Building Council and its inclusion of ANSI/ASHRAE/ICC/IES/USGBC Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High-Performance, Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings; and bi-national ground loop heat exchanger/ground-source heat pump standards. Publication updates reportedly include the Combined Heat and Power Design Guide, the Cold Climate Buildings Design Guide, and the ASHRAE Survival Guide to Design-Build. Jennifer Leach, Conference Chair, said, “This year, we will focus on some international standards like EU Qualicheck and the International Institute of Refrigeration, as well as ASHRAE standards related to environmental quality, energy and Legionella.” ASHRAE said that those wishing to attend can register for the conference, which includes free access to the Expo, at www.ashrae.org/ orlando. Information about the Expo can be found at www.ahrexpo.com.

New Eurovent Code of Good Practice clarifies on AHUs AHUs without controller are ‘complete machines’

ith its recommendation ‘Eurovent 6-2 – 2015’, the Eurovent association has announced publishing a new Code of Good Practice, in which EMEA’s Air Handling Unit (AHU) industry has agreed that a CE mark has to be affixed even to AHUs without controller – similar to AHUs with controller.

According to Eurovent, a uniform interpretation of Directive 2006/42/EC on machinery was considered necessary by its members in order to ensure a level-playing field. Eurovent added that this would bring clarity to the market before the entry into force of Commission Regulation (EU) No 1253/2014 on ‘Ventilation Units’ on January 1, 2016. Eurovent explained that the

December 2015

AHRI reinforces refrigerant R&D commitment at White House event USD 100 million for refrigerant R&D follows USD five billion pledge in 2014

T a White House Industry Leader Roundtable on October 15, the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) said that it provided a progress report on its 2014 pledge to invest USD five billion in research over the next 10 years for new refrigerants and HVACR equipment to support energy efficiency. During the event, said AHRI, President and CEO Stephen Yurek reported that the industry spent more than USD 255 million in 2015 towards a 10-year, USD five billion commitment in R&D, and capital expenditures to develop and commercialise lowglobal warming potential (GWP) technologies, demonstrating the industry’s commitment to environmental stewardship. He reportedly highlighted that the USD five billion pledge is in addition to the nearly USD two billion that was spent on such research in the previous five years. The yearly totals, AHRI said, are expected to grow as spending moves from research into development and testing of equipment using the new refrigerants. “Our industry’s refrigerant research and equipment development programme has made great strides, even since last year’s White House event,” Yurek said, informing that AHRI was wrapping up the second phase of a major, four-year research project to identify the next generation of refrigerants. Yurek added: “We are now in a position to do two things: One, begin to develop equipment that will use the new refrigerants in specific applications, and, two, to begin to focus on another class of promising new refrigerants that are slightly flammable. So, today, AHRI is committing to provide up to USD one million for a collaborative, tightly focused research effort into how to safely use these refrigerants, and we are actively seeking additional sponsors to help fund this important research.”

rationale behind developing ‘Eurovent 6-2 – 2015’ was that, to date, manufacturers place the concerned AHU types on the market in two different ways – either as a completed machine with a declaration of conformity (DoC), according the Directive 2006/42/EC on machinery, or as a partly completed machine (PCM), with a declaration of incorporation (DoI), according to the same Directive. With the new Code of Good Practice, Eurovent and its members strongly recommend that an AHU without a controller is to be considered as a complete machine, Eurovent

reiterated. It stressed that the AHU manufacturers, must therefore, affix the CE mark, set up a DoC according to annex II, point 1, A of the ‘Machinery Directive’, and provide the technical construction file of the AHU. Felix Van Eyken, Secretary General of the Eurovent Association in Brussels, believed that this Code of Good Practice would “constitute the final result of a long discussion process among Eurovent member associations and their affiliated AHU manufacturers”.

Emirates GBC’s Energy Efficiency Programme Online Database goes live All building industry stakeholders in the UAE invited to register

mirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) has announced the launch of the Energy Efficiency Online Database, which is now publicly accessible through the EmiratesGBC website: www.emiratesgbc.org. Late last year, said EmiratesGBC, it launched its ‘Energy Efficiency Programme' (EEP), with the aim to act as a bridge that networked industry experts for participation in future energy efficiency projects in the UAE, consisting of a database that would serve as a catalyst for all interested players, including equipment manufacturers and vendors, contractors, facility managers, banks and financiers, insurance companies and energy service companies (ESCOs), to assist in facilitating their industry requirements related to energy efficiency, by directing their needs to other players. According to EmiratesGBC, the Online EEP Database was also created to facilitate reduction of the UAE’s carbon footprint through energy efficiency retrofits of existing buildings in the UAE and region, in line with the ‘green economy for sustainable development’ vision announced by

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. EmiratesGBC enumerated the participation benefits: Complimentary listing in the EEP Database for corporate members; capacity building/ knowledge sharing; priority market requests through publicly accessible database; access to competitive prices with increased market exposure; and participation in larger projects through networking opportunities. Commenting on the Energy Efficiency Programme, Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman of EmiratesGBC, said: “We launched the Energy Efficiency Programme as part of our commitment to raising awareness on the importance of green buildings and energy efficiency, as well as to improve the links between industry stakeholders to help them tackle the challenges faced when considering an energy efficiency project…. With the addition of the new online feature, we are able to speed up the process, streamlining our database in a more user-friendly manner, enabling our members and all stakeholders within the building industry to identify the right partners and solution providers during the planning process.” Listing in the online EEP Database is reportedly free and available exclusively to corporate members of EmiratesGBC.

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December 2015

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“Away from the rhetoric of environmental activism, a community of engineers, innovators and manufacturers is quietly working to create sustainable products and services. It’s deeply satisfying to be part of a magazine which reflects this HVACR evolution and revolution. At a personal level, it’s gratifying to be involved in an interdisciplinary endeavour of imbibing the spirit of enquiry that the field of technology advocates, while offering my training in the nuances of language and literature, to help communicate it as effectively – and urgently – as possible to reach a wider readership.”

“Climate Control Middle East’s hallmark has always been thoughtprovoking, relevant and quality content for the HVACR industry. With global accolades coming our way, no one does it better than us. I don’t expect the next 10 years to be any different either.” Anoop Menon, Contributing Editor, Climate Control Middle East

Pratibha Umashankar, Associate Editor, Climate Control Middle East

“Through Climate Control Middle East, we seek answers to powerful and wide-ranging issues as IEQ, climate change and the environment. Amidst all these is the devil-in-the-details who handles the mundane, such as the noisily beeping printer and the dreaded ‘we’re out of coffee!’ That would be me. Contract follow-ups, artwork chases, event preparations, ominous deadlines… Keeping it all together through the daily grind can be quite a challenge, but the shared efforts and the resulting bigger picture make it worthwhile.” Ana Liza Valino, Office Manager, Climate Control Middle East

“Henry Ford once said, ‘Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.’ This quote is often what comes to mind when I think about my everevolving journey with Climate Control Middle East and CPI Industry. Since I joined the company in 2012, I have learnt to never rest and never take “no” for an answer. Commitment and persistence are what have propelled our team to its present position in the industry. And it has been an honour to work with and learn from colleagues who operate on the same wavelength. Happy 10 years!” Ruqiya Shariff, Events & Marketing Leader, Climate Control Middle East

December 2015

COMINGS & GOINGS

H.E. Eng Mariam Mohammed Saeed Hareb appointed Assistant Undersecretary at MoEW Takes charge of Water Resources & Nature Conservation Affairs Department

he UAE Cabinet has issued a decree appointing H.E. Eng Mariam Mohammed Saeed Hareb as the Assistant Undersecretary at the Water Resources & Nature Conservation Affairs Department at the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water (MoEW). According to a press

statement from MoEW, H.E. Eng Hareb, who is a UAE National with a specialisation in Development and Design Engineering, previously served as the Acting Assistant Undersecretary in the same department. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the Rhenish-Westphalian Technical University (RWTH) in

Aaron Engel Joins Fresh-Aire UV as VP of Business Development Expected to bolster its presence in HVAC, healthcare, industrial and military markets

resh-Aire UV, a division of Triatomic Environmental, has announced naming Aaron Engel as Vice President of Business Development. Engel, said the announcement, is a UV light and IAQ industry executive with Aaron Engel 16 years of engineering, design, sales and marketing experience as a former Vice President of Marketing and Communications for Sanuvox Technologies, Montreal. According to Fresh-Aire UV, Engel will concentrate on the company’s global expansion, bolster its presence in HVAC, healthcare, industrial, military markets, and lead the firm into new industries. He will also reportedly be instrumental in expanding the business model from HVAC air and coil sterilisation to UV surface sanitation disinfection, which coincides with Fresh-Aire UV’s recent Environmental Surface Disinfection System (ESDS) product introduction.

Aachen, Germany, and gained prominence in the field of Environmental Engineering through her professional experience of over 10 years, working with organisations in the UAE and Germany. In her new role, she is reportedly working towards the development and formulation of general strategic plans for the Ministry in line with the

H.E. Eng Mariam Mohammed Saeed Hareb

UAE National Agenda, and oversees the development of performance indicators for the Department for the purpose of evaluation, in line with the Ministry’s strategic vision to promote environmental sustainability and protect natural resources.

Jamshad Padanchery joins Airedale’s Dubai Airport Free Zone office Company strengthens Middle East operations

iredale International has announced appointing Jamshad Padanchery to its Dubai Airport Free Zone office as Sales Application Engineer. With a degree in Mechanical Jamshad Padanchery Engineering and experience in HVAC and building services, Padanchery will reportedly provide technical and commercial support to the manufacturer’s business partners and clients in all six countries of the GCC, alongside Sales Application Engineer, Nissar Rahman, and Regional Manager, Andrew Walker. Commercial Director, Mark Viner, said: “Airedale’s precision cooling expertise and British engineering are highly regarded within the GCC territories and the Middle East, and have seen us win some very high-profile projects, including the prestigious World Trade Centre development in Dubai, and the contract for the supply of computer room air conditioning units to the recent redevelopment of the Royal Saudi Air Force complex in Riyadh.”

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December 2015

Alberto Muñiz joins Distech Controls Appointed Regional Sales Manager, Latin America

istech Controls has announced that Alberto Muñiz has joined the company in the role of Regional Sales Manager, Latin America. The appointment, said Distech Controls, will play an important role in strengthening its presence in the Latin American market, and Alberto Muñiz worldwide growth strategy. Muñiz purportedly brings with him more than 15 years of experience in the building automation industry, and in his new role, will be responsible for developing sales and supporting the company’s partners to achieve their sales objectives for the Latin America region. “Distech Controls’ solutions have set the standard for sustainable buildings throughout Latin America, having been integrated into numerous building automation and energy efficiency projects, ranging from office towers to data centres, and from hotels to hospitals,” said Ahmed Hirani, P, Executive VP Sales and Energy Services, Distech Controls.

TROX appoints Jason Shilliday Business Development Manager - ME Expected to focus on IAQ solutions for the region

ROX Middle East has announced recently appointing Dr Jason Shilliday as their Business Development Manager - Middle East. According to TROX, heading its business development operations directly from its Dubai headquarters, Shilliday will oversee Jason Shilliday the company’s activities across the Middle Eastern region and broaden the range of products offered. Shilliday holds an Engineering Doctorate in Environmental Technology from Brunel University in London, and has more than eight years of UK MEP industry experience. On his new assignment, Shilliday said, “My appointment as the new Business Development Manager by TROX, shows the commitment of TROX to diversify its product range offered to the region, focusing on a total Indoor Air Quality solution for all buildings.”

December 2015

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MARKETPLACE

BETA Industrial Beta fire, smoke and combination fire/ smoke dampers

evealing the new addition comes as a part of the Beta brand’s continuous development plan, which has recently added products like pressure relief dampers, both eye-ball and cylindrical jet nozzles and VAVs for both pressureindependent and by-pass types, BETA Industrial has announced launching a new range of fire, smoke and combination fire/ smoke dampers. The manufacturer lists the following product features: • The Beta fire, smoke and combination fire/smoke dampers are motorised. • They have been certified by UL-USA and approved by several civil defence authorities in the region. • They are manufactured in the company’s Al Quoz factory in Dubai.

Intertec MULTICOOL 1100 cooler

laiming that it is the first cooling unit on the market to feature corrosion-resistant GRP (Glass Reinforced Polyester) housing, Intertec has announced introducing MULTICOOL 1100 cooler for small outdoor electronics and instrumentation equipment cabinets sited in hot climates. The manufacturer lists the following product features and benefits: • Offering 1100 watts of cooling power, MULTICOOL 1100 is a completely self-contained module that mounts directly on the outside wall of the equipment cabinet. • Typical applications include temperature regulation of field-based sample conditioning and process analyser instrumentation, and cooling the type of small distributed electronic control and monitoring systems used in civil engineering projects. • The closed loop refrigeration system has two completely

separate and thermally isolated compartments, for its evaporator and condenser and compressor stages. •The refrigerant used is CFC-free non-flammable R134a. •The evaporator is the only part of the system that is connected to the inside of the cabinet, via air ducts that are hermetically sealed to the cabinet walls, and employs fan-assisted air recirculation to maximise cooling performance. •Heat is extracted from the cabinet by air-flow over the evaporator and transported to the condenser via refrigerant gas. The condenser is cooled by its own separate fan, with the hot air and waste heat from the compressor being exhausted directly into atmosphere. •It carries an IP54 rating, with even higher levels of protection available as options.

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f o ip

y the time you read this, COP21 would be in the news, with all eyes on Paris. Coolants like HFCs would be one of the hot-button issues debated by world leaders. Cut to another evening with distinguished guests – the evening of 1847. It was Bastille Day or the French National Day – July 14 to be precise. The place was the mansion of Monsieur Rosan, the French Consul, stationed in Apalachicola, Florida. The guests raised a toast and clinked their overflowing glasses, but to their amazement, the glasses had ice cubes! Ice in Florida at the height of summer, and in 1847?! If at all the place saw ice, it was when specially fitted vessels brought big blocks of harvested ice – from lakes and rivers in the North – that, too, during cooler climes, covered in layers of sawdust for insulation, transported and delivered at great expense. The miracle of ice cubes in summer had been wrought by Dr John Gorrie’s ice machine. We are by now familiar with Dr Gorrie – the self-same physician, who, in 1842, used his Cold Air Machine – employing an air-cycle method – to cool sickrooms in a hospital in Florida, surmising that controlling heat and humidity would curb bacterial

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December 2015

growth. In fact, it was the first mechanical refrigeration system. And Dr Gorrie’s basic principle of cooling caused by rapid expansion of gases, is used in most refrigeration systems even today. In 1844, he wrote in Apalachicola’s Commercial Advertiser: “If the air were highly compressed, it would heat up by the energy of compression. If this compressed air were run through metal pipes cooled with water, and if this air cooled to the water temperature was expanded down to atmospheric pressure again, very low temperatures could be obtained, even low enough to freeze water in pans in a refrigerator box.” And that was the genesis of a working ice cube tray. Realising the wide-ranging application his invention would have, and its far-reaching implications, Dr Gorrie sought to take it beyond the portals of experimentation. Ergo, on that July evening of 1847, he used compressor technology to create ice to stun

the guests. Having successfully publicly demonstrated for the first time that ice could be made artificially in a refrigerator, the good doctor submitted his patent petition the next year, in 1848, and received a UK patent for his machine and the method in 1850, and a US patent in 1851. The air compressor, he believed, could be powered by horse, water, wind-driven sails or steam

New kids on the ice block For all those who made an indelible mark in refrigeration record books, a few melted away into oblivion, or well, almost…

In 1748, William Cullen, in a laboratory at the University of Glasgow, let ethyl ether boil into a vacuum. This was the first known scientifically demonstrated artificial refrigeration. The same year, G Richman presented papers on experiments in cooling at St Petersburg Academy of Sciences, Russia. (Later, he was electrocuted while trying to quantify the response of an insulated rod during a thunderstorm, sadly becoming the first person to die while conducting an electrical experiment.) In 1803, Thomas Moore received a US patent for a refrigerator – the first to be issued in the country for refrigeration. In 1805, in the United States, Oliver Evans, designed a closedcycle, vapour-compression refrigeration system, but he never really built it, and the design probably gathered dust on the drawing board. Using Evans’ concept, Jacob Perkins, an American expatriate to Great Britain, developed a volatile liquid closedcycle compressor in 1834, but it remained an experiment.

power. Sadly, he found no backers to make the concept commercially viable, and died trying. Probably his idea was ahead of its time, or there was no startup culture or an angel investors then. It could be that the natural ice-harvesting lobby put a spoke in his wheel, or rather, his refrigerator. Leakage and unpredictable performance could also be reasons why Dr Gorrie’s machine didn’t catch on. He is, however, regarded a pioneer in the field of refrigeration for inventing ways to artificially manufacture ice. Gorrie Museum in Florida, with the model of the original ice-making machine and other contraptions he used, stand testimony to this. Around 1855, the American businessman and inventor, Alexander C Twining successfully used sulphuric

ether as a refrigerant, and set up what’s considered the first commercial ice-making plant, using vapour-compression refrigeration, in Cleveland, Ohio. Around the same time, James Harrison was experimenting with vapour compression for ice making, in Australia, and founded the Victorian Ice Works. In 1873, he was honoured with a gold medal for proving that frozen meat was edible even after months. Commercial refrigeration had arrived, and meat packaging and pharmaceutical industries were the big beneficiaries. Ferdinand Carré developed a sophisticated ammonia-absorption refrigeration system. Rapidly expanding ammonia proved to be a better refrigerant, as it liquefies at a much lower temperature than water and, thus, absorbs more heat. However, ammonia later received some bad press due to its toxicity and flammability. Anyway, back to Carré, his system, signalled the arrival of modern refrigeration as we know it, and is still the most widely used form of cooling. And that was way back in 1859 in France. And that brings us back to where we started – France 2015 and COP21. And we’re also back to experts backing ammonia as a refrigerant. But that’s a debate for another day, elsewhere.

Ice, ice, baby! Why do we measure air conditioner capacity in tonnes? Here’s a bit of trivia behind it…

Using tonnage as a unit to measure air conditioner capacity dates back to the time when ice was harvested in winter and spring to keep buildings cool in summer. For example, the River Hudson in New York could sometimes yield about four million tonnes of ice in winter. And the amount of ice used was converted into BTUs (British thermal units) per hour of cooling. A BTU is approximately the amount of heat you get from burning one standard matchstick all the way down. So the tonnes stood for the number that indicated how much heat an air conditioner could remove from a place in an hour. Coming back to ice, it takes (143 BTU/lb) x (2000 lbs) = 286,000 BTUs to melt a tonne of ice completely. One day/24 hours was fixed as the standard time reference. If ice melts uniformly over 24 hours, it absorbs heat at the rate of 286,000/24 hrs = 11,917 BTU/hr, giving us a round figure of 12,000 BTU/ hr. Ergo, a tonne of air conditioner capacity is equal to 12,000 BTU/hr. In 1893, a committee to define “standard tonne of refrigeration” was established by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. And tonnage stuck in HVACR jargon even after the “ice-age” ended in modern air conditioning evolution.

References: 1. http://www.phys.ufl.edu/~ihas/gorrie/fridge.htm 2. https://books.google.co.in/books?id=XuMuCgA AQBAJ&pg=PA107&lpg=PA107&dq= Air+Conditioning+and+Refrigeration+ Timeline&source=bl&ots=sLBWEEY689&sig= hRC9AVIQxvpwsNczY1Oorui9oqg&hl=en&sa= X&ved=0CEUQ6AEwB2oVChMIhqbl9aHGy AIVFUyOCh3ZdgMS#v=onepage&q= Air%20 Conditioning%20and% 20Refrigeration%20 Timeline&f=false 3. https://unfccc.int/files/methods/ other_ methodological_issues/interactions_ with_ozone_ layer/application/pdf/epeebroc.pdf 4. http://www.phys.ufl.edu/~ihas/gorrie/fridge.htm 5. http://www.energyvanguard.com/blog- buildingscience-HERS-BPI/bid/55629/ Why-Is-AirConditioner-Capacity- Measured-in-Tons 6. https://www.ashrae.org/resources--publications/ history-of-refrigeration-timeline---1748-1904

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