CCME - October 2020 by Climate Control Middle East

FEATURE: RAKing in energy savings in the time of COVID

October 2020

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Climate Control Middle East covers the regional and global HVACR industry with a firm commitment to providing in-depth news and analyses on policy, business and technology.

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FEATURE: RAKing in energy savings in the time of COVID

October 2020

POST-EVENT REPORT Consistent Engineering Consultants talks sustainability

THE ASHRAE

DIGITAL LIGHTHOUSE

Commentary

FIVE YEARS OF UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Alex Malou, Schneider Electric

AND

Exclusive interview with Chuck Gulledge, 20202021 ASHRAE President

INDUSTRY 4.0 INTERVIEW

Licence to Chill

Perspective

MONITORING THE AIR TO CHARACTERISE PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF SUSPENDED CONTAMINANTS

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF RANGE AND APPROACH

HARNESSING AI FOR MAXIMISING CHILLER PLANT EFFICIENCY

Dr Iyad Al Attar, independent air filtration consultant

Dan Mizesko, U.S. Chiller Services

Rehan Shahid, P&T Architects & Engineers

PUBLICATION PUBLICATION LICENSED LICENSED BY BY IMPZ IMPZ

US$15

AHRI is Now in Dubai!

You asked, we delivered. The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) has opened an office in Dubai to offer its world-class standards and industry respected certification programs to one of the world’s fastest-growing energy efficiency hubs. We are excited to partner with our friends in one of the “hottest” spots for innovation and efficiency in the world! Come visit and let us know how we can help you, your customers, and your constituents while helping our planet. Learn more about our new office, about AHRI, our standards, and our certification programs online, at www.ahrinet.org/MENA.

AHRI MENA • Office: +971 4 578 5779 • 2nd Floor, Laboratory Complex, Dubai Science Park P.O. Box: 500767, Dubai, UAE • www.ahrinet.org 2

October 2020

Regional Office: LG Electronics Gulf FZE, P.O Box 61445, Dubai. Tel: +971 4 279 9222, UAE, Mr. Amjad Abu Alika, Tel: +971 50 450 9808, email: amjad.abualika@lge.com; Fortune International Trading LLC, Mr. Wail Halbouni, Tel: +971 50 481 3570, email: fortintl@emirates.net.ae; Ghantoot Trading, Mr. Nour Haboush, Tel: +971 50 109 4109, email: nour.h@ghantootgroup.ae; District Cooling Company, Mr. Ahmed Henedi, Tel: +971 50 658 4832, email: ahmed@districtcoolingcompany.com; Al Yousuf Electronics, Mr. Moitra, Tel: +971 50 457 6170, email: pmoitra@alyousuf.com; Bahrain, AJM Kooheji and Sons, Mr. Jayachandran, Tel: +973 36888801, email: v.jayachandran@ajmkooheji.com: Kuwait, Al Babtain Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Co., Mr. Naji Kataya, Tel: +965 5 051 5771, email: nkataya@albabtaingroup.com kw; British Link Kuwait, Mr. Imad Rhayel, Tel: +965 5 157 1229, email: irhayel@blk.com.kw; Oman, Oman Gulf Enterprise, Mr. Narender Kumar, Tel: +968 9 747 4505, email: narenderk@otegroup.com; Aspire Projects and Service, Mr. Vivek Wagh, Tel: +968 99357694, email: vivekwagh@aspireoman.com; Azerbaijan, GSS.AZ, Mr. Zeka Gasimov, Tel: +994 55 260 6665, email: zeka.gasimov@gss.com.az; Al-Con Maxiwell Group, Mr. Vagif Alexperov, Tel: + 994 50 216 2092, email: maxiwellbaku@inbox.ru; Armenia/Georgia, ARAY Gulf, Mr. Vilson Melikjanyan, Tel: +374 9 307 7755, email: vilson@aray.am; Yemen, Modern House Exhibition, Mr. Khaled Jabr, Tel: +967 71 172 0202, email: mail@mhe-yemen.com; Pakistan, Iceberg Industries (Lucky Goldstar), Mr. Imran Jamil Khan, Tel: +923 21 277 6100, email: ceo@icebergindustries.net

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Quantify, destroy

Five years of UN Sustainable Development Goals

A multi-faceted HVAC approach to meeting UN Sustainable Development Goals

Asking what businesses are doing to help achieve SDG 13: Climate Change, Alex Malouf of Schneider highlights the need for them to share their plans to inspire others to act quickly, keeping in mind that the deadline – 2030 – for achieving the target of cutting greenhouse gases by 50% is not too far away

Consistent Engineering Consultants’ three-part Sustainability Webinar Series attracted experts from the GCC region, India, Europe and elsewhere, who presented actionable strategies and solutions for optimising resources and for meeting other HVAC-relevant UN Sustainable Development Goals at macro and granular levels.

The strategy we need to embrace in combatting future pandemics revolves around monitoring the air to characterise the physical and chemical aspects of the suspended contaminants, says Dr Iyad Al-Attar, independent air filtration consultant

Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for maximising chiller plant efficiency

An intelligent optimisation system using AI algorithm built into its core is just what the doctor ordered for its ability to facilitate continuous, dynamic optimisation and, thus, deliver greater plant efficiencies, writes Rehan Shahid of P&T Architects & Engineers.

The significance of range and approach

06 eDItor'S note

Fit for purpose or fit for budget? October 2020

It’s important to understand cooling tower principles to achieve greater chiller efficiency, says Dan Mizesko of U.S. Chiller Services.

REGULARS

For Ras Al Khaimah Municipality’s Energy Efficiency and Renewables Office (Reem), the COVID-19 pandemic became a catalyst for the acceleration of its retrofit and energy management programmes.

LICENCE TO CHILL

PERSPECTIVE

INTERVIEW

The ability to analyse the data lake of knowledge available and identify actionable insight can lower operating cost for building owners, contends 2020-2021 ASHRAE President, Chuck Gulledge

FEATURE

page

on the cover

COMMENTARY

THE ESSENTIALNESS OF A DIGITAL HVACR ECOSYSTEM 08

RAKing IN energY savings in the TIME OF COVID

POST-EVENT REPORT

VOL. 15 NO. 10  OCTOBER 2020

32 Regional News 41 Global News

10th ANNUAL CLIMATE CONTROL

AWARDS 2020 24 November | Dubai, UAE

www.climatecontrolawards.com

30 AWARD CATEGORIES: 1. MANUFACTURER/SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR (AIR TREATMENT)

15. HVACR ACCESSORIES MANUFACTURER/SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR

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

16. PROJECT OF THE YEAR (OUTDOOR COOLING SYSTEMS)

3. MANUFACTURER/SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR (FIRE SAFETY) 4. BUILDING ENVELOP OF THE YEAR (CONTRIBUTING MANUFACTURER/SUPPLIER)

18. HVAC CONSULTANT OF THE YEAR

5. BUILDING PERFORMANCE SERVICES (TESTING AND CERTIFICATION)

19. HVAC CONTRACTOR OF THE YEAR 20. BUILDING EFFICIENCY PROJECT OF THE YEAR

6. DISTRICT COOLING COMPANY OF THE YEAR 7. O&M COMPANY OF THE YEAR (CHILLED WATER PLANT) 8. DISTRICT COOLING UTILITY PROVIDER OF THE YEAR 9. INNOVATIVE MANUFACTURER/SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR (CHILLERS) 10. MANUFACTURER/SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR (CHILLED WATER SYSTEM EQUIPMENT AND COMPONENTS, LESS CHILLERS) 11. MANUFACTURER/SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR (STANDALONE DX) 12. MANUFACTURER/SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR (VRF SYSTEMS)

17. PROJECT OF THE YEAR, NEW CONSTRUCTION – IEQ (HEALTHCARE, ACADEMIC, HOSPITALITY, COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL)

21. IAQ HEALTHCARE RETROFIT PROJECT OF THE YEAR - NEW 22. COMMISSIONING/RE-COMMISSIONING COMPANY OF THE YEAR 23. FM COMPANY OF THE YEAR (ENERGY MANAGEMENT, IEQ) 24. IOT INTEGRATION INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR 25. HVACR ENGINEER OF THE YEAR 26. YOUNG HVACR ENGINEER OF THE YEAR 27. MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR (VEHICLE ENVELOP & CONDENSING UNITS) 28. COLD STORE OF THE YEAR

13. GCC REGION MANUFACTURER OF THE YEAR

29. DOMINIC DE SOUSA AWARD FOR INNOVATION

14 .MANUFACTURER/SUPPLIER OF THE YEAR (WATER HEATERS) - NEW

30. EDITOR’S CHOICE AWARD

PRESENTATION TO THE JUDGES:

OCTOBER 26 & 27, 2020 THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF ENTRIES IS

Bronze Sponsor

Monitored by

Strategic HVACR Recruitment Partner

6PM (UAE TIME, GMT+4) ON OCTOBER 19, 2020

(ENTRIES SUBMITTED AFTER THE DEADLINE WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED FOR EVALUATION)

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Fit for purpose or fit for budget?

he pandemic has taught us that the quality of air we breathe is the foundation of our economies. This is one of the most succinct statements to have come out of the many recent CPI Industry webinars on indoor air quality (IAQ). If this statement does not dishabituate policy-makers, planners, developers, builders, architects, consultants and contractors from an approach with health-related KPIs either largely missing, in the first place, or conveniently jettisoned with the progress of a project, then nothing would. In the words of Dominic Mc Polin, Chief, Central Planning - Central Planning Office, Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, Bahrain, building industry stakeholders simply need to reverse the polarity on their thinking when it comes to budgeting. If building owners point out to the non-availability of budgets to carry out IAQ remedial action in their buildings – or to install what is needed in the first place, in the case of New Construction, they would be left to face the implications of their inaction, of how they would come to bite them, because their buildings would no longer be hospitable, which would dissuade existing and potential tenants from living in the premises. The same applies to hospitals. If the owners are unwilling to make the needed changes, patients would be motivated to look elsewhere. So, good air quality is not an option but a critical consideration. We are at an inflection point. We need to act now and firmly make this sort of forward thinking the new normal of building architecture, design, construction, installation, testing and commissioning, and facility management. It is quite a paradox, really, for when it comes to certain other aspects of how we build, install, operate and maintain, health is of paramount importance. We as an industry speak abundantly about refrigerants – their Total Equivalent Warming Impact (TEWI), and their ozone-depleting potential. And yet, the most important consideration is safety in handling and charging our refrigeration and air conditioning systems. We scrutinise for potential toxicity and flammability. We have entire building codes written on flammability. And yet, we don’t seem to care as much about IAQ, because its effects are not immediate or visible. The pandemic has changed this mindset, of course, but the worry is that we would toss the masks into the air and go back to our merry ways, once the threat of the virus dissipates. And then when the next pandemic hits us, we would reprise our efforts. It’s about quick-fix and mend, and not solve with a long-term view in mind. It is this mindset that needs to change. We need a model based on science, conscience, commitment and financial knowhow. And out of that will emerge how to build unfettered by unreasonable budget walls and top management chasing often nonexistent year-on-year double-digit growth.

Surendar Balakrishnan Editor @BSurendar_HVACR FEATURE: RAKing in energy savings in the time of COVID

October 2020

POST-EVENT REPORT Consistent Engineering Consultants talks sustainability

THE ASHRAE

DIGITAL LIGHTHOUSE Get the next issue Commentary

FIVE YEARS OF UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

Alex Malou, Schneider Electric

AND

Exclusive interview with Chuck Gulledge, 20202021 ASHRAE President

INDUSTRY 4.0 INTERVIEW

Licence to Chill

Perspective

MONITORING THE AIR TO CHARACTERISE PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF SUSPENDED CONTAMINANTS

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF RANGE AND APPROACH

HARNESSING AI FOR MAXIMISING CHILLER PLANT EFFICIENCY

Dr Iyad Al Attar, independent air filtration consultant

Dan Mizesko, U.S. Chiller Services

of Climate Control Middle East early!

Rehan Shahid, P&T Architects & Engineers

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October 2020

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Chuck Gulledge, 2020-2021 ASHRAE President

The ability to analyse the data lake of knowledge available and identify actionable insight can lower operating cost for building owners, contends 2020-2021 ASHRAE President, Chuck Gulledge in this interview he gave to Surendar Balakrishnan. Excerpts…

OULD YOU SHARE A FEW WORDS ON YOUR PRESIDENTIAL THEME? WHAT IS THE CORE MESSAGE OF THE ASHRAE DIGITAL LIGHTHOUSE AND INDUSTRY 4.0? The whole passion behind the theme I created for this year has to do with digital evolution of our ecosystem. It spans engineering, construction, the procurement supply chain and operation. We are all evolving with industry 4.0 into a digital way

October 2020

of doing work, and it’s a redefinition of what work is. I tried to encapsulate that into the theme to challenge the ASHRAE membership. We are evolving to a digital world. I think that’s a good high-level perspective.

WHEN IT COMES TO BUDGETING, WHAT IS THE MINDSET OF BUILDING OWNERS TOWARDS DIGITAL SOLUTIONS? ARE IT SYSTEMS SUPERVISING BUILDINGS VIEWED AS A CRITICAL ADDITION, GIVEN THEIR ABILITY TO INFUSE AGILITY, PREDICTIVITY AND RESPONSIVENESS TO BUILDING O&M? GETTING BUILDING OWNERS TO ADOPT DIGITAL SOLUTIONS WAS A CHALLENGE EVEN DURING NORMAL TIMES. SO, WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST

lets them manage and operate the building. Is that really something that is not in the budget? Because if we put control system in, we have information and knowledge. The real issue is collecting that knowledge, analyzing that data lake of knowledge available and identifying actionable insight, all of which impact the operating cost. We are getting into the lifecycle cost, not the capital cost of the building. The mindset of all stakeholders has to evolve to the total cost of operating and maintaining. This evolution will find that productivity and value and, in the long run, reduce cost. I love the way you ask the question, because that’s where the evolution has to take place.

AS PERSUADING BUILDING OWNERS TO ADOPT DIGITAL SOLUTIONS NOW? That’s a very fair question, and before I answer I want to lay some groundwork for the whole reason behind adopting and evolving to a digital culture, which is associated with the quest to find value and to eliminate waste – and that is in our design processes, and construction processes and operating processes. Those whom I would characterize as innovators in this direction understand the value that is uncovered and how they can improve their productivity and margins when fees, costs and budgets are being squeezed. But you ask from the perspective of it not being in the budget and how do we get it in. How do we reframe the question from saying that we can’t afford it, because we only have so much money, to how can we not afford it and save the money in the other things and get the concept in the job. I am talking about leaving the owner with a digital twin that

suppliers, manufacturers, commissioning and testing, validation, the code people, the owners themselves and their subdivisions of stakeholders together? The challenge and reality are we are evolving down that path. Some have started, and others have not, and I don’t know how to get everybody evolving now. Education, demonstration… sometimes, you just have to show people what can be done and what you get by doing it,

WITH IOT, WE DON’T NEED TO WAIT FOR ANYONE TO TELL THE STORY OF A BUILDING ANY LONGER, BUT ARE WE REALLY EQUIPPED AS AN INDUSTRY TO FULLY UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE THE FULL SCOPE OF IT SOLUTIONS IN OUR GRASP? I love how you frame that question. There are elements and market sectors in our ecosystem traveling this path already. Mission-critical pharmaceuticals and healthcare sectors understand and see the value and are doing this. But, holistically our entire ecosystem has not evolved. How do we bring everybody – jeez, that’s rewording of my theme you just enumerated – vendors,

Chuck Gulledge

www.climatecontrolme.com

Chuck Gulledge, 2020-2021 ASHRAE President

and until we get more of that exposure out there for everybody to see and understand, we are going to have opportunities to bring everyone along.

SO, IT’S A REASONABLY LONG DRAWN OUT PROCESS, THEN. IS THAT WHY YOU USE THE WORD, ‘EVOLUTION’? It’s an evolution. Some people are there who understand the principles of the manufacturing industry, as applying to the construction dialogue and narrative. I don’t know that holistically we will bring everybody together – some market sectors may not see the value and understand. But to end up with that digital twin – all that data-connective knowledge and the understanding that now, you have the ability to operate and maintain a living electronic organism for everything you do, and not just maintenance. I’m talking about occupants themselves – their health and well-being, energy and water, your emissions to the environment, your carbon footprint. We have the capacity now with this digital evolution to manage those scenarios. I think down the road, when we start connecting buildings to other buildings – a campus mentality, when buildings get connected into the city, and cities get connected into the state – we will have the ability to share knowledge and information and understand resource use from a micro perspective. Look at Europe and digitally built Britain. They are going down this path, about having knowledge connecting the knowledge and doing something with the knowledge – and therein is the evolution.

GIVEN THAT IN THE CASE OF DIGITAL SOLUTIONS, A SETAND-FORGET APPROACH WILL NO LONGER DO, HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO GIVE CONSTANT ATTENTION TO MAINTENANCE OF FULLY AUTOMATED CONTROL SYSTEMS? The scenario you described is an alltoo-painful reality. Too many owners end up with a control system building management system of viable strength and complexity, and too many times it’s just ignored and overridden. This is an evolution for the ownership of a built asset. It has to be a realization that this is a tool having a new utility of the building, how to manage and operate that building. And

October 2020

the digital savvy resource that understands all this has to be applied to managing and using information from it to improve its part of that lean continuous improving cycle of what is this telling me, what can I improve, why is this going on, what is my predictive scenario of changing filters. It’s about understanding what gives me so much performance. On air handlers, no one is perhaps paying attention that the filter is approaching dirty and it’s time to replace. What’s done is that people have service contracts, where people come every three or six months. There is just a disconnect with operations with tools available versus O&M procedures. There has to be a metamorphosis. You have something very powerful now to live with this building, and the training needs to come into place to do it. The support from the ownerships needs to be with it.

HOW IMPERATIVE IS IT TO RE-SKILL FM TEAMS TO BRING THEM UP-TO-DATE ON FULLY AUTOMATED CONTROL SYSTEMS? CONSIDERING THAT FM FIRMS ARE BOGGED DOWN BY COSTS, WHAT FINANCIAL MODEL SHOULD THEY ADOPT IN PROVIDING TRAINING AND CONSTANT CAPACITYBUILDING? It is imperative we equip resources operating built solutions, how they work, why they work the way they work and what to do with the knowledge available to them to keep them doing what they are supposed to do. Sadly, this aspect is not funded or supported in budgets from an operations standpoint. So, step one is that hurdle has to be breached with owners understanding the value of having those resources to do what’s needed to be done for the facility. I would also add that with digital capacity and the connectivity, owners don’t have to have all the resources in house to do that. Let’s say if a pump broke down, the impeller ran off the shaft. With this evolution, we have the capacity for someone to use augmented reality and look at that pump, pull out the information in goggles and understand what to look for and what to do and how to call a centralized service provider. You don’t have to have all people on site that need to do everything. We have connection at the point of need by understanding the model, to reach outsourced resources to help fix the issue. That is a reactive discussion, and

the narrative burden doesn’t have to be on the owners to have this incredible team know every element of it. That is the beauty of connection and the Internet of Things, but it still comes back to owners needing to realise and support with their cost model the ability to see that digital twin capture the data and analyse it, understand what’s going on and respond to what you’re told to do, and it just evolves from that plug-it-in-and-walk-away mentality. That’s got to happen, but there are resources and capabilities available around the world to help manage the facilities. You don’t have to look for drawings. Everything is available in digital model, and that is part of the value of digital evolution. It’s going to be a staged process. Owners have to understand the value available to them by investing something to have it available to them.

WE ARE SEEING NUMEROUS INSTANCES OF HR STRUCTURES DERAILING DIGITAL STRATEGIES AND SOLUTIONS AIMED AT BETTER HVAC-RELATED BUILDING PERFORMANCE. COST-CUTTING HAS LED TO CONSTANT TURNOVER OF PERSONNEL TRAINED IN DIGITAL SOLUTIONS, WITH THOSE REPLACING THEM PERHAPS NOT SO PROFICIENT. SO, EVEN WITH THE BEST OF TECHNOLOGIES, WE ARE CONFRONTED WITH THE HUMAN ELEMENT. WHAT KIND OF STRUCTURED, INSTITUTIONALISED APPROACH WOULD YOU SUGGEST? We need somebody to replace the filters and someone to make sure the refrigerant is charged, because not all building owners have in-house capability to handle these. And what happens when outsourced services cut down the value they offer by not having the most qualified resources to do what needs to be done. For me, what the digital landscape offers is the opportunity for those that can deliver value and make owners happy. It gives them an opportunity to stand out from the competition and demonstrate, ‘We have your back, we got this covered, and we can do it cheaper and faster, just by eliminating waste not by cutting quality immediately.’

LET’S TALK ABOUT CYBERSECURITY, WHICH IS A VALID CONCERN HERE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. That’s a huge concern.

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Chuck Gulledge, 2020-2021 ASHRAE President

ARE WE ABLE TO CONFIDENTLY SAY WE HAVE EVOLVED A COMPREHENSIVE SYSTEM OF REGULAR UPDATES, PATCHING AND VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT PROTOCOLS AND PRACTICES, SO VITAL FOR THE WELL-BEING OF AUTOMATED CONTROL SYSTEMS IN BUILDINGS? Cybersecurity is extremely important. We are talking about collecting data from across a wide range of things, be it heat sensors and motors, be it information on elevators, or refrigerator and ice makers. You see how big the landscape is here. The challenge we face is the fact that we are collecting the data, which in and of itself provides a vulnerability point to us. The cybersecurity discussion is a changing playing field every day we operate these buildings. We are always having to look to see if our firewalls are safe, and if the data have to go outside the firewall and come back in. We always have to look at the vulnerability points, much as the financial markets do. We face that every day. It would be naïve to say we are secure and don’t have a problem, but also naïve to not recognize this is a daily activity to stay in front of to make sure we minimize this vulnerability point. Hackers are getting very sophisticated all the time.

I WANT TO MOVE TO A MORE GENERAL LINE OF QUESTIONING. BUILDINGRETROFIT PROJECTS, FOR LONG, HAVE BEEN UNIDIMENSIONAL, WITH A MAJORITY SOLELY FOCUSING ON IMPROVING ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENCY. WITH COVID19, ARE YOU SEEING ANY, OR MORE, INSTANCES OF THE INCLUSION OF IAQ AS ONE OF THE OUTCOMES OF RETROFIT EFFORTS? OR, ARE A PERCEIVED LACK OF METRICS AND INABILITY TO PRECISELY MEASURE FINANCIAL AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF GOOD IAQ STILL STANDING IN THE WAY OF INCORPORATING BETTER IAQ-RELATED SOLUTIONS IN EXISTING BUILDINGS? That’s a pretty open-ended question. I would ask you to point your readers to a lot of the information ASHRAE is publishing on the Epidemic Task Force (ETF) webpage. Our webpage group has been gathering

October 2020

objective, proven, scientific information to share from the engineering control contribution that can be part of a response to a pandemic. Just from an engineering control point of view, what can be done and what do we see from this. There is a reinforcement of the value of having proper ventilation in the breathing zone and making sure correct amount of outside air is delivered to the breathing zone. Sadly, people cutting down to save energy and lack of ventilation is an exposure point to increasing your risk. We see narrative on humidification levels, depending on the climate zone. This virus has the propensity to be more of a threat if the humidity within the space is outside the 40-60% RH band. Not all buildings have a humidification system. As for filters, we don’t have to go all the way to HEPA but at least MERV 14. It’s an inter-connected scenario of energy use, increased pressure drop and what does the air flow on the space looks like, as the fan goes back to the curve. Those are real issues out there people are facing if they feel systems have to be modified or enhanced, so let’s talk about surface disinfection, the whole UV light scenario – it’s very effective in killing the virus, but it needs contact time. We can’t just put that band of UV light on surfaces, because it is harmful to people. We have to apply UV when people are not in the building, or we must have it at an elevation that it doesn’t touch people. When we talk about getting ventilation air into the breathing zone, let’s make sure we are moving the air in and out of our spaces in a proper manner and that we are not spreading by entraining virus to the detriment of people. If you have improper air velocities around that kind of environment, you can entrain all those particles and aerosols and spread them into the breathing zone around the people. So, a holistic look of proper ventilation effectiveness and air distribution effectiveness is part of that supplemental pandemic response, and there is really good information based on ASHRAE research to help guide people, but some of it comes at a cost. And when I say cost, it’s not human life; I’m talking about capital cost to implement, tweak and supplement. And it’s not just about COVID-19 for these facilities and buildings that have been offline for months. Just think of the stagnant water allowed to stay on the pipes to feed into the dead legs. The potential for proliferation of legionella is now increased. People are not talking about that now, but

as part of the response, you have to look at potable water systems to make sure you don’t have a legionella issue, because you have stagnant water at ideal temperature populating it with so much things. That’s an important storyline to get out.

COVID-19 HAS BROUGHT THE ISSUE OF THE NUMBER OF AIR CHANGES PER HOUR INTO SHARP FOCUS. EVEN BEFORE THE PANDEMIC STRUCK, SOME, LIKE DR JOE ALLEN OF THE T.H. CHAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH AT HARVARD, WERE CALLING FOR AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER. WHAT IS ASHRAE’S VIEW ON THIS? WHAT OUGHT WE TO DO TO BETTER FORTIFY OUR BUILDINGS FROM FUTURE PANDEMICS? Right now, we are showing via the ETF webpage the reinforcing data that demonstrates effective use of ventilation and having it in the breathing zone. These conversations are connected. Just increasing air change rate is not in and of itself effective. Now, are we going to see an increase in the ventilating rate in ASHRAE 60.1 and 2? I don’t have that crystal ball in front of me right now. I’m curious myself, but the data we see suggest if we are providing effective use of ventilation values we have now that is what our goal should be. Let’s evolve an evolution. The more the outside component, the more the cost of energy. Either cold or hot, full of moisture or dry as a bone, something has to be done to offset impact. There is an interdependency that does mean it is going to cost energy as we raise the number of fresh air changes. The question I have is, does the actual minimum ventilation rate itself need to get higher, or is it about making sure we are effectively getting ventilation where it’s supposed to be properly delivered? So, I understand Dr Allen’s perspective there. I want to make sure we are talking about the same language. For me, it’s not just you turn more air over; it’s about the right amount of ventilation, as part of that total equation and getting to the breathing zone of people.

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

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covid

Dr Iyad Al-Attar

Part 2 of ‘Can’t underestimate the potential of HVAC systems and air filters’

LOBAL HEALTH IS A TOP INTERNATIONAL PRIORITY, AND HEALTHCARE FACILITIES ARE UNDER SCRUTINY. WHAT KIND OF HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS SHOULD WE LOOK FOR, CONSIDERING WHAT WE KNOW TODAY?

We have all been impacted by COVID-19 in different ways, and therefore, our responses have been unique. The pandemic has revealed how healthcare systems have been overwhelmed with an influx of patients and how they have had to shift patients to outpatient facilities to undergo procedures. Certainly, such facilities were subject to optimisation by various means to conduct the required procedures. The pandemic has not only placed emphasis on the capacity of healthcare infrastructure to accommodate patients but has also highlighted the importance of health delivery in a timely manner.

Dr Iyad Al-Attar

October 2020

Reshaping the future of healthcare is the responsibility of policymakers, providers, payers and patients. Various international organisations, such as the WHO, agree that the right to health for all people means that everyone should have access to the health services they need, when and where they need them, without suffering financial hardship. Global health is essential, and its programmes are not limited to low- or highincome countries or particular geographical regions of the world. Our hearts and minds are with those nations that have less than five doctors for every 100,000 patients. The recent pandemic is a living testament that we live in an interconnected world and that there is a great deal of inequality in the distribution of wealth, resources, clean air and water.

WHAT WOULD WE NEED TO CONFRONT COVID-19 AND FUTURE OUTBREAKS? Health security risks have increased tremendously and have made us more vulnerable, particularly among the poor, the old and the less equipped. Positive change will require smarter management of the political, social and environmental consequences of our own growth. This would necessitate smarter ways of urban designing, living and functioning as well as generating power more efficiently and using it more economically. The public should be mindful that practitioners and researchers are constantly updating their knowledge and best practices in this field. We cannot jump to sweeping conclusions just yet, as knowledge is still evolving. New research and experiences can broaden our understanding and provide tools and conditions to promote professional practices and necessary medical treatment in combating COVID-19. Broadly speaking, prior to re-engineering our HVAC and filtration technologies, we need to re-engineer our minds and hearts and shed light on the pressing issues that are now a major global concern. We cannot wait until a pressing issue becomes a health risk to take action. Technically speaking, we need to revisit our indoor air quality strategies in terms of integrating air conditioning and ventilation while keeping an eye on appropriate air filter selections.

HOW HAS COVID-19 AFFECTED OUR PERCEPTION OF FUTURE URBAN DESIGN? COVID-19 is joining a long list of infectious diseases, such as the Spanish Flu [1918] and Ebola, to influence our future urban design. Urban design and public health are entwined, as the global movement of goods and people has contributed to the pandemic. High-density buildings, where people pass through shared spaces on a frequent basis, could increase the risk of becoming infected. Personal hygiene, including hand washing and social distancing, are incredibly important to reducing the risk of infection. The pandemic has challenged health systems and public health authorities, worldwide. When we have a rapidly spreading virus with such a high transmission rate, we have to investigate all possible infection risks. This is not a time to argue whether the virus is airborne or not, or whether it can spread through the HVAC system or not. It is time to take all sorts of precautions to prevent its spread. COVID-19 is certainly a game-changer, as it has altered how we live and operate on a daily basis.

HOW DO WE SEE AIR FILTERS AND HVAC SYSTEMS AS ADVANCING TO PROVIDE CLEANER AIR THAN EARLIER DESIGN APPROACHES? The paradigm shift of HVAC system design in recent decades was partial responses to the past thermal comfort and energy requirements. Energy has always been the top priority when selecting and operating HVAC systems. In fact, HVAC systems have been on a high filtration-diet, given that air filters in the past have had higher-pressure drops in the absence of aerodynamic filter designs and low-pressure filter media. The striving for higher efficiency air filtration in the pandemic suggests that filters have underestimated the main provider for clean air. COVID-19 has just taught us that while our HVAC systems should be energy-efficient, the definition of efficiency should be extended to include indoor air quality. Emphasis on energy-saving strategies must be engineered before they are placed on one area or one segment of the HVAC system.

Extensive air filtration research and development is required to advance filter media and filter cartridge design to cope with the increasing concentrations of air pollutants. The way we generate power and use it is horrendous. Our behaviour in using our sources suggests that depletion is inevitable. We use power excessively, and therefore, we need to generate a great deal. We pollute our environment along the way and beyond any filtration capabilities, and consequently, we seek defensive rather than preventive measures to provide better indoor air.

WHAT HAVE WE MISSED IN THE PAST TO INTEGRATE BUILDING DESIGN, AIR FILTRATION AND HVAC SYSTEMS WHILST CONSIDERING THE DYNAMIC NATURE OF THEIR CORRESPONDING PERFORMANCES? The need to quantify is the short answer to this question. Air is the essential element of life, and even the tiniest creatures rely on it. We need to know what we are breathing. Therefore, air monitoring is a vital tool to characterise the physical and chemical aspects of the suspended contaminants. This can be done by means of deploying aerosolmonitoring stations and handheld air quality characterisation that provide continuous air quality data, which can prove invaluable to our understanding of the contaminants polluting our outdoor air. It is also important to understand that our indoor air quality is a function of outdoor air. If we consider our atmosphere to be a finite enclosure â&#x20AC;&#x201C; whatever may be the emission we dump in it â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we soon have to pick it up when we bring air indoor through our HVAC and filtration systems. Focusing and limiting our efforts to just particulate matter and overlooking the existence of gaseous contaminants will position us at the wrong end when it comes to enhancing air quality.

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covid

Dr Iyad Al-Attar

HOW CAN AIR FILTRATION PLAY A ROLE IN SMART BUILDINGS IN ENHANCING INDOOR AIR QUALITY? The human occupant can no longer be the air quality sensor. Deploying sensors in buildings is essential to gain the intelligence required to respond appropriately. Smart buildings are going to be the future. However, to entertain air filters in smart buildings, they, too, have to be smart. That involves enabling them to provide data about their performance and feeding information related to human occupancy as well as how the HVAC systems are going to respond to contaminant types and concentrations. Air quality monitoring by means of tracking pollutant levels in different areas of the indoor space would go far in providing occupants with sustainable indoor environment that is better and healthier. Monitoring would also allow building management systems to detect troubles, access data, analyse performance and act accordingly to improve the wellbeing and productivity of human occupants. Notifications could be sent to the facility managers and building owners to initiate automated actions based on set thresholds for different pollutants. Notifications and updates would also help reduce energy consumption through demand-driven HVAC usage and air quality management. Let’s face it, we need to preserve our environment, as it is our only reservoir of air.

IN TERMS OF TOOLS AND CONDITIONS, DO WE HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO PROTECT OUR WELLBEING? WHAT SHOULD BE OUR STRATEGY TO EMPLOY PROFESSIONAL INDOOR COMFORT? First of all, the desire to get things right is necessary to move forward. We cannot make a difference in enhancing indoor air quality if the proposed solutions only exist in our minds without implementation. There are a lot of old tactics to tweak. Abiding by international filtration standards alone cannot get the job done. In fact, the actual performance of air filters installed in hot and humid climates tends to deviate from the performance predicted by laboratory results. This is particularly true of regions sustaining frequent sandstorms and having atmospheric dust with characteristics deviating from that of commercially available synthetic standard dust. Therefore, it is recommended that any filter-enhancement effort ought to consider the following three-element plan: ►► Conduct chemical and physical characterisation of atmospheric dust in the region concerned ►► Investigate the possible impact of those characteristics on the filter selection and performance

Our outdoor environment is finite no matter how vast we may percieve it to be ►► Revisit existing air filter designs to enhance their performance through efficient, economic and appropriate filtration solutions for the corresponding climate conditions We cannot wish problems away, especially those birthed by the pandemic; the only path is decisive and deliberate action.

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Deploying sensors in the building is key to gaining the intelligence required to respond appropriately

October 2020

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Post-event Report

CEC webinars

ustainability is the golden mean of cost and efficiency, said Sagar Kulkarni, Managing Director, Consistent Engineering Consultants, during the first (GCC region) edition of a three-part webinar series, titled ‘Securing Sustainable Futures’, on August 31. Kulkarni set the tone for the discussions, hosted by Consistent Engineering, with the aim of challenging the myths surrounding sustainability. The first edition highlighted what stakeholders can do to move the dial when it comes to making a change in the industry, keeping in mind the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). The edition witnessed a plenary interaction amongst the designated panelists, with Deepthy KB, Regional Director –

October 2020

Middle East, Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), pointing out that a common misconception related to the idea of sustainability is that it is expensive and time consuming. “Buildings today need to be efficient, but moreover they should be resilient,” she stressed. “There should be a conscious shift for spaces to embrace sustainability, whilst being resilient and healthy, integrating aspects of social equality. Through LEED, we have integrated all these aspects into the work we do.”

Sagar Kulkarni

Deepthy KB

Ahmad Elgebaly, Project and Design Management, White Space Architect, weighed in to say that there is a need for awareness amongst developers and end-users on building design’s contribution to climate change. “We try to inform clients regarding sustainability factors when it comes to designing spaces, buildings, neighbourhoods and even cities, and I think it is a really important step,” he said. Saravanan D, Senior Sustainability Specialist, ENOC, also chimed in to say that even during such challenging times, as the world is currently facing, sustainability is no more an option. “It actually makes very good business sense, because it is contributing in terms of cost reduction, ultimately going to our bottom line and helping our image as a more socially responsible company.” he said. “Our employees are trained and made aware of how the building that they are working in is a green building. Every department has a YoY (year-on-year) target of reducing waste by 10% per employee.” Providing a government perspective, Henrique Pereira, Senior Manager, Energy Services, Energy Efficiency and Renewables Office (Reem), Ras Al Khaimah Municipality, pointed out that when it comes to achieving sustainability in buildings and constructions, policies should be more performance-driven than

Henrique Pereira

Ahmad Elgebaly

Saravanan D

the need for global solidarity is more important than ever in view of the pandemic, the resulting economic fallout and the increasingly devastating effects of climate change detail-oriented. “Create awareness around why people should contribute to a certain initiative while adopting a goal, and make them understand the value it will create eventually,” he said. “Data is at the centre of every policy or regulation that is being made.” The second (India) edition of the webinar, on September 8, also featured a plenary discussion – this time, on the nuances of adopting sustainability in construction. Nandini Sampat, Director, SNK, Somaya and Kalappa Consultants, spoke on how India’s long tradition of sustainable architecture paves the way for the country to become a leader in sustainable practices. “Sustainability should extend beyond just the walls of your building and get into the

Nandini Sampat

way of life,” she said. “Every architect should be a conservation architect and must look at conserving the history of the building, by reusing what can be reused – amalgamating the old and new and, yet, giving a building a new identity.” Following the same train of thought, Padmanabh Subramanian, Regional Head – Market Development, GBCI India, spoke on how the country has long been a leader in the green building movement, pointing out that India has ranked number four in the world when it comes to developing spaces that successfully exhibit green building parameters. “Awareness among all the stakeholders through an integrated approach is important when it comes to being a certified green building,” he said.

Padmanabh Subramanian

Dr G R Narsimha Rao

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Post-event Report

Hrushikesh Kolatkar

Sameer Sinha

Subramanian also discussed performance monitoring and benchmarking for existing buildings. “Performance monitoring, tracking and benchmarking from the O&M perspective in existing buildings are essential today in order to achieve sustainability goals and create spaces that are better for people,” he said. Dr G R Narsimha Rao, Director, Industrial Energy Efficiency, TERI, spoke on energy efficiency and the adoption of renewable energy in India. “Renewables, along with batteries, are being planned in a manner to establish peak demand management and grid harmonisation,” he said, adding that up to eight per cent energy savings can be achieved with rooftop solar systems in the industrial sector. He said that the central government in India is strongly pushing concepts like floating solar systems in the smart cities programme, along with renewable energy policies. Hrushikesh Kolatkar, Environmental Specialist and Managing Director, Building Environment (India) Pvt Ltd., weighed in to discuss the importance of sustainability as the legacy of successive generations. Another participant, Sameer Sinha, Founder and Managing Director, Savvy Group, pointed out that sustainable development is the only way ahead, asking fellow experts, “It’s a responsible and profitable way to build and operate – what other way is there?” The insights of such participants found further expression during the third and final leg of the webinar, on September 22, called the Synergy Edition. It referred to the observations made during the earlier editions with the aim of further sharpening

Prashant Jadhav

October 2020

CEC webinars

Alejandro Vera Casso

the green message and emerging with actionable green plans and strategies. Kulkarni said, “From the last two sessions, we have understood that to bring about any change or development, we first need awareness.” In the Synergy Edition, Alejandro Vera Casso, Senior Advisor on Impact Finance, UNIDO, Founding Partner, ICD Impact, Vienna, Austria underlined the importance of the UN SDGs, drawing his experience contributing to the drafting of SDG 9. “We had to prove the industry was a friend, and we had to prove everything the industry proposes, in terms of new technologies, will ultimately have a good and positive impact, so this aspect of proving that industry is a development partner was a whole agenda,” he said, adding that this also led to stronger collaboration among government entities. Providing insight as a representative of the government, Dominic Mc Polin, Chief, Central Planning – Central Planning Office, Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, Bahrain, confirmed that undoubtedly, the need for global solidarity is more important than ever in view of the pandemic, the resulting economic fallout and the increasingly devastating effects of climate change. “I see the silver lining that COVID has changed us and changed us for the better in order to face the realisation of these goals,” he said. Henrique Pereira, who participated in the first edition, shared the same sentiment, adding: “We are part of something bigger, part of different multilateral agreements and cooperation, which we also hope to influence and evolve on the roadmap we define for ourselves.”

Dominic Mc Polin

Rahul Shetty

While government drive remains strong, there is an equal need to educate people on the ground, with Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan, Managing Director, SE Asia and Middle East, GBCI, pointing out that awareness is critical. “Every year, at USGBC and GBCI, we do quantitative research to understand the obstacles to sustainability and impediments and what can accelerate the adoption,” he said. Some of the obstacles were highlighted by Kolatkar, who said, “We see there are some of the usual investors, who do not see the complete picture.” Amruta Kshemkalyani, Founder and Sustainability Advisor, Sustainability Tribe, said that in her experience, a critical issue is convincing clients to go for green buildings or more sustainable measures, in general. “The factor there is if the client is aware of the adverse impact of ‘business as usual’ now, on why they should invest, and the education and awareness.” Kulkarni emphasised that it is crucial to look at sustainability at every level from the lens of individuals, organisations and governments. Issuing a reminder that industry must be more proactive than reactive, he shared key takeaways that emerged from the webinar series and advocated for greater partnership across regions and industries in pursuit of the UN SDGs.

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Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan

Amruta Kshemkalyani

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FEATURE

covid

Ras Al Khaimah

For Ras Al Khaimah Municipality’s Energy Efficiency and Renewables Office (Reem), the COVID-19 pandemic became a catalyst for the acceleration of its retrofit and energy management programmes. Hannah Jo Uy has the story…

ike many government entities the world over, Ras Al Khaimah Municipality has had to grapple with unforeseen circumstances following the outbreak of COVID-19. However, these unexpected challenges have not hindered Ras Al Khaimah Municipality in its move towards sustainability, with H.E. Munther Mohammed bin Shekar, its Director General, saying that the Municipality remained steadfast in its collective efforts to

October 2020

implement its energy-efficiency programmes. “When faced with grim reality,” he says, “you always have two options – allow it to pull you down or try to identify the opportunities it brings and take advantage of them. We chose to do the latter.” Following this line of thinking, bin Shekar says, Ras Al Khaimah Municipality has made a concerted effort in identifying opportunities for action during these unprecedented times. It is important to note that COVID-19 has triggered deeper consciousness related to

cost, he points out. “As economies worldwide entered into lockdown mode, at different levels of depth, revenue streams for many were affected,” he says. “This placed a lot of pressure on cost reduction, and energy efficiency and renewables are two excellent areas of intervention that allow businesses to reduce their operating costs.” Andrea Di Gregorio, Executive Director of the Energy Efficiency and Renewables Office (Reem) of Ras Al Khaimah Municipality, points out that lockdown measures also

meant that for a temporary period, some NAVIGATING SHIFTING facilities were either totally or partially OCCUPANCY PROFILES shut down. He says this provided a unique Elaborating on another dimension opportunity for stakeholders to pursue related to Reem’s scope of activities, retrofits without the typical problems, Henrique Pereira, its Senior Manager, constraints and restrictions – including Energy Services, says that the Office disruption of operations, which would have has also taken into close consideration meant an inconvenience to customers. the shift in energy consumption trends Di Gregorio says these factors prompted across the emirate, following changing an assessment of current retrofits being occupancy profiles in view of COVIDrolled out at various stages, and led to the 19 lockdown measures. He explains acceleration of some projects, in order to take that this shift has to be reflected advantage of the special conditions. in ongoing retrofits as With regard to the impact of the adjustments to the energy changing economic scenario on the pipeline savings in the projects. of retrofit projects, Di Gregorio says that “Such an exceptional Ras Al Khaimah Government managed the event had an unexpected ongoing tenders with greater flexibility, impact on the occupancy and in collaboration with the selected operations of the buildings, and this ESCOs. “We also had to make some has to be reflected in H.E. Munther Mohammed the measurement and adjustments and changes to some bin Shekar projects in the final stages of verification (M&V) negotiation, to accommodate processes for the certain budget different ongoing projects,” he says. “This requirements that the is being done following International COVID-19 pandemic also Performance Measurement and brought as a side effect,” he Verification Protocol (IPMVP) standard, in says. “These projects were not particular for what concerns non-routine compromised, which we believe adjustments.” to be quite an achievement under Pereira says that the changing the very particular occupancy profiles also created Andrea Di Gregorio conditions of some additional challenges the world for ongoing investment economy, but rather grade audits (IGAs) and rearranged to allow the tenders. “For the IGAs, the spread of the investment solution was to extend over a longer period. In their duration to also collaboration with the encompass periods of higher Department of Finance, occupancy after the critical point we identified strategies of lockdown,” he says. “Certain that will allow us to rationales were also applied for the Henrique Pereira move forward, because different projects under IGA, to allow we firmly believe that for accurate energy modelling despite energy savings can be the disruption caused by the COVID-19 which includes collection and a strong contributor to effects. For the tenders, in most cases, reporting of energy consumption information, bottom-lines of businesses in the decision was to extend the proposal communication and awareness for internal these new circumstances.” submission deadline to allow a longer dissemination, adjustment of AC temperature Di Gregorio says that Reem also time for measurements.” set points to 23 degrees C and switching took the COVID-19 pandemic challenge Lastly, Pereira says, the team had off unnecessary equipment, among others, as an opportunity to accelerate the energy to adjust all the calculations of savings in an effort to identify and eliminate minor management programme. “Ras Al Khaimah from the energy management initiatives, energy wastage in day-to-day operations. “All Government entities are currently pursuing taking into consideration these new government entities in Ras Al Khaimah are quick-wins in energy savings without the trends. “As described previously, the participating by taking action and sharing need for any additional investment,” he says. initiative for the whole Ras Al Khaimah learnings with others through an organised “COVID-19 was used as a catalyst for the government was started during the process. A wide set of actions has already initiative, since every Government employee lockdown period, so we needed to been implemented and others are in the was aware of the challenges it posed, and carefully circumvent that period from roadmap to be implemented in the next that we all needed to contribute to overcome our savings calculations,” he says. “We weeks and months, contributing to a more those challenges.” Under this initiative, Di chose to use January and February energy-efficient operation of Ras Al Khaimah Gregorio says, Reem introduced a number as representative months for the preGovernment as a whole.” of practices that each entity can apply,

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FEATURE

covid

COVID-19 period, as the lockdown was not yet in effect. We disregarded the period from March to April from the savings calculations, as the savings achieved were mainly due to the lockdown effect. We started calculating savings from May onwards, when a sense of normality had returned.” Pereira says that as of the time of the interview for writing this article, occupancy is almost back to pre-COVID levels and that the majority of the savings that are being achieved are now mostly due to the energy-efficiency measures that have been taken.

NUMBERS GAME These concerted efforts have led to positive results, Di Gregorio says. “We are happy to report that on the energy management initiative for the Government of Ras Al Khaimah, from the first months of activation, we were able to achieve over 10% of savings in energy and water consumption due to the efficiency measures that have been taken”, he says. “Since there were no investments made in equipment to achieve these savings, the benefit was perceived immediately. Of course, we will need continuity of effort to maintain and improve this performance. However, the initiative proves that a well-defined energy management process can quickly lead to

October 2020

Ras Al Khaimah

important returns compared to the very limited cost that it entails.” Di Gregorio says that Ras Al Khaimah has also surpassed AED 7 million of yearly guaranteed savings from contracted retrofit projects, and more savings will come in the near future from a pipeline of several hundred buildings, currently at different stages of the evaluation and tendering process. “All these projects have not only their savings guaranteed for a minimum five-year period, but they also have an average payback time between three and four years, with some cases even below three years,” he says. “This is a clear demonstration that investments in energy efficiency are some of the best investments any business can make to reduce their operational costs and improve their bottomline results.”

A LEARNING PROCESS For Pereira, the past few months have been a learning experience for the Reem office, especially in testing and reporting the value of increasingly connected systems and digitalisation. “The habit disruption that COVID-19 brought also taught us that operational optimisation based on ‘fixed controls’, such as equipment scheduling or similar, is not flexible enough

to accommodate the rapidly changing environment,” he says. “We need to have ‘smart controls’ in place that can react quickly and effectively to the changes in occupancy, working hours, operational usage of spaces and cooling requirements. Only then can we truly minimise the inefficiencies that otherwise will be present in the day-to-day operations.” Agreeing, Di Gregorio adds that involvement of all building users is also paramount to the success of various energy-efficiency initiatives. “It has to start with an awareness and communication plan to make sure everyone understands the challenges and what each one can do to help,” he says. “Simple, concrete measures that are reflected in actual, measurable results that are, in turn, shared with everyone, closing the loop. If this loop is effectively made, people become more and more engaged and interested in seeing how their involvement and actions lead to concrete and recognised results.”

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COMMENTARY

Alex Malou is Corporate Communications Director MEA, Schneider Electric. He may be contacted at alex.malouf@se.com.

Asking what businesses are doing to help achieve SDG 13: Climate Change, Alex Malouf highlights the need for them to share their plans to inspire others to act quickly, keeping in mind that the deadline – 2030 – for achieving the target of cutting greenhouse gases by 50% is not too far away

his may have passed you by, but September 2020 marked an important anniversary for every single person on the planet. Five years ago, the world’s nations gathered at the United Nations to agree on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), drafted by the United Nations. The bold, forward-looking and ambitious 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development aimed to promote prosperity and social well-being while protecting the planet.

October 2020

These Goals, 17 in all, recognise that resolving some of the world’s greatest challenges are the responsibility of all of us, including governments and business. What the SDGs are in essence is the beginning of a shift from business as usual to true sustainable development. Five years have passed, and much has been achieved. Just take the example of access to energy. Global access to electricity has risen steadily over the years; today, tens of millions more are connected to the grid. This is certainly good news, until you also consider that roughly 10% of the world’s population doesn’t have access to a safe and reliable source of energy. While we have made progress, much, much more must be

done if we are serious about achieving a fairer, greener and more prosperous world for all. What’s heartening is the importance with which countries in the region are approaching sustainable development. Governments here have set ambitious sustainability targets, especially in the area of renewable energy; the UAE Energy Strategy includes a 50% target for clean energy by 2050, while Saudi Arabia is looking to generate over 27GW of clean power by 2023 and over 58GW by 2030. These are ambitions on which we must build, especially given how much good work has been undone by the pandemic. Take the example of child poverty. According to UNICEF and Save The Children, globally, the number of children living in poverty has

risen by 15% this year, to nearly 1.2 billion, owing to the pandemic. A decade may seem like a long time, but that time will pass quickly. And organisations the world over need to act with greater vigour and in a structured manner. Organisations that are looking to accelerate their action on energy and sustainability find greater success when they set public goals. There are three reasons for this: 1) Firms that make public commitments are better able to secure funds for their sustainability projects 2) They have a better understanding of how sustainability projects fundamentally improve the business 3) They are able to accelerate action and decision-making

I do believe that setting goals and focusing on reporting sustainable action will become just as important as financial reporting. The two – reporting on sustainability and financial performance – are inter-related. Businesses cannot outperform the market if they’re unsustainable. Conversely, companies that lead on SDG-related issues have simultaneously maintained or accelerated bottom line performance. The data is clear: businesses with strong sustainability policies outperform their peers on conventional financial metrics. We’re going to be faced with a myriad of challenges over the coming decade. Businesses needs to be ready, not just to adapt but also to work towards achieving the changes that the SDGs promise us all. Take the example of Climate Change, SDG 13. If we are to stabilise the Earth’s temperature, we will have to cut greenhouse

gases by 50% by 2030 and also remove a significant amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. What I would ask every business out there is, ‘What are you doing to help us achieve SDG 13?’ And if you have a plan, publish it. Let others know of your commitment, and let’s create a ripple effect, where we motivate others to think about what they intend to do for the SDGs. This year is a pivotal moment in our history, and it is an instant of time that can influence our future, hopefully for the better. If we are to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, we all must act like our lives depend on them. Because they do.

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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LICENCE TO

HILL

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

It’s important to understand cooling tower principles to achieve greater chiller efficiency, says Dan Mizesko

t’s great to be back in Dubai! I was in the United States in January, and we were starting a major retro-commissioning project of the 45,000 RT Harvard Medical Center District Energy Plant. In March, when COVID-19 was starting to have a major outbreak in the Boston area, we were forced to stop the project and demobilise. The team of US Chiller Services engineers and I were forced to quarantine in the United States, until we could all get back to Dubai. I came back on July 30. I was not even back for one week when someone called me requesting assistance, as their chillers were not meeting the Design Chilled Water Set Point. As I knew, it was uncomfortably warm and humid. I immediately asked what his entering condenser water temperature was and was told it was 37 degrees C. I asked a few more questions, such as if he knew the wet bulb design of his cooling towers, and I realised that despite being an experienced engineer, he was unsure of some of what I was asking. I requested him to send me the documentation, which he did. On analysing, it emerged that the problem

October 2020

was his cooling towers were not designed to operate at capacity with the wet bulb temperatures Dubai was having at the time. Being back in Dubai, I was preparing to write an article for this column on the topic of Condenser Water Reset and Condenser Relief, when it struck me that a brief explanation of Dry Bulb Temperature, Wet Bulb Temperature, Tower Approach and Range might be a good idea before tackling Tower Reset and Condenser Relief, hence the reason for the following write-up… If you question most chilled water plant operators and ask them to explain the purpose of a cooling tower, most would say something like, “The tower is supposed to cool the temperature of the water to the design entering water temperature of the chiller.” Further questioning would typically reveal that most are not able to explain how the ambient temperatures and humidity affect the performance of the tower. If the temperature was 30 degrees C outside, the average operator might tell you that they would expect their cooling tower to put out 30 degree C water. However, most times, this is not the case. In addition to that, one must ask, “Is the tower operating efficiently?” Two important factors that determine

cooling tower performance are range and approach. To understand these, we must understand the difference between dry bulb and wet bulb temperatures.

TEMPERATURE A typical thermometer indicates dry bulb temperature. It does not take into account the relative humidity in the air. Relative humidity is an expression of how much moisture is actually in the air, compared to how much there could be at this temperature. If the humidity is 100%, the air is completely saturated with water and no evaporation is possible. This means that the cooling tower cannot benefit from the effects of evaporative cooling. The cooling tower at 30 degrees C with 100% humidity will underperform another similarly sized cooling tower at 30 degrees C with 40% humidity. To measure the effects of the temperature and humidity together, a psychrometric chart is needed. The chart combines the effects of humidity and temperature to calculate the ‘wet bulb temperature’. There are also many online calculators available that will require you to input the temperature and relative humidity to calculate the wet bulb temperature. These are great tools for any plant to check tower efficiency.

The wet bulb temperature describes the effects of evaporative cooling on cooling towers. This is why all chilled water plants should measure ambient dry bulb temperature and humidity and input these into a wet bulb calculator.

APPROACH Cooling tower approach is the difference in temperature of the water entering the basin/sump and the wet bulb temperature. A cooling tower with a smaller approach – that is, small delta between basin/sump water temperature and wet bulb temperature – is considered superior.

RANGE Range is the difference between the temperature of water entering the cooling tower and the temperature of the water leaving the cooling tower. It is determined by the heat load on the tower and the water circulation rate. If the pump speed is constant

and heat loads are constant, the tower range does not change. This means that for a clean, properly functioning tower, the wet bulb temperature does not affect cooling tower range. Consequently, in practice, for a given water flow-rate and heat load, if the wet bulb temperature increases, the tower inlet and outlet temperatures increase proportionally. The result is an unchanged range. Typically, cooling towers are designed to cool a specified maximum flow-rate of water from one temperature to another at an exact wet bulb temperature. For example, a designed cooling tower may be guaranteed to cool 10,000 gpm of water from 35 degrees C to 27 degrees C at 23 degrees C wet bulb temperature. In this case, the range is 8 degrees C and the approach is 4 degrees C. In closing, with an understanding of wet bulb temperature, range and approach, we are able to understand the lowest basin/sump temperature for the current temperature and humidity. Using the

cooling tower range, you can estimate how efficiently the condenser loop is functioning in comparison to cooling tower design. Next month, I would like to explain Condenser Water Reset/Condenser Relief; and with the clear understanding of Wet Bulb, Range and Approach, you will understand how we can efficiently operate condenser pumps and tower fans without trying to overcool the condenser water, which is simply not physically possible.

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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Rehan Shahid is Director, P&T Architects & Engineers. He may be contacted at rehan@ptdubai.ae.

n this article, I will focus on the advantages of having a chiller plant optimisation system on top of Building Automation System (BAS) and the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in achieving maximum plant efficiency, followed by what needs to be considered when opting for such systems. But, let’s first look at why there is so much emphasis on the efficiencies and optimisation of central chiller plants. Some main reasons are as follows: ►► Ever-increasing energy costs ►► Carbon footprint ►► Cuts in O&M budgets Considering that a chiller plant is regarded as the “heart” of an HVAC system in a building, the need to optimise it becomes critical to achieving better building

October 2020

performance. In other words, optimising a plant represents one of the largest energysaving opportunities. The key components of a chiller plant are cooling towers, chillers, pumps and filtration systems. From a total plant energy consumption point of view, among them, chillers typically consume the largest share of energy, followed by pumps and, then, cooling towers. Now, ideal plant efficiency or the potential for efficiency is determined by the following design and operating decisions: ►► Real-time measurement and reporting ►► Full plant optimisation on top of BAS; this takes multiple variables into consideration, communicating with BAS and also directly with the plant components for information

►► Relational control approach ►► High-efficiency equipment ►► All variable-speed plant equipment ►► Predictive maintenance In order to have optimised “excellent” plant performance (see Figure 1 – excellent band between 0.5 and 0.7 kW/ton), a holistic approach needs to be adopted to maximise efficiency. Therefore, all components, such as cooling towers, chillers, pumps, air-handling

units (AHUs), fan-coil units (FCUs) and filtration systems are required to be included in the optimisation exercise, and this is where AI comes in. AI can perform an extensive range of functions not purely restricted to usual concepts of IT; computer algorithms are increasingly able to almost instantaneously access vast amounts of data, compare and organise information and perform automated procedural and analytical functions. AI predictive modelling can even foresee a breakdown occurring, allowing ample time to fix the problem before it results in downtime.

►► Measure, verify and manage system performance in real-time ►► HVAC systems operate more efficiently when optimised at the system level – that is, running more equipment at part load • Operate chillers, fans, pumps and motors at varying speeds, based on power relationships and the demand placed on the system • Affinity Law’s impact on an allvariable-speed chiller plant; the law states that the energy used is proportional to the cube of the change in speed of the motor

technician would reset chilled water (CHW) supply temperature as the load increases, reset the condenser water (CW) temperature as wet bulb decreases, maintain a fixed Delta T between CHW leaving and CHW entering temperatures or control the speed according to a pre-set algorithm. The plant optimiser should be able to adapt automatically to changing environmental conditions and system changes over time and analyse total system energy usage, including all plant room equipment and air-side energy consumption. It should be capable of

Figure 1: Average annual chiller plant efficiency in kW/ton (COP)1 Let us now look at the plant optimisation solution. Primarily, it has three main components: ►► Automation of system ►► Real-time measurement and management ►► Optimisation system – an additional layer of chiller plant optimisation software, preferably using AI to allow real-time data analysis, learning and learning from experience

KEY CRITERIA IN PLANT OPTIMISATION Plant optimisation should be a scalable and adaptable controls solution that takes an all-inclusive view of the entire plant, resulting in optimised operation of the complete system and minimised energy use. It is equally important to ensure that the most efficient combination of plant components is used to match the current cooling load demand. Plant optimisation should preferably have an AI-based approach that is flexible and adaptive and utilises deep learning algorithms to shift with varying plant performance conditions. This is in contrast to the typical approach, where a plant

controlling advanced functions, such as free cooling, heat recovery and thermal storage. It should also be able to provide a comprehensive dashboard view, detailed performance reporting and proactive action to address operational deviations. An intelligent system should also employ Equal Marginal Performance Principle (EMPP) and Relational Control. EMPP is understood as the following: The energy performance of a system with multiple components is optimised when the change in system output per unit of energy is the same for all individual components. Relational Control is: System level control based on optimal power relationships between components. The Relational Control strategy also ensures that individual variable-speed devices, such as fans, pumps and chillers operate as closely as possible to their natural curves. All these functions will then allow for greater plant efficiencies. To summarise, the chiller plant optimisation system should have the following features and operating philosophy as minimum: ►► Full optimisation with comprehensive real-time reporting capabilities

• For example, two pumps operating at 50% capacity use 75% less power than one pump operating at full capacity2 ►► Detect, diagnose and correct system faults as they occur ►► Relational control ►► Feedback loop-based control and proportional/integral/derivative algorithms and adaptive tuning loops ►► Receive real-time data about system performance and building loads from the BAS ►► Calculate most energy-efficient operating sequences of the entire HVAC system algorithms ►► Feed information back to BAS to adjust system operation ►► Repeat optimisation process, say every 30-60 seconds

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Rehan Shahid is Director, P&T Architects & Engineers. He may be contacted at rehan@ptdubai.ae.

FOR WHAT IT’S WORTH A traditional chiller plant manager system does not offer the level of optimisation that you would expect if you have very high-efficiency equipment, such as oil-free (perhaps magnetic-bearing) chillers with variable-frequency drive (VFD) that provide maximum efficiency at part-load conditions, and pumps and fans with VFDs, and are targeting around 0.6 kW/ton. Having a traditional approach to increase the efficiencies of such chiller plants will be similar to flying an F-35 fighter jet without avionics and manually trying to lock on to several targets simultaneously.

What will fulfil this requirement, and more, is an intelligent optimisation system using AI algorithm built into its core that will address the earlier-stated requirements; facilitating continuous, dynamic optimisation and, hence, being able to deliver greater plant efficiencies that are in the excellent range. Optimising performance of the entire plant through enhanced management and improved software is where the real potential lies 3 … as there’s a point where you can make a piece of equipment only so efficient. And this is the very reason we will see the integration of AI into chillers and other major plant equipment sooner than later.

References: 1. All Variable Speed Chiller Plants, ASHRAE Journal, September 2001 2. Johnson Controls® Central Plant Optimization™ 3. https://www.achrnews.com/ articles/143164-the-promise-of-artificialintelligence-in-chillers-and-rooftops

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.

REGIONAL NEWS

ICD Brookfield Place selects Facilio to deliver on a connected and sustainable built-environment Facilio says its cloud platform will allow ICDBP to exceed sustainability goals, including improving operating efficiencies and occupant wellbeing, by leveraging embedded AI capabilities

By CCME Content Team

I-driven property operations platform, Facilio announced that ICD Brookfield Place (ICDBP) has chosen its services to optimise building performance and to deliver real-time operational intelligence. ICDBP, a joint venture between Investment Corporation Prabhu Ramachandran of Dubai (ICD) and Brookfield Properties, is one of Dubai’s premier lifestyle and business destinations, Facilio said. With over four acres of dining, retail, and community space, alongside 990,000 square feet of Grade A office space in the heart of Dubai’s Commercial Business District, ICDBP addresses the changing wellbeing, environmental and productivity needs of today’s workforce, Facilio said, adding that ICDBP selected it after an extensive process to support this objective. According to Facilio, its cloud platform will allow ICDBP to: • Gain real-time insights into building performance • Control spaces, equipment and multiple building systems remotely from a “single pane of glass” • Exceed sustainability goals by leveraging embedded AI capabilities • Automate operations and equipment maintenance • Introduce new experiences for tenants

October 2020

ICD Brookfield Place

“We needed a scalable and flexible solution to unify all of our disparate building systems,” Rob Devereux, CEO, ICD Brookfield said. “Facilio’s thought leadership and innovative product portfolio stood out clearly and aligned well with our vision. As we look forward to launching the workplace of the future, we are proud to work with a partner like Facilio.” Prabhu Ramachandran, CEO, Facilio, said: “Facilio was designed to help the real estate industry transition away from reactive and inefficient operations to a proactive, data-driven model. As ICDBP welcomes new tenants, we are confident that our collaboration will enrich occupant experience and transform how buildings are managed.”

Empower commences operation of 18,500 RT district cooling plant in Mirdif

The plant, replacing two semi-permanent ones, is connected to a Command Control Centre (CCC), which has the ability to analyse up to two million data from chillers, transformers and cooling towers, Empower says

By CCME Content Team

mirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) has commissioned an advanced district cooling plant in Mirdif, Dubai, the utility said through a Press release. It added that the commencement of operation signals its move to provide better services to the residents of Ghoroob community through efficient and environmentally friendly district cooling energy. Describing the plant – of 18,500 refrigeration tons (RT) capacity – as advanced and economically designed, in line with global environmental standards, which saved 30% in construction costs, Empower said it has provision for expansions to serve other potential customers, considering the increasing

sustainability and protecting demand for energy-efficient the environment and natural district cooling services in the resources. area. "The Ghoroob project plays Empower revealed that the a pivotal role in making the plant is a replacement for the Mirdif region an ideal residential existing two semi-permanent destination for a large plants that have segment of young been successfully workers and middleproviding district income families who cooling services to prefer to reside in Mirdif residents Dubai, and Empower for 10 years. The has not been late in replacement of the Ahmad bin Shafar building a modern semi-permanent and more advanced plants with an plant to replace the two semiadvanced permanent district permanent plants after a decade cooling plant comes as part of of their outstanding performance Empower’s plans to upgrade in providing district cooling its infrastructure, enhance its services," said Ahmad bin Shafar, services and to achieve Dubai’s CEO, Empower. goals of transforming customer Developed by Dubai Properties services to higher levels of global in 2007 on an area of 3.3 million competition while maintaining

square feet, Ghoroob stands among the most sought-after residential destinations in the Mirdif district, Empower said. It includes 59 low-rise buildings – five floors – featuring 3,000 housing units, Empower said. The new plant has already been connected to Empower’s Command Control Centre (CCC), which has the ability to analyse up to two million data from chillers, transformers, cooling towers, water supplies and more, using the advanced SCADA system, Empower said. The plant, it added, contains operationally efficient water-cooled chillers, which ensure delivery of highquality cooling services to customers.

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REGIONAL NEWS

Empower announces record diversification in its district cooling portfolio District cooling utility says it is serving chilled water services to seven major sectors in Dubai

By CCME Content Team

sustainability and protects the environment mirates Central Cooling Systems by reducing carbon emissions, it added. Corporation (Empower) has “Empower is committed to supporting all announced a record number of mega projects and developments in Dubai, sustainable growth and positive particularly residential, hotel and health diversification in its portfolio that includes projects, by linking and providing them with seven major sectors in Dubai. Making the highly efficient cooling systems through announcement through a Press release, the artificial intelligence applications,” said district cooling utility said the residential Ahmad bin Shafar, CEO, Empower. sector tops the list of its clients “District Cooling is the best solution by 64%, followed by the for various sectors, and it is commercial sector with 16% and adaptable for any type of building. the hospitality sector with 13%. “Our huge asset portfolio and The health sector has increased customer base motivate us to its share to three per cent, and provide more services with higher the remaining four per cent is Ahmad bin Shafar quality. It also encourages us to distributed among educational, continue to assume our social industrial, and retail sectors, the responsibilities with regard to enhancing utility said. A total of 1,180 buildings are awareness among all the entities engaged served by the company as of end 2019, the in the real estate development industry and utility added. its beneficiaries, in terms of the building The diversified portfolio and the broad engineering design, the advantages of district customer base that are being served reflects cooling services, and the proper methods of the growing demand for district cooling installing and operating cooling systems, in solutions, which has become an ideal choice order to ensure the highest energy savings". for the strategic sectors driving the city’s Bin Shafar also indicated that smart economy, the utility said. District cooling district cooling provides those sectors with the saves up to 50% of electricity for cooling opportunity to actively contribute to reducing buildings and reduces the load on the the carbon footprint, protecting natural national power grid and the service cost, the resources and securing them for future utility said. It also contributes to achieving

Magenta to distribute Zehnder ventilation, extract fans in the Middle East Zehnder Group appoints distributor in Gulf and Middle East region for ventilation and extract fan products

By CCME Content Team

October 2020

generations. Our expertise in district cooling has helped us to understand the required cooling load for each building, depending on its type and usage, Bin Shafar said. It helps in avoiding unnecessary burden on building owners and end-users and, ultimately, helps save money in terms of district cooling bills and conserves the environment, he added. Bin Shafar pointed out that district cooling systems are gaining a great demand from real estate developers, who have realised the importance of adopting district cooling systems due to its tremendous technological advancement that is eco-friendly, as well as its contribution to reducing water and energy consumption in a more effective and reliable way. District cooling systems, he said, have become an essential part of planning and designing of modern buildings, especially in the Arab Gulf states. Empower, he added, plays a key role in global efforts aimed at making a positive impact on climate change by rationalising consumption and preserving natural resources by adopting eco-friendly cooling systems, which, in turn, offer economic advantages and help in achieving sustainable development goals, worldwide.

ehnder Group Deutschland has appointed Magenta FZCO as its distributor for its ventilation and extract fans range of products in the Middle East, including in the GCC region, the company said through a Press release. Magenta is a leading energy management consultancy and an Indoor Air Quality solutions (IAQ) company serving the UAE and the GCC region, Zehnder said in the release, adding that the UAE-based company brings extensive experience in energy management and IAQ management by deploying IAQ monitoring systems to identify pollutants and provide clean air solutions, through this partnership with Zehnder, in hospitality, healthcare, education, commercial and residential sectors. Sunil N Kanal, Director & CTO, Magenta, said: “Our partnership with Zehnder greatly increases our penetration into the important clean air solutions. We are now able to offer our customers best ventilation and extract fans solution, which will produce substantial energy savings. The quality of the products is assured and backed with a two-year warranty period. The Zehnder ventilation and clean air fans will now be available in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Yemen.

VTS announces one-week delivery time This applies to its Ventus S-type Ceiling Suspended AHUs, company says

By CCME Content Team

TS Clima announced that it has been offering a one-week delivery time for its VENTUS S-type Ceiling Suspended AHUs since August. Making the announcement though a September 14 Press release, the company said this has been made possible, because the S-type, dedicated to the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, is assembled at the VTS facility in Dubai. This is the next step in our development strategy on the MEA market, Faizal Babu Pallathody, Managing Director, VTS Clima, said. The VENTUS S-type is a product with great technical parameters that perfectly fits the needs of customers, he said. Starting the assembling in our Dubai facility, he said, increases its advantages in the forms of a very short delivery time – availability a week after placing the order – and a lower price than before.

Tariq Al Ghussein new President of Eurovent Middle East

HVACR industry association announces change of presidency By CCME Content Team

ariq Al Ghussein, CEO, Taqeef, has replaced Brian Suggitt as President, Eurovent Middle East, the HVACR industry association announced through a Press release. The transition in presidency is necessitated by a change of work assignment in the case of Suggitt, the first and long-time President, Eurovent said. Tariq Al Ghussein Suggitt has led the Association since its establishment, having earned respect and admiration from the industry for his integrity, commitment and amiability, Eurovent added. Suggitt said: “I am leaving the Association with deep regret, but also with great appreciation for the successful development we have achieved over the past years. From the initial idea of coming together and joining forces with Brian Suggitt competitors and peers to better serve the region with knowledge, education and expertise, to seeing the active approach and mutual respect among our members is really amazing. I am proud and grateful for having been a part of this and honoured by serving the interests of our industry.” Al Ghussein said: “Under Brian’s stewardship, the Association has grown in numbers and stature, and contributed to many of the most pressing industry issues Markus Lattner affecting our businesses and our region. Brian’s energy and insights will be sorely missed; however, I’m confident we can build on the great work that’s already been achieved and continue to push integrity and best practice in our industry. These are exciting times for our membership and our region, and Eurovent Middle East’s work on energy efficiency, better IAQ, transparency and protocols has never been more relevant. Markus Lattner, Managing Director, Eurovent Middle East, said: “I would like to thank Brian for his support and encouragement over the past four years. It has been an honour and a great pleasure to work with him as President. With Tariq Al Ghussein, we have an excellent successor, who supported the idea of an industry association from the beginning. Tariq is a well-known and respected business leader, and we are all looking forward to continue exceptional work with him as President.”

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REGIONAL NEWS

Empower completes shoring work for 4th district cooling plant in Business Bay Project involves a total investment of AED 250 million and cooling capacity of 50,000 RT, district cooling utility says

By CCME Content Team

mirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) announced that it has completed the shoring work for its fourth district cooling plant in Business Bay, Dubai. Making the announcement through a Press Ahmad bin Shafar release, Empower said the total investment is AED 250 million for the project, which will have a cooling capacity of 50,000 refrigeration tons (RT). Empower said it is also preparing to soon announce some big achievements in the district cooling industry related to large residential projects that have become the preferred destination for investors and families. "Empower is currently providing district cooling services from three plants in Business Bay with a total cooling capacity of 135,000 tons,” Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO, Empower, said. “We serve to more than 62% of the total number of buildings in Business Bay, and aspire to cover the remaining area that is witnessing the development of many commercial, residential and mixed-use urban projects." Empower described the new plant as characterised by leading standards in energy production and environmental design. The plant, it said, is situated in a strategic location close to Al Khail Road, and is connected to a robust distribution network that reflects the company’s readiness to provide quality services and to meet the actual new demand, in accordance with the well-measured expectations of the needs and requirements of urban expansion in Dubai. Empower said it will implement advanced solutions that leverage artificial intelligence techniques in the operation of the

Dubai’s Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction gets new head Dr Anas Bataw appointed as Director of the centre, part of Heriot-Watt University By CCME Content Team

October 2020

new plant, including Thermal Energy Storage (TES) systems that help in achieving considerable energy savings. In addition to the applications of artificial intelligence and the analysis of weather forecast data, the company said it uses Treated Sewage Effluent (TSE) technology in plant operations, which contributes to reducing the consumption of fresh water and preserving natural resources for future generations. Bin Shafar emphasised that the company’s plants are becoming a global model in the district cooling industry, and their operation reflects a high commitment to environmental sustainability solutions and application of the highest standards of efficiency and reliability. "We seek to introduce new technologies that are consistent with the directions of the Dubai government on environmental sustainability,” he said. “Considering Business Bay as a vital district of Dubai, we have been keen to apply the highest standards of efficiency to ensure the availability of service around the clock, and to achieve customer satisfaction in an area that features a vast number of residential and commercial developments." Empower said the new plant is the pick of the progress it has achieved in the district cooling industry, thanks to the optimal utilisation of leading operating standards that contribute to reducing cooling energy consumption, the sustainable solutions in the use of treated sewage effluent, and a standard distribution technology that guarantees high reliable service. "District cooling technology is gaining popularity in the region, and this makes us optimistic about the level of growth that our organization will witness,” Bin Shafar said. “We trust that our operations in the Business Bay will reinforce Empower's position as a major regional player in the district cooling sector."

across the Middle East, where he eriot-Watt contributed to the development University has and implementation of AEC announced the innovations and smart city appointment of Dr initiatives, Heriot-Watt said. In Anas Bataw as Director of its this role, he will establish and Centre of Excellence in Smart Dr Anas Bataw execute an agile strategy for Construction (CESC). CESC and lead CESC’s operations Dr Bataw joins CESC with to meet industry demands and ensure a wealth of experience and a proven successful strategic global partnerships with track record in academia and industry all stakeholders, it added. collaboration in the Architecture, Dr Bataw will be responsible for Engineering and Construction (AEC) sectors, positioning CESC and Heriot-Watt as not only in the UAE but also in India, pioneer in global research and enterprise Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and as partner with sector-leading and the United Kingdom, Heriot-Watt said organisations to address opportunities through a Press release. and challenges faced in the construction He has led on a number of renowned sector by establishing and leading vibrant businesses and large-scale programmes

UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment to be Chair of Heriot-Watt’s smart construction research hub Al Nuaimi to take on the position of Chair of the Board of the Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction

By CCME Content Team

eriot-Watt University has announced that His Excellency Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, UAE Minister of Climate Change and Environment, will take on the position as Chair of the Board for the University’s research hub, the Centre of Excellence in Smart Construction (CESC). The appointment cements the strong links already in place between Heriot-Watt University Dubai and the UAE government, and shows continued commitment to encouraging academia, industry and government to collaborate, in order to drive forward initiatives for a smarter, safer and more sustainable construction industry in the country, Heriot-Watt said through a Press release. Through partnerships and producing world-class research, CESC will continue to support and assist the UAE Vision 2021, which is targeting a sustainable environment and infrastructure by 2021, Heriot-Watt said. His Excellency Dr Al Nuaimi said: “I am proud to accept my appointment as Chair of the Board at CESC. The mission of the Centre aligns with the global pledge to build

back better in the post-COVID-19 world, and its pioneering research helps address the most pressing challenges in the construction sector. I look forward to contributing my combined experience in the infrastructure development and environmental sectors to CESC’s efforts to implement the sustainable development plans of our wise leadership.” Speaking on the occasion, Professor Ammar Kaka, Provost and Vice Principal, Heriot-Watt University Dubai, said: “We are delighted and honoured that His Excellency Dr Al Nuaimi has agreed to be Chair of the CESC Board. I strongly believe that for the construction industry to move forward towards becoming safer and more sustainable, collaboration, a clear vision and partnerships are necessary, post-COVID-19 and beyond. His Excellency’s support and advice is extremely appreciated by Heriot-Watt University and CESC.” CESC is a hub for stakeholder engagement, a platform for discussion, and a model for collaborative research and business engagement, Heriot-Watt said. Its industryled academic research, it added, focuses on enabling technologies around three main themes:

Performance and Productivity – World-class researchers are working with industry partners to improve the efficiency of the construction industry by creating, promoting and sharing knowledge related to the latest technological developments, leading to manufacturing efficiencies, improved quality and reliability, and a reduction in project variations, duration and cost. Sustainability – Led by Net Zero 2050 objectives and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, CESC will continue to collaborate with industry to increase the level of social, economic and environmental sustainability of the construction industry, leading to a reduction in carbon emissions across the full life cycle of a project. Wellbeing – In a post-COVID-19 new normal, Heriot-Watt’s academic programmes and researchers aim to enhance the industry’s health and safety performance and workforce wellbeing standards.

and collaborative initiatives with a strong emphasis on smart construction to drive innovations in the sector. Speaking on his appointment, Dr Bataw said: “The work that CESC have undertaken

and have planned, moving forward, is even more crucial to assist and enable the construction industry to adapt to a postpandemic world. Our collaboration with government and industry partners will continue to assist and aid not only the digital transformation of the industry but also meeting improved sustainability targets and wellbeing in the workplace. I am delighted to join CESC and am committed to continue and improve the valuable work that is required to improve and assist the construction industry.” Professor Ammar Kaka, Provost and Vice Principal, Heriot-Watt, said: “We are delighted to welcome Dr Bataw to CESC. He brings

a high level of expertise and a clear vision on the importance of academia and industry collaboration that will undoubtably compliment and strengthen the values of CESC.” Heriot-Watt said it launched CESC in September 2019 with the sole purpose of encouraging academia, industry and government to work collaboratively in order to transform the future of construction. CESC, it added, is committed to undertake industry-relevant research and development, knowledge transfer and stakeholder engagement that shape and transform the future of the construction industry and the development of the next generation of construction professionals for the benefit of the economy.

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REGIONAL NEWS

Empower provides district cooling services to ‘Ain Dubai’ The world’s tallest Ferris wheel benefits from Dubai utility provider’s chilled water service

By CCME Content Team

mirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) announced that it has connected the world’s tallest observation wheel, ‘Ain Dubai’ to its district cooling network. ‘Ain Dubai’ stands at the Bluewaters Island, on the coastline of Dubai. Though the island has already opened its doors to tourists and residents, the whole world awaits the launch of ’Ain Dubai’, the massive Ferris wheel, Empower said through a Press release. Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO, Empower said: “All operations for providing the project with district cooling services have been successfully completed, and the wheel building was efficiently and professionally connected with 850 Refrigeration Tons (RT).” Bin Shafar highlighted that the operations that were performed recently are part of fulfilling the obligations of the contract signed with ‘Meraas’ in 2015 to provide the island project with a total capacity of 25,000 RT. In August 2017,

Bluewaters Island was connected to the Empower network, and this was followed by the successful operations for ‘Ain Dubai’ Ferris wheel, Empower said. “With an investment of AED 6 billion, the ‘Bluewaters Island’ project, which Ahmad bin Shafar embraces the Ain Dubai Wheel, in addition to many luxurious residential and hotel buildings, including the Caesars Palace Bluewaters Dubai and the distinctive shopping and entertainment centers, is indeed a qualitative addition to company’s portfolio,” Bin Shafar said. The project lies among the most prominent multiuse urban icons that Empower provides with high-quality district cooling services, as per global standards, he added. Bin Shafar said that Ain Dubai and Bluewaters Island are supplied with eco-friendly district cooling services from the recently modernised plant of Empower in Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR). The plant was upgraded to the second generation district cooling systems, which significantly save power, improve efficiency and reduce carbon emission, Empower said. The plant in JBR, Empower added, leverages the latest technologies in district cooling systems, including Thermal Energy Storage (TES) technology that monitor and adjust the water flow to and from the cooling plant and help in reducing the burden on the state power grid during peak hours.

Three60 posts AED 7mn in savings on utility costs in first five months of 2020

Subsidiary of Eltizam Asset Management Group highlights 49% increase in utility savings recorded versus same period in 2019; points to the contribution of such initiatives as the insulation of chilled water lines in common areas, the regular maintenance of thermostats and the installation of chiller rigging

By CCME Content Team

hree60 Communities, a subsidiary of Eltizam Asset Management Group and a provider of community management services in the UAE and Oman, said it has posted savings of AED 7 million on utility expenses across communities it manages during the first five months of 2020, an increase of 49% in savings compared to the same period, last year. In line with the UAE Energy Strategy 2050, the company has focused on developing and

October 2020

Fujitsu General achieves Superbrand status

Company says it is the only air conditioning brand to do so in the UAE, highlights garnering the honour for the fourth consecutive year

By CCME Content Team

ir conditioning brand, Fujitsu General has achieved Superbrand status in the UAE for the fourth consecutive year, the company said through a Press release. The status is awarded based on a brand’s ability to offer emotional and tangible benefits to customers as well as its strong connection among media, suppliers, investors and employees, the company said. This year, 57 companies received the Superbrand award from the Brand Council members, along with prominent senior directors and managers on an invitation-only basis. The Japan-headquartered cooling manufacturer is the only air conditioning brand in the country to receive the recognition since the launch of the programme in the UAE in 2005, the company said. “Fujitsu General ACs are synonymous with quality, durability and innovation – and

it’s because of the trust that consumers place in the brand that it appears year after year on the Superbrand roster,” Tariq Al Ghussein said Mike English, Director, Superbrand Middle East. “With regionally specified products, supported by intelligent marketing and reliable customer service, the brand commands authority in a region where AC is considered a life-essential.” Tariq Al Ghussein, Chairman and CEO, Taqeef, Fujitsu General’s distribution partner in the Middle East, said: “Fujitsu General has been setting the tone for cooling in the Middle East for nearly 50 years. It’s a global brand that invests and innovates in the regions it serves, developing products with unrivalled capacity to meet the

deploying comprehensive energy and utility management plans across its portfolio, in an effort to reduce each community’s carbon footprint, while lowering operating costs at the same time, the company said. The biggest savings came from the Mohammed Alsharaf electricity consumption reduction, with savings from January to May 2020 totalling AED 4.3 million, the company said. This was followed by savings on chilled water consumption totalling AED 2.3 million, which was achieved through continuous monitoring and control of chilled water flow and temperature, the company further said. Water consumption across the communities also went down during the period, leading to savings of AED 400,000, the company added. Some of the conservation initiatives included the installation of LED lights in common areas and sensor lights in parking bays of some communities, the company said. The insulation of the common areas’ chilled water lines and the regular maintenance of thermostats have also resulted in considerable energy savings, as well as the installation of chiller rigging, sun protection films and new building management systems in certain communities, the company said. Additionally, modification of lighting circuits for day and nighttime operation also contributed to consumption reduction, the company added. Three60 said it has also scheduled the regular maintenance of filtration pump and filter to ensure that only clean water flows into the pools. To lower the communities’ chilled water consumption by 30%, the Three60 teams has installed variable frequency drives (VFD) and adiabatic system as well, it said.

demands of unique climates, such as ours. As the originators of desert cooling, Fujitsu General has been challenging expectations and pushing boundaries since 1972. We’re proud to have partnered with them on this journey and look forward to bringing the next generation of cooling technology to today’s and tomorrow’s consumers.”

Mohammed Alsharaf, Chief Operations Officer, Eltizam Asset Management Group, UAE and Oman, said: “We closely worked with different communities for the implementation of these measures to achieve maximum energy and water savings in 2020 and the coming years. Our efforts are according to the principles behind the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) pillar of the new Get Wonky culture of Eltizam. The CSR pillar covers various areas, including energy efficiency, to ensure a maximum positive impact for the benefit of our valued owners. “These initiatives have been implemented as part of the company’s strategy this year to shift to a proactive energy management model, which is now an integral part of any new contract. At Three60, we seek to provide owners and occupants with a sustainable community where they can live, work, and play happily. Our measures reflect this commitment.”

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REGIONAL NEWS

Eltizam launches tech-driven building maintenance company 800TEK provides tailored services, including MEP maintenance, for homes, offices, and retail shops, Eltizam says

By CCME Content Team

ltizam Asset Management Group has launched 800TEK, which it described as a techdriven company in the UAE established to provide households and business owners with tailored home, office Chris Roberts and retail maintenance services. Making the announcement through a Press release, Eltizam said 800TEK uses its latest technology platforms to deliver fast, competitively priced and high-quality solutions for a wide range of maintenance needs. According to the release, 800TEK offers advanced and comprehensive in-unit B2C services for individual clients. The company, Eltizam said, employs innovative digital portals and apps for seamless and convenient delivery of its services, aligned with Eltizam’s digital transformation plan. Ala’a Al-Khraisha, who

has worked for Eltizam companies in a number of roles, has been appointed as General Manager for the new company, Eltizam said. Chris Roberts, Chief Executive Officer, Eltizam, said: “800TEK will bridge industry gaps and further expand Eltizam’s reach by providing an extensive range of specialized solutions to help individuals and companies from a B2C perspective manage their respective spaces and facilities smartly. The launch of 800TEK illustrates Eltizam’s commitment to continuously innovate, deliver the highest levels of services, and use technology solutions to meet and anticipate customer demands. Already, the company has secured over $19 million in contracts in its first few months of operations. 800TEK is now setting its sights on expanding across the region in the near future, in line with our overall group business strategy.” According to Eltizam, the company will provide a range of in-unit B2C services, such as MEP maintenance, cleaning, handyman, civil works and sanitization services, in addition to in-house specialist services to its existing client base, including façade cleaning, generator maintenance, parking & camera management, and leisure services, including swimming pool and sports facilities management. 800TEK also offers commercial, residential and retail fit-out project management delivered by its team of architects and civil engineers, Eltizam said. Al-Khraisha said: “Our highly trained and experienced teams of specialists are fully capable of delivering certified services that comply with international quality, health, safety and environmental standards. We assure our customers of outstanding services delivered according to the best industry practices and the criteria set by renowned global industry associations.”

RAK Municipality launches pre-qualification for emirate’s first aggregated solar tender

The deadline for submission of documents is October 10, government body says

By CCME Content Team

ollowing the completion of its representing a first example of its type in Ras pilot solar carport project, Ras Al Al Khaimah, the Municipality said. Khaimah Municipality, through its It said it is inviting all interested solar Reem office, has launched a preEPC and commercial leasing companies to qualification for distributed solar projects participate in the tender process, adding that in multiple locations in Ras Al Khaimah, pre-qualification documents can be obtained the government body said through a Press by writing to eer@mun.rak.ae. release. The solar PV projects, expected to be tendered through this process, are located in various government and private facilities in the emirate and are of various types, including rooftop, carport and ground-mounted installations, the Municipality said. The projects are expected to be implemented in 2021, it added. Reem will manage part of the procurement process on behalf of the A solar PV project end-clients through a joint tender,

October 2020

The Municipality said there are no fees for participating in the pre-qualification process. The deadline for submitting prequalification documents via email, it said, is October 10, 2020.

GLOBAL NEWS

ENGIE offers Quantum Air with heat recovery

Company says the option enables buildings to reuse up to 100% of the waste heat generated during cold generation process and use it for heating purposes, thus increasing energy efficiency

By CCME Content Team

building with district heat, based on fossil fuels. Carbon emissions from natural gas are reduced by about 247 g/kWh, and carbon emissions from heating oil are reduced by approximately 318 g/ kWh*, the company claimed. Furthermore, heat recovery allows the user to recover or save significant amounts of energy, the company said. This, it said, is illustrated by the following example calculation: A QUANTUM Air in version A0570-HR and with a refrigeration capacity of 500 kW requires 122.1 kW of electrical power to operate a chilled water set. This generates 622.1 kW of heat for recovery (EER 4.1/COP 5.1). The electricity costs for continuous operation and 100% load are, thus, €189,318.00**. If the deployed energy of 622.1 kW heat is converted to a fossil fuel, this results in huge savings of €386,921.00 per year for natural gas***. The annual savings for heating oil are €550,409.00, while the savings for electricity reach €964,578.00 per year***. In particular, the company said, integrated heat recovery for the QUANTUM Air pays off for all industries that are especially energy-intensive and/or have high demand for heat energy – from manufacturing companies and data centres to hospitals and hotels.

NGIE Refrigeration said its QUANTUM Air chillers are now available with optional heat recovery. Making the announcement through a Press release, the company said customers can, thus, reuse up to 100% of the waste heat generated during the cold generation process – and use it for heating purposes, for example. This reduces resource use and improves energy efficiency, the company said. The feature is especially interesting for industrial enterprises, data centres, hospitals and hotels, the company said. Saying that manufacturers and users of refrigeration systems around the world are currently grappling with the question, ‘How can waste heat be used effectively?' the company said suitable approaches can make an important contribution towards a reduction in energy costs. Water-cooled QUANTUM chillers have been available with optional heat recovery for many years, the company said, adding that customers are still running them successfully. As this feature has many advantages, ENGIE Refrigeration said it is now offering it for the QUANTUM Air, as well. The basis of the option is an ingenious technical solution, the company claimed. The team at ENGIE integrated an additional *Assumption: Average ambient temperature ≤15 degrees C; heat exchanger in the QUANTUM Air chiller, the company said. The emissions generated during combustion; does not include any exchanger makes it possible to conduct the heat generated during the emissions generated during manufacture and transport cold generation process to a defined heat process – such as production **Assumption: Electricity costs = 17.7 ct/kWh; continuous operation = hall heating or warm water supply in offices, it said. Otherwise, the 8760 h/a heat would be released into the environment, unused, via the air***Assumption: Cost of natural gas = 7.1 ct/kWh; cost of heating oil = cooled condensers, it further said. Users, thus, are able to utilise free 10.1 ct/kWh; electricity cost = 17.7 ct/kWh heat energy that they would otherwise have to obtain from an additional heat generator, the company said. This heat Photo credit: ENGIE Refrigeration GmbH energy can be used either completely or partially in what is referred to as combined operation, the company said. To this end, the waste heat is transferred to a heat circuit via a parallel flooded shell and tube condenser, the company said. The chiller fans, it added, now run at partial load, or not at all. Saying that the heat recovery option bestows even more advantages, the company said that in addition to the carbon reduction in pure chiller mode, it is possible to achieve further carbon savings in combined mode. Giving an example, the company said that with heat recovery activated, the building can be heated using waste heat, which QUANTUM Air models with optional heat recovery. produces far less CO2 than heating the

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GLOBAL NEWS

Ziehl: Proper ventilation makes indoor events still possible despite COVID-19 The Berlin Motorwerk (motor plant) introduces improved ventilation design, reduces aerosol risk using biomimetic fans, company says

By CCME Content Team

r Michael Gordon, CEO, Motorwerk, is able to promise a reduced risk of coronavirus infection at events, Ziehl-Abegg, ventilation, control and drive technology company, said through a Press release. Motorwerk is a Berlin-based event location, which has staged such events as Germany's Next Top Model and new car presentations by Porsche and Daimler. “In order to massively reduce the risk of coronavirus infections from aerosols, we are able to achieve an enormous increase in the air quality without any disruptive noise," Dr Gordon said. This, he further said, is thanks to a sophisticated ventilation concept using the know-how and products of Ziehl-Abegg. It was in these very halls that Ziehl-Abegg “grew up” more than 110 years ago and is the namesake for this event location, he added. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Motorwerk has primarily staged streaming events (for example, with the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs Hubertus Heil), but owing to the current conditions, the number of participants has always been very small, the release said. The first event, the release said, was held in August 2020, with more than 200 guests. Normally, the Motorwerk can stage meetings or events for more than 1,000 people, the release said. “The focus now is on social distancing, hygiene rules and, in particular, air quality,” Dr Gordon said. "In the latest event, 250 people spent several hours in the Motorwerk. Although the fans were operating in the immediate vicinity of the guests, they could not be heard.” Peter Fenkl, CEO, Ziehl-Abegg, saying that the latest generation of biomimetic

fans is now operating in the Motorwerk, went on to explain that it had been a special challenge and, at the same time, an honour to be involved in the ventilation system in the halls, which the company sees as being very steeped in its own history. The system now uses fans whose noise levels can be kept extremely low, he said. “Using designs inspired by nature, such as the owl in flight, we have enhanced the fans to L-R: Dr Michael Gordon and Peter Fenkl look at the fans, high up in achieve the optimum level, in the building terms of acoustics,” Fenkl said. According to the release, Weißensee Engineering Consortium and CO2 sensors monitored the air quality and Ziehl-Abegg allowed for the development of regulated the fans during the event. The a building technology concept that does not ceiling fans provided the air circulation. For change the interior or exterior view of the the entire duration of the event, the CO2 building whilst at the same time being very level in the indoor air was maintained at dynamic, he said. approximately 530 ppm, the release said. The ventilation system at the venue “That equates to almost the same as fresh consists of eight axial fans from Ziehl-Abegg air,” Dr Gordon said, referring to a study (ZN063-ZIL. DG. V7P2), four HVLS ceiling fans by the TU Berlin, which considers low CO2 (high-volume, low-speed), eight CO2 sensors values to be harmless (Risk assessment by and a standardised IP-based home control the TU Berlin: https://depositonce.tu-berlin. system from LOxone, with control software de/handle/11303/11477). The entire system from Smartflix, the release said. is programmed to be self-regulating but The volume of air in the hall is can also be operated manually, the release approximately 16,500 cubic metres, the said, adding that control and monitoring are release said. Each of the built-in axial fans carried out via an app on smart phone, tablet moves up to 6,000 cubic metres of air per or PC. hour, the release said, with three fans used “Design and structural implementation for suction and five for the inlet air. This, the were not easy,” Dr Gordon said. This is release said, allows the entire air content of because the building is a listed historical the large building to be completely replaced site, he said. Collaboration between the up to twice an hour. Monument Protection Authority, the

The Motorwerk in Berlin-Weißensee Photo credit: Ziehl-Abegg / Marc Vorwerk

October 2020

Brady offers RFID temperature labels

Solution enables wireless temperature reading and monitoring for a wide range of devices, company says By CCME Content Team

and flexible, RFID-enabled smart labels do not need energy or maintenance, the company said, adding that they are energised wirelessly, in the event of a temperature reading with a UHFcompliant RFID reader. Temperature readings can be automated and are picked up by scanners on an ISO 18000-63/64 and ETSI compliant bandwidth, the company said. The labels have been tested to stay attached and remain legible in heat, cold, dirt, indoors or outdoors, the company said. They are resistant to chemicals, cleaning agents, grease, oil and fuels, the company added. Equipable with a variety of adhesives, they can stay attached to smooth, rough, or powdered surfaces, and to flat or curved surfaces, the company further added.

RFID Temperature label laboratory

rady Corporation said it is offering new RFID temperature labels that enable wireless temperature reading and monitoring for a wide range of devices, equipment, machines, racks, cables and structures. The flexible, temperature-sensing smart labels can be applied to almost any surface to support informed, proactive decision-making, the company said through a Press release. According to the company, the labels are a low-cost solution for temperature monitoring. Applications include environmental monitoring, material and equipment monitoring, cold chain monitoring, data centre monitoring, maintenance and safety data collection and greenhouse monitoring, the company said. The thin

GEA sells compressor manufacturer Bock to NORD Holding Company says it will now concentrate on its industrial compressors business By CCME Content Team

RFID Temperature label

s part of its continued focus on strategic core markets – the food, beverages and pharmaceutical industries – Düsseldorf-based technology group, GEA said it is selling the compressor manufacturer, Bock, which is in GEA’s Refrigeration Technologies division, to NORD Holding. The parties have agreed not to disclose the financial details of the transaction, GEA said. The transaction remains subject to regulatory clearance, GEA said, adding that the closing of the transaction is expected in early 2021. “We are pleased to have found a new owner for Bock in NORD Holding,” said Stefan Klebert, CEO, GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft. “It is our firm conviction that NORD Holding will develop Bock’s business potential as a producer of commercial compressors mainly for use in stationary and transport-related cooling applications in the best possible way. In GEA’s Refrigeration Technologies division, we will concentrate in the future on our industrial compressors business. Our portfolio here includes customized solutions for the optimum use of waste heat, enabling our customers to operate their production facilities ever more sustainably or even become carbon neutral.” GEA said Bock has a strong market position, is excellently positioned with its products and is commercially successful. Since becoming part of the GEA Group, it said, the business has developed very positively. Bock is a leading manufacturer of open and semi-hermetic piston compressors in the lower and medium refrigeration capacity range, it said. The company, GEA said, employs some 340 people worldwide and generated sales of almost EUR 90 million in the 2019 fiscal year.

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GLOBAL NEWS

ASHRAE announces 2020-21 Society Scholarship recipients

Over the course of 31 years, ASHRAE says, it has awarded over USD 2.25 million to nearly 500 students

By CCME Content Team

SHRAE has announced the recipients of 30 Society scholarships, totaling USD 167,000, for the 2020-21 academic year. “We are extremely proud of the 2020-21 ASHRAE Scholarship recipients,” said Michel Hayek, Chair, ASHRAE Scholarship Trustees. “These individuals represent the future of the HVAC&R industry, and ASHRAE is pleased to support this bright future by providing scholarship opportunities to students each year.” According to ASHRAE, the following awards provide a USD 10,000 scholarship: Willis H. Carrier Scholarships Kylene Landenberger, mechanical engineering, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo and Molly Sizemore, architectural engineering, Pennsylvania State University, are the recipients of a Willis H. Carrier Scholarship, established by the Carrier Corp. in memory of its founder, who installed the world’s first scientifically designed air conditioning system.

Reuben Trane Scholarships William Welch, mechanical engineering, University of California – Los Angeles; Owen Lutz, architectural engineering, Kansas State University and Alexis Sheeto, architectural engineering, Pennsylvania State University are the recipients of a Reuben Trane Scholarship, which is to be awarded over two years and was established by the Trane Company, in memory its founder, an innovative engineer, inventor and business executive, who held 28 patents.

Alwin B. Newton Scholarship Xianchen Hao, architectural engineering, University of Kansas, is the recipient of the Alwin B. Newton Scholarship, named for an industry pioneer and ASHRAE Fellow who was granted 219 patents. David C.J. Peters Scholarship Isabella Gayoso, mechanical engineering, Pennsylvania State University, is the recipient of the David C. J. Peters Scholarship, created by Southland Industries to honour Peters, an advocate of recruiting quality. Duane Hanson Scholarship Christian Fauer, mechanical engineering, Auburn University, is the recipient of the Duane Hanson Scholarship, established by Gayner Engineers and is named for the company’s former president. Legacy Scholarship Sean Lacey, mechanical engineering, University of Akron, is the recipient of the Legacy Scholarship. ASHRAE Region IV Benny Bootle Scholarship Ian Durr, mechanical engineering, Kennesaw State University, is the recipient of the ASHRAE Region IV Benny Bootle Scholarship, named for a former Region IV chair and regional director on the ASHRAE Board of Directors.

Gordon V.R. Holness Engineering Scholarship Haley Webbert, mechanical engineering, University of Nevada – Reno, is the recipient of the Gordon V.R. Holness Engineering Scholarship named in honour of ASHRAE Presidential Member Holness, P.E., Fellow ASHRAE, Life Member, who served as the Society’s president in 200910.

James R. Bullock Jr. Scholarship Kayla McIntosh, architectural engineering, North Carolina A&T State University, is the recipient of the James R. Bullock, Jr. Scholarship, named in memory of the late Bullock Jr., P.E., Life Member of ASHRAE, who served as president of Environmental Air Systems Inc.

Gordon V.R. Holness Engineering Technology Scholarship Andrew Scott, architectural engineering technology, Vermont Technical College, is the recipient of the Gordon V.R. Holness Engineering Technology Scholarship.

Donald Brady Scholarship LeeRoy Nchinda, architectural engineering, North Carolina A&T State University, is the recipient of the Donald Brady Scholarship. The scholarship was created by Donald Brady, Life Member of ASHRAE and a presidential member of ASHRAE’s North Piedmont Chapter.

According to ASHRAE, the following awards provide one-year USD 5,000 scholarships: Frank M. Coda Scholarship Jon Cowart, electrical engineering, Pennsylvania State University, is the recipient of the Frank M. Coda Scholarship, created in memory of ASHRAE’s former executive vice president, who served from 1981-2004. Lynn G. Bellenger Engineering Scholarship Christina Adams, industrial engineering, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo, is the recipient of the Lynn G. Bellenger Engineering Scholarship, which recognises female undergraduate engineering students and is named in memory of the Society’s first female president, who served as the Society’s president in 2010-11.

October 2020

Prem Jain Scholarship Aashni Ujra, architectural engineering, Heriot Watt University, is the recipient of the Prem Jain Scholarship. The scholarship was created by Dr. Prem Jain, Life Member of ASHRAE, founder of ASHRAE’s India Chapter-at-Large & presidential member of the ASHRAE India Chapter, founder and presidential member of ISHRAE (Indian Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and AirConditioning Engineers).

Engineering Technology Scholarships Thomas Guilfoil, mechanical engineering technology, State University of New York – Canton and William Fretwell, architectural engineering technology, Vermont Technical, are the recipients of an Engineering Technology Scholarship.

Eurovent Product Group, ‘Air Filters’ gets new Chairman

Freshman Engineering Scholarship Joseph Kawiecki, mechanical engineering, Purdue University, is the recipient of the Freshman Engineering Scholarship.

By CCME Content Team

General Scholarship Hunter Swope, architectural engineering, University of Cincinnati, is the recipient of the General Scholarship.

According to ASHRAE, the following awards provide one-year USD 3,000 scholarships: Henry Adams Scholarship Stephen Batsa, mechanical engineering, Dalhousie University, is the recipient of the Henry Adams Scholarship, named in memory of charter member and sixth president of ASHRAE’s predecessor society, ASHVE. ASHRAE Region I Setty Family Foundation Scholarship William Hanna, mechanical engineering, Stevens Institute of Technology, is the recipient of the ASHRAE Region I Setty Family Foundation Scholarship named in honour of Boggarm Setty, Fellow ASHRAE, Life Member. ASHRAE Region III Setty Family Foundation Scholarship Alexandra Brown, architectural engineering, Pennsylvania State University, is the recipient of the ASHRAE Region III Setty Family Foundation Scholarship. ASHRAE Region VIII Scholarship Simon Devlin, mechanical and aerospace engineering, Oklahoma State University, is the recipient of the ASHRAE Region VIII Scholarship. ASHRAE Central New York Chapter King-Traugott Scholarship Stanley Roberts, mechanical engineering technology, Sinclair Community College, is the recipient of the ASHRAE Central New York Chapter King-Traugott Scholarship named in memory of ASHRAE Life Members Fritz Traugott, Ph.D., Fellow ASHRAE, and Harry King.

Dr Marc Schmidt of AAF International assumes office

he Eurovent Product Group, ‘Air Filters’ (PG-FIL), on September 29, elected Dr Marc Schmidt, Vice President, Technologies Europe, AAF International, as its new Chairman, Eurovent said through a Press release. He is joined by Dr Thomas Caesar, Director, Global Filter Engineering, Freudenberg Filtration Technologies, who was re-elected for a second term as PG-FIL ViceChairman, Eurovent added. PG-FIL met in a full-day online session on September 29 with a focus on regulatory updates under Ecodesign and REACH, and the revision of several Eurovent Air Filter recommendations. The group elected Dr Schmidt as its new Chairman for the next two-year term. He will succeed Jan Andersson of Camfil, who served as PG-FIL Chairman for many years. Dr Caesar was unanimously re-elected as the group’s Vice-Chairman, continuing his role for the next two years, Eurovent said. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Schmidt said: “Correct air filtration is more crucial than ever for the health and well-being of building occupants. Under the banner of Eurovent, it is our duty to convey this message to the market, to the policymakers, and to the public, and to raise awareness of the importance of clean and healthy indoor air. I am humbled that the Product Group, ‘Air Filters’, which represents manufacturers from all over Europe, has vested its trust in me to lead the charge on this.”

High School Senior Scholarships Seth Hoffman, mechanical engineering, Iowa State University; Braeden Duwa, mechanical engineering, University of Alabama; Noah Czelusta, mechanical engineering, Columbia University and Seth Reissig, mechanical engineering, Baylor University, are the recipients of a High School Senior Scholarship. According to ASHRAE, applications are now being accepted for the 2021-22 undergraduate engineering, technology, regional/ chapter, and university-specific scholarships. The application deadline is December 1, 2020. For more information on its scholarships, including eligibility requirements and application materials, ASHRAE urged those interested to visit ashrae.org/scholarships.

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October 2020