CCME - Jan 2021

COUNTRY REPORT: USA The climate change-related implications of a shifting political landscape

January 2021

REBUILDING FOR THE

Licence to Chill

THE PULLING POWER OF UTILITY REBATES Dan Mizesko, U.S. Chiller Services

Is COVID-19 triggering greater demand for IAQ-related retrofits? interviews ‘CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE LARGER PICTURE OF FINANCES’ Mayor James Brainard, Carmel, Indiana

‘THE UAE LEADERSHIP HAS A VIEW OF THE FUTURE, AND IT’S NOT TOMORROW’ Tomas Anker Christensen, Denmark’s first Climate Ambassador

THE GLOBAL FAN INDUSTRY’S CONTRIBUTION IN COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE Mats Sándor, Senior Technical Director, President, AMCA International

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January 2021

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10 TH MIDDLE EAST COLD CHAIN FOOD SAFETY CONFERENCE

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31 May 2021 | Dubai, UAE

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION

Theme: Digitalisation of cold chain and food machinery assets Harvest | Food production & processing | Transport Refrigeration | Food retail / HORECA / Vending solutions | Consumer

OVERVIEW At the time of the first edition of Food Chain, in 2011, terms like ‘predictive maintenance’ and ‘digital twin’ had not entered the food safety and food security lexicon. Today, they present themselves as being able to optimise the performance of the cold chain, with positive implications for greater reliability and energy efficiency. Today, it is about harnessing the capabilities of the Internet of Things and cloudbased ecosystem for preventing temperature excursions at multiple points in the food cold chain, from harvesting stage to recycling – creating a circular economy.

the capability of listening to, and interacting with, one another, taking diagnostics to a higher level, in the process minimising thermal abuse.

The 10th edition of Food Chain, while addressing legacy topics, is dedicated to the digital transformation sweeping through the food industry. It is the coming together of cold chain with the world of algorithms to deliver more sophisticated solutions that cold storage, distribution, food retail, HORECA, e-commerce fulfilment entities and other sectoral end-users can no longer afford to ignore.

With automation, the possibility of not just monitoring but also controlling without human intervention in improving food safety and food security standards is alluring. The machines that underpin the cold chain infrastructure come with

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VOL. 16 NO. 01  JANUARY 2021

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“NEW NORMAL” The drying up of new projects from COVID-triggered economic uncertainty has spurred greater awareness and interest towards retrofit projects. Will the new wave of retrofits place greater emphasis on IAQ, or like before, will efforts solely be towards energy efficiency, with an eye on reducing operational costs?

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‘The UAE leadership has a view of the future, and it is not just tomorrow’

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Tomas Anker Christensen speaks on his appointment as Denmark’s first Climate Ambassador, opportunities for greater cooperation between the UAE and Denmark and the intangible benefits of cultivating local expertise and solutions. Excerpts…

Climate change and the larger picture of finances

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Mats Sándor speaks about his mission to develop a global community, promote the integrity of third-party accreditation and strengthen cooperation of regional channels, following his election as President of AMCA International.

INTERVIEWS

ON THE COVER

BUILDING FOR THE

‘The aim is for the global fan industry to contribute towards combating climate change’

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Mayor James Brainard of the city of Carmel, in the US state of Indiana, is into his seventh consecutive term in office, a unique position to bring about serious change in energy use among his electorate.

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How to kill enveloped viruses in just 30 minutes

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Wouter Scheffer dissects the effectiveness of desiccant antimicrobial coatings in air conditioning systems

CHILL SUPPLEMENT

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The bane of district cooling

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How long should we have to live with the migraine that the Low ΔT Syndrome has come to represent, ask Philips Tharakan and Mohammed Faiz, adding that the answer may lie in deploying Intelligent ΔT Management Systems 19

LICENCE TO CHILL

The pulling power of utility rebates

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Dan Mizesko of U.S. Chiller Services speaks on how compelling money-saving incentives can accelerate energy conservation measures

REGULARS 06 eDItor'S note

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Islington and Clapham January 2021

ANALYSIS

Looking ahead while looking back

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Krishnan Unni Madathil speaks of lessons from the pandemic, which hastened pre-existing economic uncertainty and, at the same time, engendered behavioural change, and how they can influence our business outlook

COUNTRY REPORT

a complete 180

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Dan Mizesko, Managing Partner/President, U.S. Chiller Services International, speaks candidly on how the changing political landscape and occupancy trends, triggered by COVID-19, will impact the built-environment across the United States.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Islington and Clapham

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s we bid goodbye to 2020 and gingerly step into 2021, the feeling is not of relief, because the virus is still on the prowl. It must be added, though, that we have reached an inflexion point with the early promise being shown by some of the vaccines that have been deployed.

Now, amidst the carnage of 2020, we have been witness to heartwarming instances of human endeavour – of the medical fraternity putting their lives at risk to save others, of boffins hard at work harnessing the power of science and engineering to provide relief to not only healthcare workers but also numerous other sectors.

Away from the COVID scene, there are other instances that have stood out. Like the Bunhill Heat and Power Network project, in central London, which uses waste heat from the London Underground network to supply heat and hot water to nearly 1,500 homes and other facilities in the Borough of Islington, in a bid to lower indirect carbon emissions and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. Human ingenuity repurposed the former City Road London Underground station into an underground air extraction system. It draws warm air from the tunnels, still in use by the London Underground's Northern Line.

Not only will the project reportedly lower indirect emissions but also cut heating costs by 10%, benefitting the residents connected to the network – a case of district energy providing succour to tenants by passing on the savings.

What is even more heartwarming, according to the company that supplied the technology to the project (see story on page 48), is that it can be replicated in underground networks the world over.

As if by coincidence, the subterranean labyrinthine depths of London constitute the theatre for yet another instance of human ingenuity and resourcefulness. Growing Underground is a farming enterprise that is using long-forgotten World War 2 tunnels used as shelter during air raids conducted by the Luftwaffe. About 100 feet beneath London’s Clapham, growers working for the enterprise are busy harvesting microgreens using hydroponic technology, which uses 70% less water, when compared to traditional farming practices. The produce is pesticide-free and provides an opportunity to Londoners to eat fresh and without the guilt from knowledge that the greens on their plate are the result of burning copious volumes of climate-threatening fossil fuels in transporting them to their doorstep. The project is redefining food supply chains for the better and lowering food wastage by increasing shelf life.

Such examples as the Islington district energy scheme and Growing Underground serve as inspiration for us to consider abandoning some of the hackneyed approaches that are not taking us far in our quest for a better planet. They are about courage and speak of a certain frontier spirit that we ought to consider embracing.

Surendar Balakrishnan Editor @BSurendar_HVACR COUNTRY REPORT: USA The climate change-related implications of a shifting political landscape

January 2021

REBUILDING FOR THE

Licence to Chill

THE PULLING POWER OF UTILITY REBATES Dan Mizesko, U.S. Chiller Services

Get the next issue of Climate Control Middle East early!

Is COVID-19 triggering greater demand for IAQ-related retrofits? interviews ‘CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE LARGER PICTURE OF FINANCES’ Mayor James Brainard, Carmel, Indiana

‘THE UAE LEADERSHIP HAS A VIEW OF THE FUTURE, AND IT’S NOT TOMORROW’ Tomas Anker Christensen, Denmark’s first Climate Ambassador

THE GLOBAL FAN INDUSTRY’S CONTRIBUTION IN COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE Mats Sándor, Senior Technical Director, President, AMCA International

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January 2021

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THE 8TH ANNUAL MIDDLE EAST

CONFERENCE 24 May 2021 Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

OVERVIEW The objective of the Saudi Energy Efficiency Center, formed in 2010, is to establish a comprehensive national programme for rationalising and enhancing energy consumption in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Center represents yet another initiative in the country to curb energy consumption with environmental and economic targets in mind.

An inherent element of the Center is the Saudi Energy Efficiency Program (SEEP), which focuses on three sectors, representing over 90% of the energy consumption in the Kingdom. An understanding of the direction of SEEP points to a situation tailormade for the variable refrigerant flow (VRF) industry, which has repeatedly and stridently stated its energy-performance credentials in the region and elsewhere. In other words, the Kingdom offers a wealth of opportunities to VRF stakeholders, particularly manufacturers and suppliers. This is motivation enough to conduct the 9th edition of the Middle East Variable Refrigerant Flow Conference in the Kingdom.

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s the world continues to grapple with an ever-shifting economic landscape, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, stakeholders in the building sector across the GCC region have observed how the pandemic has triggered an evaluation and reassessment of priorities.

Ashok Jha, Head FM and Retrofit Projects, Universal Voltas, points out that the unprecedented disruption caused by COVID-19 has prompted many organisations to take actions they have been putting off for some time, including launching new digital services and evolving their business models, enabling greater flexibility in their working and implementing cost optimisation measures.

However, Jha says, perhaps the most notable trend would be the move towards a greater number of retrofit projects in the region. “Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the oil prices plummeted to one of the lowest levels and government revenues went down in the GCC region,” he says. “This has led to reduced

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“NEW spending across all sectors, including new construction, with the current market seeing greater push towards shallow retrofitting, deep retrofitting, energy conservation and reducing the building carbon footprint in the existing buildings to make them more sustainable.”

Jha says that since the number of existing buildings in Oman, Kuwait and the UAE is very high compared to new buildings, there was also a need to address the physical deterioration of the buildings, due to functional and economic obsolescence, and to make them more sustainable. “Because of this, there is a surge in demand for the retrofitting of the existing buildings across the GCC region,” he says (see sidebar).

THE

NORMAL” The drying up of new projects from COVID-triggered economic uncertainty has spurred greater awareness and interest towards retrofit projects. Will the new wave of retrofits place greater emphasis on IAQ, or like before, will efforts solely be towards energy efficiency, with an eye on reducing operational costs?

Hannah Jo Uy has the story…

Andrea Di Gregorio, Executive Director, Reem, Ras Al Khaimah Municipality, also believes the region is poised to see a strong pipeline of retrofit projects. “More focus is being put in refurbishing existing buildings, to bring them up-to-speed with the latest best practices in sustainability,” he says. “We see an increase in interest from building owners in retrofit activities, and we expect this interest to further increase throughout 2021 and in the coming years.”

ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY

Ashok Jha

Another major driver for retrofits is the move towards energy efficient and sustainable practices, which has long been heralded by experts in the sector. Jha points out that because of the detrimental impact of buildings on the environment, with occupied buildings and the construction sector accounting for 36% of the global energy consumption and nearly 40% of total direct and indirect CO2 emissions, according to International Energy Agency (IEA), the UAE has begun to actively transition into smart and sustainable cities, which has turned the focus on the energy efficiency of the buildings, specifically existing ones.

In addition to its impact on overall sustainability efforts, much of the move can be attributed to growing awareness on return of investment in terms of reduced operational cost. As Jha points out, retrofitting primarily refers to the measures being taken to replace legacy energy and utility systems with new and energyefficient technologies. “These technologies not only reduce energy consumption and decrease carbon emissions but also lower maintenance costs, improve safety, enhance productivity, boost property valuations and also prolong the useful life of the assets and the building as a whole,” he says. “In a nutshell, we can say that OPEX of the building reduces and the asset value increases. Hence, it is becoming important day by day to retrofit buildings to not only make them more sustainable for the future but also to derive economical value by reducing the operational cost and, in turn, optimise the rentals and make them more lucrative for the tenants.”

Andrea Di Gregorio Weighing in, Di Gregorio says that sustainable buildings often result in lower life cycle cost of the building itself. “If sustainability features are carefully selected, operational savings – in terms of energy and water usage and equipment maintenance – typically exceed any incremental investments that those features require,” he says. “For this reason, in a perfect market, where developers are able to fairly monetise their investments in higher quality buildings, we would expect for tenants any rent premiums for more sustainable buildings to be exceeded by the value of operational savings.”

Jha adds that as energy prices continue to rise, the relative benefits of energy efficiency will become increasingly important, and this is leading to a huge surge in demand for equipment, such as Smart LED lights and motion sensors, air curtains and FAHUs, energy-efficient AHUs, FCUs or split units and VAV systems. This has also led to greater demand for water usage reduction through the use of low-flow fixtures, sensors, waterless urinals and low-flush WCs, and also for photovoltaic panels on rooftops to generate electricity from the solar power, among other solutions.

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Retrofitting in Kuwait, Oman and the UAE Ashok Jha, Head, FM & Retrofit Projects, Universal Voltas LLC, provides an overview of trends driving demand for retrofits in Kuwait, Oman and the UAE

By Hannah Jo Uy | Contributing Editor

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OVID-19 has had a significant adverse impact on organisations, people’s health, their livelihoods and the economy at large in the GCC region countries, says Ashok Jha, Head, FM & Retrofit Projects, Universal Voltas LLC. However, Jha is quick to point out that while the duration and severity of COVID-19’s impact on economies and sectors will undoubtedly vary, companies and governments in the GCC region have done well to set in motion a “look ahead, anticipate, innovate and adjust” roadmap, which has led the construction sector to focus on energy optimisation and retrofitting in existing buildings, which is a key to sustainable construction.

OMAN Citing figures from Global Data, a leading data and analytics company, Jha says that Oman’s construction industry contracted sharply in 2020, plummeting by nearly around -10.3%. “The industry is struggling with challenges presented by the COVID19 outbreak, low oil prices, and the impact of sovereign credit rating downgrades,” he says. Further compounding the downside risks to the outlook for the industry, the Omani Government has had to rationalise spending.”

Jha adds that given the limited prospects for the government to boost investment in infrastructure and other investment projects, a recovery in the construction sector is expected to be very slow. “Global Data currently expects the construction industry to fall further in 2021, with output contracting by -5.8%,” he says. “The fiscal plan by the Oman Government is intended to reduce public debt, increase the state’s reserves, and diversify revenue away from the oil sector.”

Owing to these factors, Jha believes that new construction spend will be very minimal, and more impetus will be on the retrofitting, deep retrofitting, fit-outs and energy performance optimisation in the built-environment in Oman.

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KUWAIT Kuwait has faced similar challenges, Jha says, adding that the construction market shrunk in the year 2020 at about -9.5% approximately, as per Global Data. “The construction industry is struggling with the challenges presented by the outbreak of COVID-19, low oil prices and the impact of sovereign credit rating downgrades,” he says. “Because of this, focus is more towards existing buildings in Kuwait.”

Jha adds that within the builtenvironment in Kuwait, residential buildings constitute around 81%, commercial buildings are 11%, whereas government buildings constitute four per cent; the remaining four per cent includes commercial, industrial, agricultural and services. “Also, Kuwait has one of the highest per capita electricity consumption and carbon footprint globally, which further necessitates the retrofitting of the buildings to make them more sustainable,” he says.

“All the above factors, along with the economic strain, is forcing Kuwait to focus on energy conservation, deep retrofitting, retrofitting and fit-outs in the builtenvironment with a very minimal spending on new construction.”

UAE Sharing observations on the UAE market, in particular, Jha says that the COVID19 outbreak, coupled with low oil prices, has led the construction output in the UAE to contract by nearly 4.8% in 2020, but that a rebound is expected in 2021, as per Global Data.

“New project opportunities are expected to be minimal in the coming quarters, as the government is consolidating its widening fiscal debt and COVID-19-related force majeure,” he said. “Over the medium- to longer-term, government investment will remain focused on upgrading physical infrastructure and reforming the financing and regulatory environment.”

Jha adds that the UAE has set high targets for building retrofit, which are reflected in the UAE Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy. “The latter targets an overall 30% reduction in energy and water use by 2030,” he says. “To support this, Etihad ESCO aims to retrofit 30,000 buildings in the next 10 years and generate 1.68TWh energy savings and around 5.64 BIG of water savings by year 2030.”

been an increase in the use of humidifiers and dehumidifiers to maintain humidity in the range of 40-60%, where the microbial and fungal growth is minimal.

Jha also says that the majority of the offices are allowing their staff to work from home and that people are spending more than 90% of their time indoors. “This further necessitates that apt measures are taken by the occupants to ensure proper lux levels, ergonomics and IAQ, as these will have a profound impact on their health and wellbeing and, in turn, impact their productivity,” he says. “Hence, there cannot be a better time than now to address the Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ) issues, if any.” Jha says these are the factors driving a lot of investment being done by the property owners in the built-environment to retrofit their buildings to ensure proper IAQ against the traditional retrofit, where emphasis was mainly towards energy efficiency.

MAKING A CASE FOR RETROFITS A RENEWED FOCUS ON IAQ While the return on investment (ROI) from retrofitting for energy efficiency is becoming clear, stakeholders are hopeful that the new wave of retrofits would also accommodate enhancements of indoor air quality (IAQ), which has been typically overlooked over the past years. Di Gregorio says that he believes this would be the case. “There is increasing interest in IAQ, partly driven by COVID19 concerns,” he says. “Some awareness and technical barriers are there; nonetheless we foresee development in this area in the future.”

Jha shares a similar opinion. He says: “Fear of pandemic is looming large in the minds of the people, and therefore, while carrying out the retrofitting of their buildings, owners are ensuring that retrofit projects also take into consideration IAQ of the buildings, where people are currently spending more than 90% of their time and also to reduce the chances of contamination through virus, bacteria, moulds and fungi.”

Di Gregorio says there is a lot of focus on safety and security from building owners, particularly in what concerns disinfection of common areas. “This sometimes adds to other measures, like filtration, turning into improved air quality,” he says. Jha adds that some of the measures that building owners are taking include Demand Control Ventilation through C02 sensors, fitting volume control dampers, ultraviolet lamps in AHUs, ultraviolet germicide irradiation and MERV 13/14 filters. He further adds that there has

Keeping in mind the tangible and intangible benefits of retrofitting, Di Gregorio believes there is more than enough evidence to drive building owners to invest in such initiatives. “If building owners are not thinking about retrofits, they definitely should!” he says. “Retrofit projects tend to have very favourable returns. We are observing that for comprehensive retrofits of commercial buildings in Ras Al Khaimah, the payback time is 3-5 years. And the contracting standards that are being adopted often provide forms of guarantees for the investor on those returns.”

Jha, agreeing, says that in spite of the change in the occupancy profile of buildings, property owners must continue to retrofit within the built-environment. “Retrofitting of existing buildings offers tremendous opportunities for improving asset performance in terms of utilities,” he says. “Retrofitting also offers a potential upside in the overall performance of the building through improved energy efficiency, increased staff productivity, reduced maintenance costs, and better thermal comfort.” Jha believes that such key drivers should serve as a motivation and incentive for building owners, who are on the fence about investing in retrofit projects.

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

Write to editor@cpi-industry.com

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Mats Sándor, Systemair Group

C

ONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ELECTION AS PRESIDENT OF AMCA INTERNATIONAL. COULD YOU DISCUSS WHAT THIS ROLE MEANS TO YOU? The main purpose of Air Movement and Control Association (AMCA) is to represent the interests of its members, which are manufacturers of air system components, such as fans, louvers and dampers. To date, AMCA has 400 members around the world. In addition to providing a platform for members on important issues, AMCA works towards developing several standards aimed at improving the industry.

Essentially, we aim to promote sustainability and energy efficiency and ensure that the global fan industry positively contributes towards combating climate change through education, certification of products and advocating for the improvement of codes, standards and regulations. We want to support the efforts of manufacturers producing higher quality and higher efficiency products the world over, given their importance to significant issues such as air quality and better building performance.

‘THE AIM IS FOR THE GLOBAL FAN INDUSTRY TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS COMBATING CLIMATE CHANGE’

Mats Sándor, Senior Technical Director, Systemair Group, speaks exclusively with Climate Control Middle East about his mission to develop a global community, promote the integrity of third-party accreditation and strengthen cooperation of regional channels, following his election as President of AMCA International on December 8 for the 2021-2022 term…

Mats Sándor

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accounts for a big portion of the certified products. This has been reflected in the new members of the international board, which is composed of eight delegates from North America and two delegates from each region where AMCA has presence, namely Asia, Middle East and Europe.

We will also continue to educate our members and the industry through dedicated technical seminars on topics that are truly of interest to the market.

AMCA has a lot of educational material that is available online, and we need to support the market by facilitating a knowledge exchange.

COULD YOU TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF AMCA CERTIFICATION IN THE CONTEXT OF OVERARCHING GOALS RELATED TO BETTER BUILDING PERFORMANCE AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY?

COULD YOU SPEAK A BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL BACKGROUND? I started working with Systemair in 1989, and I have since taken on the responsibilities of a Laboratory Manager, Quality Manager, Technical Manager and Technical Director.

I am currently a Senior Technical Director within the organisation.

Throughout my career with Systemair, I have continued to foster strong ties with AMCA. In fact, my very first assignment was to build a laboratory for acoustic and aerodynamic measurements, which became one of the first in Europe to be accredited by AMCA. I have also been a member of both the AMCA International board and AMCA European Steering Committee since 2014.

Parallel to this, I actively work with other notable organisations in different capacities.

I initiated and served as a Chairman of the Eurovent Certification Programme for Residential Ventilation Units from 2011 to 2016. I have been a member of the advisory board for the International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy (ICIEE) at the Danish Technical University since 2012 as well as for the Scientific Advisory Committee for the International Conference of Fan Noise, Aerodynamics, Applications and Systems.

I have also been an active participant in Swedish Standards Institute (SIS), European Committee for Standardization (CEN) and ISO (International Standards Organization).

COULD YOU GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF THE MAIN FOCUS AREAS DURING YOUR TERM? A core focus under my stewardship is to make AMCA even more international. AMCA has its base in North America, where it is well known.

The North American market also currently

With this new structure, we could cultivate a more wellrounded and international perspective that will be reflected in our strategies and activities. I can see that there needs to be greater cooperation among the four regions and stronger collaboration among the membership base, which is what I would like to achieve in Europe, for example.

I want to help develop a truly global community to facilitate better discussions surrounding issues related to regulations. I think this is very important, because AMCA has a wealth of information on the markets, and each region has important insights on trends within the industry.

A key focus area for AMCA is the certification of products. When we certify products, we go in as a third-party to guarantee that the published technical data is correct.

Certification is an important resource for the market. If we have a customer looking for specific performance in a unit, then it can be difficult for them to judge if the data on air performance, power and acoustics is correct or not.

This is the value that an independent body like AMCA brings. We certify products that fulfil the declaration of the manufacturer, helping customers ensure that they have the right information as they decide whether or not the product is suitable for their specific project.

We must make customers aware of the difference between a company that only has AMCA membership and a company that has AMCA-certified products, which ensures the validity of the data www.climatecontrolme.com

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Mats Sándor, Systemair Group

This would help promote transparency in the market. It is also important that if a fan does not have good performance, it should be reflected correctly in the technical data; everything else would mislead the customer, and manufacturers should not attempt to secure competitive advantages on false grounds. As such, we strongly recommend for customers to look beyond the label and learn more about the certified performance values of a product. That being said, it is our overall aim to push towards improving the quality and efficiency of fans.

At the end of the day, it is important that declared data is the correct data, especially when you talk about energy efficiency. If you don’t know the performance of the product, then it’s almost impossible to choose the right working and operating points in order to have the most efficient system.

To this end, having AMCA Certification also provides manufacturers with strong competitive advantage. However, it is also important to not only promote the integrity of the AMCA certification but also to protect it, because its value lies in the trust and awareness customers have surrounding the label.

IN WHICH AREAS DO YOU BELIEVE THERE IS GREATER SCOPE FOR IMPROVEMENT? In North America, the AMCA certification is well established, and in the Middle East there has been growing awareness, which is reflected in the increased demand for AMCA-certified products in some projects.

However, there is a need to focus on the Asian markets.

We have as many members in Asia as in North America, but in Asia they are not certifying products as much. They are AMCA members, and while this is a step in the right direction, simply being a member is not a guarantee of the member’s product.

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You have to certify the products according to AMCA, and we need to provide better support for the Asian market to be able to do this.

We must make customers aware of the difference between a company that only has AMCA membership and a company that has AMCA-certified products, which ensures the validity of the data.

DO YOU FORESEE THERE WILL BE GROWTH IN THE NUMBER OF AMCA-CERTIFIED LABORATORIES DOWN THE LINE? The unique thing about AMCA is that we have independent laboratories, we have laboratories with partners, and we provide companies with the opportunity to accredit their own laboratory. At Systemair, for example, we have four AMCA-accredited laboratories across three continents.

I do foresee more laboratories for AMCA certification, especially in Asia. This is in line with our move to develop and strengthen third-party certification in the local markets. This would be beneficial for companies, because it will be economical for them to have their own laboratory to certify products, especially when it comes to certifying a range of different products. Having a laboratory would be more cost-effective than sending a whole product range to AMCA's laboratory in Chicago, in the United States, or to any of AMCA's partners. It is also advantageous for companies' own product development teams to have an accredited laboratory.

COULD YOU TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PROMOTING COOPERATION BETWEEN EUROVENT AND AMCA IN THE EUROPEAN MARKET? WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF SUCH A

COLLABORATIVE APPROACH TO THE INDUSTRY? There is opportunity for greater synergy between Eurovent and AMCA Europe. This collaboration has already started, and I will continue to push for it further. We can hopefully achieve a win-win situation. The collaboration can also apply to other areas such as the Middle East.

This not only involves jointly working towards more demanding standards and regulations, further pushing evolutions in terms of energy efficiency and product quality but also the issue of certification.

Currently, there is no dedicated certification scheme for fans in Europe, as a large part of the industry is not favouring it. However, if we were to get this point in Europe, such a programme should be as closely aligned with AMCA as possible to avoid unnecessary testing costs while ensuring a global level-playing field.

To ensure this, a close collaboration between AMCA, Eurovent Association and Eurovent Certification is essential. What European manufacturers generally prefer is collaboration over proliferation.

ARE THERE AREAS OF FOCUS YOU WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT AS PART OF YOUR UPCOMING STRATEGY? Another important focus under my term is to cultivate greater gender equality in the international and regional boards. This is a point I have brought up with the nominating committee, and this really requires a greater drive and push from the steering committee, so it can trickle down to the international board.

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

NOW HIRING Sales Engineer Abu Dhabi/Al Ain based Functional roles & responsibilities: ► To develop the sales in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. ► Enhance the relationship within the consultant’s networks to increase market share.. ► Develop strong relationships with consultants / developers / clients/contractors, identify their needs and purpose solution that meets their requirements effectively with respect to product-mix and financial parameters. ► Provide high level product and application support (design support etc.) to the potential customers/ consultants and ensure The company’s products are specified on the vendor list. ► Provide high level product, application, design support to potential clients and work closely with sales management to ensure order conclusion. ► Identify business opportunities and trends by analyzing customer behavior through customer profiles and ensure that all opportunities are tapped into in an efficient and timely manner.

Qualifications: ► Degree in Mechanical Engineering ► 6 – 8 years’ experience in the region in a similar role in HVAC companies ► Extensive technical knowledge in HVAC products, especially in VRF, DX and AHU’s ► Strong network of business contacts (Consultants/ developers/owners/contractors) ► Should have valid UAE Driving License ► Excellent communication skills both written and verbal in English, Arabic is preferred. ► Good financial acumen, strong commercial awareness and consulting sales capabilities. ► Good understanding of local building regulations (ESMA/ ESTIDAMA), LEED, ASHRAE, and EUROVENT standards preferred.

Business Development Manager (BDM) The BDM will be responsible for growing the company’s market share in selected industry sectors and entering new markets to enhance the company’s position in the region. In this relational sales role the manager will independently identify, qualify and successfully convert new business opportunities into contracts. The BDM will also be responsible for selling the company’s solutions in select business verticals. On top of the obvious requirement of possessing excellent sales and account management skills, it would be extremely beneficial for the candidate to have background knowledge and experience in HVAC/ MEP engineering. However prior experience in this industry is not extremely important, and key for the role is for the candidate to possess great communication skills.

Qualifications: ► You must have had exposure to the nonmechanical aspects of HVAC, such as improvements in indoor air quality and energy savings. ► This role is very suitable for candidates with approximately 3 - 5 years of experience in a similar role and looking to take on a challenge in a market. ► Affinity with ASHRAE or LEED, or IAQ in general would be a real asset. ► At a personal level this role would be an interesting stepping stone for the successful candidate to learn and grow their skills and experience, through an innovative solution and approach.

For more details please contact Alissa:

050-3580708

alissa@careersbay.com

www.careersbay.com www.climatecontrolme.com

15

Tomas Anker Christensen, Denmark’s first Climate Ambassador

‘THE UAE C LEADERSHIP HAS A VIEW OF THE FUTURE, AND IT IS NOT JUST TOMORROW’

ONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR APPOINTMENT AS DENMARK’S CLIMATE AMBASSADOR. COULD YOU SPEAK ON THE POTENTIAL AREAS OF COOPERATION BETWEEN THE UAE AND DENMARK?

Tomas Anker Christensen speaks exclusively with Hannah Jo Uy of Climate Control Middle East on his appointment as Denmark’s first Climate Ambassador, opportunities for greater cooperation between the UAE and Denmark and the intangible benefits of cultivating local expertise and solutions. Excerpts…

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I think it’s remarkable, the far-sighted leadership the UAE has taken as an oil- and gas-producing country. The leaders have a view of the future – and the future that is not just tomorrow, not just five or 10 years, but they are thinking ahead to 20 or 50 years from now.

We are talking about the major transformation of energy systems. The largest solar farms in the world are in the UAE, and a lot of investment is being done in this area. The country is taking energy efficiency in buildings seriously and addressing the challenge of having had, years ago, the highest carbon footprint per inhabitant.

In that sense, cooperation between the UAE and Denmark on energy and other topics related to food and maritime issues makes imminent sense. We are the country in the EU with the largest oil production. We have oil and gas in the North Sea. But we are slowly ending our exploration of that oil and gas, and in December 2020, the Danish Parliament decided to end fossil extraction in the North Sea by 2050 with a plan for the just transition of impacted workers and a conversion of the oil and gas fields to Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS).

There is also a huge market for renewable energy, globally, as this transformation can be seen worldwide.

In Denmark, we are building better and taller wind farms and offshore wind farms, including over the next two years in two new energy islands. As a result, there has been global interest surrounding Danish windfarm operators and wind constructors, many of whom are now in demand in a number of countries such as the US, Korea and Australia.

COULD YOU SPEAK MORE ABOUT THE COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE THAT COUNTRIES SUCH AS THE UAE CAN HAVE FROM SPECIALISING IN SUSTAINABLE COOLING SOLUTIONS, BOTH IN TERMS OF DEVELOPING THE EXPERTISE WITHIN THE COUNTRY AND IN TERMS OF PIONEERING SOLUTIONS? DO YOU SEE THIS TO BE A GROWING MARKET? The world is undergoing an energy transformation, and the UAE is also very well positioned to be part of it and, in some instances, to lead this transformation. As such, a partnership with a country like Denmark makes great sense.

When it comes to the development of cities, it’s clear that if you look at trends as a whole, [the population] is moving from the countryside to cities at an increased rate. I think the latest figures from UN Habitat and other global organisations is that almost half of the human population lives in cities.

We have been going from 30-40% of the population to half, and the trajectory is pointing towards a world where most of the people are in cities.

There have been large movements in the Global South. In China, you have more than 70 cities with more than one million inhabitants, and many are newly constructed with poor quality of buildings that need to be retrofitted and rebuilt. In India, you have a growing middle-class population, and this has led to growth of new buildings in new

cities or more modern buildings in new parts of the city. The same trend can be seen in the Gulf region. For a very long time, Dubai was home to most of the cranes in the world.

In Africa, large cities that are already big, continue to grow. In Indonesia, we see a population in the process of moving Jakarta to a new island, because it is sinking.

Basically, in many places, the builtenvironment is not a done deal. We are at the beginning, not at the end. It’s only in older industrial countries in the West that the city structure is permanent. I would think the opportunities for both new buildings and retrofitting are very large, especially in warmer climates, where expertise is needed in challenging environments.

For us, in Denmark, it’s more about reverse engineering our experience with energy efficiency and insulation, and using and applying them in the UAE. Also, there would be solutions we need to develop from scratch, based on the circumstances and the physical environment.

It’s clear that cooling also has some attributes different from heating. In Denmark, some companies are experimenting with district cooling, but most are district heating, with a lot of combined power and heat plants. Also, some of them are doing this with garbage waste disposal and heat and power.

With the more recent climate law, because of the move towards circular economy, we are now looking at recycling and reusing our waste rather than incinerating it.

WHAT CAN FURTHER DRIVE THE DEVELOPMENT OF EXPERTISE AND SOLUTIONS IN THE SUSTAINABILITY ARENA IN A COUNTRY? A combination of energy pricing and embedding efficiency in building codes and regulation by central and local governments are key here. The building owner and operator might not be interested in building more efficiently because of the perceived cost, and they will try to defer the cost onto the tenants. That means rent goes up, bills go up, and they are not too happy either. That’s always a question for the less well off, that’s also the question of the fair and equitable

distribution of the cost and benefit, [when it comes to implementing sustainable solutions].

In Denmark, people have been investing in energy efficiency because of energy cost and due to strict regulation since the 1970s.

Because of the cost of energy, there are huge paybacks at a shorter time.

IN WHAT WAYS CAN THE PUBLIC SECTOR IN THE GCC REGION INCENTIVISE SUSTAINABILITY INITIATIVES IN THE BUILTENVIRONMENT, BOTH IN TERMS OF INTRODUCING RETROFIT TARGETS AND ALSO ENSURING NEW BUILDINGS ADHERE TO HIGHER ENERGY-EFFICIENCY GOALS? For one, I would say that educating the general public is extremely important, in terms of the cost, economy, sustainability and potential social benefits.

The very practical education of engineers and economists, integrating energy efficiency into curricula in the builtenvironment, so that you have your own skilled engineers and technicians to operate systems, do the buildings and learn from it. It is a mentality and way of thinking.

We have done it for the last 50 or more years; we didn’t do it before that. It took us a long time and heavy regulation, strong incentives and a lot of private discussion among government and private sector and institutions of higher education to get that sector to operate in an efficient and integrated way. I would encourage public policy makers to think through different dimensions of how to establish a cluster of knowledge and expertise. The young students of today will be the leaders of tomorrow, and they have to make it work 10-15 years down the road.

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

Tomas Anker Christensen

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5th EDITION 14 June 2021 | Dubai, UAE With greater market penetration as the goal, what is the roadmap ahead for the District Cooling industry in the Middle East?

OVERVIEW How resilient is the District Cooling industry in the Middle East, and what holistic measures must it adopt for greater market penetration? How well has it responded to the varying needs of its multiple clients, particularly building owners and end-users over the years, including those in commercial real estate (CRE), residential and healthcare? What does the historical data suggest? The conference is a platform for those that have a finger on the pulse of the industry in the region and those from elsewhere with wellburnished credentials for cutting-edge business, governance, technical and financial approaches to supplying chilled water and measuring its efficacy and efficiency. The purpose of the mega-conference is to get a detailed historical perspective on the industry and take a scenarioplanning approach to independently chart out the roadmap for the foreseeable future. Listen to financial institutions, mayors, contractual & legal experts, technocrats, utilities, master planners,

technology-solutions providers and design experts, as they hold court at the most comprehensive and dedicated conference ever, tailored specifically for the Middle East region.

www.dcdialogue.com FOR OPPORTUNITIES, CONTACT: advertising@cpi-industry.com 18 SPONSORSHIP January 2021

A CLIMATE CONTROL MIDDLE EAST SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

TRACKING THE DISTRICT COOLING INDUSTRY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

INSIDE: PESPECTIVE

THE BANE OF DISTRICT COOLING Philips Tharakan and Mohammed Faiz, Phileo PM Aircondition & Refrigeration Trading LLC

LICENCE TO CHILL

THE PULLING POWER OF UTILITY REBATES Dan Mizesko, U.S. Chiller Services

www.climatecontrolme.com

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Philips Tharakan is with Phileo PM Aircondition & Refrigeration Trading LLC and can be reached at Philips@PhileoPM.com. Mohammed Faiz is a researchoriented technical author associated with Phileo PM Aircondition & Refrigeration Trading LLC; he can be reached at mohammed98faiz@gmail.com

THE BANE OF DISTRICT COOLING How long should we have to live with the migraine that the Low ΔT Syndrome has come to represent, ask Philips Tharakan and Mohammed Faiz, adding that the answer may lie in deploying Intelligent ΔT Management Systems

T

he HVAC industry has acknowledged the problem of the Low ΔT Syndrome for a long, long time. It has been a topic of widespread debate among district cooling industry stakeholders, with several having hypothesised solutions to the issue and then having found progress impeded by various concerns.

Typically, the concerns include the cost of implementation, the uncertainty of the return on investment (ROI) and the practical difficulties associated with making changes to existing installations. The fear is that the existing ΔT controllers will reduce the waterflow to a point where it is lower than the current waterflow, which gives rise to the associated phobia of the potential increase in room temperature.

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While proper design, selection, operation and maintenance can help avoid Low ΔT in upcoming buildings, the causes of the problem in existing buildings cannot be practically eliminated if the airside equipment are not capable of handling the room load with the designed waterflow.

Currently, we are in a phase that has found interesting ideas but no substantial solutions.

While various groups have hypothesised ideas that could work, in theory – and some have tested the said hypotheses – in one way, all of them have failed, as they published the results limited to one component or part of the system. In short, no significant implementations have been made to date to combat the long-standing issue of Low ΔT in existing buildings. We must add the disclaimer that if there are, indeed, any solutions, the findings of these experiments are not publicly available, making it impossible for other professionals to adapt and improve.

For the uninitiated, Low ΔT is the result of underutilising the chilled water in the terminals of air-handling units (AHUs) or fan-coil units (FCUs). The unused chilled water is just recirculated back through the chiller or through intermediate heat exchangers. If the chilled water is produced by individual systems installed within the facility, then the Low ΔT reduces the chiller efficiency. This lowered efficiency leads to increased electricity cost, but there is also a problem of higher pumping volume – both of which increase the cost of electricity.

However, this unfortunate phenomenon not only makes for an inefficient system and uneven indoor temperature distribution, but it also attracts penalties from district cooling providers. In other words, Low ΔT poses a major headache to professionals in the industry.

The problem is more than just a curiosity for us as authors, since we are keen on seeking out HVACRrelated solutions that encompass technical as well as business aspects.

Given the gravity of the problem, we were compelled to conduct an investigation. More specifically, we explored the concern of how FCUs affect ΔT in existing and upcoming buildings, because there are economically viable solutions available for larger equipment, like AHUs but not for smaller equipment, like FCUs.

OUR INVESTIGATION Our investigation involved the examination of published articles by entities that claimed to have a solution to the problem. We found that each entity offered a different solution – chiller manufacturers approaching the issue with the perspective of chillers alone, valve manufacturers recommending the replacement of manual balancing valves to automatic balancing valves and flow measuring teams recommending continuous flow monitoring, to name three.

Most of the solutions were limited in some capacity, and as stated earlier, our focus is restricted to FCUs. This criterion eliminated the above ideas, and it led us to two possible solutions – the first, an external implement, known as a ‘ΔT Control System’, and the second. a native solution, known as an ‘Intelligent ΔT Management System’.

SOLUTION 1: ΔT CONTROL SYSTEM (EXTERNAL)

combined with pressure-independent control valves (PICVs) to give better control, while others have added flow measurement and an individual valve control along with coil performance logging to the system.

SOLUTION 2: INTELLIGENT ΔT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (NATIVE) The Intelligent ΔT Management System works similarly to the ΔT Control System, explained earlier. However, the former serves more as an intelligent FCU than as an auxiliary solution. The system minimises the number of fittings by replacing flow measuring, balancing and PICVs with economical two-way actuators. The difference between the above solution and the Intelligent ΔT Management System is that the latter integrates the controller and the fan. The integration allows for flow rate control and fan speed modulation, thus making the FCU utilise all of the

chilled water available while maintaining the room temperature. The Intelligent ΔT Management System, thus, improves the efficiency of an FCU. Furthermore, since the Intelligent ΔT Management System is part of the fan coil, it allows the system to assess the airflow, the room temperature and the water temperature in tandem to balance the waterflow and maintain ΔT. Although both the solutions provide answers to the concern of Low ΔT, the latter provides enough information to eliminate the biggest phobia with these solutions – that of ΔT controllers disregarding room comfort.

ROOM COMFORT AND A COMPARISON OF THE TWO SYSTEMS We mentioned earlier that there are economically viable solutions for larger equipment but not for smaller units. One of the solutions is to use PICVs along with ΔT controllers, but they are not a justifiable

There are various externally mounted ΔT Control Systems available in the market. These systems work by installing two temperature sensors at the inlet and outlet of a unit. The sensors help determine the temperature difference between the terminals and use the difference to perform a control logic, which controls the position of an actuator to maintain ΔT. If the ΔT is within the design conditions, the temperature sensor in the room, or the Building Management System (BMS), takes control. In short, once the ΔT is achieved, the actuator opens or closes, based on the signal from the BMS or from the room temperature sensor. In some cases, the system has been

Reference: Belimo Energy Valve with Energy valve

investment for FCUs. PICVs create a direct relationship between valve position and water flow rate by eliminating the pressure variability in a flow system.

However, flow rate and load are not linearly related, and thus the load of the space is not linearly related to valve position. This results in the system modulating the water flow, but if the coil does not use up all the delivered energy, Low ΔT will rear its menacing head in the system.

The economic constraints and the possibility of continuing Low ΔT eliminate PICVs as the solution for Low ΔT attributed to FCUs. However, using an

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6 18 October 2021 Dubai, UAE

The lessons learnt so far from COVID-19 and the specific design and technological strategies and measures that need to be adopted and sustained for protection from future pandemics form the backbone subjects of the 6th edition of the World IEQ Forum, a conference that has assumed much significance in the wake of the pandemic. A key objective of the Forum is to find lasting solutions to the demand for clean air through inviting regional and global experts and visionaries and engaging them in in-depth discussions. Another objective of the Forum is to host a display of the latest and cuttingedge technological solutions and services, capable of ushering in transformation for the better in the build-environment.

www.worldieqforum.com 22

January 2021 FOR SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES, CONTACT: advertising@cpi-industry.com

Philips Tharakan is with Phileo PM Aircondition & Refrigeration Trading LLC and can be reached at Philips@PhileoPM.com. Mohammed Faiz is a researchoriented technical author associated with Phileo PM Aircondition & Refrigeration Trading LLC; he can be reached at mohammed98faiz@gmail.com

external ΔT controller ensures constant ΔT but does risk under-delivering on the energy requirements of the room, resulting in undercooling. Here, the load is independent of the control of the valve, and the valve simply limits flow in order to maintain an arbitrary ΔT. The Intelligent ΔT Management System seems to have a solution for the concern of undercooling. Since it approaches the Low ΔT issue from the load point of view, the system not only controls the valve for ΔT but also modulates the fan to ensure that all the energy is delivered to the coil that conditions the space. Should the load increase, the fan speed will also increase, which will cause the ΔT to increase.

Consequently, the valve position opens to increase flow and deliver more energy to the coil. Thus, the system avoids

undercooling by modulating the fan in the unit. The Intelligent ΔT Management System, therefore, adds intelligence to itself by connecting all relevant parameters of the ΔT problem: Water flow rate, ΔT and the load of the space.

CONCLUSION Among the two hypotheses we explored, the Intelligent ΔT system offered a more comprehensive solution. If the Intelligent ΔT System is the answer to this longstanding issue, then it is our collective responsibility to investigate it extensively.

To do so would require us to implement the said solution in a real, living building and determine the system’s efficacy.

As authors, we urge facility managers, building owners and service providers of existing buildings, as well as consultants and building owners of upcoming

buildings to consider this proposition and collaborate with us to implement this enticing prospect.

If we can implement the Intelligent ΔT System in a new or existing building and follow that up by monitoring it, troubleshooting, and by investigating its performance, we can publish our results to add another piece to the collaborative puzzle of improving HVAC technology. If we can help dissipate the cloud surrounding the problem and collaborate on implementing the solution in an actual project, we may finally be able to get relief from the debilitating migraine.

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

www.climatecontrolme.com

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LICENCE TO

HILL Dan Mizesko is with U.S. Chiller Services. He may be contacted at dmizesko@uscsny.com.

THE PULLING POWER OF UTILITY REBATES 2) Energy efficiency is much cheaper than building new power plants. This is the main reason, in my opinion, why utility companies provide rebates. Studies have shown that for every USD 1 spent on energy conservation, the utility company saves USD 9 compared to the cost of building a new power plant to generate the amount of energy that the energy efficiency conservation measure offsets. In other words, it’s cheaper to provide rebates for ECMs than to build new power plants.

How compelling money-saving incentives can accelerate energy conservation measures

T

he truth is, everyone wants to do good, go green and save the planet. However, in my experience, unless there is a compelling moneysaving incentive, organisations will not move forward with the majority of such projects.

We at US Chiller Services NY were working on an energy-saving proposal for a fairly large chilled water plant in the New York Tri State area. The savings were compelling at over 1,300,000 Kwh per year and a payback of 2.6 years for a project investment of USD 515,000. Just when we were putting everything together, engineering the project and finalising our proposal, one of our energy engineers pointed out that we had not included the Con Ed (utility provider) rebate incentive.

When I asked him what the rebate amount was, I was amazed.

The rebate was as follows: For every Kwh saved with a project, the utility company would rebate 0.45 cents per Kwh and pay this up to 75% of the entire project cost. In other words, the utility company would give USD 386,250

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as rebate, with the customer having to pay only USD 128,750 and still receiving the full benefit and savings of a USD 515,000 project. I was wonderstruck. Such an arrangement provides companies with a huge incentive to move forward with Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs).

The New York Tri State area project, with the rebate factored in suddenly had an ROI of 149% and a payback of just over eight months. Sheer music to the ears.

With such incentives, it’s impossible to not implement the technology and take advantage of the savings. The customer eliminates 1,300,000 Kwh cost per year, and the utility saves the generation of 1,300,000 Kwh per year on its power plants and infrastructure.

This begs the question, why would a utility offer such attractive rebates?

1) To keep existing customers and incentivise customers currently with another utility provider to switch utility companies. This would not be a factor in the GCC region, as utility providers are not in competition with each other.

With the tremendous growth in the GCC region and the clear desire to be as energy efficient as possible, implementing utility ECM rebates would surely exponentially speed up the approval process of many, many energy-saving solutions being proposed in buildings and chilled water plants throughout the region.

Of course, measurement and verification (M&V) proof of savings would be required for the utility company to release the rebate money. With that taken care of, we are staring at a win-win for everyone, as it would accelerate the implementation of more ECMs in the region, keep utility companies from having to build new power plants, provide savings for the end-user facilities and provide jobs for the energy specialist companies that are engineering and installing the savingrelated solutions.

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.

HVAC-R EGYPT EXPO - ASHRAE

CAIRO

5 th International Exhibition & Conference for Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, Refrigeration, Thermal Insulation & Energy

1 - 3 April

2021

Egypt International Exhibition Center New Cairo - Egypt

EGYPT'S ONLY DEDICATED HVAC-R EVENT

Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning Refrigeration Thermal Insulation

Energy

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Organized by:

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Wouter Scheffer is with with Aqua Aero Coatings and may be contacted at wouter@aquaaero.net.

HOW TO P KILL ENVELOPED VIRUSES IN JUST

30 MINUTES Wouter Scheffer dissects the effectiveness of desiccant antimicrobial coatings in air conditioning systems

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oor ventilation in closed indoor environments is associated with increased transmission of respiratory infections. There have been numerous SARS-CoV-2 transmission events associated with closed spaces, including some from pre-symptomatic cases. The role of ventilation in preventing SARS-CoV-2 transmission is not well-defined – that is, by preventing dispersal of infectious particles in small waterdrops to minimise the risk of transmission, or preventing transfer of an infectious dose to susceptible individuals. 1-4 SARS-CoV-2 is thought to be primarily transmitted through large respiratory droplets; however, an increasing number of outbreak reports implicate the role of aerosols in SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks. Aerosols consist of small droplets and droplet nuclei, which remain in the air for longer than large droplets. Studies indicate that SARS-CoV-2 particles can remain infectious on various materials, such as air conditioning surfaces in air ducts and air handlers, as well as in aerosols in indoor environments, with the duration of infectivity depending on temperature and humidity. 5-7

While HVAC coatings are often the most cost-efficient insurance for the longevity of your air-handling system, there’s much more to them than just increasing your building systems’ lifespan. The rising demand for antimicrobial coatings was triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and tenants worried about their wellbeing from airborne diseases.

In the same category, antimicrobial coatings can make a huge difference for indoor air quality and occupant safety. There are a number of HVAC coatings that drive energy savings, primarily desiccant-coatings.

paint that prevents growth of, or eliminates, bacteria and viruses. Both the coating and the possible active ingredient should not produce any environmental, safety or health issues during application. Any off-gas from the film is unwanted, because ideally, the coating must be applied to air conditioning systems in operation without any concern of release of poisonous additives.

ANTIMICROBIAL EFFICACY BASED ON SILVER IONS

Found on AHU heat exchangers, coils and in duct systems, they enable recovering heat and moisture, which then helps building owners to save on operational cost. Recent studies have uncovered an extreme antimicrobial effect of desiccant coating systems, in high relative humidity, as present in air conditioning systems. It appears the surfactants can break the exterior protein of a virus or bacteria strain. Once the protein is destroyed, the virus cannot attach to cells and transfer or alter human ribonucleic acid (RNA).

In many circumstances, once microbes have begun to proliferate on a painted surface, constant cleaning and disinfecting is required to keep growth under control, which is highly unwanted inside an air conditioning system. Recognising that the ability to clean constantly is unreasonable in most air conditioning systems, the best weapon against corrosion and microbial growth is an antimicrobial

Generally, an antimicrobial surface contains an additive, like Agion, which inhibits the antimicrobial property that is composed primarily of silver ions, which have been proven in antimicrobial use throughout history. It incorporates silver ions inside a zeolite carrier, providing an area for these ions to exchange with other positively charged ions – often sodium – from the moisture in the environment.

Once exchanged, these now “free” silver ions are attracted to oppositely charged hydrogen ions, commonly found in most bacteria and microbes.

The bacteria and microbes’ respiration and growth are now abruptly halted, since the hydrogen ions are no longer available. Silver-based antimicrobial coatings contain a pesticide additive that evaporates slowly from the coating surface and raises questions on the durability of discharge. In Europe and North America, these coatings require a registration by the government authorities.

ANTIMICROBIAL EFFICACY BASED ON DESICCATION Enveloped viruses, like the H1N1 influenza virus, Corona (COVID-19) and bacteria have membranes of protein and enzymes to protect the infecting contents. The spreading of the viruses and bacteria in closed spaces and air conditioning systems is carried out by smaller aerosols. Alternative antimicrobial functionality is based on desiccation, a physical process to extract the moisture from the virus and bacteria particles. This approach may seem relatively primitive; however, it is extremely effective in slowing down or even preventing microbes from spreading and transmission. This method is similar to other physical treatments, such as UV irradiation, filtering and heating.7-9 Desiccant coatings inactivate a wide variety of microbes that adhere to the surface through their hydrophilic surface properties. The antiviral functionality of the coating has been tested on the Phi6 virus, which is commonly used as surrogate for enveloped Corona viruses.8 - 9 - 10

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Wouter Scheffer is with with Aqua Aero Coatings and may be contacted at wouter@aquaaero.net.

STUDIES A recent study shows that a desiccant coating can have an extremely quick kill-rate of enveloped viruses after just 30 minutes.11

Further studies have proven that strong antimicrobial working was additionally confirmed. Surface activity results in full killrates of > 99,99%, which were confirmed on the following micro-organism strains: • Salmonella • Legionella • E-Coli • MRSA • Klebsiella Pneumoniae An important note should be added to this paper: No claim or assertion should be made that the antimicrobial properties in the coating will improve air quality or eliminate the threat of disease-causing microbes in the air supply system. A healthy indoor air system is highly dependent on a combination of design, maintenance and cleaning measurements that are incorporated in the air conditioning system and facility management procedures.

1. Knibbs LD, Morawska L, Bell SC, Grzybowski P. Room ventilation and the risk of airborne infection transmission in 3 health care settings within a large teaching hospital. Am J Infect Control. 2011 Dec;39(10):866-72.

2. Lu J, Gu J, Li K, Xu C, Su W, Lai Z, et al.

COVID-19 Outbreak Associated with Air Conditioning in Restaurant, Guangzhou, China, 2020. Emerg Infect Dis. 2020 Apr 2;26(7).

3. Rothe C, Schunk M, Sothmann P, Bretzel G, Froeschl G, Wallrauch C, et al. Transmission of 2019-nCoV Infection from an Asymptomatic Contact in Germany. N Engl J Med. 2020 Mar 5;382(10):970-1.

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4. World Health Organization (WHO). Natural Ventilation for Infection Control in HealthCare Settings. 2009 [updated 4 May 2020].

5. Ong SWX, Tan YK, Chia PY, Lee TH, Ng OT, Wong MSY, et al. Air, surface environmental, and personal protective equipment contamination by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARSCoV-2) from a symptomatic patient. Jama.

2020;323(16):1610-2.

6. Bahl P, Doolan C, de Silva C, Chughtai AA, Bourouiba L, MacIntyre CR. Airborne or droplet precautions for health workers treating COVID-19? The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 2020.

7. Dietz L, Horve PF, Coil DA, Fretz M, Eisen JA, Van Den Wymelenberg K. 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID19) Pandemic: Built Environment Considerations To Reduce Transmission. mSystems. 2020 Apr 7;5(2):e00245-20.

8 Evaluation of Phi6 Persistence and Suitability as an Enveloped Virus Surrogate Aquino de Carvalho, Nathalia; Stachler, Elyse N.; Cimabue, Nicole; Bibby, Kyle Environmental Science & Technology (2017), 51 (15), 8692-8700CODEN: ESTHAG; ISSN:0013-936X. (American Chemical Society) Recent outbreaks involving enveloped viruses, such as Ebola virus and SARS COVID-2, have raised questions regarding the persistence of enveloped viruses in the water environment. Efforts have been made to find enveloped virus surrogates due to challenges investigating viruses that require biosafety-level 3 or 4 handling.

In this study, the enveloped bacteriophage Phi6 was evaluated as a surrogate for enveloped waterborne viruses. The

persistence of Phi6 was tested in aq. conditions chosen based on previously published viral persistence studies. Our results demonstrated that the predicted T90 (time for 90% inactivation) of Phi6 under the 12 evaluated conditions varied from 24 minutes to 117 days depending on temperature, biological activity, and aq. media compn. Phi6 persistence was then compared with persistence values from other enveloped viruses reported in the literature. The apparent suitability of Phi6 as an enveloped virus surrogate was dependent on the temperature and compn. of the media tested. Of evaluated viruses, 33%, including all conditions considered, had T90 values greater than the 95% confidence interval for Phi6.

Ultimately, these results highlight the variability of enveloped virus persistence in the environment and the value of working with the virus of interest for environmental persistence studies.

9. The use of bacteriophages of the family Cystoviridae as surrogates for H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses in persistence and inactivation studies Adcock, Noreen J.; Rice, Eugene W.; Sivaganesan, Mano; Brown, Justin D.; Stallknecht, David E.; Swayne, David E. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A: Toxic/Hazardous Substances & Environmental Engineering (2009), 44 (13), 1362-1366CODEN: JATEF9; ISSN:1093-4529. (Taylor & Francis, Inc.) Two bacteriophages, .vphi.6 and .vphi.8, were investigated as potential surrogates for H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus in persistence and chlorine inactivation studies in water. In the

persistence studies, .vphi.6 and .vphi.8 remained infectious at least as long as the H5N1 viruses at both 17 and 28 degrees C in fresh water, but results varied in salinated water. The bacteriophage .vphi.6 also exhibited a slightly higher chlorine resistance than that of the H5N1 viruses. Based upon these findings, the bacteriophages may have potential for use as surrogates in persistence and inactivation studies in fresh water.

21702:2019, the laboratories of Industrial 10. Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Microbiological Services Ltd at Pale Lane the Persistence and Disinfection of Human Hartley Wintney, Hants, RG27 8DH, UK. Coronaviruses and Their Viral Surrogates December 2020 in Water and Wastewater, Andrea I. Silverman and Alexandria B. Boehm, April 2020 Key Perspectives on 11. Determination of the Antiviral Activity of CPI Industry accepts no liability for the views Water-Based Coating for Air Conditioning or opinions expressed in this column, or for the Applications against phi6 Bacteriophage consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the using a Method Based on ISO information provided here.

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29

Analysis

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

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

I

f you have made it this far as an organisation or individual – a fine distance for you to be able to read this article – you’ve done well enough in 2020, which will, no doubt, go down as annus horribilis in the annals of this century.

There was enough action in 2020 to fill entire libraries worth of commentary for years to come – fact, which is not helped by the sheer immensity of public commentary flows, aided by social and other media; but, there is more to it than that.

I follow on from the article I authored, and which was published in Climate Control Middle East in July 2020, right around the middle of the year, when some of the certainties we have now were not quite as clear. There, I wrote at length about the importance of defining “value” and the importance of securing the generators of it as well as the sources.

Well, that is a truism of sorts – “value” is what is pursued in normal times as well as tumultuous ones. I also mentioned that the pandemic presents a time warp of sorts – with factors that predominated the environment leading to the pandemic accelerating to warp speed at times. The anaemic credit environment, the gross inequalities in income and asset ownership, the lacklustre growth in the economy were factors leading up to March 2020, and these have only accelerated in the eight months since.

Leaving aside all politics, the go-to response of economic captains across the world has been to let loose the gushers of cash. We are talking not billions but trillions of new “money” being created out of nowhere and “pumped in” to the economy. To a cynic, it would seem to be a right goosing of the world economic turkey, but it can only be stuffed so much before things get ridiculous.

The thing about this goosing, as with any goosing, is that the crevices have not expanded. Where is all the new money going?

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January 2021

LOOKING AHEAD WHILE LOOKING BACK Krishnan Unni Madathil speaks of lessons from the pandemic, which hastened preexisting economic uncertainty and, at the same time, engendered behavioural change, and how they can influence our business outlook

Some of it has been going to fund renters who are getting late on their rent. Some of it is going towards funding businesses to keep up their payrolls, but the lion’s share of it has been diverted straight to the equity and bond markets. The players in these markets have merely seen the digits on their screens add more and more commas as panicked investors pile on top of stock after stock, not knowing what better to do with the new cash. Think of too much of a good thing – like your favorite meal, except you cannot call an end to the round after round of serving; and you cannot stop eating. By law and by incentive. For the more one holds to cash, as the gushers continue to spill, the purchasing power of cash in hand, or at bank, declines. People have to invest in assets simply to maintain the relative value of their portfolio.

In places where people prefer less liquidity, or where the environment is not as liquid, the gush of new money is being reflected, if not in higher property prices then stable prices or a more managed cascading downwards, further distorting the true state of affairs and, thereby, hindering proper decision-making with regard to asset allocation. In some instances, cognizant of the gushing of new money and the deleterious impact of this on their cash holdings, yet terrified of the dearth of profitable investment opportunities, people are conjuring up entire new “assets” from nowhere – think cryptocurrencies and SPACs (special purpose acquisition companies), which have raised over USD 70 billion in six months during the pandemic, and which are essentially listed companies with no operating plans other than converting incoming floods of cash into stock and keeping it in that form until the tide of cash finally, they hope, recedes at some point – I have heard prayers for rain bring better results. I am conscious of being held liable for grazing the entrance of cuckoo conspiracy theories, so I will say it up first: There is no conspiracy.

People simply do not know what else to do. Neither do the central bankers nor the investment bankers and hedge fund managers, neither do the asset owners nor the normal public. The politicians are not even in the frame; and yet, they occupy prime time, as if they were the principal actors in all this. And speaking as we are at the point where a few potential vaccines are on course to being released to the general public, it bears mention that in the melee that followed the pandemic and its associated responses, the fundamental

problems hurting economies and societies across the globe leading into the pandemic have been ill-considered or forgotten.

Mistakes from which lessons could have been learnt have been overlooked, setting the stage for the next round of even greater failure and missteps.

What is lost in all this is the concept of value. What is value? If value is measured in currency units, and if the currency units are witnessing cancerous multiplication, then what is the value of whatever is being valued using these currency units? I am worn to think that not many people have a clue either. I venture a small list of things, the value of which cannot be controlled, at least directly, from a central bank: 1. Health 2. Erudition 3. Curiosity 4. Experience 5. Wisdom 6. Enterprise These are admittedly woolly, diffuse concepts, many a time escaping easy definition. But the common aspect among them is that none of them can be replicated or multiplied in a central bank or in any printing or cloning institution. These are admittedly aspects under the full agency of the individual. These are all attributes, which aid in, or lead to, the conduct of productive pursuits – the results of which show up eventually in measures of value generated.

To the greatest majority of people these days, cash does not serve as a store of value, wherein it would assume the characteristics of an asset. It serves primarily as a medium of exchange, something to run the errands in the regular life. It continues to serve as a unit of account, but that is for want of a better alternative. Perhaps the world needs to get back to first principles as to the true underpinnings of value.

Looking ahead into 2021, or the decade to follow, it would be an over-exaggeration to assume an epochal change to come as a result of the events of 2020 and the responses to it. Scenario modelling, as well as the people who stand to be held to account when things go awry, have become simply too sophisticated and media-trained to let a major catastrophe befall us suddenly.

They will let the change happen in a slow and controlled manner. That is what has happened in the decade since 2008, when anaemic productivity growth – the real story of the decade – has been subsumed under one meaningless crisis or another to serve as a constant distraction. This

That is what has happened in the decade since 2008, when anaemic productivity growth – the real story of the decade – has been subsumed under one meaningless crisis or another to serve as a constant distraction.

This may well be the story of the 2020s, as well

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31

Analysis

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

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

may well be the story of the 2020s, as well.

I would leave it to some of the old cats on here, who grew up in the 1960s, the 1980s or the 1990s, to tell us what true economic growth really feels like. We have a generation of people, possibly the largest in global history, who have little idea as to what a period of sustained productivity and income growth looks like. Some would respond, “Ah, but China!” but China is a state-led enclosed experiment, where a fifth of humanity is living the dreams of a few self-appointed experts cloistered in a chamber.

One of the more positive aspects to emerge from the pandemic world, and which will continue to rise in the period after the virus-chaos has finally passed, is the growth, and mainstream establishment, of online shopping and delivery. This has been a long time coming, and the various pieces – satellite communications, broadband Internet, Wi-Fi connections, smartphone devices, websites and apps – were being put into place slowly, one at a time; the pandemic provided the opportunity, where all of these could finally be melded to deliver real and positive outcomes to consumers around the world. And it has worked almost too perfectly. With little more than a swipe of a finger, huge retail spaces have been rendered essentially useless, save perhaps for their vegetable and fresh meat counters. In places where these economics have reached an advanced stage, such as the United States, shopping malls are now being taken over by the likes of Amazon to be converted and used as warehouses and “fulfillment” centres. With a higher concentration and ubiquity of smartphones than even many other similarly highincome economies, I cannot see any justification as to why the UAE and several other countries of the Gulf, would be spared a similar upheaval in retail.

Work-from-home, a fringe idea that had been paraded around for a decade or more leading up to the pandemic, and a questionable practice among many a nosy manager even now, has finally made it to the mainstream. The idea of a common office as a meeting space to be used occasionally, as and when the need arises, as opposed to a mandatory school farm requiring the daily trek to and fro, assembly, checking in and checking out, have all been thrown out the window in the case of many industries, especially in the services sector, which accounts for most value addition in modern economies.

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January 2021

Matters appear set to be confounded even further with the onset of technological innovations, such as edge computing, which aims to do the reverse of cloud computing; where previously, the cloud infrastructure served as a useful back-up and data repository to operations, which were still primarily location-based, the data is located at a central cloud, at the outset, with operational processes and decision-making decentralised and delegated to individual location-sites on a needs-only, access-only basis, thereby enabling wider and more comprehensive decentralisation and dispersion of value-addition processes. This has a multi-faceted effect on so many sectors, which were allied to the office, including road tolls and traffic management, fuel consumption, vehicle ownership, parking spaces, female participation in the workforce, office-area restaurants and shopping areas. Is it any wonder then that the carbon emissions in several towns and cities, especially in countries with predominant service sector economies, have come down remarkably in the period after the onset of the pandemic? With visions of the modern city leading up to the pandemic being built around the twin pillars of office districts and vehicle transportation, the onset of work-fromhome and other related technology-driven behavioral changes have the potential to completely overhaul the models of urban town planning and management in the near future. Gone, perhaps, are the days when every country, every district and every planning manager dreamt of conceiving a New York, a Shanghai, a Tokyo or a Hong Kong in their area of jurisdiction. Perhaps people will find better things to do with their lives than to spend a significant portion of it stuck inside traffic and elevators. A greater behavioral change, and perhaps one to have a generation-defining impact, will perhaps be on the automobile and people’s affinity to them. Every person taken off the road vehicle and on to an urban rail system, is a person taken off of the automobile economy and the entire revenue cycle built around vehicle usage.

Better urban transport and connectivity facilities on the supply side and the onset of novel work arrangements, such as work-from-home on the demand side, point to a cratering in the demand for automobiles at the mass, utility level.

Niche vehicles, such as sports cars will still draw in the enthusiasts, who have

the money to splurge, but as a utility, the opportunity cost of vehicle ownership will simply continue to rise and rise. This has grave implications. For many countries, the manufacturing of cars and associated paraphernalia has been the route to industrialisation and modernity – symbolic of their transformation from agrarian societies to industrial first then service sector-led societies. It is emblematic of their industrial prowess and their economic strength. Entire classes of society have been created with the automobile as their centre of gravity. Ownership of the automobile has been seen as a social mark of achievement – a significant stage in one’s life.

We have not even touched on the economy built around the need to fuel these machines. The combustion engine might have been the defining technology of the period between the 1880s and the 1990s, but it is being slowly replaced – with “it” being not merely the engine but the carriage itself. I sit around looking amused at zanier and zanier versions of automobiles being paraded in front of me through various media and on the roads, but in an age where every Fils or Cent has to be accounted for, I am finding that, perhaps, it will take much more to change my mind. I am not a techie – and I wouldn’t dare call myself too involved in the popular culture of the day – but even I find myself looking forward to the latest phone releases than the latest cars. It is in times like these that I find the relentless onslaught of propaganda about ever-increasing opportunities using the same approaches as before less and less appealing. I would short the entire economy built around the automobile.

To sum it up, the fog is simply too thick in the early days of 2021 to make sure-shot predictions. We can choose to rely on the lessons of the past; and the leading trends going into the time warp that was 2020. The way forward may be to look ahead while looking back, and be genuinely surprised and elated when a positive development takes place.

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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country report

covid

19

United States of America

these types of retrofits in place. I will give you an example. Two of our clients in the US requested ultraviolet lighting proposals to be retrofitted into their air handlers and FCUs. We put together the proposals and delivered them; however, neither has been approved yet due to the difficulties these buildings are facing financially due to delinquent tenant rent payments and occupancy.

Another interesting fact is that most of these IAQ retrofits are not intended to deliver energy savings. That is another hurdle to

A CO

getting these projects approved.

One last point – and I don't think this is limited to the US – customers in the UAE have also asked for ultraviolet lighting to be installed, and it is still difficult to get the approval here, for the same reasons mentioned earlier.

I

N VIEW OF THE SHIFTING POLITICAL LANDSCAPE, HOW WILL THE NEW ADMINISTRATION AFFECT THE COUNTRY’S COMMITMENT TO CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION?

It's going to be a complete 180 from the [Donald] Trump administration. In [Joe] Biden's plan, he mentions "a historic investment" in upgrading four million commercial buildings to return almost a quarter of the savings from retrofits to cash-strapped state and local governments.

Specifically, it says that he will "mobilize a trained and skilled American workforce to manufacture, install, service and maintain high-efficiency LED lighting, electric appliances, and advanced heating and cooling systems that run cleaner and less costly".

Given our focus on energy savings, I think that this will be great for business as well as

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January 2021

for building owners. Some suggest that large rebates may be involved to directly incentivise businesses and make it affordable to pursue these upgrades.

That being said, although the Trump administration was not at all focused on energy conservation, I found that individual building owners and managers were still pursuing these measures during the Trump administration. Most organisations in the US are interested in conserving energy and saving money. With government focus and incentives, it will just accelerate the demand.

IN VIEW OF COVID-19, DO YOU SEE A GREATER UPTAKE OF IAQ EQUIPMENT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY? Yes, for sure. However, these things come with a cost, and with COVID destroying the economy, there is going to have to be some kind of funding or incentives given to get

HAS THERE BEEN A HEAVIERTHAN-USUAL CONCENTRATION ON THE AIR SIDE OF THINGS FROM BUILDING OWNERS, TENANTS AND MANUFACTURERS? The EPA has recommended that guidance provided by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) for managing IAQ during the current pandemic be followed. ASHRAE’s statement is as follows: “Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through the air is sufficiently likely that airborne exposure to the virus should be controlled. Changes to building operations, including the operation of heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning systems, can reduce airborne exposures.”

The two solutions we have seen implemented in the buildings we service in the USA are AHU filter upgrades and increasing the intake of outside air into the building. Both of these changes are very effective and relatively easy to implement as well as low cost.

HOW HAS THE CHANGE IN OCCUPANCY PROFILE THROWN EVERYTHING INTO A STATE OF CHAOS IN TERMS OF COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY REQUIREMENTS? WILL THIS BE A DRIVING FORCE TOWARDS MORE RETROFIT PROJECTS? In terms of energy conservation measures, this has thrown everything into a state of chaos. One, the commercial buildings are hardly occupied, which has led to energy bills dropping dramatically. However, with less occupancy comes less rent, thus less money

MPLETE180 Dan Mizesko

Dan Mizesko, Managing Partner/President, U.S. Chiller Services International, speaks candidly on how the changing political landscape and occupancy trends, triggered by COVID-19, will impact the builtenvironment across the United States. Excerpts from the interview he gave to Hannah Jo Uy of Climate Control Middle East‌

to invest in retrofit projects. In addition, building owners, who are still looking for energy savings, are hesitant to move forward, because they are not sure if and when tenants will be returning to the buildings, so to be honest, unless it's a well-funded customer, this could actually slow the conservation efforts.

Residential buildings face the same issue.

People are leaving the dense, populated cities, preferring the suburbs right now, leaving residential multi-family buildings unoccupied and no rents being paid. Until we get herd immunity with the vaccine, and people are comfortable returning to the cities to work and live, this will continue to be challenging.

HOW HAVE THESE TRENDS POTENTIALLY INFLUENCED BUILDING OWNERS?

projects, given the current situation. However, some forward thinkers, with ability and the confidence that things will return to normal, are taking this time to invest in conservation efforts, so that when the buildings are occupied, they can take advantage of the maximum savings.

HAVE THERE BEEN EFFORTS TO RETROFIT AMONG SPECIALISED FACILITIES SUCH AS HEALTHCARE? At the moment, it is difficult to even get a meeting with a healthcare facility in the US. They are overwhelmed and have overcapacity with COVID patients and are focused on saving lives before anything else. Their priority right now is the conservation of life.

Has the pandemic finally trained the spotlight on the importance of having a balance between energy efficiency and IAQ? I think that yes, people will be investing in IAQ, or at least investigating their options, especially healthcare facilities and the like.

However, in my experience, to be honest, it's a tough sale, unless there's a Return on Investment (ROI) in the project. Having said that, UV lighting does have some energysaving benefits, so maybe a combination of IAQ and energy savings should be highlighted to the building owners in the presentation of these retrofit solutions.

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

Write to editor@cpi-industry.com

As I stated earlier, most building owners are hesitant even if they want to move forward on new

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35

James Brainard, Mayor of Carmel, Indiana, United States

CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE LARGER PICTURE OF FINANCES

Mayor James Brainard of the city of Carmel, in the US state of Indiana, is into his seventh consecutive term in office, a unique position to bring about serious change in energy use among his electorate.

A Republican, he is an advocate of the need to curb energy use and supports the Paris Agreement.

Here, in an exclusive interview to Surendar Balakrishnan of Climate Control Middle East magazine, he speaks of focusing on low-hanging fruit in addressing climate change and, at the same time, of being mindful of the need to protect those invested in the fossil fuel industry. Excerpts…

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January 2021

W

E HAVE SUCCEEDED ADMIRABLY IN OUR FIGHT AGAINST THE DEPLETION OF THE OZONE LAYER THROUGH COLLECTIVE EFFORT, THROUGH A COHESIVE, CONSENSUSBASED APPROACH OF FINDING ECONOMICALLY AND TECHNICALLY SOUND ALTERNATIVES TO OZONEDEPLETING REFRIGERANTS. HOW MUCH CONFIDENCE DO YOU TAKE FROM WHAT HAS BEEN A MARVELLOUS EXAMPLE OF SOCIAL COOPERATION?

We did the summit in the form of the Montreal Protocol over concerns of huge spike in cancer deaths, so it was a great example of world leaders coming together to study a problem, devise a solution and then go back to their countries to fix the problem.

It shows diplomacy and recognition of common challenges can be good.

IN THE SAME WAY, COULD WE NOT FIND A FINANCIALLY FEASIBLE, WELL-STRUCTURED LONG-TERM PLAN TO CURB THE WIDESPREAD MISUSE OF ENERGY AND GENERAL PROFLIGACY THROUGH STEADY AND SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENT IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL? You have identified the problem in the question, and we have to find the means of accomplishing this. We have to look at the larger picture of finances – the health impact of pollution; the cost of famines; the cost of relocation, if we have a rise in sea level, leading to the displacement of people from major cities; and the cost of possible conflicts arising out of this. But more specifically, we need to recognize many jobs are dependent on the fossil fuel industry. So, we can make those changes, but we have to recognize that we need to look out for investment of industry, we still need to fly airplanes. But, we have a saying in the US, ‘low- hanging fruit’.

So, there are many easy things we can do to clean the environment and reduce fossil fuel use, and those are what we can focus

on with recognising that we have to protect people’s jobs in the fossil fuel industry and that many are invested in the fossil fuel industry.

WOULD AN APPROACH OF SELF-FINANCING THE FIGHT AGAINST GLOBAL WARMING

BY DEVELOPING AN ENERGY BUDGET IN EVERY CITY, TOWN, STATE AND COUNTRY ACROSS THE WORLD BE A POSSIBLE WAY OUT, AS PROPOUNDED BY GEORGE BERBARI, THE CEO OF DC PRO ENGINEERING? I AM REFERRING TO A STRUCTURED, LONG-TERM CARROT-AND-STICK APPROACH, WHERE INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANISATIONS OCCUPYING RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS COULD BE REWARDED FOR BEING ENERGY EFFICIENT AND PENALISED FOR BEING

INEFFICIENT, WITH THE PENALTY BEING SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN THE REWARD TO CREATE A POSITIVE BUDGET, A SURPLUS, WHICH COULD BE USED FOR GIVING REBATES TO HOMEOWNERS FOR IMPROVING INSULATION, GLAZING, ETC., FOR DEVELOPING INFRASTRUCTURE TO LOWER PRIMARY ENERGY USE, FOR BUILDING THERMAL ENERGY NETWORKS, EVEN DISTRICT ENERGY SCHEMES… ANYTHING THAT WOULD EFFECTIVELY FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE. I think it would help. The colloquial shotgun approach, where we undertake to do a lot of small things. I think your idea of financial incentives and disincentives is good; and tied to that what needs to happen is disincentives need to increase over time and incentives need to go up and come down. It is certainly a system we need today. You could still pass laws, where each year, the incentives and disincentives change, to encourage disincentives to go up and incentives to go away. The tax system is also there. Or, it could be a separate tax, a carbon tax, and it has been discussed here since the late 1980s.

INITIATIVES, WHICH MIGHT ALSO BE VIEWED BY THE CITY’S INHABITANTS THAT MAKE THE ELECTORATE, AS ADDING TO EXISTING COSTS AND IMPAIRING THEIR PERSONAL AND CORPORATE COMPETITIVENESS. IN YOUR CASE, YOU ARE ONE OF THE LONGEST-SERVING MAYORS IN THE STATE, HAVING BEEN IN OFFICE SINCE 1996 OVER SEVEN CONSECUTIVE TERMS. DID THAT GIVE YOU A CANVAS TO PAINT A LONGTERM VISION? HOW EFFECTIVE WAS THE APPROACH? DID IT HELP YOU SHAPE REGULATION AND ENFORCEMENT AT A CITY LEVEL? WERE YOU ABLE TO RAISE GREATER AWARENESS ON THE HUMAN IMPACT ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND BRING ABOUT A CONSENSUS-BASED CHANGE IN ENERGY USE BEHAVIOUR IN CARMEL? We are a suburb of Indianapolis, which has a population of two million people. We are 100,000 people in Carmel. Now, places like Dubai and Doha require automobiles, owing to the urban sprawl. Generally, we need the automobile to go anywhere.

ECONOMISTS BELIEVE SUCH AN APPROACH TO CONSERVING PRIMARY ENERGY IS FEASIBLE, BUT DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED LOCAL AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LEADERS AND LOCAL MAYORS HAVE LIMITED TERMS AND, GENERALLY SPEAKING, GIVE PRIORITY TO SHORTTERM PROBLEMS, THE SOLVING OF WHICH GIVES THEM IMMEDIATE POLITICAL BENEFITS, AS OPPOSED TO DECADES-LONG AND DAUNTING TASK OF CURBING ENERGY USE THROUGH A FINANCIAL MECHANISM AND OTHER

Mayor James Brainard

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37

James Brainard, Mayor of Carmel, Indiana, United States

We have looked at the problem and have a series of PPPs, where one can live, work, go to restaurant and engage in recreational activities without having to get into an automobile and, as a result, lower the consumption of fuel.

The average American spends two hours a day in automobiles, but in Carmel, businesses, houses, schools are all here.

We have adopted land use development differently, so people can live, work and go to a restaurant all in the same area, and we tried to design our downtown not for automobiles, and it has cut down fuel use. In Carmel, it is 15 minutes to half an hour of automobile use per person, so it is much, much less [than the national average].

We have a legal structure in the state of Indiana that makes decisions on building codes, and they have done less than what I would like to see, but we have contract to have a much more efficient build. We have the example of the Energy Center in Carmel. We have cold winters and hot summers in Carmel, and we are using energy all year long to either heat or cool our buildings. And if you have an individual heating or cooling system, it starts and stops and is energy inefficient.

And so, we have developed the Energy Center in the city, and it uses 50% less energy. And we would like to see this being applied across the city.

IF ENERGY IS SCARCE AND ITS EXCESSIVE USE DAMAGING TO THE ENVIRONMENT, SHOULD PEOPLE BE ALLOWED TO CONSUME AS MUCH AS THEY WANT TO, AS LONG AS THEY ARE PAYING FOR IT? SHOULD AFFORDABILITY BE THE SOLE FACTOR? COULD WE CHANGE THAT MINDSET AND, AT THE SAME TIME, TAKE CARE NOT TO INFRINGE ON PERSONAL FREEDOM AND QUALITY OF LIFE? I have thought about it, and I believe in a capitalistic and free market approach.

And there is a way to fix it, which is you pay USD 10, say, for 100 units of use, USD 15 for the next 100 units, and USD 20 for the next 100 units. And so the more you use, the higher the price. And it is a good system, because it penalizes the people to use it, and at the same time, they have the freedom to use it. In the case of steel production, maybe that may be very important for the economy and jobs, and so there should be a different model. You have to look at the situation, where we can improve the environment, decrease carbon and increase quality of life.

HAVE YOU ESTABLISHED A CARBON NEUTRALITY GOAL FOR CARMEL, LIKE COPENHAGEN, FOR INSTANCE, WHERE WE ARE SEEING A CONSENSUSBASED APPROACH INVOLVING ALL POLITICAL PARTIES, UNDERPINNED BY THE THOUGHT PROCESS THAT ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION NEEDS TO BE BIPARTISAN IN NATURE? OR ARE THE POLITICAL DYNAMICS DIFFERENT IN THE UNITED STATES? It's a good question. Our city is mainly Republican, and is fiscally and economically conservative. Some years ago, a seven-member council introduced a carbon neutrality goal, which is not mandated, however. We know we will get there, because the technology is there. It is not time

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bound. It is a legislative body that passed a law that laid out a carbon neutrality goal.

We have been measuring progress in reducing carbon. Every year, we are measuring how much energy the city is using on a per capita basis, because the city is growing. I don’t know if we have done enough yet, but we are making progress. I firmly believe technology will save us.

THE FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE NEEDS TO BE A NONPARTISAN EFFORT WITHIN CITIES, STATES AND NATIONS. WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS A VASTLY POLARISING VIEW WITHIN THE UNITED STATES. WITH JOE BIDEN SET TO TAKE THE REINS, HOW SOON CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE THE UNITED STATES ALIGNING ITSELF IN A MORE PROFOUND MANNER WITH THE PARIS AGREEMENT? I am a Republican, and my undergraduate degree was in history, so I tend to think not today but historically. At the turn of the century, Ted Roosevelt, a Republican, set aside millions of acres in the US for the National Parks system. And President Eisenhower in 1952 established the Arctic Reserve in Alaska, and he was Republican, as well. And President Nixon was the one who set up the federal EPA. Republicans signed a law that amended our Clean Water Act. They passed a whole series of environmental laws. President Reagan led on the Montreal Protocol for the ozone protection initiative. George HW Bush and George Bush came from a state that produces a lot of oil, and yet they established a system of hundreds of windmills. Over 120 years, Republicans and Democrats have come together in a non-partisan manner. And they will come back; this anomaly has been only for a sort period of time. Clean air and water are non-partisan issues. Disagreement will come only in terms of jobs.

ON DECEMBER 11, 2020, THE UNITED STATES OBSERVED A NEW DAILY DEATH RECORD OF 3,055 INDIVIDUALS, MORE THAN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO DIED IN PEARL HARBOUR OR THE SEPTEMBER 11 ATTACKS ON THE TWIN TOWERS IN NEW YORK CITY. THE CORONAVIRUS CASES HAVE RISEN SHARPLY IN CARMEL, AS THEY HAVE ELSEWHERE IN INDIANA AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY. WHAT MEASURES HAVE YOU TAKEN

IN CARMEL TO SAFEGUARD RESIDENTS THROUGH BETTER INDOOR AIR QUALITY (IAQ), WITH SCIENCE ADVOCATING MORE FRESH AIR CHANGES AND MAINTAINING RELATIVE HUMIDITY BETWEEN 40% AND 60% IN BUILDINGS? I think one good thing that has come from the pandemic is recognition of IAQ being important, and there are great many entrepreneurs in the US selling systems that clean the air. Our City Hall operates a new system that every few minutes recycles the air and filters and cleans the air in the building; and it is energy efficient. And building owners throughout the US are adopting this. I see this as a positive thing that has emerged.

I have put a taskforce in Carmel. We also have generated messages through emails

and print newsletters and social media. We have used an entire gamut of ways to talk to people, not just about IAQ but also about things to do to handle the pandemic in a better way. Our city had done a good job till the first week of October, testing and quarantining people. It worked through summer, but when people came indoors when the temperatures fell, it went bad. We had our first set of vaccinations, yesterday, so we hope to be in good shape by March or April 2021(Editor's Note: The interview with Mayor Brainard took place on December 15, 2020).

THERE ARE THOSE THAT ARE SAYING BUILDING INDUSTRY STAKEHOLDERS SIMPLY NEED TO REVERSE THE POLARITY ON THEIR THINKING WHEN IT COMES TO BUDGETING FOR

INDOOR AIR QUALITY AND THAT WE NEED TO RAISE BUILDINGS FIT FOR PURPOSE. Yes, it’s a good point. Energy for buildings is important, but I think IAQ is something that would work very well. We have tax incentive to make buildings more energy efficient, and over time if building owners do not take action, a penalty would start; and simultaneously, there will be a reduction in taxes for people who make more energyefficient buildings. And that puts the burden away from the average taxpayer. Yes, I do believe in an incentive and disincentive system for establishing good IAQ.

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

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39

REGIONAL NEWS

District cooling utility, Empower wins two Golden Bridge Awards

Gets Gold Winner Award in Company of the Year in the Energy and Utilities category; company’s CEO wins Gold Winner Award for ‘Executive Achievement of the Year’ in the same category

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By CCME Content Team

mirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) has won two Gold Awards in the 12th edition of the Annual Golden Bridge Business and Innovation Awards 2020, the district cooling utility said through a Press release. The winners received their awards during a virtual awards ceremony, on December 10.

Empower said it earned recognition as the Gold Winner for ’Company of the Year’ in the Energy and Utilities category for its impressive achievements in 2019, including the practical innovations in developing the district cooling industry in the world and raising the standards of sustainability in the sector.

Additionally, Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO, Empower, received the honour, Gold Winner Award for ‘Executive Achievement of the Year’ in the Energy & Utilities category, in recognition of his pioneering contribution in encouraging the region to adopt district cooling concepts and his prominent role in leading Empower to become the world's largest district cooling services provider, the district cooling utility said.

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Ahmad Bin Shafar

Previously, Bin Shafar was named as the ‘2018 IDEA Global Leader’, in recognition of his efforts for the enhancement of district cooling sector and his support towards global strives for a better environment. In 2017, he was also appointed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as a special advisor on district cooling for its global 'District Energy in Cities Initiative'.

On this occasion, Bin Shafar said: “The winning of these two Golden Bridge Awards is an inducement for our work teams to move forward in making a qualitative difference. It is also an international recognition for Empower's efforts in transforming the space cooling industry, globally, and an encouragement for decision-makers to adopt district cooling solutions and apply integrated green practices.”

Bin Shafar spoke of how Empower is pioneering in the District Cooling sector locally and internationally. The company’s efforts and the leading role in the industry also led to the crowning of Dubai as the ‘Champion City’ for district cooling globally, on the sidelines of the 8th International District Energy Association (IDEA) Annual Conference, held in December 2018.

Empower said it has bagged many international awards, as a reflection of its determination and leadership and its ability to innovate solutions and technologies in the district cooling industry. The world’s first unmanned and fully automated district cooling plant it established in the JVC Dubai community is an example of innovative practices, the district cooling utility said.

Empower spoke of how it is a partner of UNEP and plays a vital role in UN-led global initiatives, ‘Cool Coalition’ and ‘District Energy in Cities’. Empower said it is also a member of international bodies of district energy and HVAC industries, such as ASHRAE and IDEA (International District Energy Association).

Bin Shafar added that the company’s success in achieving huge savings, in terms of energy, and protection of natural resources, is the fruit of its ongoing commitment to contribute in building a sustainable future based on a diversified economy and zero carbon emissions. Empower said it saved 1,224MW of electricity, worth AED 3.2 billion, as of the end of 2019.

The company’s total district cooling networks, it said, crossed 320 kilometres. It added that it awarded contracts to various companies at a total value of AED1.13 billion in 2019.

Dubai’s IBC group UPS delivers Pfizer invests CAD $8 million vaccine in Saudi in Canadian FM Arabia software company IBC group says its investment into proptech firm, SITEFY, marks a growing trend for cloud-based facilities management platforms

Says it has spent months developing new products, agile approaches and new capabilities to ensure it is fully prepared to deliver the vaccine at the right time, at the right temperature

By CCME Content Team

I

By CCME Content Team

BC group has announced investing approximately CAD $8 million – at a pre-money evaluation of CAD 21 million – into Canadian facilities management software platform, SITEFY. A proptech solution, SITEFY will assist commercial real estate owners and facility managers in streamlining daily building operations and proactively manage their real estate assets, IBC said through a Press release.

According to IBC, the senior management team at SITEFY brings to the table over 35 years of experience and global best practices in real estate management. SITEFY increases transparency and accountability by leveraging real-time data and analysis to help building owners and FMs in proactive management of their real estate portfolios, IBC said.

“The SITEFY software platform is a truly versatile and powerful solution that can generate huge efficiencies in real estate operations,” said Khurram Shroff, Chairman, IBC Group. “The idea is to introduce SITEFY’s technology software to the Dubai market and implement it in all our buildings, as well as to make it available to the regional developer community. We believe that the solution can be a game changer that unlocks significant returns for property owners, and our plan is to take the platform to the GCC, African and Israeli markets, as well.”

According to IBC, the SITEFY software platform gives building owners, facility managers and their workforces access to real-time asset management, vendor management, unit management, sanitisation management and preventative maintenance, in the palm of their hand. As part of its many benefits, the solution automates the generation and assignment of workflows; enables assured compliance with Fire, Life and Safety procedures; and ensures the verifiable and digitally monitored sanitisation of properties, IBC said.

Saleem Moosa, CEO, SITEFY, said: “Data-derived intelligence is transforming the management of real estate assets, globally.

The team at the helm of SITEFY understands how property managers and owners juggle multiple deadlines – more so, in the post-pandemic new normal. Therefore, the platform is powered with data management and analytics to maximize property value and operational efficiency, as well as help building owners and managers adhere strictly to mandated guidelines, while managing properties remotely if required.”

U

PS said it has successfully delivered the first batches of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia, to support vaccinations of first citizens and expatriates. Making the announcement through a Press release, UPS said Saudi Arabia Rachid Fergati is the first Arab country to roll out the PfizerBioNTech jab, marking a breakthrough milestone in the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rachid Fergati, UPS Managing Director for Middle East and the Indian subcontinent, said: “UPS has proudly delivered the first batches of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to Saudi Arabia, to support vaccinations of first citizens and expatriates in the country.

“Saudi Arabia is the first country in the Middle East that we are serving, and we are in position to continue delivering what matters to help stamp out the pandemic in the region.

“We have spent months developing new products, agile approaches and new capabilities to ensure we are fully prepared to deliver the vaccine at the right time, at the right temperature to communities all over the world, especially here in the region.

We are honored to work with UPS Healthcare partners in other countries to help deliver what matters in these times.”

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41

REGIONAL NEWS

Netix bags contract to upgrade and maintain Mazaya Building automation solutions company will maintain three properties using its IoT- and AI-based open-protocol solutions

•

• •

Preventive and predictive maintenance of critical assets like HVAC Reduced dependency on vendors and OEMs Programmability and interoperability, for new services

By CCME Content Team

Sanjeevv Bhatia

Samer Ganni

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etix Global BV, a SB Group International subsidiary specialising in vendor-neutral building automation solutions, said it has been awarded a contract by SAGA International Owners Association Management Services, a real estate management company with diversified investments and projects across the Middle East, to upgrade and integrate the operations and maintenance of Mazaya Business Avenue, in Dubai and comprising three towers.

According to Netix, Mazaya Business Avenue Jointly Owned Property is an existing patron of ODS Global, a sister company of Netix Global BV that offers integrated building management services.

The new contract, Netix said, reflects SAGA International’s continued faith in SB Group International and its subsidiaries, during an inflexion point in the industry, marked by increased tech adoption and strategic partnerships.

Netix said the three towers, which are currently equipped with ODS Global’ BMS maintenance and automation systems, will undergo vendor-agnostic integration and consolidation of operational data, via its intelligent Integrated Command & Control Centre (iICCC). IoT-based integration of BMS and multi-OEM assets leads to improved services, reduced operational costs, optimal resource utilisation and exceptional performance, Netix said.

According to Netix, its iICCC process involves installation and integration of IoTand AI-based smart devices, to enable: • Hands-on, centralised control over portfolio data and operations • Real-time analytics insights, to enable data-driven decision making

Kingspan Insulation launches product for external ductwork applications Company says the KDuct incorporates its preclad ductwork system, made of thermoset, fibrefree pre-insulated duct board with a heavy-duty outer jacket

By CCME Content Team

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January 2021

"The multifaceted challenges encountered by the commercial real estate industry during the pandemic have led to a focus on techenabled integration of building operations and management," said Sanjeevv Bhatia, Chairman, SB Group. "Netix's enterprisescale platform will allow Mazaya Business Avenue Jointly Owned Property to maximize efficiencies and savings on its existing BMS infrastructure, while unlocking enhanced experiences for occupants."

Samer Ganni, Managing Director, SAGA International Owners Association Management Services, reiterated the need for intelligent, insight-led building operations, saying, "Vendor lock-in and reactive maintenance of individual equipment are at odds with present-day circumstances, which demand responsiveness, remote capabilities and seamless interoperability.

“Our prior association with ODS Global, and a first-hand perspective on achievable outcomes, contributed to our decision to extend the partnership with the SB group International. We are looking forward to implementing an integrated and connected operational model, with the help of Netix Global."

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ingspan Insulation launched the KDuct, which the company described in a Press release as catering to external ductwork applications.

According to the company, the KDuct Sarmad Fakhri incorporates its pre-clad ductwork system, made of thermoset, fibre-free preinsulated duct board with a heavy-duty outer jacket. The company described the product as ideal for external applications, plantrooms, risers, congested spaces and lightweight specifications. The KDuct, Kingspan claimed, offers high performance, rigid, closed-cell insulation core, manufactured with a blowing agent with zero Ozone Depleting Potential (ODP) and low Global Warming Potential (GWP). At the same time, it said, the panels are faced on both sides with an embossed

UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment underscores commitment to food safety

Says it has implemented an integrated approach to enhancing food safety and security in the country

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By CCME Content Team

he UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MOCCAE) has stressed that the safety of foodstuffs, whether produced locally or imported, is among its highest priorities. In this context, the Ministry has implemented an integrated approach to enhancing food safety and security in the UAE, it announced through a Press release.

His Excellency Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment, said: “We aim to boost the UAE’s position as a regional and global trade hub for food products through applying the highest standards of food safety to locally produced and imported foods. In addition to keeping food-borne diseases at bay, our food safety controls and measures boost the competitiveness of food products exported and re-exported by the UAE.” His Excellency Eng Saif Al Shara, Assistant Undersecretary for the Sustainable Communities Sector and Acting Assistant

Undersecretary for the Food Diversity Sector, noted that a key pillar of food safety is the accreditation of slaughterhouses exporting meat and meat products to the UAE. He said: “MOCCAE, in collaboration with its stakeholders, works relentlessly to boost the safety of imported foods, and safeguard consumers from harmful and adulterated foods through a host of regulations and processes covering all stages of the supply chain. These include implementing worldclass food safety standards, issuing relevant laws, establishing intel exchange mechanisms with the concerned local and international entities, upgrading food safety control procedures, and raising public awareness about sound food-related practices.”

His Excellency Eng Al Shara explained the accreditation process applicable to slaughterhouses that export meat and meat products to the UAE, aimed at ensuring they uphold the halal criteria for animal slaughter.

MOCCAE, he said, has contracted trusted organisations overseas to inspect the meat production process at the facilities and submit technical reports to the National Food Safety Committee, comprising experts from the Ministry and local food control authorities from all emirates. After reviewing the reports, the Committee makes recommendations to MOCCAE regarding the accreditation of each slaughterhouse.

According to the Press release, in case the reports issued by the overseas entities or by the border inspection team testify to the slaughterhouse’s failure to adhere to the health or halal requirements, the Ministry immediately revokes its accreditation.

His Excellency Eng Al Shara emphasised that given the high demand for meat and meat products in the UAE, their safety for consumption is a priority for MOCCAE. In this context, the Ministry verifies the documents accompanying inbound consignments shipped by accredited slaughterhouses, such as halal certificates, certificates of origin, and health certificates.

It also conducts physical and laboratory tests on samples from shipments, and takes action against those who trade in food products that are non-compliant with food safety regulations or shariah rules.

aluminium foil. The new product line would provide ultra-strength and rigidness; cost-savings over traditional exterior ductwork; extra-low air leakage, which does not allow conditioned air to escape; and high-compressive strength, among several other benefits, the company said.

Sarmad Fakhri, Managing Director, Kingspan Insulation, said, “KDuct Ductwork system would help our customers to save extra cost and time due to its lightweight and single-fix properties.” Unlike the traditional approach to ductwork construction, which requires sections to be lagged with insulation, once installed, the KDuct panels are pre-insulated with a highperformance insulation core, the company said. This single-fix and lightweight design, the company added, reduces installation time and transfers the cost benefits to the building owners.

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43

REGIONAL NEWS

Al Salem Johnson Controls offers support to cold stores in Saudi Arabia for holding COVID-19 vaccines

Says it is coming forward to equip industrial cold stores with latest technologies to ensure temperature requirements of different vaccine manufacturers

By CCME Content Team

AL

Salem Johnson Controls said it is offering its expertise to support the health sector and pharmaceutical companies in equipping industrial cold stores with the latest technologies, through systems that ensure temperatures set by each COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer.

The company made the announcement against the backdrop of countries the world over, including Saudi Arabia, rolling out vaccination drives, and health and of logistics sectors and pharmaceutical companies the world over preparing their cold storage solutions across the chain to ensure safe and efficient transportation and storage of the COVID-19 vaccines at very low temperatures, ranging between -20 and -70 degrees Celsius.

Al Salem Johnson Controls quoted one of the vaccine manufacturers, Moderna as stressing that its vaccine must be kept at a freezing temperature of -20 degrees Celsius for long-term storage (up to six months); the vaccine can be stored for 30 days at a temperature ranging between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius. The company quoted Pfizer as saying that its BioNTech vaccine requires to be stored at -70 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, the preservation and storage temperature of the Russian vaccine, Sputnik V, ranges between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius, the company said.

It said that it has a track record of providing integrated solutions in HVACR, fire, safety & security systems and building management systems in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon and Yemen, and that it has extensive experience in the field of industrial refrigeration and the implementation of cold store projects, as well as in customising and engineering refrigeration solutions to suit the requirements of each project, depending on the nature and needs of the materials being stored.

The company said it has vast experience in the customisation, design and development of industrial refrigeration projects, and has

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implemented a number of large projects in several cities across the Kingdom, in various sectors, including logistics centres, refrigeration warehouses, meat and poultry factories, storage facilities for fruits & vegetables, processed food factories, water and beverages factories, and medicine and dairy plants.

It said that among the key industrial refrigeration projects and cold stores it has implemented are Shahini Holding Group in Riyadh, Transmed Distribution Company, Naqel Express, Al Rabie Saudi Foods Company, and three dairy and ice cream factories of the Saudi Dairy and Food Company (SADAFCO).

Industrial refrigeration, the company noted, is not a standard system that can be used for all projects; it requires a thorough study of the project's facilities, utilisations and nature of work. In manufacturing facilities, it is crucial to determine if the system will be used to cool the facility, the production lines or both, the company said. Therefore, as a first step, its industrial refrigeration engineers visit and study the site from all aspects, then design and develop a system according to its cooling requirements, it added.

Al Salem Johnson Controls stated that its 29 years partnership as a JV with Johnson Controls International enables it to provide its customers with the latest technologies and to transfer the global expertise available to the Kingdom. Recently, Johnson Controls International was part of a team designing, developing and implementing a cold store at the Danish Odense University Hospital, by merging two industrial refrigeration systems that use ammonia and methane, to reach the required cooling of the cold store, spreading across an area of 352 square metres, Al Salem Johnson Controls said. The system, it said, can reach a temperature of -80 degrees Celsius, which is close to the temperature needed to preserve and store COVID-19 vaccines. The system, it added, uses SABROE Chillers, which offers industrial refrigeration solutions, under the umbrella of Johnson Controls International.

Honeywell highlights role of digital solutions in combating illicit trade of refrigerants Company representative discusses growing use of the recently launched Genetron App and the mindset driving the adoption of HFOs in Middle East and Africa

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By Hannah Jo Uy | Contributing Editor

he key problem we aim to address is the distribution of counterfeit refrigerants, which is a menace to society, said Amir Naqvi, Business Leader, Turkey, Middle East and Africa, Honeywell. Digital solutions play an Amir Naqvi important role in this space, said Naqvi, who highlighted the value of the company’s Genetron App, which was recently launched in phases across the Middle East. The App, he said, serves as a platform that connects the industry to technicians buying the refrigerant in an effort to mitigate the illicit trade of counterfeits, which lead to issues affecting the life and efficiency of installed equipment and, most importantly, the safety of the people using and operating cooling systems.

Naqvi pointed out that Honeywell’s engagement with technicians through the App is vital in view of the evolving regulatory landscape across the MENA region, which is seeing the gradual phase out of CFCs and growing use of new technologies. “Different regions have different regulations in the Middle East, all of which are impacted by the HFC phase out, following Kigali amendment,” he said. Naqvi added that the company aims to facilitate a technology transfer among Europe, the United States and other parts of the world and provide technicians with the opportunity to stay informed and up to date with the latest information on new technologies.

Naqvi said the move towards digital platforms and solutions benefited the company following the pandemic, as it helped Honeywell maintain its relations with customers despite lockdown measures. Connectivity, he said, was key, and the App, along with proactive campaigns through webinars, helped provide a channel to communicate with customers, including contractors, resellers and trade partners. “The key focus is end users,” he said, “the people

who deal with refrigerants, remotely servicing air conditioners, supermarkets and a lot of the industry experts. The overall idea is to increase the registrations to get people on the App, because the more people you have the more people scan, it gives us an idea to reduce the counterfeits.”

Naqvi said the company has received good feedback from customers since the launch of the App. “We had old packaging that was phased down and the new packaging has the App feature,” he explained. “We have requests coming in from different parts in the Middle East region to switch to this new packaging that saves a lot. The trade partners that are resellers, they see a lot of value in it. He added that adoption is also growing involuntarily even in areas, such as Africa, where the company has not actively marketed the App. Naqvi said this is an indication that there is a positive momentum towards the right type of refrigerants.

“As you know, the HFC phase out deadline in the Middle East is pretty far compared to regions like Europe, where they have been pretty aggressive.

But what I see is that irrespective of regulation, what is driving the market is the need for technology and knowledge transfer.” Naqvi pointed out that supermarkets in Europe have banned the use of refrigerants with high GWP, such as 404a. However, he said, in the Middle East, although refrigerants such as 404a are still allowed, many supermarkets are opting for environmentally friendly options. “People see the value of leaping from HFCs to HFOs, because it doesn’t only help with environmental goals but also with energy efficiency. The refrigerants industry is automatically more connected than ever, and the App just adds to that.”

Naqvi said that for App users in the UAE, the company is offering a loyalty programme that allows customers to scan and earn points to reach different categories that would allow them to encash these points against refrigerants. “We are excited – the whole idea is to get more people to register and more end users to scan products, which will drive and reward customers for using the product.”

LOOKING FOR REFRIGERATION PRODUCTS?

www.refrigbuyersguide.com The largest database of refrigeration products & suppliers in the Middle East TO LIST YOUR COMPANY FOR FREE, VISIT: www.refrigbuyersguide.com/register FOR ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES, EMAIL: advertising@cpi-industry.com

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45

GLOBAL NEWS

Buildings-related emissions hit record high: UN

Including construction, building sector now accounts for 38% of all CO2 emissions, body says, adding direct building CO2 emissions need to halve by 2030 to get on track for net-zero-carbon building stock by 2050

By CCME Content Team

E

missions from the operation of buildings hit their highest-ever level in 2019, moving the sector further away from fulfilling its huge potential to slow climate change and contribute significantly to the goals of the Paris Agreement, according to a new report released on December 16.

However, pandemic recovery packages provide an opportunity to push deep building renovation and performance standards for newly constructed buildings, and rapidly cut emissions. The forthcoming updating of climate pledges under the Paris Agreement – known as nationally determined contributions, or NDCs – also offer an opportunity to sharpen existing measures and include new commitments on the buildings and construction sector.

The 2020 Global Status Report for Buildings and Construction, from the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC), found that while global building energy consumption remained steady, year-on-year, energyrelated CO2 emissions increased to 9.95 GtCO2 in 2019. This increase was due to a shift away from the direct use of coal, oil and traditional biomass towards electricity, which had a higher carbon content due to the high proportion of fossil fuels used in generation.

When adding emissions from the building construction industry on top of operational emissions, the sector accounted for 38% of total global energy-related CO2 emissions.

"Rising emissions in the buildings and construction sector emphasize the urgent need for a triple strategy to

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aggressively reduce energy demand in the built environment, decarbonize the power sector and implement materials strategies that reduce lifecycle carbon emissions," said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

"Green recovery packages can provide the spark that will get us moving rapidly in the right direction. Moving the buildings and construction sector onto a low-carbon pathway will slow climate change and deliver strong economic recovery benefits, so it should be a clear priority for all governments."

To get on track to net-zero-carbon building stock by 2050, the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that direct building CO2 emissions need, by 2030, to fall by 50% and indirect building sector emissions by 60%. This equates to building sector emissions falling by around six per cent per year until 2030, close to the seven per cent decrease in 2020 global energy sector CO2 emissions due to the pandemic.

Worryingly, the GlobalABC's new Buildings Climate Tracker – which considers measures, such as incremental energy efficiency investment in buildings and the share of renewable energy in global buildings – finds that the rate of annual improvement is decreasing. It, in fact, halved between 2016 and 2019. To get the buildings sector on track to achieving net-zero-carbon by 2050, all actors across the buildings value chain need to increase decarbonization actions and their impact by a factor of five.

Even though progress in efficiency efforts has not kept up with an increase in sectoral growth, there are positive signs and opportunities to catch up on climate action, the report finds.

Green recovery potential The recent Emissions Gap Report 2020 from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) found that a green pandemic recovery could cut up to 25% off predicted 2030 greenhouse gas emissions and bring the world closer to meeting the 2 degrees C goal of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change; much more needs to be done to get to the 1.5 degrees C goal, though.

Governments can help achieve these gains by systematically including building decarbonization measures into recovery packages – increasing renovation rates, channelling investment into low-carbon buildings, providing jobs and increasing real estate value.

While construction activities have dropped by 20-30% in 2020 compared to 2019 as a result of the pandemic and around 10% of overall jobs have been lost or are at risk across the building construction sector, stimulus programmes for the building and

construction sector can create jobs, boost economic activity and activate local value chains. Under its Sustainable Recovery Plan, the IEA estimates that up to 30 jobs in manufacturing and construction would be created for every million dollars invested in retrofits or efficiency measures in new builds.

"Buildings are a strategic sector to simultaneously address various global challenges, such as climate change, the economic crisis resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, [and the need to] improve living conditions and the resilience of our cities. For Mexico, the implementation of mitigation measures that improve the thermal and energy performance of buildings is a key ingredient for sustainability," said Sergio Israel Mendoza, General Director of Environmental, Urban and Tourism Promotion, Mexico's Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT).

NDC updates open window for faster action Most countries have yet to submit their second NDCs. Buildings remain a major area that lacks specific mitigation policies, despite its importance to global CO2 emissions. Of those who have submitted an NDC, 136 countries mention buildings, 53 countries mention building energy efficiency, and only 38 specifically call out building energy codes.

National governments must step up commitments in NDCs, longerterm climate strategies and support for regulation to spur uptake of net-zero-emissions buildings. This means prioritizing performancebased, mandatory building energy codes alongside widespread certification measures and working closely with sub-national governments to facilitate adoption and implementation.

"We urgently need to address carbon emissions from buildings and construction, which constitute almost 40% of global carbon

emissions,� said Nigel Topping, United Kingdom High-Level Climate Champion. “We must give governments visibility of this at COP26 to inspire policies and decisions that result in the significant decarbonisation of this sector. We need to challenge the incumbency of steel and concrete. Whether or not zero carbon steel and concrete become the materials of the future will depend on how fast those industries innovate in the face of new and disruptive technologies. We have some far-reaching commitments under the Science-Based Targets Initiative by leading materials companies, which can serve as examples pushing the industry to go further, together."

Energy-efficient building investment rising In 2019, spending on energy-efficient buildings increased for the first time in three years, with building energy efficiency across global markets increasing to USD 152 billion in 2019, three per cent more than the previous year.

This is only a small proportion of the USD 5.8 trillion spent in total in the building and construction sector, but there are positive signs across the investment sector that building decarbonization and energy efficiency are taking hold in investment strategies.

For example, of the 1,005 real estate companies, developers, REITS, and funds representing more than USD 4.1 trillion in assets under management that reported to The Global ESG Benchmark for Real Assets in 2019, 90% aligned their projects with green building rating standards for construction and operations.

Green buildings represent one of the biggest global investment opportunities of the next decade, estimated by the IFC to be USD 24.7 trillion by 2030.

Further recommendations Aside from calling for a green recovery, post-pandemic, and updated NDCs, the report recommends that owners and businesses use science-based targets to guide actions and engage with stakeholders across the building design, construction, operation and users to develop partnerships and build capacity.

Investors should reevaluate all real estate investment through an energy-efficiency and carbon reduction lens.

Other actors across the value chain should adopt circular economy concepts to reduce the demand for construction materials and lower embodied carbon.

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GLOBAL NEWS

Waste heat from London Underground supplies District Heating to Islington GEA says a 1,000 kW ammonia heat pump it developed and manufactured is doing the job

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By CCME Content Team

to the ammonia in the air, as it would be absorbed in the scrubber before being vented to ambient. The use of heat pumps is much more environmentally friendly than the use of gas boilers, especially in big cities, as they do not emit nitrogen oxides (NOx). Heat pumps, therefore, lead to cleaner air in cities and pay off financially.

Moreover, ammonia is a natural refrigerant that does GEA heat pump system installed at Bunhill 2 Energy Centre, Islington, not contribute to global central London. (Photo: Islington Council) warming.”

Paddy McGuinness, Managing Director, Colloide Engineering pumped through a 1.5-kilometre network of Systems, said: “Colloide has been involved district heating pipes, which provide heating in several renewable energy projects. We to various buildings in the neighbourhood. partnered with GEA on this project, given GEA said the heat pump system it their knowledge of ammonia refrigeration developed and manufactured consists of and heat pump technology. Based on a combined evaporator/separator, three GEA’s experience, 95% of the industrial compressors and four heat exchangers in the refrigeration plants installed over the last 10 heating circuit. The heat exchangers, GEA years have been ammonia based. Increased said, optimise the heating circuit according pressure to reduce energy bills for end users to criteria based on the return of heating is driving a lot of interest in ammonia heat water at 55 degrees Celsius and the supply pumps.” up to 80 degrees C. According to GEA, the Bunhill 2 Energy A key challenge in finalising the system Centre now connects an additional 550 design was the extensive testing required homes and a primary school to the existing to ensure that any dust or dirt sucked into Bunhill Heat and Power district heating the ventilation air would not clog the heat network, launched by the Islington Council exchanger coil, GEA said. in 2012. The heating costs for residents “Since the project was located next connected to the network will be cut by 10%, to a residential building, the installation when compared to other existing communal also included a scrubber technology to heating systems, which themselves cost filter the ventilation air from the plant around half as much as standalone systems room,” said Kenneth Hoffmann, Product for heating individual homes, GEA said. The Manager for Heat Pumps, GEA Refrigeration new system is a win-win for the environment Technologies. “In the very unlikely event of and for the residents of Islington and aligns a small amount of the natural refrigerant, with the Council’s aim to end fuel poverty, ammonia escaping into the plant room, GEA added. the local residents would not be exposed

he Bunhill Heat and Power Network project, in central London, uses waste heat from the London Underground network to supply heat and hot water to 1,350 homes, a school and two leisure centres in Islington, as part of Islington Borough Council’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions and achieve CO2 neutrality by 2030.

GEA, in partnership with the main contractor, Colloide Engineering Systems, supplied a purpose-built heat pump solution for the project. The Bunhill 2 Energy Centre, GEA said, represents a real blueprint for the use of waste heat from public facilities, taking advantage of state-of-the-art technology on the site of the former City Road London Underground station, which was decommissioned nearly 100 years ago. The remains of the station, GEA said, have now been converted into a massive underground air extraction system that draws warm air from the tunnels underneath, still used by the London Underground's Northern Line In close cooperation with Islington Council, Transport for London and Colloide, GEA installed a 1000 kW ammonia heat pump, housed within a container at street level. The heat pump, GEA said, extracts the energy from warm exhaust air from the underground tunnels. The slightly cooler air is vented to the ambient, and the rest is harnessed as energy and Exterior of Bunhill 2 Energy Centre, Islington, central used to heat-up water through London. (Photo: Islington Council) the heat pump, which is then

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Kenneth Hoffmann (left) and Iain Eckett (right) at Bunhill 2 Energy Centre, Islington, central London

The heating system is particularly environmentally friendly, as it reuses heat that would otherwise be wasted, GEA said. Supplying the connected households and public facilities with the upgraded waste heat will help to reduce CO2 emissions in the Islington Borough by around 500 tons per year, GEA said.

“Thanks to the cooperation of all involved, this is a ground-breaking district heating scheme,” said Shaun Hannon, Contracts Manager, Colloide.

“The main technology used is the ammonia heat pump, and as a result, this project provides cheaper, greener energy for the local community.”

Iain Eckett, Technical Sales Manager, Refrigeration Technologies, GEA UK, said: "This was a very ambitious task. But, we have shown

that GEA has the knowledge, the technology and the ability to successfully implement innovative projects to generate cleaner and cheaper heating.

We offer the most efficient solution at an attractive price."

The principle of heat recovery using heat pumps can be applied in London and in underground networks all around the world, GEA said, adding that London alone has more than 150 ventilation shafts, where waste heat could potentially be recovered.

Project data Start: 2017 Completion: 2019 Opening: 2020 Gross internal floor area: 617m² Contract: JCT Design and Build Contract Architects: Cullinan Studio (design),McGurk Chartered Architects (delivery) Client and project manager: Islington Borough Council Key delivery partner: Transport for London Structural engineer: Ramboll (design), McMahon Associates (delivery) M&E Consultant: Ramboll

QS: Gleeds Landscape consultant: J&L Gibbons CDM Coordinator: AECOM Approved building inspector: Islington Building Control Design and build contractor: Colloide Engineering Artist: Toby Paterson Heat pump system: GEA (design, manufacture, and installation) Testing and Commissioning: Topic Plan Project consultant: Inner Circle Consulting Rights of light: Right of Light Consulting CAD software: MicroStation, Revit

Camfil undertakes life cycle analysis, environmental product declarations Initiative motivated by need to understand the true environmenral impact of its products, company says

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By CCME Content Team

aying it was motivated to find out the real environmental impact of its products, Camfil said it reached out to IVL (Swedish Environmental Institute) to have a life cycle analysis (LCA) on its various bag filters. This work, Camfil said through a Press release, will determine the basis for its continued environmental work to reduce the products’ CO2 footprint and help customers assess the environmental impact of the filter installations.

"Camfil believes to continue developing its products and services with utmost responsibility,” said Åsa Lidström, VP, Sustainability & Quality, Northern Europe, Camfil. “To do that, we must first and foremost understand how we affect the environment today. Even though we did our first LCA in the 1990s, with the help of IVL we have gained deeper insights and tools to take our sustainability work forward.

By using the LCA method, Camfil said, it is possible to assess a product's environmental impact and see how resource-intensive the product's different phases are during production. Thanks to LCA, Camfil said it can become more circular and sustainable in its work by reviewing the entire process and its flows, which includes the impact of the material and waste.

In addition to LCA, IVL has helped Camfil to produce EPDs (Environmental Product Declarations) for various products. The EPDs, Camfil said, have been reviewed and approved by an independent verification body, Swedac. By doing this, Camfil said, it has been able to ensure that the information in the declarations is accurate and meaningful.

Another aspect of taking sustainability work ahead, Camfil said, is to focus on reusing materials and constantly improving manufacturing processes. Besides, Camfil said, there are opportunities to increase cooperation with other stakeholders outside the company to advance in finding new approaches, material and logistics flows that can contribute to a reduced C02 footprint.

The entire work with LCA, Camfil said, is directly linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goal number 12: Responsible consumption and production, which calls for actions to improve resource efficiency, reduce waste, and mainstream sustainability practices. Camfil said it is committed to reducing such impacts. Each year, the company said, it has been improving on production and consumption impacts through its management systems, sustainability targets, green initiatives and best available technologies.

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GLOBAL NEWS

DriSteem wins award for its GTS LX Series Humidifier Company attracts recognition in ‘Best in Commercial Humidification Solution Provider 2020’ category in 5th Annual Build Construction & Engineering Awards

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By CCME Content Team

RI-STEEM Corporation (DriSteem), manufacturer of humidification, evaporative cooling and water treatment products, has received the BUILD Construction & Engineering award for the ‘Best in Commercial Humidification Solution Provider of 2020’ for its GTS LX Series Humidifier.

Making the announcement through a Press release, DriSteem said the Best in Commercial Humidification Solution award is selected by the BUILD Construction & Engineering research team. Those selected met merit-oriented criteria, researched via public domain with many factors taken into consideration, the company said. The nominee proved evidence of expertise within its field, dedication to customer service and client satisfaction with an ongoing commitment to excellence and innovation, the company added.

“We are truly thrilled to receive this prestigious award, five years running,” said Mysty Hanson, Product Manager, DriSteem. “It is always an honor when your work is recognized in the industry as being one of the best.”

According to DriSteem, the GTS LX Series Humidifier is the only gas-fired humidifier that combines the highest efficiency on the market with ultra-low NOx in a single design, thermal combustion efficiency, 94% higher heating value of fuel and 103% lower heating value of fuel. All LX Series humidifiers, the company said, feature new touchscreen displays. The new display, it added, has all the industry-leading functionality of its Vapor-logic controller, with intuitive interface animated graphics, and a Set-up Wizard for easier start-ups.

According to DriSteem, additional LX Series highlights include: • Condensing design for highest efficiency and PVC venting.

• Ultra-low NOx certified to SCAQMD 1146.2 standards.

• Smart drain technology adjusts drain intervals automatically based on water quality.

• Universal water control for use with any water type, including RO/ DI water.

• Modulating output with minimum 5:1 turndown for accurate humidity control.

• Outdoor and indoor models for application flexibility.

ASHRAE, CIBSE sign strategic partnership agreement

Global collaboration to enable increasingly safe, healthy and sustainable built-environments, ASHRAE says

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By CCME Content Team

According to ASHRAE, areas of SHRAE and the Chartered collaboration include: Institution of Building Services • Joint initiatives aimed at accelerating Engineers (CIBSE) have signed a the progression of digital Strategic Partnership Agreement technologies and research (SPA) formalizing the organizations’ • Virtual design and construction to relationship, ASHRAE said through a Press improve the resilience of buildings release. and the health of occupants in an Charles E Gulledge III, 2020-21 ASHRAE increasingly challenging climate President, and Stuart MacPherson, CIBSE • Coordinated promotion of joint President, signed an SPA during a virtual grassroots meetings and conferences signing ceremony on December 10. The • Advocacy and work on common agreement outlines how ASHRAE and CIBSE public affairs goals and ideologies will work cooperatively on activities that serve • Consistent leadership communication their respective memberships, to promote the • Publication development and advancement of a more sustainable builtdistribution environment through HVAC&R technologies and their applications.

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•

Education and professional development co-development and cross marketing

“Our continued collaboration with CIBSE provides a meaningful opportunity to coordinate efforts on innovative technologies and resources to advance the growth of the builtenvironment,” Gulledge said. “We value this partnership with CIBSE and are excited to leverage this collaboration to move the industry and buildings towards a more sustainable future.”

MacPherson said: “We are delighted to sign this agreement with ASHRAE and strengthen the long-standing relationship between our organisations. The increasing local and global challenges of maintaining safe, healthy and efficient built-environments marks this as a particularly auspicious time to share knowledge and expertise to enhance our offerings for the benefit of both our members and wider society.”

Belimo representative joins Board of automated buildings association Tom Daenzer, Manager of Digital Business Development at Belimo Americas, joins the body

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By CCME Content Team

he Continental Automated Buildings Association (CABA) has appointed Tom Tom Daenzer Daenzer, Manager of Digital Business Development for Belimo Americas. CABA is an international nonprofit industry association that provides information, education and networking to promote advanced technologies for the automation of homes and buildings, Belimo said, while making the announcement through a Press release.

According to Belimo, Tom Daenzer has been with the company for over 10 years and is the Manager of Digital Business Development for Belimo Americas since 2018.

He leads a team responsible for supporting the growth of HVAC valves and actuators that harness smart and/or connected capabilities, Belimo said. One of Daenzer's primary roles is to guide the development of services and

Daikin India acquires Citizen Industries Buys air-handling unit manufacturer through a sharepurchase agreement

By CCME Content Team

APIs that complement these connected products through relationships with industry peers and technology partners, Belimo said, adding he leads the Belimo Americas IoT Committee and is a member of the global IoT Core and IoT steering committees. Prior to his Digital role, Daenzer was Business Development Manager for Belimo's Shared Logic line of intelligent actuator solutions.

Before working for Belimo, he spent 17 years on the construction side of the building automation industry, with roles ranging from software engineer to project manager, the company said.

A CABA member company since 2018, Belimo recently began a collaboration with several other CABA members on what will be the first-of-its-kind market sizing study of the building automation control systems market, said Ron Zimmer, CABA President & CEO. "As an industry leader in the

development of connected products and services, Tom Daenzer will be an outstanding addition to the CABA Board of Directors,� he said. “That extensive background, combined with active involvement in IoT task forces and committees, has given him unique expertise on the industry's recent evolution, which I know will be an asset to the Board."

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aikin Airconditioning India acquired India-based AHU manufacturer, Citizen Industries through a share-purchase agreement, signed on December 15, the former said through a Press release.

According to Daikin, the acquisition will provide prominence to its current infrastructure influence and help increase its penetration across various applications.

Citizen Industries has two manufacturing units, a big base of R&D engineers and service technicians that Daikin said would complement its people strength. The integration of the two companies, Daikin added, would result in joint sales velocity; acquiring of ongoing air-side maintenance contracts; expansion into the applied and VRV solution business, including air side; a horizontal collaboration with American Air Filter (AAF); and catalysing economies of scale at Daikin’s Neemrana factory in the western Indian state of Rajasthan and its R&D centre.

Daikin said its acquisition of Citizen Industries mirrors its assertive philosophy of identifying opportunities ahead of time and building value around its offerings, while keeping customer requirements at the forefront to create a sustainable business, faster than the rest.

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51

GLOBAL NEWS

AHRI applauds inclusion of HFC reduction language in Omnibus Bill Says an HFC phasedown will create 33,000 new manufacturing jobs and increase direct manufacturing output by USD 12.5 billion

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By CCME Content Team

he Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) on December 22 expressed its gratitude to House and Senate negotiators who included language in the justpassed Omnibus bill to bring about a national Stephen Yurek phasedown of HFC refrigerants. Particular appreciation also is due to Senators John Kennedy (R-La.), Tom Carper (D-Del.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) as well as to Representatives Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Pete Olson (R-Tex.), and Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) for their tireless efforts to see this bipartisan initiative through to completion, AHRI said The language included in the bill would bring about a national phase down of HFCs and allow for a market- and consumer-friendly transition to new and better performing refrigerants and related products and equipment, AHRI said.

“We are gratified that negotiators included this bipartisan, jobs-promoting language in the Omnibus bill, and we are grateful to the Senate and House champions who worked so hard to see it accomplished, and to the House and Senate for passing the bill,” said Stephen Yurek, AHRI President & CEO. “Our industry has been working toward this goal for more than 10 years, and it is very exciting to see our vision of an HFC phasedown reach the home stretch. We are hopeful that President Trump will quickly sign the bill, so we can pivot toward implementation.”

Quoting a 2018 study by Interindustry Forecasting at the University of Maryland (INFORUM), AHRI said an HFC phasedown will create 33,000 new manufacturing jobs, increase direct manufacturing output by USD 12.5 billion, and increase the US share of the global HVACR export market by 25%.

Eurovent to host ecodesign and energy labelling webinar

Event to focus on industry recommendation for refrigerating appliances with a direct sales function

By CCME Content Team

E

urovent said it will be hosting a webinar on industry recommendation covering ecodesign and energy labelling requirements for refrigerating appliances with a direct sales function, on January 26.

The webinar will take place from 2.30pm to 4pm on January 26, the association said, adding that speakers include members of the Eurovent Product Group, ‘Commercial Refrigeration Equipment’.

It said individual webinar topics will be followed by a moderated Q&A session, where

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participants would be invited to discuss any related issues.

Eurovent Secretary General, Felix Van Eyken would commence the event, to be moderated by the association’s Deputy Secretary General, Francesco Scuderi.

According to Eurovent, the speakers include: • Francesco Mastrapasqua, Institutional Affairs Manager, Epta • Ines Muehlhaus, Manager, Systems Cabinets, Carrier • Daniel Antoñanzas, General Manager, EXKAL

According to Eurovent, key learning points of the webinar include: • Ecodesign and energy labelling requirements for refrigerating appliances with a direct sales function and EPREL, including products in the scope of the Regulations • What is a reference/deducted model and how to extrapolate the EEI of a deducted model • How to deal with incomplete deliveries and how to increase the effectiveness of market surveillance According to Eurovent, interested participants can register via this link (https://register.gotowebinar.com/ register/8625649340214020366).

GEA wins at RAC Cooling Industry Awards Bags ‘Contractor of the Year 2020’ trophy during an online ceremony

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By CCME Content Team

EA won in the ‘Contractor of the Year 2020’ category at the RAC Cooling Industry Awards, on December 9. In addition, GEA received a “highly commended” rating in the ‘Building Energy Project of the Year’ category, during a pandemic-induced virtual ceremony, organised and conducted by the British Refrigeration & Air Conditioning magazine (RAC), the company said through a Press release.

According to GEA, the award recognises companies that have made a special commitment to environmentally friendly and innovative solutions in the refrigeration and air conditioning industry.

GEA bagged the ‘Contractor of the Year’ award for implementing the Quorn Foods project, which the company said involved installing a new compressor to improve performance – in parallel with replacing a faulty refrigeration system during a planned shutdown at the food manufacturer's plant at its site in North Yorkshire, in the United

Mackie's Aberdeenshire plant

Kingdom. The customer, as well as the judges of the RAC Cooling Industry Awards, were delighted with the solution it provided, GEA claimed. By investing in a GEA Grasso Conversion Kit (GGCK), Quorn Foods benefited from a larger compressor that replaced ageing equipment and increased cooling capacity by an additional seven per The GEA Grasso Conversion Kit (GGCK) at the North Yorkshire site cent, GEA said. This not only improved the site's Photo courtesy GEA efficiency, but also resulted in energy savings and a reduced carbon customer within the given timeframe footprint, GEA claimed. GEA said it also through its great expertise and decades of upgraded the existing control system with experience in refrigeration,” GEA quoted a new OMNI Retrofit Panel control (GORP). the judges as saying. “Furthermore, GEA The control and management system ensures also took the opportunity to improve the optimal operation of the plant, it added. flexibility of the plant's operation and Throughout the installation, the GEA realized energy savings."

Refrigeration Technologies team worked GEA said the jury of the Awards under great time pressure, also praised its project for the Scottish with only 10 days available premium ice cream manufacturer, for all the work, GEA said, Mackie's, offering GEA a “Highly adding that it successfully Commended” recognition for executing completed the project in just the project. five days and, as a result, The Mackie’s project saw GEA replace Quorn Foods was able to the existing freezer at the ice cream restart production without maker’s Aberdeenshire plant with a design interrupting the plant's using an ammonia and CO2 low-carbon, workflow. energy-efficient cooling system to work GEA said the RAC alongside an absorption chiller. It was the Cooling Industry Awards first large-scale ice cream production plant judges praised its strong in Scotland to combine biomass heat and commitment at the awards. absorption cooling, GEA said. The solution, "GEA demonstrated great it added, helped Mackie's achieve its plan foresight and found a costand ambitious target of CO2 reductions of Photo courtesy GEA effective solution for the 90% and energy cost savings of 70-80%.

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GLOBAL NEWS

Award-winning short film sheds light on key issues surrounding climate change Stuart Rideout's film, I Wish For You, starring Oscar winner, Jeremy Irons, issues a chilling reminder on the need to preserve the planet for future generations

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By Hannah Jo Uy | Contributing Editor

tuart Rideout, in his award-winning short film, I Wish For You, shares the story of a man who voices his concerns about the world his grandchild will inherit. It follows the story of a woman called Mia, played by Maxine Peake (The Theory of Everything), who is moving houses. While unpacking boxes, she finds a long-lost letter from her grandfather, played by Academy Award-winner Jeremy Irons (Reversal of Fortune). As she reads the letter, his words evoke strong memories, as he shares his love and concern for the natural world.

The latest offering from the Welsh director garnered prestigious awards,

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including the Best Environmental Film Award and Best Cinematography Awards at the 2020 Venice Shorts Festival in Los Angeles.

Providing an insight on the motivation behind the film in an exclusive interview with Climate Control Middle East, Rideout said: “I Wish for You forms the cornerstone of the #showthelove campaign run by The Climate Coalition to engage the public on the subject of climate change. The purpose of the film was to engage the viewer on an emotional level and to inspire a broader conversation and get people thinking about the challenges we face from climate change.”

Rideout said that throughout the process, the team had a full understanding that the issue of climate change presents society with a myriad of enormous challenges. “We were very conscious that we didn’t want to overwhelm the viewer or preach at them,” he said. “To my mind, it is vital that the film engaged with its audience and drew their attention to what humanity is doing to the planet and the flora and fauna that keep the ecosystem healthy and functioning.” As such, he said, the script was developed to highlight deforestation and loss of wild habitat, plastic in the oceans, overfishing, declining biodiversity and pollution, touching on the contribution of essential sectors, such as the built-environment.

Rideout also discussed the power of film as a medium, when it comes to increasing awareness on topics that could be perceived as intimidating for most people. “In the right hands, film is an incredibly powerful medium, especially when it comes to informing and educating people,” he said. “If you look

at David Attenborough’s Blue Planet – especially the episode on plastics polluting the world’s oceans – this single program inspired a change in human behaviour towards plastics. Eighty per cent of people in the UK changed their attitude to plastic, in that they changed the way they shopped and, in turn, the way supermarkets operated. That’s all down to a wonderful piece of filmic communication, and I think this in itself is a wonderfully evocative and inspirational tool.”

Rideout said that undoubtedly, the issue of climate change is a complex and detailed one with many facets that are filled with nuance. As a director, Rideout said, he aimed to use his skills to “chip away the complexity and distil the communication down into more manageable chunks”. He added: “It’s important that no matter how complex the problem, we make an effort to communicate the issues. Again, engagement is the crucial thing.”

At the end of the idea, Rideout said that he aspired for the film to carry a sense of optimism as it ended. “The promise at the end of the film stems from the idea that Mia is reminded of her grandfather’s love of the natural world, and she’s inspired by it,” he said. “In the face of the huge challenges we face from climate change I hope that the film inspires an audience to take a moment to think about the natural world, about its beauty and majesty. To think about what they love and what they stand to lose. Now is the time to engage with the issue, show how much you care.”

11th ANNUAL CLIMATE CONTROL

AWARDS 2021 14 September 2021 | Dubai, UAE Widely called the ‘Oscars of the HVACR Industry’, the objective of the blacktie, gala dinner event is to recognise merit across the various disciplines of the HVACR industry and to raise the bar on building performance, cold chain and fire safety, to name three. To achieve the objective, CPI Industry enlists the services of seasoned HVACR and other relevant domain-specific professionals as judges and of a third-party certification agency to evaluate companies under several categories. Into its 11th year, the Awards exercise serves as an objective and accurate barometer of the industry.

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