CCME Oct 2018 by Climate Control Middle East

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Averting the risk of asphyxiation, acute toxicity Dr Jason Shilliday, Business Development Manager (HVAC), MSA Middle East, discusses the advantages of VRF/VRV systems over traditional DX splits and water-based systems, and the need for risk management with regard to refrigerant leakage in occupied spaces.

Chasing the blockchain revolution With special attention to the HVACR sector, Climate Control Middle East unravels the myths surrounding blockchain technology and attempts to gauge industry perception and the level of success of existing platforms that have utilised the technology.

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Strategies to improve Indoor Air Quality in Healthcare Institutions Dr M Ramaswamy, Technical Expert, Royal Court Affairs, Sultanate of Oman, on how to achieve better health through greater IAQ awareness

Licence to Chill The power of groups: we all need to work together in the Gulf region Dan Mizesko, Managing Partner, Al Shirawi US Chilelr Services, shares key takeaways from the recently held Independent Contractors Exchange (ICE) meeting in Tampa, Florida, USA.

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vol. 13 no. 10  OCTOBER 2018

Kurt Shickman, Executive Director, Global Cool Cities Alliance (GCCA), on the importance of Urban Heat Island mitigation, the need for collaboration between the public and private sectors, the uptake of cool roofs in the last decade and bottlenecks facing adoption of cool pavements.

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he food control department of Dubai Municipality has revealed that it has begun the process of mapping cold storage warehouses as a precursor to inspecting them to ascertain whether they represent a source of abuse of temperature-sensitive food products or not. Even then, a senior official said, the agency would only look at lead indicators, like quality or test results of food samples, and work in reverse, because food can come from warehouses located outside its jurisdiction. And therein lies the issue. The United Arab Emirates and the wider GCC region, for that matter, perhaps need a broader programme for mapping all warehouses to emerge with an airtight food safety programme. Often-times, food abuse is not the result of faulty refrigeration equipment but how they have been specified, installed and tested and commissioned, and eventually how they are operated and maintained (O&M). Prior to that, the very design and construction of the warehouses from civil and structural perspectives need to be evaluated. There have been instances where a food establishment has been fined for a food safety outbreak arising out of temperature abuse, when the fault probably is with the contractor, who likely cut corners to save on costs, which can affect O&M. At present, neither the contractor nor the owner is liable, which likely emboldens them to sidestep necessary measures in the proper design and construction of what really are mission-critical warehouses from a food hygiene perspective. The region also could consider evolving a framework on transport refrigeration, Truck body hygiene and temperature control are essentials for upstream food safety. If the two are compromised during long-haul, trans-border movement, the damage can be substantial, rendering most downstream initiatives as less effective. In the case of temperature control, a core issue is the age of the fleets. Typically, a reefer trailer’s lifespan is six years, which can be extended through refurbishment to eight years. In Europe, new regulation allows for 10 years of service, and that is because the methodology of manufacturing of the mounted bodies has improved, and because as always, they carry their wares in temperate ambient conditions. In the GCC region, on the other hand, reefer trailers older than 20 years are reportedly still being used to haul temperature-sensitive food products in high-ambient conditions. Over that long a period of time, the insulating property of the mounted body is likely diminished, possibly exposing food products to high temperatures. In that context, transport refrigeration as a topic needs to be discussed with vigour and a sense of purpose.

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October 2018

OVER STORY

With special attention to the HVACR sector, the story unravels the myths surrounding blockchain technology and attempts to gauge industry perception and the success of existing platforms, which use this technology.

By Ranjana Konatt

October 2018

n April 2018, the UAE Government launched the Emirates Blockchain Strategy 2021, where 50% of government transactions are to adopt a blockchain platform over the next three years. Recently, Smart Dubai (SD) and the Department of Finance (DOF) integrated blockchain technology into the online payment portal, DubaiPay, to allow reconciliation and settlement transactions to be performed in real time, officials say. Andrew Schumer, Managing Director, Black Wit Cyber Solutions, applauds the UAE government for its openness to the technology. Schumer says: “The UAE is incredibly forward in the way it works. What’s interesting is that the UAE is pursuing the technology to test it, while putting money where their mouth is.” And, even though he’d like to see regulators continue to

work with the technology, he says that people are often confused about what blockchain means and its implications, if applied to the HVAC industry. More than 99% of people associate blockchain with cryptocurrency, says Nesar Reza Khan, Executive Director, FP Global Developments, while highlighting the myths surrounding the application of blockchain to the HVAC industry. He says, “For a long time, blockchain was seen as a threat, and its application was believed to have the potential to introduce corruption and money laundering into the trading end of the HVAC industry.” The most common mix-up, he says, is with Bitcoins and cryptocurrency. “Blockchain is a software, a tool used as a database, while cryptocurrency is an online trading platform for assets like stocks, shares and bonds,” explains Khan. Drawing connections between cloud computing and blockchain

technology, Harold Dickenson, Manager, Visualisation & Immersive Technology Group, AECOM, Middle East, says, “Cloud computing was the first gateway to blockchain and refers to the decentralisation of data-storage.” If applied to the HVAC industry, Dickenson says that it will create a whole new level of data sharing. He says that it is good to be optimistic about the technology; however, we must be aware of its positive and negative effects. Joseph Aamidor, Managing Director, Aamidor Consulting, says that the differing views on the technology, can often leave a person confused, At its core, blockchain is a digital ledger. What’s interesting, he says, is that the information fed into the system will be anonymised and immutable. Each stakeholder, he says, will have access to the system and the transaction history, making it both secure and easy to access.

October 2018

OVER STORY

Forecasting blockchain in HVAC

Andrew Schumer

Nesar Reza Khan

Harold Dickenson

Joseph Aamidor

Arvind Srinivasan

October 2018

Arvind Srinivasan, Head, Global Strategy, Emudhra, says the first issue that the application of blockchain will address is the low quality of work within the industry. “Blockchain will raise the standard of output with regard to manufacturing, supplying, installation and even servicing,” he says. Pointing to the food-reviewing portal Zomato, he stresses the importance of having an open system and says: “Have you wondered what makes, Zomato successful? It is because of its reviewing and rating service, which is kept open to everyone.” Khan, too, stresses on the need for an ‘open-for-all’ system and refers to it as the only way to fight corruption and wrong practices by middle men in the HVAC industry. He says that the technology will threaten corrupt middlemen and says, “The industry is fraught with ‘middle man’ corruption and this does not stem from manufacturers or end-users.” Referring to it as something intangible, he says that blockchain will weed out corruption. “Transparency is the greatest benefit, which translates directly to greater efficiency and lower costs,” he says. However, blacklisting a contractor will be an ‘after-the-fact tool,’ used to protect manufacturers in the future from fraudulent methods of working. This knowledge, he says, will only exist after a contractor has defaulted with a manufacturer. “Blockchain has to be integrated into every step of the HVAC industry," Khan insists. "If done well, there will be no room for blacklisting, as the technology will not allow a default in the first place.” The greatest beneficiary of blockchain’s integration with HVAC, he adds, is the enduser, who could be either a developer or homeowner.

Roadblocks to the application of blockchain in HVAC “MEP contractors might be reluctant to share information on their projects,” highlights Sameer Daoud, CEO, MECIC, while talking about the challenges to the implementation of the technology. If left optional, he says, there could be a high chance where many won’t even attempt to make their presence known on the system. Aamidor echoes Daoud, saying that building owners and operators, too, might not be keen on sharing their performance data; however, he adds that the system might maintain some level of anonymity for them to do so. Daoud believes that transparency and sharing project details will give the HVAC and MEP

contracting space the much-needed push to innovate. “Cost is another influencing factor,” says Aamidor, who points out that, while the technology is thought to be the panacea, the cost and energy demand of running servers and processing blockchain transactions will be the other challenge to its smooth application. In addition, Sougata Nandi, CEO, 3e Advisory, points to timely information updates as crucial to the blockchain. “If HVAC equipment is not registered or updated on the developer’s point of the ledger, then it falls off the blockchain,” he says. Calling it a disciplined task, he highlights that the technology alone does not blacklist a defaulter; instead, it just records the fact that a default has happened. Nandi also points to hacking as a huge threat and says, “Along with the safe storage of data, protecting it from being hacked is a major concern.” He advises that any government adopting blockchain must ensure an investment in infrastructure to protect the system. In addition to hacking, Bobby Krishna TM, Senior Specialist, Food Permits and Applied Nutrition Selection, Dubai Municipality, singles out the overreliance on technology as a major challenge to the application of blockchain. He says: “There is an over-reliance on the internet, for instance, if there is no internet, the whole system stalls. However, in the case of the Food Watch Programme, we do have backup plans to ensure that it never shuts down.” Food Watch is an initiative by the government of Dubai, which uses blockchain to increase traceability. Elaborating on the over-reliance of technology, Schumer says that today, there are ways in which the internet can be made redundant. Highlighting Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) as a useful tool to send out updates, he says, “CDNs are another breakthrough and are networks that use proxy servers, which have their own datacentres.” Today, he says, CDNs are widely used by cellular companies to send out software updates to their users.

‘Handling of information in Blockchain is crucial’ Dickenson highlights the implications of the technology on its stakeholders and explains with an example. He says: “Imagine you had a health condition and that it was recorded in a system. You don’t suffer from it anymore; however, every time you travel to a country where the condition is not allowed, it shows up on the system.” And this, he says, is bound to affect the stakeholder, no matter how well-placed the technology might be.

Raising a crucial issue, Dickenson says, “You don’t want one thing to affect your entire future.” He adds saying, “If when I was young I went with the wrong crowd, should that mar my record for good?” Here, he says, is where legislation plays a crucial role and the application of blockchain to any industry, demands several levels of security and is something that needs to be developed. Echoing Dickenson is Nandi, who refers to trust and duplication, both as independent issues. He says, “[Blockchain technology can avoid] wasteful hours spent in updating the same information by multiple parties and can ease the access to information; however, if someone uploads a wrong set of information that goes undiagnosed, then holding blockchain technology responsible would not be fair.” Checks and balances, he says, are going to be crucial for the success of blockchain. He also points out to IoT and its extensive use in blockchain and says, “For the smooth link of IoT to the blockchain, it needs to be customised on a case-to-case basis.” He says that IoT will enhance traceability,

improve manufacturing and will power a paperless society.

Blockchain and the Food Watch Programme

Sameer Daoud

Sougata Nandi

Bobby Krishna believes that blockchain is not the immediate solution to the lack of transparency in an industry. Drawing a fitting analogy, he says, “Blockchain is like Windows, an operating system on a computer, which helps get work done.” The Food Watch Programme, he says, is something that uses blockchain technology, but eventually, the success depends on the data collected and how it is linked to the food chain industry. Calling the Food Watch Programme an excellent initiative, Schumer discusses how it might be too soon to tell whether the platform is a success. He says, “It will take time for people to see the true value of the Food Watch Programme.” What is visible, he says, is only the front-end of the application and the idea is to track every choice related to food safety and make it available to everyone.

October 2018

OVER STORY

Bobby Krishna TM

Richard Sprenger

“Consumers and the general public are still not able to differentiate among blockchain technology, cryptocurrency and digital currency. “The Dubai Smart Government is running 20-plus pilot projects with different government entities, while analysing various Proof of Concepts (POC). The Emirates Blockchain Strategy can be applied to any sector and will result in the conversion of information into valuable assets. The application of the technology will make manual storage redundant and will eliminate any risk related to the forging and loss of information. The strategy uses multiples kinds of blockchains, for instance private blockchain, which is visible to only a certain process; public blockchain, which is kept open to everyone and hybrid blockchain, which is a mix of private and public strategies. But one must remember that the benefit derived from the application is relative to the nature of its application and the way it is used. The beauty of having the technology is that as an open source and an entity, it is not owned by anyone and, hence, if applied to the HVAC sector it will definitely improve transparency in transactions among consultants, contractors and even end-users.”

Echoing Sprenger, Krishna adds that since the adoption of the programme, the technology has benefitted the system and that Dubai Municipality is in the process of making updates to it. “The vehicle certification will trace all the food transport vehicles, anywhere in Dubai, and will keep an eye out for the places they supply food to,” Krishna says. He adds that now, since the technology is in place, Dubai Municipality is exploring new models and is thinking of how best it can use blockchain in a cost-effective manner. “I have to admit that initially, we were sceptical about the shift, because the Food Watch Programme demands complete transparency,” Krishna says. And initially, he says, a number of people were afraid to share data, as they were afraid of being exposed. He adds, “The platform is being made more user-friendly, and we must always remember that the technology and its application is a long-term framework.”

Takeaway message

Marwan Abu Ebeid

Krishna adds that today, “Data is governance” helps to get to the root of a particular problem. Speaking on the performance of the Food Watch Programme, he says, “The Food Watch Programme is relatively new and is a platform where every stakeholder can access the system using his or her personal account.” Richard Sprenger, Chairman, Highfield Middle East, refers to the programme as an ambitious and world-leading initiative and is hopeful that the platform will make a significant contribution to food safety. He says, “The Food Watch Programme will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to participate completely while recording information in a timely fashion.” However, echoing Schumer, he says that it might be too early to confidently claim that the technology has achieved the stated objectives. But he asserts that it has the potential to provide evidence in a few years’ time.

October 2018

Tarek Mohammed, Co-Founder, Dubai Blockchain Center

“Today, advanced HVAC Management and Control Systems use IoT to gather buildingand energy-related data every 60 seconds. This will enable blockchain to store the highly confidential data securely and ensure interoperability.”

Shilpa Basappa, Principal Engineer, 75F

Marwan Abu Ebeid, Senior BIM Manager, Turner Construction, believes that blockchain shows tremendous promise and proves to be most advantageous when applied to any supply chain across any industry. Srinivasan shares the same feeling and insists that the application of blockchain to HAVC should show how a manufacturer, supplier, contractor and consultant have performed on a project and he says this will have serious implications for the future. Calling it the greatest invention after the internet, Khan says that blockchain has an enormous amount of potential, while making a case for education and awareness. He says: “Education and awareness play a key role in ensuring that all the stakeholders understand, appreciate, adapt and innovate within the blockchain revolution as opposed to distancing themselves, thereby putting themselves at risk. If done well, the technology will most likely be the greatest anti-corruption tool that exists.”

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

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Kurt Shickman, GCCA

‘The value of

Heat Island mitigation C is hidden from ould you provide me with an overview of the work GCCA is doing around the world on the issue of Urban Heat Island?

We are a nonprofit, and we do a lot on urban heat island mitigation, but the main focus is on reflective surfaces – roofs or walls. There has been increasing recognition in hot and cooler cities that extreme heat is a major problem, with significant research in over a year and a half that highlights the cost of inaction for cities to quantify the meaning the full way, not just to avoid the negative but to achieve positive outcomes. Estrada et al 2017, Nature, Climate Change – found that heat doubled the cost of local climate change. A median city of 1,700 studied would pay an additional 5.6% of its economic output by 2100, if heat goes unchecked.

decision-makers’ Kurt Shickman, Executive Director, Global Cool Cities Alliance (GCCA), speaks exclusively with Climate Control Middle East, on the importance of Urban Heat Island mitigation, the need for collaboration between the public and private sectors, the uptake of cool roofs in the last decade and bottlenecks facing adoption of cool pavements. Excerpts from the interview with Hannah Jo Uy… visits. In a paper, published in the Journal of Climate Change , they found that a moderate deployment of a cool roof and pavement programme would have a payback 12 times its cost. This includes maintenance. There is a tremendous amount of benefit. The challenge that must be eliminated is the fact that a lot of the value is hidden from decision-makers. It isn’t apparent on profit and loss statements. There’s a huge role here for policy to make people aware of these benefits and also to transfer the benefit to decision-makers through incentives. Until we realise the benefit, we won’t have adoption at the pace we need. We are doing a lot to raise awareness, to make cities aware of the benefits beyond what they are looking for.

Has awareness grown, owing to recognition of the economic paybacks that adoption of Urban Heat Island strategies might have for each respective country? At first, cool roofs were driven by energy considerations and energy policy/codes – that value energy savings. When you peel back the onion and look at the cost benefit, you see something in the order of one-anda-half to one, in favour of cool roofs on base energy, not even peak demand reduction. The cost benefit varies a lot by climate but is nearly always above 1:1, even in colder areas. In the US, the economic payback is anywhere between zero and six years on base energy demand reduction alone. For energy savings with health requirements, it’s between 7x and 12x compared to the cost. We can look at data that shows reduced heat deaths and hospital

October 2018

What do you consider to be the bottlenecks in this regard?

Kurt Shickman

As you can imagine, if you are a mayor, there is a lot of bureaucracy entrenched in agency infrastructure that have to be brought in the same room and that can be a

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October 2018

Kurt Shickman, GCCA

If you reflect light from the pavement, you may increase natural lighting, which reduces lighting load but increases cooling load, because more solar radiation enters a building real challenge. Heat is a weird topic in that sense. In New York, in the Urban Heat Island [meetings], aside from us there are also people from New York Emergency Services, police, city architects and planners, health department, community groups, researchers, universities – all these different groups have different ways of talking about what they do. It’s getting folks to think about it, as a common problem. That is easy to say but challenging to put into practice. It’s almost never the numbers that drive it – it’s the stories. I won’t say the city, but I had a conversation with the public-safety group – the police, fire [department] and first responders. They started to look at the issue of heat in cities and found that there is a statistically significant increase in domestic violence calls in hotter areas. There is an actual impact on crime, if we do something about the heat. There’s a lot of different ways to look at it, there’s no one message.

Could you elaborate further on the role that policy plays in this regard and the need for collaboration between the public and private sectors? Policy doesn’t mean regulating, it could be incentivising. There are different ways to structure policy, some voluntary and some involuntarily – a mix of the two is needed. So far, no one is setting the ceiling, they are setting the floor. In most places, with a few exceptions, bringing up the floor doesn’t hurt the manufacturers. We all default towards what is easy, to use and get benefit from one technology and strategy – but it’s a systems approach. A lot of things need to work in tandem to make change. That’s hard to do without

October 2018

collaboration among policy makers, researchers, to look at [the issue in a] more systematic way. We don’t go and say, just do a cool roof; it has to be symbiotic with Green infrastructure. You can’t go in with one solution; you need a policy-maker to spur that conversation, especially in the developing world. It’s also about the industry, manufacturer and the people on the ground, including the construction industry; it is important to make sure their voices are heard.

Could you comment on the uptake of adoption of cool roofs and pavements today, among contractors and consultants across the United States? We are seeing two big changes in the market over the last 10 years. With regard to the membrane roofing, thermal plastic membranes that are placed on commercial buildings, there is the EPDM rubber, primarily black, and TPO and PVC, primarily white. It is naturally that colour. What we have seen, in the last 10 years is a flip-flop in the market, from being predominantly EPDM-dominated, to one dominated by TPO and PVC. This is driven by positive economics but also the fact that a cool roof is a LEED credit with the USGBC. So in UHI, there is a huge shift in what’s being specified for commercial roofs. I will say from 35 to 65 the shift went from 68 to 32 in favour of white products. Not just in the warm climates but all the way up to the Canadian market there is a fundamental shift. Over the last five years, we have a couple of cities that have taken the next step. In the US, in most of our residential peak roves we mostly use asphalt shingles, like black asphalt, some tar and granules. Cool granules have been in the market but were prohibitively expensive. Some cities mandated cool roofs for residential developments. Two markets actually spurred a tremendous amount of innovation, to bring a product at a more mid-tiered price. There is also a lot of growth in areas outside where it is mandated. LA mandated cool roofs in 2015. A manufacturer told me they sold more cool roof shingles in a city outside LA, which is not under that regulation, than in LA. We are starting to see people do something about it.

Have you observed the same positive trend in cool pavements, as you do in cool roofs? Cool pavements are much trickier. There is a lot less human interaction with the roof

than pavement. If you reflect light from the pavement, you may increase natural lighting, which reduces lighting load but increases cooling load, because more solar radiation enters a building. It could have more, or less, impact on pedestrians. You may decrease temperatures on the street level but increase thermal load on pedestrians. LA, Melbourne and Tokyo are doing a lot. They find the best conditions you can put a pedestrian in are cool pavements with ample shade trees and structure-reflected. Shady spaces [offer] the biggest reduction on a pedestrian’s thermal load. It’s worse when you have barren area. The same intervention could be for the best or for the worst. It depends – it’s really not a one size fits all. However, we can’t just not address pavements – they are a huge part of our cities. On average, one in every three metres is some kind of pavement. There is a significant, impactful urban heat island mitigation benefit from cool pavements, but where we are, in terms of the technology here, there is also a global warming impact that may outweigh the benefits. There is a need to innovate. When you turn a surface from dark to light you create a cooling effect on earth but also a warming impact on the atmosphere. If I create this cooling effect on a road, from dark to light that cancels the warming effect of x tonnes of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. There is a sustainable way to look at this. When you factor [the global warming effect on the benefits], it trumps it 150 times. A lot needs to be done on cool pavements. We need to be mindful of how they are applied– specifically, as well. If your goal is urban heat island mitigation, there is tremendous benefit. If you were to ask what I recommend as a minimum, for cool roofs, I would say “yes” in nearly every climate zone, unequivocally. For the same question on pavements, I wouldn’t say that’s my answer. I’m not against it. For me, what I would like is the transportation department to study and look at cool pavements. We do need to study the local-level impact of cool pavements. No question, we need an UHI solution for pavements. It’s too big a part of the cities, but we can’t just say, “Make them all light coloured”. We need a much better local understanding.

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

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follow the future October 2018

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

LICENCE TO

he ICE Group's Mission Statements and Objectives, which appear below, are taken directly from their materials:

The Independent Contractors Exchange Group The Independent Contractors Exchange Group is a group of contractors specialising in installation, operation, repair and maintenance of large commercial and industrial cooling systems and building and process control systems. ICE Group's mission is to improve our people, our companies and the industry through technical support and training, sharing of best practices and maintaining positive relationships with strategic partners in the industry.

ICE Group's Objectives 1. Improve our people through education and training, technical support and sound leadership. 2. Improve our companies through education, sharing of best practices and best management practices. 3. Improve the industry through positive engagement with stakeholders and partners. 4. Assemble a group of the best companies with the highest quality people, doing the highest quality work and with the highest ethical standards in the industry. The power of this group is unprecedented. The group consists of members from the 50 most proficient independent chiller services companies in the United States, who come together annually to share technical and business best practices, so that the group members’ customers receive the finest solutions and services available in the industry. The last meeting was the most technically encompassing meeting I have attended in many years. The sharing of information in this group is something I have never seen in the HVAC industry. It is also something, unfortunately, that I have never seen in the Gulf region. It seems to me chiller services companies, whether OEM or independent, rarely if ever, want to come together and collaborate on technical and business best practices. In my opinion, this is what will thwart us in the Gulf region to reach our full potential, to be the very best that we can be. It is a disservice to the entire region, and we should all try and put aside our commercial and competitive issues and try to make the Gulf region’s District Cooling

October 2018

The power of groups:

we all need to work together in the Gulf region In all of my years working in the HVAC industry, I have known that groups and shared information can sometimes be very powerful. I feel that even more so now, since I recently had the pleasure of attending the Independent Contractors Exchange (ICE) meeting, from September 12 to 14, 2018, in Tampa, Florida, USA.

and chilled water industry, number one in the world, because we can. Most readers of this are all members of or are familiar with, IDEA (International District Energy Association), which is a great organisation; however, the ICE group brings additional, in-depth, technical and chiller knowledge and experience of service, repairs and O&M of chillers and chilled water systems that complement and bring value above and beyond what other groups do. The ICE group specialises in chillers, something no other organised group does. I would like to outline what the ICE group covered in the intensive three-day conference that I attended,

highlighting just some of the topics covered, so readers have an idea of the power of this group and how it would benefit us in the industry to develop a similar group in the Gulf region. The topics covered in the meeting were: 1. Safety and rigging 2. EPA rules and refrigerant conversions 3. Oil-less magnetic centrifugal compressors 4. York YT upgrades with non-York microprocessor control systems for better performance 5. Smart oil-less magnetic chiller retrofits for best efficiencies in the industry 6. Alternatives for chemical water treatment 7. Inductive absorbers to prevent bearing failures with VFD technology 8. Service management and accounting management 9. Internet 10. Bitzer screw compressor retrofits with VFD technology and microprocessor upgrades 11. Financial risk management 12. Refrigerant recovery/recycling to ARI 700 Standard 13. Clean up of refrigerants to ARI 700 standard in the field 14. Heat recovery chillers vs boilers 1.1 kw per tonne vs 3.7 kw per tonne for boiler heating. What was also very interesting in this conference is that every major OEM of chillers participates in the conference and introduces their latest technologies and training to the group. In fact, the group receives preferential training and retrofit packages from all the major OEMs that no other service organisations have access to. The group also supports each member with sharing of resources, such as human resources, parts, service bulletins, manuals and technical solutions that no single organisation could amass, on each and every major chiller manufacturer’s equipment. The group also has a ‘Technical Questions’ service, whereby any situation regarding chiller service, repair or troubleshooting, can be sent via email and someone who specialises in the subject, within the group’s over 1,000 individual members, will respond with the answer to support the other group members. This is the power of having the ability to reach out to over 1,000 of the most highly skilled and trained engineers and technicians, worldwide.

This is the power of independent chiller specialist companies as a group organisation. No single company, whether an OEM or engineering firm or chiller specialist company, can amass the collective knowledge that this group has on all OEM chillers and can react as quickly to support group member companies. The group collectively is by far the most technically competent group of talent in the industry and can solve any chiller issues quickly and professionally.

Having pointed out the massive value of a group such as ICE, I feel we should come together in the United Arab Emirates and Gulf region and form some regional group made up of DC companies, service companies, FM companies and OEM companies, to work together and collaborate for the greater good of the DC, chilled water plant and chiller industry in our region. My whole purpose with this article is to impress upon the readers the importance of a ‘master mind/master community’ that could

dramatically assist us all in working together to make the United Arab Emirates, and the greater Gulf region, leaders in the chiller and chilled water plant industry. If anyone would like to form a group that addresses chillers and chilled water systems on a higher level, I, for one, am willing to participate in any way that I can. CPI Industry accepts no liability for the views or opinions expressed in this column, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided here.

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October 2018

REPORT

The uptake of VRF technology in Saudi Arabia

A swing in Surendar Balakrishnan, Editor, Climate Control Middle East, presents a glimpse of the VRF landscape in Saudi Arabia

transformation to happen, end-users have to Objective 12) the need to n 2008, Tarek start becoming more demanding. To achieve reduce fuel consumption Zarzour’s attempts that, Ahmad Numair Alamdar, independent emissions to safeguard the at convincing consultant, says, the key strategy is to environment and natural building owners in educate them on the benefits. He sees a resources). Saudi Arabia to use dilemma on how to balance performance Today, relatively speaking, variable refrigerant flow with he cost of the product. “Of course, VRF the words enshrined in (VRF) systems were met with has a higher initial cost,” he says, “but after NTP are having an impact. the question, “What is the operation, it will be more fruitful. Why relatively speaking? return on investment (ROI)?” Tarek Zarzour To realise the benefits, Alamdar says, it is Zarzour says that while VRFs When he answered, “16”, important that consultants and contractors are finding appeal among they baulked and said, “But specify and install VRF systems in a proper building owners, they still are by that time, we would have manner. And it is here that manufacturers being regarded as a solution to replace the units.” Energy and suppliers of the technology need to step and not as an option. “All efficiency as a topic never up their game. “We need suppliers to put owners we have met were even managed to break into more effort into training on critical issues forced to put VRFs owing the conversation, Zarzour, relating to the process of application, he to technical issues, such as VRF Department Head, High says. non-availability of space for Gulf Contracting, says. Even then, Allan says, consultants need to outdoor units,” he says. “Until Further describing the adopt a change in approach, and for that to now, it is not an option but a overall mood some years happen, it is perhaps solution.” ago, Mohamed R Zackariah, Mohamed R Zackariah important to examine Wael Allan, Chief Consultant, Suhaimi the current structure of CEO, Saudi Design – Protecooling, liability in the country. Lebanese Tarouk Saudi Arabia, says that “The contractor has Contracting any attempt to talk about liability of design in Company, says a energy conservation was Saudi Arabia,” he says. transformation met with silence. Simply “So, many consultants can happen put, he says, no one was do poor design, knowing only when endinterested. that contractors will users confront The story in Saudi Arabia Dr Moataz T Bakheet take care of it. My the situation is relatively different today, Director advice is that building of the cost of though. For one, the ROI owners need to hire energy being has climbed down some Wael Allan the best designers excessive. Citing notches from its lofty perch, and engineers. As an analogy, he thanks to an increase in a contractor, I am says that when energy tariffs, which broadly happy to see a fuel prices go up in Europe, people speaking, is the result of the country rolling good designer. The don’t use cars as much. Likewise, out a reform programme in 2016 through construction outcome is when end-users in Saudi Arabia introducing a wide-ranging framework – the as good as the design see electricity prices going up Saudi Vision 2030 and the accompanying and engineering.” further they will change their National Transformation Programme (NTP). Additionally, the route behaviour. Chapter 2 (Ministry of Energy, Industry to maximising the Convincing the owner over a and Mineral Resources) of the NTP speaks Ahmad Numair Alamdar operational benefits period of time might be possible, of (Strategic Objective 8) the need to of VRF technology but persuading contractors is enhance the primary sources and security involves an integrated part of the growing pain, says of the electricity supplies to enhance the approach to architectural design, Allan says. Zackariah. Allan believes that contractors still livability of Saudi cities through lowering the “We have situations here in Riyadh, where might not try to push VRFs, and that for the number of power outages and of (Strategic

October 2018

sentiment the architect has designed the building very differently, and then various others (stakeholders) have different expectations,” he says. “So, we have to improve on that aspect.” The general mood in Saudi Arabia is that any initiative by VRF manufacturers and suppliers to more intensely promote the technology and to invest in rigorous training of contractors would be worth the effort. Dr Moataz T Bakheet Director,

Madinah Office & Western Region Projects, Zuhair Fayez Partnership, says that clients who use VRF can be in line to achieve 30-40% power savings. “In addition, maintainability of VRF is much easier than other systems, which could involve water treatment.” He adds that the flexibility VRFs offer is a useful feature. “In Makkah, we have 10-15% occupancy, which increases during Haj, and VRF, as a decentralised system, is very good,” he says. “And in terms

of space – a critical need – we need to put these machines in a very small space, so there are many benefits. And overall, from a lifecycle cost point of view, it is less expensive to have VRFs over traditional systems.” That’s quite a swing in sentiment from 2008.

See next page for industry comments on VRF technology in Saudi Arabia...

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October 2018

REPORT

Voices

The uptake of VRF technology in Saudi Arabia

What’s being said on the ground in the Kingdom…

More than 70% of energy is being consumed by air conditioning in Saudi Arabia. As a country, we are now looking at a big initiative to retrofit old buildings. This project is coming up, and we are thinking of achieving as a consultant more than 50% reduction in energy by 2030. Khalid A Al Mulhim, Business Development Director, Suhaimi Design - Protecooling, Saudi Arabia

When it comes to labelling of products, we think there is always five percent that is trying to cheat. But the problem is that 75% will wait till the five per cent is caught, so compliance is slow.

If we compare maintenance between VRF and conventional systems, we cannot give figures till we have the typical size of the building and design. But maintenance for VRF is less than conventional system with regard to time and the situation of lack of labour. Dr Moataz T Bakheet Director, Madinah Office & Western Region Projects, Zuhair Fayez Partnership

Out of 4.2 million residential units in demand worldwide, only seven per cent are inverter-based, so we have a long way to go. Rui Fonseca, Consulting Sales Manager, Daikin Saudi Arabia

Michel Farah, Vice-Chairman, Eurovent Middle East

The technology here is very efficient when you have partial use, but when you have full load then it is comparable to other systems. Dr Moataz T Bakheet Director, Madinah Office & Western Region Projects, Zuhair Fayez Partnership

I believe SEER should be followed. Part load is not being considered, where the most efficiency possibilities are. Michel Farah, Vice-Chairman, Eurovent Middle East

11.2 EER for VRF is something we have to improve if we want greater energy efficiency in Saudi Arabia. Rui Fonseca, Consulting Sales Manager, Daikin Saudi Arabia

The building physics is what drives the design of a building. SASO should not only assign targets for refrigerants with machine efficiency but also we need smart clever building physics, particularly with residential buildings. Kristian Unger, Deputy Project Director, Faithful Gould

The future is about VRF. Initially, I saw only one project. Now, year after year, there is an increase in VRF projects by 30-40%, which I did not see in other systems. Hamed Al Arfaj, Managing Director, Air Conditioning Division, Al Asasyah Basic Electronics Company, Gree Air conditioners

The future is where the systems will survive if they have a low refrigerant consumption. As much of possible, the amount of refrigerant in the system must be reduced. Ahmad Arabiat, Research & Development Engineer, PETRA Engineering Industries Company

Training on proper installation of VRF systems is crucial. At the time the contractor is doing the job, we as manufacturers have to be there on piping, welding and commissioning. Amr ElMasry, Regional Director, Marketing and Strategic Projects, Carrier Middle East Limited

It is important to be careful during the installation of VRF systems. We must try to minimise the welding joints as much as possible; and the work needs to be carried out by professional contractors to ensure no mistakes are made. Ahmad Arabiat, Research & Development Engineer, PETRA Engineering Industries Company

Passive reduction by improving envelop is very important, as is the role in ensuring the design is properly implemented. If all is done in a controlled manner, there is huge potential to reduce the load. Mohamed R Zackariah, Chief Consultant, Suhaimi Design – Protecooling, Saudi Arabia

If you are using certified products, use certified contractors. Don’t allow any VRV to be installed by someone who had not received training. Rui Fonseca, Consulting Sales Manager, Daikin Saudi Arabia

If installation of VRF system is done properly then it is a case of simple maintenance in the upcoming five years. Amr ElMasry, Regional Director, Marketing and Strategic Projects, Carrier Middle East Limited

Theoretically, VRF can be applied to any project. But first of all, we need to understand the application, and we have to start with good design, and then implementation is going to be easier in terms of supply and contracting. Rui Fonseca, Consulting Sales Manager, Daikin Saudi Arabia

October 2018

Use a trust-worthy product, a trust-worthy contractor, and a trustworthy body to do the testing and commissioning. Magdy Khattab, ZAM Deputy General Manager, Zagzoog for Air Conditioning & Maintenance Company (ZAM)

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Integrated solutions for a clean environment October 2018

ERSPECTIVE

Dr Jason Shilliday is Business Development Manager (HVAC), MSA Middle East. He can be contacted at Jason.Shilliday@msasafety.com.

Averting the risk of

asphyxiation, acute toxicity

VRF/VRV systems have many advantages over traditional DX splits and waterbased systems, but the risk of refrigerant leakage in the occupied spaces should be fully assessed and provisions made, writes Dr Jason Shilliday

he first synthetic refrigerants, CFCs (with R-12 being one of them) were invented in the 1930s. They rode on the virtues of safety, in terms of being non-toxic and non-flammable gases, and on having the correct pressure-temperature relationship, which made them suitable to be used as refrigerants. A lot has changed since that first batch of gases were produced. The Montreal Protocol, which came to be established in 1987, placed restrictions, then a ban, on the use of CFCs, owing to their high ozone-depleting potential (ODP). Their replacements, the HCFCs (with R-22 being one of them) were less damaging but still were restricted under the same international protocol and eventually phased out. The next batch of replacements, HFCs (R-410A, etc.) are currently being phased out due to their high global warming potential (GWP), as restricted by the Kyoto Protocol (2005). HFOs (R1234yf) and HFCs with lower GWP (R-32) are the latest advancements in the area of synthetic refrigerants and have mostly been accepted due to their low GWP; however, issues have been raised due to their mildly flammable nature. Different countries have applied different legislative measures to ensure the safe use of refrigerants in HVACR systems, and some â&#x20AC;&#x201C; case-in-point the European F-Gas regulations â&#x20AC;&#x201C; have gone a step further and regulated their use.

October 2018

Leaks of synthetic refrigerants from refrigeration and air conditioning systems are harmful to the environment due to their GWP, but they are also harmful to people. There are risks due to some of the gases being toxic and flammable, but there is also a high risk of asphyxiation in a confined space due to a leak. There would be significantly less health and safety risks in buildings, less environmental damage, and also more economical advantages if the refrigerant leakages from these systems were controlled more effectively. Early refrigerant leak detection is one way in which to prevent heavy leakages from occurring. It would alert operators to any refrigerant leak, giving them ample time to carry out repairs. That way, the quantity of refrigerant lost to the atmosphere would be limited. In this article, I wish to explain some of the international standards related to refrigerant safety and use, which hopefully will help at the time of designing buildings or cooling facilities to international standards. The advancement in the operational efficiency of direct expansion and VRF/ VRV systems has brought refrigerants in large volumes much closer to the public. VRF/VRV systems have many advantages over traditional DX splits and water-based systems, but the risk of refrigerant leakage in the occupied spaces should be fully assessed and provisions made in the design to reduce the risks of acute toxicity, asphyxiation and flammability-related hazards.

Enter EN378 EN378 is a European standard that was updated in 2016 to include further design information to be considered for the planning stages, when using refrigerants with a low-flammability classification (A2L). The standard was also updated to include a design methodology on how to calculate the maximum refrigerant charge that should be applied to a refrigeration or air conditioning system. If an indoor unit or pipework passes through an occupied space, the whole gas charge could potentially escape into this space. The EN378 standard sets RCL (refrigerant concentration limits) to reduce the risks of acute toxicity, asphyxiation and flammability-related hazards. The following terms are required: QLMV: Quantity Limit with Minimum Ventilation in kg/m3 QLAV: Quantity Limit with Additional Ventilation in kg/m3 RCL: Refrigeration Concentration Limit in kg/m3 Table 1, in the opposite page, shows some of the common refrigerants listed in the standard, along with their allowable refrigerant charge. The total refrigerant charge divided by the room volume should not exceed these values. If the charge limit is exceeded, appropriate measures, such as ventilation (natural or mechanical), safety shut-off valves, safety alarms or gas-

system should be used in the hotel room. The maximum VRF/ VRV system charge equals 43.2 x 0.42, which equals 18.14 kg. To comply with the standard, the VRF/ VRV system should have a charge less than this, or a refrigerant leakdetection system with safety alarms QLAV 3 should be installed. (kg/m ) At this juncture, I must highlight 0.50 the much lower RCL/QLMV/QLAV 0.58 values for R-32 and HFO R-1234ze. 0.42 In other words, split or future VRF 0.15 systems using these refrigerants 0.15 would result in a much lower maximum charge limit.

detection devices should be designed into the system or building. Further details on when each appropriate measure should be applied is given in the standard. Table 1 (EN378-1:2017-03) Refrigerant

Allowable concentration RCL (kg/m3)

QLMV (kg/m3)

R-22

0.21

0.28

R-134a

0.21

0.28

R-410a

0.39

0.42

R-32

0.061

0.063

R-1234ze

0.061

0.063

To elaborate by way of an example, let’s consider a VRF/VRV system charged with R-410a (an A1 refrigerant). The system is deployed in a hotel with bedroom sizes of 6m x 3m x 2.4m. The total room volume is 43.2 m3. For a hotel room above ground with a VRF system, the QLMV/QLAV values in Table 1 apply. If the total refrigerant charge exceeds these limits, then a leak-detection

ASHRAE 15 Typically, purpose-built machine rooms for compressor systems or water-cooled chillers contain the largest volumes of refrigerant, either in the liquid receivers, condensers or evaporators. For example, a large centrifugal water chiller used for District Cooling could contain up to 1500 kg of refrigerant gas. Refrigerants are generally denser than air,

except ammonia, so if a leak were to occur the gas would concentrate on the floor rather than move upwards. Synthetic refrigerants have no smell, so the user would only know that there has been a leak if the chiller starts to lose its performance. As the refrigerant displaces the air, anyone working at the chiller would be at risk of asphyxiation. To lower this risk, ASHRAE 15, the EPA and many local building codes state the following: Each machinery room should contain a detector located at a point, where a refrigerant leak would concentrate. The detector should also trigger an audible and visual alarm both inside and outside the mechanical room and activate mechanical ventilation by way of remedying the situation and ensuring the safety of personnel.

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

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October 2018

FEATURE

Unravelling the upsurge in the insulation market Insulation is significant for better IAQ and energy efficiency. What role do innovation and overall perception assume, as the insulation market steers towards growth?

By Ranjana Konatt

nsulation plays a significant role not only in maintaining the temperature of a room but also in energy efficiency and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ). Industry representatives suggest that the growth of the insulation market is dependent on a number of factors. Kishore Deotarase, General Manager, Unigulf, estimates the insulation industry in the United Arab Emirates to be approximately AED 300 billion. “Owing to the growth in demand for projects in the United Arab Emirates, the market is likely to grow by 15% in the next few years,” he says. Echoing Deotarase is Umesh Unni, Regional Commercial Manager, Hira Industries. He insists that Saudi Arabia and Dubai are two major places seeing an increase in growth, as there are projects sprouting in these regions. Elaborating, he says, “Considering the Expo 2020, the UAE will most likely have a higher growth percentage in the years to come.” He estimates a hike in the growth of the insulation market by 15% to 25%, in this year alone. Unni adds that Abu Dhabi is dynamically slower, but not far behind, when compared to the other Emirates. Ajit S Abraham, Directory Manager, Leminar Global, offers a different opinion, highlighting that projects have not increased, but the number of players in the market has. “The market is seeing the entry of new polymers and insulation solutions, with closed cell insulation and

October 2018

fibreglass being the common materials used for insulation projects in the United Arab Emirates,” he says.

From traditional to advanced solutions

Kishore Deotarase

Ajit S Abraham

Sarmad Fakhri

An evident trend, Unni says, involves seeing manufacturers and end-users move from traditional insulation solutions to more advanced options. “Advanced solutions, such as closed-foam insulation, not only meet the need for long-term energy efficiency but also help to save on costs in the long run,” he says. And today, he says, end-user preferences are steered towards energy efficiency and durability. Deotarase reveals there is a lack of awareness in the way end-users understand insulation solutions. He says, “An end-user's understanding of insulation solutions is limited to the brand; however, insulation as a subject can get technical.” Even though the consultant might be able to influence the end-user’s choice of insulation, he says, the final decision still lies with the end-user. Echoing Deotarase is Tomasz Kulik, Global Technical Manager, Hira Industries. He says, “Especially when it comes to technical aspects like condensation, anti-condensation, the level of insulation-thickness as per requirement, they are all important factors.” Hence, he says that awareness and education are of the essence, if consumers are to save time, energy and money. Stressing on the need for insulation solutions to adhere to the UAE Fire and Life Safety Codes, Sarmad Fakhri, Managing

Director, Kingspan Insulation, says, “There is an emphasis on fire testing and approval for insulation solutions, and we see this through the increase in awareness for stringent fire testing and results.” Elaborating on the Fire and Life Safety Codes, he says that Chapter 10 of the Fire Code: Smoke Control Systems, addresses HVAC systems and must be considered when choosing insulation solutions. Making a call for awareness, Fakhri says that there is a lack of drive to work towards energy efficiency. He says, “As long as energy bills are low and, as in most cases, the tenants pay the DEWA bills, there exists no real incentive for building owners to look at energy-efficient solutions, such as pre-insulated ductwork.”

Tomasz Kulik

Innovation and contribution to HVAC “The latest is pre-insulated ductwork,” says Fakhri, while highlighting the latest in insulation technology. “Ductwork has traditionally been constructed using galvanised sheet steel with insulation and is usually installed as a separate activity; however, pre-insulated ductwork has integral insulation, which ensures minimum thermal bridging,” he explains. The solution, he says, has low levels of air leakage and, when fabricated correctly, it runs more efficiently while also conserving energy. Elaborating on the benefits of pre-insulated ductwork, he says, “It is extremely lightweight, weighing as little as 18% of the equivalent of galvanised sheet steel ductwork and its lightweight nature means that several sections can be joined together at the floor level before being installed.” A side benefit, he adds, is that it is particularly well-suited to projects where space and structural loading is an issue, for instance, projects with long-spanning roofs, such as airports and malls. Using non-fibrous, closed-cell materials has IAQ benefits, highlights Fakhri. “A nonfibrous rigid insulation core, minuses the risk of loose fibres entering the air stream through the ductwork,” he says. Since

Umesh Unni distributed air does not come into contact with the insulation material that produces loose fibres, he says, the built-in antimicrobial protection negates the risk of bacterial growth on the ductwork system.

Energy efficiency and insulation Energy efficiency in insulation refers to avoiding energy loss, says Abraham. “The level of thickness used in an insulation solution is crucial and differs for internal and external pipework. For internal pipework the thickness should ideally be 19mm and 25mm for external pipework,” says Abraham. Using reflective material, like jackets, helps, he says, and, when coupled with the right thickness, prevents gaps between the insulation. “Low ductwork air-leakage can yield significant electrical consumption and savings,” says Fakhri. Pre-insulated ductwork, he says, can have a fraction of air leakage rate, offering energy efficiency and cutting operational carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, he adds. This, he says, can also reduce the overall energy used to operate the building.

Governments today are talking of setting targets to reduce emissions, in order to tackle climate change, he says. Dubai’s Integrated Energy Strategy and Abu Dhabi’s Vision 2030 are all examples of such steps. Even though new technology and innovation might be available, the level of acceptance in some cases is slow, highlights Kulik. He says, “Some companies are very adventurous and like to try out new technology, while others take time and prefer to stick to old methods.” Innovation, he says, has played a significant role in contributing to energy efficiency; however, education must, at all times, take the front seat. “If we are to make an impact, we must be welcoming to new technology and insulation solutions, he says. Highlighting another challenge, Abraham points to insulating large facilities, as yet another area where compromises are made. “Condensation is a huge problem," he says. "If you notice, a number of new buildings, nowadays, have droplets coming in, and this is because the thickness of the insulation material has been compromised upon.” This is done to save on initial costs, but such compromises, Abraham adds, can have an effect on IAQ. “The end-user will have to bear the brunt of such mistakes by paying for maintenance and repair," he says. "It is important that zero fire rated products are used, which undergo both factory and thirdparty testing.” Echoing Abraham, Unni reiterates that cost has always played a major role when a client makes a decision. He says this also meant that energy efficiency often used to be compromised on. However, Unni says, “Today, local manufacturers offer insulation solutions, which are premium in quality and are reasonably priced, hence there arises no need for a compromise.”

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

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October 2018

COUNTRY REPORT

Oman

‘An attractive

Sliding Up the chord

he Sultanate of Oman has been on a steady path towards economic diversification, effectively pushing a number of industries into the spotlight. Shaikh Raid Bin Abdullah Al Araimi, Vice Chairman, Al Raid Group, an Oman-based developer, cites tourism, light industries, fisheries, agriculture and mining as key sectors in the government’s focus. As a result, Al Araimi says, these sectors are witnessing an inflow of foreign direct and indirect investments, which can be attributed to a number of factors, namely, “Oman’s political stability and business environment, flexible laws and regulations and state-of-the-art port services and logistics that make it an attractive investment destination of global standards”. Geeju Paul, General Manager – Air Conditioning Division, Muscat Electronics, holds a similar view with regard to tourism, citing it as a segment where the company has also seen strong growth. Additionally, Paul says, the investment in retail segment is expanding, with a number of luxury shopping malls cropping up. Al Araimi provides Al Raid’s Al Araimi Walk, as an example. Scheduled to be completed in 2020, Al Araimi Walk sits on 140,000 square metres of leasing space and is set to host a number of restaurants, retail stores and entertainment facilities. Its strategic location, Al Arami says, allows it to remain accessible to people from Batinah region, as well from interior regions of Oman. The company shares a projected footfall of 10 million. In addition to an expanding retail sector, Ahmed Al-Mazrouy, CEO, Al Majis Industries, says that there has been a noticeable uptake in real estate projects at major cities, such as Muscat, Salalah and Sohar. Claudia Massei, CEO, Siemens Oman, weighs in, saying, aside from hotels, shopping malls and industrial facilities, the healthcare sector is booming. Paul seconds this, saying there are a growing number of private hospitals in the pipeline.

In view of such trends, Paul says that projects are steadily picking up in the Sultanate, describing the contracting and tenders segment within the country to be at a “stable scenario”. This spells good news for the HVACR sector, Paul stresses, as relevant products towards the end of projects, are “sliding up the chord”. Al Araimi, in discussing HVACR requirements of recent and upcoming projects, says the company recognises the importance of proper cooling and ventilation systems for the comfort and satisfaction of customers, especially in view of the luxury developments under its portfolio. “Ideally, the temperature must be 22.5 degrees C, with a minimum of fresh air [changes] of 18%,” he says. “However, anything under 100% is always ideal with dispersed fragrant spritzers to distribute and refresh senses. Apart from these, energy-efficient HVAC systems are extremely important. The best of water-cooling systems that use centrifugal technology and environmentally-friendly refrigerants must be chosen, as well.” Currently, the developer is working closely with the District Cooling company, Tabreed Oman, for its projects, particularly with regard to Al Araimi Walk. Al Araimi says that water-cooled chiller systems for the project were developed in partnership with Tabreed Oman, who will also make the capital investment, undertake the implementation and manage operations for a two-year period. “A District Cooling company always provides 24-hour maintenance service, with highly specialised teams, stocks and spare parts, to minimise its initial investment,” he says. “This will ensure cooling services are provided year-round without disruptions. Furthermore, an HVAC package will be tendered and a capable, experienced contractor will be selected at a later stage to implement the design intents.” While comfort and reliability are vital, especially in the move to be a

investment destination of global standards’

October 2018

The Sultanate of Oman is taking on a more proactive role managing supply and demand of energy, all while cultivating new industries in an effort to promote economic diversity. What trends among HVACR consumers have emerged as a result? Hannah Jo Uy has the story…

hub for luxury projects, energy efficiency is also emerging as a strong requirement among consumers. Paul says this is a natural reaction following the withdrawal of government subsidies in both private and commercial segments. Dr Floris Hendrikus Schulze, Managing Director and Head, CESI Middle East, says there has been a reduction in electricity demand in 2017 over the predicted development, as a result. “The sector is seeing a reduced demand from customers subject to Cost Reflective Tariffs (CRT) pricing scheme, where the actual costs now support investments in energy efficiency,” he says. Dr Schulze says that in residential developments, new, energy-efficient “white goods” and efficient lightning solutions are also curbing demand growth. The commitment to curb energy demand was especially felt, following the Oman government’s announcement that it will implement GSO 2530:2016 on ‘Energy Labelling and Energy Performance Requirements for Air Conditioners’ by November. Oman’s 11.5 minimum energy performance standards puts the country one step behind Saudi Arabia, which has moved to MEPS 3 at 11.8, and on the same level as Bahrain. Paul says that while initial compliance with new regulations may result in consumers having to pay 30% more, having to opt for newer and more energy-efficient products, eventually the price gap will reduce as manufacturers get into mass production. “As we have seen before in how the price [difference] between inverter and conventional split units used to be higher, but now the difference is very small, it’s only a matter of time,” he says. “The market has to switch to a new series, and as the volume goes up, the prices will stabilise.” Paul adds that, overall, there has been growing consciousness among people towards more environmentally friendly solutions, as well, with an observable move towards non-HFC or Freon-based refrigerants. These requirements, Paul adds, makes a case for VRF technology, which continues to enjoy steady growth, gleaning from the company’s observation over the past decade. “The shift is happening from the split side and from the chillers side,” he says, “Customers

Shaikh Raid Bin Abdullah Al Araimi

Geeju Paul

using chillers in medium-sized projects are shifting to VRF systems.” Similarly, Paul says, projects that traditionally use split ACs have also opted for VRF technology, because the number of outdoor units is significantly reduced. Massei adds that with a lot of projects concentrated in and around the economic free zone area, there is a steady demand for other solutions related to building envelop as well, as part of the trickledown effect. Looking at trends going forward, gleaning from Siemens’ long presence in the Oman market, Massei shares that there has been increasing demand for fire and safety systems, especially following the emergence of new regulations. “Every single building needs fire and life-safety systems, which may not have been true 10 or 15 years ago,” she says. “[Demand for] security systems as well, is growing a little bit. In the hospitality sector, some buildings are starting to install BMS. In general, there is a trend towards increasing the level of technology within a building.”

Ahmed Al-Mazrouy

October 2018

COUNTRY REPORT

Claudia Massei

Dr Floris Hendrikus Schulze

The demand for greater automation and controls may also be attributed to the subsidy withdrawals, which has prompted stakeholders not only to choose more energy-efficient equipment but also to optimise its usage within the building. “There were definitely some concerns because electricity subsidies were being cut off,” Massei admits, “so any savings would be going back to the people’s pockets.” She says, however, the move towards greater automation has also been exhibited by those unaffected by subsidy withdrawals, specifically government buildings, which are responsible for heavy usage on the national energy grid. “They conducted an audit for a lot of buildings and found that often air conditioning and lights were left on during the weekend,” she says. “So, they have undertaken several actions to try to [minimise] energy waste.” The need for automation and better controls could also be attributed to growing recognition of LEED certification across the Sultanate. Massei points to the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre as an example as being a LEED-platinum project, where Siemens provided the BMS, stressing that it features 5,000 data points to ensure the temperature is constant and there are no deviations. “They have environmental standards they want to comply with, and that makes them more technologically driven,” she says.

October 2018

Oman

Al-Mazrouy says that he is pleased to note a number of projects in Oman certified under LEED, showcasing the stakeholders’ growing appreciation of its importance. “Green Buildings [are becoming] a necessity in Oman and some Green specifications are already in the present building code,” he says. “Such specifications include insulated roof, land scrapping, reflector light painting and double glassing.” He stresses that it is important for people to realise the value of change, advocating for more pilot projects demonstrating stakeholder benefits. “For example, the immediate and direct benefit from Green Buildings is the reduction in electricity and water consumption and also reduction in the cost of building materials. These reductions will be visible to the bill payers and subsidy provider.” Al Mazrouy adds that there is still more to be done in changing the consumer culture. “Change is difficult and requires continuous dialogue and networking, using all available media to spread the message,” he says. For their part, Al Mazrouy says, Majis Industrial Services has taken a number of initiatives on electricity demand-side management, including replacing conventional lighting to energy-efficient type (LED), adding that the company is also working to have an energy mix for water solutions, and is aiming at least 20% of energy consumption from renewables by the end of 2020. “However, the tariff of renewables must be commercially viable for the company,” he stresses.

Supply side: The progress of renewables This falls in line with Oman’s move to set renewable targets in the power generation mix. Dr Schulze adds that the most imminent development is for the contracting of grid-connected PV in the coming years, in tranches of 500 MW each. “The development of the renewable energy potential from Oman’s vast wind resources will require an interconnection from the Dhofar region to the main interconnected system,” he says adding that PDO and Shell development are actively supporting renewable energy projects in solar PV. Dr Schulze says that CESI Middle East has been, and continues to be, involved in supporting several utilities in Oman, and the Regulator of Oman in setting up rules for a safe and adequate integration of small-scale and larger-scale renewables into the grid. “This includes rooftop solar and hybrid systems in which diesel generation is combined with solar,” he says. The company,

he says, is also supporting Shell in rolling out the Nationwide Solar into Schools programme, a project involving the use of solar power for domestic consumption in public schools. Dr Schulze says CESI is also supporting Nama Group Oman with its Automated Meter Reading (AMR) technology implementation project, which is closely monitored by the Authority for Electricity Regulation, and serves local distribution companies, such as Muscat Electricity Distribution Company (MEDC), Mazoon Electricity Company (MZEC), Majan Electricity Company (MJEC), Rural Areas Electricity Company (RAECO) and Dhofar Power Company (DPC). “With a goal of enhancing the quality and speed of processing metering data, this AMR rollout will work towards improving billing accuracy, mitigating losses, lessening query related costs and reducing debtor days,” he says. Other interesting projects of note in Oman, Dr Schulze says, include the interconnection between the north and south of Oman and support for several distribution companies in the reduction technical and commercial losses. “The company is also heavily involved in technical and commercial feasibility projects to connect the GCC interconnected grid to neighbouring regions, which will boost and support the trade and exchange of energy,” he says. Dr Schulze says industrial consumers have expressed interest in their own solar PV deployments, as a business case, lowering the electricity cost and are considering entering into a new source of income by generating green energy, which in the future, may be exported through interconnected links to neighbouring countries and regions. Al-Mazrouy says that while there are a number of successful initiatives, the market remains relatively conservative. “One of the deceleration factors is cost of renewable in comparison to conventional,” he says. “Majis is working on a renewable initiative of 1.3MWhr and soon will float the tender. The bidders will be limited to those who are approved by the distribution companies via Distribution Code Review Panel (DCRP).” As the country continues in its move towards economic diversification, new trends continue to emerge as the Sultanate looks towards a future free from dependence on oil.

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

October 2018

Fishing for Rewards With a huge portion of the seafood in Dubai coming from Oman, what checks are in place in the cold chain to ensure the quality of fish making their way to our table?

municipality representative from Oman checks the quality of the fish and the state of the trucks to determine whether they are fit to cross the border. Once the consignment crosses the border to the UAE side, he says, the truck will undergo another round of inspections from the local authorities. The UAE authorities, Malik explains, enter the truck to By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor inspect the state of the vehicle and the quality of the fish being transported. If anything is amiss, or if they find spoilage in one or two crates, the broker associated with the truck gets fined, the truck and its contents are turned away, and the broker and the vendor no longer are allowed to sell the harvest from the sea. very day at midnight, the loading dock of Malik says that inspection could last from half an Deira’s Waterfront market comes to life. While hour to 40 minutes, before the customs authorities issue the rest of Dubai is fast asleep, fish brokers, a clearance certificate, which provides a summary of the such as Abdul Malik, are hard at work in inspection, as well as details pertaining to the quantity preparation for the wave of buyers that visit and quality of the fish. Otherwise, the vendor would be them at 1am – the time designated for the sale of fish fined, Malik says, which can range from AED 1,000 to from Oman. 10,000, depending on the kind of violation discovered. “It’s low season,” Malik says, sweating under a lateAbdul Malik Sunny Pathak, Security Supervisor, Waterfront, August moon. Like other vendors, he has to be wary of says that all vendors that enter the premises must spot inspections being undertaken by Dubai Municipality present the certificate provided by customs authorities, which to check the quality and hygiene of the trucks in Waterfront. management will then pass on to the government. “Everywhere, Throughout the year, Malik receives a minimum of three to a it is strict,” he says. “This is the main market in Dubai. Many maximum of six refrigerated vehicles containing seafood from the supermarkets and restaurants, they come and buy here, and Sultanate. This is a fraction of the 150 vehicles that come every also, it gets sent to other countries. They have to protect [the day from Oman. quality].” The drive from Oman takes approximately three hours, “Without this paper,” Malik says, while showing a sample depending on how near the supply is to the border between of the customs certificate provided by the UAE officials at the Oman and the United Arab Emirates. The distance plays a big border, “you cannot buy, and you cannot come into Dubai, and role in the decisions of brokers with regard to the type of vehicle when going back to Khasab, you need to show this paper at the in which the fish is transported. Some species, like king fish and Oman border. They are very strict.” tuna, are in high demand but can only be obtained from farther Spoilage, Malik adds, unfortunately, remains inevitable, regions in Oman, which will require a more sophisticated truck especially during summer, primarily owing to improper practices to manage the longer distance and drive, which can last as long by fishermen, who may not have put the seafood in the chiller or as seven hours. The trucks vary from cruisers to big refrigerated on ice immediately. In such cases, they make sure to remove it, trucks with a capacity ranging from seven to 10 tonnes. he says, else the border officials will. Malik says that most of the fish come from Khasab, a port city The strict measures across all points, particularly at the on northern Oman’s Musandam Peninsula, with as much as 20 border, Pathak says, are necessary, especially because in Dubai, vehicles arriving each day. Fish, caught early in the morning, will 60% of the fish comes from Oman. With such a huge volume of be packed in ice, he explains, and brought to the market in Oman, fish being transported, protecting the quality of the merchandise on the same day. There, brokers facilitate the sale and load the is imperative. fish on to trucks – some in medium-sized reefers, while smaller species are placed in chillers, before making their way to Dubai. The temperature of the truck is important to Malik, to ensure the quality of the fish, as lack of vigilance will translate to loss HAVE YOUR SAY! in profits in the form of unsatisfied customers. In worse cases, We welcome your views on the article. lack of vigilance can lead to fines. This is a constant fear for all Write to editor@cpi-industry.com brokers, Malik says. Before crossing the border, he explains, a

October 2018

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ERSPECTIVE

The writer is a Technical Expert from the Royal Court Affairs, Sultanate of Oman. He can be contacted at mramaswamy@rca.gov.om.

Strategies to improve

ood quality air is maintenance stages to prevent infections fundamental to people’s from spreading. The basic difference health and well-being. between air conditioning for hospitals and Indoor air quality (IAQ) related health facilities and that for other is an important issue building types stems from: from social and economic points • The need to restrict air movement of view. Various studies have in and between the various shown that two out of three IAQ departments; problems involve the HVAC system • The specific requirements for of a hospital. Continual advances ventilation and filtration to dilute and in medicine and technology remove contamination in the forms of necessitate constant re-evaluation odour, air-borne microorganisms and of the air conditioning needs of viruses, and hazardous chemical and hospitals and medical facilities. radioactive substances; The application of air conditioning • The different temperature and to health facilities presents many humidity requirements for various problems, not encountered in the areas; usual comfort air conditioning • The design sophistication needed design. Hospital air conditioning to permit accurate control of assumes a more important role than environmental conditions. Dr M Ramaswamy discusses how to just the promotion of comfort. IAQ achieve better health through greater in hospitals is more critical as, the The United States Environmental awareness of indoor air quality (IAQ)... patients have less immunity and Protection Agency (EPA) publishes hospital buildings involve complex data for US cities in terms of the installations. In a typical hospital, the size of particulate matter (PM). level of airborne infectious contaminant increases proportionately The three common levels are PM10 – particles 10 microns or less, with the increased population density of infected individuals. A few PM2.5 – particles 2.5-microns or less, and PM1 – particles 1 micron decades ago, Fisk et al. (1997) reported that estimates place the or less. PM1 is the most common by count of all particles in the direct health care costs of poor IAQ in the United States at USD air, as that is the range where 99% of all airborne particles reside. 30 billion, with sick leave and productivity losses adding almost Typically, these particles are produced from everyday activity, such USD 100 billion annually. It is reported that five per cent of all as automobiles, factories and even utilities. They are also the most patients who go to hospitals for treatment will develop an infection, dangerous size particles, as those under 1-micron in size can go while they are there (O'Neal, 2000). The levels of some hazardous deep into the lungs and enter the alveoli, where there can be direct pollutants in indoor air, at some places, have been found to be exchange with the blood. A few strategies and tips to improve IAQ in up to 70 times greater than in outdoor air. Besides, the complex hospitals are mentioned in this article. hospital environment requires special attention to ensure healthful IAQ to protect patients and healthcare workers against nosocomial Elimination of contaminants at source infections and occupational diseases. According to WHO, bad during the design stage indoor air quality is a real health hazard and can have significant Many IAQ problems occur because IAQ was not considered at the impact on the shortening of life expectancy. Children and the beginning of the design process. Basic design decisions related to elderly are especially affected by polluted indoor air. site selection, building orientation, location of outdoor air intakes Various institutions across the world have begun to address and how the building will be heated, cooled and ventilated are IAQ problems through different measures. During the last few critical to good IAQ. Always follow guidelines such as ASHRAE/, years, the IAQ concept in hospitals is emerging as a modern field WHO and NADCA. during the design and maintenance stages. Apply of specialisation among engineers and healthcare professionals. techniques of elimination of contaminants at source itself. This is the The importance of containing contaminants during a healthcaremost effective and least expensive strategy. During the design stage, related construction project has recently become better understood use special care for space design for infection control. Segregation by the design and construction industry. Over the past several of sterile areas, separate paths for movement of dirty materials, years, many professional organisations, such as the AIA (American provision of staff changing/washing areas and sealed rooms are a Institute of Architects), CDC (Centers for Disease Control), JCAHO few important factors to be considered during the space design, as (Joint Commission for Accreditation of Health Care Organisations) strategies for infection control. and ASHRAE have published guidelines to assist owners, design professionals and contractors in preventing the spread of Effective maintenance of systems contaminants during construction-related activities. Air quality Regularly check and correct ventilation standards to dilute and at hospitals needs special precautions during the design and remove impurities. Consider use of air purifiers or other methods

in Healthcare Institutions

October 2018

to improve indoor air quality. Do regular inspection and testing for gases, particles and microbiological organisms, and take immediate actions to rectify the problems, if any. Provide local hooding with exhaust for bathrooms and kitchen. Routine monitoring of various parameters of HVAC systems, proper maintenance of all parts of the system and regular inspection and cleaning of air conditioning ducts are some of the airborne infection control techniques. Examination of floor and wall surfaces for cleanability, regular ‘deep clean’ after infectious patients leave the site, measurement of air quality periodically and regular microbiological testing are some of the routine monitoring strategies for infection control.

Involvement of hospital infection control team Effective functioning of an infection control committee in a hospital – in which a pathologist, infection control officer, head of nursing affairs, representative from the surgery department and hospital engineer are the members – is very crucial to monitor IAQ in healthcare institutions. The infection control team of the healthcare unit is to be involved at all stages of the hospital's construction, from pre-design through to opening, and adequate time for commissioning should be built into the schedule, including an allowance of time for microbiological assessments, particularly in hospital operation theatres. Commissioning is a task for both the engineering department and the infection control team, and cooperation and coordination between them is important. The infection control committee has to review the surveillance data routinely in order to identify/detect problems with regard to inherent potentials for unusual epidemics, clusters of infections, infections due to unusual pathogens or any occurrence of nosocomial infection that exceeds baseline levels, and also to ensure strict compliance by all departments with the hospital’s infection control policies and procedures.

• Use of eco-friendly cleaning products – encourage the housekeeping and cleaning unit of the hospital to use eco-friendly cleaning products, as industrial cleaners can leave residue that will affect air quality badly.

Conclusion A healthy solution should be achieved if good standards of design, commissioning, operation and maintenance are followed and proper functioning of the infection control department of a hospital is ensured. A common strategy to maintain a proper IAQ in healthcare units is required. The strategies, once ready, can be enforced through local government regulations. The strategies should include various codes, practices, documents, procedures and commissioning formats. REFERENCES Fisk, W. and Rosenfeld, A., ‘Improved Productivity and Health from Better Indoor Environments’, Center for Building Science Newsletter, Lawrence-Berkeley Labs, Summer, 1997. O’Neal, C. ‘Infection control: Keeping diseases at bay a full-time effort for healthcare professionals’, The Fort Worth Star Telegram. September 24, 2000.

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.

Awareness among healthcare service staff Create awareness among the staff and public about the importance of IAQ and encourage them to observe the following: • Do not bring non-sterile objects into the room – particularly in designated clean areas. • Do not open windows unnecessarily – frequent opening of windows allows external pollutants in. • Change prescribed clothes before entering into the clean areas and wash hands after touching infectious items. • Do not allow too many visitors around patients.

A few easy tips to improve IAQ • Ventilate – airflow is crucial for good indoor air quality. Use proper ventilation requirements, as per the healthcare standards. • Keep HVAC system spotless – it is critical to regularly clean filters according to the manufacturer's instructions. • Use of activated charcoal – activated charcoal reduces air contaminants. It is present in many HEPA filters used in HVAC systems. • Plant houseplants – some houseplants can help to remove toxins from the air, whilst providing additional oxygen. Identify such plants and keep them at appropriate locations in the hospital.

October 2018

NEWS REGIONAL

Honeywell demonstrates role of IoT in Kuwait's future smart buildings Honeywell Technology Symposium 2018 showcases cutting-edge technologies to make buildings and cities smarter, safer and more energy efficient, company's representative says By CCME Content Team

oneywell hosted Jordan and Lebanon, said: “Kuwait a technology is modernising its national symposium, in infrastructure and focusing on support of Kuwait’s smart city developments under long-term vision to drive the Kuwait National Development sustainable development and Plan 2035. Driven by these build smarter cities using the initiatives, buildings are becoming George Bou Mitri Internet of Things (IoT), on increasingly online and connected, September 5, at the Radisson presenting building owners and Blu Hotel, in Al Bida’a, Kuwait, operators with an unparalleled the company said in a Press communiqué. opportunity to harness the power of the Held under the theme, ‘Experience the IoT Internet of Things and realise previously evolution in Kuwait’s future smart buildings’, unobtainable levels of safety, productivity the event brought together building and efficiency. Through this symposium, we owners and operators from key industries, are demonstrating how Kuwait’s building as well as thought leaders, end users and owners and operators can capitalise on the sector stakeholders, the communiqué said. IoT-revolution to meet their objectives, and Attendees discussed the latest technologies, underscoring our commitment to supporting business trends and IoT innovations driving the country as it embarks on transforming its the adoption of smart buildings and smart national infrastructure through cutting-edge cities in Kuwait, as well as around the world. innovation.” Commenting on the symposium, George According to Honeywell, the symposium Bou Mitri, President, Honeywell Kuwait, Iraq, also outlined the evolution of digital

Hamon Cooling Tower Company urges manufacturers, FM companies to collaborate Gap in maintenance protocols hinders efficiency of cooling towers, says company representative By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

roper maintenance as early replacement of fills. plays a vital role “We and most of our reputed in ensuring that competitors develop stateinstalled equipment of-the art products and hand continues to operate as them over to the client, without designed and specified, yet, securing a maintenance contract despite the best intentions, for the cooling towers,” he said, the lack of technical training “and some other company then Noor Sankary in specialised equipment, such takes on the maintenance. This as cooling towers, could serve company's expertise might be as a hindrance and negatively good or not so good, but we impact a system’s overall strongly believe that it is in the efficiency. This was the issue best interest of the owner to that Noor Sankary, Regional have the manufacturer take care Sales Manager, Hamon Cooling of the maintenance, as he will be Tower Company, spoke about, assured of the best expertise.” gleaning from the company’s Sankary stressed that the Talal Damerchi experience in the region, company designs cooling towers adding that the gap in proper in a way that the cooling tower observance of maintenance protocols will use the least amount of energy and leads to loss of efficiency, proliferation of conserve water. “If you do not maintain it legionella and other operational issues, such properly,” he said, “that goes against our wish

October 2018

of maintaining the cooling tower with least power consumption and preserving water. We have our own maintenance team, and we can certainly help in this regard.” Weighing in, Talal Damerchi, General Manager, Hamon Cooling Tower Company, said that the answer may lie in a more collaborative approach involving all stakeholders: “Manufacturers’ councils exist in many countries, where manufactures provide an integrated approach to resolve issues and work with regulators to provide input on pending legislation,” he said, “We would also welcome and support a more collaborative approach between manufacturers and Facility Management (FM) companies so that we both share in the best way to maintain the equipment. That is not happening, currently, to the degree we would like.” Damerchi said that the company believes FM companies can be a good ally in providing value-added services to building owners. “The FM companies have a much larger scope than the manufacturer in the maintenance and operation of the plant,” he said, “and it will be to everyone’s benefit if the FM companies started to cooperate with the manufacturers on the best way to maintain the equipment.” Damerchi added that the company is very active in providing aftermarket solutions and is now cooperating with Dubai South to upgrade the plants, which have Hamon cooling towers. “We have also worked with Empower on the upgrade of the Palm and JLT plants,” he said. “We are currently bidding on

MENA region in 2018, as mentioned in its Worldwide Semi-annual Smart Cities Spending Guide. Security and energy efficiency were also high on the agenda, in line with the Kuwaiti government’s objective to ensure greater safety and sustainability across industries, the communiqué said. Speaking on the occasion, Paolo Cervini, President, Honeywell Building Solutions, Middle East, Russia, Turkey and Africa, said: “Our customers in Kuwait and across the GCC region are highly innovative, and are focused on becoming even more data-driven. They are looking for ways to not only generate more data from their buildings but also to turn that data into business insights that will help them drive safety, productivity and efficiency improvements. It is this demand that we have addressed at the building technology symposium.”

The ribbon cutting during the inauguration of Honeywell's Symposium in Kuwait

transformation in Kuwait, with a focus on the significant impact data analytics, IoT and cloud solutions have on the development of buildings, cities and real estate projects. Honeywell leaders further showcased solutions that are making buildings smarter and more connected

across several industry verticals, including healthcare, airports and premium commercial facilities, the communiqué said. According to International Data Corporation, spending on the technologies that enable smart city initiatives is forecast to reach USD 1.26 billion for the

several upgrades for plants, and we intend to expand in the maintenance and repairs, upgrade, spare parts and maintenance contracts as we are fully capable of performing these services because of our presence in the country and [by virtue of] having our own team here.” Sankary stressed that upgrades should not be confused with replacement. “Replacement typically means replacing parts as much as

possible,” he said. “Upgrade, on the other hand, involves not only replacing parts with a better, more efficient component; it goes much deeper into analysing the requirement of the plant currently versus the original requirement and to study the performance of the existing cooling tower to establish if it meets the current requirements of efficiency, environment, water consumption, water quality, water source, etc.” Sankary said that

the company’s strategic offering is due to efforts to navigate the price-driven market by offering a value proposition. “We are not just going to maintain it as it is, we try to make improvements, so their operating cost would go down. By using this approach, we hope we can become a partner rather than just a supplier.”

AESG to leverage London office to deliver projects in UK and Europe Consultancy practice appoints new UK Country Director, company’s representative says By CCME Content Team

he consultancy practice, AESG, is ready to capitalise on rapidly changing dynamics within the United Kingdom and European Union construction markets, with the appointment of Alan Rowell as its UK Country Director, the company announced in a Press communiqué. As frameworks developed in the United Kingdom often provide the template adapted by governments, globally, in their local building regulations, AESG believes its growing investment in the country will help it continue to introduce and implement industry best practices in all its geographies of operation, the communiqué said. Saeed Al Abbar, Director, AESG, said: “The realities of climate change, political and economic uncertainty, sustainability

Alan Rowell

Saeed Al Abbar

and carbon management have defined the United Kingdom’s construction sector in recent years. These are challenges which demand a new approach, and AESG can provide a fully coordinated team of specialist consultants to deliver a unique offering in this market. At the same time, the London office will work closely with our Dubai headquarters, to deliver projects across Europe and the Middle East.” Outlining his vision of establishing AESG as the UK’s one-stopshop for all construction-related consultancy and services, Rowell said: “Our team includes architects, engineers, manufacturers and scientists. Our aim is to add value to every project and bring something entirely new to the United Kingdom’s market.”

October 2018

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Carrier outlines factors driving awareness of IEQ in the Middle East

Company official shares innovations aligned with targets set by the UAE Vision 2021 National Agenda and the Dubai Health Strategy By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

ndoor environment quality construction and reduced levels (IEQ) is slowly getting of outside air brought inside for traction across all sectors energy conservation. in the Middle East, said Touching on what the Giorgio Elia, Vice President, company is doing in view of UTC CCS Middle East. Outlining emerging trends, Elia said that in factors that contributed to its support of the targets set by the Giorgio Elia steady uptake, Elia said that, National Agenda and the Dubai firstly, in the region, people Health Strategy, Carrier’s factory spend 90% of their time indoors. Secondly, in Saudi Arabia, SAMCO, recently developed there is also growing awareness on IEQ’s and launched hygienic air handling units impact on health, in the form of asthma (AHUs) with integrated control panels in order and other respiratory diseases, eye and to have self-contained systems. “In order to nose irritations, headaches, dizziness and help maintain the air quality index, as stated fatigue. Lastly, Elia said that IEQ has gained in the UAE Vision 2021 National Agenda, all more importance due to the tighter building filtration in SAMCO air conditioning systems

Johnson Controls joins Eurovent Middle East Industry association grows with the addition of Johnson Controls, and its affiliated brands, York and RuskinTitus By CCME Content Team

urovent Middle East has announced that Johnson Controls and its affiliated brands, York and RuskinTitus, have joined the industry organisation, in a Press communiqué. Highlighting the region’s increasing concern for sustainability, health and safety, Johnson Controls supports the association’s approach to offer free education initiatives to the industry and work towards increased awareness on the latest technologies and best practices in the region, the communiqué said. Commenting on the development,

October 2018

Dr Marcus Schumacher, Vice President and General Manager GCC, Johnson Controls, said: “Over the course of the last years, sustainability, health and safety remain the primary focus of government entities in the region. Johnson Controls offers complete solutions in the building technology space with a special focus on smart connected HVAC, controls, fire, security and industrial refrigeration solutions – always with a strong commitment to ensure the lowest energy footprints and cost of ownership for our clients. Eurovent Middle East will enable our partners and clients to benefit from a centre of excellence consisting of leading industry experts sharing a unified vision of making this region a more safe, healthy and sustainable place to live, whilst driving best industry practices, policies and standardisation of key technologies applied in smart buildings.” Commenting on the new membership, Markus Lattner, Director of Eurovent Middle East, said: “The support of Johnson Controls, one of the leading companies in our industry, is

meet national and international norms,” he said. “According to the Dubai Health Strategy, these external certifications will help the licensing standards for healthcare services and products. Saudi Arabia has pushed for a healthy local urban environment and reductions in public health incidences through the ‘National Transformation Program and Vision 2030’. Beyond meeting hygiene standards, the certifications also reflect a robust design, demonstrate the quality of products ensuring high confidence levels and testify to a standard of reliability.” Elia said, while good products with hygienic features and integrated control panels are important, proper use of equipment by healthcare providers is also vital. “Continuously updated training programmes, provided regularly by SAMCO and Carrier throughout the region, help to facilitate this,” he said. “Carrier is working with healthcare providers and proposing solutions with a focus on hygiene. This will ensure regional high air quality and indoor environmental quality goals are met, especially by healthcare providers.”

a valuable endorsement for the work we have done so far to establish a strong industry association for our sector. Their expertise in various fields, ranging from refrigeration to building automation, will significantly enhance our capabilities in providing education, legislative advice, standardisation input and the like.”

Michael Brown @delta_ee is right, the challenge in #digitization is not doing it but in addressing it effectively and reaping its full benefits #districtenergy #18DEdays #districtheating #districtcooling

Euroheat & Power EHP @EuroheatPower

TES can address gaps in cold chain, says TPmec

GM cites reduction of energy consumption and assurance of food quality and safety as key benefits of thermal energy storage By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

ood safety is largely underpinned by a stringent components of frozen food, which is a major factor of cold chain, featuring tight temperature controls, quality and shelf-life degradation,” he added. especially in the Middle East. In discussing the Sivadasan stressed that TES acts like a battery for energy burden of cold store operations, Rajeev refrigeration systems, using phase-change material Sivadasan, General Manager, TPmec, channel partner for (PCM) to store thermal energy in the form of cold Viking Cold Solutions, a US-based thermal energy storage for future use. “During off-peak hours, a facility’s (TES) solutions provider, said that with the round-the-clock existing refrigeration equipment freezes the PCM,” demand of such facilities, the charted consumption for a Rajeev Sivadasan he said, “and during peak hours, the facility can 24-hour period for cold stores would “look like a mountain dramatically reduce the mechanical run time of its peaking during the warmer and typically busier part of the costly refrigeration systems and rely on the PCM to day. The common goal of these industries is to lower the stabilise room temperatures and ensure food quality is not overall amount of energy they are using and to spread the energy usage compromised.” TES absorbs up to 85% of all heat infiltration evenly across the day. Significant peak reduction is most effective by using into freezers, rather than the food, he said, and maintains technologies that allow the load to shift to non-peak periods.” 38% more stable temperatures to ensure quality of food is To further prove his point, Sivadasan stressed that with temperature maintained, increasing shelf life of the stored product. “It’s playing a vital role in the quality, safety and shelf-life of agricultural this ability of the TES to absorb heat, which provides an extra and food products, it is important that frozen food and other perishable layer of protection for food,” he said, “and also provides passive products must be stored within specific temperature ranges at all times, thermal backup protection for stable temperature three times without interruption. However, he stressed, cold storage facilities are longer, should there be a power outage or equipment failure.” continuously bombarded and infiltrated by outside heat, when doors open, Sivadasan added that TES can also be integrated with as people and equipment enter and move around in the freezer, and with renewable power sources like solar/PV generation. Currently, he the arrival of new product, packaging, pallets or through small air gaps. said, the solution has been installed in cold storage warehouses, “As this heat enters the facility, some is absorbed by materials – floors, supermarkets, restaurants and food processing facilities racking, inventory – inside the freezer, and some is immediately removed throughout North America and the Caribbean, and the recent by the refrigeration equipment and there will be temperature fluctuations tie-up between TPmec in Dubai aims to advance TES solutions inside the storage area. For a food product, even small temperature in the United Arab Emirates and across the Middle East. variations can lead to micro-thawing and crystallisation of various

Rental Solutions & Services, Red Sea International form strategic alliance Partnership will enable them to provide clients with services and products in the modular buildings, power and cooling segments of the rentals market, company official says By CCME Content Team

ental Solutions & Services (RSS), a temporary power and cooling rental solutions provider in the Middle East, and Red Sea International (RSI) have announced the signing of a strategic partnership agreement, through a Press communiqué. The partnership will enable them to leverage their capabilities to provide clients throughout the GCC region with services and products in the modular buildings, power and cooling segments of the rentals market, the communiqué said.

Through this strategic alliance, RSI and RSS will provide clients with fully functional modular accommodation with power, cooling, wastewater processing and watersupply infrastructure at any remote location, be it for long-term camp requirements or short-term events, the communiqué said. Commenting on the partnership, William Ali Mills, CEO, RSI, said: "The market today lacks a full service capability in this important sector. Clients today need the ability to source all their requirements under one roof, whereby they are assured the

difficulties of operating in a remote location or under tight timelines can be overcome economically and efficiently.” Russel Moxham, General Manager, RSS Group, commented: "Following the successful delivery of several joint projects over the past 15 months, we are delighted to have formed a strategic alliance with RSI and to join forces in delivering large-scale and fully integrated temporary power and cooling solutions to customers across a wide range of industries, including oil & gas and events, which are key growth sectors for us at RSS."

October 2018

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Siemens discusses Flow Control Regulation of HVAC Systems Engineering community ready to embrace and support the future of hydronic balancing, says presenter By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

SHRAE Falcon Chapter conducted a seminar on Flow Control Regulation of HVAC Systems featuring presentations by Siemens, on September 17, in Dubai. Leading the seminar was, Luca Baroli, Global Product Manager, Valves and Actuators, Siemens, who expressed delight at the positive feedback from audiences, which, he said, expressed genuine interest in getting the best understanding possible of pressure independent and control valves. “The engineering society is now ready to embrace and support the future of hydronic balancing, which is the integration of digital applications with the mechanical hardware,” he said, adding that companies, such as Siemens, have the technical expertise and assets to help the industry transition. Baroli said that in recent years, pressure independent technology has gained more popularity in the market; however, much still needs to be understood about the technology. “This is sometimes due to lack of standards and regulations,” he said. The seminar aimed to address concrete guidelines for assessing expected performance of PICVs, which are offered by a range of manufacturers with differing technological choices, leading to different performance within the same hydronic system, Baroli

Luca Baroli

Liju Thomas Eapen

stressed, adding that not all PICVs are the same. “The product cannot yet be considered a commodity, and particular attention must be paid to the type of solution required, because ultimately this will have a major impact on system performance,” he added. Liju Thomas Eapen, President, ASHRAE Falcon Chapter, spoke on the body’s commitment to provide a platform for knowledge exchange. “As ASHRAE, our primary aim is to support technology, energy efficiency and any advancement in HVAC industry for energy efficiency and human comfort,” he said. “These are the two important factors in looking at any system, because energy need is growing and it will keep growing as cities are growing. Every building needs power and cooling, and the more buildings are being built the more we draw on energy. Anything that can save energy or [help equipment] perform better even 5-10% is a huge number.” The seminar concluded with a panel discussion featuring consultants.

SKM launches new psychrometric testing facility Lab has the capacity to test a range of air conditioning equipment in multimode, company’s representative says

▶ Inauguration of SKM's psychrometric testing lab

By CCME Content Team

KM Testing Lab, an affiliate of SKM Air Conditioning, a manufacturer of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, has launched a new test facility in Sharjah, the company announced in a Press communiqué. The facility has the capacity to test a range of air conditioning equipment in multimode, the communiqué said. The test facility is a psychrometric testing chamber capable of testing packaged units up to 10 tonnes of refrigeration (TR), fan coil units (DX and chilled water) and air handlers and split systems in cooling and heating mode, the communiqué said. The test facility has a state-of-the-art control and measurement system that allows automated control with high accuracy in the least test time, the communiqué further said. SKM Testing Lab quality management system has been developed and accredited as per ISO 17025 (ILAC) with emphasis

October 2018

Specifications of the psychrometric test chamber

on the quality of both management and technical competency, the communiqué said. The lab has certifications from recognised regional and international certification bodies, such as AHRI, SASO (KSA) and MEW (Kuwait), the communiqué further said. According to SKM Air Conditioning, the test facilities are not limited to the company’s product line but are also open to other HVAC manufacturers, clients and authorities, local and worldwide, offering comprehensive testing services at competitive prices.

4th Annual Construction Summit highlights digital transformation in the industry

prices and inflation, Wallett stressed that innovation is more vital than ever. “The big message we’re looking to get across is, number one, technology is here and it’s available,” he said. “We have solutions that cover the whole construction continuum. For every stakeholder, there is some level of innovative solution available to them.” As for the added layer of cost that may come as part of the integrating BIM, Wallet stressed that the benefits outweigh the investment and, as such, it is important to Progress of BIM at the forefront educate the people through platforms, such of discussions as that provided by the summit to draw awareness on available technologies, which By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor people can use to optimise their projects. The next key takeaway that Wallett highlighted is the importance of digitisation he 4th Annual Construction Summit, and removing the human element as much held on September 18, in Dubai, as possible. “If we look at the Museum discussed digital transformations of the Future as an example,” he said, “if powering the industry, touching you put that in a paper-based process, on emerging trends and their impact there will be hundreds and thousands of on modern engineering design, building drawings to make this project lifecycle and commercial possible.” The interchange of implications. During his welcome information needed from the remarks, Paul Wallett, Regional scan to the digital models, Director – Middle East and India, as well as rechecking and Trimble Buildings, highlighted the measuring the necessary progress of Building Information components is not a 2D Modelling (BIM), presenting it as process, Wallett added. an example of the large strides “Digitisation is trying to take the industry has taken, which Paul Wallett the information in its digital has paved the way for greater form all the way through the awareness towards the solution. process, as much as possible,” he said. Doing a snap poll among the contractors In addition to the application of BIM and consultants in the audience, Wallett in the Museum of the Future, which asked how many are knowledgeable about was elaborated in presentations from BIM, to which most raised their hands, Denis McNelis, Engineering Manager, followed by a question on how many BAM, and Tobias Bauly, Project Director, engineering companies use BIM, to which BuroHappold, the summit showcased the number of respondents dropped. Lastly, BIM’s utilisation in a diverse range of Wallett asked how many contractors in the projects, namely Warner Bros Theme room use BIM from design stage all the way Park in Abu Dhabi, as elaborated in the until the execution, to which only a handful presentation of Rezan Shahwan, Senior BIM responded in the affirmative. “That matches manager Besix-SixConstruct, as well as its with our experience in the industry today,” applications in stadia around he said. “This is the key aspect we need the world, in a presentation led to look at and address. If we look at the by Nicky Dobreanu, Managing market pressures and Quality Surveyor, C-Quest, KEO the little survey we did International Consultants. The here, as well as current summit concluded with a conditions, we need comprehensive overview of a compelling reason BIM standards around the to make a change, world and its integration otherwise we will in projects and the role continue as we are.” of project management With the global consultants, headed by market constantly Marwan Abu Ebeid, Sr challenged by BIM Manager, Turner trade wars, import International. tariffs, increasing

Empower to increase its cooling capacity in Business Bay The company will add two District Cooling plants to raise its capacity to 225,000 tonnes of refrigeration in the area, CEO says By CCME Content Team

mirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) has announced, via a Press communiqué, that it will increase its cooling capacity in Business Bay, by adding two new District Cooling plants to the company’s existing three plants in the area. Empower has signed a contract to design two new cooling plants, which will meet the growing demand for District Cooling in Business Bay, the communiqué said. The two plants, combined, will have a cooling capacity of 90,000 tonnes of refrigeration (TR), and once the plants are operational, the total capacity of the project will reach 225,000 TR, the communiqué further said. Empower had signed a master agreement in 2005 to supply the Business Bay area with a total capacity of 350,000 TR, in phases, the communiqué added. The new District Cooling plants, which add to Empower’s 73 cooling plants, as of 2017, are labelled as Business Bay 4 and Business Bay 5, the communiqué said. Commenting on the contract, Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO, Empower, said: “Building two District Cooling plants in Business Bay in Dubai is an important milestone for Empower. These plants will enhance our ability to provide District Cooling systems to all the buildings and projects in the Business Bay district. This contributes to energy conservation, protection of the environment, preservation of natural resources, and saving maintenance and operational costs.” According to Empower, the new plants will be constructed as per the standards of sustainable Green Buildings and will incorporate advanced technologies, including Artificial Intelligence. The communiqué said the new plants will reduce the consumption of energy used in cooling processes through sustainable methodologies, such as using treated sewage water and thermal energy storage systems. The communiqué also said that these plants will be connected to Empower’s centralised Command Control Centre, which provides real-time information and an overview of plant operations.

October 2018

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Samsung Air Solutions inaugurates The Training Academy Facility to be a regional hub for knowledge exchange, says trainer; highlights equipment for hands-on training sessions By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

he Training Academy for Samsung Air Solutions is now fully operational, said Malek Al Nimer, Regional Manager, B2B Sales and Marketing - Air Solutions Business (HVAC), Samsung, one of the master trainers involved in the development, launch and operation of the Academy. Al Nimer explained that the Academy will hold regular training programmes featuring seminars for consultants and contractors, in addition to vertical-specific training. The regular training programme, he explained, will be held monthly and will touch on design and selection using Samsung software, based on the trainees’ level of proficiency. Training topics may include product introduction, installation, commissioning, troubleshooting and control integration (ranging from simple to high-level controllers). Designed to target distributors, Al Nimer said, the regular programme will also include Commercial Air Conditioners (CAC), Free Joint Multi (FJM), and will feature a presentation of case studies. New programmes, he said, may be rolled out as per demand requirement or as part of a strategy to introduce a new product line.

Malek Al Nimer

Shofil Abdul Rahiman

Al Nimer said that the consultant and contractor seminars will focus on the SAC line-up, control system solutions and application, operation management, reference sites, optimisation of DVMS for energy efficiency by design and solutions for sustainable buildings, highlighting low-energy consumption products. Lastly, Al Nimer said, the vertical-specific training will explore industry-specific trends in hospitality, government and education sectors. The topics covered, he added, include Samsung’s AC

business vision, control system solutions and applications, operational management and sustainable building practices. Shofil Abdul Rahiman, Manager, B2B, Pre/Post Sales, Samsung Electronics, said that the Academy will publish a calendar of events through a dedicated online portal that allows attendees to access results and receive further invitations. Rahiman said that a major area of focus will be on VRF technology, adding that while the market is now mature enough to see and recognise the benefits of VRF technology, training is needed, especially with regard to installation. The Academy, he said, will facilitate sessions from theory, pre-installation to commissioning of VRF technology, in the move to advance the technical skills and knowledge of distributors. Al Nimer added that all training sessions are free of charge and that the Academy’s main goal is to cultivate best practices in the industry and share innovations within Samsung. Al Nimer said, the plan is to hold monthly training sessions for the local market and the region, inviting experts from other markets to underpin the Academy’s commitment to be a regional hub, and in line with its commitment to cultivate best practices in the regional market. Providing an exclusive tour of the facility, Al Nimer highlighted the live systems within the Academy, including control solutions and different applications, ranging from small and medium to big projects. The facility, he said, also includes stations featuring service, commissioning and installation tools and has a capacity of 30-35 people per class. Rahiman also highlighted the custom-designed simulation kits, developed especially for the training programme, which mimic the electronic parts of an air conditioner. Rahiman added that it allows trainees to familiarise themselves with the controllers and gain confidence that they are able to handle the machine, once it arrives on site. Al Nimer said this is especially useful for new engineers who are apprehensive about managing equipment, such as VRF equipment, as the outdoor and indoor simulation kits allows them to practice. Al Nimer said the Academy will also launch an education campaign, and will look to invite engineers at the university level to the Academy, so that they can benefit from the live system facilities and hands-on training sessions.

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October 2018

Eurovent Middle East discusses VRF technology Presentations at ‘HVACR Leadership Workshop’ cover benefits, misperceptions, best practices and regional regulatory framework By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

Markus Lattner

Omar Dawood

Dr Asit Kumar Dutta

Bibin Thomas

Michel Farah

Dharmesh Sawant

urovent Middle East discussed the inroads VRF technology is making in the market, during the latest installment of its ‘HVACR Leadership Workshop’ series, on September 19, in Dubai. During the opening address, Markus Lattner, Director, Eurovent Middle East, spoke about the association’s recent milestones, and its profile of activities as a voice for manufacturers “for the region, out of the region and in the region”. Lattner outlined the agenda of the seminar, which featured presentations from multiple stakeholders on key issues regarding VRF technology. Omar Dawood, Technical Sales Manager- System Air Conditioners, Samsung Gulf Electronics, kicked off the seminar with a comprehensive presentation on the benefits of VRF technology and the need for better performing equipment following consumer demand for energy-efficient solutions. Dawood spoke on the merits of VRF technology, with regard to addressing temperature fluctuations and its architectural benefits, and highlighted how the system offers itself as a modular equipment solution. Dawood stressed that increasing awareness of global warming and the need for environmental protection

have paved the way for the technology in the region. Dr Asit Kumar Dutta, Manager, Technical and Engineering Department, Fujitsu General (Middle East), delved deep into VRF specifications in the move to unravel the misperceptions associated with the technology. Dr Dutta touched on issues related to key components, such as the compressor, expansion valve, fat motors and the printed circuit board (PCB). Dr Dutta also highlighted the main criterion driving the selection of VRF technology, such as energy efficiency, installation freedom, ease of transportation, availability of software and user-friendly controls. Dr Dutta concluded his session by highlighting how preventive maintenance can increase the longevity and extend the lifetime of the unit up to 15 years. Proper tuning of the main parts can also determine best cooling performance, he added. Bibin Thomas, Business Development Manager, Adel Electronics, spoke on how VRF installers can add value to the overall operation and efficiency of the technology, providing audiences with a step-by-step overview of the installation process and best practice in this regard. Thomas provided a number of installation recommendations, in relation to testing and commissioning

reports, alternative piping and insulation materials. Thomas stressed that demand for qualified installation professionals is growing, citing the 17% increase in VRF jobs between 2015 and 2017 as an example of the gap in the market. He emphasised that skilled installers play a vital role in optimising product performance. Michel Farah, Vice-Chairman, Eurovent Middle East, Director – Corporate Environmental and Social Responsibility, Daikin Middle East and Africa, provided a comprehensive overview of VRF regulatory requirements in the GCC region, in a move to provide attendees with greater clarity on the different parameters being specified by respective authorities. In discussing current regulation and labels of countries in the region, Farah emphasised the burden of cost placed on manufacturers that look to enter new markets, driven by the need to comply with the spectrum of labels and regulations. This, he said, is why Eurovent supports efforts to unify regulations in the GCC region. Farah also spoke on how MEPS regulations and labelling programmes help shift the market towards higher efficiencies, why revisions of GCC regulation need to involve stakeholders to be efficient and how air conditioning variable speed trends can play an important role in achieving energy efficiency and carbon reduction targets. Farah also called for a gradual move from EER to SEER for T3 conditions, to demonstrate the real yearround energy efficiency and savings. Dharmesh Sawant, Senior Manager, LG Electronics, spoke on the feasibility of VRF in residential applications, urging stakeholders to look beyond capital cost and take into account other factors that offer long-term gains. He presented a case study of a luxury villa to highlight how VRF technology was able to address client requirements, including compliance with Green Building guidelines, system longevity and latent load control, especially as the villa, being close to the sea, suffers from humidity and reduced electricity consumption. Sawant also highlighted the considerable opex savings the technology offers, the importance of redundancy, in the event there is a failure in a module, as well online remote monitoring features, in order to reduce service downtime. To conclude the event, Midea provided an overview of numbers and figures related to the uptake of VRF technology in the context of the global HVACR market and made a case on how the product can be optimised as a retrofit solution to address inefficiencies in existing building stock.

October 2018

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Investment in hands-on HVAC training vital, says Imdaad

COO outlines payback of cultivating specialised skills in FM portfolio

Blueair launches Joy S air purifier Compact and powerful air purification device is now available across the Middle East, company’s representative says By CCME Content Team

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

raining lies at the heart of every strong FM solutions provider, and Mahmood Hussain Rasheed, COO, Imdaad, said the company has invested heavily in this regard, especially when it comes to adding specialised HVACR FM solutions to the company’s expanding portfolio. “We have allocated a separate budget for our training department,” Mahmood Hussain Rasheed Rasheed said, “because if our technicians are trained, and they know how to handle the problem, especially with the ACs, the pumps, [and similar equipment] we can repair whatever is at fault from the first visit. But if they are not trained, our cost will be higher, as we will keep coming back for the second time, the third time, etc.” Avoiding the long-term inefficiency that comes with inadequate training is a strong driving force behind Imdaad’s investment, Rasheed said, stressing that in addition to basic and theoretical courses, personnel are made to undergo hands-on training sessions. “We have a small room, with all equipment where we see how they fix and repair the AC unit or the pump, so when they go to the site, they will not be surprised. Some of the technicians you bring from overseas, the first time they see certain equipment, they would be surprised. They may know the theory, but once they have to physically handle it, what would require only 10 minutes will take one hour.” Rasheed said this is why Imdaad simulates a real-world environment that will allow technicians to be ready once on the field. “Yes, we may be spending a little bit more on the training,” he admitted, “but we are saving on time, [reducing] the calls, and saving on the repair. This is the payback of investing in training. It may be intangible at first, but in the long-run, it will be tangible.” Rasheed said that while the market has matured over the years, showing greater appreciation for the role FM solutions play in optimising building operations, cost remains an issue, with clients demanding more, yet often reluctant to pay for higher quality services.

Bitzer launches new range of condensing units The Ecolite series makes use of a small amount of refrigerant, says company’s representative By Ranjana Konatt

“C

TR Ganesh

lueair, a manufacturer of air purification solutions, has launched its new air purifier, Joy S, across the Middle East region, the company announced in a Press communiqué. Joy S is offered in five different colours to suit any interior, the

communiqué said. According to Blueair, Joy S is backed by Swedish expertise and features HEPASilent filtration technology, which uses a combination of electrostatic and mechanical processes to remove 99.97% of airborne pollutants, bacteria, viruses, allergens, microplastics, smoke, dust, pet dander and pollen – as small as 0.1 micron in size – the communiqué said. Joy S has a 200-cubic-metre-per-hour CADR (Clean Air Delivery Rate) and whisper-quiet performance, the communiqué said. The new Blueair product assures clean air for an area of 16 square metres every 12 minutes, making it ideal for small- and medium-sized rooms, the communiqué further said. The unique product design and technology helps to deliver clean air with minimum energy consumption of 1.5 watts, the communiqué added. Commenting on the Joy S launch, TR Ganesh, General Manager, Blueair Middle East, said: “The importance of clean air, with its tremendous positive health benefits, cannot be overstated. Residents are increasingly adopting air purification technology to improve their living environments. Consumers expect their air purifiers to extract all impurities from indoor air, while delivering the best CAD rate with minimal capital outlay and energy consumption. Joy S meets these requirements in a single package.”

ondensing units need According to Bitzer, the new series of to be suitable for condensing units offers optional capacity different applications, control from 10 to 100% and, due to its such as low- and compact construction, it can be easily medium- temperature refrigeration,” integrated, even when space is limited. said Stefan Leitl, Managing Director, Elaborating on the sustainability aspect of Bitzer Middle East, while referring to the product range, Leitl said: “The Ecolite Ecolite, the manufacturing company’s series of condensers makes use of a small Stefan Leitl new range of condensers. He further amount of refrigerant and is optimised said, “Today, maintaining sound levels and achieving with a mini-channel condenser, which has a high heat efficiency are two major challenges with condensing transfer rate and a low refrigerant charge. Every time units.” He explained that Ecolite uses low-GWP we develop something new, we aspire to make it even refrigerants and follows a “plug-and-play” concept, more sustainable than the last version and, for us, making it user-friendly and easy to handle. being sustainable is being innovative in itself.”

October 2018

ASHRAE Falcon Chapter, AMCA International hold seminar on HVAC ducts and dampers

Atam Hayat, Business Development Manager, Leminar Air Conditioning Industries, expressed positive feedback with regard to the topic of discussion. "It was really nice to see that the Civil Defence is taking stern steps to ensure that manufacturers and suppliers of fire-rated ducts adhere to the latest UAE Fire and Life Safety Dubai Civil Defence discusses applications of new Liju Thomas Eapen Codes,” he said. “All fire-rated ducts should UAE Fire and Life Safety Code; attendees express comply with three imperative criteria, with positive feedback in view of market requirements regard to stability, integrity and insulation, for both coated and non-coated, fire-rated ducts. By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor Another point to be highlighted is that the noncoated ducts should undergo all four types of tests i.e., Type A (insulated and non-insulated) SHRAE Falcon Chapter, in association with AMCA and Type B (insulated and non-insulated)" Hayat International, conducted a seminar on HVAC ducts and said that reliable third-party tests help ensure dampers in the context of the new UAE Fire and Life that ducts being supplied are fire-rated as per Safety Code, on September 10, in Dubai. Liju Thomas Mandarr Agshikar BS 476 requirements. Elaborating further on the Eapen, President, ASHRAE Falcon Chapter, highlighted the timely criteria, Hayat explained that stability failure nature of the event by underlining the need for greater awareness shall be deemed to have occurred in a duct and stronger vigilance. “The new Fire and Life Safety code has within furnace and in ducts outside the furnace been in discussion for a long time," he said. "The damages that when the duct no longer fulfills its intended have happened due to fire is immense. The loss suffered is not function. For smoke outlet, he said, duct stability only financial but much beyond the commercial and psychological failure will also be deemed to have occurred aspect of it. The tenants who are evacuated suffer depression. when there is any restriction of the crossGetting back to normal life is hard; in many cases, they are owners sectional area of the duct to 75% or less of its of those apartments and all of a sudden left without a dwelling original area. Integrity, Hayat said, is defined as place. It is a concern how the fire starts and eventually spreads Atam Hayat the presence and formation of any cracks, holes to other areas. If we can contain the fire at its start, a lot of or other openings outside the furnace through inconvenience, damage, loss of property, market capitalisation which flames or hot gases can pass. Lastly, Insulation failure shall loss can be avoided.” be deemed to have occurred when the temperature rise above Mandarr Agshikar, Director, AMCA Middle East, weighed in: “Fire initial ambient on the unexposed surface of the duct outside and smoke dampers reduce fire severity and spread, enable fire the furnace exceeds either 140 degrees C, as an average above suppression systems to operate more effectively and limit property ambient, or 180 degrees C as a maximum value over ambient. damage. But most importantly, they save lives. AMCA wanted to Hayat added that it is important to look beyond cost-centric ensure information like this, as well as other technical elements of thinking. “Cost effectiveness always comes into the picture, the new UAE laws and codes, are understood and appreciated by the but cheap is one thing and life-safety is another,” he said. “The HVAC engineering community. AMCA is proud of our relationship seminar helps clients and contractors be aware that life safety with ASHRAE Falcon and appreciates their efforts in supporting our is more important. Cheap products are fine, but they should initiatives, to bring such vital topics to their members.” be compliant with new regulations.” Though there are gaps in Adrian Brown, General Directorate, Dubai Civil Defence, led the knowledge in the market, Hayat said, the industry is becoming talks with a presentation on the new laws covering fire prevention and more educated, owing to efforts spearheaded by the Dubai Civil the role of ducts and HVAC systems. Agshikar said: “Brown provided a Defence, to educate people on the 2017 regulations and the wonderful opportunity to reach the ASHRAE Falcon members with an move to implement one uniform civil code for fire-rated ducts important message at the perfect time. His presentation was extremely throughout the United Arab Emirates. well-attended and the audience was very attentive to the topic.”

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October 2018

NEWS REGIONAL

Eurovent Middle East receives business licence as independent organisation We have a responsibility to improve IEQ and IAQ, says Chairman

By Ranjana Konatt

urovent Middle East hosted an event to celebrate its newly received business licence, as a non-profit and independent organisation, from the Dubai Association Centre (DAC), on September 23. During the opening address, Brian Suggitt, Chairman, Eurovent Middle East, said: “Today, is the

official acceptance of our licence, and this means that we have to over-achieve. We cannot stand still and must look forward and must do so by taking the right steps.” He further went on to appreciate and thank the people responsible for the organisation’s achievement, giving special mention to the Dubai Chamber and Association Centre.

As members of the association, he said, we have a responsibility to improve the state of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), while working towards energy efficiency. Representing the DAC was Steen Jakobson, Assistant Vice President, Dubai Events and City Operations, Member of the executive board of the DAC. He said, “Dubai is on a fast trajectory to what is becoming a full knowledge economy and, to support the growth of the association community, we have the Dubai Association Centre, which is the one-stop-shop offering support to associations by providing licences.” Jakobson added that with nearly 60 registered associations across multiple industry sectors, Eurovent Middle East is its latest addition. “We look forward to supporting you in continued growth in Dubai and in the Middle East and will do the best we can to extend

FM Expo highlights growing influence of technology in the built-environment Collaboration needed to optimise digital tools and deliver efficiencies, exhibitors say By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

pumps and other energy-intensive operations, as it allows he opening of the FM Expo, being held FM providers to assess operations and respond accordingly from September 23 to 25, at the Dubai to add value to the customers. World Trade Center (DWTC) showcased the Sharma weighed in, saying that the massive amount growing influence of technology in the builtof data being collected from these digital gateways still environment, as seen by the expanding portfolio of FM needs to be optimised. “It’s about what we do with the providers as they seek to address the growing demand data that is important,” he said. “I actually feel now we are for such solutions. Mahmood Hussain Rasheed, COO, Mahmood Hussain in a disconnected digital [world]. We have our own digital Imdaad, highlighted the company’s concerted efforts Rasheed platform and the client has their own digital platform, but to expand its range of services, in the move to be an they are not talking to each other. The protocols are locked integrated value-added FM provider. “Technology, because each is availing services from a different service Internet of Things and Blockchain – this is becoming provider.” Sharma said this underpins the importance of the future,” Rasheed said, “so even we try, as much as exhibitions such as FM Expo, which provides a platform we can, to be automated.” to discuss existing challenges. “This is important for the Dilip Kumar Sharma, General Manager, Universal overall efficiency of the industry and to enhance the asset Voltas, seconded this, as he shared his thoughts on the life for the client,” he said. profile of participants. “We are seeing more technology Sharma also stressed that the value of the data and digital orientation for Facility Management and Dilip Kumar Sharma gathered can only be determined following a proper [towards] energy efficiency. Exhibitors are not only the assessment, based on technical expertise and knowledge. FM companies but also service providers, providing the “We know the electromechanical part of it and then there digital platforms as well.” The turn-out, he added, has is the digital provider who can understand us and the client pains also improved, compared to the previous year. and connects it all,” he said. “So, basically the data and sensors on Rasheed said, with the advent of technology, collaboration is chillers or any equipment is being utilised by a platform to provide even more vital to ensure transparency among stakeholders, be it an output for the service provider to use it efficiently – this seamless the client, the consultant or the technician, and ensure cost-savings connectivity is what we are aiming for in the near future.” Sharma and efficiency. He added that BMS, and other similar technologies, emphasised that “there is no one complete solution available in the are tools, and tools are determined by how they are used. As such, market that can address all the points. You have to customise it and Rasheed said, he recommends that clients that have BMS connect to deliver the efficiency with regard to your own value proposition.” Imdaad’s control room so they are able to remotely address the AC,

October 2018

stands. Lattner said, “Eurovent Middle East is an association, which is global, local and regional, and I am happy to be here today and have the licence in place.” Highlighting the need ▶ L-R: Rami Muhanna, DAC; Brian Suggitt; Steen Jakobson; and Markus Lattner for a local understanding of the necessities in the region, he said, “We our full support towards the organisation,” want to work together with the authorities he said. The licence was received by Brian to develop a certain kind of surveillance Suggitt, after which Markus Lattner, Director, system, which will not only improve the level Eurovent Middle East, took the podium to of quality in the market.” Elaborating, he give an overview of where the association

said, that the association will try and be the mediator between the authorities and the industry. Naveen Sivakumar, Head of Marketing, Danfoss, then gave a quick introduction to Emirati young achiever, Roudha Bin Bahr, who was awarded the first honorary membership of Eurovent Middle East, for her effort to educate and increase the contribution of young minds to the refrigeration industry. Bin Bahr said, “I would like to thank Eurovent Middle East for having me as a member, to help raise awareness among students, in universities and schools, about refrigeration.” She said she believes that there is a need for Emiratis to learn refrigeration, as it is a necessity in the Middle East. She added, “This is an interesting field and if it is introduced to minds that are young and willing to learn, it will make a big difference.”

Enova highlights value of integrated FM approach Director discusses energy performance contracts during opening of forums at FM Expo By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

interested in the needs of the he first day of FM end-customer of my customer Expo’s forums kicked in order to build my strategy off with a presentation around it,” he said, speaking on ‘Maximising with regard to the need for savings and end-user wellcontinuous investment, to being through an integrated enhance the attractiveness of energy and FM approach’, from a building. “On average, we Francisco Ramalheira, Director, Francisco Ramalheira don’t realise 80-90% of our Business Development and time is spent inside a building, Marketing, Enova. Ramalheira at home or in the office. Building-related underlined key facts related to the builtillnesses, or sick building syndrome are not environment, stressing how 70-80% of myths; they exist and are intimately related electricity across the Middle East region is to productivity levels and absenteeism of consumed at the building level and that staff,” he added. roughly 25% of the built-environment is Ramalheira went on to discuss the role of inefficient, putting a lot of demand on the FM solution providers in optimising the builtutility providers. Ramalheira added that environment, elaborating further on energy the operation of a building has 100 times performance contracts. He added that the greater environmental impact over the surveyor must first assess potential areas environmental impact of its construction of optimisation, looking at all factors that and decommissioning, combined. He spoke impact overall performance, before setting up on how the building code is becoming a plan, normally seen as a retrofit that entails more stringent to address the problem of executing conservation measures. He also energy use, and inefficient operating and spoke on how, in addition to operations and maintenance significantly impacts the maintenance, verification and monitoring bottom line of building owners. protocols are also vital, going into details Furthermore, Ramaheira put the spotlight on the guaranteed and shared-savings on the inhabitants of the building. “I’m

model, with regard to who bears the risk in each. Essentially, Ramalheira said, a building offers many paths to efficiency and that, with building services contracts, for example, the aim is to reach a situation where the operating cost is lower than the starting point, by having a long-term approach in looking at how to fine-tune FM. “Going beyond, there are a number of opportunities,” Ramalheira said, “and this is where added value comes in towards the involvement of FM players in Energy Performance Contracts.” This could have significant impact not only on optimising energy saving but also on improving IAQ and overall environmental conditions, all of which enhances the value of the building. Ramelheira stressed that engaging the endcustomer is also vital, and having proper data will help FM providers get a good idea of what is happening in the property and how to address and report it. Ramalheira also spoke on how an integrated approach between FM and energy management makes sense, especially when it comes to facilitating exchange between technical capabilities.

October 2018

NEWS REGIONAL

Communication gaps can lead to inefficiencies in the construction industry Stakeholders stress the value of involving Facilities Management companies in the design stage of a building By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

Saad Ali

acilities Management (FM) providers play a vital role in optimising building operations, yet as they enter a development after hand-over, there often is a communication gap between the stakeholders, who design and install the equipment in a building, and those who inherit and operate it. The gap can lead to inefficiencies, especially when it comes to equipment that requires technical knowledge, such as those in the field of HVACR. This was the perspective Saad Ali, General Manager (Middle East and Africa), SPX Cooling Technologies, which specialises in cooling towers, shared, stressing that not all FM companies are equal, especially when it comes to cultivating the necessary skill and technical knowledge for specialised products. "There are good companies that work well and come to manufacturers to ask how they can improve the systems and meet performance standards," he said. "However, some FM companies accept projects without looking carefully at the product portfolio to be managed and what they are skilled at handling. It's a recipe for disaster and can get them in trouble." Ali added that there have been instances, where the facility manager approaches the company and buys parts to rectify certain performance issues in order to meet the responsibilities. "But that's backward," he said. "You build something new; you discover it's not doing the right job. I can't blame the FM company. They should have the capability to assess the facility before they accept the project." Ali stressed that FM managers should be given the opportunity to review

October 2018

Darren Farrell

facility equipment lists and performance reports in advance before accepting the documents of a newly constructed building. Darren Farrell, Regional Sales Director, ME, Africa and ASEAN, Greenheck, which manufactures air movement, air conditioning and air control equipment, spoke on the value of involving FM companies even sooner, by highlighting the financial payback of a collaborative approach from the very beginning. “It’s all going to come down to the cost of the building,” he said. “If something is installed incorrectly and FM come in and do their measurements and redo the piping, for example, that’s a huge cost. If they’re involved sooner, you can check and ensure it doesn’t happen, which will have potential cost implications.” Farrell added that FM companies can share key insights based on their experience in operating buildings, which could be especially valuable in conjunction with third-party bodies, which he believes should be involved in stricter guidelines and practices to provide a level playing field. “As a manufacturer, who abides by all the rules and ethical practices, it’s difficult for us to compete in markets, where that is not there,” he said. “As for FM’s role maybe, by law, the building has to be passed by FM, as well. That is, for us, the ideal situation.” Providing an FM company’s perspective, Mahmood Rasheed, Chief Operating Officer, Imdaad, echoed the value of a collaborative approach. “There is always a conflict between the commercial needs of the client and the operational needs of the facility end-

Mahmood Rasheed

user,” he said. “To ensure value for money, the project or construction team must clearly define the needs of the client and end-user for optimum balance. This is possible by connecting all involved parties and bridging the gap in the design stage itself. The involvement of FM companies in the design stage will eliminate unnecessary expenditure for any design modifications or alterations at a later stage and maximise the performance of facilities.” FM companies, Rasheed said, eventually have to respond to the needs of the end-user, and thus, their initial involvement in any project will make it easy to run, maintain, control and manage. Rasheed said emerging technologies, such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Additive Manufacturing, will further underpin the importance of a collaborative approach. Citing an example of the Dubai government's move to improve productivity by mandating the use of BIM in construction projects of more than 20 floors, as well as those with areas larger than 200,000 square feet, Rasheed also pointed to plans of using 3D-printing to build a skyscraper. “We believe this technology is a harbinger of a new future for the FM industry,” he said. “BIM and 3D-printing, along with additional building construction innovations in laser scanning, drone technology and machine control, all have the potential to boost construction productivity.” Ultimately, Rasheed said, integrating FM providers into the project team at the beginning of the process can be seen as a safety mechanism to eliminate the emergence of problems at a later stage.

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October 2018

NEWS REGIONAL

Middle East mega-projects will increase demand for space cooling, says Danfoss There is a need for continued leadership in order to steer towards a more sustainable HVACR industry, company’s representative says

Finpower Aircon to be official ‘Air conditioning sponsor’ at the Big 5 dubai

Maxell Group will display its brand, Finpower’s exclusive HVACR units, says company’s representative

By Ranjana Konatt By Ranjana Konatt

number of upcoming megaprojects in the Middle East will contribute to a rise in demand for space cooling, said Ziad Al Bawaliz, President, Danfoss Middle East, Turkey and Africa. “Mega-projects like the Expo 2022 in the United Arab Emirates, NEOM City in Saudi Arabia and the 2022 FIFA Wold Cup in Ziad Al Bawaliz Qatar, will all contribute to a rise in demand for space cooling and energy consumption,” he added. Pointing to the rise in energy demand as just one on-going challenge, Al Bawaliz said, “Each country has a different market demand; however, the market lacks liquidity in the way the projects are executed.” This, he said, puts tremendous pressure on contractors and suppliers. Al Bawaliz added, “Danfoss believes that there is a need for continued leadership in order to steer towards a more sustainable HVACR industry," he said, "and this includes the need for discussion among industry leaders, which will eventually help in policy lobbying for a more solid, regulated framework.”

VAC units trading company, Finpower Aircon, will be the official ‘Air conditioning Sponsor’ at The Big 5 Exhibition, to be held from November 26 to 29, 2018, at the Dubai World Trade Center, the company announced via a Press communiqué. Jayesh Mohan, General Manager, Group Operations, Maxell Group, said: “The Big 5 Exhibition is the largest construction expo in the GCC region and is a golden opportunity to make our presence felt. This year is really special, because our brand, Finpower intends to display several exclusive HVAC units, like its FAHU with heat recovery wheel and EC fan wall, air-cooled condensing units, ecology units, ducted-split units, air-cooled chillers and fan coil units. Each year, The Big 5 gives us the opportunity to learn and gain an insight into the industry. This year, however, we are looking forward to the dedicated space for HVACR industry players and are happy that The Big 5 took a step ahead by deciding to feature HVAC players, specifically, in their event.”

Net Zero Energy should be planned at an early stage for Green Buildings MEP consultants should educate their staff and clients towards the energy-neutrality goal, says MD, KEO International By Ranjana Konatt

et Zero Energy is a recent concept, said Darrel Strobel, Managing Director MEP Engineering, KEO International Consultants, while elaborating on the role of MEP consultants in educating their staff and clients towards the energy-neutrality goal. “It is important to address concerns with regard to energy efficiency and Net Zero Energy at the preliminary or the consulting stage, especially when it comes to Green Buildings,” he said. He explained that buildings in the Middle East tend to consume more energy, as people are confined to indoor environments for long periods of time, adding strain on HVAC systems. He

October 2018

task to achieve in practice added, “If the HVAC systems are and requires high energynot designed and well-integrated optimisation.” Elaborating, he into the building system, it will said that for such a project, the result in poor energy efficiency, building needs to be designed leading to higher operating well, in order to minimise costs, hence, increasing the energy consumption without building’s carbon footprint.” Darrel Strobel compromising on comfort. “It While highlighting one of is the duty and responsibility KEO’s projects, Strobel said, of the MEP consultant to make “KEO is currently working on a case to a client for an energy-efficient a large commercial headquarter project system or strategy, irrespective of the brief,” in Dubai which will be the first Net Zero said Strobel, calling it a more cost-effective Energy Building in the GCC region.” Today, and long-term solution. He added, “The the definition of Net Zero Energy differs the benefits of an nZEB are tremendous, and world over, but in this scenario, he said, it in a world where carbon emissions result in means being energy neutral. The project, higher global temperatures, the role of an he said, will not draw energy from a grid in MEP consultant is indispensable.” order to operate. He said, “This is a tough

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October 2018

NEWS GLOBAL

SASO Standard 2874 adopts AHRI standards for all applicable products

Exclusive “Path A” compliance for AHRI-certified manufacturers established, AHRI official says By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

ir-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has closely collaborated with Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) in the development and implementation of SASO Standard 2874 (Air Henry Hwong Conditioners – Minimum Energy Performance Requirements and Testing Requirements), said Henry Hwong, Senior Vice President, Standards and Global Operations, (AHRI). Speaking on Saudi Arabia’s updated regulations and level of collaboration between the two bodies, Hwong said Standard 2874 not only adopted AHRI standards for all applicable products but also established an exclusive “Path A” compliance for all manufacturers that are AHRI-certified. “AHRI worked closely with SASO to demonstrate the stringency and the applicability of its certification programs to establish the

exclusive path, which allowed AHRI-certified manufacturers to register and meet compliance without having to submit test reports for each model,” he said. “In addition, for configured applied products, such as chillers, AHRI worked with SASO to establish an exclusive web portal, whereby AHRI-certified manufacturers can provide validation of performance to SASO directly.” Hwong said AHRI, in recognising the importance of providing tested and certified performance data in real time, has made significant investments to provide the data, developing the necessary IT infrastructure, so that portals, “such as what was provided to SASO at no cost can be provided to other regulatory bodies also”. As a non-profit industry association, Hwong said, AHRI’s goal is to provide industry services that will facilitate global trade, while ensuring the integrity of the market place and a level playing field for competition.

ENGIE Refrigeration makes waste heat usable

Company’s air-cooled Quantum chillers also available with heat recovery features, official says By CCME Content Team

NGIE Refrigeration has announced that its air-cooled Quantum chillers can now be equipped with heat recovery as well, in a Press communiqué. This makes it possible to reuse up to 100% of the generated waste heat, the communiqué said. In July 2018, the first air-cooled Quantum chiller with heat recovery was put into operation in France, at an international industrial plant, the communiqué further said. According to ENGIE, for many years, the company has been equipping its watercooled Quantum chillers with heat recovery as an option. Many Quantum chillers with heat recovery are successfully operating around the world, the communiqué said. Now ENGIE is making this option available for air-cooled Quantum chillers, as well, the communiqué further said. According to ENGIE, a heat exchanger integrated in the air-cooled Quantum chiller,

October 2018

▶ ENGIE Refrigeration Quantum chillers with heat recovery

as an addition, makes it possible to conduct the heat, which is generated during the cold generation process, to a defined heat process, such as heating or the warm water supply. That means an air-cooled Quantum with a refrigeration capacity of 1,300 kilowatts can create a heat capacity of

1,480 kilowatts, the communiqué said. The heat generated during the refrigeration process can be used either completely, or partially, in what is referred to as mixed mode, the communiqué said. To this end, the waste heat is transferred to a heat circuit via a parallel flooded shell and tube condenser, the communiqué further said. As the chiller fans are now running at partial load or not at all, this makes it possible to save power and money, the communiqué added. At the same time, users take advantage of the thermal energy that is generated and, as a result, heat recovery is not just sustainable but also conserves resources, the communiqué further added. According to ENGIE, integrated heat recovery in an air-cooled Quantum chiller is highly suitable for all industries that can utilise waste heat, such as production plants, hospitals and hotels.

October 2018

NEWS GLOBAL

Noise of cooling systems Illegal production of CFCs back in vogue? is environmental China has played a vital role in the success of the Montreal Protocol; pollution, expert says however, selected foam manufacturers may need support to switch Masahiro Tsujimoto, MD, ZiehlAbegg Japan, shares experiences at an international meeting

to more environmentally friendly alternatives, says Environmental Investigation Agency By Ranjana Konatt

By CCME Content Team

“C

ooling and fresh air machines must be silent and must consume less energy!” Masahiro Tsujimoto, Managing Director, Ziehl-Abegg Japan, said, during an international conference in the German Fan Valley. “We must be able to reduce the big energy consumption of cooling machines in Japan and reduce the noise of these machines,” he added.

▶ Masahiro Tsujimoto with Dr Walter Angelis, Technical Manager, Ventilation Systems, Ziehl-Abegg

“The requirements changed during the past 100 years,” Tsujimoto said. “In the beginning, the focus was on the life period, later on the ventilation system performance. The energy consumption has been important for roughly 20 years. Furthermore, people evaluate noise as pollution of the environment or as noise disturbance in the past few years.” Tsujimoto explained: “There are two possibilities – the planning of new buildings and the refurbishment of existing buildings. The ventilation system of old buildings is often too noisy and consumes too much energy. If you need current calculation software for the needs and refurbish with energy-saving fans, it is not necessary to modify the tube system.”

October 2018

he use of CFCs in refrigerants was the topic of discussion for a prolonged period of time, until their ban, following the agreement of the Montreal Protocol. However, the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) recently released an investigative report, entitled ‘Blowing it: Illegal Production and Use of Banned CFC-11 in China’s Foam Blowing Industry’, revealed Julian Newman, Campaigns Director, Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). Julian Newman Elaborating on the investigation, Newman said, EIA has been investigating and exposing illegal trade in ozone-depleting substances, such as CFCs, since the late 1990s. He said: “Our expertise lies in understanding illegal trade routes and smuggling methods. It appeared to us that the problem of illegal trade in CFCs had diminished from a peak of 38,000 tonnes a year, in the late 1990s, to the global phase-out of CFC production in 2010.” It came as a surprise, he said, when a scientific paper, released in May 2018, revealed a mysterious rise in CFC-11 emission into the atmosphere, which he insisted, should have not been the case, if the Montreal Protocol (the United Nations agreement on tackling substances that deplete the ozone layer) had been complied with. Newman said, “The scientific paper suggested that the rise in emissions was due to a new and unauthorised production of CFC-11 somewhere in East Asia.” Based on these findings, he said, the EIA sought to verify the scientific findings by conducting an investigation into the illicit production of CFCs, turning its attention to China, as it was the world’s largest CFC producer at the time, during the phase-out in 2010. He said: “We felt the need for a research to help us pinpoint the cause of the CFC-11 emissions. This, in addition to help assisting the parties to the Montreal Protocol, so that appropriate measures to tackle the problem could be taken.” Adding, Newman pointed out to the need for clear evidence, which was provided by the investigation. Elaborating on the techniques used to conduct the research, Newman said: “The investigation involved identifying potential target companies, which might have been producing or using the banned CFC-11 substance and, then, contacting them by posing as potential buyers over telephone and e-mail.” The next stage, he said, was to meet the selected target companies, based on the response they provided to the initial approach. Through this, he said, the EIA obtained a testimony from the representatives from 18 companies in China, who were actively using CFC-11 as a blowing agent to produce PU foams. Elaborating on the effects of CFC emissions, Newman said that once they rise into the stratosphere, they are broken down by Ultraviolet (UV) radiation, resulting in the release of chlorine atoms. This, he said, destroys the ozone molecules, which make up the Earth’s ozone layer, which can have a disastrous impact on all life forms on Earth. Offering a remedy to the situation, Newman pointed out to regulation as the ideal solution. He said: “Regulation is vital in protecting the environment, and the Montreal Protocol has been a successful global agreement in terms of phasing out ozone-depleting substances and allowing the ozone to recover.” China, he said, has played a very important role in the success of the Montreal Protocol, and there are indications that the government has already taken steps to tackle the illegal production and use of CFC-11 in the country. “Support,” Newman said, “is needed for the thousands of small and medium foam manufacturers in China to switch to more environmentally friendly alternatives.”

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October 2018

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NEWS GLOBAL

HVAC industry needs skilled workers

Education and quality training within the HVAC industry is the need of the hour, says EGIA Foundation By Ranjana Konatt

“I

f you ask just about any contractor of what their biggest pain point is, they’ll tell you that it’s finding good people to hire,” said Erin McCollum, Development Director, EGIA Foundation, while discussing the need for quality training within the HVAC industry. According to EGIA, 115,000 HVACR workers will Erin McCollum be needed by the year 2022. McCollum said: “Skilled workers in the industry are ageing and retiring at a rapid rate. Not only does the industry need more skilled workers, but it also needs more young people to join the HVAC workforce, who are prepared, passionate and committed to making a positive impact.” Commenting on the factors influencing the HVAC industry, McCollum said, “The industry is greatly influenced by globalisation, environmental regulation and consumer urgency.” This, she said, is what gives rise to the desire for smart spaces, which use innovative applications of IoT. Stressing the need for a skilled workforce, she added, “The use of technology has made the HVAC industry look smart, and this will definitely lead to an increase in demand for IoT-enabled system communication; however, to deliver on market demand, there will have to be a rise in the number of skilled persons joining the workforce.”

LEED v4.1 supports good IAQ

LEED 4.1 continues to be a cost-effective solution and a standard to adhere to, says USGBC

By Ranjana Konatt

EED v4.1 emphasises on the improvement of IAQ through the impact category health and human experience said Marisa Long, Vice President, Communications, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). She added: “Requirements and options within the Environmental Quality (EQ) section, balance the need for prescriptive measures with more performance-oriented credit requirements. Also, low-emitting materials credit is performance-based and measures the actual emissions from the product, instead of only the VOC content.” While highlighting how LEED v4.1 has been positive in the market, demonstrating leadership, she said, “Buildings today are responsible for an enormous amount of energy use, resource consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, but LEED 4.1 continues to be a cost-effective solution that transforms the builtenvironment.”

Data centres need to go Green, says DigiPlex It is important for data centres to have a strategic, long-term, focus on sustainability, says company’s representative By Ranjana Konatt

progressive data centre must do what it can to reduce its environmental footprint, said Geoff Fox, Group Chief Innovation and Engineering Officer, DigiPlex Data Centres, while stressing on the importance of energy efficiency and the need for data centres to go Green. “Data centres today account for two per cent of the world’s annual CO2 emissions and three per cent of its power consumption,” Fox said. “Hence, it is important for data centres to have a strategic long-term focus on sustainability and take up measures to combat global warming,

October 2018

which can be achieved only through innovation.” Explaining how DigiPlex decided to run Geoff Fox data centres on clean and renewable energy, Fox said, “The whole grid in Norway runs on renewable energy from hydro sources by harvesting rainwater.” The most effective mechanism, Fox said, is the air-to-air cooling mechanism. The technology, he said, capitalises on the cool atmospheric conditions of the Nordics to deliver efficient cooling.

Describing the role of technology in saving energy, Fox said, “The air-to-air technology enables energy savings of up to 25%, as compared to the industry average, globally.” Highlighting another innovation in the field of intelligence, he said that Concert Control, an application DigiPlex has introduced, uses an algorithm to optimise the performance of the company’s proprietary evaporative cooling system, thus controlling the provisions of the data hall, based on the electrical power consumed by the data servers.

Retrofitting of data centres one way to energyefficient heat generation Fortum Oslo Varme’s energy distribution system and data centre operator, Digiplex will cater to the heating needs of approximately 5,000 apartments, company’s representative says By Ranjana Konatt

ortum Oslo Varme’s 60-mile thermal energy distribution system and data centre operator, Digiplex will cater to the heating needs of approximately 5,000 apartments, said Geoff Fox, Group Chief Innovation and Engineering Officer, DigiPlex Data Centres. Elaborating on the project, he said: “The energy efficiency factor comes from using modular, series-mounted heat pumps, rather than large cumbersome centralised chillers, hence reducing running costs. In general terms, Fortum will bring the system, piping it into the DigiPlex site, which terminates in a heat exchanger. After which DigiPlex will provide heat at the prescribed temperature on to the facility side of the heat exchanger.” Explaining how waste heat re-capture improves data centre efficiency, Fox said, “The benefit comes from capturing high Megawatts (MW) of energy and instead of releasing it into the atmosphere, we will recycle it into a usable form.” Highlighting that the project uses the Indirect Evaporative Cooling (IEC) system, he said, “Special coils are placed in the air plenum where heat in the

exhaust air is captured by cold water running in the coils, lifting the temperature to 68 degrees C, using heat pumps.” However, he mentioned that DigiPlex might introduce a system that recovers waste heat with the help of generators, instead of heat pumps. Fox also pointed at retrofitting of existing data centres as a good solution to using waste-heat for local district heating. Elaborating on the subject, he said, “One example is the DigiPlex and Stockholm agreement, where an operational data centre was retrofitted to heat approximately 10,000 residential apartments.” He said that, in the future, DigiPlex plans to cater to 10% of Stockholm’s heating needs just by creating a synergy between recovered data centre heat and the city’s heating needs. He added: “One of the city of Stockholm’s environmental objectives is to be fossil-fuel free by the year 2040. Using by-product heat is an efficient way of generating heat through data centres, which might encourage end-users to ask for clean and green data centres in the near future.”

ASHRAE launches online standards review database

The improved database allows members and non-members access to public review drafts for standards, guidelines and addenda, as well as to submit comments, ASHRAE official says By CCME Content Team

SHRAE has announced the launch of an updated and improved online standards review database that allows members and nonmembers access to public review drafts for standards, guidelines and addenda, as well as to submit comments, the organisation announced, via a Press communiqué. Commenting on the launch, Jeff Littleton, Executive Vice President, ASHRAE, said: "The online standards review database has been updated to provide greater functionality than our previous system. The new system improves efficiency for staff and volunteers by providing information in a faster and a more meaningful way. We're excited to present such a well-integrated database to our standards development community." According to ASHRAE, the new system offers a single sign-in feature, keeping the user logged in, if already logged into ashrae.org, and a new dashboard, to easily

access and highlight those items that require attention. The dashboard provides quick links to individual and committee comments, committee responses to comments, continuous maintenance proposals and outstanding ballots, the communiqué said. According to ASHRAE, additional features of the improved database include: • Complete letter balloting within the system, with downloadable reports that demonstrate procedural compliance with ASHRAE ANSI approved standards development procedures • The ability to hold committee votes on motions to approve public review publication interpretations, minutes and any other committee business • Voting rules that are compliant with ASHRAE procedures,

allowing for reduction of errors and minimising the need for members to maintain excessive documentation, • Automated notifications, warnings and reminders directly from the system, when deadlines are approaching • Continuous maintenance proposals entirely online, and • The ability to view proposals online and download proposals to work offline. Sheila J Hayter, ASHRAE President, said, "We're pleased to bring this improved innovative tool to our members and nonmembers alike. This updated database will be an invaluable resource toward ensuring that ASHRAE's rigorous examination of standards is strengthened." According to ASHRAE, the new online standards review database can be accessed at: ashrae.org/publicreviews.

October 2018

NEWS GLOBAL

Airedale launches new adiabatic cooling solution for data centres Traditional leak-detection systems don’t always work efficiently, making the need for innovation essential, says representative By Ranjana Konatt

eaks are one of the biggest downtime threats for data centre operators, and preventing them is a fundamental area of concern, said Jon Martinez, Commercial Controls Manager, Airedale Air Conditioning. Standard technology and traditional leak-detection methods, he said, often don’t work efficiently, making the need for innovation essential. “There is a need for constant development, where even the slightest difference in volumes of water moving through the various points in a data centre cooling system must not go unnoticed,” he said. Elaborating on the new Tire 4 Treated Water Distribution System (T4TWDS), Martinez said that the mechanical control

solution monitors and controls water treatment, storage and distribution for adiabatic cooling units in data centres. He said: “The T4TWDS was designed using a complex algorithm of volumetric flow monitoring to detect leaks and faults, while ensuring that a data centre’s cooling system is never disrupted. The solution can be used across independent control panels, while operating a series of valves, pumps and water treatment plants, where water is taken from the main water supplier, treated, stored and then delivered to adiabatic cooling units in data centre buildings.” The valves and pumps, Martinez said, operate automatically, based on the demand from the cooling units, and the introduction of the anti-vortex device, at various points in the system, eliminates the possibility of air, allowing an increased stability in flow-meter readings. Martinez highlighted that the data cooling industry is driven by energy efficiency and that there is a rise in demand to reduce its carbon footprint. He said, “Data centres today are becoming more reliant on adiabatic cooling, as a primary cooling medium, and adiabatic cooling systems have functioned as an external back-up to the more traditional cooling system.”

Carel’s China plant to increase availability of new products Customers will be provided with improved services, says company's representative By Ranjana Konatt

ir conditioning solutions provider, Carel’s new plant in the SND district of Suzhou, China, will help increase the availability of new products, while providing its customers with improved services, said Luciano Marzaro, Managing Director, Carel. Luciano Marzaro Marzaro said that customers will benefit from shorter lead times, while the availability of locally manufactured products will increase. “With a goal to continually improve our service, the new plant is in a strategic position, which will be a boon not only to the Chinese HVAC market but also to the Asia-Pacific region,” he said. Elaborating on the role of the laboratory of the new plant, Marzaro said, “The laboratory will be large enough, not only to carry out testing but also to show customers the real-time benefits during the application of a particular product.” He added that the local research and development department will use innovative technology, and the solutions provided will have high energy-efficiency levels, with respect to sustainability and the environment.

October 2018

EIA report on illegal use of CFCs in China’s foam industry surprises Carel

China finalises third round of Section 301 retaliatory tariffs Additional tariffs came into effect from September 24, AHRI says

The Environmental Investigation Agency research is unexpected as it’s been years since we’ve heard of the use of CFC refrigerants by HVAC manufacturers, company says

By CCME Content Team

By Ranjana Konatt

“T

he research comes as a surprise, as it’s been years since we’ve heard of the use of CFC refrigerants by HVAC manufacturers,” said Biagio Lamanna, Manager, Carel HVACR Knowledge Centre, in response to the recent report by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA). The report entitled, ‘Blowing it: Illegal production and Biagio Lamanna use of banned CFC-11 in China’s foam blowing industry,’ exposes the illegal production and use of CFCs by select HVAC manufacturers in China, said Julian Newman, Campaigns Director, EIA. According to Carel, the company recently announced its upcoming new plant in the SND district of Suzhou, China, and said that it had made a precise decision to discourage the use of CFCs. Further, its range of products is not compatible with the banned substance, Lamanna said. “Our Research and Development department has been focused on new features and solutions that are fully compatible with natural and low-GWP refrigerants. As members of associations that promote the use of natural refrigerants, we are regularly involved in events that support the efficient use of natural refrigerants,” Lamanna added. Lamanna pointed out that the report meant bad news for the Chinese HVAC market and finding an ideal solution will not be easy. He said, “The findings of the report have been an unexpected development; however, we haven’t been involved with CFC applications for nearly 25 years now, and this means that a lot has been done to prevent the use of CFCs.”

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he Chinese Ministry of Finance announced that 5,207 separate tariff lines of the harmonised tariff schedule – amounting to USD 60 billion worth of goods from the United States – would be subject to additional tariffs of 5-10%, in response to the United States Section 301 tariffs on Chinese goods, AHRI said, in a Press communiqué. These tariffs are the final version of the preliminary tariffs announced on August 3, the communiqué said. The Ministry of Finance also announced that China will "respond accordingly" to the United States administration's plans to increase the third round of Section 301 tariffs from 10% to 25% on January 1, 2019, the communiqué further said. The communiqué said China's retaliatory tariffs affect a variety of goods manufactured by AHRI members, including compressors, refrigerators and freezers, water heaters, boilers, heating equipment, heat exchangers, air conditioners, cooling equipment, control equipment, refrigerants, radiators, fans and vending machines. The communiqué further said that AHRI encourages members to review the original tariff annexes, published by China's Ministry of Commerce, to ensure a complete analysis.

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October 2018

NEWS GLOBAL

Systemair acquires Koolair

Sweden-based company acquires Spain-based manufacturer of air distribution products, for USD 23 million, former company’s representative says

Project Drawdown highlights refrigerant management strategies and challenges

Senior Fellow stresses need for policy to increase adoption and encourage best practice among stakeholders

By CCME Content Team

By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

weden-based company, Systemair has acquired Spainbased Koolair, the former company announced in a Press communiqué. Koolair is a manufacturer of air distribution products for the Spanish market, the communiqué said. The agreed purchase price amounts to EUR 20 million (USD 23.485 million), the communiqué further said. Commenting on the acquisition, Roland Kasper, President and CEO, Systemair, said: "We see great opportunities with the company's current market presence and product portfolio. This acquisition gives us a strengthened market position and good synergies within air distribution products in the European market." According to Systemair, the transaction is scheduled to close on November 1, 2018.

Note: Currency conversions in the article are as per 26 September 2018.

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October 2018

ith refrigerants being emitted into the environment during production processes, due to leakages, as well as during end of life (EOL) disposal of the appliances, measures must be taken to reduce their negative ramifications on the environment. This was the stance Kevin Bayuk, Senior Financial Fellow, Project Drawdown, shared as he highlighted key takeaways from the Refrigerant Management Technical Report authored by Kapil Narula. With refrigerant management ranked the number one solution in the move to reduce greenhouse gases, Bayuk outlined the five main recommendations to move the dial on the issue: 1) Lowering demand/use of appliances and, thereby, production of refrigerants, 2) Replacing refrigerants with low GWP HFC/new cooling agents/nonHFC substances, 3) Increasing efficiency of refrigeration in appliances, thereby lowering the use of refrigerants, 4) Controlling leakages of refrigerants from existing appliances by good management practices and 5) Ensuring recovery, reclaiming/ recycling and destruction of refrigerants at EOL. Bayuk said Drawdown’s analysis, report and solution models the lasts two options, and discussed some aspects of the second solution, specifically in the context of the recent Kigali accord. Bayuk said the solution is restricted to refrigeration, heat pumps and air conditioning applications and takes into account CFC, HCFC and HFC gases separately, as these have different GWP and phase-out schedules. “The solution consists of two parts,” he said, “emissions that can be avoided by controlling leakages from refrigerant banks and emissions that are avoided by destroying refrigerants, which are recovered at end of life of the equipment.” Focusing on the strategies modelled by Project Drawdown, Bayuk said literature suggests that refrigerant management is difficult to implement as the appliances are

distributed. “There are weak regulations on controlling leakage of refrigerants, EOL recovery and destruction of refrigerants,” he said. “Further there are no economic incentives for the recovery of refrigerants. Funding, training, technical and informational barriers are also some of the limitations for adoption of the solution.”

Kevin Bayuk

Bayuk said in order to increase adoption, policies and regulations on recycling/ management of refrigerants need to be formulated and implemented. “Strong regulations, such as a complete ban on venting of refrigerants and accountability of refrigerants, have to be introduced in national legislation,” he added. “Economic incentives for recovery, recycling and destruction of refrigerants, such as issue of carbon credits under the Kyoto Protocol would help increase the adoption in developing countries. Capacity building in these countries, including technology transfer, would help aid faster adoption of the solution.” Informational barriers, Bayuk said, is another bottleneck. “Increased adoption of better practices is needed,” he said. “Service technicians need to be equipped and trained and have to be informed of the safety risks associated with handling refrigerant gases.” He added, there can also be informational barriers for large consumers or end users on the safe disposal of equipment at EOL, including the location of nearest reclamation/ destruction facilities. Additionally, he said, due to absence of national certification procedures for personnel, availability of trained person power is also a barrier.

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NEWS GLOBAL

Spanish market adopting to F-gas regulation in record time, says AEFYT Industry making an effort; taxes are a bottleneck, says Deputy Manager By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

he Spanish HVACR market is adapting to market conditions, despite the increasingly stringent policies being rolled out across Europe in compliance with the F-Gas Regulation, said Félix Sanz, Deputy Manager, AEFYT. “Like other European associations, AEFYT thinks that the roadmap imposed [by F-gas regulation] has not taken into account state-of-theart technology,” he said, “but the industry has made a great effort and is reacting in an exemplary manner.”

Félix Sanz

Speaking on emerging trends in Spain, Sanz said that commercial refrigeration has seen a shift towards new refrigeration systems with CO2, propane and ammonia. “As far as refrigerant gases are concerned, we detect that natural refrigerants will coexist with the new mixtures that have a low (global warming potential) GWP,” he added. Sanz said that the maintenance of refrigeration installations also takes centre stage under the premise of recovery and recycling, all in the interests of energy efficiency, which, he said, is a main concern for stakeholders in the refrigeration industry. Sanz said that a negative consequence that has been of concern of late, is the expanding black market related to HFC gases, in Spain and across Europe, owing to a tax on fluorinated gases making things difficult for stakeholders in the industry.

October 2018

LEED rating system will soon become an international standard LEED v4.1 is an incremental update, which enhances the rating system’s inclusivity and transparency, USGBC says By Ranjana Konatt

he LEED rating system will soon become an international standard for the construction, design and operation of high-performance structures, said Marisa Long, Vice President, Communications, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), while talking about the latest version of the rating system. “LEED v4.1 is the newest update to the rating system that debuted earlier this year and is not a full version change, rather it is an incremental update, which enhances the rating system’s inclusivity and transparency,” she said. The new updates will make achieving the certification more accessible, while encouraging continuous improvement and emphasising on performance, said Long. Long said, “LEED v4.1 focuses on a performance-based approach that calls for measurable results throughout a building’s lifecycle.” She explained that in addition to looking at strategies, it is about understanding how the strategies affect the people living inside the building. She further said that LEED v4.1 encourages smart grid thinking and rewards projects that participate in demand-response programmes, while understanding how the materials used in construction impact health and the environment. “LEED is a cost-effective solution that continues to transform the built-environment and space, where people live, work, learn and play,” said Long. While explaining how the certification is likely to give a boost to the zero emission school of thought, Long said, “Existing buildings and transit projects using LEED v4 have the option of pursuing certification using Arc, a state-of-the-art digital platform which benchmarks, tracks and monitors performance.” She further said that the platform provides building owners and operators with a way to track net-zero carbon emissions associated with energy and transportation, in addition to an array of other performance data, including water, waste and human experiences. Elaborating on the platform, she said, “Arc generates a performance score between zero and 100 and provides greater transparency, while holding projects accountable for their actions.” The score, she added, helps communicate progress to stakeholders and helps identify areas for improvement. “Net-zero cities are the future, and LEED provides a holistic approach, which will help buildings and cities take the necessary steps to reach that goal.”

These issues, he added, were part of the key takeaways that will be highlighted in the Symposium of the Spanish Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Industry, which, he said, will address the new Spanish and European regulations related to the circular economy, security and digital transformation. “These include the Directive on Ecodesign and Energy Labelling of Refrigerated Furniture, the certification of supermarket furniture and numerous issues related to energy efficiency,” he added. These issues, Sanz said, are being discussed in the move to highlight the refrigeration industry, as a leading sector, in a sustainable economy, at the service of society.

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October 2018

NEWS GLOBAL

Public health expert advocates international guidelines for cold chain breaches

University of Canberra professor outlines key takeaways of power outage and refrigerated medicine research in Australia By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

guidelines do exist, they are not comprehensive,” he said. ack of guidance among health care providers “Manufacturers typically provide limited stability data about and consumers with regard to appropriate their products. There is not a comprehensive instruction action in the event of cold chain breaches from pharmaceutical manufacturers about how to deal with (CCB), as well as its alarming consequences, power outages and cold chain breaches, in regard to their is an important issue plaguing the medical field. This own pharmaceutical products. Pharma should also take was the point that Dr Sam Kosari, Assistant Professor the responsibility of developing, or at least contribute to of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Dr Sam Kosari developing, guidelines about CCB for their own products.” stressed when interviewed regarding a recent paper Dr Kosari also said the knowledge gap with regard he authored on ‘Power outages and refrigerated to correct procedures in the event of power outages extends to medicines: The need for better guidelines, awareness and planning.’ community pharmacies. “Data from our small local study showed that Currently, Dr Kosari stressed, there are no internationally-agreedmillions of dollars’ worth of medicines could be saved each year, if upon or standard guidelines, leaving consumers and healthcare additional data regarding the stability of medicines were available to providers with no idea on what to do in case of CCB. “Manufacturers the relevant parties,” he said, pointing to pharmacies, hospitals, GP advise not to use the drugs if they are suspicious of a CCB and do clinics and pharmaceutical wholesalers, as a few examples. not provide any further information,” he said. “However, this is a Dr Kosari stressed there is a need for expanded national and very broad recommendation, as discarding expensive drugs can have international studies to further clarify the extent of the issue and a significant negative impact on the economy side of the public indicate where significant investments could be made, to better health.” protect against medicine loss in the future, not only for economic Dr Kosari aimed to bring the attention of decision-makers to reasons but also to safe-guard communities against medicine or key takeaways from his research, which, though limited to the vaccine shortages. There is a need for investment on national/ Australian Capital Territory (ACT), showed the lack of knowledge international research, to conduct comprehensive testing to develop on the correct procedures to follow, in the event of power outages uniform guidelines, to address CCB issues,” he stressed. and CCB, especially among health care professionals. “While some

Scalability key to cost-effective utility solutions, says Enwave Australia CEO outlines design approach in custom-tailored District Energy scheme; highlights value of upfront engagement By Hannah Jo Uy | Assistant Editor

nwave Energy, a businesses with a technology subsidy of Enwave focus, educational facilities and Australia, has recently residential housing. “We see that won a bid to develop utilities are a key part in the an energy production and vision of having an innovative trading scheme for the Tonsley site,” he said. “We were engaged Innovation District in Adelaide. to develop what we consider to Cameron Evans Cameron Evans, CEO, Enwave be an innovative approach to Australia, elaborated on how providing utilities.” the project is in line with the company’s As a result, Evans said, Enwave commitment to reduce cost and provide designed a system that provides electricity, reliable, renewable and sustainable energy thermal energy, gas and recycled water supplies. Following the closure of key to commercial businesses and residential manufacturing businesses, in particular the developments, established in the area. Mitsubishi assembly factory, Evans said “Scalability is a key part of it,” he said. “The the government in South Australia aimed district is in a development stage, with a to create an innovation district to attract number of businesses looking to move into

October 2018

the precinct. We had to work alongside both residential and commercial developers to understand their plans and requirements. As the business district grows, our system needs to cater to the people’s needs, so scalability is important.” Evans said the company will install about 20,000 solar panels for everyone to benefit from a local solar energy supply. Evans said they are able to build up the capacity of the system as demand grows, and that providing additional generation and storage are looked at as ways to optimise energy supply. “The reason why we have gone down this path of pursuing a scalable approach is because it helps in terms of the capital we spend,” he said. “If we don’t have to spend capital up front, we can offer a

Maryland, New York announce plans to phase out HFC refrigerants The two states will follow California by adopting new regulations, AHRI says By CCME Content Team

ew York and Maryland made announcements on September 11 that they will follow in California's footsteps, by adopting regulations aimed at phasing out hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants, AHRI said in a Press communiqué. In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo tasked the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) with promulgating the regulations, the communiqué said. In Maryland, the Department of the Environment will take the lead, the communiqué further said. According to AHRI, Governor Cuomo announced that the phase out will be implemented from 2020 to 2024, with the intended goal of reducing HFC emissions by more than 20% by 2030. The DEC has said that, as part of a preproposal phase, it plans to schedule an initial stakeholder webinar and would like to begin collecting comments before the end of the year, the communiqué said. Following this initial outreach, the DEC will release a first draft of the rules, kick-starting a 60-day comment period, before issuing a final rule, the communiqué further said. The DEC will likely schedule public hearings at the State Capitol in Albany to provide an opportunity for comments from interested stakeholders, the communiqué added. Maryland has yet to share the specifics of its plan, but will likely conduct a similar public rulemaking process, the

more cost-effective solution to customers in the precinct.” Evans said the system also offers increased reliability. “About a year ago there were severe black outs in the state of South Australia, due to large storms, which damaged the transmission infrastructure of the electricity grid,” he explained. “What we have done to combat this in the future, is provide the site with its own generation and storage. We insulate the development from reliance on one source of energy. ” Eventually, Evans said, the project will house 2,000 individual homes, businesses and universities as part of the overarching scheme.

communiqué said. The Maryland Department of the Environment has indicated that it intends to adopt regulations similar to California, the communiqué further said. This effort will help Maryland achieve the goals set forth by the state's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Act of 2016, the communiqué added. According to AHRI, the governors of California, Maryland and New York all belong to the U.S. Climate Alliance, a coalition of governors from 16 states and Puerto Rico, who have committed to undertaking various initiatives aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The communiqué said it is possible that other states involved in the Climate Alliance will announce similar plans to phase down HFCs. The communiqué added that AHRI has been actively involved in the rulemaking process in California, and will be similarly monitoring and engaging throughout the rulemaking processes in Maryland, New York and any other states that announce similar initiatives.

Evans added that the company was committed to providing energy to costsensitive connected customers at a competitive price, especially with recent substantial increases in electricity and gas prices. “We have committed to making sure that there are discounts with the cost of energy supplied to customers and the combination of grid and on-site generation ensures we provide a cost-effective solution,” he said. In addition to providing electricity, Evans said, the company is providing thermal energy for District Cooling and heating. “For the chilled water we are intending to provide a District Cooling system using chilled water,” he said. “We are also proposing to implement smart city infrastructure to provide additional amenities and convenience to the precinct.” Evans said he believes there is great scope for similar schemes in other parts of the world. “Generally, where there is a degree of energy intensity, such as cooling, there is

great scope to provide an economic District Cooling system,” he said. “The challenge is bringing the smarts as to how it is designed and operated and to create savings that can be passed on to customers.” Collaboration, Evans said, remains critical and design is continuous. “This really has been a true partnership with the government and we worked closely to understand what they wanted to create in the first instance and also to ensure we had a good understanding of how the development is working,” he said. “The state government is responsible for selling the land and we need to know what it is thinking.” Evans added that the state government played a vital role in engaging developers that were going to be connected to the scheme, providing a clear idea of the business they aimed to bring, stressing that upfront engagement has been important for a successful outcome.

October 2018

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25 AWARD CATEGORIES: 1.

MANUFACTURER/SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR (AIR TREATMENT)

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GCC REGION MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR

MANUFACTURER/SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR (AIR MOVEMENT, VENTILATION)

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HVACR ACCESSORIES MANUFACTURER/SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR

MANUFACTURER/SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR (FIRE SAFETY)

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PROJECT OF THE YEAR (OUTDOOR COOLING SYSTEMS)

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DISTRICT COOLING COMPANY OF THE YEAR

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BUILDING EFFICIENCY RETROFIT PROJECT OF THE YEAR

O&M COMPANY OF THE YEAR (CHILLED WATER PLANT)

DISTRICT COOLING UTILITY PROVIDER OF THE YEAR

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INNOVATIVE MANUFACTURER/SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR (CHILLERS)

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FM COMPANY OF THE YEAR (ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND IEQ)

10.

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