NEWS
New developments in the Home Electronics, Appliances & HVAC industry
Bosch opens IoT campus in Berlin
Research team creates ‘new generation of HD’
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osch is bringing together its global IoT activities at a new hub in the German capital. More than 250 Bosch associates are working at the new campus. Over the next few years, the number of associates is expected to rise to around 400. They come from a range of different domains within the company. The IoT experts will advise and support customers during the development and implementation of projects for connected solutions. These encompass, for instance, solutions for Industry 4.0, connected mobility, smart cities, and smart homes. Michael Hahn, a member of the executive management of Bosch Software Innovations, emphasised the significance of the new IoT campus: “With its cloud-based Bosch IoT Suite software platform, Bosch is a leader in technology. We are now combining this expertise with our broad knowledge of IoT consulting and applications at our new Berlin location.” Visit: www.bosch.com
Ingersoll Rand acquires ICS Group Holding
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ngersoll Rand plc, a world leader in creating comfortable, sustainable and efficient environments, has announced the acquisition of United Kingdom-based ICS Group Holdings Limited (ICS Cool Energy). ICS Cool Energy will be part of the company’s Commercial HVAC business. ICS Cool Energy is a privately owned temperature control and HVAC solutions and services company that specialises in temporary rental of energy efficient chillers for commercial and industrial buildings across Europe. It also sells, permanently installs and services high performance temperature control systems for all types of industrial processes.
CIBSE launches HVAC Systems Group
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IBSE (The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers) has launched an HVAC Systems Group to support and encourage the efficient design, installation and operation of HVAC systems. The new group will act as a forum to exchange best practice knowledge in the efficient design and operation of HVAC sys-
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“ICS Cool Energy is a leader in the high margin rental services business with a reputation for strong customer service, helping building owners enhance productivity and reduce environmental impact,” said Dave Regnery, executive vice-president of Ingersoll Rand. “This acquisition is a strong fit with our Trane business, and strengthens our growth plans and ability to serve a broader range of customers in the important European market.” The company is headquartered in Southampton, England and has an extensive footprint in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Visit: www.ingersollrand.com tems. Heating and cooling systems can be the largest users of energy in buildings, but they are also some of the hardest services to decarbonise and manage effectively. HVAC systems often get overlooked when it comes to driving innovation in building services and delivering better buildings. The new group aims to enhance knowledge and awareness of the strategic and practical
process developed by an international research team could lead to brighter, lighter and more energy efficient high definition TVs and smart devices. The team’s findings are said to reveal that when quantum dots are clustered together, they are more fluorescent and provide a wide variety of colours. The research team included representatives from ETH Zurich, Empa, Florida State University, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology and Taiwan’s National Synchrotron Radiation Research Centre, as well as Queen’s University Belfast (QUB). ETH Zurich Professor Chih-Jen Shih, who created the quantum dots and led the investigation, added: “Normally, the quantum yield – which determines the brightness – degrades significantly as quantum dots aggregate, forming crystalline solids. However, our investigations show that brighter levels are achievable because of the new photonic process that we have discovered and have named aggregation-induced emission (AIE).” The researchers are now looking for similar processes for blue and red colours so they can create the ‘Holy Grail’ of screen displays, which would replicate all of the colours that can be captured by the human eye. Visit: www.ethz.cz
issues, the latest developments and new technologies related to HVAC systems. The group will also identify knowledge gaps in the design and operation of HVAC systems to promote research in these areas in addition to contributing to the development of new publications and the maintenance of existing guidance such as CIBSE Guide B. Visit: www.cibse.org