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COUNTRY REPORT: GERMANY How have manufacturers fared in meeting Deutschland’s ambitious green targets?

November 2018

Photo FeaturE Snapshots from the 2nd edition of the Consultant Contractor Conference

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interviews

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'The Gravity of the Climate Situation is Quite Obvious'

'An Ipod among vinyl records'

'Navigating the changing refrigerant landscape'

H.E. François Hollande, former French President

Rob Thornton, President and CEO, International District Energy Association (IDEA)

Giorgio Elia, Vice President, Amr ElMasry, Director, Marketing, Communication and Strategic Projects, Carrier Middle East Limited

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'We need a unified approach to FM' Prabhu Ramachandran, CEO, Facilio

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'Test what you do and prove it is safe when you leave' Eddie Arrowsmith, Regional Engineering Manager, National Inspection Council for Electrical Insulation Contracting, Certure, UK

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'In Ras Al Khaimah, we aim to have one regulation to simplify the impact on the value chain’ Andrea Di Gregorio, Director of Energy Efficiency and Renewables, Municipality Department, Ras Al Khaimah

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Building industry stakeholders give their take on the factors that drive the retrofit market against the backdrop of the UAE's earnest efforts towards decreasing energy consumption in the country.

District Cooling simplifies the building dramatically, says Rob Thornton, President and CEO, International District Energy Association (IDEA)

'An incentive to improve District Energy networks'

'Navigating the changing refrigerant landscape' Giorgio Elia, Vice President, Carrier Middle East Limited, and Amr ElMasry, the company’s Director, Marketing, Communication, and Strategic Projects

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Broadening the scope of thought

'An Ipod among vinyl records'

Carsten Østergård Pedersen, Senior Manager, District Energy, Grundfos (Group) and Ronak Monga, Business Development Manager – HVAC, Grundfos – Greater Middle East (GME)

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RETROFITS

November 2018

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Deciphering the everevolving pumps market Pumps, used in cooling towers play an important role in the overall performance of a building’s cooling systems. What are the key drivers in this ever-evolving market and what is its trajectory?

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PHOTO FEATURE

H.E. François Hollande, former French President

'Safety Audits of District Cooling Plants are essential'

NOVEMBER 2018

COUNTRY REPORT

Mizra Azmat Baig, General Manager, Three Phase Technical Services, LLC, Dubai

The virtue of ambition

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What progress has the country made towards achieving its ambitious environmental targets, in view of claims more effort is required owing to looming deadlines?

50 An inadequate reaction 2nd edition

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Is lack of clarity a bottleneck in the German HVACR sector’s adoption of low-GWP refrigerants? Or is reluctance towards adopting natural alternatives, simply due to lack of training?

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POST-EVENT REPORT

'The Gravity of the Climate Situation is Quite Obvious'

MARKET FEATURE

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COVER STORY

page

INTERVIEWS

PERSPECTIVE

VOL. 13 NO. 11

BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY Surendar Balakrishnan, Editor, Climate Control Middle East, chaired a session on cold chain during the 12th Dubai International Food Safety Conference, from October 29 to 31, in Dubai.

The report covers the disussions which revolved around transport refrigeration and cold storage facilities

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REGULARS

eDItor'S note WHAT IF?

08 Regional News

56

Global News

109

MARKET PLACE

118

November 2018

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EDITOR’S NOTE

What if

F

Surendar Balakrishnan Editor @BSurendar_HVACR

COUNTRY REPORT: GERMANY How have manufacturers fared in meeting Deutschland’s ambitious green targets?

November 2018

Photo FeaturE Snapshots from the 2nd edition of the Consultant Contractor Conference

Visit us

BOOTH NO. Z4-D118 HEADLINE HVACR MEDIA PARTNER

26 - 29 november 2018

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Get the next issue of Climate Control Middle East early!

'The Gravity of the Climate Situation is Quite Obvious'

'An Ipod among vinyl records'

'Navigating the changing refrigerant landscape'

H.E. François Hollande, former French President

Rob Thornton, President and CEO, International District Energy Association (IDEA)

Giorgio Elia, Vice President, Amr ElMasry, Director, Marketing, Communication and Strategic Projects, Carrier Middle East Limited

PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ

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Visit our website: climatecontrolme.com/digital Also available at

or long, FM teams working in high-rises and other structures have wistfully wished for a different set of building characteristics to work with. At times, the sense of frustration has been intense, knowing how the day-to-day scenarios they encounter could have been markedly different had only upstream and mid-stream stakeholders tasked with designing, building and installing the features, involved and consulted them prior.

The signs of not doing so are many – a system significantly overdesigned to capacity, a divergent ducting route, an improperly installed piping work or the lack of sufficient access to critical electrical and mechanical components… and they all have cost implications, at a time when building owners are exerting enormous ROI pressure.

In that context, the Dubai government’s decision of mandating the use of BIM in construction projects more than 20 floors, or those with areas larger than 200,000 square feet, could not have come sooner. Any initiative to throw uncertainty out the window has to be seen as a welcome move.

BIM, today, is being spoken of as a useful ally during various stages of a project, including during the commissioning and even during the pre-commissioning processes. The other development is the conversation happening over the integration of virtual reality in BIM, which as one industry insider put it, gives us not only the data but also the technology to imagine what the building would look like in real-time and help us understand the spaces within.

Utopia, though, would be the point raised, earlier – when all stakeholders, including FM teams, are given the benefit of being in the room with other stakeholders at the time BIM and VR present a whole world of possibilities. The level of sophistication of buildings and their performance attributes would be that much better and help the region achieve its socio-economic and sustainable development goals sooner than anticipated.

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November 2018

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H. E. François Hollande, former French President

THE GRAVITY OF THE CLIMATE SITUATION S IS QUITE OBVIOUS

▶ H.E. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO, DEWA with H.E. François Hollande

▶ Photo: Surendar Balakrishnan

H.E. François Hollande, during his time as French President, committed USD 1 billion towards UN’s Green Climate Fund to reduce the impact of climate change. A year later, in 2015, he brought in the Energy Transition Law to reduce France’s dependence on nuclear power. Hollande spoke to Susannah Streeter, Anchor for the BBC, during the World Green Economy Summit, which took place on October 24 and 25 in Dubai. Excerpts from the on-stage interaction, presented

by Surendar Balakrishnan…

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November 2018

usannah Streeter: It is three years now since the Paris Agreement. How far have we come?

François Hollande: In December 2015, we gathered in Paris. It has been three years, and we have become aware of how serious and how urgent the climate situation is. There have been a large number of disasters that have happened in the past few years. Tornadoes and flooding, and all continents have been impacted, and if there were any doubts anywhere, these doubts, I don’t think, exist anymore. The gravity of the climate situation is quite obvious. Regarding the climate agreement, all the countries have made a commitment within the framework of the Paris Agreement, but have they followed through? My answer is ‘no’. They have not complied fully. This despite the fact that a consensus was reached to take decisions. Have we reduced CO2 emissions?

In the past two years, the emissions have increased, which have had a disastrous effect. Are these commitments being followed through? I believe China has carried out what I can only call a revolution within its economy, and China is trying its best to meet its commitments.

Another continent that is doing its utmost is Europe. Some continue to use coal, others are using renewable energy. Europe has taken a very important decision relating to renewable energy. In Dubai, there is a demonstration that there is a will to create a green economy. Finally, the USA has decided to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, which is a disaster. Its impact has not been felt yet but will be felt in the future. Even within the USA, many states and towns have continued to increase their efforts to

fight climate change, and many companies have implemented standards and norms, which means there will be a strategy to limit emissions.

What has France done?

France organised the Climate Summit. France has a very specific mix. With the presence of nuclear energy, France believes in the reduction of [the use of] fossil fuels. We have decided to close down coal facilities, and those initiatives have to be launched in other countries, as well. Many countries have decided to reduce their use of coal, which is the most polluting and the most widely used fossil fuel. France wants to set an example by closing down coal by 2020 at the latest.

Regarding renewable energy, the example of Dubai is very interesting. On renewable energy, we must reach one third of energy mix with renewable energy.

Nuclear energy does not produce CO2 emissions. There could be nuclear waste, but we want to reduce fossil fuels.

The reduction of energy consumption is important. The best energy is what we don’t consume.

Hulot [former French Minister of Ecology] said France wants to reduce nuclear energy by 50% by 2025. This has been dubbed unrealistic. And furthermore, jobs are threatened by this.

France gets 70% of its electricity from nuclear energy. In the world, nuclear energy represents 10% of energy production. So, France has a very significant nuclear energy programme. Under my presidency, we decided to reduce by 50% by 2025. Given the larger share of nuclear energy, it may

have been difficult to make an effort on renewable energy.

In Dubai, there is one source of energy here – gas and oil – so, one may not be tempted to make an effort on renewable energy. In France, nuclear energy is majority.

One kW/hour of nuclear energy compared to renewable energy is more or less the same.

So, it is important to reduce the share of nuclear energy. What is the timeline… 2025, 2030, 2035? If you wait too long, we won’t be able to do much on renewable energy. We need to reduce nuclear energy in France’s energy mix. France believes that it is important to have nuclear energy in the energy mix, because it allows us to generate electricity and does not produce C02 emissions, so it contributes to our goals to reduce climate change.

You said in South Korea that richer countries need to do more. Do you see improvement?

During the Paris Agreement, we saw some goals. One of them was the reduction of

temperature increase by two degrees centigrade to avoid reaching levels that would be unsustainable. We reached 1.5 degrees centigrade. Each country came up with a strategy to reduce, and we have reached 1.5.

We arrived at a figure of USD 1,000 billion to make this transition happen. This fund has not been put in place. Therefore, during COP 24, which will take place in Poland, southern countries will probably voice their disappointment about the lack of this fund. The richest countries understand what is at stake. If they do not make the contribution, the developing countries will follow the same model of the developed countries, which will have a disastrous impact on the climate. So, it is very important that developed countries take into account that they are accountable for the creation of necessary funds, so we can help developing countries in a sustainable manner.

How can developing countries contribute to mitigating climate change?

There is a fund. In our own interest, developing countries ought to develop their technologies. Thanks to the green economy, developing countries can offer a new model to go faster on development without exploitation of their natural resources. We need to create more electricity, and we can create all those networks that are more efficient. In rich counties, they will have to change their entire model of construction.

All modes of transportation will also have to be changed to follow this vision of saving energy. We have to innovate in road traffic.

The car-sharing mindset is important. Cars will not be used in cities and people will have to rely on public transportation. Public opinion agrees to this.

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

November 2018

11

OVER STORY

Retrofit market

RETROFITS BROADENING THE SCOPE OF THOUGHT With an earnest attempt on the part of the UAE government to decrease the rate of energy consumption in the country, stakeholders give their take on the factors that drive the retrofit market.

By Ranjana Konatt

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November 2018

I

n 2016, the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) joined the Building Efficiency Accelerator (BEA) partnership, launched by the United Nations (UN), to retrofit 30,000 buildings, in order to achieve a 30% reduction in energy consumption by the year 2030.

Though the overall sentiment has been positive, the target has been received with mixed reactions.

Charles Blaschke, CEO, Taka Solutions, finds the target to be an ambitious one, though the retrofit movement in the United Arab Emirates is moving at a fast pace. “We will meet the target," he says. "High goals are bound to lead to an uptake for retrofit projects, and this is a good sign." Tharun Thomas, Business Development Manager, Smart4 Power, highlights that it’s been four years since the initiative was announced. He points out that approximately 200 buildings have been retrofitted so far. “The initiative is bound to have a ripple effect, and we already see other Emirates following in Dubai’s footsteps,” he adds. Pointing to a current trend, Hassan Younes, Director, Griffin Consultants, says that though there are retrofit projects, building owners might not be completely convinced on why they should invest in retrofitting for energy efficiency, which he sees as an issue that must be addressed.

November 2018

13

OVER STORY

Retrofit market

Charles Blaschke

Offering a global perspective to the scope of retrofit projects in the region, Dr Pablo De Agustin, Senior Researcher, Tecnalia Research and Innovation, says, “In global terms, having a 30% target is undoubtedly a positive goal.” However, there must be a plan of action on how best such a target can be achieved, he says. Responding to this statement is S Krishna Murthy, Deputy Director, Environment Solutions and Consultancy, who points to the region’s principal ESCO, and says: “Etihad ESCO has a clear roadmap on how it will achieve the target. Using a step-by-step approach, they plan on reducing 8-10% of energy consumption by the year 2020, thereafter retrofitting 5,000 buildings before 2021.”

However, Thanveer Hussain, Senior Energy Consultant, Hansa Energy Solutions, foresees financing as the major roadblock to retrofits.

“Banks are hesitant to give loans to small- to medium-size projects,” and this, he adds, poses a major challenge to lesser-known entities, who want to retrofit. Banks, he says, tend to lend depending on the worth of the project. “If a project is worth AED 50 million and over, only then will the bank agree to a loan,” Hussain says. Elaborating, Hussain says that for large projects the risk is great because of the investment involved; however, at the same time, the proportion of returns for these projects are also high.

‘CLIENTS MUST MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS BEFORE GETTING INTO A RETROFIT’ Finance expert, Sam Gouda, President, Creara International, says that there cannot be one particular ESCO model, which is applicable to all clients. “A common contract with the public sector is guaranteed savings, where the client finances the project, whereas, in the private sector, it’s the shared savings model, i.e. the ESCO and client are in a shared finance partnership,” Gouda explains.

However, Hussain adds that whichever model it may be, finance continues to be a concern for clients, who want to retrofit.

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November 2018

Highlighting the business model of his ESCO, Thomas says, “Smart4 Power offers both the guaranteed savings model and the shared savings model.” Adding, he says that, as of today, the ESCO has two public sector projects under the 30% energy efficiency target and has successfully completed 44 retrofit projects in the private sector.

The challenge today, he says, is making a successful business case, where the clients understand the need and use of retrofitting.

Highlighting Hansa Energy’s business model, Hussain says, “Hansa Energy follows the shared contracting model, where the investment is put in by both the client and the ESCO.” Elaborating, he says that even though it is a shared contracting model, it is more lucrative if the client carries out the complete investment. Today, he adds, investors do not invest blindly; instead, they look at real-time measurements to see whether a retrofit made to a building is worth the investment.

You do not want to be sent to the boiler guy or to the maintenance manager, who has a restricted budget and limited signing authority

Tharun Thomas

Hassan Younes

Blaschke, on the other hand, advocates the self-financing model. “A lot of ESCOs encourage the shared savings model, but I believe a true financial infrastructure is having one’s own investment fund,” he asserts. Self-financing, he says, gives an ESCO the ability to take on projects in a matter of days. “If the investment on a project is five million, we pay the entire amount and, later, if the client saves a million a year, we take 70% of the savings for seven years,” he says.

Adding, he highlights that today most ESCOs operate on a guaranteed savings model, which he says is a 100% interest partnership.

Echoing Blaschke, Murthy asserts that today, one incentive for clients is that ESCOs take care of the financing aspect. He suggests, “It is the ESCOs duty to make the reliance on funds for a retrofit a non-issue.” Elaborating on the importance and benefit a green fund can bring, Blaschke says: “Because we have a partner who invests with us, we are able to set high goals of deploying AED 200 million in the next four years for retrofit projects in Dubai.” Nothing is easy to achieve, when it comes to handling retrofit projects, he adds, yet ambitious targets and having the right investor helps us to move forward. “So far, we have retrofitted six million square feet of space and have 200 proposals in the pipeline,” he says. “The traditional ESCO model is failing because not many clients care to retrofit for energy efficiency." And even though a green fund may help, Gouda echoes Blaschke and says that banks are needed only when an ESCO does not have deep pockets. Gouda says, "The client has to provide a collateral and borrow under a guaranteed savings contract, which might mitigate the risk to a certain extent, yet it leaves clients hesitant to go through the process".

Younes adds, "It is important for a client to consider checks and balances while making an informed decision to know which model will work best and what kind of retrofit the building needs." A client, he says, must reach out to a consultant to look into the project for a second opinion."

Dr Pablo De Agustin

Sam Gouda

‘THE ROLE OF A CONSULTANT IS ESSENTIAL TO A RETROFIT PROJECT’ “I believe that the consulting community has to push for the next wave of innovation in retrofits,” says Holley Chant, Executive Director, KEO Consultants. The onus of keeping people informed on the latest in the retrofit sector, she says, lies with the consultant. “Overall there is a need for outreach, the market needs help in the way they approach projects,” she says. ESCOs are willing to support an organisation, but what the market needs, she says, is a client, who is willing to see a retrofit project through and they will only be open to the prospect when they are informed. Highlighting a trend, she adds that today, the number one reason why clients end up doing a retrofit is that they have an audit, which tells them that a building is not functioning efficiently and they tend to be more concerned about cost-savings than energy efficiency.

Faisal Ali Rashid, the Director of Demand Side Management (DSM) at the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE), says, “Dubai is the first in the United Arab Emirates to begin a retrofit project. However, in order to move forward, people need to be more aware of the business model followed by ESCOs.” Adding, he says that many buildings today are inefficient and, with Etihad ESCO, clients can choose, which financing model will work in their best interest.

Pointing to a development in the field of awareness, Chant explains that if there’s one benefit the economic slowdown has brought to the retrofit sector, it’s that clients want to save on energy bills and, hence, look for solutions, such as

Holley Chant

retrofitting. She says, “Clients who thought of developing new buildings are actually considering retrofitting old ones for energy efficiency and cost savings.” She also points to the importance, and growing need, of measuring and verifying a retrofit project after its completion.

‘MEASUREMENT AND VERIFICATION IS A CRUCIAL STEP POST-RETROFIT’ Measurement and Verification (MNV) is something that comes in at a later stage and yet is essential to any retrofit project, says Michael Aghabi, Sustainability Associate, KEO International Consultants. He says today, the retrofit market needs certified professionals who can carry out MNVs accurately. “The job involves a thorough examination of a building using statistics and cross-examination,” he says. However, he suggests that in order to achieve the 30% energy reduction target by the year 2030, the government must raise the cost of energy. He says, “The higher the price, the more viable ESCO work becomes, and there must be penalties on the excess use and wastage of energy.” However, he says that MNVs can be an expensive affair, and it is the assessor’s job to mitigate the risk, post the completion of a retrofit project. “Cost is sometimes a factor for clients,” he adds and, though the ESCO bears the financial cost, the public sector is the one that will, most likely, opt for an MNV. Echoing Aghabi, is Hussain, who says, “The uptake of retrofits in the United Arab Emirates makes MNVs more important and relevant.” However, along with the importance of MNVs, Hussain also highlights another challenge. “There is a lack of trained and skilled MNV assessors in the United Arab Emirates,” he says, which is

Faisal Ali Rashid

Michael Aghabi

a bad sign. With the increasing number of retrofits, there is a need to assess whether a job has been done well, he says. However, Thomas shares that MNV need not be done by a third-party assessor. “We call in a thirdparty assessor only if the desired energy savings are not achieved,” he says, as the audits and maintenance are done 100% in-house.

ESCOs in the Middle East have not been as forthcoming as you’d want them to be, Gouda says. One of the issues, he says, is the way an ESCO pitches the case for a retrofit.

Elaborating, he highlights the importance of speaking what’s relevant to an organisation’s C-level. He says, “When an ESCO approaches a company, they must look at the issue from a holistic standpoint.” For instance, if it’s a retrofit for a school, you will make the case for an improved learning experience for the children, especially when speaking to C-level authorities in an organisation. “You do not want to be sent to the boiler guy or to the maintenance manager, who has a restricted budget and limited signing authority,” he says. Referring to it as a catch-22 situation, he says that those in C-level positions are devoted to enhancing the working environment and can take the financial decisions necessary. Feeling extremely positive about the broader goal, Ali Rashid says that along with putting ambitious targets, Etihad ESCO has moved towards a developing market. The model, he adds, is precise in terms of what has been achieved.

“I feel extremely positive about the target, and so far we have been able to monitor the progress of buildings,” he says. Referring to the project as one that has a snowball effect, he says the other Emirates, too, are following in Dubai’s footsteps and are pushing for the goal of achieving energy efficiency through retrofits.

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

Write to editor@cpi-industry.com

November 2018

15

OVER STORY

Retrofit market

VOICES

“The target is impressive, but achieving it will not be easy.

Retrofitting requires capital, and not every ESCO has the bandwidth and investor to provide for every project. In my opinion, this is more like a low-hanging fruit; however, carrying out projects on such a scale requires a lot of capital, the Return on Investment for which is not going to be there. If I get a project with a three-year investment and payback, I advise them to go ahead, however, there are others who go in for a five-year payback or a seven-year payback, which in the long run is tedious.

With regard to existing buildings, another influencing factor is that you require experience to identify the root cause of a problem and suggesting what kind of retrofit a building needs. It is undoubtedly an expensive goal, but, if done in stages, it can be doable.”

Ted Jacob President, Ted Jacob Engineering Group

“The clock is ticking, and in my opinion, this is a brave move by the DSCE, which will lead the way for other highenergy consuming economies.

However, with regard to retrofitting, benchmarking plays an important role, where buildings are analysed according to the climate they function in, with the level of energy consumption as a starting point. Finance and lifecycle costs are probably the biggest challenges for clients.

At the same time, when real estate is at a premium, retrofit is inevitable and, hence, it is vital for both clients and the various stakeholders to enter a project with a good knowledge base, in order to ensure success.”

Upali Nanda Director of Research, HKS

“The target is a doable one; however, the economic slowdown is a concern. In such projects, the role of benchmarking and data collection is necessary to gain perspective on the performance of other buildings. Stakeholders must reach out to universities, such as ours, as we have a considerable amount of information on the performance of buildings. There is a lack of communication between the education sector and the space where retrofits are actually carried out. What the market needs is collaboration, where both the sectors align themselves so as to learn from each other. This will help the region achieve its energyefficiency targets.”

Adil Kahwash Al-Tamimi Director of the Institute of Material Systems, Civil Engineering, American University of Sharjah

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November 2018

Saint-Gobain stand 6A251 Hall 6.

November 2018

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photo feature

L-R: Dr. Hassan Younes, Director, Griffin Consultants; Scott Coombes, Director, AESG; Rob C Gregory, MEP Technical Director, Aurecon and Darrel Strobel, Managing Director, MEP Engineering, Design Division, KEO International Consultants

2nd edition

T

he second edition of The Consultant Contractor Conference served as a platform for riveting discussions among MEP contractors, consultants and legal advisors in the construction industry. A key takeaway from the event was the call made

for a ‘Project Partnership Approach', facilitating transparency among the

many stakeholders who come together to work on a project, right from the engineering stage to its completion. The event also featured a vibrant legal panel that highlighted the immediate need for MEP contractors to correctly interpret and understand the legal and contractual implications of contracts.

We bring you the event, in pictures…

L-R: A.R.Suresh Kumar, General Manager Business Development, Voltas Limited and Sekhar Reddy, Head MEP – Meydan One Mall, MS Construction

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November 2018

Members of the audience

Sam Gouda, President, Creara International

L-R: Dr. Ahmed Alaa Eldin, Director and Regional Chair of the Region-at-Large, ASHRAE Falcon Chapter (UAE); George Berbari, Author, The Energy Budget; CEO, DC PRO Engineering and Redha H. Salman, Director, Health & Safety Department, Dubai Municipality

Asim A. Hashmi, Sales Director – Applied Business, S.K.M Air Conditioning LLC

Rohit Mansukhani, Director – Digital Solutions, India & Middle East, Johnson Controls Middle East & Africa L-R: Balachandran Senthilraj, Vice President-Engineering and Projects, Southern General Contracting & Real Estate; Andrew Schumer, Managing Director, Black Wit Cyber Solutions; Sameer Daoud, Chief Executive Officer, MECIC Contracting and Dr Bishoy Edward, Chief Operating Officer, Dhabi Contracting

Muna Khris, Head of Sustainability, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

L-R: Daniel Xu, Partner, King & Wood Mallesons MENA; Peter Anagnostou, Senior Construction Lawyer, DLA Piper Middle East; Rachel Ewin, Director, Contract Services, Turner & Townsend International and Shawn Davis, Partner, King & Wood Mallesons MENA

Sekhar Reddy, Head MEP – Meydan One Mall, MS Construction November 2018

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Prabhu Ramachandran, Facilio

‘WE NEED A UNIFIED APPROACH TO FACILITIES MANAGEMENT’ Prabhu Ramachandran, CEO, Facilio, discusses the need for unified solutions in Facilities Management (FM) and elaborates on how the IoT-driven firm is contributing to the broader scope of FM. Excerpts from the interview…

By Ranjana Konatt

W

which consists of the Building Management System (BMS), the HVAC system, in addition to other controls, such as the fire alarm system and fire back-up system. Today, these systems come from different buildings? vendors, who have their Today, building managers work own tools and software. in silos and use multiple Along with this, there tools to operate and are hard and soft manage their buildings. services – soft, There is a need for a including janitor unified approach, where work and soft a building operator can that includes the manage the building maintenance of as one entity. One HVAC equipment. of the advantages of Often, the two doing this, is that they layers don’t talk to can benchmark their own each other, which Prabhu teams, buildings and assets is where the problem Ramachandran as they improve and learn, while begins. Customers and bringing in more efficiency. building operators buy so many different products to monitor Could you elaborate on the ways in these systems, which can complicate which building systems are operated things.

hat are the emerging trends today with regard to Facilities Management in new and existing

today?

There are two ways in which a building can be operated. One is the automation layer,

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November 2018

What is Facilio’s contribution to the Facilities Management sector,

and what purpose do the solutions offered by the company serve?

We believe that there is a need for the automation layer to talk to the FM layer, that’s where everything becomes smart. For instance, one look at the software, and the FM manager will know the condition of the chiller. Today, FM managers are unaware of the state of their equipment and, of course, knowing the functioning of all your systems can be difficult if you are working in five different silos. Only when a failure occurs, will someone call for servicing.

What are the advantages of using a unified system?

If an FM manager has the software, he will be able to operate and manage the buildings from a single platform, where they know the performance of each building, while they also know the amount of energy being used. This will also enable real-time predictive maintenance, where a maintenance schedule will keep track of how the systems function.

Could you elaborate on the role played by predictive maintenance in FM, in relation to maintenance of HVAC equipment and IAQ? FM has a major role to play in HVAC; the first thing on which you’d rate a building experience would be the IAQ. If a building has to have an efficient HVAC system, AHUs must be maintained on time, which again brings us to the importance of knowing when your equipment needs to be serviced. Not all technicians are equipped with the right tools; most do maintenance work manually. However, the adoption of a software system will not only [help the technicians or facility managers] understand the power consumption levels of the equipment but will also help carry out real-time predictive maintenance by using machine learning.

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

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November 2018

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Eddie Arrowsmith, NICEIC, UK

H

‘TEST WHAT YOU DO AND PROVE IT IS SAFE WHEN YOU LEAVE’

and consistency in competency levels in the workforce, then as time goes on, knowledge is lost. The Facilities Management (FM) in the region also lacks regulation. You don’t need to register your FM project with DEWA because, in theory, you MEP contracting in the are not installing a new UK is developing fast, circuit. What DEWA, says due to the availability is that you must employ of new technology, smart homes and an independent consultant to carry renewable sources of energy. Dubai is out tests, but if you did not build the also advancing in technology, but the building in the first place, then you irony of the region is that there is a are the independent consultant. For lack of skill sets among those carrying instance: If a device has to “work in Eddie Arrowsmith, Regional out installations of electrical systems anger”, it must be right for the system.

Engineering Manager, National in existing and new buildings. Dubai The maximum value of an earthInspection Council for Electrical had incidence of electrical fires and the leakage circuit breaker is 30 milliamps; problem must be addressed with the 10 milliamps cause contraction of Insulation Contracting (NICEIC), help of regulation on the installation and the muscles, which means trouble. If Certsure, UK, speaks to Ranjana maintenance side. the leakage exceeds the number then Konatt on the major factors that the device trips, which is also called Are professions in the electrical nascence tripping. And what happens threaten life, with regard to fire and and MEP industry attuned when the skill set is not there is that at safety. With reference to electrical to the many updates made to the site level, the installer will replace standards and codes? What are the 30 milliamps equipment with a installations, in both new and the implications of any ignorance 100 milliamps one. What is done here existing buildings, he makes the call in the field? is, instead of protecting life, it is just for a need to educate professionals In the UK, we work with the 18th edition ensured that the building does not go of the wire regulations. There are many in ablaze with an electrical fire. But, when working in the field of maintenance the MEP industry that are unaware of the there are 25 milliamps of leakage, and and installation. Excerpts... updates made; some people involved with if a person gets a shock, it can lead the installation of electrical systems have to the fibrillation of the heart and not even seen a copy of the Institute that certainly does not address the of Engineering and Technology (IET) problem at its root. It is here that the wiring regulations yet. Such a situation can have heavy industry goes wrong with regard to electrical systems and implications. Here’s where I pose the question: How installation and maintenance. can you assert that an installation system is safe for use, if the people installing it are not familiar How would you rate the adherence with the guidelines for electrical installation? to fire safety codes by industry The golden rule is to test what you do and professionals in the region? prove it is safe when you leave. I see very Professionals are aware of the codes, and little formal certification. On a new build, they know what needs to be done, but DEWA asks for a single test result, so you in the Middle East, professionals come need to state your installation resistance into the industry at different levels and result. But as a client, I’d say we must test with a different approach to fire and life everything and ask for evidence to check safety. There is a need to cascade and train whether everything is done properly. Just professionals working in both the installation because an electrical system works does not and the maintenance segment. Proper electrical Eddie Arrowsmith mean it is safe. installation is essential to ensuring a building is fire-proof, and when you are in charge of such What would you attribute the level of systems in a building, professionals need to be attuned ignorance among industry professionals to? to the necessary requirements.

One of the major reasons why people are not attuned to testing standards and regulations is because, in Dubai, HAVE YOUR SAY! people come from different parts of the world and We welcome your views on the Q&A. are hired to learn on the job. If there is no monitoring Write to editor@cpi-industry.com

ow would you evaluate the MEP contracting market in the UK and in the Middle East? What are the roadblocks to ensuring quality in deliverables?

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November 2018

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November 2018

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Andrea Di Gregorio, Municipality Department, Ras Al Khaimah

‘IN RAS AL KHAIMAH, WE AIM TO HAVE ONE REGULATION TO SIMPLIFY THE IMPACT ON THE VALUE CHAIN’

C

ould you provide us with an update on the energy-efficiency initiatives being rolled out in Ras Al Khaimah?

Andrea Di Gregorio, Director of Energy Efficiency and Renewables, Municipality Department, Ras Al Khaimah, outlines the emirate’s roadmap towards its 2040 energy targets, elaborates on the Green Building codes, standards and regulations that are set to be implemented and provides an update on the retrofit programme being rolled out by the municipality. Excerpts from the interview with Hannah Jo Uy…

We started about a year ago with the establishment of the Energy Efficiency and Renewables Office (REEM) within the Municipality of Ras Al Khaimah (RAK). The office was started to drive the development and implementation of a long-term strategy, which comprises nine programmes that will lead Ras Al Khaimah to save 30% of electricity, save 20% of water and generate 20%of the electricity needs from renewable sources by 2040. We have targets on a yearly basis until then.

This has been agreed upon by a series of stakeholders; our office is just one as a coordinator of strategy, and we are also implementing a few of the programmes. Some of the programmes are led by other government entities, such as the municipality itself, the public service department, the investment and development office, and the environmental protection and development authority.

There are also federal entities, such as Federal Electricity and Water Authority (FEWA) and the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA), which are driving the efficient appliances programme.

Will RAK implement more stringent building codes to meet the targets?

Absolutely. The Green Building codes are probably the most important programme in terms of contributing to the overall energy savings. It is number one for us, and it has been recently activated.

There has been significant work done over the past year to develop the codes. Now, the code is available for voluntary application in its pilot phase, until the enforcement date is announced;

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then, it will become mandatory for all buildings in RAK. This is our intention.

There is a path toward that milestone, which is primarily a path of finetuning the internal processes of the municipality to manage the building permit process.

So, would training programmes be conducted to help facilitate the process?

Absolutely. There will be an announcement soon, perhaps towards the end of November, with a dedicated event to the programme.

The green building regulations have been called Barjeel, in recognition of the historical practices in building design, when a building didn’t need electricity for cooling, as it was using natural ventilation.

How involved are different stakeholders in the development, and activation, of the programmes?

We involved developers, researchers, universities and government early on, even in the design of the programme, and they offered advice on the right levels of efficiency we can target, what level of efficiency entails [which products] and the payback time, after which technology goes towards leading edge and is more expensive.

It is a process we put in place, and we intend to replicate for every type of regulation.

How do the Green Building regulations vary across different types of developments?

With the Green Building regulations, the code is modular. For small buildings, we have small requirements that we call fundamental regulations. These are for simple buildings, like villas or residential apartment buildings, which will have to comply with few requirements. More complex, larger buildings, like hotels, malls and, sometimes, schools, depending on the size, will need to comply with more requirements. For the more complicated building, we have what we call comprehensive regulation, which extends from energy efficiency to environmental and waste management requirements. We also have regulations for special buildings, iconic architectural structures that may not be able to comply with one or two of the requirements. For those, we have a Andrea particular and balanced approach, wherein they need to go deeper with some of the other requirements to compensate.

While there will be minimum standards towards efficiency, will there be mechanisms in place to incentivise stakeholders?

We definitely want to incentivise higher than minimum standards. This will happen in two ways. One way is the development of a rating scheme. This is a milestone in our roadmap for 2020/2021. We don’t want to flood the market with new regulations, we also need to pace it over time. In 2020/2021, we expect the activation of an energy rating scheme for buildings, which will give recognition to developers building higher than minimum standards.

Then, we also want to activate an advisory service for developers, who want to get support in developing higher than minimum standard buildings. The municipality will offer support to really efficient buildings that go towards nearly zero energy designs. We are happy to support the developers, sit with them and find design solutions to help them achieve

their targets.

This will be activated very soon, perhaps even towards the end of next year.

A building compliant with regulation will be recognised. The Barjeel certification and the rating scheme see the collaboration of the municipality and many other government entities. Even free zones will be involved. Differently from what happens to this part of the world, where different administrative areas tend to have different codes, in RAK, we still aim to have one regulation to simplify the impact on the value chain and allow stakeholders to comply with one single code.

Di Gregorio

Will the municipality adopt the standards and regulations set by ESMA, with regard to HVAC systems, in its building codes?

ESMA has done a great job over the past years in developing standards for different categories of products, such as air conditioners and refrigerators.

These standards provide awareness to consumers. From our side, we use those standards in our codes. The Green Building regulations, for example, refer to certain degrees of ESMA efficiency or require minimum two-star or three-star [equipment] depending on the type of building. Our standards are very consistent with ESMA’s.

We also want to develop programmes targeting the general public and the small and medium enterprises, which are the ones that buy most of these appliances, to incentivise them to adopt higher efficiency products. These would be the programmes dedicated to the population, to be launched in a couple of years.

There seems to be a very dense roadmap in the next 3-5 years?

Yes. We need to put all the programmes in place and make sure that every one of them is activated. After three or five years, the Green Building regulations and standards will be raised to the next level, with more stringent insulation and higher efficiency standards for air conditioning. The retrofit programme will extend from the government

to the private sector more intensively; some financing mechanisms will be activated.

We already know, more or less, what needs to be done in the second wave, but now we need to focus on activating all the programmes and ensure that each of them has a right basis to start.

Could you further elaborate on the retrofit programme being driven by the municipality?

The programme aims to retrofit at least 3,000 buildings by 2040, but there will be more of them, depending on how deep we enter the residential sector. There have already been programmes this year, led by FEWA, for the residential sector to adopt water-saving devices. Over 10,000 residential units were involved in that. So, when we say 3,000 buildings, we refer to important structures, primarily government and commercial buildings with high energy intensity. The number is just indicative of the high priority buildings, but then others will also come. For the retrofit, we focus primarily on air conditioning, lighting, water fixtures and, sometimes, insulation.

Will RAK’s building standards make a move for particular solutions – be it in the form of District Cooling or particular systems?

We are technology- and supplier- agnostic.

We do not promote one technology against another. We welcome all new and effective technologies, as long as they are attractive for the participant. We normally target the savings, rather than the technology, in our retrofit programme. Our tenders are organised in a way that promotes the highest energy savings. We leave it to the supplier or the ESCO to make a case for the technology they want to propose. Of course, there will also be considerations at a community level, if your question is for District Cooling. Wherever District Cooling brings an advantage for the final consumer, it will be considered in our communitylevel guidelines that we will develop in the coming years, but it needs to be economically attractive.

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

November 2018

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Rob Thornton, IDEA

An iPod among vinyl albums

Saying that District Cooling simplifies the building dramatically, Rob Thornton, President and CEO, International District Energy Association (IDEA), in this interview with Surendar Balakrishnan of Climate Control Middle East, urges a nuanced understanding of what the cooling approach can offer. Excerpts from the interview, about a month prior to the 8th IDEA International District Cooling Conference and Tradeshow from December 9 to 11, in Dubai.

C

ould you please share details of the December conference and what delegates may expect from it?

District Energy has risen in terms of visibility and potential and as a solution for urbanisation, population density and energy intensity. The world is moving to cities, and cities represent majority of emissions and energy density, and it’s not going to get easier. One of the things we need to do is to help planners, mayors, utilities and people who either have the authority or policy sway over infrastructure. We need to help them understand how District Cooling fits in that equation.

We want to bring real-world solutions and tangible operating cases to the fore during the conference, so people can understand District Cooling better and have access to people with real experience of very efficient District Energy solutions. I am really pleased with the quality of participation in the conference, with speakers coming in from Saudi Arabia, Denmark, France and a really high-quality cross-section of US participants.

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They are coming to share. It is not about selling a product or promoting a technology, necessarily. It feels like we have once again been able to organise and curate a group of people, who care about helping others learn from their experience, so the next systems reflect the next generation of technologies.

One thing we are doing is a masterclass on microgrids. We know electricity grids are very, very robust, but at the same time there is an opportunity for microgrids, if you have a campus or healthcare city or hospital or energy-dense application.

Ted Borer at Princeton University operates a gas turbine on campus. The profile includes 15MW of onsite generation, chilled water thermal energy storage, 4.6 MW of photovoltaic farm and hybrid chillers.

The university has a very advanced and interactive control platform. The work he does is relative to the energy needs of the campus, the grid conditions, tomorrow’s weather forecast and the corresponding load. All these help Princeton optimise its system.

Princeton came into prominence during the time of Superstorm Sandy, in October 2012, when 8.1 million people were without power. The university was able to maintain operations. The campus is home to ice cores over 100 years old. Broadly, it is a research campus. It also became an area of refuge for people during the storm. It was a place where rescue personnel could take a shower and recharge their phones.

Now, a hurricane of that magnitude is not likely to happen in the Middle East, but the region might have other needs. So, how do you design your system to make it resilient, if the grid is impaired? How quickly can you bounce back and maintain services, be it to take care of patients in hospitals or data for financial powerhouses? Or, it could be cancer research. The story Ted can convey has to do with how to integrate all of these assets. People who have energy and businesscontinuity response are very interested in the microgrid model. We are not suggesting that the utilities in the UAE or Saudi Arabia should just change their operating paradigm and just support microgrid.

November 2018

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Rob Thornton, IDEA

We are just trying to provide expertise; if people are building healthcare facilities, they can draw from this. So, we are pleased that Ted – that the pie gets sliced in a number of will be participating in the conference. He ways, and not all the slices go to every has conducted masterclasses in Singapore participant. And that is an education and and across North America, and we do believe awareness. And frankly, part of the challenge utilities a few years ago were not keen on is that the tenant or the consumer of cooling having microgrids but want to own them may say: ‘Well, it is great District Cooling now, so there has been a sort of paradigm reduces CO2 emissions, and that it makes shift. Many of the large utilities the grid more reliable because of are saying this makes a thermal energy storage. It is lot of sense, so rather great we are not putting than fight them, why a huge demand on the don’t we operate wires, and it is using microgrid solutions? treated sewage Additionally, one effluent and not of the things we potable water, but have seen in North I don’t get that America, especially benefit directly.’ in the aftermath of And so, it is a value Superstorm Sandy, discussion. And it’s is that mayors want a little bit like voting, microgrids. CEOs of but there is a sort of Rob Thornton finance companies want important component to microgrids, and certainly District Cooling. It may be institutions like Harvard, slightly higher in cost, but by MIT and Princeton want them. being a user of District Cooling, you Ted will focus on technology, operationsare really creating real value streams in the related optimisation and emergency community. Those value streams in college preparedness. campuses stay within the fence. The end-user gets efficiency benefits, demand-response Are you satisfied with the uptake of benefits and water savings in a homogenous District Energy systems around the community. world?

I am not saying people should be selfThere are District Cooling systems across motivated, but there is a responsibility for cities across North America, and we find us as an industry to both communicate and, that adoption and market penetration vary where we can, to quantify those benefits, from city to city. Sometimes, we have slower so people can see them and say, ‘Okay, uptake for whatever reason, but by and large, there are all these benefits I am glad are we are seeing acceptance. Since 1990, we happening and my community is better off have built about 50 new District Cooling having District Cooling than not.’ systems in cities, not to mention in colleges The value stream – economical or and university campuses. So, I think part environmental – are challenging to quantify, of the challenge is education and downand they don’t get specifically allocated to streaming the benefits of District Energy to the people that are paying the bill. And to the end users. be honest, there is a whole industry of HVAC, One of the challenges is that not all the and I have been in the District Cooling field value of being a District Cooling customer for 32 years. When District Cooling wins, shows up in the utility bill. Things like space some people lose, and when you take the savings in buildings, being able to precool chiller plants out of 70 buildings, someone the building, not having a chiller bank and is not selling valves or chillers, so there is a creating rooftop space, electrical vault sizing, whole industry that looks at District Cooling lack of chemicals in the buildings. So, it is as a displacement technology. People who like the five senses. It is not just the see or are technicians who maintain chillers, that’s the touch but the smell and the hearing, and what happens – it can be very disruptive, and they flow to certain participants in the value I am not surprised at this pushback, because chain. The building owner and the architect I have seen the same with District Heating. gets design advantage and leasable space So, what happens with District Cooling is that advantage, and that might not flow directly we make buildings easier to design, we take to the tenant. And that’s part of the problem the responsibility for some of the mechanical

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and electrical processes – the design costs, etc. And the fees of consulting firms is part of the capital costs of buildings, so when you simplify the building dramatically, it is like having a shelf full of vinyl albums and turntable, and District Cooling is like an iPod. Everything is easy to operate.

District Cooling has its place. It is not necessarily the right solution, but when you have density, there is scale, where you aggregate a variety of loads and diversity of customers. The market is on a slower build.

District Cooling can work, but it is important that the investment needs to be timed and matched and relatively is kind of coincident with market growth. I know there have been instances where the District Cooling system has preceded build-out or occupancy in some settings, and there is a variety of causes of effects, but that is also the Best Practices we have to share. Empower has done quite well on that front. They have not built capacity far in advance of customer needs.

That was certainly an issue in the early days, but I think there has been a kind of recognition of the importance of District Cooling. You need to manage the time effectively for all stakeholders.

Based on feedback we have received from people we have interviewed on several occasions, one of the persistent topics of interest has to do with how utilities can pass on savings they achieve to building owners and tenants. And manufacturers we interviewed spoke of how reliability, energy efficiency and optimal use of water often did not have to do with the technologies available but how they were installed in a project.

One manufacturer, for instance, spoke of how hydronic balancing, an issue that keeps popping up in conversations in the region, has less to do with the equipment than it has to with the manner in which the reticulation network is laid out. The manufacturer spoke of how the lack of well-qualified, specialised MEP contractors was perhaps impacting reliability of supply of chilled water. A crosssection of MEP consultants and MEP contractors we spoke to said the market perhaps needs regulation and proper enforcement

mechanisms to ensure the right people handle critical and specialised projects. Your thoughts on this?

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We have a panel discussion in the opening segment, and I will ask the moderator to cover that. The impact on managing supply and performance in an extended network has evolved.

When I started in 1987, we had a chilled water network in Hartford, Connecticut. And all the buildings were directly connected, and the chilled water flowed directly through the buildings, and that was the design at the time, not primary or secondary circuits. How you operate is maintain a static pressure. It is like your blood pressure – systolic and diastolic – and you keep that, and as load increases, the flow rate can increase. Early on, there were circumstances, where some buildings were over-pumping, and it was causing imbalance.

And in the course of design and remediation, we put in controls and monitoring points, and the farthest building was three miles away.

As I said, this was in 1987, much before a lot of the technology we have now, and at that time, we maintained the positive differential pressure at point, and that meant the rest of the building had positive pressure. And today, if we look at what Empower has – a command control centre – they are not just monitoring, they can control the conditions, they are aware of the conditions not only at the farthest point. So, if a valve is stuck, the technology and modelling and platforms now give us real-time insights into the condition and not only control the valve. We can tell how much blood is flowing to the brain.

It doesn’t mean everyone has to make the kind of investment Empower has made. And people in the industry are quite jealous of that, and people from the US came away from a visit to the Empower plant saying, ‘Wow, I wish I had that!’

The real truth is that technology has brought costs down to enable operations and best practices. They reside in IDEA. Companies and people and professions are doing continuous learning and are really attending to emerging best practices.

But not everybody is in the room, not everybody is a member.

So, when people are operating and designing a District Cooling system, they may not have had the benefit of asking people of our association. Our reputation is only as good as their performance, so even though they are not participating in the adaptive continuous learning that IDEA tries to provides, we are accountable for their reputation, by default. And that’s why we have these conferences and why we invite people. I am not saying we know everything, but 2,400 members within there are people with experience and are happy to share it.

Juan Ontiveros has done remarkable things at campus (at The University of Texas at Austin), and he is an example of an IDEA member, whose door is open. So, if you have a problem with water quality or differential pressure, you have IDEA members that say: ‘I had that problem, too, and we tried this, and it did not work. And then, we tried this, and it worked.’ If you want to save time and money, you can reach out to IDEA. And that is what IDEA is about.

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Carsten Østergård Pedersen and Ronak Monga, Grundfos

'AN INCENTIVE TO IMPROVE DISTRICT ENERGY NETWORKS'

W

hat makes the District Energy schemes in Denmark so successful?

Could you elaborate on the structure and mechanism that paved the way for their high penetration?

Carsten Pedersen: The main principle is that District Heating is owned by the consumers.

That means profit is returned as lower prices, giving them the incentive to continuously improve the network, making it effective and efficient in projects. There is a high degree of support from the inhabitants of Denmark.

District Heating here is almost 100% in big cities and 70% in total. And it makes sense on top; really, the government is supporting and incentivising environmentally friendly energy solutions, if it financially and socially makes sense. This is why energy efficiency is often the number one criterion when choosing equipment for installation in District Energy in Denmark.

At Grundfos, we are also placing a great deal of focus on operating instead of capital investment, which makes sense in the long term. We focus on calibrating the equipment correctly, which we recommend to our customers. Furthermore, we offer services, such as energy audits and checks on components. We can go to a District Cooling facility and test the pumps to see what energy is being distributed and compare it with alternative pumps, as it could be oversized and not running efficiently. We see that in most

Carsten Østergård Pedersen, Senior Manager, District Energy, Grundfos (Group) and Ronak Monga, Business Development Manager – HVAC, Grundfos – Greater Middle East (GME), speak on how Denmark’s District Energy scheme is designed to encourage efficiency across the supply chain, the innovations the company is integrating in District Heating and recommendations for the District Cooling sector in the Middle East. Excerpts from the interview with Hannah Jo Uy…

cases pumps are 20% oversized, sometimes a lot more. Everyone wants to be on the safe side, and they want to calculate for possible extensions to the network, but that hurts the efficiency. Once the system in place has been running for maybe 10 years, or even before it reaches that period, then you should look at replacing it with smaller and newer pumps and at the same time, if you size it right, it will be even more efficient.

We are developing system expertise in Grundfos, and we need to prevent breakdowns. In my opinion, what really matters is to optimise the systems to make them run better and more efficiently.

We are currently developing solutions for District Heating, where we lower the supply temperature, which means we are significantly reducing the heat loss we have out of the pipes. When you distribute hot water, you lose energy out of the pipes. This is reduced by lowering the temperature. This can also be applied in District Cooling, if you increase the temperature from the normal five degrees C to maybe 15-20 degrees C. It’s about having the temperature as close to the surrounding temperature, because you lose the temperature to the surrounding environment, even in well-insulated pipes.

When we lower temperatures in District Heating, you can also utilise a lot more renewable energy sources. You could have surplus heat from industry and geothermal, where you can get “free” hot water of 20 and 40 degrees C and just have to add heat pumps to effectively boost the temperature to a certain level.

▶ Nyhavn district in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark

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CASTEL MAKES IT HAPPEN.

November 2018

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Carsten Østergård Pedersen and Ronak Monga, Grundfos

We have a lot of renewable energy from driven supply for District Heating. This windmills and solar that’s electricityties in directly with reducing the energy based. When the sun is shining a lot consumption and lower emissions from and wind blows, there is a lot more District Energy plants. The temperature electricity than we need, so by optimisation units work based on coupling the electricity grid decentralised mixing loop and District Heating, concept, where the return we actually store the hot water, which is at electricity. If we go lower temperature to the Middle East, than supply, is you could use allowed to mix with solar. Instead of the supply hot heating up the water in controlled water, you could amounts by use of a cool down the temperature sensor water and have ice and a pump adjusting storage, instead. its speed via VFD, Carsten Østergård In District Heating, based on the signal from Pedersen a temperature of 65 that temperature sensor. degrees C is enough for a This, combined with remote majority of the buildings, but due monitoring and control technologies, to just a few buildings, it is often kept allows the District Energy company to at 100 degrees C. By reducing it, for constantly monitor the energy and heat example, using our temperature [zoning consumption, as well as the end-user technology], we not only reduce the supply temperature, so that they ensure energy loss and the carbon emission, but the highest comfort with the we can also use more renewable energy lowest energy consumption sources much more effectively.

– providing great savings for the District Energy Could you elaborate on company.

the temperature zoning technology?

Ronak Monga: Temperature zoning technology was the pilot for the District Heating plants undertaken in Denmark.

District Energy networks can be very widespread and, therefore, to ensure that heating water is reaching at a high enough temperature to even the farthest end-users, is critical in maintaining comfort for those users. As a result, the hot water is produced at a very high temperature, which consumes a high amount of energy. Not only that, it also means that buildings/users connected closer to the District Heating plant, get this high temperature of water and high pressure, which is also bad for the equipment, such as heat exchangers and radiators within the building and households. Also, the higher the difference of the temperature between the supply hot water for heating and the surrounding ambient temperature, higher is the heat loss from the pipe network, wasting even more energy.

Therefore, Grundfos developed and introduced District Heating providers with Temperature Optimisation Units that increase system efficiency with low-temperature zoning and demand-

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Do you see the same solution gaining traction in the Middle East for District Cooling projects?

Monga: In Denmark, the ownership model Ronak of District Energy plants is quite different from the Middle East. Most District Energy plants are owned under joint ownership by building and home owners connected to the plant.

It is, therefore, in the high interest of the owners in the connected buildings/ homes to be more efficient within the District Energy plant, as well as on the consumption side, to reduce the low delta-T issues and, hence, save money and generate high revenue. That model is a fantastic motivation for all involved stakeholders to focus on efficiency and could be tried out in the Middle East. We are working on employing technologies like temperature zoning, as pilot feasibility studies in the Middle East, to try and present District Cooling stakeholders in the Middle East with two or three new technologies. One of these is focused for

District Cooling providers and two of them will be focused on the buildings connected to the network.

Pedersen: One thing I would challenge in the Middle East is the traditional way of designing based on American standards, where you do District Cooling at five degrees C. I simply believe if you increase temperature in District Cooling, there will be lower loss in the system. I know that District Cooling is used in very densely populated areas, so the energy loss out of the pipes is less in percentage than in urban areas in Denmark, but it is still a very big loss that could be reduced significantly.

Monga: Density makes a huge impact on the success and return of investment that goes into producing District Cooling.

In the Middle East, populations are more concentrated in major cities, like in the United Arab Emirates and in Saudi Arabia, where we can see three major cities – Riyadh, Dammam and Jeddah – using District Cooling. It’s motivating for us, as it allows us to participate in making a positive contribution to sustainability, which is what we strive to do in every aspect of our business.

The supply and production temperature of most District Cooling plants in the region is 4.5-5.5 degrees C, whereas the ambient temperature can Monga be very high, especially during summer months, which is also when we need the most amount of cooling.

Due to this high ambient temperature, the amount of heat absorbed by the supplied chilled water can also be higher, which can reduce efficiency. By introducing the temperature optimisation zone concept, not only can the District Cooling optimise the supply temperature to the nearest users/ connected buildings but also provide an opportunity for excellent savings.

Within the buildings connected to the District Cooling applications, mixing loop technology can also provide significant savings. The concept of mixing loops within a building also works on a very similar technology to the decentralised mixing loops in the temperature optimisation zone concept, discussed earlier. Returned chilled water from the cooling loads within the

building can be mixed in controlled amounts to the chilled water supply from the heat exchanger within the ETS (energy transfer station). This can improve the Delta T within the building, bringing large energy savings.

Pedersen: If I should recommend two things, it is increasing temperature for District Cooling. We have seen data centres, very critical applications,

where they are doing cooling with 20 degrees C, very different from what you see in Middle East with five degrees, so we know it’s possible. The normal argument is that the temperatures are designated based on how the chiller runs more effectively and again that is five degrees C. But you can get other chillers, I don’t think that’s a big problem, and you could create zones with a higher temperature. The other

thing is getting rid of the Low Delta T issue – it’s a control and a sizing mater. For District Cooling, the good thing is really to optimise the temperature set, for the Low Delta T syndrome.

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

November 2018

33

ERSPECTIVE

Mirza Azmat Baig is the General Manager, Three Phase Technical Services LLC, Dubai. He may be contacted at azmat.baig@3phtechservices.com.

‘SAFETY AUDITS OF DISTRICT COOLING PLANTS ARE ESSENTIAL’ A safety audit is a methodical approach to evaluate potential hazards, enabling suggestions for improvement.

P

OWER SYSTEM AUDIT: FOR SAFETY, RELIABILITY AND EFFICIENCY OF HVAC SYSTEMS

The major objective of a safety audit is to determine the effectiveness of the safety and loss prevention measures of a facility. Identifying potential electrical risks and hazards, to prevent or minimise loss of life and property, is perceived seriously by the local utilities and civil defence authorities. A safety audit is a methodical approach to evaluate potential hazards, enabling suggestions for improvement. It is an important tool for identifying deterioration of standards and areas of risks or vulnerability in a facility, as well as determining necessary action to minimise them, thus ensuring effective and meaningful safety efforts. A comprehensive electrical safety audit provides a thorough review of the utility installations and identifies potential electrical risks and flaws in the design system and maintenance system.

Over 20% of fires, worldwide, are due to faulty electrical circuits. Electricity hazard continues to threaten the safety of people and property in the forms of shocks, burns, injury, fire and explosions. With electricity having become an indispensable part of our lives, electrical risks need to be managed effectively.

In process industries, fires due to electrical reasons are very probable, especially in industries that handle flammable chemicals. In service industries, such as information technology and telecommunications, business interruption losses due to electrical hazards (such as fire in a server room, damage of expensive communication equipment, loss of data and fire in a cable gallery) could be substantial. Likewise, there are several reasons for electrical hazards in residential and commercial facilities like poor connections, overloading, arcing, deterioration of wiring and malfunctioning.

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November 2018

DISTRICT COOLING SYSTEM: AN OVERVIEW A District Cooling System (DCS) produces chilled water within a centralised energy plant and distributes it through underground pipes to buildings connected to the system and provides them with air conditioning. Therefore, individual buildings do not need split systems, chillers and/or cooling towers. Once used in the customer buildings, the water is returned to the central plant to be chilled again and then re-circulated through the closed-loop piping system.

A DCS consists of three primary components: the centralised energy plant, the distribution network and the Energy Transfer Station (ETS), which comprises heat exchangers between the primary (DCS side) and secondary networks (building side).

SCOPE OF A SAFETY AUDIT The scope of a safety audit includes many factors. Some of these are: Verification of installation, as per statutory compliance with regard to local utility regulations; physical inspection to identify any electrical hazards (shock, fire, explosion, overloading); review of the earthing system (need, adequacy, installation and maintenance) and sample earth resistance tests. It also includes review of hazardous area classification and selection of flameproof electrical equipment in the facility, including maintenance aspects (if applicable); review of electrical preventive maintenance system records (including tests, documentation, history cards, work permits, interlocks and lockout tags); and review of electrical accidents and near misses in the facility to identify the root causes. Further, it includes review of the importance given to electrical safety in the facility safety policy, safety committee and continuous electrical risk identification; assessing the integrity of insulation of cables by carrying out IR tests on a sample basis and identifying areas of overloading by carrying out load-current measurements and comparing results against cable-current-carrying-capacity calculation.

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ERSPECTIVE

Electrical components of a District Cooling plant Â&#x2122; BZY^jb kdaiV\Z hl^iX]\ZVgh [dg [ZZY^c\ id chillers Â&#x2122; IgVch[dgbZgh gViZY &&`K$)&* Â&#x2122; Adl kdaiV\Z )&*K B97h id [ZZY Wj^aY^c\ services Â&#x2122; KVg^VWaZ ;gZfjZcXn 9g^kZh Â&#x2122; Eg^bVgn X]^aaZY"lViZg ejbe bdidgh Â&#x2122; HZXdcYVgn X]^aaZY"lViZg ejbe bdidgh Â&#x2122; 8dcYZchZg ejbe bdidgh Â&#x2122; BV`Zje lViZg"igVch[Zg ejbe bdidgh Â&#x2122; 8dda^c\ idlZgh [Vc bdidgh Â&#x2122; 7j^aY^c\ hZgk^XZh Â&#x2122; EdlZg WVX`je \ZcZgVidg [dg bV^ciV^c^c\ essential power in case of power failure Â&#x2122; 8dbbdc VgZV a^\]i XdcigdaaZY Wn a^\]i^c\ control system Â&#x2122; :m^i VcY ZbZg\ZcXn a^\]ih XdccZXiZY Wn central battery emergency system Â&#x2122; ;^gZ VaVgb hnhiZb Â&#x2122; Adl XjggZci hnhiZb Xdch^hih d[ 88IK VcY an access control system Â&#x2122; EgdXZhh Xdcigda gddb H8696 HnhiZb Â&#x2122; IZaZXdbbjc^XVi^dc HnhiZb Main KPIs of a District Cooling plant Â&#x2122; DkZgVaa 98 eaVci Z[[^X^ZcXn @L$IG Â&#x2122; LViZg Z[[^X^ZcXn <Vaadc$IG Â&#x2122; :fj^ebZci VkV^aVW^a^in [VXidg .% above) Â&#x2122; D B 8dhi$IG

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consumption is 79% of total energy consumption of DC plant

36

November 2018

damages, prior to actual tube failure. Analysis services for refrigerant and oil, is important to monitor the internal condition of the chiller motor and other components of the chiller compressor. Vibration analysis is an important preventive maintenance tool to check the machine operation and pre-judge any potential failure in the machine.

Thermographic analysis (infrared scanning) is a non-contact and noninvasive inspection method to detect abnormal temperatures, which are a sign of potential problems, and to prevent them before they occur. Power quality analysis studies the power quality parameters, such as harmonics, transients, sag/swell, in-rush currents and flickering.

METHODOLOGY FOR A SAFETY AUDIT

VALUE-ADDED SAFETY ASPECTS IN A DISTRICT COOLING PLANT The value-added safety aspects in a District Cooling Plant include eddy current testing, refrigerant and oil analysis, vibration analysis, thermographic analysis (infrared scanning) and power quality analysis. Eddy current testing allows inspection of chiller evaporator and condenser tubes to monitor the tube condition and detect any abnormalities, such as tube wear, pitting, corrosion and

The methodology for a safety audit includes a pre-audit questionnaire, site walk-through audit, physical inspection, corrective actions and tests, document review and discussion, management briefing and final report submission.

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

November 2018

37

FEATURE

DECIPHERING THE EVEREVOLVING PUMPS MARKET

the need for a ‘sustainable solution,’ as a recent trend, he says, “Often, energy demand is not a constant, and the consumption of energy is relative to the season and the usage profile of the pump.” Echoing Moro is Olarte, who says, “To be specific on the kind Pumps used in cooling towers play an important role in the overall of pumps clients are generally looking for; it is the pump with the IE3 motor, the latest in performance of a building’s cooling system. What are the key drivers energy efficiency.” Referring to the demand in this ever-evolving market, and what is its trajectory of growth? for an energy-efficient solution as just the tip of the iceberg, Monga stresses the need to look deeper. “In terms of new projects, the

By Ranjana Konatt challenge begins with the contractor, who tends to focus on minimising the initial cost,” he says. He highlights that contractors today have no reason to step he pumps sub-industry continues Echoing Olarte is Pietro up and opt for an energyto evolve, and whether it may Moro, Sales Director, efficient solution. To them, it’s be the recent push for energyBuilding Services and all about the budget and profit efficient solutions or the Industry, Xylem Pumps. He margins, Monga adds. Largeintegration and acceptance of believes that the industry scale developers, on the other IoT-powered controls, it’s time to ascertain continues to grow by 3-5% hand, he says, seem to be more what drives the pumps market. per year; however, he insists attuned to energy efficiency Hari Prasad Hari Prasad, Project Manager, KSB that there is a need to look and ensure that they get an Middle East, estimates the worth of the at pumps used in cooling energy-efficient solution, pump’s sub-industry in the MENA region towers from a systems irrespective of the cost. to be approximately USD 10 million. He perspective, rather than While highlighting another says, “Every year, there is a five per cent from a product perspective. trend, Monga pointed to the increase in the worth of the pumps subToday, there is a push for improvement in metallurgy industry.” Sharing a similar opinion is Ronak District Cooling, which is as an important development Monga, Business Development Manager, in itself a step towards the in the pumps and energyGrundfos Middle East, who asserts that the energy-efficiency goal, efficiency space. Today, development in infrastructure and rise in Prasad says. However, he stainless steel materials population have been major contributing adds that the performance are used in pumps. This is Ronak Monga factors to the growth of the sub-industry. of a pump depends on the a superior metal and works Ronnel Olarte, Senior Engineer, Business quality of maintenance and against corrosion, he says.

Development, Ebara Pumps Middle East, the kind of building to which it caters.

“Initially, impellers used in pumps were echoes Monga, and points to the willingness made of bronze, but today, manufacturers by the UAE government to continually invest AN EMERGING DEMAND use stainless steel, as this not only increases in infrastructure, as one of the key factors FOR ENERGY-EFFICIENT the lifespan of the product but also lowers contributing to the growth of the subSOLUTIONS maintenance cost. In addition to the industry. “The pumps manufacturing business Energy efficiency is always a point of development of metallurgy, Prasad points to is a challenging one, and manufacturers are discussion in the pumps industry, says a trend and says that clients are aware that under constant pressure to come up with a Moro and today, clients ask for pumps that low-quality equipment can lead to rusting, new and better product,” Olarte says. are energy efficient. However, pointing to and, hence, tend to ask for pumps with high-

T

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November 2018

quality castings. “Clients even consider using sea water or treated water for cooling in pumps and this requires good quality duplex or super duplex pumps,” Prasad says. However, Monga highlights that it is often difficult to analyse the amount of energy saved, just by the casting or coatings in pumps. He says: “One of the most common castings is made of sand, which mixes with the molten metal. The main parameters to keep in check here are the flow, head and the energy consumed by the pump; however, calculating energy efficiency in such a scenario can get complicated.”

“3D Inverse Design technology can be used to optimise the efficiency level of the pump.

The technology calculates the geometry of the hydraulics in a pump and designs it to operate as per requirement.”

DWhZgkZY \gdli] ^c ejbe sales over the last two years in the Middle East market: 5-7% CAGR (cumulative annual growth rate). :meZXiZY \gdli] ^c ejbe sales over the coming years in the Middle East market: 5-7% CAGR, based on the current pipeline of projects and other economic projects.

ACCEPTANCE OF IOTPOWERED SMART CONTROLS IN PUMPING SYSTEMS

“IoT is a word being used for the past four to (SOURCE: GRUNDFOS) five years and was implemented in the OTHER FACTORS pumping space 10 years INFLUENCING EFFICIENCY IN ago,” Sunkarineni says. Today, he PUMPS says, there are web-based monitoring ‘DESIGN In addition to the design systems, which connect the pump to the INFLUENCES aspect of pumping systems Internet, allowing the end-user to access EFFICIENCY’ used in cooling towers, Moro the account, while tracking energy-use Drawing parallels between points to the inaccurate from a standard web browser. “Today, faulty designs in the evaluation of pumps as an there are a number of algorithms that past, which has led to the everyday problem. He says, help in the predictive analysis and help increasing demand for “Safety factors are generally carry out predictive maintenance, while retrofit projects on pumps embedded in the pumps and cutting on the downtime of the pumping used in cooling towers, very often, the over-running system,” Sunkarineni says. However, he Pietro Moro Rajesh Kumar Sunkarineni, of the pump’s motor is a says that there are challenges. “Today, Product Manager, Controls common sight.” Making the the acceptance of IoT-driven controls is Monitoring, Grundfos call for education, he says that low and the market is just curious about Middle East, says, “During a customer must safeguard energy efficiency,” he says. He adds the years 2005-2010, the system and take the that the main stakeholder is the client, buildings sprouted from the necessary steps to be able who must understand the benefit smart ground and were completed to change loads at any point controls can bring to a pumping system. in a hurry under tight in time, during the day. He Highlighting a challenge with regard schedules.” It was here, he says, “There is a need for the to pumps and smart controls, Sunkarineni says, that pumps were not market to use controllers that says: “Unlike Europe and America, in the designed as per demand integrate with the Building Middle East, pumps and its control systems and, hence, even today, Management System (BMS).” are sourced separately from different Rajesh Kumar Sunkarineni In addition to the inaccurate operate in an inefficient manufacturers.” This, he says, poses a manner. Reiterating evaluation, Monga points to problem, when it comes to compatibility.

Sunkarineni and giving cavitation as something that “The problem is that the control is usually an example, Kevin Laidler, must be avoided in pumps sourced from a local panel builder, who Sales Director, Middle East and its application in cooling is not even trained on how pumps in and Africa, Armstrong Fluid towers. “Every pump needs cooling towers operate. How will he know Technology, points to an a certain pressure, and if the how to calibrate the pump to make it existing challenge and says: pressure is less than required, operate on the required load and on “Today, 50% of the time, there is a vacuum created, demand?” Sunkarineni asks. Each pump, pumps are either overcausing damage to the pump, he adds, has an operating characteristic designed or are a misfit for which then results in vibration.” and is tested at the factory. If the control the building requirement.”

Moro says, in such a scenario, system and the pump do not match and Kevin Laidler For instance, he adds, if a the first step is to propose the are not compatible, it leads to vibration building requires a 300right system size for the pump, and system surges. He adds that if an tonne cooling system, there is a 600-tonne which makes monitoring and the working of installation has not been done right, the pump installed. The consensus of energy the pump smooth. He says, “There is a need manufacturer must take the onus and the being cheap and its irresponsible usage, he to take strategic steps and look for more ultimate choice must be made by the endsays, is a matter that is not being given due efficient District Cooling solutions in order user. attention. “There has to be awareness and a to keep the focus on energy efficiency.” willingness to change. If the cost of energy With regard to standards for pumps, Prasad points to ISO 10816-7, the latest European goes up, then automatically people will HAVE YOUR SAY! standard, which he says, is applicable to retrofit for energy efficiency,” Laidler says.

We welcome your views on the article. centrifugal pumps and is a standard that Adding, Olarte points to how new pumps can Write to editor@cpi-industry.com must be adhered to. be designed to operate on demand. He says:

November 2018

39

Dubai International Food Safety Conference

MAKING THE LINKS Surendar Balakrishnan, Editor, Climate Control Middle East on October 31, chaired a session on cold chain during the 12th International Food Safety Conference held from October 29 to 31, in Dubai. Hannah Jo Uy covered the discussion, which revolved around transport refrigeration and cold storage facilities…

U

nderlining the vital role the cold chain plays in enhancing food safety, quality and security, Bobby Krishna T M, Senior Specialist, Food Permits and Applied Nutrition Section, Dubai Municipality, kicked off the breakout session on cold chain by providing an overview of the Food Watch Programme and the importance of incorporating data points related to transport refrigeration and cold storage. The aim of Food Watch, Krishna stressed, is to connect every possible element that can influence food safety into a digital platform, including the first registration of cold store warehouses and any equipment that goes into it.

If a warehouse is supplying food to a business, he said, the business can verify and report it, which is recorded and enters the Municipality’s database. This, Krishna said, allows the Municipality to monitor trends, identify potential problems related to a particular vehicle or build and manage possible food-related outbreaks.

That being said there are still gaps Krishna said that need to be filled. With this in mind, Krishna invited stakeholders to invest their time and provide recommendations to improve the current cold chain infrastructure. “The aim of the session,” he said, “is to take concrete messages, put them into legislation, look at what we can do on how to improve and bring that thinking into the Food Watch platform to make it more supportive. We look forward to see what we can do to make things better in Dubai.”

Taking a cue from Krishna's words, Dr Rafiq Alkhatib, Managing Director, RMK, spoke on existing infrastructure by emphasising that a vehicle for food

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November 2018

recovery, which, again, compromises the produce. Brian Suggitt, Managing Director, Systemair, and Chairman, Eurovent Middle East, shared a similar observation: “I watched one delivery truck, where the driver opens the back door, puts the strip curtain on top and leaves the door open for 20 minutes. That food is deteriorating in that period for time, when it’s 40 degrees C transport is, essentially, a portable cold store, outside.” designed with the specialised function of Fabian Bahlmann, General Manager, ensuring food safety and quality by securing Schmitz Cargobull Middle East, said he the climate. “When I say climate, I speak believes this is an issue of behaviour among about temperature, air circulation, humidity fleet operators, highlighting the value of and light,” he said. “If I keep a cooling unit conducting the necessary quality training. in front, and chilled air [is not reaching the “The equipment can be good,” he said, “but back] it is not a cold chain with the wrong practice unit. It is something blowing of people who load semicold air, and if you open trailers, everything can be the door, the hot air comes damaged.” again, and we are in a Dr Alkhatib also vicious cycle.” considered this a niggling Kiran Bidappa, problem. In chiller rooms, Commercial Manager he said, the door can be – Frigo, Gorica, echoed closed a particular way, the problem of air flow and the issue can be distribution in transport addressed by air curtains Bobby Krishna T M refrigeration, or lack preventing hot air from thereof, emphasising that getting in. If installed parameters for proper air in trucks, he said, an air distribution vary depending curtain would mean that on the type of load, how it a truck’s open door would is packed, and whether the not affect the temperature, products in the pallets are as it will prevent hot air frozen or chilled, among from entering. “Why don’t other considerations. we stop this?” Dr Alkhatib Unfortunately, Bidappa asked. “This plastic will not said, overloaded trucks do.”

Dr Rafiq Alkhatib with bad air flow design, Suggitt admitted that compromising the in cold stores, this air temperature and quality of migration can immediately the goods, are prevalent in lead to ice build-up, frost the industry today. and condensation, “which Another issue Bidappa not only damages the touched on is air migration, inside of the cold storage when doors of trucks are facility but damages the left open. A designated food, as well”. However, truck part of the cold chain Suggitt added that it distribution, he said, will is not as easy to install have plenty of starts and air curtains in transport Kiran Bidappa stops, with no temperature refrigeration vehicles. “There

STRONG is much more limitation on space, height is a problem, you have to give the correct air flow, work with minimal electrical supply and take into consideration internal temperatures,” he said. Emphasising that “the industry is crying out” for such a solution, Suggitt said that Frico, under Systemair, is well advanced into developing a prototype that it hopes to introduce to the market by early next year. “It is something that will make massive improvement,” he said, “as air curtains would take out the user; you don’t get the peaks and troughs with strip curtains, which are also unhygienic and stop visibility.”

Hygiene is another point that Bidappa touched on, stressing that the industry is not at the level it should be, when it comes to employing the stricter controls on hygiene levels of food transport refrigeration vehicles.

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Krishna added that a number of disruptive changes have emerged and that many companies have showcased remarkable progress, not only in the technology they offer but also in how data is being handled.

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Dubai International Food Safety Conference

▶ Surendar Balakrishnan facilitating an essential and comprehensive discussion on transport refrigeration and cold storage facilities with Dr Rafiq Alkhatib, Fabian Bahlmann, Kiran Bidappa, Amir Naqvi and Bjorn Ostbye

cold chain, Ostbye said that temperatureHighlighting IoT-based solutions for cold sensitive products, such as ice cream, are storages and supermarkets, Amir Naqvi, closely monitored through Wifi sensors that Regional Marketing Leader, Honeywell can be used for temperature reading to Fluorine Products, Middle East, Turkey and ensure quality from the moment it leaves Africa, said the company is leveraging its the factory, until a consumer entering the expertise on heat transfer to translate the hypermarket picks it up. large amounts of data into a simple analysis Weighing in on the importance data for operation managers to bring more value plays in creating greater to end users and bring more transparency, Bahlmann accountability to stakeholders pointed to how data from in the value chain. the axle, with the right telematics, can identify if CUSTOM-TAILORED goods have been loaded and REGULATION TO unloaded out of schedule ADDRESS THE GCC during transit, which can be REGION’S UNIQUE made visible to the driver, CONDITIONS fleet operator and end Regulation, Bahlmann Brian Suggitt user. The value, he said, is stressed, is the way forward the full integration of data in this regard, especially throughout the process, with the current situation which can be generated related to hygiene in in reports and could be trucks, which, he said, is linked to the Food Watch unacceptable. Bahlmann programme. Bidappa pointed to stipulations seconded this, adding that under the Agreement on the data recorders are the International Carriage of best option for monitoring Perishable Foodstuffs and on temperature from point the Special Equipment to be of delivery to distribution, used for such Carriage (ATP) Fabian Bahlmann to assess number of door as a starting point. In Europe, openings, how long cooling Bahlmann said, the trucks has been turned off and to record cooling. are certified for six years, as per regulations For Dr Alkhatib, it is imperative that taking into account different types of vehicles should contain sensors, via IoT or temperature levels under which different otherwise, to monitor proper air distribution, types of goods are to be transported. After and that even flow and temperature is this period, he explained, the trailer or truck maintained. “We need to have great effort body gets audited and, if approved, it can be to link this vehicle to the Food Watch, in my driven for 3-4 years more. If not, it cannot be opinion,” he said. used for food transportation. Age is not the

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only indication of quality, he said, as it is also dependent on how the assets are used and the manufacturing technology behind it. “Being an international manufacturer, we follow international guidelines with production technology, in line with HACCP,” he said. “This practice is discussed with fleet operators and food manufacturers to ensure processes and vehicle solutions are in place, in line with local and regional legislation.”

Bahlmann said that a lot of learnings can be gleaned from best practices implemented abroad, which can be adjusted to cope with regional conditions, following advisement of UAE specialists.

Bidappa said that he believes the UAE government should spearhead its own regulations, contact other governments and take suggestions from them. “I think it’s better and faster to adopt our own legislation here and bring our own programme to certify trailers and trucks,” he said.

Krishna said that there are many angles to consider on the development of regulations. Currently, he said, much of the work with data is done post-mortem, and there is need for more real time interaction.

Bahlmann added that as a manufacturer, Schmitz is happy to share insights on transport and food safety, load securing and environmental implications of transport refrigeration with bodies such as RTA that may be instrumental in developing such a framework.

Further elaborating on the need for collaboration, Suggitt, wearing the hat as Chairman, Eurovent Middle East, a non-profit industry body representing HVACR manufacturers, dialed in on the refrigeration aspect of the organisation’s mission. “In Europe, there is no legislation or standard for cold stores,” he said.

“There is an ISO standard for cold storage cabinets, but there is no legislation here.

If you want to do something, you have to do something yourself.” As such, Suggitt invited stakeholders to bring their concerns forward so the organistion can facilitate with relevant authorities, regulatory bodies and ministries and help move the dial in improving standards in the country, and the region. “Everyone talks about it, but no one is doing anything,” he stressed. “We, as Eurovent, are quite happy and willing to say, 'Talk to us, tell us what you want, tell us who we need to approach, and we will work on your behalf to do that.' This is an open invitation to talk to us, so we

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43

Dubai International Food Safety Conference

can help represent your go to digital verification. interests and do it from a Krishna added that they look non-commercial side.” at having better legislation While the need for for vehicles, which can regulation is clear, and only be done when data is the bodies that are willing condensed in a meaningful and able to participate format and interpreted in a in its development have meaningful way. been identified, an issue of Bahlmann echoed Amir Naqvi equally pressing concern is Bidappa’s call for spot the scope of the regulation checks, adding that it would and, most importantly, its help raise quality step by enforcement. step. Additionally, Bahlmann Bidappa said it is said he sees the industry in important to start with a role that that can change addressing hygiene levels the overall perspective of and contamination, adding transporting food by possibly that UAE regulation, applying HACCP procedures especially, should address into the cold chain. “If the the issue of old trailer international standard will trucks coming from other be written and applied, Bjorn Ostbye states. “This is number one and food transporter and priority,” he said “If you supermarket employees are see 90% of the food [in trained, I think it’s a great the UAE] is imported, and they’re all coming way to stand out,” he said. from other states in the GCC region or outside The need for a cohesive body of Middle East and delivered to supermarkets.” expertise is also something that Ostbye Bidappa stressed that there should be audits said he believes in. “We are not moving on the state of the trailers and trucks entering forward, we are going back in time”, he said, the country, with certification to transport food emphasising that this is owing to the lack of to ensure compliance. Bidappa recommended specialised expertise, as there is no supplier the development of a task force to check for who can provide comprehensive solutions the documentation or certification of the from production to installation. “There are bodies that can be audited every six months, too many people involved before and after,” similar to Europe and that there should be he said. “We have now in our company mechanisms to check road worthiness with 120 engineers to follow up and crosscheck. documents of individual trucks and trailers We have standards for installation of cold Krishna said that under Food Watch, Dubai rooms and for ventilation in the floor.”

Municipality is tracing every food vehicle, However, Ostbye said, other establishments which is getting a sticker after an annual are not aware of the value of implementing process of verification, which is now ready to such measures, recommending that

▶ Surendar Balakrishnan moderating a panel discussion on the scope of international legislation and enforcement mechanisms for transport refrigeration, featuring Fabian Bahlmann, Kiran Bidappa and Brian Suggitt

44

November 2018

a professional MEP or civil engineering body must be made responsible for proper installation.

For Ostbye, in Lulu, being a big organisation, there is no shortage in investment made towards technical operations, stressing that the problem often lies with smaller outlets that are either unwilling, or unable to invest in the same technologies and processes. As such, he said, these smaller chains must be targeted to ensure their compliance with relevant rules and regulations, and all levels within the industry must move away from “buying cheap”.

Bidappa also touched on the issue of a capex-driven market in view of cold chain trucks and trailers being rented out, adding that the food being transported in these trailers may be subject to temperature abuse, as the company leasing them may not be investing in proper quality controls.

“Everyone is competing for leasing,” he said, “which affects the quality of the transport equipment.”

Bahlmann added that the rental market has also emerged in other parts of the world, but that even so, there are large number of rental companies with transport standards actually considered to be among the highest, depending on the food manufacturers and fleet owners. Good standards, Bahlmann said, even in the rental market, can be implemented, if and when the correct regulations are in place.

Suggitt said that there should be longterm solutions in place as well, adding that one of the initiatives being taken by Eurovent Middle East is to engage with the Ministry of Education through vocational training. “It’s about looking further ahead to utilise an underutilised work force,” he said, sharing the body’s commitment to connect with young Emiratis coming through vocational training to arm them with the necessary knowledge and instill the value of using it to contribute to the country’s efforts to enhance food quality and safety.

Dr Alkhatib said there is a need for the industry to move beyond the minimum standards. “Regulation is where we start, but where we reach is left to your imagination and your vision,” he said. “After all, Dubai does not just believe in normal regulation, it believes in innovation.”

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

Write to editor@cpi-industry.com

November 2018

45

Giorgio Elia and Amr ElMasry, UTC

G N I T A G G I N I V G A N N A H T C N E A R TH E G I R F E E P R A C S D N A L io h Giorg it w t a h this c e igure in f , asry, th s s lM e E n d r e r m a prep and A Projects like IoTimited, ic , L g s t t e t s c a a e r t E p as ,&S iddle d other arrier M ommunications C , t That an n e e Presid eting, C Elia, Vic Director, Mark yâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s compan

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hat is the direction UTC Carrier is taking with regard to refrigerants?

Giorgio Elia: UTC 8a^bViZ! 8dcigdah HZXjg^in VcY ^ih brands support the transition to lowerGlobal Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants through a suite of innovative, environmentally responsible solutions. With a focus on technological availability, we are committed to delivering the right low-GWP refrigerant for each application. The right refrigerant will vary by geography, due to the different legislation in each region.

We led the industry in phasing out ozonedepleting refrigerants more than 20 years ago. We have the expertise to support our customers through the changing refrigerant landscape.

Amr ElMasry: The Carrier AquaEdge 19XR water-cooled centrifugal chillers, 23XR water-cooled screw chillers and AquaForce 30XV air-cooled screw chillers are now compatible with R-134a and the lower-GWP option, R-513A, allowing a retrofit of existing commercial products.

46

November 2018

The Carrier AquaForce Vision 30KAV, with Greenspeed intelligence, is a new range of variable-speed screw chillers. The range has been designed with the ability to upgrade to ultra-low GWP refrigerant R-1234ze while on-site, to minimise the initial customer investment and allow flexibility on refrigerant choice when HFCs are phased-out. R-1234ze is an HFO, which has a GWP of approximately 1, is non-toxic and falls under the A2L classification. The AquaForce Vision PUREtec 30KAV-ZE version, designed exclusively for R-1234ze, should be available soon.

A collaborative approach among architects, consultants, contractors and manufacturers is seen as ensuring optimal building performance. The expectation is that manufacturers be involved in installation supervision & guidance and in post-sales site visits. What is UTCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s view on this?

Giorgio: Carrier ensures that all key stakeholders, including architects, consultants and contractors, are engaged in the specifying and design process to ensure that buildings are efficient and optimised.

Amr: Carrier contributes to the design process by utilising heat load-sizing tools like our Hourly Analysis Program (HAP), offering energy-efficient equipment recommendations and ensuring that they are installed and maintained efficiently. HAPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 8,760-hour energy analysis capabilities are very useful for green building design. For instance, HAP energy analysis results are accepted by the US Green Building Council for its LEED rating system. Carrier experts regularly conduct trainings for consultants and key stakeholders on the latest Carrier equipment, and architects are supported by subject-matter experts for the optimal use of the plantroom layouts.

The support does not stop there. As part of the installation and commissioning phase, Carrier trains the operators to ensure that the contractors follow the recommended installation and operating guidelines. Carrier takes periodic feedback from the consultants and end users to ensure customer satisfaction and to improve processes.

In addition to these steps, Carrier invests in training programmes for its dealers and contractors on equipment installation, startup/commissioning and trouble shooting. The

programmes are held at periodic intervals for existing products and at every new product launch.

How are you aligning yourself with IoT and other tools to provide smart and adaptive cooling in buildings?

Amr: The Aquaforce 30KAV has the unique ability to display real-time energy efficiency measurement and cooling capacity. The Aquaforce 30XV air-cooled VSD chiller

offers adaptive controls to ensure energy efficiency during the life cycle of the product.

Additional features are user interface experience enhancements, processor speed upgrades, integrated ethernet support, email connectivity and on-device data trends.

These are factory-installed, with the goal being to minimise cost, leverage other UTC technologies, and allow real-time and longterm monitoring of chillers. These adaptive controls are so smart, they can download

future capabilities and diagnose and detect issues before down-time.

The 19DV features Carrier’s SmartView control panel, which allows intelligent control of all aspects of the cooling system. The touch-screen monitor can be mounted to any of the unit’s four corners. In addition, every 19DV comes equipped with Carrier SMART Service, an internet of things (IoT) cloudbased analytics platform, accessible via the web. SMART Service automatically

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47

Giorgio Elia and Amr ElMasry, UTC

trends, predicts and analyses performance, CORTIX platform combining artificial allowing for a strategic approach to intelligence and IoT connectivity with the preventive maintenance and knowledge of domain experts, providing an intuitive way itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all possible in all types to monitor plant energy of buildings, facilities consumption. and energy-consuming Carrierâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 39 HQM infrastructure. air-handling unit CORTIX is an offers integrated advanced artificial control panels as intelligence and an option, ensuring IoT platform used factory installation by skilled analysts under a controlled that focuses on environment strategies to reduce following the highest operational costs, Giorgio Elia safety standards improve occupant and eliminating field comfort and safety, and installation costs. inform smart equipment Carrier has launched a selections and upgrades. suite of digital solutions that improve Innovation is key, and we continue to on-demand customer engagement increase our engineering and development and remote management of expenditures. In 2017, we launched commercial HVAC systems. the Digital Accelerator, a USD Customers with the SMART 300 million investment in Service have visibility a state-of-the-art digital into their systemâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hub that will focus on performance and developing software energy usage solutions for UTCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s through a new product and service equipment portfolio. dashboard and Overall, the mobile application, digital headcount in as well as an online terms of engineering community portal resources has Amr ElMasry to help them manage increased 45% over a service and maintenance period of five years. An activity. important part of what we develop going forward will be Giorgio: EcoEnergy Insights, also a part digital. Today, approximately 10% of total d[ JI8 8a^bViZ! 8dcigdah HZXjg^in! ^h Vc revenue is derived from digital or softwareenergy management solutions company based businesses, and another 65% is that optimises customers' energy electro-mechanical systems with smart consumption by analysing insights gained controls embedded software. from their software-as-a-service platform, big data analytics and domain-centric people There is growing emphasis on and processes. With the EcoEnergy Insights addressing the urban heat island

effect and on tackling heat load from a broad perspective. What recent initiatives, if any, has Carrier taken, or intensified, to broaden the discussion on thermal comfort and energy efficiency from a city-wide perspective, as opposed to individual buildings?

Giorgio: At Carrier, we understand the urban heat island effect and the enormous amount of stress it puts on the utilities that have to handle the heat load.

Smart Carrier tools like HAP, which is very popular and is well adopted by the HVAC industry, can optimise the heat load calculations at the design stage itself. HAP recognises this effect by offering different options of reflectivity of various materials to the designer to select the right material at the design stage.

Amr: Additionally, Carrier is in a position to offer thermal energy storage systems along with the chillers and accessories to offer turnkey solutions to customers. This helps in load shaving and in utilising the latent heat to deliver cooling when peak load increases. Carrier addresses the issue of energy efficiency at the plantroom level by offering large centrifugal chillers like the Aquaforce 19XR with capacity up to 3,200 TR for large District Cooling plants.

The airside equipment, like air-handling units and fan-coil units, are equipped with VFD to provide cooling capacities with various cooling options; they are manufactured with lowest leakage rates to maintain the thermal comfort for the occupants.

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

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COUNTRY REPORT

Germany: Building performance

THE VIRTUE OF AMBITION While opinions regarding Germany’s ability to meet its ambitious environmental targets vary among stakeholders, these very targets have undoubtedly enhanced efforts to improve building performance. How are HVAC manufacturers navigating the regulations that have emerged as a result, while maintaining competitive advantage and keeping up with consumer demand? Hannah Jo Uy has the story…

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November 2018

“T

he most environmentally friendly and cheapest energy is that which is not consumed in the first place,” says Thomas Damm, Technical Manager, Sector Department, Air Conditioning and Ventilation Technology, VDMA. This, he says, is why energy efficiency is viewed as key to unlocking the country’s objectives, namely Climate Action Programme’s 2020 interim target of a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990 levels, as well as those under the German National Action Plan on Energy Efficiency (NAPE).

With the building sector accounting for 40% of final energy consumption in Germany, and around one-third of greenhouse gas emissions, Damm says, the sector plays a key role in the country’s comprehensive energy and climate policies. “To this end, the German government has set itself the ambitious goal of achieving an almost climate-neutral building stock by 2050,” he says. “This means that primary energy requirements will be reduced by 80%, compared with 2008.” To achieve this, Damm says, the energy requirement for heating and cooling, as well as for ventilation technology, must be significantly reduced through efficiency measures and the share of renewable energies, in meeting the remaining demand, significantly increased.

With European and national laws impacting air conditioning and ventilation technology, Damm says the challenge for politics and the industry is to decouple CO2 emissions from economic growth. “In Germany, in addition to the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), the German Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV) is primarily relevant,” he says. “The latter implements Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) nationally and defines energy requirements for buildings and the technical building systems and installations contained therein. In addition to air conditioning and ventilation technology, this includes heating technology.”

Citing the September 2018 prohibition of the marketing of high-voltage halogen lamps in the European Union (EU) as an example of the continuous impact political programmes have on technologies’ market viability, Damm highlights the political will in the EU to steer markets toward its environmental agenda. Jens Schuberth, Umweltbundesamt (UBA; The Germany Environment Agency), believes German HVAC manufacturers are on track when it comes to complying with regulations, due to the time afforded to them prior to the implementation, based on observing new product lines, with features reflecting the new requirements.

FORCES DRIVING MANUFACTURERS’ COMPLIANCE Thomas Damm

Jens Schuberth

While Schuberth says market compliance is also reflective of Germany’s recognition of EU directives as a member state, Damm adds that voluntary adoption can also be attributed to system operators’ move to cut operating costs. “The continuous increase in the number of central ventilation and air-conditioning units equipped with heatrecovery measures, shows that this can also be done without bans,” Damm says. “Numerous factors can be decisive here — rising energy costs, certification systems for buildings user requirements or financial support measures by the public sector and/or state financial institutions.”

Ultimately, Damm says, it is a mixture of instruments, constraints and incentives from stakeholders.

David Miller, Managing Director, Ziehl-Abegg Middle East, provides a manufacturer’s perspective, saying that while, admittedly, the move towards energy-efficient solutions is influenced by political pressure, many customers are also seeing the advantages of investing in such technologies with an eye towards operational savings. “When it comes to design, people are changing their ways,” he says, “which is positive in our point of view.”

Markus-Erich Strohmeier, Senior Executive Vice President, Siemens Building Technologies - Middle East, echoes the need to comply with customer requirements. “When considering cost, we believe it’s important to take into

account the lifecycle of the technology and the impact it will have on the efficiency, availability, reliability and operating costs of a customer’s infrastructure during that time,” he says. “Ultimately, we want to ensure that our customers have all the data they need to make an informed choice regarding a product or supplier.”

Bissan Abbas, Managing Director, Techem Energy Services Middle East FZCO, adds that the growing attractiveness of energy-efficient solutions over conventional systems is also driven by rising costs in bigger cities over the years and that compliance with regulations has encouraged stakeholders to thoroughly study ROI to reach a break-even point.

THE NEED FOR MORE STRINGENT MARKET SURVEILLANCE AND ENHANCED EFFORTS TOWARDS IAQ Overall, Damm says that manufacturers view regulations as positive tools for market transformation, towards more efficient

products and systems. “It has also been shown in the past that German companies, in particular, with their highly developed products, manufactured with very good quality, have a market advantage — albeit limited in time — over competitors from outside the EU.” This advantage, he stresses, would be even higher if the market surveillance stipulated by the European legislator and given to the EU member states for implementation is carried out. “However, the system is unfortunately weak and also makes market access possible for products that do not comply with EU law,” Damm says.

Schuberth echoes this, adding that despite energy efficiency inspections on air conditioners having been introduced in Germany as early as 2007, as part of the EU [Energy Performance of Buildings] Directive requirement, this has not been carried out to the extent necessary or expected. The inspections, Schuberth stresses, aimed to identify areas of improvement for building owners, in order to present them with the

most economically attractive solution. “Three years ago, Germany started to register all inspections,” he says. “Only one-tenth of the inspections that people expected were carried out. So, there is quite a lack of surveillance and this is a great potential to improve air conditioning and ventilation.”

Another potential area of improvement that Damm believes requires greater attention is IAQ, which, he says, merits the same enthusiasm afforded to energy efficiency. “It is well known and proven that good IAQ is profitable in many ways,” he says, pointing to the indoor comfort in offices, shopping centres and schools, “but currently there are no legal requirements yet related to IAQ in residential and non-residential sectors.

What is there are recommendations from the WHO and the Federal Environment Agency in Germany. However, these are merely recommendations, compliance with which is not mandatory.” Damm says that this is incomprehensible, given that people spend most of their time inside

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51

COUNTRY REPORT

Germany: Building performance

buildings, arguing that much Schuberth says, this would be has already been said about mainly applicable to new air the importance of energy conditioners. efficiency.

Damm stresses that it INDUSTRY 4.0: THE is important that IAQ and INEVITABILITY OF energy efficiency are not THE INTERNET OF considered separately or THINGS played off against each With this recommendation, other. “The filter industry Schuberth touches on another David Miller shows and proves it,” he observable trend in Germany: says. "High-quality air filters digitalisation. Citing “Industry enable a higher IAQ, with 4.0” as the buzzword for 2018 comparable or lower lifecycle in Germany and Europe, costs over the service life Damm says the advancing of the filters. And this also digitalisation in production applies to higher acquisition and enhanced communication costs compared to lowerof devices offers new quality air filters. Improving possibilities towards greater the efficiency of air filters efficiency. can help to ensure that IAQ Miller shares a similar Markus-Erich Strohmeier does not remain a stepchild.” observation, reporting that Germany is not sitting on customers are demanding its laurels, as new regulations more from their products. “The are underway that could buzz word is cyber-physical potentially address systems,” he says. “Everything these gaps. Damm says speaking to each other and manufacturers and users manufacturers offering a lot are eagerly awaiting the more feedback that we did in new revision and redesign the past.” Miller says this has of legislation for buildings prompted Ziehl-Abegg to work Bissan Abbas and technical installations, towards having the capability which has been announced to connect networks to by politicians for some time. physical devices, such as sensor “Specifically, the existing national legal fans, frequency inverters and motors, to monitor provisions of the Energy Saving Act (EnEG), health and efficiency. “This is an exciting the Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV) and the time for us in terms of innovation dictated by Renewable Energies Heat Act (EEWärmeG) our customers and this shift towards energy are to be combined into a new regulation,” savings,” he says. he says. “This awaited regulation is called the Strohmeier highlights how digitalisation German Energy Act for Buildings (GEG).” is changing “the way we plan, design, build Schuberth says the lack of market and operate infrastructure”. He says, “We see surveillance and inspections could be technologies, such as augmented reality and addressed by the new regulations, virtual reality increasing efficiency over the recommending more effective controls whole lifecycle of a building. Remote access, over the energy performance certificates maintenance and servicing is gaining increasing of the buildings. “There is the idea to have relevance, and indoor positioning technology information in the building certificate also has the potential to revolutionise the way of existing air conditioners that had to we manage our infrastructure.” Strohmeier be inspected,” he says. “If the energy stresses that Building Information Modeling performance certificate were to be (BIM) is a key topic that will have significant controlled, they could ask for inspection of air impact on the HVACR market. conditioners. It’s quite an indirect way that Damm describes BIM as a developing tool we hope could have some effect.” for the optimised execution of construction Schuberth says that, additionally, gaps projects. “BIM can and should consider all in market surveillance could be addressed phases,” he says, “In the best case, BIM by making air conditioners smarter, through accompanies a building or plant from the the integration of monitoring equipment first stroke of a pen to its demolition.” Damm that detect operational efficiency and stresses that through BIM, planning can be report to building owners in the event done in a cost-effective way to avoid typical there are deficiencies. While promising, building hazards and problems, such as, for

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November 2018

example collisions of ducts and tubes, which can be identified early on in the design phase, and addressed by developing and implementing the most suitable solution. He adds that BIM also helps data management to optimise operation and maintenance.

“Functioning BIM projects, which are kept up-to-date over the entire period of time, can prevent losses of important information, such as design calculations, design and construction plans or product documentation,” he says. “BIM is a growing system into which all participants must contribute. Anyone who deals with BIM and its possibilities will recognise the opportunities and risks.”

Rolf Werner, Director Application Engineering, Wieland, weighs in, saying that he believes that Germany is, in fact, lagging behind other countries in terms of automation, especially when it comes to BIM. However, Werner commends the platform’s ability to supply necessary data for an integrated process.

ENABLERS OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY While the country still has some way to go, Damm says German companies’ commitment to sustainability has helped paved the way for manufacturers to be technological leaders, globally.

“The applicable regulations and their enforcement in the market have a major influence on the use of sustainable technology outside the EU,” he says. “It is clear to see that numerous states in the Middle East are using ordinances and technical regulations as basis for buildings and technical building systems to become increasingly more efficient.”

To underscore his point, Damm says that in the first half of 2018, North Africa and the Middle East accounted for approximately three per cent of air-handling technologies’ total exports. Damm adds that sales of the German air conditioning, ventilation and refrigeration technology industry are expected to grow by a total of five per cent in 2018. Calling German manufacturers, “enablers” in the sector, Damm says, it is only a matter of time before the efficiency wave also reaches farther regions of the world.

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

Write to editor@cpi-industry.com

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COUNTRY REPORT

Germany: Refrigerants

AN INADEQUATE REACTION

Is lack of clarity a bottleneck in the German HVACR sector’s adoption of low-GWP refrigerants? Or is reluctance towards adopting natural alternatives, simply due to lack of training? Hannah Jo Uy investigates…

“I

t’s still mainly business de Graaf stresses, is the prohibition to the placing as usual,” says Daniel de on the market of stationary refrigeration plants Graaf, Scientific Assistant using refrigerants with a GWP of more than at the German Environment 2,500, such as R-404A, starting from 2020.

Agency, who believes that While the F-Gas Regulation provides a the air conditioning and refrigeration sector’s framework to restrict the amount of HFC, de adoption of low-GWP refrigerants in the country Graaf says it is up to the market to find the most remains inadequate. This, he says, is the case economical solution. “The problem is people despite stakeholders encountering problems do not want to adopt accordingly, because Daniel de Graaf with procuring refrigerants owing to the sometimes it just blows away their business European F-Gas Regulation (Regulation (EU) No case,” he says. “If you sell chillers with HFCs and 517/2014), citing recent reports of refrigerant made a lot of money and you are told you have theft to highlight the sense of desperation in the to use something else — propane or ammonia, market. “We had a wake-up call, last year, when for instance — that’s not what you had as a refrigerant prices went through the ceiling,” he business case. This is especially true if you don’t says. “In January 2017, in Germany, you paid only sell the chillers but also the HFC refrigerant EUR 100 for 12.6 kg cylinder of R 134a. Now for the chillers. Natural refrigerants are definitely it’s EUR 600 or even more.” Regarding R-404A, no business case for HFC or HFO manufacturers.” which is the standard refrigerant for commercial Rolf Werner, Director, Application Engineering, uses, such as supermarket refrigeration, de Graaf Wieland, adds that for manufacturers, there is says, the price hike was even more dramatic at a lack of clarity on the type of refrigerant that Rolf Werner approximately 1,000% in one year and a half. will take the lead in the market. “We can see De Graaf says that due to the CO2 equivalent CO2 applications on the rise for supermarkets based HFC phase down approach of the F-Gas Regulation, and buildings,” he says. “That’s clear, but for all of the other there is lack of clarity about the question, 'Which refrigerant is refrigerants, it’s quite unclear and uncertain.” Maciej Danielak, future-proof for the European market and which is not?' This Export Sales Director, Kampann, weighs in, saying that the becomes more obvious with prohibitions, which have been put increasing prices of refrigerant have paved the way for water-based down for some applications in Annex III of the F-gas Regulation, systems, which has seen an uptake, adding that the companies for example, for household or air conditioning appliances. “With dealing with refrigerants are looking to complement and expand portable air conditioners,” he explains, “you’re only allowed to their portfolio. sell appliances that use refrigerants with a GWP of 150 or less, Dr. Karin Jahn, Technical Manager, Sector department, from 2020 on. In this segment, you have a complete halt for Refrigeration and Heat Pump Technology, VDMA, believes that the HFCs, with prohibition of mini-splits containing refrigerants with current environmental policy framework in Germany is boosting the a GWP of more than 750 from 2025.” But even more important, demand for climate-friendly solutions in the refrigeration sector,

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November 2018

stressing that the European F-Gases Regulation and the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol have triggered a lively discussion in the market about the use of various refrigerants, with renewed interest in natural alternatives.

De Graaf stresses that that there is further scope for natural Dr Karin Jahn refrigerants to be used, saying that manufacturers and endusers are settling for interim solutions that are unable to cope with looming targets. “R-32 is becoming more and more prominent in the market, when it comes to room air conditioners,” he says, “but R-32 still has a high GWP of 675. We need to get down to an average GWP of Maciej Danielak roughly 400 by 2030 -- that’s still quite a gap to close. R-32 is not a final solution, but it’s what is marketed a lot right now in Germany and throughout Europe.”

Bottlenecks in the adoption of natural refrigerants, de Graaf says, can also be partially attributed to lack of training. Dr Jahn adds that many installers and workers are interested in converting existing refrigeration systems and ensuring the viability of future systems to be installed; however, the planning, installation and operation of systems with flammable refrigerants demands special legal expertise and safety-engineering know-how.

De Graaf believes craftsmen and technicians are the stakeholders that should be addressed, as they are the ones reluctant to move away from standard HVAC refrigerants and deal with flammable or toxic alternatives, with many apprehensive towards even R-32 appliances.

Dr Jahn remains optimistic, however, saying that the fundamentally high standard of training systems in Germany puts the industry in a very good position. “In principle, the training programmes in Germany are so broad that the graduates are familiar with all established refrigerant alternatives,” she says, “whether natural refrigerants, synthetic refrigerants or blends, and are able to pursue respective developments in refrigeration and air-conditioning companies.” Even so, Dr Jahn says that there remains a high demand for special seminars and courses to keep them up to date with the latest legislation and engineering developments. De Graaf believes craftsmen and technicians are the stakeholders that should be addressed, as they are the ones reluctant to move away from standard HVAC refrigerants and deal with flammable or toxic alternatives, with many apprehensive towards even R-32 appliances.

De Graaf adds that, of late, there are a number of incentives, namely support programmes where end users can get money from the German government when opting for equipment with natural refrigerants. He also believes that investment into the development of new solutions with natural refrigerants makes economic sense for manufacturers, since they are F-Gas Regulation-proof also in the long run and outperform HFC as well as HFO equipment energetically. The latter is also important for end users, who accept higher initial investment costs when, due

Currency conversions in the article are as per October 31, 2018. to lower energy costs, life cycle costs are equal or lower compared to HFC equipment.

Even with existing innovations, however, de Graaf expresses his concern at manufacturers’ reluctance towards introducing products to the market, citing instances wherein a manufacturer that received the German Blue Angel ecolabel certification for his product in March 2018, still refrained from introducing it to the market. “There are some other manufacturers, as well, for single split appliances with R-290 that still refrain from bringing them to the market because of the safety issue,” he says, “but they may be a little bit too cautious in this respect. In India, one such manufacturer sold 600,000 units, which are installed with no incident because technicians had proper training.” As such, de Graaf issues a plea to manufacturers that have solutions in their portfolio, “Please be a little braver in bringing your energy-efficient and climate- friendly solutions to the German and European market."

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

Write to editor@cpi-industry.com

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NEWS REGIONAL

UAE federal budget to boost real estate sector in the medium term, says JLL New policies are aimed at stimulating economic growth and investment in the non-oil-dependent sectors in 2019, report says

By CCME Content Team

he UAE cabinet the report said. announced a new One of the new policies federal budget of shaping the real estate sector AED 60.3 billion in is the relaxation of regulatory September, paving the way requirements relating to free for a significant increase zones and the establishment of in government spending more â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;dual licensedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; projects, Craig Plumb that will, in turn, benefit the where Free Zone and onshore Dubai real estate market, JLL licensed companies can co-exist, said in its Q3 report, the release of which the report said. This is partially a response to was announced via a Press communiquĂŠ. the growing demand for flexible office space The proposed budget provides (available on leases of less than one year), an funding for a series of new policies, emerging global trend that will disrupt the aimed at stimulating economic growth office market in the future, the report further and investment in the non-oil-dependent said. sectors in 2019, which will positively affect Craig Plumb, Head of Research, JLL, the real estate sector in the medium term, MENA, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The implementation of new

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policies and the relaxation of regulatory restrictions, in line with the Vision 2021 goal of further diversifying the Dubai economy, will provide a boost to the real estate market in 2019. Earlier this year, the UAE approved a new investment law that could allow 100% foreign ownership of companies in specific sectors of the economy to operate outside of free zones by the end of 2018. Once implemented, this law will boost Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and increase demand from overseas businesses, particularly for projects outside of the existing Free Zones.â&#x20AC;?

Hotel performance remains under pressure, as occupancy levels and room rates have softened further in Q3, the report said.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Investing in environmentally friendly solutions makes economic senseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; H.E. Ludovic Pouille, Ambassador of France to the UAE, on why investing in environmentally friendly solutions provides companies with a strong competitive advantage

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

ith France leading the talks on climate green city of the Middle East, and here, in Dubai, they have change at the heels of the second many projects to bring smart energy and clean energy to One Planet Summit, H.E. Ludovic the city. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m quite confident that all these, at the end, will Pouille, Ambassador of France to the bring economic benefit.â&#x20AC;?

UAE, emphasised that French companiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; growing Pouille also highlighted the importance of accountability presence in the Middle East is proof that investing on the issue of fossil fuels, stressing that the responsibility in bringing environmentally friendly solutions to the to secure the future lies on every individual. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have to market is not merely ethical, it also makes economic think about the end of fossil energy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; oil, coal and so on,â&#x20AC;?

H.E. Ludovic Pouille sense. â&#x20AC;&#x153;France is one of the rare countries in the he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What will the world be 50 years from now? We world to have understood that for many years now,â&#x20AC;? Pouille stressed. have to change our habits. All citizens â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not only the big companies â&#x20AC;&#x153;COP21 and the Treaty of Paris, we are the symbol of that. Because but everybody. When the companies bring solutions to the hand many companies were part of this march on climate change, they of the citizens, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s much easier for those companies to get the have understood that the innovations of today, and the price they benefits, because they have taken some advancements.â&#x20AC;? Pouille said eVn ^c G 9! l^aa Wg^c\ WZcZ[^ih idbdggdl#Âş that encouraging manufacturers to innovate and develop further French companiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; early adoption of the cause has helped them will pave the way for solutions to be cheaper, making it even more establish strong roots in the UAE, which has echoed similar interests, accessible. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You can see that solar energy is cheaper today than 10 years before, and it will go in the coming years in the same in view of the emiratesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; respective environmental initiatives. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m direction,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m confident that the economic calculation quite confident that even here in the UAE they have understood behind all those research on clean energy and renewable energy is that,â&#x20AC;? Pouille said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They have high ambitions on solar energy, wind really something profitable.â&#x20AC;? energy, on all kind of renewables. In Masdar, in Abu Dhabi, the only

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However, JLL’s Q3 report notes that Dubai welcomed 8.1 million visitors over the first eight months of the year, with major source markets including Western Europe (21%), the GCC (19%) and South Asia (18%). Despite the softening in performance, Dubai remains one of the strongest performing hotel markets, globally, ahead of other major global cities such as London, Tokyo and Sydney, the report added.

The report said the retail sector remains the most challenged sector of the Dubai market in the face of increased supply and the growth of online retailing. The report further said more malls are now offering leasing incentives and even ‘turnover only’ leases, to retain existing tenants and attract new ones. The report added that while the longer-term prospects for the retail sector remain positive, this sector is likely to decline further in the face of very high supply levels over the next two years.

‘Retrofit sector growing in the Middle East’ Measurement and verification is an essential service, especially when we speak of retrofit projects in existing buildings, says Sustainability Associate, KEO

Michael Aghabi

By Ranjana Konatt

etrofit projects are in their infancy; however, this is a sector that is certainly growing in the Middle East, said Michael Aghabi, Sustainability Associate, KEO International Consultants. Elaborating on the need for measurement and verification in retrofit projects, he said, “Measurement and verification is an essential service, especially when we speak of retrofit projects in existing buildings.”

Aghabi said there is a shortage of trained professionals who can carry out measurement and verification, the industry needs more. Elaborating, he said, “ESCOs today hire cheap talent,” which then leads to further problems. Measurement and verification is a job, which not only requires skill but also experience. He concluded, “The process of measurement and verification of retrofit projects involves statistics and an in-depth evaluation of how a building is performing, and for this to happen, there must be more professionals being trained and skilled for the job.”

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November 2018

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NEWS REGIONAL

Energy efficiency and IEQ: Is there a balance yet?

Stakeholders weigh in on the level of investment being placed on the two

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

here has been growing awareness of, and appreciation for, indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and its impact on the well-being and productivity of inhabitants of buildings. Has this awareness translated to tangible demands and requirements in new and existing buildings, though? Or, is energy efficiency still the main driving force for specifications and design parameters?

Adnan Sharafi, Executive Director, Gerab Energy Systems, stressed that energy efficiency and IEQ are linked, and that while there has been a move towards improving IEQ, there is a massive scope for improvement. “I think there are certain hygiene requirements you must have, and then there are all these optional elements that will increase productivity, but there is a cost, as well,” he said. “At the end of the day,

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comfort and bigger picture and productivity plan for the service go hand in life of the systems,” hand. There he said. “If you look is a tradeoff at Silicon Valley, you somewhere. It’s see companies that like Abraham have made significant Adnan Sharafi Maslow’s progress in terms of hierarchy of financials, stability and needs. There are intelligence. Here, the basic needs you mentality is different; have to have – you talk about security, food protecting employees and water. And and the environment, then, you go for because you know the higher-order the end result will be Saad Ali ones. You can’t productivity, but on go for the higherthe other side, in lessorder ones without the basics, affluent areas, it’s different and energy efficiency is one of – it's all about opex: How much the basic requirements.” is it going to cost now?” Ali said Saad Ali, General Manager that it comes down to education – Middle East and Africa, SPX and financial capability. “If a Cooling Technologies, said business is breaking even,” he that the level of investment said, “then meeting salaries ultimately depends on the may be the immediate priority, confidence and capability of and selecting the most energya particular company. “If the efficient and environmentally business is on a strong financial responsible cooling system footing, it can address the won’t be as important.”

The MEP industry needs a clear definition of energy efficiency and sustainability The contractor, consultant and client all have varying pictures of energy efficiency, says Sameer Daoud, CEO, MECIC

By Ranjana Konatt

part from competitive rising prices, lack of communication on a number of fronts is a concern, said Sameer Daoud, CEO, MECIC, while revealing the issues prevalent in the MEP contracting industry. Against the backdrop of the Fourth Annual Construction Summit, recently held in Dubai, he said, “When it comes to legal and commercial aspects, we deal with clear terms and conditions with transparency, because it’s the best way to avoid getting lawyers and arbitrators into the equation.” Especially since MEP contracting is an invisible entity, unlike a product which can be elaborated on, he added.

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Adding to this, Sharafi said that the way people use buildings is changing. “You have offices here, and they may be space-efficient, but it’s not really efficient in terms of productivity, it may not be a good set-up.” Providing other examples, he pointed to VOCs from paint, circulation of air, noise pollution and even lighting. Considering such aspects in designing, and redesigning a space, he said, is vital and can make a huge difference in productivity, especially in schools. Sharafi stressed that there are more than enough products in the market that could help in improving IEQ, without sacrificing energy efficiency, but what is missing is the adoption of these technologies. He advocated greater awareness, especially from those involved in retrofit projects, on available technologies, in order to maximise their benefit for a building and its inhabitants.

The biggest debate, however, Daoud said, is the understanding and perception of sustainability and energy efficiency with regard to Green Buildings. He asked: “What is the meaning of energy efficiency and sustainability in a Green Building? Do we have a clear Sameer Daoud definition?” He said that the lack of a clear definition leads to miscommunication, which is the root of the problem.

For instance, Daoud said, “The client asks for a design of a Green Building, but once the design is ready, the client says that it’s not what he had in mind.” This, Daoud said, brings about the major confusion between parties and leads to cost-constraints.

The understanding, he said, is that in the long-term, the cost is reduced, but the first thought is that it will cost more money.

“There is a lot of work to be done, and that is what the UAE government, developers and MEP contractors are pushing for.”

However, he said that there is a need for a clear definition and a unified approach to energy efficiency, rather than mere theory.

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follow the future November 2018

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Fike to offer training in explosion protection New office to offer solutions to local authorities and customers in the GCC region, says CEO

Hamon Cooling Towers Company outlines market trends in MENA region Company shares growing demand for energyefficiency upgrades

By Ranjana Konatt

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

Talal Damerchi

Noor Sankary

amon Cooling Tower Companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initial investment in the GCC region has paid dividends over the years, with the company securing notable projects across the Middle East, said Talal Damerchi, General Manager. As an example, he pointed to recent projects such as Dubai Airport, Jeddah Airport, Medinat Haj, KSU University, KAFD and Oman Air Base. Damerchi said this is owing to shorter lead times, with the plant in Saudi Arabia cutting out the four-week delivery cycle and experience in the region providing them with the knowledge to tweak solutions as per requirements and specifications of local markets.

Noor Sankary, Regional Sales Manager, Hamon Cooling Towers Company, said that while the Saudi Arabia subsidiary specialises ^c hZgk^X^c\ d^a \Vh hZXidgh ^c i]Z B:C6 gZ\^dc! i]Z 9jWV^ office is focusing on servicing utilities, District Cooling plants and industrial plants, in addition to developing the air quality system products for the UAE market.

Damerchi said that the uptake of projects in the United Arab Emirates can be observed in tandem with significant growth of District Cooling, owing to public sector support and the formation of companies such as Tabreed, Empower, Palm District Cooling and Nakheel, which made large District Cooling the preferred solution for most residential and commercial communities, institutional buildings and malls. Damerchi added that the market in Egypt is picking up, following many requests for discussions with partners, and that Africa continues to be viewed as one of the emerging markets, in addition to certain parts of Asia.

H â&#x2013;ś (L-R) Brad Batz and Ahmad Al Haddad during the inauguration of the new office

ikeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new office, in Dubai's Jafza, will put the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s investment in research and development to use, as it provides training and education on fire safety and explosion protection systems to local authorities and customers in the GCC region, said Brad Batz, President and CEO, Fike Corporation. He said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Today, there are quite a few upcoming projects in the MENA region, creating the need for fire safety and explosion protection solutions.â&#x20AC;? According to Fike, the UAEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fire safety systems and equipment market is predicted to grow by 10.1% CAGR between 2017 and 2023, with a total project value of USD 400 billion.

Pointing to servicing and maintenance as crucial to fire protection, Batz said that the new office will cut down on the response time for addressing customer problems. He added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a demand for training of fire safety systems all over the region and end-users and channel partners can come and get trained on how to install, service and maintain explosion protection systems.â&#x20AC;?

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MEP consultants find ways to deliver sophisticated designs at a low price point; however, the designs are not always sustainable, says KEO

By Ranjana Konatt

ne big change in the MEP industry today is the reliance on Building Information Modelling (BIM), said Darrel Strobel, Managing Director MEP Engineering, KEO International Consultants. He said, “BIM Darrel Strobel provides contractors with free and integrated 3D models of buildings, which helps them in construction.” At bid stage, Strobel said, most Requests for Proposals (RFPs) require consultants to state their charges according to the environmental targets outlined for the specific project. However, highlighting a trend today, he said that MEP consultants are finding ways to deliver sophisticated designs at a low price point, which is a rising concern as some of the designs prepared are not sustainable.

“It is important for MEP consultants to understand the changes and advancements that emerge in the field before championing any new developments to clients as they are easily convinced to implement them in new projects,” Strobel said. When the concept of Green Buildings came into the market, he said, there were not many projects with designs that supported low energy consumption. Elaborating, Strobel said, “As government regulations were introduced, slowly, yet steadily, new projects began to follow designs that were energy efficient.”

Pointing to another emerging challenge, Strobel said: “In most developing countries, the building stock in a city is replaced at around one per cent per year. In the Middle East, the percentage might be higher.” The real challenge today, he said, was for the government and building owners, who are left with building stock designs, which used energyconsuming systems. He said: “These designs have little consideration for efficiency and sustainable design strategies.

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November 2018

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Emirati young achiever uses Instagram to attract talent to the HVAC industry â&#x20AC;&#x153;The next generation of Emiratis should consider a profession in this industry,â&#x20AC;? says Roudha Bin Bahr

By Ranjana Konatt

specially in the United Arab Emirates, there is a lack of women working in the HVAC industry,â&#x20AC;? said Emirati young achiever, Roudha Bin Bahr.

Bin Bahr was recently awarded the first honorary membership at Eurovent Middle Eastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inauguration ceremony, celebrating its licence as a non-profit organisation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As UAE nationals, we are highly dependent on air conditioning, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a must that we contribute to the development and growth of the sector,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;HVAC is a large industry and is very crucial to our survival. The next generation of Emiratis should consider the profession.â&#x20AC;? HVAC, Bin Bahr said, is a field closer to mechanical engineering, and if the subject is introduced to students at university level, it will definitely help them make a better-informed decision. She said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;You can only choose something when you

â&#x20AC;&#x153;E

know what it means. I am a chemical engineer, but HVAC tends to fall under mechanical engineering.â&#x20AC;? Pointing to the use of technology to attract talent to the HVAC industry, she said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Today, technology plays a major role in our lives, and if a student was told about the difference in engineering streams, he/she will probably Roudha Bin Bahr choose mechanical engineering directly.â&#x20AC;?

Elaborating on how she uses technology to address Millennials, she said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Instagram is a huge crowd-puller, and Emiratis, in particular, love the social media platform.â&#x20AC;? She added that she has followers from different age groups; however, most of them are university and high school students. Highlighting her efforts towards attracting young talent to the HVAC industry, she said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Posts that I put up address HVACrelated issues. For instance, I ask questions on troubleshooting HVAC equipment or why a particular piece of equipment might not be cooling.â&#x20AC;? She said that these posts draw quite a bit of interaction, as she provides the answers on the next day. Bahr added that HVAC, as a subject, can be simplified and made appealing to the younger generation, as they, then, will be able to make better decisions and achieve their goals.

Bahrain discusses regulatory mechanism to encourage uptake of District Cooling Island nation keen on greater penetration of District Cooling to increase efficiency and reduce emissions, says government representative

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

ahrain has expressed a commitment to increase the penetration of District Cooling, in a move to increase efficiency and lessen environmental impact. Dominic McPolin, Chief, Central Planning Office, Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs Dominic McPolin JgWVc EaVcc^c\! 7V]gV^c! YZhXg^WZY District Cooling as â&#x20AC;&#x153;potentially the biggest step and fastest delivery [mechanism] to reduce carbon footprint in the regionâ&#x20AC;?. In discussing bottlenecks with regard to District Cooling, primarily owing to the fact that it is run by private enterprises, McPolin said that part of the difficulty is making private sector businesses recognise that they have a public obligation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The only time that will be recognised is through a regulatory framework,â&#x20AC;? he added.

The first principle of the regulatory framework, McPolin stressed, is transparency. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If you have transparency through regulations,â&#x20AC;? he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;such questions and issues disappear.â&#x20AC;? This, he said, is fundamental in any movement and change relating to prices and levies. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a two-way adjustment,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If a company wants to

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increase its cost, it must justify these increases, propose increases through a regulator, who will look at constituent parts of the cost and judge whether there is a justifiable argument based on clear validated constituents to that total cost.â&#x20AC;?

Secondly, McPolin said, as District Cooling attracts more customers and gets support from the government, the increase in business must be reflected. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As you get more connections, wider networks and a more secure customer base, there should be some formula to pass on savings to consumers,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We need to find a way of getting any savings shared with the consumers, so that District Cooling, over time, becomes more attractive.â&#x20AC;?

McPolin said that one of the objectives under the National Energy Efficiency Plan, endorsed by the Cabinet of Bahrain, is to look at barriers for greater use of District Cooling and overcoming them by introducing a regulatory framework. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The industry is probably the most important infrastructure in the region in terms of providing a big win for carbon footprint and sustainability,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All of this cannot happen without balanced regulation for the benefit of the business and the benefit of consumer.â&#x20AC;? A comprehensive vision, he said, is key, adding that the future of the industry depends on clear regulations for consumer protection as well as secure operations.

lthough UL’s Global Security and Brand Protection UL’s brand-protection programme is still developing in the Middle East, Hamid A Syed, Vice President and General Manager, UL Middle East, programme growing said that working with local law enforcement and partners across the region has helped the programme evolve further, of late. in the Middle East Syed said that the organisation works to build strong and effective

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Progress owing to collaboration with local law enforcement, says a company representative

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

public- and private-sector partnerships through UL brand-protection Hamid A Syed conferences, workshops and initiatives. “Our team collaborates with law enforcement in markets around the globe to remove products bearing counterfeit UL marks from the marketplace and identify those responsible for their manufacture and distribution,” he said. “Creating safer environments for people around the world is at the core of what we do.” Syed said UL continues to develop educational resources and materials to bring awareness of the prevalence of, and the dangers inherent in, counterfeit products to organisations and consumers, worldwide.

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November 2018

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Need to scale up policy and action on sustainability, says Danfoss Time to move forward, in terms of a global agreement and adopting the right technology, which is both energy-efficient and sustainable, says company’s representative

By Ranjana Konatt

s 2019 is fast approaching, Danfoss strongly believes that it is now time to move forward, in terms of a global agreement and adopting the right technology, which is both energy-efficient and sustainable,” said Ziad Al Bawaliz, President, Danfoss Middle East, Turkey and Africa.

Elaborating on the company’s contribution to energy Ziad Al Bawaliz efficiency, Al Bawaliz said: “Our compressors work with a low Global Warming Potential (GWP) and are compatible with new eco-friendly refrigerants.” He added that the company’s scroll and centrifugal compressors are specifically designed with enhanced speed variations, which set the speed as per the cooling load or demand, and this reduces the amount of energy consumed.

Commenting on another initiative to promote energy-efficiency, Al Bawaliz said, “The Engineering Tomorrow Talks, or commonly called #ETtalksfeatures, are a series of events aimed at providing insight into the latest trends in climate and energy-friendly technologies.”

He said that Danfoss is keen to highlight developers, architects, construction engineers and urban city planners who contribute to the cause of sustainability, together with prominent partners and visionaries from around the world, such as Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL).

Danfoss and its latest involvement with SEforALL, he added, showcases its interest in raising awareness about the need to scale up policies and action in order to promote sustainability.

“A

‘UAE’s private sector a major driver of growth and investment in healthcare’ Regulation in healthcare must act as a framework and not as the end-solution, says MD, Dubai Advention

By Ranjana Konatt

he private sector is the major driver of growth in investment in the healthcare sector in the Middle East, said Arnaud Bauer, Managing Director, Dubai Advention, speaking at the Building Healthcare Conference. However, he said, the

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situation has given rise to other issues, such as an overcapacity in positions.

“Today, the United Arab Emirates has a higher number of pediatricians and has a low number of cardiologists,” he said.

Elaborating, he said the imbalance and the lack of facilities in the United Arab Emirates have resulted in patients going abroad in search of treatment.

“Approximately AED 600 million has been spent on treating patients abroad and the healthcare sector can avoid such a situation if there is proper regulation,” said Bauer.

Elaborating on the role of regulatory authorities, Bauer said, “Regulation acts as a framework to work with and will not be the end-solution to all our problems.” Making a call for alignment in the healthcare sector in the United Arab Emirates, he said, “Stakeholders must be on the same page and regulatory bodies must direct investments to where there is a demand.”

‘The definition of healthcare will see a shift’ Stakeholders involved in healthcare projects need to be prepared on the design front, says Director of Research, HKS

By Ranjana Konatt

rowth in investment provides investors, designers and the construction industry with the opportunity to transform and impact the healthcare sector,” said Ben Gonzalez, Vice President and Director, HKS Health, MENA Dubai, in his opening remarks at the Building Healthcare Innovation and Design Show, in Dubai.

He welcomed Upali Nanda, Associate Principal and Director of Research, HKS, to speak on ‘Linking designs to outcomes and how health facilities can become health facilitators’.

“G

Upali Nanda

Nanda spoke about a research study of how an audience positions itself in a room, while referring to design as art, which must go beyond just a good-looking interior. She said, “The spaces we design, are for the theatre of everyday life.” Project profit, she said, is directly linked to success metrics, and today, designers, contractors and even building operators need to come up with smart solutions, while looking at a project from a holistic perspective.

Nanda said new facilities must reduce the dependence on drugs, which brings a new perspective to the way we view health.

“There will be a shift in the healthcare sector, where care will be provided at home, and hospitals will be a place to heal,” Nanda said. And when this happens, she added, the way a facility is designed will play a crucial role in patient recovery.

November 2018

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3e Apps discusses MyGreenRank’s impact on monitoring consumption CEO outlines features of flagship app

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

yGreenRank, the flagship app of Energy and change. We want the end-users Environmental Efficiency Apps (3e Apps), was to decide how to keep driving developed to monitor the consumption of facilities utility reductions, whether through and provide greater transparency to users who wish technological upgrades, or simple to optimise operations. Sougata Nandi, Founder behavioural changes or a and Chief Executive Officer, elaborated on the combination of both." benefits of MyGreenRank and the ethos behind its On a smaller scale, design.

Nandi said, it can help “MyGreenRank (MGR) aims to bridge the gap people gain a deeper between energy efficiency through technology understanding on the and energy efficiency through social involvement," impact an individual’s he said. "The app makes everything visible for behavioural pattern has the user or the building occupant. If I’m living on the environment and, Sougata Nandi in a villa, I have no idea how much is my utility in the event that they consumption and at what time. Smart meters take action, what sort collect data on energy, water and chilled water (and other of impact they are having. “If I change my light bulbs to something more utilities as applicable) consumption, on an hourly basis and energy efficient, or switch off my AC, I do not know what my impact is. this goes to an app. With the help of the app, I can figure out I cannot measure it, I just assume that the consumption and footprint what time of the day my consumption is high, or even zero, is going down. Psychologically, it is normal that once a user upgrades to and it gives me visibility behaviour.” The app, he said, is vital for efficient devices, the tendency would be to keep operating these devices, anyone looking to optimise consumption and it helps people even when not needed.” make informed decisions, in addition to helping project and Currently, the app has been commercially deployed, though it is not predict consumption, based on historical archived data. “MGR downloadable from the Google Play Store, as it has to be integrated with also enables users to compare the utility consumption of their the smart meters. Nandi said that MyGreenRank continues to evolve, facilities, with other facilities of similar nature, using homogenous as 3e Apps adds features that make it more robust, user-friendly and KPIs like kWh/sq.m. This visibility and comparability drives greater adaptable to the market.

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‘Relax, the building is sprinkler-protected’ This mindset, says civil defence representative, is the bane of efforts aimed at fire and life safety; the burden of blame, he adds, is on lesssafety-minded developers and contractors

By Ranjana Konatt

Terry Johnson

hether signing off a newly constructed building or retrofitting an old one, fire safety is always a concern for developers and contractors, said Terry Johnson, Senior Fire Services Advisor, Dubai Civil Defence. He added that retrofitting old buildings is a challenge and must be carried out carefully. Johnson explained: “Often, there are additional factors prescribed to enhance the first reaction to fire safety; however, they must not compromise on integrity. In such cases, the project must be handled and carried out by experienced

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fire safety professionals, who work with wellengineered solutions.”

Pointing out another area of concern with regard to a building’s resilience to fire, Johnson said, “The big debate we have with some of the ‘less-safety-minded’ developers and contractors today is the belief that if the building is sprinkler-protected, other requirements for fire and life safety can be relaxed.” When in fact, he said, the case is often the opposite. Very often, he added, it is the other factors that determine what is necessary for building resilience in fire and life safety. However, Johnson said that the

primary cause for such a misconception is lack of awareness of fire safety. He added, “Regulation does go a long way in solving such issues, as do penalties, which are used internationally.” However, he said, “we must consider the environment and think of the demographic of citizens, often with little or no fire-safety education".

The solution, he said, is a substantial firesafety-awareness campaign, which shows not only the losses but also the successes and physical benefits of buildings that are adequately equipped for fire and life safety.

MEFMA renews call to implement technology-driven FM services Technology integration leads to 20-25% savings on building operating costs and 25-30% decrease in energy cost, says association’s representative

By CCME Content Team

he Middle East Facility Management Association (MEFMA), a non-profit body that provides a dedicated platform for FM professionals, emphasised the need for the regional FM industry to adopt next-generation technologies, to achieve savings on building operating costs and provide a better customer experience, the association said in a Press communiqué.

The association made this statement following its recently concluded forum, ‘Future Technology in the Facilities Management Industry’, which was held at the Marina Hotel, in Kuwait.

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According to MEFMA, its study revealed that applying cutting-edge technologies results in 20-25% savings on building operating costs, as well as leads to 25-30% reduction in energy cost. The association noted that computer-aided facility management (CAFM), building management systems, mobile solutions, sensors, cloud computing and remote-control systems, among others, provide the greatest potential for development and have the biggest impact on service delivery, the communiqué said.

Speaking on the occasion, Ahmad Al Kandari, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, UFM, MEFMA board member, commented: “Complex and intelligent structures require technology-driven, integrated FM services to ensure optimum use of facilities, smooth and efficient operations, and substantial savings at all levels. The future FM sector in the Middle East will be determined by its capability to adopt technologies and will be measured by the efficiency of its delivery of services. To remain highly competitive in the modern world, we should incorporate smart tools into traditional services to make them more efficient, achieve higher savings, properly maintain the facilities and expand margins for utility management companies and customers alike. The possibilities are endless, and the FM community should keep up with these dramatic changes, brought on by ongoing technological innovations.”

Solar solutions to enhance building performance Dubai Solar Show exhibitors showcase solar-powered HVACR solutions stress importance of training to optimise products

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

xhibitors at the Dubai Solar Show, part of WETEX, which ran from October 23 to 25, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, highlighted the implications that new solar solutions will have on building performance, water treatment and cold chain, with a number of participating companies highlighting solar-powered HVACR solutions.

Praveen Kumar, Director, Sales and Marketing, Heating and Cooling, Value Addition, a Sharjah-based company representing manufacturers from Europe and Asia, highlighted the company's portfolio of solar solutions related to HVAC, which he stressed is the core of any building project. Speaking on the company’s participation in the event, Kumar said the Dubai Solar Show is an important platform for it to showcase its range of products, as it also allows the company to view the latest technology from other parts of the world. “We also speak with people to see how we can work together to provide turnkey solutions for whatever energy requirements they have,” he added. Kumar said there is a layer of engineering knowledge required to integrate solar power and solutions in projects, given the heavy burden HVAC systems place on a building’s energy consumption. “We cannot get the full energy from solar,” Kumar said. “We use the solar as a primary source, and backup source would be LPG, diesel or electricity-driven energy systems.” Kumar said with increasing green initiatives, companies have the responsibility to educate clients on sustainable solutions to highlight their advantages and disadvantages and how to optimise building operations.

Zohra Tabit, Project Manager, Iffen, highlighted the company’s solar air conditioning and solar-powered cold rooms, and expressed interest in looking for local partners and distributors to support the

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French manufacturer’s commitment to expand activities in the Middle East. Currently, Tabit said, solar-powered cold rooms and air conditioning have seen a lot of interest in Africa and South America; however, there is a lot more room for growth in the GCC region, which holds great market potential for solar-powered products, owing to its ambient conditions. This is especially true in the United Arab Emirates, Tabit said, as the solar cold rooms, in being able to accommodate medicines and vaccines, as well as food, will be useful in view of the growing demand for medical and food-related facilities, due to the upcoming Expo 2020.

Acknowledging the need for specialised training that accompanies such products, Tabit said the main innovation they are showcasing in this year’s participation is the Virtual Reality feature of the training academy. Virtual Reality, she explained, is being integrated in Iffen’s training mechanism to help employees with the installation, maintenance and troubleshooting of all the necessary elements in their equipment.

Fady Juez, Managing Director, Metito, said the company’s participation is in recognition of the potential solar power holds in supporting sustainable solutions in water supply and treatment.

“The water-power nexus for us is extremely important,” Juez said, “and we have been looking at it for years. This is a prime driver for us being here. We are a water company but in the solar side of WETEX, because that’s what we believe in.” Juez said the company is thrilled to see District Cooling providers using treated sewage effluent as make-up water for cooling towers, adding that the company has seen growth in the market in the UAE and in the Middle East.

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VR to give a push to integrated project delivery VR technology will help MEP contractors and consultants to address issues quickly, says VP, Leo A Daly

By Ranjana Konatt

irtual Reality (VR) will soon be a common ‘thing’ in the contracting and MEP space, said Joshua A Theodore, Vice President, Global Health Practice Lead, Leo A Daly, on the sidelines of the Building in Healthcare Conference held from October 2 to 4, in Dubai. Forecasting the future applications of the technology, Theodore emphasised the role the technology will play in the initial stages of a construction project. He said, “The construction industry is coming to a point, where a designer won’t even have to fly in to inspect a project at its initial stage. He could just do a walk-through the site in a virtual way.” Elaborating, he insisted that VR gives a push to integrated project delivery, where an entire team, the contractor, building owner, engineer, architect and designer — can come

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together and discuss issues, while being virtually on the field.

Referring to VR as an extension of BIM, Theodore said that just as BIM simplifies the understanding of space and MEP aspects to a project, VR will enable MEP contractors and consultants to address issues quickly. “Clash detection is an important component of BIM, which fully models HVAC and MEP systems in a building," he said. "Using this, a contractor and consultant will be able to identify where to place the Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system."

Elaborating on the adoption of the technology, Theodore added that the more immersed the industry gets, the sooner it will be able to benefit from VR, in BIM. “All you have to do is take a couple of extra steps," he said. "Take BIM, export it into a modelling

programme, the user can make it photorealistic for a more accurate understanding of the project or he can choose to use it in white and white." However, he added that VR is more likely to benefit the end-user, as it gives the client a chance to visualise what they want, while being able to accurately communicate their preferences.

He said that this, in a way, is a ‘win-win’ situation for both the client and the people working on a project. The only challenge, he said, is dealing with the stigma of trying something new. Theodore said: “In any industry, there is always that initial discomfort to trying something new. In this scenario, it is of wearing a VR headset and roaming around. However, this is just a small hurdle to achieving something bigger.”

IOT-enabled 75F Smart Node a quick-install retrofit The controller is designed for dynamic buildings and helps deliver on energy-efficiency, says Vice President, 75F

By Ranjana Konatt

he 75F Smart Node is an equipment controller that puts the ‘thing’, in the Internet of Things (IOT),” said Gaurav Burman, Vice President, 75F India. “The Smart Node is a combination of an OLED display, 11 I/O interface ports, wirelessGaurav Burman mesh networking and software-defined hardware capabilities. It controls singlestage equipment, which works with existing HVAC equipment and system profiles, as a quick-install retrofit.” He added that the controller can be used to monitor and control terminal equipment, including air-handling units, damper actuators, Variable Air Volume (VAV) with reheat systems, smart dampers, heat pumps, hot water mixing valves and energy meters. The Node, he added, is flexible in accommodating different kinds of equipment, without the need for a specific controller model/SKU for each application.

Burman said, “The product will change the way we see building automation with regard to HVAC systems and will also improve IAQ.” Elaborating on the design, he said that the Smart Node has an OLED display, which provides real-time status feedback for

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quick installation and consistent troubleshooting. “The display elements change contextually, based on the equipment and the application process. For instance, when controlling an airflow damper, the room and airflow temperature will be displayed in a normal operation,” Burman said. Elaborating on the workings of the controller, he said that the technician operating it will be able to see live performance data, such as zone pairing, while setting up initial configurations and can override controls to diagnose equipment problems.

Speaking about upgrades to the product, Burman said, “We at 75F are committed to continuous improvement and thanks to Smart Node’s software-defined hardware concept, all improvements and software updates can be delivered remotely to all our customers, without the need for any manual intervention.”

7th Annual EmiratesGBC Congress sets focus on Net Zero Energy Buildings The UAE is one of the first regions to embrace sustainable design in Green Building implementation, says Chairperson, EmiratesGBC

By Ranjana Konatt

aeed Al Abbar, Chairperson, EmiratesGBC, said that the United Arab Emirates will reduce energy consumption significantly by 2030. He was speaking at the 7th Annual Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) Congress, held on October 9 in Dubai. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The coming 12 years are critical to reducing energy consumption,â&#x20AC;? Al Abbar said.

The United Arab Emirates, he said, is one of the first regions to embrace sustainable design in Green Buildings and this, he said, was the result of the governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strong resolve to take up the enormous challenge of working towards energy efficiency. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is a pressing need to work towards sustainability while omitting carbon emissions by the year 2030,â&#x20AC;? he added.

Terri Wills, CEO, World Green Building Council, gave a video address, in which she stressed the need to advance towards Net

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Saeed Al Abbar

Zero Energy Buildings. She said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our buildings require a complete overhaul, and this calls for a radical transformation on how we build, operate and transform our projects to be energy efficient.â&#x20AC;? Making the call for companies to be open to new solutions and to make a commitment to net zero energy, she said that, as of today, there are 38 signatories of the World Green Building Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Net Zero Carbon Buildings Commitment. She added that the idea is for companies to work with their local GBC towards de-carbonisation of existing buildings and new projects.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Investment in Saudi Arabiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s healthcare sector to grow in the next one yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; GCC region to see growth of 12.3%, says Vice Chairman, Middle East Health Care Company

By Ranjana Konatt

eZV`^c\ Vi i]Z 7j^aY^c\ =ZVai]XVgZ >ccdkVi^dc 9Zh^\c Show Conference, Makarem Batterjee, Vice Chairman, Middle East Healthcare Company, highlighted the role of private equity in the GCC regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s healthcare sector. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the next one year, investments in Saudi Arabiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s healthcare sector are likely to see a growth of 12.3%,â&#x20AC;? he said, attributing the anticipated growth to the rise in the population of Saudi Arabia.

Pointing to a major difference in the way healthcare sectors work in the Middle East, as compared to other countries, he said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unlike other nations, like America, here, we not only design our buildings but also construct and, even, operate them.â&#x20AC;? Saudi Arabia, he said, has reserved a budget of SAR 23 billion for expenditure towards the growth of the healthcare sector.

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‘Innovation is key to achieving energy efficiency’ In the United Arab Emirates, 44% of projects will use renewable energy by 2050, Saudi Arabia is aiming for 10% by 2023 and Kuwait for 15% by 2030, says President, Ted Jacob Engineering Group

By Ranjana Konatt Ahmad Bin Shafar and Rob Thornton

Net Zero Energy Building produces as much energy as it consumes over the course of the year,” said Ted Jacob, President, Ted Jacob Engineering Group, during his presentation at the recent Building Healthcare Innovation and Design conference, in Dubai. He began his talk by pointing to the renewable energy strategies put forward by various governments. Mentioning a few targets, he said that in the United Arab Emirates, 44% of projects will use renewable energy by 2050, Saudi Arabia is aiming for 10% by 2023 and Kuwait for 15% by 2030. In terms of fossil fuel reserves, he said, globally we have 55 years of fossil fuel, and in the Middle East there are 40 years of fossil fuel reserves available.

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Ted Jacob

Mentioning some of the company’s completed projects, Jacob said: “What we did at Cleveland Clinic was very impressive. The top floor was a patient floor and instead of dumping the exhaust air outside, we dumped it between the glass curtain walls.” This, Jacob said, created a thermal effect inside the room, while also conserving energy. He highlighted that 15-20% of energy can be saved by using displacement air ventilation.

Jacob concluded, “Innovation is key to achieving energy efficiency and, if taken step by step, beginning with low-voltage systems, in medical, lighting and air-handling units, then we can hope to achieve the Net Zero goal in the next 10-20 years.”

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Empower, IDEA meet senior officals in GCC region Meetings to discuss the 8th IDEA District Cooling Conference, to be held in Dubai, Empower CEO, Ahmad Bin Shafar says

By CCME Content Team

hmad Bin Shafar, CEO, Empower, welcomed Rob Thornton, President and CEO, International District Energy Association (IDEA), at Empower’s head office, the company said in a Press communiqué.

The visit, which was part of a tour to senior officials, by Ahmad Bin Shafar and Rob Thornton in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, aimed to highlight the role of the IDEA International District Cooling Conference and Tradeshow in raising awareness of the importance of District Cooling systems, the communiqué said. Empower has won the opportunity to host the 8th IDEA Conference and Tradeshow 2018, which will be held from December 9 to 11, at Atlantis The Palm, Dubai, under the slogan ‘Effective Energy for Smarter Cities’, the communiqué further said.

The tour included visits to Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), where they were welcomed by H.E. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, DEWA; the Supreme Council of Energy, where they were welcomed by H.E. Ahmed Buti Al Muhairbi, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Energy; and Dubai Municipality, where they met H.E. Dawood Al Hajiri, Director General, Dubai Municipality, the communiqué said.

Welcoming Thornton, Bin Shafar said: “IDEA pays special attention to our organisation for contributing to the success of the IDEA Conference and Tradeshow in Dubai, and for organising the Conference for three times in Dubai. This reflects our ability to organise and ensure the success of international events on District Cooling, especially as Dubai is an incubator for major international events in various fields, including energy and environmental protection.”

Thornton said: “I would like to thank Empower for its unlimited support to IDEA, especially for hosting the global conference twice in Dubai, and hosting it again this year. This conference will be an important platform for senior officials and decision-makers from public and private sectors, as well as experts working in the energy sector to discuss the latest developments and offer solutions and innovative technologies in the District Cooling industry.”

The communiqué said Bin Shafar and Thornton also travelled to Saudi Arabia, where they held meetings with senior officials from the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology. The communiqué further said the visit also included a meeting with senior officials of Johnson Controls and a reception for industry representatives.

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Empower reveals world’s first unmanned plant that uses AI District Cooling plant was announced in the presence of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, at WETEX 2018

By CCME Content Team

▶ Ahmad Bin Shafar explains the model of the plant to H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum

mirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), the District Cooling services provider, introduced the world’s first unmanned District Cooling plant that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI), in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and President of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), at the 20th Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (WETEX) 2018, which took place from October 23 to 25, in Dubai, the company announced in a Press communiqué. The cooling plant is set to be completed in Jumeirah Village Area, the communiqué said.

Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO, Empower, briefed Sheikh Hamdan on the model of a plant of 50,000 tonnes of refrigeration (TR) capacity and earmarked for the Jumeirah Village Area, the communiqué said. The plant uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to monitor and automatically adjust inflow and outflow of the chilled water, with 0.89 kW/tonne-hour operational efficiency, using six water coolers (11KV) to monitor and adjust the flow of water to and from the cooling station, as well as an Advanced SCADA system with the capacity to read two million data related to cooling towers, chillers, transformers and water supply, the communiqué further said. It also uses TSE and thermal energy storage (TES) technologies to serve chilled water to 90 buildings, through ETS Rooms located in each building, the communiqué added.

According to Empower, the plant is set to be completed by Q4 of 2019. His Highness was also introduced to innovative technologies and solutions in the environmentally friendly District Cooling industry, which Empower has developed to meet the growing demand for efficient and energy-saving cooling solutions, the communiqué said.

Commenting on the new project, Bin Shafar said: “Our participation at, and sponsorship of, WETEX confirms our pioneering role in supporting national efforts to raise global awareness on the importance of achieving sustainable development goals, and strengthening the United Arab Emirates’s position as a global hub for clean energy and a model for sustainability, through increasing the contribution of public and private sectors to the implementation of related strategies. We support the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al

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Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, which aims to reduce energy and water consumption by 30% by 2030, to make Dubai the city with the lowest carbon footprint in the world by 2050.”

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RSS outlines trends in GCC regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s temporary cooling market MD sees strong demand for comfort cooling in construction, oil & gas and increased requirement among food production manufacturers

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

here has been strong demand for comfort cooling for employees ^c i]Z XdchigjXi^dc VcY d^a \Vh sectors, said Stewart Murray, BVcV\^c\ 9^gZXidg! GZciVa Hdaji^dch Services (RSS), adding that there was significant uptake for the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Wild Air applications this year, owing to the Stewart Murray high-ambient conditions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Secondly, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve experienced an increase in manufacturers requiring increased cooling capacity, especially when it comes to food production,â&#x20AC;? Murray added, as he outlined emerging trends in the market. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Emergency cooling has also seen an increase in activity, where fixed infrastructure has reached an age where the increase in ambient conditions has led to a demand for cooling to be increased.â&#x20AC;?

Murray said that the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s focus on the events market has seen a substantial growth this year, which is projected to continue with the events season looming.

Murray said that though customer needs continue to evolve, the demand for service, capability, flexibility and fast response times remains at the forefront of customer requirements. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There is always a downward pressure on cost, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just the nature of the market,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up to us at RSS to be able to demonstrate not just cost efficiency in the service we provide, but also to continue demonstrating value for money in everything we do for our customers.â&#x20AC;? RSS, he said, aims to address client needs by providing bespoke solutions, which range from rental and integrated engineered solutions for specific projects. In view of its recent strategic alliance with Red Sea International (RSI), Murray said both companies aim to provide comprehensive solutions for any remote or temporary â&#x20AC;&#x153;off the gridâ&#x20AC;? requirements. He added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We look forward to leveraging our capabilities to provide clients throughout the GCC region with unparalleled services and products in the modular buildings, power and cooling segments of the rentals market.â&#x20AC;?

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Blockchain to benefit MEP, food safety sectors Blockchain will ensure that quality of work and output are not compromised, says Co-founder, Dubai Blockchain Center

By Ranjana Konatt

he MEP industry is plagued with the breach of contracts, where there is a need for arbitration; it is here that blockchain will be most useful, said Tarek Mohammed, Tarek Mohammed Co-founder, Dubai Blockchain Center, while elaborating on the real-time use of blockchain in the HVAC sector.

For instance, he said, if the technology is applied to the MEP sector, it will automatically penalise any delay in payments, where additional measures, such as fines, can be deducted directly from the defaulterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bank account. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In addition to keeping a check on the system as a whole, the application will ensure that the quality of work and output is not compromised upon,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Providing another example of the use of blockchain, Mohammed said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The United Arab Emirates is one of the biggest countries in terms of food wastage, and a big percentage comes from expired food products, which amounts to millions of dollars.â&#x20AC;? Elaborating, he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;If I am able to monitor and guarantee the quality and freshness of food before it expires, then I am indirectly enhancing both the profitability and increasing control in my business.â&#x20AC;? For instance, with the help of product tags, a consignment can be tracked right from packaging to transport, until it reaches the supermarket. He said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;This warranties the quality of food and, eventually, benefits the end-user.â&#x20AC;?

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Al Sheraa to be the first government nZEB building In addition to being energy efficient, Al Sheraa to use applications for smooth functioning, DEWA official says

By Ranjana Konatt

he Seventh Annual EmiratesGBC Congress witnessed several discussions on meeting the net-zero emission goal in the United Arab Emirates. The Congress, which took place on October 9, in Dubai,also paved the way for innovative ideas, while showcasing new projects in the region.

Highlighting one such project was Mohammed Saeed Al Shamsi, Vice President, Civil Projects Engineering and Water Maintenance, DEWA. While describing the Al Sheraa Building, which is to be the DEWA headquarters and the first UAE government Net Zero Energy Building, he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The building will be the tallest, largest and smartest nZEB building in the region.â&#x20AC;? The building, he added, will have a footprint of 200,000 square feet and will be a unique project. Elaborating on the targets to achieving the goal, he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our aim is to reduce up to 40% energy consumption, while cutting 30% on maintenance cost and increasing employee productivity by 65%.â&#x20AC;? Al Shamsi said, 65% of the intended

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occupants have already agreed on making their workplace eco-friendly.

The concern today is how we can best optimise energy, Al Shamsi said, while explaining the strategy to achieving the net-zero-energy goal. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Basement parking will be brought above the ground to save Mohammed Saeed Al energy and increase the amount of daylight Shamsi entering the building. This in addition to a metro link, which will encourage the use of public transport, while reducing carbon emissions,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Elaborating on the HVAC aspect, he added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We will use magnetic chillers and evaporation cooling towers, in addition to innovative fresh air handling units.â&#x20AC;? Pointing to technology as the crux of energy optimisation, he said the aim is to minimise plug loads, use a waterbased cooling distribution system and an on-demand control filtration system. The building will also have a PV roof with solar modules and hybrid solar collectors for hot water, he said.

In addition, Al Sheraa will use technology such as Augmented Reality and IoT to carry out a predictive and prescriptive analysis of the various systems in the building, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are currently working with IBM to develop an application, which forecasts machine learning, facility and space management in building systems, in addition to an app for parking space management,â&#x20AC;? he said. People inside the building, he added, will be able to use the application not only to order their food but also to check in and check out and rate their experience.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;VR in BIM most likely to benefit the end-userâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

AECOM to develop app to aid FM industry

Virtual reality can be used as an extension of BIM in construction, says industry representative

Application will help trace the location and find the root cause of trouble in a system, says company's representative

By Ranjana Konatt

By Ranjana Konatt

magine a day when we have all the data to choose how we want our building facilities to be. Not only data but also the technology to imagine what it would look like in realtime,â&#x20AC;? said Joshua A Theodore, Vice President, Global Health Practice, Leo A Daly, during the Building Healthcare Innovation and Design Show, from October 2 to 4, in Dubai.

Quoting Mark Zuckerberg, he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;The next big platform will be virtual reality (VR), which will not only understand the design aspects of a project but will also be empathetic towards people.â&#x20AC;?

Elaborating, Theodore said if VR is used during the preconstruction phase, it will help give the end-user a clear picture of what the building will look like. He said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;From understanding spaces in a building, to being able to conduct walkthroughs, VR can be used as an extension of BIM in MEP construction projects.â&#x20AC;? Its application, Theodore said, will revolutionise the way MEP contractors, consultants, engineers, architects and even clients approach a project.

echnology has always played a pivotal role in the HVAC and Facilities Management industry and, if done right, it can be an asset to building operators for the next 20 years.

This was the perspective shared by Harold Dickenson Jr, BVcV\Zg! K^hjVa^hVi^dc >bbZgh^kZ IZX]cdad\n <gdje! 6:8DB! against the backdrop of the 4th Annual Construction Summit, on September 18, in Dubai. Often, he said, the cost of running a facility outweighs the capital cost for construction, and technology has the ability to help with cost-cutting.

Highlighting some of the work by AECOM in the field of technology, Dickenson Jr said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;AECOM is in the process of developing multiple applications, where Building Information Modelling (BIM) data will be re-purposed for facility management.â&#x20AC;?

Elaborating on one of the applications, he said that the application will make operations more intuitive, so a facility manager wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to open up a ceiling to know if a pipe runs overhead. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The application will not only tell you the location of each HVAC equipment or MEP component but will also help you to trace the problem down to its root cause.â&#x20AC;?

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WETEX 2018 showcases cutting-edge technologies Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition is an ideal platform for the public and private sectors to see the latest technological developments, says CEO, DEWA

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

haring highlights of the 20th Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (WETEX), held from October 23 to 25, at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, H.E. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director, CEO, Dubai Electricity and H.E. Saeed Mohammed Water Authority (DEWA) and Founder, Al Tayer Chairman, WETEX, spoke on how the event is an ideal platform for the public and private sectors to see the latest iZX]cdad\^XVa YZkZadebZcih ^c lViZg! Zck^gdcbZci! d^a \Vh! VcY traditional and renewable energy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[The event] also provides a unique opportunity for investors to establish trade relations and enhance their businesses, by meeting representatives of major international companies under one roof,â&#x20AC;? he added.

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Al Tayer stressed that the event allows companies, manufacturers, suppliers, distributors and specialists in solar system installation and storage; developers of solar energy projects, according to the independent power producer model; research and development institutions and engineering companies and consultants to view cutting-edge technologies and trends in the sector.

Al Tayer also provided an update on Dubai Green Fundâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role in the UAEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sustainability agenda. The fund, he said, continues to help accelerate green projects in the emirate and supports all efforts towards more sustainable power consumption. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Renewable energy is just one source,â&#x20AC;? Al Tayer said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;there are also retrofits [initiatives] and [other ways to] look at energy waste. Anything to do with converting conventional type to clean energy or improving the efficiency of old houses, by reducing [energy] waste from 20% to, for example, 5% â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and this usually has something to do with the air conditioning, double glazing and insulation. Any project that will help accelerate these efforts, the Green Fund will support it.â&#x20AC;? Al Tayer said special emphasis is placed to expedite investment on transforming houses from conventional power sources to renewable power sources.

Organised under the theme â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;At the forefront of sustainabilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, Al Tayer said, WETEX 2018 covers an area of 78,413 square metres with the participation of more than 2,100 exhibitors from 53 countries and held in conjunction with the third Dubai Solar Show, which covers an area of 14,000 square metres. The exhibition, Al Tayer said, coincided with the fifth World Green Economy Summit (WGES) 2018, which brings together international experts and professionals in green economy, smart cities, innovation, and sustainable development.

Al Tayer added that DEWA shared global benchmarking results over the past year and promising projects in energy diversification, notably the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, in its pavilion at Zabeel Hall. Al Tayer said DEWA also highlighted its smart initiatives, including Shams Dubai, to connect solar panels in homes and buildings to DEWAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grid, in addition to a wide range of smart services.

Al Tayer said WETEX 2018's specialised Innovation Hall hosted more than 17 local and international universities and featured 17 country pavilions, with China being the largest.

‘Explosion protection a key aspect of fire safety’ There is a high level of attentiveness to fire-safety measures in the MENA region, says President and CEO, Fike Corporation

By Ranjana Konatt

he number of threats leading to a fire and the solutions available to prevent it are numerous, said Brad Batz, President and CEO, Fike Corporation, while highlighting the company’s contribution to fire safety. “There is a high level of attentiveness to fire-safety measures in the MENA region,” he said. However, there is a constant need for manufacturing companies to be attuned Brad Batz to fire-safety regulations, he added.

Pointing out an important aspect to fire-protection, he said that explosion protection is a concern for process industries. “Explosion protection is a fire-safety solution used primarily in process industries, which involves the conveyance or movement of materials. During processing, there’s a high chance of dust being suspended in the air, which can cause an explosion,” he said. Explosionprotection systems, he added, help mitigate the risk, before the dust reaches the walls of the dust collector.

Elaborating, he pointed to the positioning of the system and correct installation as crucial factors for the way these systems respond and perform. He said: “The installation requires skilled technicians and requires the process to be shut down during installation. This means there’s tremendous project deadline pressure on the technician installing the equipment.”

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Jensen Hughes opens office in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia The company has supported many public and private-sector organisations, for more than 30 years, in Saudi Arabia, official says

By CCME Content Team

ensen Hughes, a provider of safety and security solutions, has opened an office in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, the company said in a Press communiqué. Jensen Hughes has supported many public and private-sector organisations, for more than 30 years, in Saudi Arabia, the communiqué said.

“We are excited to now have a physical presence in Saudi Arabia, through our office in Al Khobar, and look forward to working closely with Saudi organisations and authorities having jurisdiction to help support the country’s Vision 2030. Our office opening couldn’t come at a better time for us to help meet our clients’ safety and security needs,” said Raj Arora, President, Strategy and Business Development, Jensen Hughes.

Adam Olomon, Manager-Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, Jensen Hughes, said: “The GCC region has been adopting National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) codes and standards to minimise the effects of fire and other risks.

Jensen Hughes leads and participates on many of the technical committees that develop these NFPA consensus codes, which, combined with our many years of GCC experience, makes our team uniquely qualified to ensure the proper application of these codes and standards.”

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Farnek achieves international FM quality standard UAE-based facility management firm is the first in the Middle East to successfully complete the ISO 41001 certification for FM systems, company’s representative says

By CCME Content Team

nited Arab Emirates-based facilities management (FM) company Farnek, has successfully completed the certification assessment for its FM process system and now complies with the world’s first standard dedicated to FM systems, ISO 41001:2018, according to Farnek’s auditor - international certification body, SGS Gulf, the company announced in a Press communiqué.

Commenting on the award, Markus Oberlin, CEO, Farnek said: “We have been working meticulously over the past four months to employ the exacting standards required to comply with ISO 41001. It is very gratifying to know that we are the first company in the Middle East to be operating to the highest possible international FM standards.”

The objective of the standard is to establish the basic requirements an FM system must meet, to Markus Oberlin demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of FM and its contribution towards the objectives of a business, encompassing four key elements – health and safety, environment and sustainability, compliance and consistency, as well as effectiveness and cost-efficiency, the communiqué said.

Commenting on the possible benefits of achieving this benchmark, Oberlin said: “If ISO 41001 is specified or adopted by building owners, as a minimum requirement to tender for certain FM contracts, a quality benchmark will have been set — only FM service providers that can demonstrate compliance will be allowed to bid, paving the way for a more mature, qualityand value-based tender, benefiting all stakeholders including the end-user.”

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UAEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s HVACR market to reach USD 1.45 billion by 2019 dmg events says HVAC R Expo established in response to growing demand for a dedicated event as part of The Big 5; outlines growth drivers and upcoming seminar topics

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

he UAE HVACR industry is growing steadily and its outlook for the upcoming years remains positive, said Josine Heijmans, Portfolio Director for The Big 5, HVAC R :med! i]Z JgWVc 9Zh^\c AVcYhXVe^c\ Expo, dmg events, who added that the HVACR market is expected to increase by 10% by 2019, reaching a value of USD 1.45 billion. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Favourable market drivers are boosting this growth,â&#x20AC;? she said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;notably supported by Dubaiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s urban construction activities, which make up approximately 81% of all development projects in the city.â&#x20AC;?

Heijmans added that the development of new infrastructure in the education, in the commercial and healthcare sectors, in particular, which require specific HVAC systems, are also pushing up the demand for energy-efficient and high-quality products and solutions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The retrofitting of existing buildings is also contributing to the sectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growth,â&#x20AC;? she said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;with energy-saving solutions that meet the new sustainability standards and regulations being increasingly required.â&#x20AC;?

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Josine Heijmans

Owing to these positive forecasts and market drivers, Heijmans said the company saw a gap for an HVACR-dedicated event, as

part of The Big 5, where manufacturers could meet with consultants and specifiers. HVACR has always been a prominent sector within MEP at The Big 5, she said, adding that the Expo â&#x20AC;&#x153;effectively combines the benefits of a niche event with the large regional and international audience the Middle Eastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest construction show attracts every yearâ&#x20AC;?.

Providing an overview of what visitors can expect from the event, Heijmans said that the Expo will gather key stakeholders, including governmental authorities, manufacturers, distributors, specifiers, buyers and industry experts, under one roof. The Expo, she said, will provide participants with a chance to network, address industry challenges and learn about the latest HVACR innovative solutions.

Heijmans said that with sustainable development at the core of the UAE Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission, there is a clear call to reduce the environmental footprint, while promoting economic and social development, and with HVACR accounting for approximately 70% of energy usage in buildings, Heijmans stressed how energy-efficient HVACR products and solutions, therefore, play a crucial role in achieving the UAE Vision. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For this reason, at HVAC R Expo the education agenda will heavily focus on viable solutions to improve energy efficiency, air quality and well-being of residents, while

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The lack of awareness is a major roadblock to the adoption of blockchainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Its application will most likely be welcomed with criticism, says Brian De Francesca, CEO, Ver2

By Ranjana Konatt

lockchain is a game-changer,â&#x20AC;? said Brian De Francesca, CEO, Ver2, during a conversation at the recent Building in Healthcare Conference.

Blockchain is an open source system and might also lead to interoperability,â&#x20AC;? he said. However, the adoption of the technology will most likely be received with criticism, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Even though blockchain gives us the reason to trust whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on the internet, there are those who have vested interests and benefit from a lopsided system. They will rebel against the adoption of blockchain."

However, De Francesca said, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just a matter of time before

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blockchain is adopted across sectors, but whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s necessary to speed up the process is awareness. The lack of awareness, he said, is the major roadblock to blockchain and its adoption. Making a call for action, he said that today we need implementation, more than just theories and strategies, and Dubai has been pretty persistent in creating that awareness. He added, â&#x20AC;&#x153;All we need to do is take that step and apply it to our businesses and industries.â&#x20AC;?

reducing the buildings’ environmental footprint,” she said.

Heijmans said that the upcoming HVAC R Talks will touch on regulations, initiatives and emerging trends in the industry, with the aim of developing solutions for compelling issues. “Industry experts will present the latest findings and share best practices on a wide range of topics, from innovative technologies to air quality and wellbeing in the indoor environment, from Big Data and IoT to District Cooling and integrated building energy solutions,” she said. “The workshops will also show attendees how to reduce pollutants and conserve energy, while exploring the new regulations driving the HVAC industry forward.”

More than helping the industry “go green”, Heijmans said, the HVAC R Talks will also shed light on the growing importance of human wellbeing, “as we see a shift from LEED to WELL Building Standards that take into consideration the building’s impact on human health and wellbeing, too”.

Heijmans said that visitors attending the HVAC R Talks will receive CPD (Continuing Professional Development) points. “A Certificate of Attendance from ASHRAE will also be provided on selected workshops,” she said, “which may be applied towards the maintenance of LEED professional credentials, as well.”

‘Data mining will drive the future of architecture in the healthcare industry’ How VR is used in the preliminary stage of a project, will determine its outcome, says VP, Leo A Daly

By Ranjana Konatt

‘No city in the world can achieve carbon neutrality without cutting on emissions’ Self-financing is crucial to carrying out any changes to energy efficiency, says CEO, DC PRO Engineering

By Ranjana Konatt added.

Pointing to the present as a stage of t took me three years to author transition, Berbari said, “We need to plan the book The Energy Budget and how to capture hydrogen in electric batteries during the time I saw myself as for future use and invest in transportation, a student,” roads and buses, only if it said George Berbari, CEO, is going to be relevant in DC PRO Engineering, the future.” Technology is while speaking at evolving and, who knows, the Seventh Annual he said, we might have air EmiratesGBC Congress. travel as our primary mode of The importance of taking transport. Here, Berbari added, an energy budgeting understanding transition approach to achieve phases and what they mean net-zero cities and is crucial for cities to reach the smart buildings was one net-zero-energy goal. Giving among the many topics an example of Copenhagen, covered at the Congress, he said, “Copenhagen, a city where Berbari insisted which has a population of that no city in the world 583,000 residents, with 6,800 George Berbari can achieve carbon people per square kilometre, neutrality without cutting implemented carbon neutrality on emissions. Elaborating on the need to in 2017 and will be carbon neutral by 2025.” take action, he highlighted that HVAC and Elaborating, he said that 60% of energy cooling aspects of a building contribute neutrality was achieved by using biomass, to 10% of total energy consumption, and chiller cooling from sea water, along with when retrofitted, it is important to selfother measures taken to reduce energy finance. “Self-financing is crucial to carrying consumption. Berbari added, “This is not all; out any changes to energy efficiency,” said cities in Massachusetts are also doing this, Berbari. In addition to this, he said that it retrofitting is gaining momentum, and this is is necessary to pay for utilities. “Paying for a result not of wishful thinking but of action.” what is used creates a sense of awareness and responsibility towards energy,” Berbari

“I

magine a day when we all have the data we need, to be able to choose how we want our building facilities to work,” said Joshua A Theodore, Vice President, Global Health Practice, Leo A Daly, at the Building in Healthcare Conference, held from October 2 to 4, in Dubai. During his talk on VR and AI and how empathy and analytics impact healthcare design solutions, he said that data mining will drive the future of architecture in the healthcare industry.

Elaborating, Theodore said that today there is a detachment between the client and the designer and this has the potential to interfere with how a building turns out. Speaking of empathy in design, he mentioned research carried out by a VR company and said that it showed how VR can drive behaviour change. “It’s all about how VR is used, which will determine the productivity of a project,” he said, adding that how VR is used in the initial phases of a project, to impact the design solution, matters significantly. Theodore said: “If we take information from the human side of things and spend time understanding what they really want in their system, it eases the process.

Once we know what drives them, it just makes project delivery easy and we can map out the project plan with the client, while conducting walkthroughs. Using VR just simplifies and eases the whole process of how we approach a project. It also saves on cost by eliminating the use of mock-ups.”

“I

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Empower to build new District Cooling Plant in Dubailand Residential Complex New plant to have a capacity of 40,000 tonnes of refrigeration, CEO says

By CCME Content Team

Expo 2020 projects to drive innovation, says WME Global

extremely high COP and IPLV values,” Byczynski said. “We have also used high temperature heat pumps to simultaneously cool the domestic cold water, while providing heat into the LTHW network, which is distributed through the building to serve indirect calorifiers within the apartments.”

Byczynski added that one technology he Company's representative proposes feels is underused locally is chilled beams. the use of chilled beams “While the risk of condensation is a concern,” he said, “in the right application, such as

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor an office with a well-sealed façade and low leakage, this should be manageable and would allow a much higher temperature ith Expo 2020 on the horizon, CHW circuit for the space cooling, which will, Nicholas Byczynski, Director – in turn, have a great impact on the chiller MEP, WME Global, said that performance.” he believes, in the next 12-18 Providing an update on the company’s months, there will be an uptake profile of activities, Byczynski in Expo “self-build” pavilions for said WME is looking to develop both country and commercial its business in Dubai, as well as participants, “which will allow globally, with its Mumbai office engineers to have some fun in growing steadily and Singapore realising some of the unique and and London offices up and wonderful designs proposed for running. “These satellite offices 2020”. Byczynski also discussed will grow, with Dubai as our hub Nicholas Byczynski two WME projects targeting and we will provide much of the LEED Platinum status, which has engineering expertise into these provided the company the opportunity to new markets,” he added. utilise a number of technologies in the move to achieve this objective.

“One project we are particularly proud Nicholas Byczynski will be conducting a of is a 450m super tall residential tower, in seminar on ‘Ventilation design in super-tall which we have deployed series counterflow, buildings’, 4pm - 4:45pm on November 28, at magnetic bearing chillers to achieve the HVAC R Expo part of The Big 5 Dubai.

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mirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), the District Cooling services provider, has started designing its District Cooling plant for Dubailand Residential Complex (DLRC), with a capacity of 40,000 tonnes of refrigeration (TR), the company announced in a Press communiqué. The cooling plant will benefit the residential and other facilities at DLRC, the communiqué said. In 2010, Empower began to provide District Cooling services to DLCR through three cooling plants, the communiqué further said. Empower’s decision to enhance its current and Ruler of Dubai, to reduce energy and capacity in DLRC comes in the light of water consumption by 30% by 2030, the increased number of buildings and as well as the Dubai Plan 2021 to make consumption in the area, the Dubai a smart and sustainable communiqué added. city, whose environmental Commenting on the elements are clean, healthy development, Ahmad Bin and sustainable.”

Shafar, CEO, Empower, According to Empower, the said: “Empower works on a new plant will be designed strategic plan to develop its according to the best infrastructure by increasing international standards, the the number of areas covered sustainable Green Building Ahmad Bin Shafar

by District Cooling systems in standards and the modern Dubai and expanding its existing network urban development of Dubai. of 85,000 customers. This contributes to The communiqué said the plant will making Dubai the most sustainable city use digital technology and Artificial in the world and the city with the lowest Intelligence applications, which reduce carbon footprint by 2050. It also supports energy consumption for cooling the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy operations using sustainable approaches, 2030, launched by His Highness Sheikh such as wastewater treatment Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice technologies and thermal storage tanks.

President and Prime Minister of the UAE The communiqué further said these

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plants will be connected to Empower’s stateor-the-art Command Control Centre, which will provide instant information to determine supply and consumption rates with the click of a button.

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www.careersbay.com or email alissa@careersbay.com November 2018

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Danfoss discusses challenges and trends in Variable Frequency Drives Seminar tackles harmonics, energy efficiency and what to consider when specifying VFDs

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

anfoss discussed challenges and trends in Variable Frequency Drives (VFD) during a CPD-approved seminar on October 10 in Dubai. The seminar was attended by consultants, contractors and engineering professionals and touched on harmonics, energy efficiency and what to consider when specifying VFDs. Gregers Geilager, Head of Premium Drives, Product Management, Danfoss Drives, kicked off the seminar with an introduction to harmonics and mitigation techniques. “Harmonics are not always the problem,” he said. “You need to know when to do something about it and when not to do something about it.

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Gregers Geilager

Niko Honkonen

As we improve energy efficiency, we tend to use more and more drives. The more drives we install, the bigger the problem.” Geilager defined harmonic distortions as repetitive and continuous deformations of the voltage or current waveforms. Geilager explained that the power grid normally experiences huge variations of load and reacts to changes in the voltage waveform, adding that causes of power disturbances range from electrical switching circuits to lighting. He

John Conboy

also spoke on how harmonics could impact temperature and make a motor wear out prematurely, outlined different standards in place, in addition to what constitutes good engineering practice with regard to mitigation solutions.

Geilager outlined particular technical conditions that should encourage stakeholders to reflect and calculate on harmonics, and provided recommendations on what should be done in the event a

AI, IoT likely to enhance the way projects are approached, BuroHappold Engineering says

Industry expert analyses the influx of Artificial Intelligence in the HVAC and construction sectors

By Ranjana Konatt

n the sidelines of the International Conference for Sustainable Construction Materials, an initiative headed by Dubai Municipality’s Central Laboratory, on November 6 and 7, in Dubai, Christopher Wodzicki, Engineering Services Director, BuroHappold Engineering, discussed the influx of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the HVAC and construction industries, in the Middle East. Pointing to a common misunderstanding surrounding the application of technology to job roles, he said, “Professionals in the industry believe that AI and robotics might replace tasks carried out by designers, engineers and architects in projects.” However, he said, the application of AI and IoT will most likely enhance, improve and accelerate the way projects are approached, right from the design stage.

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Elaborating on the influence of AI in the design stage of a project, Wodzicki said that AI has the capacity to interpret large volumes of data. For instance, with regard to heating and ventilation, there are IoT-enabled sensors that generate data and feed it back into the design loop, he said. “AI helps convert data into something meaningful, which, then, influences design at a later stage,” said Wodzicki. Often, engineers and designers, he said, make use of the terms without understanding their meaning and potential applications of the technology. AI, he added, can be integrated at various levels, beginning at the design stage, and there is a need to unlock its true potential, which must be done through awareness and education.

In addition, Wodzicki highlighted how the increasing number of companies working in the field of AI and IoT, today, has led to the rise in competition in data collection, which might make data the next commodity.

However, he said that there is a need to sift and filter through this data, so that Building Information Management (BIM) can be used with AI for better results. “BIM systems represent a repository of data and as a model, it contains everything from the details to the elements of a project in terms of its lifecycle,” Wodzicki added.

In such a scenario, he said, AI is the next sequential step after BIM, which helps dovetail information through a project’s design and lifecycle.

problem occurs, stressing that stakeholders should not use mitigation equipment, if not needed. Geilager added there is no single solution that gives the best performance, at lowest cost, with the highest efficiency, satisfies all norms, is applicable to all sizes of drives and can be used in new and retrofit solutions. The best fit, he said, is considering many applications and aspects.

Niko Honkonen, Product Manager, Danfoss Drives, spoke on energy efficiency in the context of AC drive solutions and trends. Honkonen looked at the basis of why the use of an AC speed control system saves energy, providing different examples and solutions. “AC Drives, depending on application, can save 15-40% of energy,” he said, adding there is the opportunity to save up to eight per cent of the world’s electricity consumption by using Variable Speed Drives coupled with the necessary optimisations.

The key, he stressed, is not have the motor system run at fixed speed. Honkonen also spoke on regulations and standards related to motors and drivers, globally.

BSRIA to launch new air conditioning reports for Africa The 10 priority country reports will include: Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Tunisia, official says

By CCME Content Team

Geilager ended the seminar by outlining things to consider in specifying VFDs. “We should have an open and honest dialogue about it, before diving into technical aspects,” he said, adding that it is important to look at the whole installation and not just the drive itself.

Issues related to the grid, motor and applications, he added, must be considered in addition to specific things inside the drive itself, to ensure a long-term, costeffective solution. Geilager also touched on EMC, which he defined as the ability of equipment to function satisfactorily in its electromagnetic environment without introducing intolerable disturbances to its environment. Geilager also discussed consequences of poor or no grounding, outlined good EMC practice and defined common mode voltage, ending with recommendations on where stakeholders must direct their attention by looking into aggravating factors in the system, as well as possible application of various measures to address this.

John Conboy, Director of Sales, Marketing and Service, Danfoss Drives Segment, Middle East and North Africa, Danfoss, said the seminar falls in line with the company’s efforts to promote itself as a thought leader in the region.

“A lot of companies are focusing on point of sale, whereas we as a company are making sure that the right selection of equipment is made in the right areas and that all stakeholders are involved,” he said.

Conboy added that this is especially the case with end-users, who bear the brunt of high energy cost, owing to inefficiencies.

“Unfortunately, in the projects we see happening today that person is not being taken into consideration,” he said. “It’s more about the capex spend and there are people who are not paying the energy bill taking decisions on equipment that should be installed, which will have an impact down the line.” The seminar, Conboy said, aimed to inform stakeholders on what technology is to be used with an eye towards cost-effective opex.

SRIA, a research and consultancy organisation, owned by The Building Services Research and Information Association, which provides specialist services in construction and building services, is conducting an air conditioning study in Africa, where currently “very little reliable and comparable data is available for the industry”, the body announced in a Press communiqué.

BSRIA’s data will be collected through pan-regional interviews with the Tina Fahmy major air conditioning suppliers, with manufacturers at their hubs – such as China – and local interviews in the major markets, the communiqué said.

Tina Fahmy, Client Relationship Manager, WMI, said: “BSRIA has seized the moment and business opportunity by producing such important market studies for Africa. BSRIA will focus on Central Africa, Eastern Africa, North Africa, Southern Africa and Western Africa. The 10 priority country reports will include: Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania and Tunisia, available in PDF and Excel from December 2018.”

Fahmy said: “Other regional country data will be available in the World Air Conditioning report due in March 2019. Markets will be analysed by volume, value and average selling price and the reports will cover 2017 to 2023. The reports will cover: chillers, indoor packaged, moveables, rooftops, splits, windows and VRF. There will be no airside products.”

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Globalisation driving demand for HVAC testing laboratories, says SKM Air Conditioning CFO outlines companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s level of investment towards accredited HVAC; shares plans to develop Training Academy and key focus areas for R&D

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

ollowing the recent opening of SKM and Non-Ducted Air Air Conditioningâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Conditioners. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It also psychrometric testing has full capability to lab, Ahmed Fahmy, Chief support requirements Financial Officer, spoke on for testing, inspection, how the growing demand for verification and a competitive, independent certification services and credible testing facility for HVAC products spurred the company that require ESMA, to offer external testing SASO and all other services, and highlighted international Ahmed Fahmy SKMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s level of investment and regional towards new facilities and certifications,â&#x20AC;? he G 9 ^c^i^Vi^kZh# šI]Z \adWVa^hVi^dc d[ igVYZ said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That said, we have undertaken many is driving the growing demand for HVAC equipment upgrades and confirmed that testing laboratories,â&#x20AC;? Fahmy said, citing our equipment is working effectively and competitive advantage and compliance our testing facility is set to test HVAC units with increasingly stringent regional and as per the required standards â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ESMA SASO, international regulations as key factors ASHRAE, and AHRI â&#x20AC;&#x201C; accurately.â&#x20AC;? affecting demand. As such, Fahmy said Fahmy emphasised how the testing investing in the expansion and upgrades of facility is integral to product development the testing lab represents the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s processes and ensures a guaranteed accuracy clear and focused initiative to strengthen the of data and performance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It can also be SKM brand, efforts of which have shown a used for witness tests to provide customers rewarding ROI. with complete peace of mind prior to â&#x20AC;&#x153;From my point of view, one of the most installation,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The testing facility important factors driving adoption of testing has been designed to test the performance laboratory services are the high tangible and of air conditioners under rating conditions intangible costs associated with failure in the and under customer-defined parameters. product quality,â&#x20AC;? Fahmy said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In addition to Prototype and commercial products can be the escalating cost of internal product failure, evaluated under a range of conditions.â&#x20AC;? before it reaches the production stage there Fahmy said that further expansions are is the external product failure after it reaches set to be completed by the end of 2019 the customer, which can damage brand to add more testing functions in a new reputation and business competitiveness lab structure that will cover a total area of and [lead to] loss of shareholder value.â&#x20AC;?

5,000 square metres and include testing Fahmy said that SKM began investing in laboratories for commercial and industrial testing labs for its own products. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Following equipment, including VRF units. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The UAE all mentioned factors, SKM Testing Lab also Testing Lab is set to lead in testing and took an extra leap by opening its services to certification requirements in the local market other prospective customers, with the aim and the rest of the GCC region,â&#x20AC;? he said. of easing the HVAC manufacturerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s burdens â&#x20AC;&#x153;With the growing demand, this will be and providing reliable and efficient testing followed by setting up similar labs in other facilities in the region,â&#x20AC;? he added.

GCC region countries, starting with Saudi Fahmy said that the SKM Testing Arabia. Then, [we will] expand to other Laboratory is an ISO 17025-accredited countries.â&#x20AC;? laboratory by Emirates International ;V]bn Vahd jcYZga^cZY H@BÂźh G 9 Accreditation Center (EIAC) and has a strong initiatives, describing it as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;heart that focus on performance testing of Package Air pumps past, present and future innovationâ&#x20AC;?.

Conditioners, Air Cooled Packaged Chillers He said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;SKM invests 3-5% of its revenue in

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G 9 nZVgan! id `ZZe ^ih egdYjXih V]ZVY d[ i]Z competition regionally and internationally.â&#x20AC;?

In line with this, the company is proactive towards â&#x20AC;&#x153;developing more energy-efficient products, designed specifically for high ambient conditions and for sophisticated applications, such as, but not limited to, working with international companies to utilise solar clean renewable energy and the implementation of the same with SKM products as a target of ultra-energy efficiency levels.â&#x20AC;? Fahmy said that the company also has continuous development of products with variable speed inverter compressors to enhance the part-load efficiency levels, in addition to growing adoption of energyrecovery systems to enhance system efficiencies.

Fahmy said SKM has leveraged its experience with the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s high ambient conditions in cultivating the expertise of its engineers and technicians. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is an essential aspect for us, as we believe in the investment in our peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talent,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;With the right talents, we certainly increase our market value and, therefore, get closer to our customers.â&#x20AC;? In line with this, Fahmy said, SKM is also establishing a Training Academy that will offer theoretical and practical training sessions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Training Academy aims to act as a foundation for those with some basic understanding of HVACR methodologies, processes and activities,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Students will also have the opportunity to use the latest industry technology and tools to develop a better understanding of real-world and theoretical applications in HVACR.â&#x20AC;? The academy, he added, can also help develop bespoke training programmes for organisations with specific requirements. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We owe all this success and growth plans coming to life to the UAE governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support, our major shareholder and MD Mubarak Al Besharah, the grandson of the founder, the late Mubarak Al Hasawi and, of course, all our customers and partners.â&#x20AC;?

With such projects on the horizon, Fahmy stressed that the â&#x20AC;&#x153;sky is the limit for us when it comes to quality, innovation and customer satisfactionâ&#x20AC;?.

New Eurovent certification programme for liquid-to-liquid plate heat exchangers

‘There is a culture of “overestimation” of loads in the UAE’

The scope of the programme covers gasketed, brazed and fusion-bonded plate heat exchangers

The trick is to properly size the plant and equipment to maximise energy efficiency, minimise cost and also ensure achievement of design conditions, says Director – MEP, WME Global

By CCME Content Team

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

urovent Certita Certification introduced a new Eurovent Certified Performance (ECP) programme for liquid-to-liquid plate heat exchangers, which was presented on October 17, at Chillventa 2018, in Nuremberg, Germany, the association said in a Press communiqué.

According to Eurovent, the programme was developed in 2017-2018 with the support of a dedicated committee of three major European manufacturers. The development of the programme also involved consultation of European testing laboratories to elaborate a specific and adequate test method based on, among others, the EN 1148:1999+A.1:2005 standard, the communiqué said.

The communiqué said the scope of the programme covers gasketed plate heat exchangers, brazed plate heat exchangers and fusionbonded plate heat exchangers, used in single-phase heat exchange applications in the HVACR sector. The communiqué further said the certified performances include the pressure drop (for primary and secondary sides) and the heat exchange capacity of the plate heat exchanger operated with clean water or clean aqueous solutions (ethylene or propylene glycol, but also ethanol). The communiqué added that with this new LPHE certification programme, Eurovent Certita Certification and plate heat exchanger manufacturers expect to raise the standard, in terms of higher transparency and reliability of products on the market.

haring his thoughts on common design flaws of high-rise projects in the Middle East, Nicholas Byczynski, Director – MEP, WME Global, said that there is a culture of “overestimation” of loads in the UAE, with margin and safety factors being over-used and diversity in operation, under-used. “This, I feel, is typically borne out of time and fee pressure in that the Nicholas Byczynski consequence of over-sizing is limited to the client in that the system will perform, whereas an under-sized system may not achieve the design criteria,” he said. “The trick is to properly size plant and equipment to maximise energy efficiency, minimise cost and also ensure achievement of design conditions.” Byczynski added that WME employs a number of methods to achieve this, including the use of 3D dynamic modelling of projects to refine bulk load estimation from software, such as HAP or TRACE. However, he stressed that the designer’s skill set is still a key factor and that it is important “to interrogate assumptions and loads to ensure there are no unnecessary over-provisions included”.

Byczynski added that Delta T problems are also a constant challenge associated with many large-scale projects and that the prevalence of District Cooling and the associated penalty charges is bringing the issue to the forefront, more than ever before. “This is an issue that is often completely misunderstood with its roots in design decisions but also heavily influenced in construction and then in building operations,” he said. “In this case the discontinuity of personnel and even companies that you often see through the project lifecycle is really under-lined and the adoption of a system similar to the CIBSE ‘Soft-landings’ Framework used in the UK could be of assistance.”

Byczynski added that while he believes in the value of greater investment in better maintenance of HVACR systems, to prolong equipment life, and avoid the capex that may come with having to retrofit down the line, from his observations, the market remains fully focused on capex rather than long-term operational costs. “Minimising MEP space as a percentage of GFA and Value Engineering remains many of our clients’ primary concern,” he said. Byczynski said that he believes engineering services have been heavily “commoditised” in the region, “with percentage of construction cost or AED/m2 often considered above many other factors. We would all like greater fees; however, rather than complain about this, the industry needs to recognise the cost constraints of the market and adapt to them, so we can still win and deliver work to a high standard, given these commercial realities.”

In such a market, Byczynski said, the winners will be the consultants that are capable of streamlining their processes, that can best utilise technology and minimise or eliminate costly rework through effective QA. “In the long term, these consultancies will go from strength to strength and those that are unable to consistently deliver quality will be quickly identified,” he added.

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Nicholas Byczynski will be conducting a seminar on ‘Ventilation design in super-tall buildings’, from 4pm–4:45pm on November 28, at the HVAC R Expo part of The Big 5 Dubai.

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A role for RFID in transporting blood for transfusion The technology could enhance traceability of the blood through the entire supply chain process, says Tracker Point

RFID tags are attached to a sensor inlay to monitor temperature, humidity and pressure, says Tracker Point

By Ranjana Konatt

emperature regulation is a key factor in maintaining blood quality when transporting blood for transfusion,” asserted Georgie Evans, Project Coordinator, Tracker Point, while elaborating on the possible application of RFID technology.

She said: “Passive RFID temperature sensor tags have the ability to configure an alarm, which can be set off when the temperature falls outside the specified range.” The technology, she added, could enhance traceability of the blood through the entire supply chain process, right from the donor to the recipient.

“Each blood bag can be fitted with an RFID tag and linked to packing data and patient details,” Evans said. At key points along the transport route, she said, the RFID tag can be scanned, using mobile readers, to verify the identity of the blood bag and check the temperature. Today, in tag manufacturing, she said, we see a strong focus on tag design, especially when it comes to designing a tag that is suitable for diverse environments and versatile to work on different materials. She added, “In the current tag market, different environments require their own specific tag.”

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In-car IAQ comes for attention IAQ of cars in the United Arab Emirates is 15 times worse as compared to the air on the road, says CEO, Blueair Cabin Air

By Ranjana Konatt

ccording to Blueair, most in-car air pollution comes from the exhaust fumes of the vehicle, which is directly ahead, while the remainder comes from industry, domestic fuel burning and airborne micro-plastics sources. “The Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) in cars in the United Arab Emirates is 15 times worse as compared to the air on the road,” said Daniel Hagström, President and CEO, Blueair Cabin Air, during the launch of Blueair’s Cabin air purifiers. Elaborating, he said that children in cars are especially at high risk and are likely to suffer from in-car air pollution.

According to Blueair, pollution exposure inside a car could be anywhere from 9-100% higher, as compared to the air outside, and at traffic lights the pollution inside the car is 40% higher than when the car is moving. UAE residents and citizens spend most of their time in the car while commuting, and this can have serious implications on passenger health, asserted Hagström.

Explaining the aerodynamics of a car, Hagström said that the air goes over a car and with the exhaust tailpipe at the bottom of the car, the air is sucked in by the car behind. “Ideally, manufacturers must fit the exhaust pipe on top of the car,” suggested Hagström. He also said that many trucks today have the exhaust pipe at the top. Elaborating, he said that today car filters are not designed to completely purify the polluted air that is taken in and, hence, he said, there is a need for car owners to invest in filtration technology.

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RFID can help in streamlining workflow and strengthening security

November 2018

By Ranjana Konatt

FID, as a technology, is now generally understood, but what’s less known are its many different forms,” said Georgie Evans, Project Coordinator, Tracker Point, while providing an overview on how RFID tagging can find application in the HVAC sector.

Foreseeing the use of RFID technology in the years to come, Evans said that the technology will play a fundamental role in the business sector and will increase efficiency, while streamlining workflow and strengthening security.

Evans said that one of the most important aspects of any project lifecycle is the ability to select the appropriate RFID for the particular application.

“Over the years, we have seen continuous strides Georgie Evans being made in RFID, which enables industries to adopt RFID and use it in different applications,” she said. RFID, she added, is a natural extension to how companies are proliferating through the workforce.

Whereas computers remain abstract, RFID extends to physical things and the combination of the two has incredible potential.

Elaborating on how RFID tagging has found acceptance in the health industry, Evans highlighted that the ‘free for all’ patient and asset-tracking solution has created some confusion of choice, with the number of solutions being overly complex and expensive. A good example of RFID application in healthcare with regard to temperature control is by using temperature sensor tags. “These tags and labels are attached to a sensor inlay and can monitor temperature, humidity and pressure quickly,” she said. Evans said that the tag can also be fitted inside a refrigerator to monitor the quality of food products or even inside a blood bank.

“RFID can be used to track any temperature changes, while transporting blood from one place to another,” she said. RFID readers installed in the room read passive tag data, which she said, includes the tag’s unique ID and a digitised temperature value, which is then linked and received by a software application.

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Blueair’s intelligent range of purifiers to improve IAQ in cars Cars today are designed in such a way that they tend to suck in exhaust air and are unable to filter out air pollution, says CEO

By Ranjana Konatt

he state of Indoor Air Quality purifiers enables a high air flow and high (IAQ) in vehicles is exceptionally filtration efficiency.” The filters, he said, bad, especially in metro cities, said are Wi-Fi enabled and work with smart Daniel Hagström, President and appliances, allowing for voice control by CEO, Blueair Cabin Air, after unveiling the Amazon’s Alexa. The filter technology, company’s intelligent range of he said, ensures a 99.97% car air purifiers on October 23, filtration rate, where car in Dubai. According to Blueair, exhausts, road wear, pollen, scientists in the US found that dust and particulate matter the levels of soot and chemicals (PM) are removed. “The inside cars were twice as high as HEPA filter performance is compared to those measured by what sets us apart, when it roadside detectors, and – even comes to IAQ in cars and is Daniel Hagström though no data on IAQ in cars the core of Blueair,” added in the United Arab Emirates Hagström. exists – air pollution continues TR Ganesh, General to be one of the biggest Manager, Blueair Middle health concerns. Elaborating, East, addressed the crowd, Hagström said that cars today while giving a regional are designed in such a way that update. He said, “The they tend to suck in exhaust air demand and need for and are unable to filter out air good IAQ in the United pollution. He said that this can Arab Emirates, makes the TR Ganesh lead to bad IAQ in cars, resulting region an ideal place for in particulate matter and VOCs the launch of a product like inside the car. “The scope of IAQ in cars is this.” Elaborating, he said that Blueair an important aspect to health,” he added.

Middle East was formed recently and Commenting on the technology aspect in terms of achievement, they have of the purifiers, Hagström said, “The HEPA a global recognition for quality and Silent filtration technology used in the design. Ganesh added that today, Blueair

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is also speaking with a few top car manufacturers to see whether the filters can be pre-installed.

“Commuters spend, on average, about 10 hours a week in vehicles," he said.

"This is particularly true for the United Arab Emirates, where walking and cycling are less common ways of transport.

To meet the consumer needs for clean air in cars, we have expanded our air purification expertise and best-in-class technology to a new segment, which I’m proud to present to UAE residents here, today."

Ganesh added: “Air quality inside cars can be much worse than on the street, thanks to a combination of exhaust emissions from one’s own vehicle, from other vehicles, as well as particles from tires and road wear products that enter through ventilation and air-conditioning systems. With its high-performance technology, Cabin car air purifier will offer UAE residents peace of mind that 99.97% of these impurities are being filtered out.”

Given the long hours spent driving, a staggering 72% of consumers are worried about the impact the air circulating inside their cars may have on themselves and their families. The same number also said that they are aware of the negative health effects of breathing polluted air, reveals a survey carried out for Blueair by independent UK research firm, Bonamy Finch.

According to Blueair, the Cabin car air purifier range is available in the United Arab Emirates at leading retail stores.

hough RFID tags can help with temperature control of blood packets during transport, ‘Cost is a factor the cost factor of using RFID depends on the value it brings to a business, said Georgie Evans, Project Coordinator, Tracker Point. “A number of factors determine the influencing the implementation cost,” she said. For instance, a tag that has its own onboard power source tends to be more expensive than a passive RFID tag, where the power is supplied by the adoption of reader. However, she said, the choice of technology depends on project requirements.

“Based on experience, we have seen the cost to be the major factor influencing RFID and RFID’ its application,” Evans said. She highlighted that the rise of manufacturing bases in China and

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The rise in the number of RFID manufacturing companies in China and India has created a highly competitive market for both passive and active RFID tags, says Tracker Point

By Ranjana Konatt

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November 2018

India has created a highly competitive market, where the technology is becoming affordable.

This, she said, will enable the healthcare sector to adopt the technology in a supply chain process.

Elaborating on the work done by Tracker Point, Evans said that the company has deployed over 200 installations, worldwide, ranging from asset tracking in Abu Dhabi, to monitoring shipments to China and even securing the storage of media assets in UK’s top universities.

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‘FM managers to benefit from IoT-powered sensors’

The data collected will help facility managers and building operators in gaining predictive insight, says CEO 75F

By Ranjana Konatt

Deepinder Singh

hile emphasising the need to redefine our understanding of IoT and smart buildings and its connection to energy efficiency, Deepinder Singh, CEO, 75F, said, “IoT comes with a host of benefits, such as cost reduction, energy savings and improved productivity.” However, he added that there is a need to look beyond. Applied IoT, he said, offers much greater value than just a replacement for existing building automation systems and improving energy efficiency. “Even though IoT sensors might be spread across a vast network of devices, the technology helps glean insight, which proves to be useful to facility managers and building developers,” Singh said. IoT, he added, takes us a step further, in not just monitoring a building system but also helps in controlling HVAC and lighting systems, based on data collected from intelligent sensors. The data collected, he said, will help facility managers and building operators in being a step ahead in avoiding any malfunctions or down-time, while offering predictive solutions.

Elaborating, Singh said, “We are involved in making your building sense smart, which delivers optimal Occupant Experience and Operational Efficiency.” The idea, he said, is to empower people to work better and the solution, he added, is in sync with sustainability programmes such as the 38 LEEDv4 credits, Arc score integration for benchmarking.

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BaityKool highlights passive cooling design for Solar Decathlon Middle East Team members explain how the net-zero-energy prototype for a solarpowered home copes with region’s high-ambient conditions

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

s a net-zero-energy home in the Middle East truly feasible, given the region’s high ambient conditions?

Team BaityKool says, “Yes”.

Students from Bordeaux University, Arts et Métiers School (ENSAM), Architecture and Kenza Chraibi Zakaria Aketouane Landscape school of Bordeaux (ENSAPBx), in France; An-Najah National University, in Palestine and Amity University, in Dubai, teamed up to work on the Baitykool Project, as an entry for the Solar Decathlon Middle East to be held from November 14 to 29, 2018, in Dubai.

Kenza Chraibi, Architect, Team Leader, said that the main objective behind the design of Baitykool is to develop a net-zero-energy house that can withstand the ambient conditions of the Middle East. “We had in mind the Middle East way of life,” she said, “with reference to old and traditional architecture and taking into account the need for air conditioning with the heat.”

Chraibi said that the prototype will be powered entirely by solar panels and will “produce the energy it consumes”. As such, she said, they were aware they had to implement all measures to ensure the indoor air comfort of potential inhabitants, without having the HVAC system’s heavy consumption impact the project’s net-zeroenergy goal.

Zakaria Aketouane, Energy Engineer, Team Baitykool, provided a summary of the prototype’s HVAC design. The main system, he said, is an AHU unit with a double-flow ventilation (DFV), provided by Swegon. “We diffuse air through the ducts to the living room and to the two bedrooms of the prototype,” he said. “We have one main system that will cool down the prototype. For the kitchen, we have an innovative solution, called Radiative Sky Cooling panels (RSC), developed and donated by the research center Nobatek/INEF4. The installation of this system was done in the presence of Paul Bonnamy, Research Engineer of Nobatek/INEF4.”

“In principle,” Aketouane said, “we exchange heat by long-wave radiation with the sky. The sky is usually below the ambient temperature, by 15-20 degrees C. During the night, when there is no sun, the panels on the roof will exchange heat with the sky and will cool down water. This water will be stored in the tank; it’s similar to solar thermal panels, but they work during the night, so they will allow us to pull down the water [temperature] by five degrees C below the ambient temperature when the sky is clear.

If the temperature is 30 degrees C, our panels can cool down this water by five degrees below the ambient temperature and it will be 25 degrees C. This cold water will be stored in the tank, and during the day when we need cooling, we will use this water, which will be circulated into radiative panels that are in the kitchen, to cool down the kitchen.”

Aketouane said that 90% of the air is recycled, except in the kitchen and in the bathroom. “The air inside the two parts of the prototype will be rejected,” he explained.

“Because this rejected air is cold, we will use it to cool down the air we inject into the prototype. The double-flow ventilation will allow us to recover this cold, thus reducing the energy consumption of our cooling system.”

To optimise energy consumption, Aketouane said that insulation played an important role, as did the integration of clay bricks. “This helps regulate the temperature,” he said.

“It works like storage; it allows us to reduce the fluctuation of temperature inside the building by storing the cold inside the earth clay in the interior of the façade.”

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Etihad ESCO to improve energy efficiency of 22 Seven Tides buildings Project to guarantee savings of 13.2 million KWh of electricity and 2.6 million imperial gallons of water, company’s representative says

By CCME Content Team

tihad Energy Service Company (Etihad ESCO) announced the signing of a contract with property developer, Seven Tides, through a Press communiqué. The agreement will help the latter company save 13.2 million KWh of electricity and 2.6 million imperial gallons of water, through the implementation of a range of energy conservation measures, cutting costs by 14.8% and saving AED 7.3 million annually, the communiqué said.

The agreement was signed by Ali Al Jassim, CEO, Etihad ESCO and Abdulla Bin Sulayem, CEO, Seven Tides, during the 20th Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition, WETEX 2018, the communiqué added.

Seven Tides owns several projects in the Middle East, including residential, commercial and resort properties, the communiqué said. Etihad ESCO audited 22 buildings by Seven Tides, before proposing multiple ECMs that offer enormous scope of energy savings, the communiqué further said. The energy and equipment performance, post the implementation of the project, are guaranteed for six years, with a payback period of less than three years, the communiqué added.

According to Etihad ESCO, the retrofit project will encompass the installation of variablefrequency drive control on air-handling units to regulate the fresh-air-handling units (FAHUs) based on the demand for fresh air, thereby preventing wastage of energy. This will enable FAHUs to function, based on the principle of demand-based ventilation, which provides fresh air on the basis of occupancy/demand, the communiqué said. Besides, fluorescent, metal halide and other conventional lights will be replaced with high-efficiency LED lights across Seven Tides’ properties, such as Ibn Battuta Gate, Discovery Gardens, Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort and the rest of the Seven Tides projects based in Dubai, as part of the programme, the communiqué added.

Commenting on the agreement, ▶ Abdulla Bin Sulayem, CEO, Seven Tides and Ali Al Jassim, Ali Al Jassim, CEO, CEO, Etihad ESCO Etihad ESCO, said, “We are glad to equip the private sector with energy-conservation measures, thereby helping them cut down consumption, improve efficiency and contribute to the emirate’s efforts, towards the achievement of 30% reduction in energy demand by 2030.”

Abdulla Bin Sulayem, CEO, Seven Tides, said: “The benefits of retrofitting existing facilities are far-reaching, with a clear focus on cost and energy savings, while also creating increased comfort and well-being to all our residents and tenants. Sustainability is an integral element to every area of our business and, as such, we’re extremely proud of our role in supporting Dubai’s sustainability goals.”

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‘Manufacturers must lead the industry towards energy efficiency’ If the situation is left as it is, we won’t move towards the energyefficiency goal; there is a need for education, says Chairman and President, Daikin Middle East and Africa

By Ranjana Konatt

n some regions, Daikin has a high market share; however, the company has a huge scope of growing in the Middle East, expressed Yuji Miyata, Chairman and President, Daikin Middle East and Africa, on the sidelines of Daikin’s Technology Partnership event with Galaxy Cooling Technologies. “I am confident that Galaxy Cooling Technologies are key influencers in the region and now are our strong partners,” he said.

I

Yuji Miyata

Today, Miyata added, it is the responsibility for manufacturers like Daikin to lead the way in steering the industry towards energy efficiency and sustainability. Highlighting a challenge in the region, he said: “Today, even though 80% of the energy consumption in the Middle East comes from buildings, we hardly see the use of inverter technology.

If we leave the situation as it is, we cannot move towards the energy-efficiency goal.

I dislike the word, but what we need is education; there is a need to inform people about the need to use technology, which is available to move towards the sustainability goal.”

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‘Daikin, Galaxy Cooling Technology partner to expand business in the UAE market’ The partnership commits to delivering the best-in-product solutions and customer service, says General Manager, Daikin Middle East and Africa

By Ranjana Konatt

Yuji Miyata

Samer Alawiah

am deeply moved to see the gathering here as Daikin gets a new technology partner, Galaxy Cooling Technologies,” said Yuji Miyata, Chairman and President, Daikin Middle East and Africa, at Daikin’s Technology Partnership event with Galaxy Cooling Technologies, held on October 24, at the Intercontinental Hotel, in Dubai. Daikin, he said, is a company that believes in the power of people. He further said that the partnership will enable both the companies to progress together, while also expanding business in the United Arab Emirates.

Samer Alawiah, General Manager, Sales and Strategic Key Accounts, Daikin Middle East and Africa, said, “Today, I represent Daikin and, at the same time represent Galaxy Cooling Technologies.” Highlighting the purpose of the partnership, he said that

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‘The Middle East has its challenges with regard to the adoption of technology’

The rate of acceptance of technology is slow, yet steady, says Deepak J Babani, Executive Vice Chairman, Eros Group

By Ranjana Konatt

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Deepak J Babani

it will commit to contractors, consultants and the construction industry and will provide them not only with the best products but also service. “The partnership with Galaxy Cooling Technology, which is a part of Eros, will enable us to give a complete solution to our customers,” he said. Elaborating on the history of the company, he said, “We are a company that was founded in the year 1924 and established the Daikin Middle East and Africa affiliate in the year 2006, in Dubai.”

Since then, he added, the company has grown from strength to strength, through valued partnerships.

Deepak J Babani, Executive Vice Chairman, Eros Group, said, “I take pride in bringing to you this partnership, which depicts power, focus, superior skills and commitment from the two big giants.”

Elaborating, he said that Galaxy Cooling

Technology’s core strength lies in marketing and distribution of leading brands, which will help penetrate the UAE market. Daikin’s key products, he said, have been the VRV range, and they plan to expand in the future. “Our products boast of high energy efficiency and cater to all segments of the market,” said Babani.

Showcasing the various products and technologies used by Daikin was Sana Hamdani, DX Product Marketing Manager, Daikin Middle East and Africa. She said, “Today 80% of electricity consumption comes from buildings, and it is essential to have solutions that not only consume low energy but also improve seasonal efficiency. The use of inverters for the sake of energy consumption, she said, can be used effectively for energy efficiency.

Giving an example of one such technology, she said, “The Daikin Intelligent Eye is a technology that regulates the temperature in the room on the basis of the occupancy rate.” During the event, Prashant BS, Associate Vice President, Eros Group, also mentioned the importance of adhering to ASHRAE standards, while stressing the hazardous effects of refrigerant leaks, as well as best practices within the HVAC industry.

he rate of adoption of technology in the Middle East is slow, yet steady, said Deepak J Babani, Executive Vice Chairman, Eros Group, during Daikin’s Technology Partnership event with Galaxy Cooling Technologies. He said, “At our end, there is a continual effort to educate manufacturers on energy efficiency. However, people in the Middle East are hesitant, when it comes to adopting new technology. In the region, opinions are Deepak J Babani formed after meeting people and listening to their experience of using a particular technology.” The new generation, he highlighted, is more open and willing, though, to experiment with new concepts, with regard to technology and its application.

Babani said the next step is to connect the air conditioning system to an application, which then connects to the cloud. For instance, he said, sensors in a room should be able to detect the rate of perspiration in a room and accordingly set the temperature inside the room. He added, “The savings we get from using technology and smart controls is enormous and, at Eros, we understand and adopt technology only after we are certain that it will benefit not only the organisation but also our customers.”

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Metito identifies growth opportunities across MENA region Managing Director highlights increasing demand for water, owing to population and industrialisation in United Arab Emirates, active presence in Egypt and opportunities in Iraq

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

ith water demand largely driven by gap in the necessary supporting infrastructure. Juez said population growth, industrialisation and that there is a lot of activity that can be observed in other increasing standards of living, Fady Juez, emirates as well, sharing that a number of desalination Managing Director, Metito, said that the plants have been developed to support growth in Ras Al company, which provides a broad spectrum of waterKhaimah and Fujairah. He said that Metito is extremely based solutions, sees significant growth potential in the active in Sharjah, which has a requirement for treatment United Arab Emirates. “With oil prices coming back to plants, adding that the emirate is inviting the private good levels, I’m sure there will be a huge number of new sector to work with them in wastewater recycling Fady Juez projects coming up in Abu Dhabi,” he said. initiatives.

Juez also commended the United Arab Emirates for its concerted Speaking on the group’s presence across the Middle East, effort to advance the penetration of District Cooling and the Juez says Metito has a strong presence in Egypt, which serves as increasing use of Treated Sewage Effluent (TSE) as make-up water gateway for numerous projects across North Africa, adding that for cooling towers. Juez added that growth in TSE is not only owing sub-Saharan Africa is showcasing growing demand for reliable utility to environmental consciousness but also with techniques available infrastructure. to ensure its quality, it is more cost-effective, especially compared The Levant region, Juez said, also offers huge potential for growth, to using seawater, which is costly for the equipment. These factors, particularly Iraq, which is undergoing a huge process of rebuilding, Juez said, continue to drive demand for TSE in the United Arab after being devastated by wars. Larger projects are yet to be Emirates. initiated, Juez said, though he believes that with the new government Juez said that the upcoming Expo 2020 will only further drive and the right prices of oil helping the cash flow, the country provides demand for similar water-based solutions, as the highly anticipated stakeholders with a lot of opportunities. This, he added, will allow event is set to bring in new projects and people, which will create a Metito to leverage its long history in the country as it moves forward.

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R.A.J. Tech showcases LoRa feature of cold chain monitoring solutions at DIFSC Platform helps supporters of Dubai Municipality’s Food Watch programme, says Technical Engineer

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

peaking on the importance of temperature monitoring in meeting the objectives of Dubai Municipality’s Food Watch programme, T Santosh, Technical Engineer, R.A.J. Tech, highlighted his company’s cold chain monitoring solutions during its participation at the 12th Dubai

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International Food Safety Conference from a GPS, but it’s a combined solution for the October 29 to 31. The comprehensive cold temperature as well as the GPS that makes it chain monitoring system, Santosh said, a future-proof technology.” generates records of the temperature of Santosh said that the company is vigilant the cold room, hard cabinet, food and meat when it comes to analysing food trends, processing, as well as the cooked food, prior complaints of the municipality and new to serving as required, in line with HACCP regulations to tailor the products, according checks, on the cloud, analysing critical to the needs of the market. Currently, control points. It also monitors Santosh said, the company is humidity, battery level, sensors supplying to catering companies and driver activity. He said, “We and chiller trucks, and they see give some KPIs that can easily a lot of opportunities owing to synchronise with the Dubai EXPO 2020, which will enhance Municipality supporter." That demand for food distribution way, he added, users can directly channels. interact with the Food Watch Santosh said that T Santosh panel. stakeholders in the food industry Santosh said the company’s have greater awareness with solutions have been named “future-proof regard to investing in monitoring solutions to technology” because of its LoRa features, help secure the cold chain, in a bid to reduce which he described as vital in the Smart City spoilage, food loss and guard against food concept being promoted in the United Arab poisoning. “It’s about preventive action,” Emirates. “Without an internet connection, he said. As for the additional cost, Santosh you can use the network,” he explained, added, the company’s move to manufacture products in the United Arab Emirates helps as it is a sensor-based network, allowing their solutions be cost competitive with their direct communication without internet counterparts, without sacrificing the quality data consumption. “Everything can be or value of the products. monitored,” he said. “Every car here has

‘A deliberate emphasis on developing the retrofit market in the MENA region’ In order to address the challenges, local, academic and industry platforms are working to demonstrate the applicability and affordability of building retrofits, says Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman, Emirates Green Building Council

By Ranjana Konatt

egional governments Tarsheed Programme and The today are promoting National Energy Efficiency and sustainable Renewable Energy Action in development with Lebanon, as key initiatives in the a focus on enhancing energy region. The EmiratesGBC BEA and water use efficiency, said programme, he added, continues Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman, to support retrofit efforts by Saeed Al Abbar Emirates Green Building Council establishing benchmarks, which (EmiratesGBC). He said, there is help building operators and a greater consensus, among the key players, owners gauge their building and operational on the need for an improvement in the performance. performance of existing buildings and, as a While referring to the challenges in result, we see a deliberate emphasis placed on executing retrofit projects in the region, Al developing the retrofit market in the MENA Abbar said that the lack of finance schemes region. by local and international banks, in addition “Government initiatives in the region are to limited financing available to building steadily driving positive changes focused owners to conduct retrofits, were major towards energy and water conservation,” roadblocks in the road to energy efficiency.

Al Abbar said. The region, he said, has Utility bills, he added, are mostly paid by also seen several initiatives which promote tenants, and many building owners are not retrofits, including the Dubai Building Retrofit incentivised in investing in retrofits, which Programme, managed by Etihad Energy he said is another hurdle to overcome in Services. He also pointed to Abu Dhabi’s the retrofit market. “There is a general lack

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Enova takes on a retrofit project to cut energy and water use by 31% Having a building owner enthusiastic about a retrofit project is one thing, but dealing with occupants is where the challenge lies, says CEO

By Ranjana Konatt

of awareness of energy-efficient buildings and a perception that investing in energy efficiency is not a cost-effective alternative,” Al Abbar added. In order to address the challenges, he said, local, academic and industry platforms are working to demonstrate the applicability and affordability of building retrofits. “We have been working closely with business forums, the UAE government and relevant stakeholders to foster awareness of the benefits of adopting and implementing retrofit strategies,” he said. He added that EmiratesGBC has engaged with a number of local banks to facilitate access, in order to to make financing retrofits affordable.

What the industry needs is an integrated approach, Al Abbar said, while players need to continue to underline the importance of implementing retrofits. For instance, he added, the private sector can share their expertise and innovative solutions with the public sector, and governments can implement concrete strategies for retrofits in a timely fashion.

etrofitting in the United old units with more efficient ones.

Arab Emirates can be She said that the main challenge traced back to the Paris lies in dealing with the occupants Agreement, which is in the building. “It is one thing to committed to reducing carbon have a building owner enthusiastic emissions, said Anne Le Guennec, about carrying out a retrofit, but CEO, Enova, while elaborating on dealing with occupants in a building, Anne Le Guennec the company’s retrofit project, as who have to cope with downtime, a part of Ras Al Khaimah’s (RAK) depending on the day and level of Renewable Energy Strategy 2040. activity in a building, is vital to the overall According to Enova, the five-year project,” she said. In addition, she said, the agreement, between the company and the RAK challenge is with reference to auditing and Municipality, is the first energy performance working through facilities, while identifying contract signed by the RAK Municipality, what needs to be optimised or replaced, after which will see a 31.3% reduction in energy calculating the pay-back period. and water usage. Guennec said that the According to Enova, through the planned project will focus on the HVAC systems in the retrofit, the project will provide guaranteed buildings. “At present, we are in the process of total savings of more than four gigawattcarrying out a soft set of audits in buildings hours of electricity, which is comparable to across RAK and are looking at various water that of taking nearly 700 cars off the road. and energy conservation measures,” she said.

Guennec said, “We are delighted to see the The challenges in a project of this scope, seen Emirates join together in the unified aim of from a control and regulation perspective, sustainability and are overjoyed to be a part include understanding how best to replace of the sustainability movement.”

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Data must be translated for improved performance, says Honeywell General Manager outlines three essential features for smart energy to provide value to end-users

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

t’s nice to have smart meters, but what will said, should not be underestimated as globally, utilities you do with the data?” asked Edwin Meijer, lose USD 96 billion per year, due to non-technical losses.

General Manager, Smart Energy, Honeywell Meijer said that meters vary in application for EMEA. Meijer stressed that communication residential, commercial and industry requirements, is the second, and equally important, layer that will such as in District Cooling. He added that with every allow stakeholders to gain value from the smart meters, region, country, case and utility having a unique set as connecting to a central infrastructure database of requirements, it is difficult to quantify the exact allows them to not only collect but also to store and payback of investment in particular meters. “What we Edwin Meijer validate the data. The third layer, Meijer explained is to can say is that not every meter is the same,” Meijer have the right applications on top of the database to said, “and the level of investment will depend on the provide intelligent warnings throughout the application. This, Meijer priority – whether it is the capex or Total Cost of Ownership – by stressed, serves as the three fundamental features of smart energy. investing in the correct infrastructure to drive down consumption.”

Meijer stressed that while good products are necessary, the true Being more open to benefits, he said, is better as the data and value lies in its application of these solutions. Honeywell, Meijer information will enable faster payback. “Of course, you always said, being a connected enterprise with its hand in various sectors, have to strike a balance,” he said. “You can have a meter for USD leverages knowledge and best practices from other business units to 10 or you can have one for USD 100. Every project is unique and supply not only meters and infrastructure but also knowledge and you have to analyse the feasibility, what to do with the data information to help Dubai, and other cities, achieve goals related to and the payback. We focus on the [long-term] benefits. I’m energy efficiency. happy to see that companies like DEWA like to go further for the Meijer said that, as part of Honeywell’s participation in WETEX, environment. Honeywell also likes to go further.” To underscore the company is demonstrating its smart energy application for the strong relationship between DEWA and Honeywell, Meijer utilities. “The application is based on pattern recognition, allowing said that Honeywell was appointed by DEWA to supply and install operators to identify abnormal energy consumption,” he said. “It 270,000 smart meters as part of Phase Three of DEWA’s ‘Smart creates reports to alert operators to what is going on, so they can Applications via Smart Grid and Meters’ initiative, bringing the implement the necessary solution and correct the issue. Instead total number of Honeywell’s installed meters in Dubai up to of just analysing the data, we have an application that proactively 700,000 and making the company the largest supplier of meters warns you to respond.” The value to predictive maintenance, Meijer under this initiative.

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‘IoT-powered smart controls enable facility managers to perform predictive analysis’ Retrofitting for energy efficiency directly impacts utility costs and, hence, is given more attention over retrofitting for IAQ, says Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman EmiratesGBC

By Ranjana Konatt

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etrofitting for Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is a factor that has been overlooked, as compared to retrofitting for energy efficiency, said Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman, Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC). “There seems to be an over-emphasis on retrofitting for energy efficiency, as compared to retrofitting for IAQ and this is because energy efficiency has a direct impact on utility costs,” highlighted Al Abbar. Moreover, he said, in some cases, improvements in energy performance can have a negative impact on IAQ. For instance, he elaborated, some energy-saving measures may have to cut back on fresh air, which might increase the concentration of contaminants inside facilities. “It is extremely important to have an integrated approach to energy efficiency and IAQ, right from the early stages of a retrofit,” said Al Abbar.

Al Abbar said the integration of energy management and IAQ must be addressed right from the start, including the design stage, equipment selection and the operations of a building. Highlighting the contribution of the EmiratesGBC education programme, he said: “The focus is on addressing the technical aspects of a building system, including energy efficiency, IAQ and the overall health and well-being of a building. We organise and host workshops, seminars and training programmes throughout the year for this purpose.”

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he previous edition of the Food Chain conference succeeded in bringing to the fore the urgent need for sweeping and pervasive best practices in the transportation and storage of thermally sensitive food products. The 9th edition has a self-mandated goal of largely seeking age-defining technological solutions for addressing issues related to how food is stored and handled. It equally wants to support the popular call for legislation specific to cold storage design and construction, and to transport refrigeration.

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Dow Chemical highlights benefits of polyurethane in construction, cold chain Company representative highlights energy-efficiency benefits of thermal insulation and PU’s growing role, in view of looming environmental targets

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

echnical experience, global scope and local approach to market challenges serve as the main ingredients for Dow Chemical’s ‘Insulation Science’ portfolio, said Akil Sahiwala, Polyurethane Systems Leader (Middle East), Dow Chemicals, in highlighting the energy efficiency and sustainability features of its polyurethane foam systems and solutions. Company innovations, Sahiwala said, aim to help manufacturers by providing effective thermal insulation in construction and cold chain.

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Akil Sahiwala

Making a case for its benefits for the construction industry, Sahiwala said enhanced energy efficiency and savings in buildings can be achieved through the use of polyurethane roof and wall insulation, wall and window insulation and pipe insulation, all of which ensure that temperatures are maintained. “When spray foam is applied to building roofs,” he said, “it forms a continuous barrier to effectively resist heat transfer, thus reducing air infiltration and providing a moisture barrier.” In this vein, Sahiwala highlighted the company’s Voracortm, which, he stressed, “delivers exceptional thermal insulation with a significantly reduced carbon footprint”.

For cold chain applications, Sahiwala presented the company’s Voracor polyurethane systems and its wide range of pre-blended blowing agents for refrigerated trucks, walk-in coolers and commercial refrigerators for thermal efficiency and to help meet industry regulations. “The versatility of these rigid polyurethane foams, along with their insulation properties,

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structural strength and adhesion performance, make it a popular choice for applications, where fill is needed for a variety of different-shaped cavities or structures,” he said, highlighting the blowing agents’ zero-ODP and low-GWP features, in compliance with international protocols and mandates.

Sahiwala also highlighted the company’s Voratec polyurethane systems, to help household appliances meet new energy regulations, while ensuring flexibility. “In appliances, polyurethane use means that less energy is needed to power refrigerators, freezers, water heaters and other such units, which again results in considerable energy savings,” he said. He added that the polyurethanes industry continues to endorse minimising the environmental impact of its product and highlighted that polyurethane rigid foam has been recognised as one of the best insulation materials available to help achieve energy-efficiency targets, reduce cost and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. “It is a proven fact that reducing energy consumption is the most immediate and cost-effective way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to ensure security of energy supply,” he said. “Finding ways to streamline energy use also has great potential to enhance industrial competitiveness, to create millions of jobs, reduce energy poverty and increase comfort levels.”

Food Watch Programme to regulate food served in restaurants, school canteens Application of blockchain technology in the programme to help trace problems to its source, says Data Acquisition Officer, Science Tribune

By Ranjana Konatt

ata collection and auditing is the biggest challenge that exists in using blockchain technology in the Food Watch Programme, asserted Maryam Mohammed, Data Acquisition Officer, Science Tribune, during the Dubai International Food Safety Conference, which took place from October 29 to 31 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center.

As of today, Mohammed said, the Food Watch Programme is available on a website, and Dubai Municipality is in the process of bringing the information on to an app. “Presently, we are adding all the food establishments, including restaurants, on to the Food Watch application, while also including the dishes being served,” she said. By using the application, a user will be able to scan the product slowly using the camera, after which the product will pop up and display all the information related to it, she said. From a nutrition point of view, the application will show data from the calorie count to the allergen-causing components in the product, she said. In addition, she said, the application will also provide details of the canteens in schools, which will enable parents to regulate what their kids are eating. Say, for instance, you go to a restaurant and you want to know the menu, all you have to do is scan the logo and you will be provided with the rating given by the Dubai Municipality, she said.

In the future, Mohammed highlighted, smart food permits and vehicle approvals will also be done via the application and the platform, ensuring protection against breakouts. She said, “If there was a case of food poisoning, we’d be able to trace the problem to its source and that’s where blockchain proves to be useful.”

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EmiratesGBC calls for more Green schools in the United Arab Emirates In the UAE education sector, only four schools, two nurseries and one university are LEED certified, says Director, EmiratesGBC

By Ranjana Konatt

hen discussing sustainability, often a call is made for the growing need for awareness and education, both among end-users and industry professionals. In November 2017, the Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) launched a national initiative aligned with the Global Coalition for Green Schools.

Lora Shrake, Director, EmiratesGBC, said, “The coalition aims to ensure that every child in the United Arab Emirates learns in a Green school and, to achieve this, we have been in discussion with schools and education providers to proliferate the concept of Green schools within the UAE’s private school sector.”

Elaborating on the movement, she said, the EmiratesGBC published a whitepaper, titled ‘State of Our Schools’ aimed at creating additional awareness and discussions on the

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current state of sustainability in UAE’s school buildings.

“We target key stakeholders, such as government representatives, tertiary-level academics, elementary school teachers and civil society,” added Shrake.

Elaborating on how existing private schools are being made more sensitive to energy efficiency, she said, “With over 1,300 schools in the United Arab Emirates and over a million students enrolled, schools have a significant role in contributing to UAE’s vision, steered towards energy efficiency.”

Explaining the challenges of keeping existing school buildings in an energy-efficient state, she said, “Although we are one among the top 10 countries to hold LEED certification outside the United States, presently only four schools, two nurseries and one university are LEED certified in the country.” Elaborating, she said that many school buildings that exist today were built before Green Building regulations, such as Al Sa’fat or Estidama. Therefore, she said, many buildings are not equipped with energy-efficient technologies, and they would greatly benefit from a building retrofit. “New schools being built are better positioned for energy efficiency as compared to those built earlier,” she added.

Elaborating on the work done by EmiratesGBC on privately owned school buildings in Dubai, Shrake said, “The Building Efficiency Accelerator (BEA) benchmarking project, assesses the energy and water performance of existing buildings and, as a part of the project, we have also introduced the first industry energy and water benchmark for schools, due to launch in December 2018.” A key

‘The return on investments is what drives the market to retrofit’ Pietro Moro

Ronak Monga

There is a need to look at investing in retrofits, not from a capex point of view but from an opex point of view, says Sales Director, Xylem Pumps

By Ranjana Konatt

t is important to understand what drives retrofits, and today it seems like the return on investments is what drives the market to retrofit, said Pietro Moro, Sales Director, Building Services and Industry, Xylem Pumps, while elaborating on the existing challenges to retrofitting. “It is important for professionals in the pump’s sub-industry to have a solution strategy in investment, not only from a capex point of view but also from an opex point of view,” he added. With reference to pumps used in cooling towers, he highlighted that the use of VFD systems is common. “The pumps

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sub-industry also has other technologies, such as controllers that have the capability to connect with other devices, such as the BMS system, which operates as per load,” he said. In addition, today, the market is facing trouble with regard to the financing of retrofit projects, he said. “There is a lack of knowledge in terms of having the right industry approach to investments, especially when it comes to deploying energy-efficient pumps,” Moro added.

Ronak Monga, Business Development Manager, Grundfos Middle East, echoes Moro. He highlighted that, today, pump

manufacturing companies encourage retrofits. “We see a 40% increase in the demand for retrofit projects; however, we have also noticed that pumps are often an ignored component and are considered to have a low savings potential,” asserted Monga. He said, “We need to understand that retrofitting is the answer to energy savings and if the system is monitored with the help of a BMS system, we can then propose a technology within the portfolio, which will help to calculate the return on investments.”

step demonstrated with the BEA project, she said, was for schools to understand their energy consumption, whereby similar benchmarking exercises can be adopted in other Emirates. The initiative, she said, is important for supporting schools in improving building efficiency on a year-on-year basis, to save on operational costs.

Today, Shrake added, there is good news for newly built schools, as regulations ensure that there are minimum ventilation requirements and a limit to the acceptable concentration of total VOCs within the building. “HVAC systems should be maintained on time and their parts must be inspected and cleaned periodically, in both new and existing buildings,” Shrake said. Elaborating on other measures, which must be in place to ensure the buildings remain in an energy-efficient state, she said, the location of filters in the building are crucial to ensure effective circulation.

With reference to Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), indoor air contaminants can originate within a building or can even be drawn from outside, Shrake said. “Good IAQ calls for a good HVAC design, where equipment must operate with sufficient ventilation rates, as specified by building regulations and international standards,” she said. Ventilation systems, she said, must be capable of effectively distributing an adequate amount of outdoor air, in order to meet the ventilation needs of a building’s occupants. She added, “The Emirates Coalition for Green Schools is an important step not only for advocating sustainability in schools in the United Arab Emirates but also for its potential legacy; as a result, it improves the learning environment for future generations to come.”

‘Chlorine dioxide most effective for combating Legionella in cooling towers’

‘Hacking is not a threat to the application of blockchain’ The lack of education on what blockchain is, leaves people reluctant to explore the technology, says Tarek Mohammed, Co-founder, Dubai Blockchain Center

By Ranjana Konatt

lockchain technology is something that is in its nascent stage, and it is imperative that we understand what makes the technology so revolutionary, asserted Tarek Mohammed, Co-Founder, Dubai Blockchain Center, during a Tarek Mohammed conversation on the application of the technology to the HVAC sector.

“The technology was first used to address the problem of double spending, which resulted in the creation of cryptology back in the year 2009,” Tarek Mohammed said. Ruling out hacking as a possible threat to the adoption of blockchain, he said, “To think of hacking as a threat is a misconception.” There are different ways in which blockchain can be used, and in order to hack a system, a person would need over 60 million dollars’ worth of computing power, which does not make any monetary sense, he said. “As of today, there are approximately 1,600 cryptocurrencies running on the technology; however, not all are designed to be an open source platform,” he said. However, he asserted, adopting the technology in an open-source format will bring about transparency and traceability in the HVAC industry.

Pointing to the need for education, Tarek Mohammed said, “I see a lack of education on the subject, which is why people are reluctant to explore the technology.”

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The application is expensive but effective, says Grundfos Middle East

By Ranjana Konatt

egionella might be a well-known threat in cooling towers, and it is something to be concerned about, highlighted Ronak Monga, Business Development Manager, Grundfos Middle East. When water is at approximately 25 degrees C, the exposure and mixture of water with air makes it perfect for bacterial growth, he said. Elaborating on a few Ronak Monga methods to tackle the spread of Legionella, Monga said, “One method to treat Legionella is to heat water beyond 70 degrees C, but this is not possible in cooling towers.” The other, more commonly used, method is chlorine, which is not good enough, as it only fights 99% of pathogens and has no effect on Legionella, hence, does no good in solving the problem, said Monga.

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While suggesting the best practice, Monga said, “The ideal method is to use chlorine dioxide, ClO2, which is effective.”

However, he said that the chemical must be produced on site and must not be stored or transported. The solution is created by causing a reaction between two chemicals, sodium hydrochloric acid and chlorine dioxide, he said. The reaction needs to take place in a controlled environment to produce chlorine dioxide, he added. Monga highlighted cost as a major challenge, as it is an expensive solution. However, he said, there is a need to raise awareness about adopting the right kind of solution. He added, “If using such a mechanism is made a mandate, and if the municipality sets a deadline to make this a norm, we might be able to save on the energy, which is, in other scenarios, used to heat water to kill the germs.”

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‘Nobody wants to retrofit for IAQ' ESCOs need to have innovative solutions in dealing with retrofit projects, says industry representative

By Ranjana Konatt

he biggest challenge in handling retrofit projects is navigating a customer through the start and sign-off period, said Charles Blashke, MD, Taka Solutions, while giving an overview of retrofitting from an ESCO perspective. Blashke also highlighted that retrofitting for Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is something that is often ignored. He said, “Nobody wants to retrofit for IAQ and the situation is horrible, as most buildings are non-code Krishna Murthy Charles Blashke Holley Chant compliant.”

Echoing Blashke is Krishna Murthy, Deputy Director, Environmental Solutions and Consultancy. He said, “In the GCC KEO Consultants. Giving an example of retrofitting for IAQ, she region, IAQ has an important role to play, as people are indoors said that a firm like Google has invested massively in its physical for the most amount of time.” He added that there is a need for environment, where there is a culture of awareness for retrofits.

ESCOs to have innovative solutions in dealing with retrofit projects, Chant said, “If you attend conferences, you will hear people talking especially considering that every ESCO does a similar kind of work. about Dubai, since there is a tremendous focus on retrofit projects Adding to the thought is Holley Chant, Executive Director, in the region.”

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UAE competing with advanced cities in implementing solar projects, says Etihad ESCO CEO outlines projects and mechanism to address 70% energy consumption required to cool buildings

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

he Middle East region is Etihad ESCO, Al Jassim said, have moving towards renewable successfully executed projects in this regard. energy, in terms of solar, “We are approximately at 52-53 megawatts said Ali Al Jassim, CEO, connected,” he said. “We have a pipeline of Etihad ESCO, who stressed that the solar on the roof with a capacity of more United Arab Emirates is one of the than 30 megawatts under construction. Our fastest-moving countries in target is to reach 100 megawatts adopting and implementing in the coming months; next year solar energy projects. we plan to have 50 megawatt “Today, we have one of the connected, and so forth.” largest, if not the largest, Elaborating on solar power’s solar on a single rooftop,” impact on cooling, Al Jassim issued he said. “The capacity of a reminder that solar requires that is 18.1 megawatt on space. “Since air conditioning is Ali Al Jassim a single roof; this can give 70% of your energy bill, you need you an indication, where the huge space to compensate that United Arab Emirates and Dubai are percentage of energy consumption,” he said. moving towards solar panels. We are “Most of the facilities, we find, don’t have competing with the largest and most that much space.” Today the regulation in advanced cities in the world, when it Dubai, Al Jassim said, is to connect the solar comes to implementing solar projects.” with the grid, to get metering at the end of

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the year. “You connect to the DEWA grid, you do not connect the solar devices to any equipment,” he explained. “The power you generate you get compensated for, in terms of monetary value, at the end of the year, so it’s the same whether you connect it to your AC or you connect it to the grid -- at the end of the day, you get credit for it.”

That being said, Al Jassim said that there are a number of technological innovations and smart devices that offer a lot of possibilities that may make direct connection of solar to power air conditioning possible. However, he added, a cost-benefit analysis must be administered to ensure that it is the most economical and beneficial step for the project in question.

In this vein, Al Jassim said, economies of scale in solar, as with any project, are always the best option. “If you have 500 villas, it is better than 50, which is better than five,” he said. “Economics vary and makes your cash flow positive and your project implementable.”

Honeywell inaugurates Technology Experience Center in Dubai Center to showcase value-added applications of IoT across multiple sectors

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

oneywell inaugurated its Technology Experience Center at its regional headquarters in Dubai, on November 5. During the official opening, Norm Gilsdorf, President, Honeywell, High Growth Regions, Middle East and Russia, spoke on how the centre aims to promote knowledge exchange and highlight the company’s commitment to Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. The experience centre, Gilsdorf said, is the first of its kind in the region and the third for Honeywell globally, the first two of which were launched in Washington DC, USA, and Shanghai, China. The decision to set up a hub in Dubai, he said, is owing to the dynamic nature of the Middle East region and strong government support towards digitalisation in the context of smart cities.

“With the country’s high standard for innovation and move towards smart and connected cities, there is no better place to have a centre like this,” he said. “The city, as we all know, is a connection point for much of the world from east to west, and we wanted to create a centre, where people can share knowledge by visualising, seeing and touching actual devices and seeing them operate.”

Gilsdorf said the centre will receive a broad range of stakeholders in the field of aerospace, building controls, smart cities and logistics, both from the private and public sectors. Honeywell, he said, is leveraging its

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‘Facts and figures vital for making decisions related to energy efficiency’ AI is an enabler in making decisions based on real-time data, says McKinsey and Company

By Ranjana Konatt

long history in control devices, areas where they can expand from its early beginnings with solutions in this field. “Being boiler controls and thermostats, connected and through data to control heating and cooling, analytics, you can support FM to recent initiatives in refineries, companies to be efficient and airplanes and buildings, in a smarter, instead of being labour more digitalised world. “The intensive,” he said, emphasising theme you will see throughout that IoT has impacted planning Norm Gilsdorf the centre,” he said, “is the of maintenance to help connected world.” Gilsdorf added that avoid downtime and ensure that building Honeywell is also placing great emphasis operations are more efficient and productive. on the promotion of Science, Technology, As an example, Gilsdorf pointed to the Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) skills company’s engagement with the iconic Burj throughout the country and GCC region, Khalifa, which implemented such solutions through education. for the maintenance of the building, and Gilsdorf said connection offers great led to a 40% cost reduction, because the value-added opportunities in enhancing system was able to “predict what’s going to efficiencies, and provided the example of fail, before it fails at a high reliability rate”, how a typical 200,000-barrel-a-day refinery, which optimises allocation of manpower and considered small- to average-sized, can resources. improve profitability by USD 300 million, Gilsdorf also highlighted that the centre through these technologies, to underscore is co-located with Honeywell’s industrial opportunities in the oil and gas industry. cybersecurity center of excellence (COE), Speaking on how the centre could launched in February 2018, the first of the contribute to the improvement of building company in the region, and the second performance, Gilsdorf discussed the evolving globally, the first being in Atlanta, USA, and nature of FM in the region and Honeywell’s the third to be developed in Singapore. The strategy to engage stakeholders in this COE, he said, will address cyber security sector. Many companies that are partners issues and provide a safe environment for and distributors of Honeywell, he said, in testing equipment and enhance knowledge in the field of fire and life safety, BMS and/ protecting integrated systems, by discussing or security systems, are not aware of the potential vulnerabilities. He said, “We teach company’s diverse portfolio of solutions, you how to hack, to know how to protect and the centre will showcase potential from being hacked.”

ince the year 2010, there has been approximately USD 18 billion of investment in Artificial Intelligence in the construction industry,” said Dr Ghassan Ziadat, Vice President, Major Projects, McKinsey and Company, while speaking at the International Conference for Sustainable Construction, held in Dubai. While mapping out the role played by IT and technology in building design, he said that new technologies such as Digital Twin Modelling, robotics and automation are shaping the way construction projects are approached in the Middle East. “With reference to new and existing buildings, it is essential to understand and identify the risks associated with an upcoming project, while also understanding the performance of an existing building,” he added.

At the end of the day, Ziadat said, it is important that the industry understands the power of AI as an enabler in making decisions based on real-time data. He said, “Designers often rely on experts without having a backup plan.” This, he said, can influence the project in its later phases. With regard to existing buildings, he said, data must be used to highlight trends of the risks and make informed design choices. He added, “Facts and figures are vital to understanding sustainability and making decisions related to energy efficiency.”

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Retrofit of the Future seminar discusses role of existing buildings in Green future Event organised by the Royal Danish Consulate, highlighted close cooperation between the United Arab Emirates and Denmark in the field of energy efficiency and featured presentations by experts

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

HE Franz-Michael Skjold Mellbin

Bjarne Dalgaard

he Royal Danish Consulate General recently organised ‘Retrofit of the Future’, an exclusive seminar and exhibition discussing the important role the existing building stock plays in the move towards a Green future, on November 5 and 6, in Dubai. During his welcome remarks, HE Franz-Michael Skjold Mellbin, Ambassador of Denmark in the UAE, spoke on the symbolism behind the decision to hold the event at the Mohamed bin Rashid Space Centre, being the first passive, off-grid house that can accommodate the region’s hot and humid climate. Speaking on the close cooperation between Denmark and the UAE, Mellbin drew parallels between both countries, not only with regard to having ambitious environmental goals, but also in the willingness to invest, in order to meet these ambitions, highlighting how Danish expertise and solutions may benefit the

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Morten Søndergaard

Charles Blaschke

United Arab Emirates moving forward and the establishment of the Danish Retrofitting Alliance.

Elaborating on how the oil crisis during the 1970s helped Denmark develop unique expertise on resource-efficient buildings, Bjarne Dalgaard, Technical Consultant, Danish Building and Property, shared case studies and discussed existing mechanisms within the country that promote best practice, which are driven by both national and European regulations and ensure that saving energy and money go hand in hand.

“We use a lot of tools in Denmark to lower energy consumption,” he said, “windows, lighting, insulation. We are also looking at natural over mechanical ventilation, District Heating, retrofitting of pumps and energy management.” Dalgaard said that energy labelling is also an important tool that has strong influence, “because you can’t rent out buildings if they don’t live up to

Tolga Candan

certain energy efficiency standards.” He also spoke on the importance of FM, adding that maintaining energy savings is as important as achieving it.

Morten Søndergaard, Executive Vice President, International Operations, (Danish Energy Management (DEM) and Managing Director of Danish Energy Efficiency Partners (DEEP), delivered a presentation on the development and implementation of energy efficiency strategies and provided an update on the company’s profile of activities in the United Arab Emirates, as well as projects in the pipeline. “We see huge potential for energy reduction in buildings and we have established a company focusing on unlocking this potential,” he said. “To that end, we are taking care of the entire process of identifying the savings, making the technical solution, introducing the equipment in the building and then monitoring its use over the years,

combined with doing financing, as a package. We are actually doing the entire business for the building owners and then we are sharing the savings.”

Charles Blaschke, Managing Director, Taka Solutions, discussed retrofitting in the context of the United Arab Emirates, emphasising how the country can benefit from the expertise and solutions from Denmark in this regard. Blaschke discussed how shortcomings of the existing building stock provides a lot of opportunities for savings of up to 50%, if not more, through lowcost, energy efficient retrofits. He also outlined key organisational players driving retrofit programmes in the United Arab Emirates and how the financing model is driving demand for quality solutions.

Representing one of the companies that aim to offer such solutions, Tolga Candan, Business Development Manager, Energy Optimisation and Retrofitting, Grundfos, highlighted how Denmark’s energy consumption remained the same, despite the 70% growth in GDP since 1980. “Grundfos is an industry leader born from the Danish mindset that we can grow and increase our efficiency, as well as reduce energy,” he said. “There are other Danish companies with the same mindset and united, our voice becomes stronger. It’s not about selling a pump, it’s about being part of a solution.” Candan said that investment in energy-efficient retrofits is growing because of looming environmental targets

and greater appreciation of economic payback. With operational costs increasing exponentially, he said, reducing consumption not only helps reduce carbon emissions but also lowers expenses, so governments can invest more in the welfare of their people.

Dalgaard and Blaschke also spoke on the importance of enhancing IEQ in retrofit projects to ensure health of building inhabitants, as well as the increasing role that digitalisation plays in improving efforts

in this regard. Daniel Bachmann, Group CEO and Founding Partner, International IoT Distribution (IIoTD) echoed this, sharing the company’s commitment to intelligently use data to better understand how to improve indoor climate. “You can control it, but you can only control it, if you know it,” he said.

“There is a lot of knowledge involved and Denmark has, in many ways, been leading in indoor climate research, so that’s what we want to bring to Dubai.”

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Unilever discusses payback of Sustainable Living Plan

appreciation for sustainability provides employees with a sense of purpose, in knowing that the company they work for cares about the environment.

“It also works extremely well as a platform to attract the younger generation because they care far more deeply about these issues,” he said.

“So,whether in terms of trust, growth or talent, [investing in sustainability] has dramatic positive impact.”

Kakkar also discussed Unilever’s Company official highlights ambition to be carbon positive by savings in long-term 2030. “The key driver for that is going manufacturing processes, to be energy consumption,” he said. increasing employee morale “The energy we consume has to be and consumer attractiveness from sustainable sources. Now, the big energy consumption happens in

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor our manufacturing plants and we are fortunate here that there is a great drive towards this in the uring an industry United Arab Emirates, forum focusing where they have set up on SDG Goal large solar facilities.”

12 ‘sustainable Moving forward, Kakkar consumption and said, Unilever will be production’, for the sixth sourcing a part of that edition of the Unilever grid, so that a certain Sustainable Living Plan, percentage of energy Sanjiv Kakkar Sanjiv Kakkar, Executive would be classified Vice President, Unilever as green, but the MENA, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine end goal is to source 100% of the and Belarus, discussed the energy from the grid. However, he payback of the company’s emphasised that the feasibility of the sustainability initiatives, and how company’s ambitious environmental such commitments enhance the plan varies throughout the region, as company’s global competitive many countries are not as proactive advantage. “We have now run the in integrating renewable sources Unilever Sustainable Living Plan within their energy grids. According since 2010 and it has gathered to the company, its Personal Care momentum,” he said. “We find Manufacturing Facility in Dubai is one that over this period, if you look of the first factories in the region to at the total cost saving that have the largest private solar park, has come out from what you delivering 2MW out of its 9MW clean could classify as sustainability energy requirements. initiatives, whether around While there are a number of energy, waste or management emerging technologies in the cold of water resources, in our chain sector that could support the manufacturing cycle, we have had company in achieving its goals, Kakkar savings of around EUR 700-750 said there are still gaps and areas of million (USD 799.3-856.4 million) improvement. “Technology moved over this eight-year period.” to a level where things are possible Kakkar added that more and in many areas and demand from more brands under Unilever corporates will drive it,” he said, “which embed sustainability in their is why it’s good that corporates set core, be it in their communication the goals, because then it drives strategy or in product manufacturers to push themselves to formulation, as it resonates upgrade their technology, knowing strongly with consumers, which there is a demand.” Unless and until is driving further growth in this the private sector sets the bar, he said, direction. Kakkar also said that the supply chain will not follow.

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UAE-made 'portable cooling solution' to launch at The Big 5 The technology can cool up to 328 m² of space, while delivering up to 33,000 m³ of cool air volume in the harshest environments on earth, says President, ProXcelo

By Ranjana Konatt

he challenging temperature conditions throughout the Gulf region necessitates specific cooling solutions to Janty Ghopkash help relieve heat stress, said Janty Ghopkash, President, ProXcelo Industries, while pointing to the demand for portable cooling technologies in the Middle East region. Highlighting the company’s new cooling technology, the ‘DualXcool,’ he said, it not only provides efficient evaporative cooling but also allows customers to choose an additional cooling boost from evaporative cooling. Heat stress today, he added, is a common issue during the harsh summers in the region and is often a contributing factor leading to project slow-down. “The ProXcool 200 and 300, incorporates DualXcool Technology, which helps deal with heat stress,” asserted Ghopkash. In addition, he said, providing efficient portable cooling to a location or a work site ensures worker safety and a healthier working environment. The UAE-made solution is due to launch at the Big 5 event in Dubai, in November, he said. It can find its application in manufacturing facilities, warehouses, distribution centres, oil and gas installations, factories, military bases, sporting events and even at large construction project sites, he added.

Elaborating on the installation and commissioning of the technology, Ghopkash said, “A simple water inlet hook-up and a standard electrical outlet is all that an end-user needs.”

He said that the coolers can cool up to 328 m² of space, while delivering up to 33,000 m³ of cool air volume to the harshest environments on earth. Looking ahead to the future, Ghopkash said, “Our dream is to bring UAE-made products to customers around the globe, including the United States, Europe and Asia.”

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Key design considerations required for ventilation of metro projects in Middle East Atkins outlines difference from traditional building layouts; shares projects in the pipeline

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

ith metro projects in metro projects is also being part of the considerably more, compared to public transport a regular building project and system, there therefore, communication and are key considerations that coordination among stakeholders should be kept in mind while is a big challenge. Due to train designing its HVAC and tunnel movement, noise- and vibrationPramod Kumar Jha ventilation systems, said Pramod control measures is a bigger Kumar Jha, Senior Mechanical challenge in metro projects, Jha Engineer, Building Services, Middle East, said, and the average cooling per area in Atkins, member of SNC-Lavalin. “In regular metro projects is much higher than regular building projects – hotels, residences and building projects. “Therefore, the large HVAC office complex projects – the buildings have system design with respect to the location got a typical layout for many floors and, of the metro station/building is a challenge hence, a standard design solution can be by itself,” he said. Lastly, high ambient adopted,” Jha explained. “In a metro project, temperature in the Middle East poses a big all the buildings – stations, depots, tunnels, challenge on tunnel cooling and ventilation tunnel ventilation/emergency egress shafts system design.

– differ from one another in terms of shapes, With the aforementioned considerations, sizes, location, approach and operation.”

Jha outlined key factors that must be kept Jha stressed these buildings are in mind in designing the station HVAC and also interconnected with each other tunnel ventilation systems: operationally, meaning an issue in any of the buildings may also impact the other a) Passenger safety is the first and foremost buildings in terms of train operation and consideration. other system-related operations, which is not b) Consideration of the future requirements the case for regular building projects. (e.g. passengers to be transported in Jha highlighted other key differences.

10 years’ time ahead from the year of Firstly, the metro buildings accommodate beginning of metro operation). special systems, such as rail power, c) Safety, reliability, availability and automated platform screen doors, maintenance automated fare-collection system, rail d) Demand-based operation of the HVAC and signaling and communication system, smoke tunnel ventilation system ventilation system and/or tunnel ventilation e) Energy-efficient system design (e.g. use of system. “Being an infrastructure project,” Jha free cooling, energy recovery from the cool added, “the MEP services are designed with exhaust air, reduce infiltration/exfiltration, a consideration of future demands, expected use of high-efficiency equipment, etc). expansions and replacement of equipment. f) Adequate space allowance for delivery, Being part of public transport services, installation, replacement, maintenance the metro MEP services are designed of all equipment is to be considered right with stringent reliability, availability, from the initiation of the design, as the maintainability and safety (RAMS), as equipment are very large and heavy per international requirements. This also (e.g. a tunnel ventilation fan size could means that MEP services are designed with be of 3,200mm diameter and the noise sufficient space allowances for easy and attenuator could be of size 4,000mm x quick maintenance, for continuous functional 5,000mm x 3,000mm) requirements.” g) Air infiltration and exfiltration (from the tunnel to the station or vice versa, due to Jha added that the quantity of piston effect of the train movement in the stakeholders, government authorities, tunnel) to be considered while sizing the service providers, manufacturers, services HVAC equipment designers and third-party reviewers involved

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h) Tunnel ventilation systems are sized for high pressure variation due to the train’s piston effect, and allow less time for tunnel ventilation fans to reach to 100% design speed in one direction and in reverse direction as per NFPA 130 standard, based on tunnel ventilation system operation mode. i) Use of innovative means of cooling, such as radiant floor cooling, which is recommended only for central parts of the buildings, which are not exposed to direct ambient air.

Underscoring the importance of having the right knowledge for such niche projects, Jha said that as the world economy is looking towards the Middle East region, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and other GCC countries are opening new opportunities for metro professionals to utilise their knowledge to support the upcoming metro projects, which are being developed to resolve the traffic congestion, environment challenges, pollution and to provide more economic and efficient transportation in the region. Sharing some of the metro projects in the pipeline in Middle East region, Jha pointed to the Dubai Metro Green Line and Red Line Extensions; enhancement of Dubai Metro stations; Abu Dhabi Metro; Makkah Metro; Jeddah Metro and Kuwait Metro.

Pramod Kumar Jha will hold a seminar on ‘Design of environmental control and ventilation systems for metro projects in the Middle East region’ from 1pm to 1:45 pm. on November 27, at the HVAC R Expo, part of The Big 5 Dubai.

‘Customised humanoid robot to help in the design stage of construction projects’ Ministry of Infrastructure Development in the UAE is the first to invent and design a customised humanoid robot, which uses AI for predictive analyses, says Director, Design Department

By Ranjana Konatt

he Museum of the Future uses generative in a situation,” she added. Elaborating, she said that the design, an AI concept, which is a design-specific Ministry of Infrastructure Development in the United Arab data analytics concept, highlighted Anwaar Emirates is the first to invent and design a customised Al Shimmari, Director, Design Department, humanoid robot, which uses AI for predictive analyses.

Chief Innovation Officer, Ministry of Infrastructure “The robot can be used in the design stage of a Development (UAE), during the International project, in its execution and even in the planning and Conference for Sustainable Materials, held in Dubai. maintenance stage of a building,” asserted Al Shimmari.

Elaborating, she said that The Museum of the Future is Elaborating, she said, ideally, in the project-planning Anwaar Al Shimmari the first structure to use the AI concept. “With reference stage we focus on benchmarking and then go on to to infrastructure, we have automation and construction technology identifying the needs and requirements to fulfil a project. She added, in place; however, there is a growing need for professionals in the “We try and understand how best the robot can use AI in facilities construction space to define the various uncertainties that may arise management and in asset management.”

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Eurovent publishes updated recommendation on ISO 16890 rated air filter classes The 2018 version is aligned with European standardisation developments, Eurovent says

Seeley International provides solution for a new mega school in Perth

By CCME Content Team

Solution provides comfortable temperatures throughout the school’s general learning areas, open learning areas and library, company says

he Eurovent Product Group 'Air Filters' has published an updated version of its Recommendation 4/23, ‘Selection of EN ISO 16890 rated air filter classes for general ventilation applications’, the organisation announced in a Press communiqué. The 2018 version is aligned with European standardisation developments, the communiqué said.

According to Euovent, the updated version includes a hands-on table, which shows that required filtration efficiencies can be reached by using different filters or different combinations of filters. The communiqué said that most national member associations of Eurovent are working on translating the updated version into other languages. The communiqué further said that a Brazilian market version is under development, following multiple requests.

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By CCME Content Team

newly developed mega school in the north-eastern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia, was provided with a total climate control solution, using a combination of Seeley International's products, the company said in a Press communiqué. The new school was looking for a solution that would provide comfortable temperatures throughout the general learning areas, open learning areas and library, the communiqué said.

According to Seeley, a combination of 59 Braemar evaporative coolers, seven Climate Wizard CW-P15 and one Aira HCV (Heating, Cooling Ventilation) unit was installed at the school premises, supplying the comfortable temperatures and fresh air that the school required.

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A key role for cold chain in forensic research and criminal proceedings NIST discusses how temperature-controlled storage and transportation impacts the integrity of biological evidence collection and its effect on criminal proceedings

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

secure cold chain underpins the integrity of food, medicine, even artwork. In addition, it is equally instrumental in the field of forensics. Temperature controls in this industry can have alarming ramifications in evidence collection and, in some cases, determine the conviction, or exoneration, of an individual. Shannan Rene Williams, Project Manager for the Special Programs Office, Forensic Science Research Programme, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), a laboratory, and non-regulatory agency of the United States Department of Commerce, discussed the role that temperature and environment plays in maintaining the integrity of evidence,

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and the need for guidelines in the sector.

Williams stressed that forensic science is mainly concerned with maintaining the integrity of evidence throughout the entire chain of custody. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If a crime has occurred and there are different types of evidence, including biological, when you test it, you have to make sure your analysis is correct,â&#x20AC;? she explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is where temperature and environmental conditions are important.

If evidence has forensic value, you do have to consider the temperature at which itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s being stored, so you can ensure the correct results.â&#x20AC;? This varies, she said, based on the type of DNA evidence, be it blood, or, as an example a wet piece of t-shirt used to extract DNA, all of which must be stored at different conditions. â&#x20AC;&#x153;DNA evidence is very important in the criminal justice system,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is used to identify or exonerate individuals. If biological evidence is not stored appropriately, there is a lot of risk associated with it. The biggest risk is not getting the right result.â&#x20AC;?

Williams also pointed out that forensic evidence is unique in that, once it leaves an agencyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s control, there isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a stringent mechanism for accountability, adding that another major challenge is ensuring the climate is maintained, as it is transported to the next location, be it a lab, or a courthouse.

In certain situations, Williams said, some samples of evidence that are not handled or stored properly, and undergo temperature and humidity abuse, may make it harder to find the DNA [in those samples].

Williams stressed that NIST is committed to pushing forward best practices in terms of appropriate short- and long-term storage conditions, adding there was no consistency in terms of proper protocols in evidence rooms, by way of nation-wide standards, which is what led the organisation to develop The Biological Evidence Preservation Handbook. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t advocate a particular standard, but we do propose some minimum standards based on scientific review, on what should be frozen, refrigerated and the

We need to look at Total Cost of Ownership, says Danfoss Company representative estimates that digitalisation alone will reduce the need for maintenance for endusers by as much as a trillion dollars, annually

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

anfoss is placing strong emphasis on Total Cost of Ownership, said John Conboy, Director of Sales, Marketing and Service, Danfoss Drives Segment, Middle East and North Africa, who stressed that the company is committed to engaging John Conboy all stakeholders in a project, including the consultant, contractor, end-user and system integrator, to ensure the right technology is being used in the right way. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The dialogue has to go both ways,â&#x20AC;? Conboy said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;because maybe the scope of the contractor or consultant is purely to deliver a project at a certain price. If the end-user is stating that from the beginning, then thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how they are driven, that is their KPI.â&#x20AC;?

Touching on the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wide spectrum of product offerings, Conboy stressed that while Danfoss has different topologies

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of technology, and can offer what is required for a variable speed drive, not every drive is suitable for every application or customer and that stakeholders must have a number of considerations in place when it comes to choosing equipment.

With the price of energy increasing, Conboy said companies are slowly becoming more concerned with their cost of operation but that there is still a long way to go for better appreciation of opex over capex.

Conboy said Danfoss is following six global megatrends, which includes digitalisation and climate change. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Digitalisation is really about the connectivity of things,â&#x20AC;? he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;which will lead to reduced maintenance cost in the future. The more information we can take from those devices will lead to reduced maintenance. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s estimated that digitalisation alone will reduce the need for maintenance for end-users by up to a trillion dollars, annually, so this is something very much driving djg G 9 Z[[dgih#Âş

necessary temperature controls. Labs are on the way to try and document how it’s stored, but there’s lots of room for improvement. It is important to raise awareness on the issue of making sure evidence is managed in a lifecycle across all the agencies.” Williams added, the standards, which NIST is promoting, are voluntary, but that the handbook is available for everyone and has been translated in many languages, for countries to consider adopting it for use.

Essentially, Williams said, it is difficult to specify equipment for laboratories, given the vast range of law enforcement agencies, which determines the level of investment provided for the training and equipment in evidence storage. Some, she said, can use regular home refrigerators as evidence storage devices, while others can have entire rooms. “The level of investment is a challenge across the board,” she said. “Property and evidence tend to be overlooked. We hear agencies that don’t have resources in facilities that can maintain constant temperature x, y and z. Ideally, you would have an entire property evidence room.

At least have some temperature control, if not refrigeration, but that is a challenge, especially for agencies with millions of items. They can’t afford the cost of maintaining such a large facility with adequate temperature and humidity controls.” The standards, she said, are part of efforts in the evidence-awareness programme to encourage greater investment in resources.

Conboy said that Danfoss is also proactive in cost of ownership’s role under the umbrella of climate change, which is driving effort to educate the market. “When we look at a project now, we give maybe two, three or four options of what we can supply,” he said. “We make a calculation on which is the best operational option for you to choose in the long run and then we will present that information to the end-user so they are informed as well, so when they are talking to the contractor or consultant, or whoever might be involved in the project, they are aware that there are options available to them.

EPA issues proposed rule for Section 608 leak repairs The rule re-evaluates the EPA's approach to regulating HFCs, AHRI says

By CCME Content Team

he US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has pre-published a proposed rule on ‘Protection of Stratospheric Ozone: Revisions to the Refrigerant Management Program’s Extension to Substitutes’, re-evaluating its approach to regulating HFCs, AHRI said in a Press communiqué.

According to AHRI, in 2016, the EPA extended its leak-repair provisions to appliances using substitute refrigerants, but not for ozone-depleting refrigerants.

If finalised as proposed, this action would rescind the leak-repair and maintenance requirements of 40 CFR 82.157 for substitute refrigerants.

Therefore, appliances with 50 or more pounds of substitute refrigerants would no longer be subject to the following requirements: Conduct leak rate calculations, when refrigerant is added to an appliance; repair an appliance that leaks above a threshold leak rate; conduct verification tests on repairs; conduct periodic leak inspections on appliances that exceed the threshold leak rate; report to EPA on chronically leaking appliances; retrofit or retire appliances that are not repaired and maintain related records, the communiqué said.

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Bitzer Spot app enables users to verify the authenticity of products The app contains extensive documentation and a directory of all Bitzer and Green Point service points and certified dealers, manufacturer says

By CCME Content Team

ompressor manufacturer, Bitzer announced the launch of the Bitzer Spot application, via a press communiqué. The Bitzer Spot app enables users to verify the authenticity of Bitzer products, the communiqué said. The app also contains extensive documentation and a directory of all Bitzer and Green Point service points, as well as all certified dealers, the communiqué further said. The app, which is free to download, is available on the App Store and Google Play, the communiqué added.

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According to Bitzer, in order to verify the authenticity of a product, customers can scan the QR code on the product by means of the Bitzer Spot app. Scanning the code notifies the users whether the article is a genuine Bitzer product or not, thus protecting customers from counterfeit products, the communiqué said.

The communiqué also said when the QR code is scanned, the app automatically shows the documentation for the product concerned.

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AHRI’s NextGen Directory to help verify product performance Official says challenge of performance verification greater in chillers, coils and air handlers

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

HRI’s recently launched combine all the possible configurations NextGen Directory is and the entire possible operating map of leveraging new technologies applied products, you essentially end up to incorporate a sophisticated with millions of possible combinations. search engine that will help with product Considering the high stakes of verification, said Henry Hwong, Senior projects with such significant financial Vice President, Standards investments, often associated and Global Operations, with configured applied Air-Conditioning, Heating, products, the stakes are high and Refrigeration Institute to properly identify and verify (AHRI). “One of the greatest a product’s performance at its challenges in verifying the application condition.” performance of any product, Hwong said the verification is to be able to properly of the performance of a single identify the product in standard rating point of a Henry Hwong question,” he explained, “base” model does little to adding that most manufacturers have ensure performance at actual application their own unique model nomenclature condition and doesn’t even guarantee that often incorporates wild card that the product will operate at the characters, such as an asterisk. The standard rating condition. “AHRI not NextGen Directory, Hwong explained, only certifies the entire operating map leverages new technologies to help of applied products but also offers users easily find the exact product they a verification process when used in are trying to verify. “Once the product conjunction with the AHRI NextGen is identified in the directory, it’s the Directory,” he said. “AHRI’s certification press of a button to download the programmes of applied products, such AHRI Certification Certificate and the as water cooled chillers, require that unique AHRI Reference Number,” he participants submit selection software said. Hwong said the AHRI Certification that can be used to configure and select Certificate and Reference Number are any chiller at any applied condition.” such well-known resources that most The software, new and updates, must contractors will include them as part of be first approved by AHRI before use in their bid package. the market place and are shown on the Hwong added that the challenge AHRI NextGen Directory with the proper of identifying the proper model for version number and revision date, he said. performance verification is even greater This allows all stakeholders to validate the when it comes to configured applied latest version of software used to make products such as chillers, coils and any selection and request a verification air handlers. “These products often

by AHRI. “This verification service is have a unique model number that provided by AHRI free of charge and is configured for a specific job and will provide verification of performance operating condition,” he said. “When you of the exact configured model and the

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exact application condition,” Hwong added. “It is fair to say that the use of the AHRI Directory in conjunction with the verification service have made significant contributions to reducing performance misrepresentations.”

Providing a historical background on the factors that led to these modern upgrades, Hwong explained that AHRI launched its first product performance certification program and Directory in 1959 with a listing of around 500 models, and that since then, the number of AHRI programmes has grown to 44 with nearly three million listings. In 1998, Hwong said, the directories moved to an electronic format, which provided certification status and performance ratings in real time and removed all ambiguities in terms of real performance numbers. It was then, Hwong said, that reliance on the directory grew and in the early 2000s came the introduction of AHRI Certification Certificates in support of utility demandside rebate programmes. “Utilities offering financial rebates for the purchase of highefficiency products demanded proof of certification, to ensure that the product will perform as promised,” he said. “AHRI Certification Certificates provide all the manufacturers and performance data on a date-stamped certificate, generated in real time, with a unique Reference Number.”

The recent upgrades, Hwong said, were inevitable, mostly owing to emergence of regulatory compliance. “Over the years, the AHRI Directory became the primary tool for manufacturers to submit data to regulatory agencies in compliance with various federal, state and international regulatory reporting requirements,” he said. “The original AHRI Directory platform was never designed with regulatory reporting in mind, and a decision was made to design and build a brand new AHRI Directory from the ground up.”

This, he said, was the genesis of AHRI’s NextGen Directory, which took over two years to design and build, following significant investment from AHRI.

Eurovent publishes guidebook on air-handling units

IoT data must be interpreted to enhance value, says Grundfos

Publication contains essential information about the heart of a ventilation system, organisation says

Company official says integration with sensor technology vital to optimise operations

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

oT has been at the forefront of many discussions related to emerging building technologies, yet the technology must be combined with technical know-how, in order to optimise its integration, said Carsten Østergård Pedersen, Senior Manager, District Energy, Grundfos (Group), who stressed that IoT offers good perspective within a project, but it has to make sense to the customer. “You should combine it with a lot of sensor technology to add value to the data, and offer the data for the optimisation of the customer,” he said. “If we don’t interpret the data, we are not necessarily adding enough value.”

Pedersen said that IoT offers very good opportunities and should be utilised where it makes sense and that, as with all changes, training is vital in this regard. “When we come with these new and different IoT solutions,” he said, “we should ensure education of our people to provide the right benefits to the customers in the end.”

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Helen WalterTerrinoni joins AHRI as Vice President, Regulatory Affairs “She has held various technical, manufacturing and business roles that will help AHRI address the variety of regulatory issues confronting our industry,” the association's CEO says

By CCME Content Team

By CCME Content Team

he Eurovent Association’s Product Group AHU has published the first release of its guidebook on air-handling units. The free-ofcharge publication, of 53 pages, provides all essential information on this piece of technology, in a hands-on and neutral manner, the communiqué said.

The Eurovent AHU Guidebook provides, for instance, valuable information on application areas, functions and components, energy efficiency and life-cycle costs, control system, design and selection, certification, as well as standards, the communiqué said. It is not only targeted at producers, but is of equal relevance for consultants, planners, architects, testing agencies, and everyone else having to deal with air-handling units in their everyday life, the communiqué further said.

Martin Lenz, Chairman, Eurovent Product Group AHU, said: “My colleagues and I can confidently state that this is the most comprehensive and allencompassing guidebook on air-handling units published to date. Our goal was to create a non-academic, concise and easy-to-read publication that enables readers to better understand the heart of a ventilation system.”

Morten Schmelzer, Executive Director, Eurovent Association and Secretary of the Product Group, added: “It was of specific importance for us to highlight the state-of-the-art in technological development, while raising awareness on core aspects, such as life-cycle costs, design and selection. We want readers to be able to make an unbiased assessment of what defines a high-quality air handling unit and why, for instance, the initial price should not be the main purchasing argument.”

According to Eurovent, the AHU Guidebook can be downloaded from their Document Web Shop at www.eurovent.eu.

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he Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has announced the appointment of Helen Walter-Terrinoni to serve as the association’s Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, via a Press communiqué.

“Helen brings a wealth of industry knowledge and background, with broad experience in critical regulatory issues,” said Stephen Yurek, President and CEO, AHRI. “At the same time, she has held various technical, manufacturing and business roles that will help AHRI address the variety of regulatory issues confronting our industry.”

Formerly a Sustainability Manager at Chemours Fluorochemicals, Walter-Terrinoni managed that company’s global regulatory affairs and has worked in the past with AHRI, as well as with the Center for Polyurethane Institute and other associations, the communiqué said. Walter-Terrinoni is co-chair of the UN Montreal Protocol Foams Technical Options Committee, the Science Advisor for the Alliance for Responsible Atmospheric Policy and has served on the board of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, the communiqué further said.

According to AHRI, Walter-Terrinoni began working for DuPont in 1995 in the Titanium Technologies business, where she spent seven years managing the fluorochemicals foam expansion agent business and development programme, including the manufacturing plant design. The communiqué said she holds a Master’s Degree in chemical engineering, with a concentration in environmental engineering, from Syracuse University.

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Preventive maintenance promotes energy efficiency An ideal approach to preventive maintenance is the full inspection and documentation of an entire HVAC system and its operation, says B&I Contractors

By Ranjana Konatt

increasingly understand the importance of preventive maintenance.

Elaborating on some of the maintenance is the full technical roadblocks to the inspection and documentation process, Foster said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Today, of an entire HVAC system HVAC systems are overand its operation,â&#x20AC;? said engineered and are proprietary Darren Foster Darren Foster, Refrigeration to the brand.â&#x20AC;? This, he said, HZgk^XZ BVcV\Zg! 7 > 8dcigVXidgh! leaves servicing companies unable to get while elaborating on the role of HVAC units up and running, which affects preventive maintenance in energy the end-user. In addition, Foster highlighted efficiency. He said that the treatment that cost had a big part to play. He said, of pumps, coils, heat exchangers, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Commercial facilities try and save money by filters, the amount of amp voltage performing maintenance â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;in-houseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, or simply drawn, monitoring wire connection and not doing it at all.â&#x20AC;? Preventive maintenance, checking for both oil and refrigerant he explained, is looking for the less common loss, are all important when it comes issues that can otherwise be identified to preventive maintenance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Today, during a system breakdown. Foster added, there are umpteen products available â&#x20AC;&#x153;Saving money on maintenance can lead to in the market focused on preventive serious issues in the long run, as servicing maintenance of HVAC systems,â&#x20AC;? he and maintenance are key to a regimented added, stressing that manufacturers schedule.â&#x20AC;?

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n ideal approach to preventive

Tecumseh to open new Global Technology Centre in India Doug Murdock, President and CEO, Tecumseh Products Company, laid the foundation stone for the Global Technology Centre near Delhi, companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s representative says

â&#x2013;ś Tecumseh officials inaugurate Global Technology Centre

By CCME Content Team

ecumseh Products India Private Limited, a subsidiary of Tecumseh Products Company, announced their plans to establish a state-of-the-art global technology centre, near Delhi, through a Press communiquĂŠ.

This centre is expected to further strengthen strategic partnerships and collaboration

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with customers, providing them with next-generation and eco-friendly compressor, condensing unit and system-related technologies, the communiquĂŠ said. The new technology centre will join Tecumseh engineering labs in the United States, France and Brazil to further support an increased focus on research, development and customer applications, the communiquĂŠ further said.

After laying the foundation stone for the Global Technology Centre, Doug

Murdock, President and CEO, Tecumseh Products Company LLC said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are very excited to expand our global product design and manufacturing capabilities.

We are committed to supporting our customers, throughout the world, meet their rapidly changing local needs, industry regulations and product requirements.â&#x20AC;?

According to Tecumseh, the company started its operations in India in 1997 and the opening of the new technology centre reaffirms its commitment to customers in India and surrounding markets.

ASHRAE realigns relationship with IAQA IAQA will transition to an association management firm, organisation’s representative says

By CCME Content Team SHRAE has announced in a Press communiqué that an agreement has been reached with the Indoor Air Quality Association (IAQA) for the latter to transition to an association management firm.

IAQA became an affiliate of ASHRAE in 2015, the communiqué said. In that relationship, IAQA's operational base became integrated within ASHRAE's headquarters operations in Atlanta, Georgia, the communiqué further said. With this change, IAQA will take on a more independent management position, and both organisations are committed to continue collaborative programming that benefits all members involved, the communiqué added.

Commenting on the development, Sheila J Hayter, President, ASHRAE, said: "ASHRAE has progressed strongly as a global

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society, and our focus now turns to positioning each organisation for longterm growth and leadership. The best way to accelerate that transformation is by separating our associations to uniquely position both ASHRAE and IAQA to lead their markets, while focusing strongly on the needs of our members."

Sheila J Hayter During its affiliation, IAQA operated independently within ASHRAE's organisational structure, maintaining its own brand and Board of Directors, the communiqué said. Both associations viewed the initial partnership as an asset for the growth and development of each organisation's distinct membership base, the communiqué further said.

Jay M Stake, President, IAQA, said: "This change comes as a necessity to ensure the growth, expansion and financial stability of our membership and association. IAQA will now be managed by AH, an association management company (AMC), with offices in Mount Laurel, New Jersey and suburban Washington, D.C. IAQA will continue to offer corporate and individual memberships, education, conference and resources to indoor air quality professionals, the communiqué said. ASHRAE will continue its longstanding leadership of IAQ sciences and technologies, the communiqué further said. According to ASHRAE, a task force has been established to examine the best path forward for both organisations.

ASHRAE and ASPE strengthen partnership Signing of new MoU defines parameters on how the two societies will collaborate more closely, official says

By CCME Content Team

▶ L-R: Jeff Littleton, Darryl Boyce, Mitch Clemente and Billy Smith

SHRAE and the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) formalising the relationship between the two organisations, they announced in a Press communiqué.

The MoU was signed by Darryl Boyce, President-Elect, ASHRAE; Jeff Littleton, Executive Vice President, ASHRAE; Mitch Clemente, President, ASPE and Billy Smith, ASPE Executive Director/CEO, the communiqué said. The agreement defines parameters on how the two societies will collaborate more closely, to continue furthering and promoting the advancements of a more sustainable built-environment, the communiqué further said. These include but are not limited to: general advocacy, research, technical committee coordination, joint conferences and meetings, training and education programs, publication distribution and chapter collaboration, the communiqué added.

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Sheila J. Hayter, President, ASHRAE, said: "We are excited about exploring collaborative ventures with ASPE. Many ASHRAE members work in firms that provide a full spectrum of mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) services. The water-energy nexus in buildings is becoming more pronounced, as we push buildings to perform using integrated building design tools and techniques."

Commenting on the partnership, Smith said: "Working with other professional societies in the broader engineering community is critical in today's fast-paced world of evolving technologies and engineering methods. We look forward to working together with ASHRAE to promote ongoing education, best practices, networking and new technologies for a more sophisticated and sustainable indoor environment."

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ENGIE and ALEC become major shareholders in Smart4Power Partnership will transform Smart4Power into a stronger energy-efficiency company in the Middle Eastern region, company official says

By CCME Content Team

nder an agreement signed recently, ENGIE has acquired a significant stake in Smart4Power, the former company announced in a Press communiquĂŠ. The new capital structure of Smart4Power features ENGIE and ALEC as the major shareholders of the company, the communiquĂŠ said.

Dubai-based Smart4Power is an independent energy services company (ESCO) providing energy-saving solutions for existing buildings, in the public and private sectors, in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, the communiquĂŠ said. Smart4Power has already retrofitted 1,700 buildings and intends to reach 10,000 improved facilities in the next 4 years, due to a healthy pipeline of projects in hotels, schools, hospitals and other commercial and residential buildings, the communiquĂŠ further said. One of the latest projects being awarded is the Dubai Airport retrofit project, the communiquĂŠ added.

Smart4Power will benefit from ENGIEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s global energy services expertise as well as its strategic presence in the region and from ALECâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s project execution capabilities, the communiquĂŠ said.

Commenting on the development, SĂŠbastien Arbola, CEO, ENGIE Middle East, South and Central Asia and Turkey, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;ENGIE is implementing a broad range of business-to-business and multitechnical energy services for industrial, commercial and residential buildings, worldwide. Through this acquisition, ENGIE is willing to play a leading role in the Middle East in the field of building energy efficiency services.â&#x20AC;?

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Chigo participates in the 124th Canton Fair Company displays a wide range of innovative products at HVAC trade fair in Guangzhou, China, company's representative says

By CCME Content Team

higo HVAC, the air conditioning solutions provider, participated in the 124th Canton Fair, the company announced in a Press communiquĂŠ. The 124th Canton Fair took place at the Pazhou Complex, in Guangzhou, China, the communiquĂŠ said. The Chigo HVAC booth displayed a range of innovative products in three areas â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the VRF area, light commercial area and corporate strength area, the communiquĂŠ further said.

According to Chigo, the products displayed in the VRF area included the new generation of VRF and mini-VRF series, new floor-ceiling unit, console indoor unit, ultraquiet duct, floor standing unit and full heat exchanger. In the light commercial area, products displayed included the inverter-top-discharge outdoor unit and new air-handler, the communiquĂŠ said. The corporate strength area displayed a detailed interpretation of 8]^\d =K68 G 9 YZh^\c! bVcj[VXijg^c\! fjVa^in Xdcigda VcY egd[Zhh^dcVa bVcV\ZbZci! the communiquĂŠ further said.

According to Chigo, the company relies on continuous improvement of its own management, continuous innovation, technology research and development, strict quality control and pre-sales, sales and after-sales service. The communiquĂŠ said the company promotes enterprise development by project marketing and has steadily shifted its engineering marketing strategy, gradually establishing an international brand image in overseas markets.

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JesĂşs GutiĂŠrrez, Co-Managing Director, Smart4Power, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The fact that ENGIE and ALEC, referent players in their respective markets (energy and construction business) have decided to invest in Smart4Power shows the increasing importance of the energy-efficiency market in the region.â&#x20AC;?

Hercu Viljoen, Managing Director, Related Businesses, ALEC, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We believe that the collaboration with ENGIE will produce a win-win solution. We look forward to working closely with ENGIE in order to strengthen the Smart4Power offering in the GCC region.â&#x20AC;?

Checking out the Waste to Energy Facility in Lisbjerg. Aarhus Municipality only sends 1 percent of their waste to the landfill. The rest is recycled or used for district #energy.

The Scott Institute for Energy Innovation @CMUenergy

Bestselling book discusses why 90% of HVAC businesses fail within 10 years Scott Ritchey, author, outlines how stakeholders can develop the necessary business acumen, to not only survive but also thrive, amidst challenging market conditions

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

s many as 30â&#x20AC;&#x201C;35% of HVAC ownerships fail by year three, 47% by year four and a staggering 90% fail within 10 years. This was the alarming statistic that Scott Ritchey, Vice President, Plumbers Supply Company, and author, Make More Money: 12 Profit Pillars for HVAC Contractor Success, shared with Climate Control Middle East. The book, authored by Ritchey, along with contributing author, Gary Kerns, recently became the #1 on Amazon Kindleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 7ZhihZaaZg a^hi! jcYZg i]Z =ZVi^c\ Air Conditioning Engineering and Contracting Engineering categories.

Holding a bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in accounting and an MBA in Managerial Economics, Ritchey said the idea for the book emerged, because he wanted to leverage the extensive knowledge he had gained from consulting for over 400 contractors in the field of financial management, as well as his experience running his own company, to help others achieve the same success he encountered early on. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As I got to working, I found a common thread,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Technicians are good at what they do, they understand the science of heating and air conditioning, but trade school never taught them business. They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand the business math [needed] to create sound pricing policies that cover their overhead and lead with a profit.â&#x20AC;? Citing research from a US contractorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; association, Ritchey said that contractorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; reluctance to admit their weaknesses in terms of the business acumen required for the organisation to succeed, is an issue that contributes to the failure of many businesses.

From the onset of the book, Ritchey said he encourages transparency, driving the message to stakeholders that â&#x20AC;&#x153;no one is trying to steal your business and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ok to shareâ&#x20AC;?. Emphasising the importance of having the right approach, Ritchey said that the best way to get stakeholders to open up is to make

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a case for recommended techniques, instead of asking for financial data outright. The book, Ritchey Scott Ritchey added, also goes on to provide examples on how to price a job properly, something that nine out of 10 get wrong, he added. He said it also provides greater jcYZghiVcY^c\ dc i]Z WVh^Xh d[ E A! what comprises as overhead, gross margin that needs to be covered and other vital issues.

Ritchey said that he also conducts a break-even analysis, before moving on to benchmarking models for successful businesses, allowing companies to get a clearer idea of how they are performing at the industry level. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It shows them where the benchmarks are and what they need to look at if they are successful, from a financial perspective,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Following this, Ritchey said that he looks at different types of projects and businesses, be it commercial, residential, new build or retrofitting equipment for existing developments, all of which have different margin caps, to show how pricing metrics must be aligned in each segment. The book then goes into strategies on how to enter these markets, he said, discussing what is needed in terms of people, marketing strategies for business growth, as well as the value of service tax.

Ritchey added that in the United States another big challenge is labour, stressing that by 2021 there will be a shortage for 223,000 technicians, as the baby boomer generation retires and there is a lack of young people coming in to fill the service gap. Ritchey said that there are still opportunities on the horizon, despite this bottleneck, pointing out chapter nine of the

book, which discusses how business owners can get more productivity from fewer people. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If someone has three technicians and has USD 600,000 a year in revenues, with our strategy and approach they could have USD 1-1.2 million a year in revenue.â&#x20AC;? This, he said, helps stakeholders grow their business, despite shortage of people.

Ritchey said the success of his recent book has pushed him into a new professional territory, and while busy speaking with contractors, he remains committed to his full-time job as VP for Plumbers Supply Company. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The book is a legacy book,â&#x20AC;? Ritchey said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We dreamed about this for years. I consult and teach so many of these techniques to get people to understand the business math. One day when Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m gone and I retire, I would like to open a consulting business and just really live the way I want.â&#x20AC;?

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MARKETPLACE

This section contains updates on regional and international products.

Tecumseh IntelliSC ecumseh Products Company added Tecumseh IntelliSC, an intelligent system controller, to its Tecumseh Intellicool technology platform offerings, the company announced in a Press communiqué. Tecumseh IntelliSC is a full-featured intelligent system controller with a remote user interface and display, the communiqué said. Tecumseh IntelliSC is enhanced for use with Tecumseh's variable speed compressors and IntelliCI inverters, the communiqué further said.

According to Tecumseh, these features include an isolated frequency compressor-speed interface and a highly configurable algorithm to reduce overall energy consumption. Tecumseh IntelliSC has a universal power supply and is approved for use with R-290 refrigerant, the communiqué said. With three independent temperature sensors and five relays, Tecumseh IntelliSC can be configured to control defrost functions, fans and other components, as needed, the communiqué further said.

Robert Terry, Global Platform Director of Variable Speed Technology, Tecumseh, said: "One of our current customers, in a glass-door merchandiser application, was able to achieve a 37% energy reduction using IntelliSC and VTC compressor, when compared to their traditional fixed-capacity solutions.

Initial feedback from our customers has indicated that their testing, using IntelliSC and VTC compressor, results in dramatic energy savings."

According to Tecumseh, the IntelliSC, when combined with variable speed compressors, offers additional advantages beyond energy-savings. The communiqué said features and benefits, such as tight temperature control, input power management, rapid temperature pull-down and diagnostics, help endusers ensure that their equipment is operating with high reliability and superior performance.

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VTS Wing Air Curtain TS has launched the Wing Air Curtain, with a light and modern design and the characteristics of gliders. According to the company, it is one of the quietest air curtains on the market and has both functional and aesthetic qualities, while also being energy efficient.

According to VTS, the Wing Air Curtain: 8gZViZh V [dgXZ[ja ijgWjaZcXZ! l]^X] egZkZcih [an^c\ ^chZXih! impure air and other outside pollution from mixing with the inside air of a premises @ZZeh X]^aaZY V^g ^ch^YZ Vi ^ih jibdhi ejg^in =Vh V bdYZgc YZh^\c d[ i]Z :8 bdidg VcY [Vc i]Vi ZchjgZh je to 40% energy saving, compared to older generation models :chjgZh ZVhn XaZVc^c\ VcY i]Z \VakVc^hZY hiZZa XVh^c\ egdk^YZh long-term protection against corrosion 8Vc WZ bdjciZY ]dg^odciVaan dg kZgi^XVaan =Vh V jc^fjZ Y^VbdcY YZh^\c [dg i]Z h^YZ eVcZah i]Vi egdiZXih the inlet of the engine cooling system and also fulfils an inspective function >h hj^iVWaZ [dg jhZ ^c gZhiVjgVcih! ]diZah! ejWa^X kZcjZh! shopping malls, medical facilities and department stores.

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SPECIAL SUBSCRIPTION OFFER for full year 100 aed for uae-based companies only FOR ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES, CONTACT: advertising@cpi-industry.com

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DEMANDING BY NATURE

THIRD PARTY CERTIFICATION DESERVES YOUR CONFIDENCE The labels, logos or « certificate of excellence » are abundant, but they are not all equal.

When a manufacturer starts the process of third party certification, they enter a process of quality for the benefit of all: end users, prescribers, insurers, ivestors and authorities The reliability of advertised performance, the readability and transparency of information, the regulatory compliance, the product energy efficiency, are some of the benefits resulting from third party certification.

Robustness, rigor and requirement characterise our certification process: continuous testing, product sampling, factory audits, independent testing by credited agencies and laboratories, selection software control as well as independent evaluation.

Since 1994, EUROVENT CERTITA CERTIFICATION certifies the performane of air conditioning and refrigeration solutions for individuals and companies.

Visit our site which is accessible 24/7.

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Getty Images ©ThomasVogel

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Download your customized certified solution on :

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