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Up close and personal with Philip Whitaker of Camfil Farr p72 FEATURE: A look at the NEWS – Qatar Cool buoyant about prospects for dc p6 | MSD Gulf launches sandstorm health risk campaign p8 | Empower unveils design of new plant p10 | NIA introduces warranty scheme p12 | Alessa Industries to participate in Project Qatar 2013 p16 | Montreal Protocol strikes major deal with china p26
PERSPECTIVE: Natural refrigerants in small capacity ranges p58
Shanghai Tower p37 COUNTRY REPORT Italy in
light of the crisis p52
PLUS: ASHRAE Update, Marketplace
MAY 2013
IEQUILIBRIUM Striking a balance between energy efficiency and the improvement of indoor air quality in ventilation systems
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contents
Vol. 8 No. 5 | MAY 2013
62
04 FROM THE EDITOR The Trojan Horse approach
HAPPENINGS
06 The region 24 At large 30 Marketplace
Towards energy-efficient ventilation
36 INTERVIEW
Integrating savings in buildings Climate Control Middle East spoke to Mohammad Katanbaf of KEO International Consultants to explore key issues surrounding BIPVs
Backed by studies, which clearly correlate the effect of indoor air with human health, Mats Sandor of Systemair elaborates on energyefficient ventilation approaches.
37 FEATURE
Reaching for the skies At 632 metres, Shanghai Tower, currently under construction, will be the tallest building in China on completion in 2015
48 COUNTRY SPECIAL India – a Rubik’s cube
India is trying to balance between the demands of growth and the urgent need to cut its energy and environmental costs
PERSPECTIVE
58 Natural refrigerants: A great potential in small capacity ranges
With new components and applications emerging, systems with small capacities can be successfully implemented using natural coolants, such as ammonia or carbon dioxide, believes eurammon
61
SPECIAL IEQ SUPPLEMENT
65 How to optimise the effect of HVAC UV lamps
UVGI for HVAC systems has become a critical component for commercial buildings in the region. Mike Walrath argues that HVAC UV lamps are more effective when properly sized and configured
52
nESSun
DORMA! Despite the depressing economic scenario or, perhaps, because of it, Italian HVACR companies are on their toes and are not sleeping on the job.
72 tHInKIng
FARR AHEAD...
Philip Whitaker of Camfil Farr believes that clean air is as much a basic human right as clean drinking water.
68 A sounding board The acoustic environment of a workplace is considered to be a primary driver for occupant productivity and comfort. Jerome Sanchez speaks to Andrew Jackson, SAS International, to get more insight into the issue
70 I believe… Dr Iyad Al Attar gives a call to the HVAC industry leaders, engineers and governments to pledge anew to work for the cause of creating cleaner indoor environment
42
At A CROSSROADS In the absence of suitable alternatives to the refrigerants currently in use, the industry may need to content itself with the known “devil”
May 2013
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from the
editor Publisher Dominic De Sousa
T
Managing Director
tHE tROJAn HORSE APPROACH
& Associate Publisher Frédéric Paillé | fred@cpi-industry.com Editorial Director & Associate Publisher B Surendar | surendar@cpi-industry.com COO Nadeem Hood | nadeem@cpidubai.com
he VRF Conference we conducted in February in Dubai – I hope you have had the chance to read the March and April reports in the magazine – revealed the frustration among some manufacturers at the lack of an independent, third-party testing and certification regimen to evaluate the performance of products coming into the region. The very same manufacturers called for greater vigilance to track and trap those that presented a souped-up product for testing; the products that subsequently arrived at the marketplace, the aggrieved manufactures added, did not embody the attributes of the sample submitted for approval. Listening to them during the conference raised the imagery of sending in a Trojan Horse to facilitate the opening of the gates for a sub-standard deluge. Such an occurrence in the region would be counter-productive and going against the avowed regional drive for greater energy efficiency. Almost a month from then, it was interesting to listen to Phil Whitaker of Camfil Farr during an interview for an article in this issue (do see page 72). Phil was speaking from the perspective of air filters when he called for independent, open-market-source, third-party reporting in the region. Citing the examples of the United States and Europe, which benefitted from such reporting, he suggested reaching out to available international reporting standards till the UAE had established its own standards and testing capabilities for “regulatory detection”. Phil will be speaking at the 1st Annual Middle East Indoor Environmental Quality Conference on the 12th and the 13th of May at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. I hope you will be able to join us to listen to the discussions and also to the several other discussions on a range of issues related to air filtration, ducting, thermal comfort, moisture, acoustics and vibration. Of special interest to me is a discussion on the topic, ‘The role of civil engineering in ensuring good IEQ’. It harks back to the age-old adage that we ought to address not just the symptoms but also the cause. It is a well-known fact that moisture build-up during the construction phase leads to grievous problems. During the height of the construction boom, buildings shot up on the Dubai landscape at a frightening pace, the downside of which, as evidenced by a particular development in Dubai, was the build-up of mould. The building in question had to be shut down for a week for inspection and for evolving a remedial measure, which if I may add, resulted in an increase in energy usage in the building. The building was a classic case of IEQ and energy efficiency gone wrong and nothing short of an engineering tragedy.
Assistant Editor Jerome Sanchez jerome@cpi-industry.com Contributing Editors Pratibha Umashankar prati@cpi-industry.com Anoop K Menon anoop@cpi-industry.com Senior Business Development Consultant Stephanie McGuinness stephanie@cpi-industry.com Design Genesis Salao | getty@cpi-industry.com Webmaster Troy Maagma | troy.maagma@cpimediagroup.com Database/ Subscriptions Manager Purwanti Srirejeki purwanti@cpi-industry.com Advertising Enquiries Frédéric Paillé: +971 50 7147204 fred@cpi-industry.com Stephanie McGuinness: +971 50 6679359 stephanie@cpi-industry.com USA and Canada Kanika Saxena Director (North America) 25 Kingsbridge Garden Cir Suite 919 Mississauga, ON, Canada L5R 4B1 kanika@cpi-industry.com Tel/fax: +1 905 890 5031 Euro Zone and UK Sicking Industrial Marketing Wilhelm Sicking
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Up close and persona l with Philip Whitake
NEWS – Qatar Cool r of Camfil Farr p72 buoyant about prospects sandstorm health for DC p6 | MSD Gulf launches | NIA introduces risk campaign p8 | Empower unveils design of new plant Project Qatar 2013 warranty scheme p12 | Alessa Industrie p10 p16 | Montreal s to participate Protocol
Climate Control Middle East May 2013
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happenings the region
Qatar Cool buoyant about prospects for DC Qatar Cool’s three plants register increase in cooling energy produced
Q
atar District Cooling Company, also known as Qatar Cool, has announced updates on its operations in the two districts it covers: The Pearl-Qatar and West Bay. Following what seems to be a trend towards eco-friendly technologies in the region, the company said that its three plants had witnessed an increase in cooling energy produced as the demand for district cooling service continued to rise. The announcement added that its operations had been steadily growing over the past few years, as it
had completely sold out the capacity of the two plants in West Bay. Furthermore, the company said that it was in design stage for a third plant that would serve waitlisted customers. According to Qatar Cool, since the inauguration of its first plant in 2006, it had witnessed an increase in connected capacity over the past six years. The company attributed its growth to a variety of factors at the core of which, it said, was the overall growth of residential and retail sales and leasing in West Bay and
Qatar Cool’s District Cooling Plant on The Pearl-Qatar – The largest District Cooling plant in the world
The Pearl-Qatar districts, which were reportedly quickly gaining popularity among Qatari investors and expatriates seeking luxurious accommodation. It also pointed out that its growth was aligned with the overall progress the country as a whole had made in the past few years. Qatar Cool highlighted that apart from a variety of benefits district cooling offered to its end-users, district cooling went hand
US Delegation visits Qatar Cool Lauds environmentally friendly technologies and practices adopted by the company
A
delegation from the United States Department of Energy and the International District Energy Association (IDEA) visited Qatar Cool, and toured the company’s major plants in West Bay and The Pearl-Qatar. Announcing this, Qatar Cool revealed that he delegation included Senior Policy Advisor Katrina Pielli from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the US Department of Energy, IDEA’s President and CEO Robert Thornton, and IDEA’s current Chairman and Director of Global Industrial Chillers at Johnson Controls Joseph Brillhart, and were guided by Qatar Cool’s senior
6
Senior executives from Qatar Cool along with the US delegates inside the largest District Cooling plant in the world on The Pearl-Qatar
executives on a tour of the company’s award-winning plant-1 in West Bay as well as the Integrated District Cooling Plant (IDCP) on The Pearl-Qatar, considered to be the largest district cooling plant in the world. According to Qatar Cool, throughout their visit, the delegates were impressed by the level of dedication to environmentally friendly technologies and practices
Climate Control Middle East May 2013
displayed by the company. During the visit, a Qatar Cool representative, acknowledging the key role IDEA had played in promoting energy efficiency and environmental quality, as well as in spreading awareness about district cooling technologies around the world, said: “Being affiliated with IDEA has not only helped Qatar Cool in staying on
in hand with the lifestyle promoted at The Pearl-Qatar and West Bay area, and centralising cooling systems in remote locations freed significant leasable areas in residential buildings, which could be utilised for leisure amenities such as swimming pools and gardens. Such centralisation also contributed to noise reduction by eliminating the need of conventional outdoor units in residential buildings, Qatar Cool said. the cutting edge of district cooling technology but also given it its rightful position among the leading district cooling providers in the world.” On his part, IDEA’s President Thornton, while applauding Qatar Cool’s contribution to the district cooling industry, said, “The state-of-the-art facilities along with the level of know-how at the Integrated District Cooling Plant on The Pearl-Qatar are certainly a testament to the relentless efforts put in by Qatar Cool to achieve operational excellence in the industry.” Pielli of the US Department of Energy, added: “District cooling systems can be up to 30% to 60% more energy efficient than conventional cooling systems. By consuming less energy, district cooling plants reduce the amount of CO2 emitted to the environment.”
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happenings the region
MSD Gulf launches sandstorm health risk campaign
Raises awareness about respiratory diseases
M
SD, a global healthcare company with a presence in the UAE since the 1970s (MSD Gulf), announced that as part of its ongoing commitment to raising awareness of key health problems that affect the local communities, it has launched an awareness campaign to educate UAE citizens on the dangers sandstorms pose and to provide information on the best ways to manage
respiratory problems resulting from these storms. Hosted at the Grand Hyatt in Dubai, the event brought together medical and environmental experts who discussed the causes and dangers of sandstorms, as well as the best way for UAE citizens to protect themselves from them. The awareness campaign, which is supposed to run over the next few months, in line with the UAE’s sandstorm season, will focus
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8
Climate Control Middle East May 2013
Engineering
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on providing patients and medical professionals with important information on how to manage allergies and respiratory problems, MSD added. Talking about the campaign, Mazen Altaruti, Managing Director of MSD Gulf, said: “Officials have suggested that hospital admissions due to respiratory diseases, such as asthma, have increased by as much as 25% over the last few years, as a result of severe weather, particularly sandstorms." MSD added that sandstorms are a major cause of allergic rhinitis, as they carry large amounts of allergens, including bacteria, fungi, viruses and pollens and because sandstorms have the ability to carry these allergens over large distances, the risk of bacterial and viral infections greatly increases during the sandstorm season.
Dr Hussain Abdel Rahman
Dr Hussain Abdel Rahman, Director of Medical Affairs and Head of the ENT Department at Dubai Hospital, added, “In severe cases and when left untreated, allergic rhinitis can lead to asthma, even in patients with no previous history of this illness.” See related stories in our Special IEQ Supplement, page 61
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happenings the region
Empower unveils design of new plant Says that the new plant design reflects UAE’s commitment to sustainability
H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, examines the plans of Empower’s new district cooling plan in Business Bay during his tour at WETEX
H
.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Prime Minister and Vice President of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, examined the plans for Empower’s new district cooling plant in Business Bay during his
tour of DEWA’s 15th annual Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition (WETEX), Empower announced. As the first district cooling plant to abide by the Dubai Executive Council’s recent environmental sustainability
Sustainable development for all
WETEX 2013 highlighted issues and developments on water, energy, environment and sustainability
T
he Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition (WETEX) 2013, organised by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), was held on the 15th through the
10
17th of April, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. The three-day exhibition, themed ‘Sustainable Development for All’, provided a platform to
Climate Control Middle East May 2013
Continued on page 12
guidelines, Empower’s new plant is in line with His Highness Sheikh Mohammed’s directives to utilise the most energy environmentally friendly technologies available, it claimed. Empower pointed out
that the plant, which will reportedly utilise treated waste water sourced from Dubai Municipality, will only require 0.9 kilowatts (KW) to produce one refrigeration tonne of cooling, whereas, traditional non-district cooling systems consume up to double that amount – 1.8 KW of energy every hour – to produce one RT of cooling. Ahmed Bin Shafar, Empower’s CEO, highlighting the new plant’s design as a reflection of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed’s commitment to conservation and environmental sustainability, said: “Last year, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed launched the UAE Green Economy Initiative, a comprehensive strategy to maximise the country’s energy efficiency, conserve our natural resource and safeguard our long-term energy security. Today, we are very pleased to unveil the design of this new plant that will provide Business Bay with efficient cooling services, while reflecting the UAE’s commitment to environmental sustainability.”
happenings the region
NIA introduces five-year GREE warranty scheme
Announces the facility at dealer meet to recognise and honour its lifeline of dealers
N
IA on March 27 conducted a Dealer Meet in Dubai to recognise and honour its lifeline of dealers, who have collaborated with the company to further the cause of its brands in the marketplace. The company’s Managing Director, Zakir Ahmed used the meet as an opportunity to highlight the company’s accomplishments and milestones over the year. Ahmed also highlighted the
progress made by GREE, one of the brands NIA represents in the UAE. Ahmed spoke of the worldwide ascendancy of GREE in the RAC market. According to market research agency, GfK, Gree increased its value share of the Air Conditioning market (GfK Panel Market) in the United Arab Emirates from 3.4% year ending December 2011 to 7.3% year ending December 2012. A key feature of the meet was an announcement
Sustainable development for all (from page 10)
present and discuss relevant issues and the latest developments in the areas of water, energy, environment and sustainability. WETEX 2013 also served as an opportunity for companies to display and offer the latest technologies and solutions used in electricity and water conservation. In addition, more than 34 specialised workshops and seminars were held on the sidelines of the exhibition.
12
Held alongside WETEX 2013 was the second edition of the Dubai Global Energy Forum (DGEF 2013), organised by the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, which provided a venue for energy leaders to discuss local and regional issues related to energy policies, trends, practices and challenges. Themed ‘Clean Energy for Sustainable Development’, the inauguration of the
Climate Control Middle East May 2013
Ahmed made about introducing a five-year NIA warranty for GREE’s residential window portable and wall-mounted air conditioners. Elaborating on the warranty, Ahmed said the two types of air conditioners would be guaranteed to be free of defects in workmanship and parts in the warranty period. The company, he said, would extend the warranty for defects that occurred during the warranty period under
event was attended by H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince and Chairman of the Dubai Executive Council and H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai. In his inauguration speech at DGEF 2013, H.E. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman, Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, said: “The United Arab Emirates has realised many great achievements in various developing areas. These achievements have confirmed the UAE Vision 2021 that achieving sustainable development and building a competitive economy that is less reliant on fossil fuel resources
normal use and care, under which the products would be repaired or replaced at the company’s discretion, with no charge for parts or labour, on the first year. The parts, he said, would include compressors, motors, PCBs and capacitors. –BS See related interview on the opposite page
must be done by optimising sustainable energy.” DGEF 2013 saw key speeches and presentations, as well as panel discussions involving a selection of energy experts. Some of the speakers at the event were Dr Awadh Al Barasi, Deputy Prime Minister of Libya; John Burton, former Irish Prime Minister and European Union Ambassador to the US; Dr Michael Fubi, CEO of RWE Technology; Mustafa Dundar, President of the Union of Municipalities of the Turkish City of Bursa; H.E. Suhail Al Mazroui, UAE Minister of Energy; H.E. Dr Rashid Ahmad bin Fahad, UAE Minister of Environment and Water; H.E. Jose Manuel Soria, Spanish Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism and H.E. Ahmed Buti Al Muhairbi, Secretary General of the Supreme Council.
‘VRFs give all the benefits of chillers, and go beyond’
INTERVIEW
During the Dealer Meet, NIA showcased the GREE GMV5, the Chinese manufacturer’s allDC-inverter VRF air conditioning system. Here, Zakir Ahmed, the Managing Director of NIA talks to B Surendar on the market scenario for VRFs and about how efforts to share operational data are stymied by having to deal with a large number of variables, some of which need proper defining… Any discussion on VRFs leads to a comparison with district cooling, as is most inevitable. What are your thoughts on the issue? A VRF system is not an alternative to district cooling, which is a massive infrastructure project, whereas VRFs constitute standalone systems. So it is not appropriate to compare the two. However, VRFs could be compared to chillers, because both provide centralised cooling. Is VRF the game-changer it is made out to be? The market here is divided into DX and chilled water (CHW) systems. CHW is ideal for 22+ multistoreyed structures. It makes sense, because the total capacity is high. DX is ideal for warehouses, G+3 and G+5 commercial buildings and villas. In the case of DX, we are witness to a change from ducted splits to VRFs, thanks to the initiatives of green building bodies. The change is happening also owing to the refrigerant, R-410A. Also, DEWA is trying to save power consumption per building to reduce per capita consumption, so as to reduce investment in infrastructure. Owing to these factors, VRFs are cannibalising what was a single-ducted-split market, and we are seeing chillers cannibalising district cooling. In VRFs, you can get all the benefits of chillers, such
as the COP of water-cooled chillers and, at the same time, do individual metering and skirt such issues as fouling of pumps and leakages. And further, if you analyst the lifecycle costs, VRFs will be cheaper. At the same time, it is a horses-for-course scenario. Chillers are good for some type of applications, and district cooling is good for others. There is no doubt that VRFs are better than chillers. In the case of chillers, the installation cost is higher. In VRFs, you have an outdoor unit and an indoor unit. In chillers, between the chiller and the FCU, you have other components, like pumps and a filtration system and also a complex mechanism to balance the water. The maintenance cost of chillers is higher, owing to water as a factor. Gas is 10 times more efficient than water, so there are huge cost savings to be had through VRFs. You speak of the installation cost being cheaper, in the case of VRFs. Could you please substantiate? The installation cost of VRFs will be cheaper by 40%, when compared to chillers. Plus, let’s not forget the time needed to set up a VRF system, which is less when compared to that of installing chillers. VRFs involve one serial piping and one serial wiring, so it is a myth that
installation is a tougher proposition. Instead of running 10 pipes in a shaft, you have only one header in the case of VRFs. There is only one issue in the case of VRFs, which would be the long piping, which could bring up the issue of leakages. So you would need a proper leakdetection mechanism in the case of VRFs. Even here, you can use a simple mechanical isolation software, which as the name suggests, can help isolate the piping zone with the leak. Besides, if the commissioning process is sound, the problem of leakages can be overcome from the outset. At the VRF Conference we conducted in Abu Dhabi in February, delegates raised the issue of operational data not being available and about how the VRF industry, as a whole, was not showing enough willingness to share information. We received a similar feedback from delegates at a conference in Riyadh in November 2012. Do you see this as a drawback? First and foremost, VRFs can give you operational data at each zone through wall-mounted controls and PC software. The available features can tell you consumption by the hour and by the zone. Yes, you have to pay extra for measuring, in the case of VRFs, but it is a fact that VRFs give you a better control of buildings on
May 2013
monitoring and measuring than chiller systems. All that said, in the case of VRF systems as a whole, it is difficult to tell, because there are a number of variables, such as speed, temperature and a varying load all the time. Also, if the outdoor unit is 10HP and if it is connected to 16 indoor units, the COP will vary. If you look at only the COP of the outdoor unit, then you can give the COP. To get a good understanding, perhaps Estidama should say, “If a 10 HP unit, you should use four indoor units of 2.5 HP each.” Also, Estidama should define the pipeline length from the outdoor to the indoor unit. Then, it is possible to define the COP. As a rule of thumb, you can take a 10 HP outdoor and four or five indoor units of 2 HP each and define the distance of total piping length as 50 metres. And if each indoor is fixed at a distance of 10 metres, you will be able to calculate. I would recommend that this could be considered as the industry standard for measuring COP. In the GCC, we experience very high tropical conditions. We can establish 46°C for the outside and 23°C for the inside. Also, it is important to remember that no two machines can have the same derating. The length of the coil can change the derating. So Estidama should accept only tested data and not nominal data.
www.climatecontrolme.com
13
happenings the region
Sowwah Square designed to harvest daylight
Double skin glass façade provides protective enclosure and additional thermal insulation
Throwing light on the active and passive sun shading elements installed in the buildings, Berglund revealed that there were two primary wall types typical to each tower of Sowwah Square. “Wall Type “A” is a unitised curtain wall façade with external horizontal sunshades,” he said. “The shades are laminated glass with an opaque dot frit with 50% coverage. The external shades on the south exposure Photo courtesy www.sowwahsquare.ae
O
perational since March 2012, Sowwah Square in Abu Dhabi’s new Central Business District (CBD) on Al Maryah Island recently announced enjoying success in its first year of activity with 185% increase in community size and being home to over 1,500 people and 46 multi-national companies. In the lead up to Cityscape Abu Dhabi 2013, Ali Eid Al Mheiri, Executive Director, Mubadala Real Estate & Infrastructure (MREI), reflecting on the importance of Sowwah Square, said, “Sowwah Square marks the completion of Phase 1 of Al Maryah Island’s development and an important milestone in the Government’s strategic urban development plan.” Climate Control Middle East, in its endeavour to find out more about the project’s energy-efficiency profile spoke to Goettsch Partners, the firm of architects that 14
designed the structure. With regard to double-glazing systems and the built-in air pocket features, Matthew Berglund, Associate at Goettsch Partners, said: “Only double glazing or Insulated Glass Units (IGUs) have been used for the glass enclosures on Sowwah Square. The air pocket in an IGU restricts the direct exchange of radiation between the warm glass surface (outside) and the cold glass surface (inside). Glass in the IGU also has a thermal protection coating (low emissivity or “Low-E” coating) further reducing energy exchange. In addition, the glazing units have a solar control coating which allows selective light transmittance. That is to say, the coating is transparent to the spectrum of light that is visible, yet it reflects or absorbs the spectrum of light which causes heat gain within a building – long wave infrared radiation.
Climate Control Middle East May 2013
are 750mm deep and fixed (passive) every one metre providing shade for the high sun angle at south exposures. The external shades on the east and west exposure are 750mm deep and spaced every one metre and rotate (active) to a near vertical position to provide shade from the low sun angles at east and west exposures. Rotation is controlled by BMS interface and can be set to track the sun’s path. Wall Type “B” is a double skin façade with 750mm cavity containing perforated aluminum venetian blinds and a continuous maintenance access platform.” The primary effect of the double skin façade, Berglund explained, was to provide a protective enclosure for the venetian blinds, which are deployed automatically and are controlled by BMS to rotate and track the sun’s path. Since any
shading device absorbs and re-radiates heat when blocking solar radiation, it is more effectively located outside of the building enclosure to prevent heat gain, Berglund pointed out, and added that in this case, shades within a glazed cavity were outside of the conditioned building interior, yet within a weather-tight protective enclosure. “A second effect of this double skin façade was to provide additional thermal insulation, Berglund said. “Prior to being exhausted from the building, the extract air from the ventilation and air conditioning system is injected into the façade cavity and circulated to a final point of exhaust. The effect is to utilise the cavity as an insulating buffer between outside and inside temperatures,” he explained. Abdulla Al Shamsi, Vice President Mubadala Real Estate & Infrastructure (MREI), added: “The ventilated, double skin façades provide a buffer – an external-coat that protects you from the external climate. In doing so, it reduces operational costs, reliance on air conditioning and is more efficient with the HVACR systems as well as enhances the end-user’s comfort.” When asked if the buildings were also equipped with daylight sensors and dimming systems, Berglund replied: “Yes, each floor of every building is equipped with a lighting control system. The system is used to “harvest daylight,” that is to say, inputs from the daylight sensors in the ceiling allow the control system to dim individual fixtures in the locations where daylight is providing the required illumination levels. The BMS control and monitors the complete HVAC and electrical systems, the active shading devices and interfaces with the lighting control system.”
happenings the region
TufTex fire retardant polyester fabric used for the Saudi project
D
uctSox MENA, which claims to be the only company in the Middle East offering air dispersion in speciality environments, has announced that it was selected for reportedly one of the largest projects in the world of construction – the ventilation of The Al Mashair
Photos courtesy Makkah Metro Facebook
DuctSox provides air supply system to Al Mashair stations
Makkah Metro
Railway stations in Makkah, Saudi Arabia. Each of the Al Mashair trains can transport as many as 72,000 Hajj pilgrims per hour to the Holy Sites at Mina, Muzdalifah, Jamarat and Arafat, DuctSox added. The company gave the following details of the project and the solutions it came up with: It was faced with a challenge of providing a constant and efficient air supply to ensure ventilation throughout and
maintain good air quality in the waiting, boarding and alighting areas of the train stations. In addition to this, the tent required an extremely lightweight duct system with the least possible number of branches to avoid the pressure increase on the construction. For this project ducts of 5,000 linear metres in length were manufactured and covered with the nonporous TufTex fabric made from fire retardant polyester. The installed ducts were
customised to serve in the semi-outdoor area for at least six hours a day under direct sunlight exposure. DuctSox MENA said that it was able to meet the requirements and complete the task in 40 days. According to the company, the fabric air diffusion system covered the complete area efficiently, and the openings located across the textile duct provided the required air flow percentage, complete control over the air throw and the angles of air supply. DuctSox claimed that because of this, the duct was manufactured with zero branches resulting in an effective air supply system 40 times lighter than a conventional galvanised duct. The Al Mashair train stations will also be operating during Umrah and Ramadan and the train will be used to move millions of Muslim pilgrims throughout the year.
Alessa Industries to participate in Project Qatar 2013
First-ever participation in the exhibition part of expansion and growth strategy
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lessa Industries, an integrated industrial group in Saudi Arabia, has announced its participation in the 10th edition of the Project Qatar International Trade, Construction, Building, Environmental Technology & Materials Exhibition (Project Qatar 2013), expected to attract industry heads and key buyers seeking the latest technology and equipment in the market today. The exhibition will be held at the Doha Exhibition Center (DEC) in Qatar from the 6th through the 9th of May. Commenting on his company’s participation in the exhibition, Yousef Al Mutlak, CEO of Alessa Industries, said: "Our participation in Project Qatar 2013 is consistent with our strategy to mark a presence at local and international events. This particular exhibition provides an ideal opportunity for architects, engineers, and manufacturers to exchange ideas and opportunities provided by the latest developments in construction, airconditioning and refrigeration.” Alessa Industries' booth at this year's Project Qatar 2013 will be located at Hall 3, Stand No. E73-F74.
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Climate Control Middle East May 2013
happenings the region
Dantherm holds seminar on dehumidification systems
Presentations focus on importance of dehumidification in pool areas
Focus on semi-hermetic reciprocating compressors
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antherm, a provider of dehumidification, ventilation and mobile heating and cooling solutions, conducted a seminar on dehumidification systems, on April 9 at the Le Meridien Hotel, Dubai. Sanjiv Sachdeva, Managing Director, Gulf Engineering System Solutions (GESS), opened the seminar and spoke about the concept and different applications of dehumidification. He highlighted that a refrigeration dehumidifier was more efficient for commercial dehumidification, which had applications in room design condition of 23°C with 50% relative humidity (RH) and dew point temperature (DP) of 12°C. On the other hand, he continued, a chemical dehumidifier was more suitable for process dehumidification, which had applications in room design condition of 20°C with 40% RH and DP of 5.8°C. Niels Erik Larsen, Manager, Dehumidification, presented the company’s CDP line of pool dehumidifiers. Saying that they were suitable for use in pools, spas, therapy pools, changing rooms, wellness centres and hotels, he enumerated their several advantages: They operate at a low noise level due to silent fans, exact air flow and high degree of insulation Being built with highquality core components, they have a long lifetime They are energy efficient owing to efficient fans and compressors They have pleasing designs and flexible installation possibilities 18
Frascold holds seminar
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Niels Nautrup
Sanjiv Sachdeva
Explaining adverse consequences of not using dehumidifiers in pool environments, Larsen said, “Cold bridges, diffusion and leaks can cause major structural consequences, like moulds, fungus, rot and, worst, the collapse [of the structure] due to large accumulations of water in the ceiling and roof.” Pointing out that chlorine used in water treatment might pose serious danger to athletes who are regularly exposed to it, he added, “Asthma is a problem among athletes, and mould, fungus and rot can create serious illness.”
Climate Control Middle East May 2013
Niels Erik Larsen
Larsen ended his presentation with some recommendations: Keep the air temperature 2°C higher than the water temperature to limit the chances of evaporation Maintain a 60% humidity set-point The pool hall needs to be supplied with fresh air The air needs to be circulated three to 10 times per hour Refrain from introducing air directly over the water surface Maintain a well-designed air distribution system to avoid stationary air in the corners Niels Nautrup, Manager, Ventilation, Dantherm, on his part, discussed the DanX swimming pool air management system. Saying that the system offered a wide range of benefits – from improved air quality to the elimination of the smell of chlorine in pool rooms – he pointed out that the system could be designed to accommodate any requirement. In his presentation, Nautrup covered several models of the DanX line.
rascold, the Italybased manufacturer of compressors and condensing units, held a seminar on semi-hermetic reciprocating compressors on April 23 at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Dubai Deira Creek. The seminar was conducted by Massimo Gentile, Sales Area Manager.
Massimo Gentile
After a short introduction on the history and profile of Frascold, he discussed the features of a number of Frascold’s semihermetic reciprocating compressors, including single-stage compressors, compressor series “VS” with built-in inverter, tandem compressors and two-stage compressors. Single-stage compressors, he said, were suitable for R407A and R407F refrigerants and for variable speed drive. He
Continued on page 20
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happenings the region
TA Hydronics opens training centre in Dubai
Offers free-to-attend “Systems in Practice” training sessions
TA Hydronics Traning Centre
Raphael Khlat, CEO, Faisal Jassim, officially opening the TA Hydronics Traning Centre
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A Hydronics, provider of hydronic distribution systems and room temperature control, has announced the opening of its Hydronic College Training Centre in Dubai. Following an investment of approximately EUR 100,000 (USD 131,566, as of April 30 value of
European Euros against the US Dollar), the centre will provide training for up to 1,000 industry professionals each year. Completed in March, the centre is the latest addition to the company’s global chain of training centres specifically designed to provide
professionals working in the HVAC sector with industry training on how to optimise hydronic systems. TA Hydronics explained the details of the training programme: Exclusively developed for installers, consultants and contractors working in the sector, the
“Systems in Practice” training sessions will educate visitors on how hydronic systems can be successfully designed, installed and balanced to ensure energy-efficient and comfortable indoor climates. Upon completion of the sessions, attendees will receive a certificate of attendance that can be used towards professional development credit. The centre is fully equipped with working simulation systems that imitate different HVAC scenarios. The training sessions are free to attend for qualified individuals within the HVAC industry involved with the design, specification, purchase, installation, commissioning or service of commercial hydronic systems, and include several TA Hydronics’ balancing and control equipment and a range of its combined pressurisation and water quality solutions. Biren Patel, Managing Director at TA Hydronics Middle East Africa and India, pointing out that today’s buildings are less energy efficient than they should be despite significant advances in technology providing more solutions than ever before, said, “Topics covered in the “Systems in Practice” training sessions include maintaining the correct system pressure, installation and optimisation of hydronic systems and operating variable flow networks.”
FRASCOLD HOLDS SEMINAR (from page 18) also highlighted that they were sturdy, reliable, efficient, compact and silent. Compressor series “VS” with builtin inverter, he pointed out, had better COP at part-load, better thermal stability of the system, less start-ups, and less noise and vibration. Tandem compressors had double capacity control options and were able to increase the possibility of regulating refrigeration capacity and adapt it to
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Climate Control Middle East May 2013
real system needs. Two-stage compressors, he added, were optimal for extremely low evaporating temperatures, like in shock freezing systems or cryogenic applications. In addition, Gentile also spoke about the LaBlu and the SA series of air- cooled condensing units with semihermetic compressors. He highlighted that LaBlu units satisfied a wide
range of applications with refrigerants R134A, R404A, R507A, R407C and R22. They also had performance, reliability and versatility significantly higher compared to market standards. Gentile’s presentation also involved a short demonstration of how to use, upload and interpret data monitored by the Kriwan INT69 Diagnose protection and diagnostic device for compressors.
Phone: +971 4 8159 300 | Email: info@daikinmcquayme.com | Website: www.daikinme.com
happenings the region
du launches LEEDcertified store Fujairah City Centre outlet first in UAE to be awarded Platinum certification
Officials of du during the opening of the telecom company's green facility at the Fujairah City Centre
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u has announced the official opening of its shop located on the ground floor at Fujairah City Centre, which it says is the first in the UAE to be LEED Platinum Certified, and is in line with its efforts to become more sustainable in
its business. The 2,300-squarefoot store offers customers a full range of du’s consumer mobile products, with 10 service counters, the announcement added. LEED certification recognises only those projects that achieve the
highest environmental ratings for sustainability, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, consumption of materials and resources and indoor environment quality, du pointed out, and highlighted that based on a point system, the du shop exceeded LEED’s standards and was, therefore, awarded Platinum certification. “With our new du Shop, we are now closer to our customers in Fujairah," said Maher Murad, Vice President,
comings&goings SIPOS appoints Karl-Franz Müller Head of Purchasing
Role strategically important, says company
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IPOS Aktorik, supplier of electric actuators to the power industry, has announced expanding its management team with the appointment of Karl-Franz Müller as Head of Purchasing, with responsibility for strategic purchasing and department management. 22
SIPOS claimed that with a production output of around 12,000 units per annum, and its reputation for innovation with pioneering variable speed actuators, the senior purchasing role was strategically important for the company. Müller joins the company with extensive industry experience and credentials, and moves from the position of Strategic Buyer with Schleifring. His previous posts have included Programme Manager and buyer roles for SATLYNX, SIPOS revealed, and added that practical electrical engineering experience also featured on his CV, with technical engineering positions for Friedrich Merk Telefonbau and Siemens AG.
Climate Control Middle East May 2013
Retail Sales, du. "With LEED certification, we have proved that it is possible to provide a high level of customer service and satisfaction, while maintaining standards that are beneficial to the environment.” According to du, green practices is a core pillar of its business strategy, which involves exploring and implementing innovative alternative solutions that can be integrated into its business operations.
BAC Gulf appoints Gerry Van den Eynde Aftermarket Manager
Reinforces team with cooling tower expertise
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n April 1, Gerry Van den Eynde started as Aftermarket Manager for Baltimore Aircoil (BAC) Gulf. Announcing this, the company added that he would be responsible for the sales of replacement parts and cooling tower
services. Giving further details about him, BAC Gulf said that Van den Eynde worked for Evapco for the past two years; however, his vast cooling tower expertise was gained as a Product Marketing Engineer, Refrigeration and Aftermarket, with BAC. He also reportedly worked as Sales Engineer Service for Balticare Belgium, the BAC sister and service company. BAC claimed that Van den Eynde was the go-to-guy to improve system efficiency and reduce operation costs.
happenings at large
HVAC professionals endorse green products and technologies AHR Expo post-show survey reveals renewable energy and IAQ as top-priority areas of attention
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reating a more energy-efficient and sustainable environment was the goal for thousands of HVAC professionals attending the 2013 AHR Expo in Dallas earlier this year, revealed event organiser, International Exposition Company in a communiqué. The company added that based on its post-show survey of the attendees, 92% of respondents ranked energy-efficient products/ technology as the most important things to see at the show, while other product areas ranked “important” by thousands of contractors, consulting specifying engineers and other show attendees were: Green Building/ Sustainability: 81% Automation & Controls:
81% Renewable Energy (solar, geothermal, etc): 75% Indoor Air Quality: 81% Another important reason attendees listed for visiting the HVACR exposition was to “see what’s new on the market” (98%) and “visit with current suppliers” (94%). Other high-rated reasons for attending were to: See specific new products first-hand: 94% Look for new suppliers/ vendors: 92% Find solutions to address needs: 82% Make decision to purchase: 53% Attend educational sessions: 43% Attend meetings at the Show: 57% In keeping with the desire to see new technologies
and products, 50% said they visited the Building Automation & Control Showcase, while 34% visited the Software Center and 42% attended exhibitor presentations in the New Product & Technology Theaters. “It’s interesting to note that the top five areas Show attendees are most interested in seeing are all related to saving energy and creating better indoor environments,” said Clay Stevens, President of International Exposition Company. “It’s a growing part of the HVACR marketplace that is definitely reflected in many of the new products on display. Renewable energy
continues to gain traction, ranking higher every year, with three-fourths of the respondents ranking it fourth.” Stevens added: “That’s why exhibitors use AHR Expo to showcase their latest products. In fact, in the Post-Show Exhibitor Survey, 65% said they introduced new products since the last AHR Expo and nearly half responded that they used the Show to introduce new products for the first time.” International Exposition Company also shared the information that the 2014 AHR Expo would be held from January 21 to 23 in New York City.
Laser scanning to monitor excavation progress Data allows optimisation of construction processes and safety on the job
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s a general trend, advances in construction monitoring are moving away from physical measurements at a limited number of points, to widely distributed, wirelessly connected sensor networks, and to areal scanning techniques. These data allow contractors to optimise construction processes and increase safety on the job. Integrating data from
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multiple projects could facilitate improved equipment design, performance prediction and understanding of zonation and geologic material properties. Monitoring for enhanced safety was also becoming more critical, as larger diameter and shallower infrastructure, for example, tunnels and stations, facilities were increasingly proposed for urban sites.
Climate Control Middle East May 2013
Example of laser scanning to monitor excavation progress
ICA moves to broaden applications for MicroGroove Claims industrial heat exchangers, cold chain refrigeration systems, heat pumps and natural refrigerants benefit from smaller diameter copper tubes
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he International Copper Association (ICA), an organisation for promoting the use of copper worldwide, has revealed that MicroGroove Technology uses smaller diameter, inner-grooved copper tubes to increase the heat transfer coefficient of tubes in coils commonly used in refrigeration and air conditioning
applications. ICA said that smaller-diameter copper tubes offered an effective way to reduce refrigerant charge, which is especially important in cases where flammability is a concern. It added that it had already designed and built air conditioners that used propane as a refrigerant. The coil design was optimised using simulation-
based design method and a knowledge-based evolution method, it explained. ICA said that after the success of MicroGroove Technology in residential air conditioners, it was now being used for commercial and industrial applications, and that the technology was well-suited for a broad array of products in the cold chain, including large condensing units and distributed evaporators in coolers and freezers. ICA claimed that refrigerated transport was another application that could benefit because MicroGroove allowed for compact coils. “Copper tubing is essential to the efficient function of refrigeration systems and air conditioners,” said Nigel Cotton, MicroGroove Team Leader for the International Copper Association. “Smallerdiameter copper tubes are
May 2013
being adopted in a broad range of applications; consequently consumer products and commercial equipment will be more efficient and eco-friendly than ever.” Elaborating on copper as an eco-friendly alternative, Cotton observed: “Research on coils using MicroGroove tubes with propane as a refrigerant is timely, considering that the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Significant New Alternatives Policy programme has authorised R290 as one of the available hydrocarbon refrigerants in household and small commercial refrigerators and freezers. Smaller diameter copper tubes are a good match for natural refrigerants, because these can support higher pressures and they require less refrigerant charge.”
www.climatecontrolme.com
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happenings at large
YIT develops modular high-safety laboratory Was responsible for ventilation components produced and delivered as a comprehensive unit
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ogether with HT Labor+Hospitaltechnik, YIT, the building services company, has developed modular highsafety laboratories that meet biosafety levels BSL 3 and BSL 4. Announcing this, YIT said that the containers or the structural steel parts for the multifunctional laboratories were manufactured entirely in Germany and then assembled and put into operation at the user’s premises.
It was responsible for the ventilation components, which were produced and delivered as a comprehensive ventilation container comprising the specified HEPA filter technology, gastight shut-off dampers and air flow controllers, YIT elaborated. In this context, YIT gave the finer details of the project: A planning office is usually required for the centralised coordination of
Montreal Protocol strikes major deal with China Will keep eight billion tonnes of greenhouse gases out of the atmosphere
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he Montreal Protocol has announced striking a deal with China to phase-out hydrofluorocarbon (HCFC) production and, thus, prevent eight billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. With funding of up to USD 385 million from the Montreal Protocol’s Multilateral Fund, China will eliminate its production of HCFCs, ozone-depleting substances that are also potent greenhouse gases. The London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) disseminated the news through a press release. Clare Perry, Senior Campaigner for EIA, said, “This is an important step
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which demonstrates yet again the significance of the Montreal Protocol in providing effective climate mitigation through a tried and tested process.” The decision, reportedly reached at the most recent meeting of the Multilateral Fund, is a major step in the accelerated phase-out of HCFCs, and the elimination of the production of over 4.3 million metric tonnes of HCFCs will prevent emissions of eight billion tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), equivalent to emissions from 1.6 billion cars, one-and-a-half times the global motor vehicle fleet, EIA elaborated. According to EIA, HCFCs are chemicals used
Climate Control Middle East May 2013
the construction of a highsafety laboratory. However, not all markets have an adequate number of planning offices with the necessary expertise – there are, in particular, shortfalls in this respect in the Arabian and Asian markets. Container laboratories manufactured abroad are, therefore, a pragmatic alternative for
customers, because they then get everything from a single source – from the planning, component selection and manufacture, right through to acceptance and the commencement of operations. This also significantly reduces construction times from several years to approximately one year.
Multi-purpose high-safety laboratory with supply air and exhaust air containers
mainly in air conditioning, refrigeration, foam blowing and solvents. They are also used as feedstock for other products, such as Teflon feedstock. The use of HCFCs is not regulated by the Montreal Protocol, as it is deemed that they are entirely consumed in the process and not emitted to the atmosphere. However, the production of HCFC also results in the unwanted production of HFC-23, a super greenhouse gas 14,800 times more damaging to the climate than CO2. While destruction of HFC-23 is easily done and inexpensive, some Chinese plants allow HFC-23 by-product to be vented, resulting in growing atmospheric concentrations, EIA revealed. According to the press release issued by the Multilateral Fund, China has agreed to “...make best efforts to manage HCFC production and associated by-product production in
HCFC plants in accordance with best practices to minimise associated climate impacts”, EIA said. The agency believes that this stops short of mandating HFC-23 destruction in all plants, but does indicate China’s intent to follow best practice as currently followed by HCFC producers in developed countries where HFC-23 is routinely destroyed. EIA said that it was calling on China to formally pledge to destroy the HFC-23 from all Chinese HCFC production facilities, including facilities which produce HCFC for feedstock. “Elimination of China’s production of HCFCs over the next 17 years is a great win for the environment,” said Mark W Roberts, EIA’s Senior Policy Advisor. “However, it will be a hollow victory unless China adopts measures to prevent HFC-23 from being vented into the atmosphere.”
UNEP mandated to strengthen environmental initiatives
UN gives governments equal voice in a newly created fully-representative platform
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arning that global challenges – from diminishing water resources to changing climatic conditions – have gained urgency since the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was established at the 1972 Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment, a UN news release has revealed that this year, the UN has decided to give UNEP a bigger role to play in the global environmental arena. Having chosen UNEP to be the new “voice of the environment”, the UN has apparently put the onus on it to assist in developing the environmental policy consensus and authorised it to conduct continuous and ongoing review of the global environment. UNEP, said the UN, is also responsible for notifying governments and the international community about any new environmentrelated issues. The General Assembly is said to have earmarked funds for the project from the UN’s regular budget to facilitate UNEP to carry out its new responsibilities. An appeal has also reportedly gone out to other UNEP donors to increase their voluntary funding. Prior to the action initiated by the General Assembly, UNEP’s Governing Council consisted of 58 members, but effective February 2013, the Assembly has decided to
permit all 193 UN member states full participation at the UNEP Governing Council. The first meeting of the enlarged Council was reportedly held at the UNEP headquarters in Nairobi from February 18 to 22. The Global Ministerial Environment Forum created by the then UNEP decided to bring the world’s environment ministers under one roof for high-level meetings with the Governing Council. It has been revealed that the newly included member states have begun handling their new responsibilities in right earnest and have already implemented a few of the provisions to this resolution. One, in particular, included the necessary arrangements for the future of the Global Ministerial Environment Forum. The first practical initiative taken by the UN General Assembly, implementing the commitment made by world leaders at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development at Rio+20 last June to improve the institutional framework for sustainable development, was part of the other provisions. Speaking in the context of the new initiative being kickstarted, UNEP’s Executive Director Achim Steiner and UN Under-Secretary-General said: “Universal membership of UNEP’s Governing Council establishes a new, fully
representative platform to strengthen the environmental dimension of sustainable development, and provides all governments with an equal voice on the decisions and action needed to support the global environment, and ensure a fairer share of the world’s resources for all.” The new initiative with its attendant major decisions by the General Assembly,
May 2013
appears to be a step forward in the direction of enhancing global cooperation, promoting the integration of the social, economic and environmental building blocks of sustainable development and, in the process, has given a boost to coordination within the global body. “The resolution reaffirms UNEP’s role as the UN’s authority on the environment, and provides the mandate to enhance our ongoing work on bringing the latest science to policy-makers, directly supporting national and regional environmental efforts, improving access to technology, and other key areas. For UNEP and the environmental community," Steiner added, "this is a truly historic day.”
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ASHRAE uPDAtE
New ASHRAE Residential IAQ Standard issued
Carbon monoxide alarms required, default leakage rate removed
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he newly published 2013 version of ASHRAE’s residential indoor air quality standard removes the default leakage rate assumption and also requires carbon monoxide alarms, ASHRAE has announced through a communiqué. ASHRAE gave further details, which can be deemed extremely relevant for the industry: ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.2-2013, Ventilation and Acceptable Indoor Air Quality in Low-Rise Residential Buildings, is the only nationally recognised indoor air quality standard developed solely for residences. It defines the roles of and minimum requirements for mechanical and natural ventilation systems and the building envelope intended to provide acceptable indoor air quality in lowrise residential buildings. According to the
communiqué, one of the biggest changes in the standard over the 2010 version was an increase in mechanical ventilation rates to 7.5 cfm per person plus 3 cfm per 100 square feet. This is due to the earlier removal of the earlier default assumption regarding natural infiltration. The Standard 62.2 Committee had previously assumed homes got a minimum of 2 cfm, per 100 square feet, according to Don Stevens, Committee Chair. “Because research shows houses have gotten tighter and apartments have always been tight, the 2013 edition drops this default assumption and calls for the entire amount to be provided mechanically,” Stevens said. “The only exception is when single family homes have a blower door test – then the predicted average annual leakage rate can be
deducted.” Another major change is a requirement for carbon monoxide (CO) alarms in all dwelling units, ASHRAE said. Paul Francisco, Committee Vice Chair explained: CO poisoning leads to hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries each year in homes, resulting from automobiles left running in attached garages as well as from portable generators, power tools and heaters. A small fraction of poisonings also result from failed central heating combustion appliances. “Residents have very little ability to sense the presence of CO without detectors, unlike many other indoor polluting events,” he said. Whether to include CO alarms as a requirement in the standard had been discussed since the standard was first proposed with debate focused on the unreliability and cost of alarms, the communiqué revealed. In this context, Francisco reportedly said that the
ASHRAE Oryx holds Standard 90.1 seminar Focuses on past, present and future of the Standard
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SHRAE Qatar Oryx Chapter, Doha, held a seminar on March 23 at Qatar University, where Dr Ronald E Jarnagin, Presidential Member 2011-2012, made a presentation titled “90.1 Past, Present and Future”. The presentation provided a background on Standard 90.1 – Energy Standard for Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings – and looked at the 30% goal for 2010 and the 50% goal for 2013. The presentation spelt out the purpose of 90.1 – 2010 and highlighted its scope. After comprehensively covering 90.1 – 2010, the presentation focused on aiming at 50% energy savings for 90.1 – 2013. ORYX AND FAISAL JASSIM TO CONDUCT SEMINAR The Oryx Chapter, in association with Faisal Jassim Trading Company, on May 18, will conduct a full-day seminar on energy efficient and green solutions for the HVAC market, at the College of North Atlantic, Qatar. The speaker at the seminar will be Gino Vincenti, Marketing Director at PAL International.
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Climate Control Middle East May 2013
committee believed the time had come to make this change, noting that it brought the standard into closer alignment with the International Residential Code, which requires alarms if the house has combustion appliances or attached garages, and that many states had passed laws requiring CO alarms. Francisco believed that the requirement went a step further, expanding the protection to all homes, regardless of fuel type or garage configuration, reflecting the fact that many CO exposures occur due to causes completely independent of these factors. It also required that alarms be hard-wired with battery backup to address an increased likelihood of high CO exposure events during power outages, he elaborated. According to ASHRAE, other significant new changes include the removal of the climate limitations on pressurisation and depressurisation; specifications related specifically to multifamily buildings; and new calculations and weather data for estimating annual leakage based on a blower door test.
ASHRAE urges fraternity to join annual conference Says Denver event offers opportunities to learn and network
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SHRAE has extended an invitation to HVACR professionals to join its annual conference being held from June 22 to 26 in Denver, Colorado, which it says, is replete with technical programmes and tours, learning courses and opportunities to network. The Technical Programme will run from June 23 to 26. The programme will address the practitioner’s needs for the built environment industry. The conference will host an Integrated Project Delivery mini-conference and also a research summit, which will bring together distinguished researchers. The conference will also include in-depth training courses offered by the ASHRAE Learning Institute and technical and general tours.
marketplace
this section contains regional and international products information
EIC Solutions
Military grade thermotEC 145 Series 1500 Btu thermoelectric air conditioner
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laiming that it has been designed for mobile military and defense applications to protect electronics in harsh environments, EIC Solutions, manufacturer of thermoelectric air conditioners, electronic enclosures and transit cases, has introduced the ThermoTEC 145 Series 1500 BTU Military Grade (MG) air conditioner.
The manufacturer lists the following product features and benefits: The lightweight thermoelectric cooling units feature an auto ranging power capability – advanced chip circuitry which lets the units run on 24/28V DC or 120/240 AC power. The auto ranging feature automatically tracks and
DuctSox Free 2013 Catalogue/ Design guide Redefining Air Dispersion – 2013
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uctSox has announced releasing Redefining Air Dispersion – 2013, its free 26-page, full-line, illustrated catalogue and design guide for fabric duct products and accessories for architects, engineers, contractors and other commercial building designers. The company lists the following highlights of the catalogue and attendant benefits: The fully illustrated catalogue features DuctSox’s new SkeleCore Series in-duct framework support and dedicates 10 pages to the new HVAC trend of first designing commercial air dispersion around the suspension/fabric retention systems, then selecting fabrics and dispersion. It features several pages of architecturally photographed applications in addition to DuctSox’s complete line of suspension, fabric, air flow and accessories for textile air distribution duct. It includes illustrations and descriptions of DuctSox’s new nozzle that can be adjusted to either throw air up to 60 feet fully open, throttled for custom distances, or closed. There is a section on the many optional air flow, diffuser and
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Climate Control Middle East May 2013
optimises available voltage to provide unimpeded cooling at the rated 1500 BTUs even when the units are installed in areas where voltage flow may vary, such as remote military installations. Operating at temperatures of up to 160°F, they are also available with higher ambient temperature tolerances. The units are manufactured to NEMA 4X standards to provide maximum protection against environmental variables. Solid state construction and the use of corrosion-resistant powder coated aluminum assure long life and durability. They can be integrated into existing transit cases or included as part of a custom pre-packaged solution in a new EIC Defender Series transit case. While the transit
case protects electronic gear from dust, water, oil and most other environmental hazards, the ThermoTEC cooling unit keeps the temperature inside the case at safe operating levels to help ensure accurate performance of sensors, computers, telecommunication systems, surveillance devices and other gear inside the case. Shock and vibration test data is available as are many other options including RF/EMI shielding, custom-designed condensate drip pans, heaters, digital temperature controllers and rain shrouds. Certain models are also available for hazardous location (Class 1, Div. 2) applications.
textile types available to project specifiers. Sections include design strategies with UnderFloorSox (UFSox) for under floor air distribution, KitchenSox for commercial cooking area ventilation, LabSox for laboratory IAQ and ChemSox for corrosive industrial environments. Speaking exclusively to Climate Control Middle East, Tawfiq M Attari, Global Sales and Technical Director, DuctSox MENA, said: “Advancements like these bring many benefits. The backbone system keeps the textile duct taut and unwrinkled at all times, reducing the motion as well as noise and the start up. At the same time, this increases the lifetime of the product, as the duct is kept round at all times, whether there is any pressure applied or not. Warranties, for example, are now prolonged for as long as 20 years. Constant improvement and dedication to innovation are keys to success in the industry. The new technological advancements, such as these, have brought a revolution to the previous design guides by completely changing the process. Such systems are ideal for operations with frequent cycling or where there is a variable air volume supply at different times.” To order the free catalogue, DuctSox has advised those interested to call 1-866-DUCTSOX, ext 5355 or visit www. ductsox.com/content/full-line-brochure to download a copy.
K AMSTRUP
– your partner within energy metering
District cooling is a better solution for the environment and district cooling combined with individual BTU metering and exact billing is even better. At Kamstrup we work to develop solutions that make a difference, for the energy supplier, the consumer and the environment. It has been proven that accurate and visible energy metering reduces energy consumption, merely as a psychological effect. People are already aware that energy is an expensive resource, and if they are made aware of their consumption habits, they will automatically seek to adjust to a more energy savvy behavior. European experience states that about 30% energy savings can be achieved when using individual BTU metering for cooling energy if compared to bulk metering where cooling charge is included into the rent. There is a clear difference in the consumption pattern of energy and water in measured and non-measured apartments. As 1°C in indoor temperature represents 5% of the energy bill a tenant can actually save 10% by increasing the indoor temperature from 20°C to just 22°C. This very concrete economic benefit of individual metering is followed by the important educational aspect that people get used to have a critical eye on their consumption as energy prices are in a steep rise. Kamstrup can provide all needed metering HW and SW to establish BTU metering into new and also existing buildings as retrofit metering.
There is always a better solution – Kamstrup metering solutions
Kamstrup Middle East FZC P.O. Box 500 468, Dubai United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 4 453 7337 dubai@kamstrup.com www.kamstrup.com
marketplace
this section contains regional and international products information
Aldes
twisted diffusers
A
ldes ME Flash has announced introducing Twisted, a range of highinduction air diffusers, which it claims is equipped with a patented system of swirl diffusion that provides added mixing capacity and can maintain the quality of air diffusion over a wide range of airflow. It adds that the diffusers have advantages for architects, MEP consultants and MEP contractors.
Aldes lists the following product features and benefits: Adapted to small and medium-sized commercial premises such as restaurants, offices, hotels, banks, small shops, nurseries, retirement homes, showrooms and open-spaces Keeps the capacity to mix the supply air with the room air ambient for greater temperature consistency,
and, therefore, offers optimum comfort, whether in high or low speed Effective when heating and cooling and both accept high mixing rates and temperature variations over 15°C Perfect for installations with high mixing rate and ceiling height up to 4m Has small air throw even for big airflows – 150-650 m3/h – with same size of diffuser
Pressure loss: very low on supply model – 28Pa with plenum for 650 m3/h Only one model, therefore easy to order, plan and execute installation (plenum integrated) – need to identify supply and exhaust versions only
Fresh-Aire UV
Blue-Calc uV-C light sizing/design/ analysis service
F
resh-Aire UV, which claims to be the originator of the patented Blue-Tube UV 24-VAC low-voltage ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) light, has announced that it has developed Blue-Calc, a UV-C light design and analysis service using sizing software for HVAC engineers and contractors. According to the company, Blue-Calc’s web service provides calculations of both airborne and cooling coil surface microbe disinfection efficiencies from UV-C light exposure and generates detailed colour chart and graph image printouts for building owner presentations. Available at www. freshaireuv.com, BlueCalc’s online form prompts engineers and contractors to input the design parameters of any size HVAC system project, and the program provides users with sizing, mounting configuration,
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lamp type and placement specification data that has been factory engineerreviewed, the company explains. Fresh-Aire UV lists the following product features and benefits: Developed collaboratively by Fresh-Aire UV’s in-house UVGI and software engineering departments, Blue-Calc can detect inadequate coverage or insufficient microbe inactivation time in a specification conforming to the UVGI industry’s D99 criteria – a dose resulting in a minimum 99% inactivation. Blue-Calc’s custom-written software is based on mathematical modelling of the UV disinfection process pioneered by UVGI industry scientists and Fresh-Aire UV’s recent third-party laboratory testing. The software program precisely sizes for UV
Climate Control Middle East May 2013
light intensity and auto-placement for optimal disinfection and helps cut project costs by eliminating equipment over-sizing. Blue-Calc automatically configures UV lamp locations and mathematically models UV irradiation and microbe inactivation over hundreds of thousands of data points within the HVAC enclosure. The calculated data is illustrated by different charts/graphs, such as both lengthwise and crosswise “Irradiation Field Intensity”, “Microbe Survival Profile”, “Irradiance on the Surface”, “Survival Times” and other illustrations. Some of the program’s charts are unique to the UVGI industry. The “Microbe Survival Profile” image, for example, demonstrates the program’s ability to calculate reflectivity of a variety of duct material
surfaces. Inputting data on the form takes only minutes. An optional space is also provided to describe unusual project characteristics such as unconventional HVAC configurations or an interest in the disinfection of specific microbes. Required input data includes enclosure dimensions, air velocity, air handler/ coil model and other parameters related to Fresh-Aire UV’s UVGI system requirements. Output data also includes the selected lamp model and parameters, number of lamps, lamp locations, UV power, electrical power requirements, each lamp’s peak irradiance, in-duct irradiance (µW/cm2), and microbe inactivation calculations.
Schneider Electric
SmartStruxure solution
S
chneider Electric, dealing in energy management, has announced the release of SmartStruxure solution, which it says is designed to maximise building efficiency and reduce operating costs across the entire lifecycle of a facility, and provides facility managers instant access to energy and sustainability metrics SmartStruxure solution is made up of hardware and software that combines engineering, installation and services to provide integrated monitoring, control and management of HVAC, energy, lighting, and other critical building systems. Schneider elaborated. The manufacturer lists the following product features and benefits: SmartStruxure breaks down traditional information silos and delivers integrated building information and real-time data via web access; powerful graphics and trend visualisations; rich reports; and mobile applications to ensure buildings are running at maximum efficiency. Supported by EcoStruxure Web Services, the suites unify key software applications across all levels of an enterprise, providing a scalable platform. Built on open standards, SmartStruxure solution provides seamless integration through LON, BACnet, Modbus, Web Services and Schneider EcoStruxure Web Services. EcoStruxure architecture connects five domains of expertise – power, datacenters, process and machines, building management, and physical security – within an open and flexible technology architecture that delivers significant savings on CapEx and OpEx. In addition, it enables numerous advanced building services, such as automatic mechanical equipment analytics and building optimisation. It has an attractive modern interface that can be personalised for individual users. Anant Berde, Vice President, Buildings Business, Schneider Electric, highlighting
the advantages of the user interface said: They also appreciate the scalable vector graphics that look great regardless of screen
size. The drag-and-drop trending really helps them visualise and optimise their energy performance across the district.”
Just ask Castel
Prepared to do our utmost to keep our customers satisfied, since 1961. Castel is Italy’s leading
manufacturers
quality
refrigeration
of and
air conditioning components, active
in
more
than
logo WHITE
90
countries all over the world. On our horizon we constantly see a future of research and development.
Products for HFC, HC (hydrocarbons) and subcritical CO2 systems
logo Blu PANTONE 300U 100 CYAN 40 MAGENTA
www.castel.it
May 2013
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marketplace
this section contains regional and international products information
TA Hydronics
tA-FuS1On control valves
t
A Hydronics has announced launching TA-FUS1ON, a range of control valves that combine both control and balancing functions into a single unit. Together with the corresponding actuator, they provide absolute control over hydronic systems, allowing designers and contractors to correctly size control valves, the company claims. It backs its claims with “European HVAC Customers in company commissioned customer surveys 20092012”, which suggests that well over 50% of control valves within hydronic systems are wrongly sized because of incorrectly fixed Kvs (valve coefficient) values, leading to poor control performance and
inefficiency within the system, with oversized valves increasing investment and energy costs, and undersized valves increasing energy consumption as they cause the pump head to increase. In the light of this, TA Hydronics lists the following product features and advantages: The single adjustable Kvs with inherent independent EQM characteristics enable precision sizing and optimal control performance for on-site flexibility and maximum energy efficiency, eliminating the problem of under or oversizing. The single unit twoin-one valve design with the corresponding actuator provides control
and balancing functions, reducing investment cost and installation time. They feature measurement capabilities for differential pressure, flow, temperature, power and available differential pressure to provide hydronic diagnostic control over complex HVAC systems. Larger dimensions are made using TA Hydronic’s inline technology, resulting in lower noise generation and ease of insulation. The range includes a full selection of valves between
DN32 and DN150, with or without an integrated Dp controller. The measuring and diagnostic capabilities of TA-FUS1ON ensure that the daily performance of the complete system can be easily achieved and maintained with products in the new range designed to work seamlessly with the TA-SCOPE measurement and balancing instrument and TA Select 4 hydronic software. Together these enable precise balancing, system monitoring, power measurement and troubleshooting.
Stadler Form
Oskar Humidifier | Viktor Air Purifier | Albert Dehumidifier
H
ighlighting that air humidifiers, air purifiers and air dehumidifiers improve IAQ and significantly reduce many harmful contaminants, Switzerland-based Stadler Form, which designs and develops air treatment appliances, has introduced three products: Oskar Humidifier, Viktor Air Purifier and Albert Dehumidifier. The manufacturer lists the following product features and advantages: ALBERT DEHUMIDIFIER It can remove up to 20 litres of excess moisture from a home in 24 hours. Removes condensation, black mould and excess moisture in larger properties. Its running cost is over 50% lower than most other similar powered dehumidifiers. VIKTOR AIR PURIFIER It eliminates pollutants that
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Climate Control Middle East May 2013
cause common upper respiratory illnesses, colds, allergy irritation and asthma. It has functional filters: the preliminary filter removes large dust particles and pollutants from the air, thereby protecting the secondary filter from severe soiling and optimising its functionality; the HPP filter system filters out viruses, bacteria, fine dust, pollen, dust mite excretions, mould and fungi from the room air; activated carbon filter adsorbs airborne gases. It is a fragrance dispenser. OSKAR HUMIDIFIER It improves indoor air quality by maintaining optimal humidity of the air. It is an evaporator – evaporation mats soak up water. A fan is used to draw dry indoor air through the mats, which transfer their moisture to the air. It is a perfume dispenser
Albert Dehumidifier
Viktor Air Purifier
Oskar Humidifier
Tuned to Your Cooling Needs
McCrometer
FPI Mag electromagnetic flow meter with M-Series Converter
S
SAMSON valves and controllers let you sit back and relax. Our reliable instruments ensure that your local or district cooling plants run efficiently. They are convenient to operate and provide a wide range of functions. We support you in selection and sizing, and provide extensive customer service. The right instruments for a perfectly tuned system
A01122EN
aying that municipal and industrial engineers will find it useful, McCrometer has announced the introduction of FPI Mag electromagnetic flow meter with new M-Series Converter with CSA certification to UL 61010-1 and CSA C22.2 No.61010-1-04. The manufacturer lists the following product features and advantages: Featuring an advanced filtering algorithm, McCrometer’s M-Series Converter supports FPI Mag Flow Meter accuracy of ±0.5% of reading from 1 to 32 ft/s and ±1% from 0.3 to 1 ft/s. The M-Series Converter, now standard with all McCrometer mag meters, offers built-in dual 4-20 mA outputs for communication flexibility, additional programmable outputs to support SCADA systems and a simplified menu structure for ease of use. It is the industry’s only hot tap full profile insertion flow meter available on the market, and significantly reduces installation time by eliminating the need to de-water lines or cut pipe. It is available for forward-flow only or a bi-directional measurement for line sizes from 4 to 138 inches. The flow sensor comes pre-calibrated from McCrometer’s NIST traceable Calibration Lab and requires no recalibration in the field. FPI Mag supports liquid flow measurement requirements in municipal water and effluent wastewater treatment, industrial process intake water, feed water, chilled water, cooling water, fire water, water recycling and effluent discharge. Typical municipal water applications include: wells, booster stations, effluent, filter balancing and backwash, pumping stations, UV dosing and potable water distribution. The flow meter is ideal for campus-style facilities for chilled water and HVAC applications. The flow meter also supports applications in a wide range of industrial process plants. It is ideal for retrofits, upgrades and maintenance projects and sites never metered before.
SAMSON Controls FZE PO Box 262793, PBU YC01 (near R/A 08) Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai Phone: +971 4 8834933 · Fax: +971 4 8834944 E-mail: info@samson.ae · ww.samson.ae SAMSON GROUP · www.samsongroup.net
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interview
Keo international consultants
INTEGRATING SAVINGS IN BUILDINGS According to a recent study, buildingintegrated photovoltaics (BIPVs), if installed on windows of buildings could yield energy savings of up to 20%. Climate Control Middle East spoke to Mohammad Katanbaf, Architect, Design Division, KEO International Consultants, to explore key issues surrounding BIPVs and the roadmap that lies ahead of the technology. What is the range of energy savings that buildings fitted with BIPVs can achieve? In general, the savings will vary between five per cent and 20%. The range will depend on several criteria, including: Type of photovoltaic (PV) cells – whether thin film or crystalline Method of integration – façade or roof Orientation and inclination of the PV cells Proper maintenance of cells to avoid performance reduction Proper ventilation to keep good air flow, hence avoiding overheating How do sand and humidity in this region affect the efficiency of the panels? What measures can be taken to remedy these problems? Both sand and humidity have a negative effect. On one hand, the temporary instabilities caused by dust or sand deposited in the PV array or, in case of rainfall, 36
clouding the surface (aka caked surface) lower the efficiency. On the other hand, permanent disturbances (the wear and tear of the panel itself), particularly caused by large particles in sandstorms that break the fragile glass surface, reduce performance and electricity output. One method of avoiding this problem is through the use of nano-coating with selfcleaning and hydrophobic properties. This can stop dust build-up and keep panels clean, hence maintaining their efficiency and ensuring that the maximum amount of electricity is produced. How much more expensive are BIPVs compared to traditional solar panels? Since BIPVs replace conventional building envelope systems, while solar panels are additional components to existing building skin, naturally their prices will vary. Unfortunately, I cannot give you an exact number. BIPVs are roughly twice as expensive as conventional
Climate Control Middle East May 2013
solar panels. For exact figures, you will need to contact the suppliers. Are customers more conscious of the price of BIPVs instead of the energy savings they may bring? Yes. Most, if not all, clients consider payback scenarios before investing in the panels. Such economic analysis takes energy savings into consideration. But it is mostly driven by capital cost.
feed-in tariff scheme help in encouraging the market to choose BIPVs? One way of promoting BIPVs is raising their aesthetic appeal. If the façade integration is more seamless and innovative, such that it strengthens the architecture, then this will work in favour of such alternative façade. This said, the best driving force is economic incentives and government-backed policies that enforce them.
What measures are you planning to take to promote the use of BIPVs? Will a
Mohammad Katanbaf has published the results of his study on BIPVs in the January edition of the journal Engineering.
feature shanghai tower
REACHING
SKIES
FOR THE
At 632 metres, Shanghai Tower currently under construction will be the tallest building in China on completion in 2015. It
is also aiming for LEED Gold certification. Christian von Holten brings us the details.
Introduction PROJECT LOCATION:
Shanghai Tower is located in Pudong, Shanghai, People's Republic of China, between the Jin Mao Tower and the Shanghai World Financial Center, themselves supertall towers. Besides being the tallest of the three, measuring 632 meters in height, Shanghai Tower will be the tallest building in China on its completion in 2015. It is also on target for certifications as LEED Gold and China Three-Star for energy efficiency. An integrated design approach combined with the innovative application of systems and equipment and limiting transport energy required to heat, cool, and ventilate the tallest building in China, results in the overall energy efficiency of the building.
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feature
shanghai tower
By utilising two chiller plants, the hydrostatic system pressure is reduced, reducing pressure-break heat exchangers and pumps VERTICAL CITY:
The 128-storey, mixed-use tower is organised as a vertical city. The project is arranged in a series of nine nominal 14-storey occupied zones stacked vertically, with the engineered building systems serving each zone separately, similar to a campus consisting of nine 14-storey buildings served by a central utility plant. The lowest level of each 14-storey zone features amenities and an atrium in the triangular form of the building envelope. This design concept creates a sustainable way of occupying a supertall tower by emphasising public space and offering a variety of spaces throughout the tower and within each zone. The tower’s structural design incorporates a significant system of trusses every 14 floors. Because of this, these areas are somewhat less suitable for office or hotel space. However, these spaces make ideal locations for the engineered systems that allow each zone to function independently.
DESCRIPTION, SIZE, AND ENERGY USE:
Shanghai Tower is approximately 400,000 m2 above grade, with retail 38
Skygarden section
and event space in the podium, and office, hotel and observation levels above. Retail levels extend down to the second basement level. The central plant and engineering spaces are on B1 and B2, and parking levels extend down to B5. The total below-grade area is approximately 140,000 m2. The tower’s exterior is characterised by inner and outer curtainwall systems. The void between the two provides the atrium space with a buffer zone between ambient conditions and the interior environment. The design of the heating and ventilation systems takes full advantage of this buffer zone. The buffer zone provides a degree of solar shading and thermal break between the ambient conditions and the occupied
Climate Control Middle East May 2013
Façade detail
floors of the tower. This reduces the solar heat gain and heat transfer between the occupied floors of the tower and the outside. For a tower of this size, the energy required for transporting energy is quite significant. The vertical city concept allows for a substantial reduction in transport energy. The building, as designed, is estimated to save 19,700,000 RMB (USD 3,194,092, as of April 30 value of Chinese Yuan Renminbi against the US Dollar) or 22% in annual energy costs, compared to the ASHRAE 90.1-2004 baseline. The building complies with
the minimum requirements of LEED CS 2.0, and currently qualifies for four points under LEED credit EAc1. For the China Three-Star rating system, the design qualified for all five required control points, all nine possible common points, and three out of four points for optional items. There are two chiller plants in the building: The Low-Zone Chiller Plant is located on the B2 level. The cooling plant consists of 27,000 tonne-hours of ice storage, a natural-gas fired cogeneration system, dual-duty ice making/ chilled water chillers, and
The 2,200-kW natural gas-fired cogeneration system provides electricity and heat energy to the low-zone occupancies. The system provides site-generated power while generating 640 tonnes of refrigeration during the cooling season and heat during the brief winter months. Sitegenerated power reduces source energy consumption and the carbon footprint of the facility by utilising clean-burning natural gas in lieu of high-sulphur coal. The HVAC system utilises highpressure steam generated in the LowZone Central Plant to feed the heating
Shanghai Tower's crown
standard-duty water chillers. The LowZone Chiller Plant serves the facility up to the 65th floor. The High-Zone Chiller plant is located on the 82nd and 83rd floors. This chiller plant consists of six highefficiency centrifugal water chillers. The two plants greatly reduce the transport energy required to pump chilled water throughout the facility. By utilising two chiller plants, the hydrostatic system pressure is reduced, reducing pressure-break heat exchangers and pumps throughout the tower. As a result of splitting the cooling plant into two zones, 40% of the required cooling towers are to be installed on the top of the facility. This has allowed 33% of the building site to be green area, a requirement of the Shanghai government.
and domestic water-heating system. The steam system requires no pumping to deliver heat energy to the facility, reducing the transport energy.
VEntIlAtIOn SYStEMS AnD BuFFER zOnES
Each vertical zone is served from mechanical zones above and below the occupied zone. Each mechanical zone houses the dedicated ventilation systems, electrical transformers, and water systems. Outdoor air is preconditioned, filtered, and measured before being supplied to the occupied
Better spraying Better
with
Your advantages using the HydroSpray® system: - Operation optimized using location-specific climate data - Patented sectional spraying offers: - Precise condensing and outlet temperatures - Up to 50 % less water consumption compared with conventional systems - Spraying up to 1,000 hours per year - Easy installation, automatic draining, no interference with transport dimensions Güntner Middle East P.O. Box 341179 Dubai Silicon Oasis Office A505, Dubai United Arab Emirates
GFD with HydroSpray®
Tel: 971 4 371 2821 Fax: 971 4 371 2829
www.guentner.eu/hydrospray
May 2013
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39
feature
shanghai tower
zones. This system ensures that the proper amount of outdoor air is provided to the occupied zones based on occupancy and pressurisation requirements. The ventilation systems require very low pressure to move the air through the occupied zones, further reducing transport energy. Electrostatic filters on the outdoor air systems reduce fan-motor horsepower, and enthalpy wheels between the outdoor air and exhaust air stream reduce the required heating and cooling energy required to pre-condition the outdoor air.
The design will qualify for 6.25 out of an available 11 possible points in the LEED Indoor Environmental Quality category The 27 atria in the building are utilised as buffer zones around the inner façade on the building. Used outdoor air from the occupied portions of the floors is spilled to each atrium before being exhausted from the building. The result is the temperature above the occupied zone of the atrium is maintained below ambient temperature in the summer months, greatly reducing heating and cooling load requirements for the office, hotel and observation zones. Since the floors above the bottom floors of each atrium are closed off from the buffer zones, air temperatures within the buffer zones are allowed to stratify. The spill air system is controlled to maintain the top of the 40
atrium at a temperature no greater than 45°C. As the sun progresses around the tower, the control system will shunt more spill air to the zone with the higher cooling demand. The occupied level of the atrium will be heated and cooled through perimeter fancoil units and air distribution devices at the inner façade to address the cooling and heating requirements at the occupied atrium levels only. Given the glass curtainwall that makes up the outer façade, downdraft and condensation were issues of particular concern. During the winter months, the inner surface of the outer façade will be cooler than the air within the atrium volume. This cooler air will tend to fall at the perimeter of the atrium. This mechanism can set up significant convective currents within the atrium as the cooler air at the perimeter tends to fall and displace
Climate Control Middle East May 2013
the warmer air within the atrium upward. To prevent convective currents within the atrium caused by the downflow of air at the cold surface of the outer façade, and the upflow of warm air at the inner façade, the design integrates small finned-tube radiation into the curtainwall. The finned-tube system will interrupt the downward flow of cool air, stopping the convective current before it develops. The spill air that is introduced into the atrium has the benefit of being dehumidified. This dehumidified air will mitigate the formation of condensation on the inside of the outer façade. The finned tube installed at the outer façade has the added benefit of directly maintaining the humidity of the air at the façade above the dewpoint of the air within the atrium volume.
The design will qualify for 6.25 out of an available 11 possible points in the LEED Indoor Environmental Quality category. The HVAC system features outdoor air delivery monitoring, CO2 monitoring and control, and tobacco smoke control. The MEP components required for China Three-Star certification will be allocated all their available points, with the exception of natural ventilation. Operable windows and natural ventilation strategies for the Tower were not adopted because of its height, typical weather conditions in Shanghai, and the cleanliness of the outdoor air. The project will qualify for all five available points for innovative design. The design features and process for source-water consumption reduction was responsible for one point.
The writer is a Vice President of Cosentini Associates. He can be contacted at CVonHolten@cosentini. com.
event report
1st annual middle east variable refrigerant flow conference
At A CROSSROADS In the absence of “suitable” alternatives to the refrigerants now in use, the industry may need to content itself with using the known “devil”. We bring you Part II of our report on the 1st Annual Middle East VRF Conference, where a wide range of issues were discussed.
o
ne of the key takeaways from the discussions at the 1st Annual Middle East VRF Conference held on February 24 and 25 at the Radisson Blu at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, was that no single route or a “magic solution” emerged to move away from HCFCs. HCFCs – which are fast being phased out due to their ozone-depleting potential (ODP) – are being replaced by HFCs in many applications. However, due to their high global warming
42
Climate Control Middle East May 2013
potential (GWP), HFCs are also in the process of being phased down. In fact, a recently proposed amendment to the Montreal Protocol dictates that HFC usage should be decreased to 20% in 2040 in both developed and developing countries. In light of the heightened urgency to find viable alternatives to HCFCs, Eng Yaqoub Almatouq, Refrigerants Expert from Kuwait, says that the industry now finds itself at a crossroads as finding suitable low-GWP, safe and environmentally sound alternatives to HCFCs is proving to be a challenging
endeavour. First, he points out that there is a lack of consensus on the interpretation of what “high” and “low” GWP means. There exists a table of parameters set by the Technological and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP). But the same has not yet been approved or agreed upon. Second, he explains there is a need for an overarching strategy to phase out HCFCs over the next two decades to address all end-users. The priority, he adds, should be on the sectors with the most feasible alternatives – those with
as part of the operational rating system, we will control the use of refrigerants. as of the moment, there is no control in the gulf region
low or no GWP characteristics. Third, he says that there is a need for the government to address the challenge with an integrated approach at institutional and industry levels. He adds that the perceived absence of unified and coordinated policies and standards in linked markets like the GCC worsen the situation and offer opportunities for other countries to dump obsolete technologies in the region. Lastly, the proposed alternatives to HCFCs like hydrocarbons (HCs), HFC blends and CO2 technologies have issues, as well. HCs, for example, have safety concerns, while HFC blends and CO2 technologies are still in research stages. The industry’s quest to move away from HCFCs, has yielded several options which should be carefully studied, taking into account the specific needs and circumstances of the region. At present, however, says Almatouq, in the absence of “ideal” alternatives to HCFCs, the industry
may need to settle for the “devil” it knows, R22, and try its best to keep the refrigerant inside the equipment to mitigate its environmental effect. As part of our continuing extensive and comprehensive coverage of the 1st Annual Middle East VRF Conference, we bring you excerpts from the presentations of Eng Yaqoub Almatouq and from Justin Patrick, Director for Channel Marketing and Strategy, Johnson Controls in Milwaukee. We also bring you the highlights from the first plenary discussions at the event, joined by Almatouq and Patrick, together with Dr Esam Elsarrag, Director, Gulf Organisation for Research and Development, (GORD-GSAS); George Kenich, Head, Infrastructure and MEP, Aldar Properties PJSC; Edwin Young, Program Manager, Estidama, Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council; Ghaleb Abusaa, CEO, The Three Factors Company (en3 Solutions) and Erick Melquiond, Managing Director, Eurovent Certification Company.
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event report
1st annual middle east variable refrigerant flow conference
Eng Yaquob Almatouq Refrigerants Expert, Kuwait
For want of anything better
“T
he alternatives to R410A and R407A have high-GWP. So, they are not long-term alternatives, in any case. In my point of view, they will not stand so long, because they have high GWP…. R32 has another issue, because it’s mildly flammable. So, we have to be aware of those alternatives. “Hydrocarbon is the best. But we have other issues concerning it. We have to be careful when using hydrocarbons. I think the problem regarding the use of hydrocarbons in air conditioning split unit is that the leakage is in the bedrooms and in the children’s rooms. It’s very difficult…. So, we have to be aware. “I am only talking about the GCC countries, because we do not have the culture of safety. Yes, technologies are there, but we have to adopt the safety measures. Before we adopt the technologies, we have to make ourselves and our end-users ready to absorb these technologies. It is not wise to give the technologies and, then, ask them to learn by mistake. You have to adjust and educate them regarding the issues. We have to understand that flammability is an issue in our region…. “Do you know that in the six [GCC] countries, we don’t have a law regarding
44
who can maintain air conditioning systems? In the morning, one can be a teacher, and in the afternoon, he can buy a gauge and a cylinder, and he can be an air conditioning technician…. “Yes, they are venting the gas, because recovering the gas and going through procedures will take some time. Time is money for the technicians, because they only have six hours or seven hours before they sleep, so they can work on five or six houses. So, the easiest way is to cut the pipe, relieve it, and refill it for you….
and after 10 years it will be reduced? Nobody can go to that and invest money, especially in the industry. This is really very aggressive. When it started, we were against that amendment. Kuwait, as well as the other GCC countries, is against it, because we don’t have alternatives. But, it is going very crucially and will be amended very soon. “As GCC countries, we have HPMPs (HCFC Phaseout Management Plans) and all of the GCC countries have already submitted. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain were the last two countries
“There is a [proposed] amendment in our treaty now – coming from USA, Mexico, Canada, UK, EU, and some other countries – to phase down the use of HFCs starting 2015…. So we have this procedure…. How can you debate with the market saying that you will market something
to approve their HPMPs for 2020 last December…. Alternatives should be feasible, with no or lowGWP characteristics. They say that the alternatives are there. But when we want to adopt them in the region, they are not working. They are there, but we cannot use them….
Climate Control Middle East May 2013
“What is the situation in the region now [in terms of HCFC consumption]? It’s declining in Article 2 countries (USA and Europe). But it is increasing in our region. In the GCC countries, there is a huge increase…. “Now, we have to consider the market and the industry itself. Today, [when we talk about alternatives to HCFCs], we are no longer talking about the ozone. We want to adopt alternatives that are efficient, safe and environmentally sound. I do not get it, really. I spent 10 years in that treaty, but I did not get to understand the meaning of “environmentally sound”…. “There is no single route or magic solutions for the conversion away from HCFCs. We don’t understand, because today they say, ‘this is the alternative’, then we shift. Then, after two years, they will come and say ‘Oh, sorry this is also bad’. So the industry becomes agitated, and it no longer knows how to move. “Currently, the best alternative is the refrigerant that I call ‘the devil we know’ – R22. Countries can keep the refrigerant for as long as they want, but they cannot import in excess. So, if they keep the refrigerant in the equipment, they can run for 100 years or 200 years without an issue. Let’s reduce the leakage in the equipment. Let’s motivate the engineers to build properly designed machines that don’t leak…. Until we find the alternatives, let’s deal with what we have now….”
Justin Patrick
Director, Channel Marketing and Strategy Johnson Controls, Milwaukee
“B
VRF – a complete system
ased on the extensive market research and customer analysis, Johnson Controls has determined that VRF is one of the fastest growing market offerings. It was a USD 8.5 billion market globally in 2012, and a half a billion dollar [market] in the US in the same timeframe….
There are very easy bridges that take the VRF systems and put it into BMS, which is also able to tie in with the more complex systems “It’s a complete system. It’s sold with all the elements needed for heating, cooling and controlling it – and they’re designed to work together. This “complete system” aspect has benefits for everybody in the chain. Consulting engineers like it, because it saves them time in designing the system. Design-build contractors like it, because it gives them access to other buildings that they
wouldn’t have had the ability or the skill set to design, and they could move into larger, more complex facilities. Because of the ease of system design and selection, the tools make a very complex system very easy to design. It’s a user-friendly and intuitive Microsoft Windows-looking interface, and it significantly lowers the amount of training that you need to have to use the tool. There’s no need to perform complex calculations to size the system. The automated tool guides you through the selection … and it makes the design that much easier. “The simple and quick installation of it makes it a very modular approach. It allows you to quickly scale a building; it allows the building to be built in phases; and there’s a wide range of control systems that can go with it. The compact size of VRF systems allows the majority of components to be taken up a normal-sized elevator. The piping diameter of the refrigerant piping through the building is very small, and this reduces the labour component that’s needed to run through the building and the level of complexity in the skill set needed to include those, as well. “It eliminates the need for additional building automation systems, because it comes as a complete control package. It doesn’t limit it, however, because there are very easy bridges that take the VRF systems and put it into BMS, which is also able
to tie in with the more complex systems. “The other thing that’s a great advantage to VRF is its efficiency. VRF is variable: It pushes refrigerants around with variable speeds; it has variable compressors and variable fans in most of the different areas. If no one is in a particular room, the VRF system will slow the fan down and slow the cooling or even shut off the different zones…. “Because of the design concept, VRF systems are adaptable to a pretty wide range of building applications. It’s used in Asia for new construction because of the speed with which it can be installed and for the phased deployment of those buildin build-out infrastructures. For buildings with no duct work or limited space, like those in North America and Europe, it’s the choice to go with, because it has small refrigerant lines and it’s easy to get into the different locations. The mix-and-match capability of it allows for different units to be held in stock and so that local inventory makes it easier for contractors to respond to replacement work or quick additions to the buildings…. “I don’t think that VRF is perfect, by the way – it has some limitations, as well. While the modular design is helpful for most buildings, there’s an economic limit to the scale of it. As you get to larger and larger systems, it just doesn’t make sense. In our preliminary
investigations, it’s around 400 tonnes where chilled water systems really start to win out in the scale and efficiency of the building. “Fresh air is another issue. A lot of manufacturers have added ducting and ducted units into their system and those are good up to a certain point. But, if you have a large building that requires a lot of air changes, an additional outside air unit is required to temper that air and keep the indoor air quality to the right levels. “On building codes and safety, as Eng Almatouq discussed, we’re at a kind of an impasse, where we need to figure out what the next refrigerant is. VRF, Chillers and packaged equipment are all on the same boat as to what is the right choice of refrigerant. It’s the lesser evil out there, and so we still have to deal with that, but at this point R410A is kind of the winner when it comes to VRF systems. “VRF is major growing factor in the HVAC industry, faster than others. Johnson Controls has invested in it, as most of the many other manufacturers…. There are concerns about this system, and we’ve worked to address those and there’s still more work to be done on that. What it comes down to, in my opinion, is having the right products at any one point in time.”
May 2013
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event report
1st annual middle east variable refrigerant flow conference
Highlights from the first plenary discussion
How many manufacturers do you think can provide products that perform 40%to 60% more than ASHRAE? Esam Elsarrag: The benchmark is 30%. One can choose to target 60% to gain a higher star rating or to claim more points in terms of energy. The zero is 30% less than ASHARE. But most of the buildings are achieving scores of approximately between one and two, or equivalent to 50% less than ASHRAE 90.1 2004. Our idea is, when you cut the cooling need, you already meet the big chunk. Then, after that, you can go for efficient systems and so on. When you reduce the need for cooling, you will find out that, by default, you will make big cut compared to the ASHRAE level. We have tools that you can use to assess your design. Does GSAS ask for performance tests from independent laboratories to verify the performance and the COP of systems? Esam Elsarrag: Yes, there will be verification for the COP and there will be a lab test. We have international labs, as well. It will not
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be a very difficult process. We have approved third-party laboratories all over the world. Then, we will get the certificate, and then we’ll come back and approve your system. Within a year, this system will be in place. Why is it important to take into consideration the seasonal COP and overall COP of the system in evaluating its energy efficiency? Esam Elsarrag: When we developed the energy tools for GSAS, we meant to go through the seasonal energy efficiency, because we are talking about the annual energy consumption. So, when you talk about the annual energy consumption, you have to talk about the seasonal energy efficiency ratio. Because we are adopting the EN ISO standards, the definitions available (BTU/tone, BTU/ kw) will not work with GSAS. So we have to be concerned with the European energy efficiency ratio definitions.... In your presentation, you mentioned about the pipe length which, you said, can reach up to 950 feet. How about vertical lift? How much can we go up to? George Kenich: We do not have much information on the manometric height. Definitely, the vertical [lift] counts a lot for the manometric height and the pressure down that we are putting
Climate Control Middle East May 2013
to control that. The best way to control GWP is to not let the systems leak. We need to make sure that the installation is correct.
on our compressors inside. As an engineer, I will try to find out how much is the pressure of the load which I am applying to the compressor just so not to make the compressor work on high load continuously. It is mostly a question of energy efficiency.
Does Estidama take care of the recycling and recovery of the refrigerants? Edwin Young: As far as Estidama is concerned, it has an operational rating which is being finalised as of the moment. As part of the operational rating system, we will control the use of refrigerants. As of the moment, there is no control in the Gulf region.... We have concerns about leakage; ODP is just one part of it, GWP is more important. The HFCs that we have right now and are available to us are the best that the industry can provide. It will change in the future, but now we have
How will you cover a fresh air handling unit on low-rise buildings with a VRV system? On metering, how accurate is the metering, and could we set up a standard in terms of metering? Being air cooled, does the system carry the same 15-to-18year-old life before replacement? Justin Patrick: It is a 15-to-18-year product, and when doing a lifecycle cost analysis, you have to add in the replacement cost of the equipment. For accuracy in metering, it depends on the manufacturer. But what I will tell you is that from my experience in North America, we’ve been able to work with utilities to accept and use that metering for distributing energy costs throughout buildings. So, there is some regulatory work that has to take place. But it is accurate enough that the utilities have accepted it. For outside air in large buildings, there are a number of different schemes to
accomplish that. The biggest one that I have seen is that there is an additional outside air unit. I will use a multi-family building as an example, where the outside air unit goes on the roof 10 storeys up and it’s pressurising the main corridors and then allowing infiltration to add air in spaces that do not have operable windows.
What are the third-party testing available from Eurovent that the manufacturers can access? Erick Melquiond: The VRF system, worldwide, is a big secret. Manufacturers in Asia, for the last 20 or 30 years have not disclosed the data. Do you know when the first certification system was put in place for VRF? Last year in the US, and in December last year in Europe…. There are VRF testing facilities in Europe, but as I have said, they were doing it in secret for the manufacturers until last year. I think it will help that the players in the VRF industry promote their products, but they have to get out of the shade, they have to show the performance of their products.
InDIA - A RuBIK'S CuBE
India is trying to balance between the demands of growth and the urgent need to cut its energy and environmental costs. It’s time for the HVACR sector to pause and introspect. We bring you Part II of our report. Report by Pratibha Umashankar with inputs from B Surendar
T There was a time, before India reclaimed the lost ground it had ceded to the West during the Industrial Revolution, when it seemed to have the sole bragging rights about its glorious past – its 5,000-year-old 48
civilisation and its rich tapestry of cultures. About its future, it was strangely silent. Then came the paperand-pencil revolution, and the collective Indian psyche, honed by centuries of abstract thinking, took its rightful place under the IT sun. Now, a country with its billionstrong population, most of it Gen-Next, rarely looks back. It carries the chip on its shoulder about being wired to write codes. And this has ushered in an economic boom signalled by rapid urbanisation, mushrooming of MNCs, energy shortage and rise of glass towers which need to be kept cool,
Climate Control Middle East May 2013
even as they spew heat – in short, First World problems. But then, India is not a First World country equipped to deal with them. This asymmetry has created an HVACR Rubik’s Cube. The industry is now trying to make all the squares on its side green. ACRECONF 2013, a twoday international conference held on February 8 and 9, in New Delhi, organised by the Delhi Chapter of ISHRAE, in association with ASHRAE India Chapter, had the avowed theme “360 Degree View on Emerging Mega Trends in Building Design” and ACREX 2013, claiming
to be the largest biennial International Exhibition and Conference catering to the air conditioning, refrigeration, ventilation and building services’ industries, held in Mumbai on March 7 and 8, once again organised by ISHRAE, tried to address this HVACR conundrum. Sanjay Kirloskar, Kirloskar Brothers, as the Chief Guest speaking at ACRECONF, set the tone by enumerating a few of the key issues facing the sector: • Need for clean energy for sustainability • Need for energy efficiency to obviate power shortage • Need for lifecycle cost
We have 1.3 billion square feet of green buildings in the country. But it’s not even 10% of what we are building, and so the target should be that whatever we build will be green analysis and energy audit services • Need for better regulations • Need and benefits of retrofitting
Building green
Dr PC Jain, Chairman and Founder of Spectral Consultants, pointing out that India always knew how to build green, says: “India does not need to know how to make a building green; it’s part of our DNA. We have 1.3 billion square feet of green buildings in the country. But it’s not even 10% of what we are building, and so the target should be that whatever we build will be green. This was how it was 100 years ago.” A case of reverse engineering, perhaps? Or reinventing green? He feels that sustainability need not be sacrificed at the altar of growth, as the key to progress is innovation. “The aspiration should be to reduce mechanical equipment and achieve through not only components, but also design,” he suggests. Kirloskar reveals that India has the largest number of green buildings after the US. But, he raises a relevant issue which the industry has been skirting around, when he says: “Our HQ is LEED Platinum. But, once attained, it stays with us for life. It remains a LEED Platinum. But what about after that? Is the building green in the years that follow? In that context, it is important to ensure a
DC — imported from Dubai
D
istrict cooling in India is yet to gain ground in the manner in which it did in the GCC, particularly in the UAE in the early part of the last decade. That is not to suggest that projects are not coming up. Those that are coming up are conservative in nature and, for a large part, are in the range of 30,000 TR – 50,000 TR. The district cooling plant for Wave City Centre in Noida, New Delhi, is a case-in point, says Kandasamy Anbalagan, the Managing Partner of Proleed Engineering Consultants, Dubai, which is handing the project for the client, Wave Infratech. Here are the project highlights: The total area connected to the DCP network is one million four hundred seventy thousand square metres. (1,470,000 m2). The project is a multiusage development consisting of commercial, retail, hotel, residential and entertainment buildings. The developer intends to obtain LEED Gold for the entire development and, hence it was proposed that it opt for the district cooling system based on low-energy consumption and environmentally friendly design. The district cooling plant – for a total capacity
of 45,000 TR – coming up in two phases will provide cooling to selected properties to be constructed in three phases (Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3). The DC system does not provide cooling for the residential buildings. The first plant (DCP – 1), due for construction under Phase 1, is sized at 25,000 TR with 20,000 TR from water-cooled centrifugal plant and 5,000 TR from chilled water thermal storage. The second plant (DCP – 2), due for construction under Phase 2 & 3, would be designed to accommodate the balance cooling demand of the development, estimated at 20,000 TR, with 15,000 TR from chillers and 5,000 TR from thermal storage. Systems and products being considered for the project are: high-efficiency chillers, VFDs for pumps,
proper O&M (operations and maintenance) regimen.” A stark reminder, indeed. Kirloskar believes that the onus is on the main players. “We share responsibility of bringing power consumption of high rises down to 20%,” he says. Vivek Khurana, Director (Operations), Nutech, speaking to Climate Control Middle East on the sidelines
of ACREX, thinks that the HVACR sector in India is trying to keep pace with global green trends, just to remain competitive. “The systems are changing for the better in India because of some foreign consultants. We have norms in India that are followed. Technology is all there.” he reveals. He describes a project his company is involved in to
CT fans, thermal storage and Scada controls. The project report admits that initial fears were the unpredictable and slow nature of the Indian construction projects – the plant sizes and phases have to be carefully evaluated for achieving optimum efficiencies and the availability of skilled manpower for installation and maintenance. However, with the presence of senior and mid-level executives who brought to the table their experience of and exposure to the Middle East construction sector and large DCPs, the stakeholders were willing to look into the possibilities with proper financial models for achieving their project goals – sustainability and associated additional FARs, life cycle cost benefits, etc., all of which led to the consideration of DCPs in the long term, says the client.
May 2013
highlight how the HVACR scenario and the mindset are changing in India: “In a hospital project for Reliance in Mumbai, we have supplied AHUs. They have implemented a fan wall technology (multiple fans and three-stage filtration process) and DOAS units in the hospital. The design is very European- or US-influenced.” He goes into specific www.climatecontrolme.com
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details of the technology: “The AHU is split into nine to 10 zones, each with cooling coil for nine to 10 operating unit theatres. So, one common set supplying individually to different operation theatres. And if even one conks off, others can ramp up to compensate. So, there is redundancy that has been factored in. And we have local suppliers.” But he adds: “That said, very few companies are willing to pay for this kind of an approach. It is expensive but energy-efficient technology.” “India is a price-oriented market,” agrees Murtaza Arsiwala of UAE-based Rubber World Industries. His company, which has made inroads into India, had a presence at ACREX.
COMIng ClEAn
Due to rising costs of conventional sources of energy and rapidly depleting fossil fuel reserves, along with the new global mantra of clean energy, India, too, has joined the chorus and trying to encourage clean technology. Fortunately, the country has abundant unexploited renewable energy resources, such as solar, wind, biomass and water. Among these, a relatively untapped source is ground heat. In this regard, the India Chapter of International Ground Source Heat Pump Association (IGSPHA) has its job cut out. Discussion about this in one of the sessions at ACRECONF prompted a delegate to comment: “Ground source heat is available free of charge; we don’t use it, because we don’t know how to do it. One thousand five hundred buildings are registered with the Council in India, and once we do learn more about ground heat 50
source, we can progress.” The delegate went on to throw a challenge: “Sanjay Kirloskar is present here. I would ask him and the Kirloskar Brothers to pay attention to pumping all the valuable heat from the ground, so they can get the energy from the ground.”
In many glass buildings, they have made provisions for Racs and splits, not central air conditioning. So in India, it’s a totally different story “As leaders, we should ensure that the country runs on clean energy,” Kirloskar concedes, not in response to the challenge, but as an avowed goal. Ravi Chandran of Danfoss, speaking of how Denmark is dealing with the issue of energy efficiency, highlights that coal consumption in the country is coming down. “Ninety per cent of the energy production in Denmark is non-conventional,” he says. Can India emulate Denmark’s strategies? This is more than a mere academic riddle. While the analogy between Denmark and India seems skewed – Denmark’s population is five million, while India’s is a billion plus and counting – the lessons in clean and green technology need not be dismissed as untenable. That said, admittedly, Indian energy-efficiency market has evolved rapidly over the last few years, thanks to government initiatives and investment from large players, including foreign investments, which have particularly put pressure on the HVACR sector to get its act together. Hence, energy efficiency at plant and building level, smart grid
Climate Control Middle East May 2013
technologies, green building products and services and clean coal technologies are the growing trends, not just as prerequisites, but also as new avenues for investment. Also, it’s not enough to build green and clean, but let old buildings catch up with new technologies now available. The time is ripe for retrofitting. Kirloskar echoes this view when he says, “Refurbishment and replacement offer opportunities to designers to come up with energyefficient designs.” He adds that the IGBC (Indian Green Building Council) and the CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) are playing a vital role in energy efficiency. It is evident that India does not lack energyefficient designs, products or technology. It’s once again the perennial and all-pervading problem of running a loose ship – absence of will to tighten and/or enforce regulations and lack of standardisation. Other issues India needs to address are accountability and measurability – in short, energy audit. As Dr Jain points out, “We are very good at design and build, but poor at documentation. USGBC (US Green Building Council)
forces us to audit and certify.” BN Khurana, Managing Director, Nutech, agrees and calls India a “non-standard, customised market”. Chandran reveals that his company, Danfoss, has set up a psychrometric lab in Chennai, India, for all manufacturers. The first of its kind in India, the lab tests refrigeration and air conditioning equipment. Kirloskar believes that the situation is improving with major manufacturers in India offering energy audit services. “So I am optimistic,” is his verdict.
All quIEt On tHE ECOnOMIC FROnt?
“Below average” are two words with which BN Khurana sums up India’s general economic outlook. But he qualifies this: “We are operating at 80% of our normal sales. The trend so far for the past two to three years – and I feel it will last for a year more – is that things will be slow on the real estate front. Some projects that were held back have started again. Overall, still suppressed.” His overall report card is: “Drivers for growth – the United States is picking up. Europe is bad. India can survive on its own, because
its inner consumption is good. The population will help. India is not in trouble. It will sail through.” Speaking of the HVACR sector, he says that he would like to see innovations to bring down power consumption. “At the same time, cost has to be reasonable. It’s a very competitive market,” he adds. On the other hand, Vikash Sekhani, Director, SAFE A&T Technology, India, speaking to Climate Control Middle East during ACREX in Mumbai, expresses optimism: “The market is showing positive signs. The market size is growing. Last year was flat. This year, the figures coming in indicate an uptrend.” He, however, admits that the market price of houses is stagnant – there’s no depression yet. There’s no drop in prices. But he is enthusiastic about booming satellite towns: “You have to see the size of the construction in Noida Expressway. It’s mindboggling. And in Thane and beyond Thane [in Maharashtra], there are entire cities coming up, not just buildings.” This spells good news for the HVACR sector. In Sekhani’s reading of the
market: “Urbanisation is happening; land is shrinking. The biggest growth spurt is in VRFs, splits, RACs/WACs (room air conditioners/ window air conditioners). The sales are going up. In many glass buildings, they have made provisions for RACs and splits, not central air conditioning. So in India, it’s a totally different story. People are still going for windows. Indeed, there’s no growth spurt yet on the commercial AC side. To tell the truth, the commercial AC market is a very, very flat market.” Arsiwala, speaking about his company, Rubber World Industries (RWI), has a different take: “There’s no competition in the market for us. We are more of a service-oriented company. We are looking for dealers here (in India) who are service-oriented. We supply to Carrier, Blue Star and Voltas. And now in addition to supplying, we are going to focus on the retail markets.” His company’s target is 500 to 600 containers a year. “After we achieve our target, we will look at the feasibility of setting up marketing in India,” he says. It is interesting that Rubber World, manufacturers of closed-cell elastomeric rubber insulation products, in a press release to coincide with its participation in ACREX revealed: “The construction industry is in a booming stage in most regions of South Asia, especially in India. In India, the cities, like Mumbai, New Delhi and Bangalore, have a high capability for all kinds of products related with construction field. The quality-oriented market is giving more emphasis on good quality/longlasting products as all the developments are eyed on a long-term strategy. So, RWI is also putting its efforts for supplying good quality/long durable products so as to satisfy the customer needs to a great extent.” Even more interestingly, and reflecting the above
Real estate – the real picture?
T
he article, “Balancing Act: Property developers learn new tricks to tide over a crisis of funds” in the March 17, 2013 issue of Business Today, gives an insight into the construction scenario in India: “With both financiers and customers in short supply, thanks to the two successive downturns of the last few years, the industry has been forced to adjust – and fast. Even the mightiest have faced up to reality: in August last year, for instance, DLF, India’s largest realtor, sold 17.5 acres of prime land it owned in the heart of Mumbai, the country’s costliest real estate market, to trim its debt.” The article goes on to reveal that the real estate boom had begun to show signs of slackening even before the first downturn struck in September 2008 with the collapse Lehmann Brothers. If the article is to be believed, fewer residential projects are being launched now. Even the FDI into Indian real estate when the sector was first opened, has reportedly dwindled to a trickle. Paradoxically, Mumbai suffers from its perennial problem of housing shortage. Another article titled “Rising from the rubble: Redevelopment projects are luring big builders in land-starved Mumbai”, in the same issue of Business Today, gives the following statistics: 450,000 is the shortage in housing units in Mumbai and its satellite towns such as Thane. 19,000 is the number of buildings in south and central Mumbai that need to be rebuilt. 5,000 is the number of buildings in Mumbai’s suburbs that need to be rebuilt. How does one compute the information thrown up by the two articles? To plan ahead, The HVACR sector needs to tease out the truth hidden in the paradox. As in most things in India, the opposite is also true. sentiments, quite a few Middle East-based companies such as Zamil from Saudi Arabia and Bin Dasmal (Trosten) had a presence at ACREX. They were obviously looking at India for business opportunities in a fast-evolving energyefficient scenario. Ergo, India continues to offer business opportunities, despite a moderate growth rate in the last couple of years.
Conclusion
India is seen as a growing market due to rapid urbanisation and changing lifestyle, both of which are positive signs for the construction industry, in general and the HVACR sector, in particular. What the country needs to address is the issue of meeting both May 2013
energy demands and demands of sustainability, in order to attract foreign players. As if to stand this market wisdom on its head, increased investments by global corporations has forced the country – and the sector – to pull itself up by its bootstraps and usher in innovation, selfand governmental regulations, embrace green technologies and assume responsibility towards reducing climate change risks. This symbiotic relationship – perhaps born of necessity – is a sign of good health for the country and the HVACR market, and, in the long run, for the environment. Note: The report is based on interviews conducted at ACRECONF 2013 held in February in New Delhi and ACREX 2013 held in March in Mumbai. www.climatecontrolme.com
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Nessun
country report
italY
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Climate Control Middle East May 2013
dorma!
Once touted as the “Land of air conditioning” by a local manufacturers’ organisation, Italy is presently going through economically challenging times. Numbers showing unprecedented growth and expansion are now continuously dwindling, with no signs of recovery anytime soon. Despite the depressing scenario or, perhaps, because of it, Italian HVACR companies are on their toes and are not sleeping on the job. Jerome Sanchez has the report. May 2013
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country report
ITALY
T The economic crisis that struck Europe in the latter part of 2008 has definitely affected the Italian HVACR industry. The turn of events could not have been more drastic. In 2007, the Italian Association of Manufacturers of Air Conditioning and Ventilation Equipment Co. AER (Associazione construttori di apparecchiature ed impianti aeraulici) reported that the air conditioning and refrigeration market in Italy had strong sales growth to show – with 13.4% more air conditioning units sold and 22.2% more turnover achieved compared to 2006. In 2012, however, the same association revealed that, in the first nine months of 2012, the HVACR industry had a negative turnover and that the longer and hotter summer experienced in the country did not help the cause of the
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industry. It reported declines across different sectors of the industry, including multi-split, mono-split, VRF, mini VRF, centralised units, fan coils, and refrigerants. “Sales of the HVACR industry in 2012 were lower than in 2011,” says Stefano Berton, Senior Manager, Product Marketing, Air Conditioning and Industrial, Eliwell. “We can estimate an average decline of 12% for the internal market.” He cites a survey conducted by the Italian Federation of Mechanical and Engineering Industries ANIMA (Federazione delle associazioni nazionali dell’industria meccanica varia ed affine) for Co. AER which showed that in 2012, the number of installations for rooftop air conditioners and fan coils dropped by 15%, while installations for air handling units and multi-splits registered a decline of 20%. “Better was the market for single split units and movable units with a performance [at par] with the previous year,” adds Berton. Michele Paccagnella, Managing Director, MP3 Srl, paints the same dismal picture when he says that the general outlook of the HVACR industry in Italy is still bleak and the forecast
Climate Control Middle East May 2013
is that the market will be further reduced by 20% in the coming years. Marco Galluppi, Manager, South Europe and Middle East, Carel Industries, confirms the above observations and says that the difficult economic situation and the recent elections have caused a significant decline in government procurement. Not all is doom and gloom, however. According to a report in the ASHRAE Journal published in May 2012, titled “In Italy, Business Goes On”, many companies reported a rise in demand from foreign markets, where 1.5% growth was projected for 2012. The same report adds that the number of foreign visitors at the Mostra Convergno Expocomfort, a biennial HVACR trade fair that is one of Europe’s most important industry events, increased by four per cent – an indication
that the Italian companies are shifting their focus to exports during the sustained economic slump.
Mitigating the decline
Italian HVACR companies have adopted different strategies to thrive through the economic slack, including increasing investments in R&D, introducing new products and reaching out to different countries for business. “Despite the crisis, we have never taken off resources and investments from our research and development department,” says Berton, “because our industry is based on innovation and technology and we believe that it represents the real future of the company.” He adds that in these economically trying times, his company considers product innovation, manufacturing automation and globalisation as key factors that can drive growth. Adds Berton: “We do not expect big improvements in a short time for the Italian or for the Southern European markets. Our strategy is to expand in countries where the trend is better, like in Germany,
We have also focused strongly on simplifying the installation of our products, the ease of use and the accessibility of informative reports to aid the energy costs control initiatives
Eastern Europe, Turkey, the Middle East and Africa.” He says that Eliwell intends to expand its presence in the afore-mentioned markets through local investments and through providing better technical support. “We want to follow our customers not only through the seller but also by bringing technical support close to them,” explains Berton. He also reveals that Eliwell has created a regional sales and technical support team in China, where it has started production of some components exclusively for the Asian market. Galluppi shares the information that in addition to investing in product innovation and in HVAC consultants and designers, and to focusing on highefficiency solutions and
1
World’s # in
Performance TOTAL ENERGY
energy savings, Carel is continuously expanding its operations in the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries and in the Middle East. Paccagnella endorses the view that investing heavily in R&D is one of the main strategies of MP3 to survive in the aftermath of the downturn. “Investing on R&D allowed us to enter new and smaller niche market, with an increase in revenue of four per cent to five per cent in the domestic market and more than 20% in exports,” he says. In terms of exports, Paccagnella says that MP3 is expanding its presence in Northern European countries like Holland, Denmark and Finland. Mauro Montello, Sales and Marketing Manager, Climaveneta, shares the
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country report
ITALY
information that to combat the crisis, his company is entering into new sales channels and offering integrated project solutions. In addition, he says that Climaveneta is aiming to directly target tenants and investors to make them aware of sustainability and efficiency. Speaking about his company’s export strategy, Montello says, “We are now entering the South American market and strengthening our position in China and India with local production plants.”
Hitting the target
In light of the economic downturn and the rising cost of energy in Italy, there has been a heightened and intensified focus on energy efficiency. In addition, the EU heads of state and governments have set a series of demanding climate and energy targets to be met by 2020, known as the “20-2020” targets. In summary, these are: A reduction in EU greenhouse gas emissions of at least 20% below 1990 levels 20% of EU energy consumption to come from renewable resources A 20% reduction in primary energy use compared with projected levels, to be achieved by improving energy efficiency Commenting on how Climaveneta responds to the call for higher energy efficiency among HVACR products, Montello says: “Climaveneta has always invested in energy-efficiency solutions development in order to provide in each building and in every season a high level of comfort and low energy consumption.” He further claims that the use of inverter solutions, the possibility of combining its products with renewable resources and the drive for developing more 56
efficient components allow Climaveneta to deliver highefficiency solutions to its customers. He reveals that his company has begun installing multipurpose units capable of heating, cooling and producing sanitary hot water at the same time. “Providing a single solution to both needs (heating and cooling), the unit makes use of the synergies between heating and cooling, ensuring much higher energy efficiency than traditional systems, which are based on separate chillers and boilers,” he explains. Speaking for Eliwell, Berton says: “The new standards and regulations related to energy conservation, environmental protection and the use of natural refrigerants have led us to innovate our controllers and stimulate our technical office to create new ideas.” He adds that his company’s products are being developed to address the need to optimise energy usage and meet the regulations set
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forth. “We have also focused strongly on simplifying the installation of our products, the ease of use and the accessibility of informative reports to aid the energy costs control initiatives,” he adds. Galluppi, highlighting how Carel contributes to meeting the “20-20-20” targets, says: “It is interesting to underline that the European Union has officially recognised heat pumps as renewable energy sources, only as regards the part of heat taken from the environment, and taking into consideration the electricity consumption when the heat pump is powered electrically.” In addition, he reveals that the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA), which Carel is a member of, regularly takes part in EU initiatives to promote knowledge of heat pump and development of heat pump technology for residential, commercial and industrial applications in the European market by providing legislators technical and
economic support, including that in relation to energy efficiency. “Following significant economic investments in R&D,” adds Galluppi, “Carel is able to offer the market the highest performance solutions for maximum energy efficiency of heat pumps, guaranteeing highest seasonal performance.” In the context of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Galluppi reveals that Carel is continuously cooperating with partners and customers to develop new environmentally friendly solutions. “We have developed – and are continuing to develop – numerous applications based on CO2, both transcritical and subcritical, in several countries around the world,” he says. He adds that the use of CO2 minimises the sources of direct pollution (refrigerant leaks) and indirect pollution (electricity consumption) by guaranteeing good energy efficiency in specific system solutions.
Eye on the Middle East
There is no denying that Europe, including Italy, has been badly hit by the economic recession. With the industry continuously being plagued by negative turnovers year after year, have the Italian industry players considered shifting their commercial attention to the Middle East, which is seen to be less affected by the crisis? Montello discusses his company’s view of the Middle East: “The harsh climate conditions typical of the Middle East make energy efficiency and extended operating limits even more crucial factors for an effective air conditioning solution.” He claims that Climaveneta has products suited for the Middle East that feature extremely low running costs, leading to the reduction of the total lifecycle cost. “This is achieved thanks to an
Like other markets in the Middle East, their choice is still based on the price offered, resulting in more economic but less efficient solutions
extreme focus on the quality of components and on their optimal integration, which steered all the technological decisions at the engineering stage,” he says. Galluppi shares his observation that there is presently more emphasis on choosing the most appropriate energy-saving technology in the Middle East, taking into account the local climate characteristics and the local market specifics. “The most effective energy-efficiency technologies,” he explains, “are evaporative cooling and local and remote monitoring/ telemaintenance systems.” He points out that the abovementioned technologies can guarantee constant, highperformance monitoring of installations, allowing the operating conditions to be adapted to the actual demand.
Eliwell, which already has a strong presence in the Middle East, continues to see the region as an important gateway to Africa and other countries: “This makes the region more attractive. For sure we will invest to further increase our presence in the Middle East,” says Berton, speaking for his company. Paccagnella, on the other hand, says that MP3 has also worked on tenders for projects in the Middle East, including in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, but only got a lukewarm reception from the market. “We found out that these countries are still far from acknowledging and choosing new technologies,” he says, and adds, “like other markets in the Middle East, their choice is still based on the price offered, resulting in more economic but less efficient solutions.”
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Conclusion
Italian HVACR industry players are unanimous in saying that the recession has heavily hit the country’s economy and that the dark clouds of the downturn have yet to pass. With negative numbers and dismal outlook looming large, the industry players are bracing themselves for what may be the worst that is yet to come. New strategies and fresh approaches to business have been put in place to keep the Italian HVACR companies afloat: more investment in R&D, heightened focus on after-sales service and a more aggressive approach towards exportation. Despite the depressing situation, the Italian industry players are keeping their hopes up and are staying vigilant to new market trends that could arise from the present situation.
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perspective
NATURAL REFRIGERANTS
Natural refrigerants: a great potential in small capacity ranges With new components and applications emerging, systems with small capacities can be successfully implemented using natural coolants, such as ammonia or carbon dioxide, believes eurammon, and cites case studies as evidence. Background
Natural refrigerants now have a firm place in the market as an environmentally friendly solution for industrial refrigeration. In view of legal directives and increasing ecological awareness on the part of operators and customers, the market is becoming more dynamic – new components are being developed and new applications installed. This does not only apply to refrigeration plants with a large capacity but also more and more to smaller capacity ranges, such as those found in deep-freeze rooms. Even though many end-users still rely on synthetic refrigerants, there are already signs that these preferences will be redefined in future. In fact, this will be in favour of natural refrigerants, as their potential, especially for refrigeration systems with smaller capacity ranges, is enormous. It is not without reason, for example, that carbon dioxide has already been successfully used as a refrigerant in the deep-freeze area of
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many supermarkets for over 10 years. Ammonia too, which until now has predominantly been used in systems over 100 kW, appears increasingly attractive for smaller systems. This is shown by the following case studies and experiences of eurammon members Frigopol, Star Refrigeration and HKT Huber-KälteTechnik.
Frigopol cools biogas plant in Germany with ammonia
Frigopol Kälteanlagen GmbH, based in the Austrian town of Frauental, is an expert for small production runs and has been making special refrigeration and air conditioning solutions for over 60 years. For this purpose, the traditional company relies on natural refrigerants – for the sake of the environment. This was also clear to the operators of a biogas plant right from the start: The intention was to design their refrigeration to be environmentally friendly and in accordance with sustainability principles.
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Frigopol installed two dual-circuit refrigeration systems with ammonia and a capacity of 2 * 20 and 2 * 100 kw respectively. The system is used to cool the biogas plant’s gas motors and keep the process water at a temperature between +2°C and +6°C at all times. Frigopol’s many years of experience and its expertise in the construction of small production runs using NH3 made it perfectly feasible to implement the project with low capacities. With a total of eight separating hood compressors from Frigopol, as well as suitable plate heat exchangers from Alfa Laval, dry coolers from Güntner, condensers from Thermofin, valves from Danfoss and oil separators from Klimal, Frigopol was able to successfully implement the refrigeration system. “We believe that the demand for applications in the low-capacity range will continue to grow.” says Johan. “After all, such an eco-efficient solution is ideal for many areas in the food and non-food sector. That applies both to industrial and commercial
Our system helped the famous department store to achieve a high BREEAM assessment, an ecological evaluation for sustainable buildings, with its new distribution centre use.” If a position outdoors could be ensured, using an indirect refrigeration system with ammonia would also be practicable in sectors like the hotel and gastronomy trade.
UK department store opts for CO2 in small refrigeration rooms
An internationally renowned department store in London was also looking for an environmentally friendly and efficient refrigeration plant for the newly developed Thames Valley distribution centre, Thatcham. The aim was to cool two small refrigeration rooms used for drinks and perishable foods. The department store contracted Star Refrigeration to plan this system. As a special solution for the small refrigeration rooms, the refrigeration specialist developed a customised carbon dioxide refrigeration plant. The single-stage transcritical plant has a
capacity of 20 kw and is equipped with an Envichill DX system. With the aid of the carbon dioxide gas cooler, plus several compressors and an efficient evaporator control system using electronic expansion valves, the plant keeps both refrigeration rooms at a constant +4°C even in the middle of summer. “The customer was looking for a future-proof solution with natural refrigerants,” says Andy Butler, Retail Manager at Star Refrigeration. “With the energy-efficient carbon dioxide refrigeration system, we have enabled the customer to reduce its carbon footprint and prevent any negative effects in terms of global warming and ozone depletion. The result is quite astounding:
Behzad Abholhassani Monfared, who took second place in the eurammon Natural Refrigeration Awards 2011, is developing an ammonia heat pump with seven kilowatt hours for a single-family house as part of his research project Our system helped the famous department store achieve a high BREEAM assessment, an ecological evaluation for sustainable buildings, with its new distribution centre.”
High energyefficiency in small capacity ranges
The two practical examples make it quite clear: Systems with small capacities
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natural refrigerants
can be successfully implemented using natural coolants such as ammonia or carbon dioxide. Not only is this good for the environment, but it also allows energy-efficient refrigeration solutions. “Above all, applications like cascade systems with carbon dioxide in the subcritical range for deepfreezing and with ammonia for normal refrigeration are very efficient,” Herunter explains. Karl Huber, Managing Director of HKT Huber-Kälte-Technik, also sees the benefits of CO2 in the low temperature level of cascades and subcritical applications. He says: “CO2 will establish itself especially for supermarket refrigeration. Installing an additional refrigeration unit or a pressure compensation container allows excess pressure build-up to be prevented on these systems, even in the event of a stoppage or fault.”
Star Refrigeration Naturally a better way to cool: A UK department store opts for the complete CO2 system from Star Refrigeration.
SEt FOR tHE FutuRE WItH gREEn REFRIgERAtIOn PlAntS
Natural refrigerants, such as ammonia and carbon dioxide, are becoming increasingly important, especially in small application areas. For suppliers of innovative refrigeration systems, above all, this means a rapid growth in market potential. Current research, such as that carried out by Behzad Abholhassani Monfared, is also being focused on their use in residential buildings. Monfared, who took second place in the eurammon Natural Refrigeration Awards 2011, is developing an ammonia heat pump with seven kWh for a single-family house, as part of his research project. “The demand for refrigeration using natural
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Frigopol The two-circuit NH3 chillers cool a biogas plant in Germany
refrigerants is noticeably increasing,” explains Herunter. “After all, these systems are not only impressive in ecological, but also in economic terms. Higher acquisition costs than those for applications using synthetic refrigerants will be quickly recouped by considerably lower operating costs resulting from optimal technical design and dimensions.” Huber also sees further market opportunities in future: “With the development of innovative
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components, natural refrigerants can also be used where they are not yet so common. For the pilot project conducted by the student Behzad Abholhassani Monfared, we supplied a component that was fitted into the ammonia heat pump for a single-family house. We are convinced that many new applications with natural refrigerants will be prospectively put into place for private use, too.” The development of refrigeration systems using
aRouND 70% oF coMpaNIES STILL Do NoT kNoW ThaT ThERE IS aN ENVIRoNMENTaLLy FRIENDLy aLTERNaTIVE FoR ThEIR REFRIgERaTIoN pLaNT, WITh WhIch ThEy caN SaVE haRD caSh IN ThE LoNg RuN natural refrigerants will, however, also largely depend on future ecological and political developments. The Montreal Protocol from 1987, and its ratifications, also promote the use of natural refrigerants. “Against this background, an environmentally friendly natural refrigerant should already take preference in any case – even if it is “only” as energy-efficient as a synthetic one,” Huber adds. To achieve this, however, the task remains to break down existing reservations towards natural refrigerants. “More clarification work is needed, especially when it comes to the end customers,” says Herunter, pointing out future potential for natural refrigerants in the endcustomer business. “Around 70% of companies still do not know that there is an environmentally friendly alternative for their refrigeration plant, with which they can save hard cash in the long run.”
SPECIAl
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SuPPlEMEnt
May 2013
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SPECIAl IEq SuPPlEMEnt PERSPECtIVE
ToWaRDS ENERgy-EFFIcIENT
VENTILaTI
Backed by studies that clearly correlate the effect of indoor air with human health, Mats Sandor, demonstrates why proper ventilation is essential for our wellbeing and how it can be made energy-efficient. ABStRACt:
Increased cost of energy, new regulations demanding lower usage of energy and more tight houses make it important to choose the right type of ventilation system. The conflict between energy and good indoor environment lies in the fact that ventilation is necessary to create a good indoor environment; and ventilation needs energy to function. For the future, the key issue is how to reduce the use of energy and, at the same time, improve indoor air quality.
WHY VEntIlAtIOn?
The purpose of ventilation is to enable us to breathe clean air by removing stale and polluted air from our homes and replacing it with good quality air. By doing this, we create healthier indoor conditions, leading to better performance and excellent comfort. As humans, we approximately eat one kilogramme of solid food, drink three kilogrammes of liquid and breathe 15 kilogrammes of air per day per person. We spend around 90% of our time indoors. Yet, we are more
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concerned about the food and liquid we consume, than the air around us.
WHY ClEAn AIR?
Several studies show that clean indoor air is essential. The Värmland Study: The study was started in the year 2000 by Professor Jan Sundell at Denmark Technical University, and Dr Carl-Gustaf Bornehag at the University of Karlstad, and The Swedish National Testing and Research Institute, SP. All the families in Värmland, who had children between the ages of one and six, received a survey in the mail; a total of 14,000 were sent out. Almost 9,000 of these families responded to the questions asked by the researchers. Within these 9,000 families, there were 11,000 children, making the survey, by far, the biggest study in the world on how the indoor environment affects the health of children. In order to get more exact results, 400 children (200 healthy, 200 with severe allergies or asthma) were selected for an indepth study regarding the
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WE SpEND aRouND 90% oF ouR TIME INDooRS. yET, WE aRE MoRE coNcERNED aBouT ThE FooD aND LIQuID WE coNSuME, ThaN ThE aIR aRouND uS connection between indoor environment and illness. So far, the researchers have concluded that ventilation has a significant impact on children’s health. A good air exchange rate does not remove the risk of asthma or allergies, but children living in wellventilated homes have a better chance of staying healthy. This is an ongoing study with the official name “Dampness in Buildings and Health”. The Bamse Study: Another Swedish study
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pointing in the same direction as the Värmland Study is the Bamse Study. It is a study on children’s allergies carried out in Stockholm. More than 4,000 children from Stockholm, born between 1994 and 1996, were followed from birth. The Bamse Study is a cooperative initiative between The Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, The Astrid Lindgren’s Children’s Hospital and the Institute for Environmental Medicine at Karolinska Institute. The children and their living environment were checked regularly. In the Bamse Study, the researchers concluded, among other things, the following: • A poor indoor climate (mould/dampness/ condensation) in our homes increases the risk of asthma • Smoking during pregnancy leads to an increased risk of children to developing asthma • Breast feeding decreases the risk of children developing asthma Among the children exposed to two or three risk factors (tobacco
Venting one’s views... Andrew Kirton, Sales Director for Middle East, Novenco, believes that the two-pronged approach of regulation and technology can reduce a building’s carbon footprint.
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he objective of a good ventilation strategy is to provide a balance between energy efficiency and air quality. In Europe, there are strict energy-efficiency ratings (EER) for all electrical equipment, including ventilation fans. All forced ventilation systems require electrical power to operate, with the vast majority of the power required by the supply and extract fans. Specific fan power (SFP) is a parameter that quantifies the energy efficiency of ventilation systems. It’s a measure of the electrical power that’s needed to drive a fan, or fans, relative to the amount of air that is circulated through the fan(s). It’s not constant for a given fan, but changes with both air flow rate and fan pressure rise. A well-designed ventilation system should minimise this energy usage and acceptable levels of SFP should be legislated in local guidelines to ensure that the correct quality of equipment is installed. Recent developments in axial fan technology in Europe have led to the world’s first axial flow fan with an efficiency above 90%. These highefficiency fans can be used in many applications in new build projects and can also be retrofitted to reduce the running costs on any HVAC equipment, including air handling units, dry air coolers and standard supply and extract ventilation fans, providing an ROI of between one and two years. Once the ventilation system has been correctly designed to provide an acceptable SFP, the system needs to be operated only at the level required to provide acceptable conditions in the ventilated space. This requires ventilation systems to be provided with speed regulation. Common ways of providing this are normally with two-speed motors or motors fitted with VSDs (variable speed drives). These will require a control variable to determine the correct operating speed of the system. VSDs provide advantages over two-speed motors, including exactly matching the ventilation rate to the space conditions at all times, resulting in reduced energy consumption and lower fan noise.
smoke, poor indoor climate, prematurely interrupted breast feeding), the risk of developing asthma was more than twice, compared to children exposed to one, or none of these risks. At the age of four, 40% of the children had some form of allergic problem, ie asthma, skin rashes, hay fever or food allergies. A look at low-energy ventilation Some of the factors contributing to low power consumption in ventilation system are: Energy-efficient fans: EC-fans have a typical saving potential of 20% to 50% compared to AC-fans. Low pressure drop: Pressure drop in ventilation systems and ventilation products are important for the overall energy consumption. Modern ventilation systems have low velocities in the duct system, as well as few on none dampers. Operating point: It is crucial that the fan in a system is operating near or at the optimum operating point. It is a mistake to only look at a fan’s highest efficiency. Modern fans are specially designed to have high efficiency at the
designed operating point. This is particularly evident for fans designed for low pressure systems. Demand control ventilation: With demand control ventilation, the ventilation is only used when necessary and with the right amount. The ventilation could be controlled by temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide and occupancy sensors, timers or manually. Examples of applications are: • Changing rooms with shower • Laundry rooms • Shops with great variation in number of customers • Conference halls, theatres, assembly halls, gymnasiums and training halls • Stores and restaurants • Offices, day care centres and schools
Other options
Heat or energy recovering: With a recovering system, the savings are normally essential. Typical recovering is between 50% and 90% of the energy in the transported air. Building management system: It is possible to optimise the system to be highly energy efficient and ensure its functionality with a building management system.
Based on a simple calculation, the annual cost for an air handling unit with a capacity of 1 m3/s is about EUR 2.5 (USD 3.3, as of April 30 value of European Euro against the US Dollar)/Pa. The pressure drop over the filter is normally 70 Pa for a clean filter and 250 Pa for a dirty filter. The annual cost is then between 175 (USD 231.4) and EUR 626 (USD 827.9)/year only for the filter. This gives a clear indication that it is more economical to exchange dirty filters.
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An ErP Fan design The regulation came into force on January 1 this year. Now, complete fan producers have to comply with the new minimum standard of efficiency. A complete fan is defined as “final assembly fan” in the directive that the fan, the motor, and the structure’s design contribute to reach the target of the regulation.
In this example, the maximum efficiency for the red fan is 40% and for the blue fan it is 20%. In the working point at 150 Pa, the blue fan is more efficient.
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Energy efficient fans – European Regulation ErP No 327/2011: ErP is an abbreviation for Energy Related Products Directive. The objective of the directive is to reduce electrical energy consumption and to force the market to use low-energy consumption components. Less energy consumption means less pollution and, consequently, a cleaner and more sustainable world. By regulation, EU 327/2011 fans driven by electric motors are classified as widely diffused electric consumption devices that need an Ecodesign regulation. The fan component is classified as part of an electric fan (as “not final assembly”) with reference to regulation EU 327/2011. Also, when the fan is coupled to an electric motor inside a
product (machine different from the fan) which is not a ventilator, the fan has to be ErP compliant. The regulation states conditions and equations to measure calculate and certify the fan in regard to the minimum efficiency target. REFERENCES: • Professor Jan Sundell, Denmark Technical University • ebm-papst GmbH • Institute of Environmental Medicine, Sweden • Systemair group
The writer is Technical Director, Systemair AB. He can be contacted at masa@systemair.se
How to optimise the effect of
HVAC UV lamps
Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) has rightfully come to the forefront in HVAC system design, maintenance and operation. In this context, UVGI for HVAC systems has become a critical component for commercial buildings in the region. Mike Walrath, arguing that HVAC UV lamps are more effective when properly sized and configured, gives useful pointers.
U
ltraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) is now a standard for most air conditioning applications. Engineers believe that UVGI is effective for inactivating the majority of mould, bacteria, viruses and other biological contaminants that either reproduce on coils and HVAC system interior surfaces, or circulate throughout the building via the airstream. A 2012 study by international air cleaner equipment test labs, Airmid Healthgroup (AHG), Dublin, Ireland, recently validated UVGI as “highly effective” at inactivating microbes in an HVAC unit environment. The third-party study used a custom-built ASTM/ AHAM environmental test chamber to simulate a typical building’s indoor environment with an HVAC air handler providing a 73°F (23°C) temperature – a 55% relative humidity and airflow velocity of 492 fpm (0.93 m3/sec). A single pass test was also performed on an ASHRAE Standard 52.2 test duct system.
Some programs go well beyond basic sizing and perform algorithmic mathematical calculations for factors such as interior surface reflectivity Using sizing software for optimal effectiveness
Despite the efficacy of UVGI lamps, issues about sizing, placement, lamp output, configuration and other specifications persist among a section of engineers, installing contractors and building maintenance staff, especially in the Middle East. Until recently, engineers or design/build contractors
simply guesstimated UVGI sizing and placement. Two problems occur with this method: • Inadequate UVGI lamps or poor placement will lead to less than optimal disinfection • Needlessly over-sizing the system to assure proper disinfection can raise the project costs and offer the building owner less value and a longer payback Fortunately, guesstimating is no longer needed because some UVGI system manufacturers today offer free online sizing software. The engineer, contractor or building engineering department simply fills out an online
form that prompts many parameters, such as enclosure dimensions, air velocity and air handler/ coil model. The software, then, detects any inadequate coverage or insufficient microbe inactivation time in compliance with UVGI industry’s D99 criteria – a dose resulting in a minimum 99% inactivation. Output data recommends selected lamp model and parameters, number of lamps, lamp locations, UV power, electrical power requirements, each lamp’s peak irradiance, in-duct irradiance (µW/cm2), and microbe inactivation calculations. Some programs go well beyond basic sizing and perform algorithmic mathematical calculations for factors such as interior surface reflectivity. Duct material surfaces, such as stainless steel, galvanised steel, aluminium and
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Online UVGI system sizing services, such as Blue-Calc, can assist with any size UVGI light project
even interior insulation, have different degrees of reflectivity, which is a mirror-like effect that can intensify UV light. A higher reflectivity equates to a higher microbe disinfection rate and the potential for cutting project costs by reducing the number of needed UV lights or their output performance. Some software sizing programs can also calculate necessary system outputs for a specifically targeted biological contaminant, such as tuberculosis,
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a bacterium that may require more UV output or system passes than other microbes, depending on the application. Additionally, some manufacturers use inhouse engineering review services to assure that the resulting UVGI equipment recommendations match the HVAC application. A service that goes beyond just software recommendations is especially helpful when there are unconventional HVAC configurations or project parameters. Some manufacturers also accompany text results with design and analysis colour performance graphs and charts. These are invaluable in sales or bid presentations.
Other UVGI specification considerations
Other specification considerations include power supply type and location, lamp outputs, installation rack systems and other factors. Like most products, UVGI comes in good, better and best classifications. The quality of the specification will affect future coil maintenance, as well as the UVGI and HVAC system lifecycles. Generally, high quality UVGI systems are maintenance-free, with the exception of routine lamp replacement. UV lamps are available in oneyear or two-year models. While two-year models are more expensive, the extended lifecycle will cut replacement labour by half or more, compared to one-year lamps. Lamps generally come in 15-, 32-, 46- and 60-inch-long models. The most reliable lamps have sturdy filaments with a cathode guard and a hard quartz glass lens and a secondary hard quartz
UVGI systems with gas-phase air purification may also qualify as “Air Cleaning Equipment” for the IAQP procedure – the new energyconserving outdoor air reduction provision now permitted by ASHRAE Standard–62 shield, for added stability. Outputs are typically rated as standard with at least 4-µW/inch arc length and high output with at least 10-µW/inch arc length. Instead of a lamp-fixturemounted ballast, which can be as problematic and as unreliable as conventional fluorescent lamp ballasts, more reliable UVGI systems use remote power supplies that provide power to the lamp(s) via a marinegrade, water-resistant cable connection. When mounted outside the air handler, remote power supplies will have longer lifecycles than power supplies and/ or ballasts designed for mounting inside the humid, corrosive environment of the unit. Thus, some manufacturers offer lifetime warranties on remote power supplies, which demonstrate confidence in
the equipment’s longevity. Besides remote functionality, a power supply should have universal voltages to accommodate any country’s electrical requirements. UV lamps are typically installed on the coil’s supply side, which along with the underlying drain pan, is the wettest and most prone area for mould growth.
Handling microbes and VOCs in the same system
While UVGI is proven effective at sterilising microbes, it has no effect on volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as chemicals found in cleaning solutions, or formaldehydes, chlorine and d-limonene found in furnishings, paint and coatings. VOCs are known human respiratory irritants that can produce breathing problems, headaches and allergic reactions. Once inside a building from outdoor air or from offgassing from within, the air handler continually recirculates VOCs. In the past, IAQ-oriented engineers have specified UVGI and separate gasphase air purification systems. The latter uses activated carbon-based media to adsorb and hold VOCs through a chemisorption process. Now some UVGI manufacturers have streamlined the process by combining activated carbon gas-phase air purification and photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) into one unit. The system’s UV lamps that disinfect also stimulate a PCO chemical reaction when placed in close proximity and shone on the gas-phase air purification’s titanium dioxide-infused carbon media. PCO by itself
is somewhat effective at reducing airborne VOCs. However, using titanium dioxide-infused carbon media holds onto VOC contaminants and gives the PCO process time to convert them into harmless carbon dioxide (CO2) and water vapour (H2O). This also eliminates expensive media replacements associated with independent gas-phase air purification systems. Unlike many conventional air purification and adsorption methods, the addition of PCO transforms contaminants versus just holding them on an adsorption substrate. Additionally, this process is effectively performed at ambient temperatures and pressures, thus additional energy to cool or heat the airstream isn’t required. UVGI systems with gasphase air purification may also qualify as “Air Cleaning Equipment” for the IAQP procedure – the new energy-conserving outdoor air reduction provision now permitted by ASHRAE Standard–62. Today’s sizing, placement, output and configuration software offers progressive engineers with the tools to specify the ultimate UVGI system that will provide state-of-the-art IAQ for building owners.
May 2013
The writer is the Commercial Products Sales Manager of Fresh-Aire UV. He can be contacted at mike@ freshaireuv.com
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SPECIAl IEq SuPPlEMEnt IntERVIEW sas international How are the Middle East operations of SAS International doing so far? We’re doing very well in the Middle East. We’ve been operating here for over 30 years, and we set up an office and warehouse operation back in 2008. We have been servicing projects in the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman out of the Dubai office since then. We have a mix of design and supply manufactured products into projects, as well as commodity products which are available from our warehouse on a day-to-day basis. What is your view of the gCC states and the Middle East? Does the market outlook in this region continue to be positive for your company? Which countries in this region are showing significant growth? The Middle East is an important part of the business for us. We set up our office during the downturn, because we wanted to have a long-term commitment in the region. It’s an integral part of developing our business. Obviously, not every part of the Middle East is busy. We’re busy in Qatar and Saudi Arabia as priorities. It’s difficult for us, because we have a business which is very much design-led and specification-led for architects. But we also have a business which is fitting out commercial office buildings for letting. There are huge new commercial office projects being developed in the region. There are a lot of refurbishments, and we tend to supply products to those refurbishments. On the flipside, for the new-build, the projects are mainly coming out from the education and transport sectors, and we are also The acoustic environment of a workplace involved in those large is considered to be a primary driver for projects.
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Being a member of gSAS (global Sustainability Assessment System), in what concrete ways can your products contribute towards credits for areas such as acoustics, VOCs, recycled materials and design for disassembly? We have been a member of GSAS for about eight months now. We lead on specification
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occupant productivity and comfort. Jerome Sanchez speaks to Andrew Jackson, Group Marketing Director at SAS International, to get an insight into the issue and the strategies his company has adopted in the region.
on our primary product – metal ceiling systems. Acoustics is a serious part of specifying suspended metal ceiling systems, as they are there to create comfort within the workspace and to ensure that productivity is at its maximum. So, acoustics is a key part of comfort. The benefit of using metal as raw material for ceilings is that you can engineer the system. Metal is a very durable, long-lasting product that has residual value for the client at the end of its use, which is normally for about 20 to 30 years, which fits very well into the GSAS standards. Acoustics ought to be measured as part of the GSAS standards, and we can meet any acoustic value using metal ceilings, which is not very well known within the region. Metal ceilings, being an engineered system, are easier to integrate with lighting, air conditioning and sprinkler systems, compared to doing a lot of work onsite. The only disadvantage is that you have to design the different integrated products before you supply products onsite. As an engineered system, it is also pretty easy to disassemble. This also fits within the criteria of GSAS quite well. In addition, metal is the most recycled material in the construction industry. There is no VOC demand on metal, so we are totally VOC-free. Do you have plans of expanding your operations in the Middle East? How about to Turkey or Iraq? Currently, we have no plans of setting up an office in Iraq or in Turkey. Being a privately owned business, we are very flexible in the way that we operate. So, if we have an opportunity in a given market, whether it’s Turkey or Iraq or wherever, we can act quite quickly.
Aldar Headquarters, Abu Dhabi, UAE-one of SAS International's projects
Could you tell us some of the new products that you are introducing to the Middle East market and what technologies they contain? SAS priority products in this region are suspended ceilings and architectural metalwork. The key new ceiling systems we are offering the Middle East are acoustic baffles and acoustic wall panelling – again focusing very much on the acoustic comfort of a room or of an area like an airport terminal. We are also doing aluminium and steel tube lines, which is a ceiling system using wellformed aluminium and steel. We also manufacture a lot of different design metal systems – bulkheads, wall paneling, bulkhead details and binnacles.
How has your company responded to the issues of energy efficiency and other environmental issues? Sustainability is always a very tricky word; it all depends on what you mean by sustainability. SAS has three core values: innovation, quality and value. Sustainability fits in most of those areas. We have to design good products and we have to deliver an extraordinary amount of value for our end-users, architects and main contractors. Everybody is looking at price, but they always want the best, the most sustainable and the most environmentally friendly products. So, we are constantly making sure that we are innovating.
Every single product we manufacture is made out of steel or aluminium – two of the most recycled elements in the world. We design in accordance with environmental accreditations. We make sure that our products are durable and easy to maintain, so our users get a lot more long-term value from our products. SAS International is the first manufacturer of ceiling systems to publish its environmental product declaration. We have 13 of those across all of our ceiling systems, and there’s no other ceiling manufacturer in the Middle East which offers that. From an environmental point of view, we are doing as much as we can do.
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SPOtlIgHt
this is the fifth in a multi-part, in-depth series on air filtration
I BELIEVE... Dr Iyad Al-Attar gives a call to the HVAC industry leaders, engineers and governments to pledge anew to work for the cause of creating cleaner indoor environment.
p Previous and recent epidemic outbreaks and environmental incidents have highlighted the importance of clean air. Anthrax, SARS and H1N1, to name three, have hurt economies worldwide, as
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have frequent and dreadful sandstorms that clog filters much earlier than anticipated by laboratory results. Speaking of violent natural phenomena, who can forget the volcanic eruption in Iceland in 2010 and the large-scale disruption it caused in the airlines industry. Also, the ash emitted into the environment by the eruption significantly impacted ocean life, according to certain studies[1]. Contrary to the general
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notion, we spend most of our time indoors rather than outdoors, breathing filtered re-circulated air, with the introduction of no or only some amount of fresh air. The dynamics of air filtration, therefore, requires a comprehensive understanding in order to engineer it towards a safe delivery to the indoor space. It needs to be remembered here that air filtration is an engineering process that involves separating and retaining particles within the depth of the filter and/or at its surface. The first step in doing so is to appropriately select filters. But, how can we do that without physical and chemical characterisation of air contaminants? Such characterisations define what our filters are up against and therefore, filter selections are made based on facts, not on sweeping assumptions. The second challenge lies in the random structure of filter media, considered the building block of air filters (See Figure 1). Media pleatability, thickness, fibre size distribution and water repellency are only a few examples of the underlying parameters that are often overlooked. Further,
coNTRaRy To ThE gENERaL NoTIoN, WE SpEND MoST oF ouR TIME INDooRS RaThER ThaN ouTDooRS, BREaThINg FILTERED/ RE-cIRcuLaTED aIR WITh ThE INTRoDucTIoN oF No oR oNLy SoME aMouNT oF FRESh aIR filter cartridge design, its resistance to the airflow and, needless to say, filter efficiency always fall under the analytical knife. Clearly, air filtration is an engineering process as filter performance is highly influenced by several parameters, some of which are time-dependent,
Media pleatability, thickness, fibre size distribution and water repellency are only a few examples of the underlying parameters that are often overlooked
Figure 1: The random structure of the air filter media
which certainly add to the complexity of the assessment. A third challenge is the fact that air filtration is a microscopic process, which signifies the importance of testing and quality control assurance. Therefore, the involvement of various governments is necessary and inevitable to regulate performance assessments and to ensure that filters are fit to operate in the region’s climate and weather conditions, as sandstorms, excessive humidity and temperature levels may alter the filter performance. I believe that it is time to address the appropriateness of the international standards to accommodate such conditions and set forth suggested roles to be played, not just by the GCC governments but also by researchers and industry leaders to implement the
necessary changes. I truly believe that the time has come to address the preventative nature of air filtration and accord it the due attention it deserves. Today, no one can overlook the critical influence air filter performance has on HVAC systems. However, we also need to realise that conventional filtration measures are yesterday’s tools and that we need to face the environmental challenges with highly advanced technologies. If we claim that we are friends of the environment, why, then, don’t we respond to its missed calls? In fact, it is the environment that responds to human activities. The results are there for all of us to see: drying lakes and rivers, global warming on the rise and escalating emissions of all sorts. I, therefore, believe that it is time to get out of that “do
not disturb” mode we are in and take action. From my point of view, the minute an emission takes place, we have to worry about the means to filter it. So, why not go to the source and devise emission control measures? I strongly believe that it takes more than publishing articles to get the job done. I believe that we will have to join hands, efforts and open our hearts and minds to new ideas and learn from one another. That is why I truly believe that the 1st Annual Middle East Indoor Environmental Quality Conference will set the stage for individuals from around the globe to express their views about cleaner indoor air. The conference is a platform for granting air filtration its due focus. Creating an opportunity for engineers and leaders from different industries to
gather around the discussion table and thrash out many pressing issues affecting our air quality today is a significant way of renewing our commitment to the longignored field of air filtration. The responsibilities are common and our challenges are shared. Let’s confront them together. Reference: [1] www.bbc.co.uk/news/ science-environment-22045941
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IMPORTANT NOTE: Unless otherwise referenced, the images used in this article are copyright of the author.
Dr Iyad Al-Attar is an Air Filtration Consultant. He can be contacted at: iyad@iyadalattar.com
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Photo: Amaresh Bhaskaran
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THINKING
FARR AHEAD… Philip Whitaker, President, Camfil Farr Asia & Middle East, believes that clean air is as much a basic human right as clean drinking water.
M MY BACKgROunD
I’m from Manchester England. I’m 49 years old. I have a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Nottingham University and a Master's in
International Management (MIM) from Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of International Management in Phoenix, Arizona.
MY CAREER PAtH – tHE HVACR COnnECtIOn
After graduating from Nottingham in 1985, I knew I wanted to gain some international experience. I was lucky to be employed by HiRoss, an Italian manufacturer of precision air conditioning. I was first based in the main factory in a small town located between Venice
and Padova, and then moved to the International Marketing Division in Milan. I have been in the HVACR industry ever since. It was really just an accident. I was motivated by a desire to work internationally and the first opportunity happened to be with an air conditioning company. After working for HiRoss in Italy, I got a chance in 1987 to move to the US, which I took, and ended up working for another precision air conditioning company, Airflow, based on the East Coast in May 2013
In the uS, an Epa study estimated that the clean air act will save over 200,000 lives and prevent 200,000 heart attacks, 2.4 million asthma attacks and the loss of 17 million working days www.climatecontrolme.com
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Frederick, Maryland. My first position was Regional Sales Manager, and I was then promoted to General Sales Manager, responsible for sales and service worldwide. I took a year out in 199495 to go back to school and get my Master's in Business at Thunderbird, and, thereafter, became the International Sales Manager for Crispaire in Atlanta, Georgia.
Farr pavilions
In 1998, I moved to Farr Company in Los Angeles as its Vice President of International Sales and Marketing. In 2000, Camfil, then the European market leader in air filtration, bought Farr Company to create Camfil Farr. In April 2001, I relocated to Singapore as President of Camfil Farr Asia, with a mandate to build the business across the region, from New Zealand to South Korea and everywhere in between. Over time, we were able to build a profitable USD 100 million+business, employing more than 600 people. I believe that we are now the largest and most profitable filter company of our type in Asia. In 2011, the Middle East was added to my portfolio and, as President of Camfil Farr Asia and Middle East, I relocated to Dubai to drive growth and profitability in this region, along the same lines as the success achieved in Asia. The first full year in this region, 2012, exceeded all expectations, and we are all looking forward to 2013 and beyond with a lot of excitement and optimism. Camfil is a great example of a successful family-owned Scandinavian business. It’s a fantastic company to work for. The owners are still very much engaged at the Board level and, together with our CEO, they continue to set the tone for the whole company. I would say that even as we have grown dramatically over the last few years, the company has still, as far as 74
Respiratory infection for the population as a whole is reported to be the second most common nonlife threatening medical issue in the Emirates possible, retained the feel of a family company. The owners have remained engaged and accessible to all levels of the company. If I had to characterise the Camfil culture in one word, it would be “trust”. I think our employees trust us to provide a rewarding place of employment, to treat them fairly and equitably, and to do the right thing. We have been successful at retaining a very high percentage of key long-term employees that understand the “Camfil Way” and have helped to foster and perpetuate our culture, even as the company has grown. Another aspect of the trustbased culture is the freedom given to local managers to manage their businesses. The philosophy, as we built the business across Asia, was to hire extremely competent local people, work together with them to set clear goals, agree upon broadly defined strategies and tactics, and then, get out of the way and let them work. If you run a local Camfil business, then within the constraints of the overall Camfil philosophy, you are trusted to run your own business as best suits your local market and your local customers. I think that this trust is the key to being
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able to recruit and, then, retain the best professionals available in our industry. Similarly, I think this culture of trust also extends into the marketplace and our relationship with our customers. With a Camfil product, you always get whatever is written on the label. But, we have remained committed to delivering high-performance products regardless of the competitive environment. We just don’t compromise on product performance and will walk away from a job rather than deliver something we know won’t perform as specified. I think that, over the years, our customers have come to understand and trust that approach. In Camfil, there is a complete intolerance to deceiving anyone, be they customers or colleagues. At Camfil, the leadership values human capital. It’s something ingrained in Scandinavian culture. When I hire managers, I tell them that working for Camfil is not a job but a lifestyle. I tell them that they can expect a call even at 11pm on a Sunday. It’s important to be committed to what you do. They are expected to work hard. But they are treated fairly. People working here like winning, and there’s a real sense of achievement. The rewarding thing for Camfil employees is to know that many of the applications we deal with – food, medicine, microchips, etc. – are all of great importance to society as a whole, placing Camfil in the middle of some of the world’s most critical industries.
Filtering the essence
I think air filtration can now be clearly divided into two subjects. Firstly, the area of process or industrial air filtration, where clean air is required to operate equipment, manufacture a
specific product and/or to protect people or equipment involved in these processes remains a growing and technically demanding area. For example, as the geometry of microchips grows ever smaller, the demands placed on the cleanliness of semiconductor manufacturing space now require Camfil to design and supply filters that remove even specific molecules down to levels of parts per billion. Similarly, as the requirements for manufacturing medicines or processing foods become more stringent, these areas also offer plenty of commercial opportunity and technical challenges for a company like Camfil. Secondly, of course, there is the application of air filters in populated spaces. Although good filters do contribute significantly to the overall condition of a building by reducing maintenance and repair costs, the primary role of filters in this arena is to protect people. This is a subject that is attracting ever-increasing attention, initially within the HVACR industry and, now, even at the individual consumer level. The awareness of the importance of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and the role air filtration has to play in delivering good IAQ is growing almost daily. The statistics on this subject are just staggering. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that lack of clean air causes more than 2,000,000 premature deaths every year. In Asia alone, where the pollution levels in most major cities exceed WHO guidelines, a recent report estimated that more than 500,000 people a year were dying prematurely as a result. In the US, an EPA study estimated that the Clean Air Act will save over 200,000 lives and prevent 200,000 heart attacks, 2.4 million
Opening of Camfil Singapore Office in 2010
Phil in Beijing with Camfil China Managing Director in 2006
asthma attacks and the loss of 17 million working days. If we bring the issue down to the local level, in Abu Dhabi, it has been reported that one in seven children has asthma, and one in five children has some sort of upper respiratory problem. Respiratory infection for the population as a whole is reported to be the second most common non-lifethreatening medical issue in the Emirates. Those of us living here know this to be
true at an anecdotal level – everyone knows someone on any given day that is coughing, has asthma or is suffering from something similar. On top of all that, there are new studies emerging almost every month linking IAQ to reduced worker productivity, to employee absenteeism and morale even to student performance in schools. Clearly, as the world economy grows, as the population and global GDP
grows, we will see more production facilities, more cars, more pollution and a greater need to protect people from this increasingly polluted world. This is a challenge facing not just the air filtration industry, but also society as a whole. How do we stay healthy? How do we protect ourselves? How do we protect our children who are growing up in this world? It’s a large and complicated issue that reaches, as I said, far beyond the air filtration industry, but is surely an issue that it is very important for society to address. When you take a minute to look at the numbers involved, at the human cost, it’s hard not to get carried away by the entire topic. For me, it’s great to have a chance to work for a company where you feel you can make a difference in such an important area.
Challenges in the industry If I specifically address the challenges in the emerging markets – in Asia and the Middle East – then, without a doubt, there are a couple of key issues. The first is an
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absence of any real legislative imperative to provide a minimum standard of IAQ for occupied spaces. This is an area where governments in the emerging markets still have lot of work to do to protect the local population from hazards that are, by now, clearly understood and well documented. I think this is an area where our industry as a whole needs to do more to engage the appropriate authorities, to explain the issues as we perceive them, and to push for tighter legislative protection for all of us that are subject to poor IAQ on a daily basis. The second major challenge, which is related to the above, is the absence of any local reputable independent third-party verification and certification of air filter performance. Unfortunately for all of us, a glass full of clean air looks a lot like a glass full of dirty air. The really small particles that are potentially the most damaging to our health, the ones that can be taken down deep into the lungs and even enter the blood, are invisible to the naked eye. This absence of performance measurement and independent third-party testing creates an opportunity in the marketplace for lowcost suppliers to cut corners and provide products that don’t perform as labelled and, as such, expose building inhabitants to risks they could reasonably have expected to have been eliminated. These low performance filters are often attractive to customers because of their low initial cost and of their apparent low pressure drop. Of course, it’s easy to offer a low pressure drop on a product that isn’t capturing any particles. But that misses the point of the product entirely. I think that, although data regarding the health and performance implications of IAQ are now readily available, and a good filter’s key role in delivering improved IAQ www.climatecontrolme.com
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is widely accepted, the full implications of poor filtration haven’t yet really been understood or accepted at the design level. It seems that air filters are often still seen as either “grudge purchase” or just as a box to be ticked, while other more important issues relating to the HVACR system are addressed. As part of that box-ticking process, we see consultants who are willing to accept any filter product label at face value without requesting any real proof of compliance with even a minimum specification. Unscrupulous low-cost suppliers can label their products however they wish and are rarely challenged by the approving consultant to prove their performance claims. I think the perception is that “it’s just a filter”. However, even if you set aside the implications of poor IAQ, filter performance still has an important impact on the entire HVACR system. Dirty coils run less efficiently and present a higher pressure drop. Dirty ducts also present a higher pressure drop, a health hazard and elevated cleaning costs. Dirty air entering a space increases cleaning and maintenance costs. In a modern well-designed HVACR system, there is no such thing as “just a filter”. But, unfortunately, this seems to remain the prevailing view. I think that all the reputable suppliers in our industry face these same issues. So, I think we need to work as an industry to address these challenges. I also understand that any legal process is a complicated and time-consuming activity that must consider the interests of many diverse groups and, as such, legislative changes cannot be made quickly.
Surmounting roadblocks
So what can we do in the short term? I think the key 76
is to continue our efforts to make the relevant information available to all parties and to try to communicate our message as clearly and impartially as we can. The primary focus for these efforts has to be the engineering consulting community. Camfil, like most reputable suppliers, has a broad range of design and selection tools we are happy to share with interested consultants, whether designing a clean room or an office space. We can provide selection tools that simplify this process and quantify filter performance, operating cost and even the carbon footprint of the filter combination selected. We need to work harder on making these tools available to all our consultant
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Phil enjoying a ride on his cruiser in the Dubai Marina
It seems that air filters are often still seen as either “grudge purchase” or just as a box to be ticked while other more important issues relating to the hVacR system are addressed Photo: Amaresh Bhaskaran
colleagues. I also think that, in the absence of local legislation, responsible suppliers have a duty to promote and raise awareness of the recent EN 779-2012 standard adopted in Europe. This standard allows for the reliable testing of filters and publishes the resulting data on a public Web site for anyone, including consultants and owners, to verify both filter efficiency and the energy consumption over the lifetime of the filter. Under this standard, any EN 779-rated filter will come with both a filtration efficiency (G4 – F9) label and an energy efficiency (A-G) label. The labels will look familiar to most people. They will have seen similar
labels on, for example, their refrigerators and other household appliances. They are colourful, simple and easy to understand. It is the contractors who are out to maximise their profit margin. The bigger challenge is the inability of consultants to ensure if the claim made by manufacturers is accurate. In the US, you have a system of an independent, open market-sourced, third-party report confirming the specs by the manufacturer. In an open market-sourced report, the testing body buys the products on its own (as opposed to receiving it from someone) and the testing is done independently. This approach guarantees that the test is valid. So, consulting engineers in the US have this mechanism to ensure that the filter they recommend delivers what it promises to deliver. Consulting engineers in the UAE do not have the benefit of such a system. In the absence of this, the easiest way to overcome the vacuum is to specify as per EN 779, and that way, they can make an informed choice. In EN 779, there is a whole matrix of filter efficiency and energy efficiency. And because it is independently tested, the consulting engineer has a tool to ensure he is getting what he is asking for. In the longer term, it would be ideal to see the development of local standards and local testing capabilities in order to bring some level of transparency and regulatory detection to the region, as in the US. In the meanwhile, consulting engineers can avail of available tools, and the best is EN 779. Therefore, we urge consultants to reference this new standard and the published performance data as a basis of specification. Using this standard will allow both the consultant and the end-user to make informed selections and to be sure
they are finally receiving the products they are specifying and, ultimately, paying for. Closer home, Camfil invests a significant amount of resources in R&D with four research centres equipped with EN 779-rated test laboratories located on three different continents. We also have design and test capabilities for applicationspecific segments, such as Airborne Molecular Contamination (Sweden and Malaysia) and Gas Turbine Air Intakes (Sweden) Certainly, the process filtration side of Camfil’s business is very R&D-driven. We are constantly challenged to find new solutions to newly emerged challenges uncovered as our customers continue to push back technological frontiers. On the HVACR side, our R&D efforts are focused on reducing the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for our customers, which would encompass extending product lifetimes while reducing energy consumption and the related carbon footprint without compromising filter efficiency performance.
gAzIng At tHE CRYStAl BAll
Although Camfil is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, I remain convinced that this is an industry still in its infancy. There are new opportunities emerging every day. On the process filtration side, more sophisticated equipment, processes and products, and more stringent regulations are driving the need for cleaner air and better filtration. A decade ago, we all thought that semiconductor manufacturing clean rooms were huge clean spaces. Then, the flat panel industry came along and demanded clean rooms 10 times larger. There is growing demand for clean spaces in an evergrowing range of industries, from food production to telecommunications. It’s hard May 2013
to predict what technological breakthrough will drive demand 10 years from now. But, there can be little doubt that the demand for cleaner processes will continue to grow. With regards to clean air for occupied spaces, again, we feel we are only at the beginning of the demand curve for this industry. In 2010, the United Nations General Assembly explicitly defined access to water and sanitation as a human right and acknowledged that such access is “essential to the realisation of all human rights”. As part of the bigger picture, I believe that there are many parallels between access to clean water and access to clean air – after all, we all consume far more air every day than we do water. And I can easily envisage a day when access to clean air is also defined as a basic human right. More specifically, I think the growing awareness at both an industry and at consumer level about the importance of good IAQ will continue to drive increased demand for high-performance air filtration products for years to come. In addition, I’m sure we will see the emergence of a new segment driven by the idea that, having become more aware of the health risks of poor indoor environments, individuals will start to take responsibility for their own IAQ. I think informed people, unable or unwilling to secure an improvement in the overall IAQ of an occupied space, will turn to “spot cleaning” in the future in far greater numbers. I think this will occur in both offices and home spaces with individual high-performance filtration units installed in specific offices, critical rooms and spaces to create “sanctuaries” of clean air.
tHE BIggER PICtuRE With regards to the bigger picture, I think the benefits of improved IAQ are www.climatecontrolme.com
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broad and far-reaching. Camfil intends to do its best to contribute to improved IAQ and, therefore, improved public health across the region. Operationally, Camfil is committed to investing locally in the region as part of a long-term commitment to developing our business across the GCC. We are currently in negotiations aimed at establishing our first manufacturing footprint in the region. We hope this new venture will create an initial 40+ new jobs, and we obviously have the goal of growing that manufacturing footprint to serve the local market as our business develops. I would say finally, but perhaps just as importantly, Camfil is also an industry leader when it comes to sustainability. We were the first company of our type to publish an annual Sustainability Report detailing our commitment and our actions in this area. Our Sustainability efforts, called Camfil Cairing, are completely consistent with the UAE’s stated goal of securing a sustainable future, and we hope that we can play our own small part in helping to achieve those national goals.
Looking back... looking forward
I am at that stage in life where I hope to be a mentor. But, when I look back at my career, there were certainly several key individuals from whom I learnt a lot, and that made me see life, both personal and professional, perhaps in a different way. Starting in Italy, Dr Enrico Bielli, my first boss at HiRoss showed me what a powerful combination enthusiasm and imagination could be, and that it was okay even for an Englishman to wear his heart on his sleeve sometimes. In the US, John Lee, who ran a distributor in Washington DC, showed 78
Jack Meany, the former Farr Company Chairman, reminded me that not all the answers you seek can be found in a laptop me how important it was to surround yourself with the right people and that those people could be found in all walks of life if you kept your eyes open. Young Slack, another distributor, this time in Dallas, Texas, showed me that as a sales guy, your time and knowledge had value and if a customer didn’t respect that, he probably wouldn’t buy from you either. Steve Pegg, Farr Company CFO, tried to show me how to be honest and direct with hard truths without being abrasive or unduly harsh. And Jack Meany, the former Farr Company Chairman, reminded me that not all the answers you seek could be found in a laptop and that it paid to turn off the IT sometimes and observe the world around you, since that was still where most of the really important information could be found. These are just a few examples of received wisdom. But, I think that if you keep an open mind and are prepared to listen carefully, you can learn something from almost everyone that you meet in life. The challenge as you get older, of course, is to try to stay young at heart and keep your mind open to those new ideas. It’s something I try to do every day.
When I step out of the office... I’m married to Melodie,
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Phil coaches a team of U-8 footballers during his free time
Phil during a holiday with wife, Melodie and children, Zach and Ava
a Mid-Western girl from Nebraska. She’s a Thunderbird Graduate, as well. We have two children – Ava is 10 and Zack is eight – both born in Singapore, but very much enjoying living in Dubai. In the little time my business travels and a young family leaves for other pursuits, I remain an avid reader – nowadays mostly of history books. I also coach a team of U-8 footballers midweek and weekends. I play a little golf. I’ve taken
advantage of being here in Dubai to try boating. I have a small cruiser in the Dubai Marina. An amazing thing – write a cheque, get the keys to a four-tonne, 9m, 300+ HP machine – no experience asked for, no license required, no training provided. My philosophy of life? “Almost everything succumbs to hard work”. And, if you can do that hard work in a foreign land with an interesting culture, all the better!