MEP Middle East - Feb 2010 by ITP Business Publishing

MIDDLE EAST

Essential information for mechanical, electrical and plumbing professionals

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FEBRUARY 2010 VOLUME 5 ISSUE 2

CONTENTS

03 CONSTRUCTION WEEK ONLINE 05 COMMENT 06 UPDATE From ASHRAE’s input into a global HVAC report to a look at the prevailing sentiment in the MEP sector as to prospects in 2010.

14 THE BIG INTERVIEW Fahed and Aslan Al-Barazi from IMEC.

19 SOLAR POWER An overview of some major players and latest products.

25 COMPUTER MODELLING

30 OPINION 33 BUSINESS LEADS 35 LEGAL Dennis Brand on exclusion and limiting clauses.

36 METAL MONITOR

Integrated HVAC design solution.

38 PRODUCTS 12 PROFILE Cathy Crocker from Scott Wilson.

www.constructionweekonline.com

26 CASE STUDY A look at ASHRAE’s new LEED HQ in Atlanta, Georgia.

40 THE LAST WORD Transguard MD Mike McGeever.

February 2010 | MEP Middle East 1

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CONSTRUCTIONWEEKONLINE.COM OM M IN PICTURES

MOST POPULAR

• Six of the best: GCC airport projects • Abu Dhabi set to release major airport tender • Abu Dhabi TDIC prepares to ﬂoat two more tenders • Kuwait set for potential building boom

EDITOR’S CHOICE

REEM ISLAND PAL Technology, one of the largest district-cooling providers in the UAE, has commenced the ﬁnal ﬁ nal stages of the piping network at Sectors 2 and 3 for the district cooling plant No. I at the Tamouh ouh development, Reem Island.

For more galleries, check out www.constructionweekonline.com/galleries

COLUMNS AND FEATURES

• RTA allocates US $2 billion for projects • 25 buildings topped out at Remraam

BIG RELIEF

NOW DO IT

• Vision wins Saudi Arabian MEP job

Selina Denman, Editor, Commercial Interior Design

Jeff Roberts, Editor, Middle East Architect

• ETA Star delivers Liberty House

No one’s sorry to see the back of 2009. For the region’s interior design industry, it was a year steeped in setbacks.

Wow, that was a hell of a year. Trust me, I tried to stay positive. I’m urging you to remember your commitments, especially working smarter, more transparently and going green.

• Damac tops off Park Towers

SPOT POLL

How will your business fare in 2010 compared with 2009?

31.0%

I’m still really depressed

STORM MACHINE

SEALED

Greg Whitaker, Editor, PMV Middle East

Conrad Egbert, Editor, Construction Week

There has been some pretty wild speculation about the physical properties of the super-tall Burj Khalifa, and the socalled ‘storm effect’.

The opening of the renamed Burj Khalifa was nothing short of spectacular, and marks the move towards a clearer federal model.

26.2% The same

21.4% A bit worse

14.3% A bit better

7.1% Much better

For more comments, check out www.constructionweekonline.com/comments www.constructionweekonline.com

February 2010 | MEP Middle East 3

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COMMENT MIDDLE EAST

Spotlight shines on solar power

Registered at Dubai Media City PO Box 500024, Dubai, UAE Tel: 00 971 4 210 8000 Fax: 00 971 4 210 8080 Web: www.itp.com Offices in Dubai & London ITP BUSINESS PUBLISHING CEO Walid Akawi Managing Director Neil Davies Deputy Managing Director Matthew Southwell Editorial Director David Ingham VP Sales Wayne Lowery Publishing Director Jason Bowman EDITORIAL Senior Group Editor Stuart Matthews Tel: +971 4 435 6293 email: stuart.matthews@itp.com Group Editor Jeff Roberts Tel: +971 4 210 6269 email: jeff.roberts@itp.com Editor Gerhard Hope Tel: +971 4 435 6252 email: gerhard.hope@itp.com ADVERTISING Publishing Director Jason Bowman Tel: +971 4 435 6344 email: jason.bowman@itp.com Commercial Director Raz Islam Tel: +971 4 435 6371 email: raz.islam@itp.com Sales Manager Atif Majid Tel: +971 4 435 6328 email: atif.majid@itp.com STUDIO Group Art Editor Dan Prescott Designer Angela Ravi PHOTOGRAPHY Director of Photography Sevag Davidian Chief Photographer Khatuna Khutsishvili Senior Photographers G-nie Arambulo, Efraim Evidor, Thanos Lazopoulos Staff Photographers Isidora Bojovic, George Dipin, Lyubov Galushko, Jovana Obradovic, Ruel Pableo, Rajesh Raghav PRODUCTION & DISTRIBUTION Group Production Manager Kyle Smith Production Coordinator Devaprakash V A Managing Picture Editor Patrick Littlejohn Image Retoucher Emmalyn Robles Distribution Manager Karima Ashwell Distribution Executive Nada Al Alami CIRCULATION Head of Circulation & Database Gaurav Gulati MARKETING Head of Marketing Daniel Fewtrell ITP DIGITAL Director Peter Conmy ITP GROUP Chairman Andrew Neil Managing Director Robert Serafin Finance Director Toby Jay Spencer-Davies Board of Directors K.M. Jamieson, Mike Bayman, Walid Akawi, Neil Davies, Rob Corder, Mary Serafin Circulation Customer Service Tel: +971 4 435 6000 Subscribe online at www.itp.com/subscriptions Certain images in this issue are availiable for purchase. Please contact itpimages@itp.com for further details or visit www.itpimages.com Printed by Atlas Printing Press L.L.C. Dubai The publishers regret that they cannot accept liability for error or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The opinions and views contained in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. Readers are advised to seek specialist advice before acting on information contained in this publication which is provided for general use and may not be appropriate for the reader’s particular circumstances. The ownership of trademarks is acknowledged. No part of this publication or any part of the contents thereof may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without the permission of the publishers in writing. An exemption is hereby granted for extracts used for the purpose of fair review.

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www.constructionweekonline.com

UAE Minister of Environment and Water HE Dr Rashid Bin Fahad and Honorary Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, Dr Farooq Abdulla at the appointment of PTL Solar as esclusive MENA distributor for the Reliance Solar Group.

n this issue we focus on the solar power sector, and look at a range of companies involved in this burgeoning industry, featuring products as diverse as solar water-heating systems and solar streetlights. “DEWA should really be pushing such alternative technologies, as it is experiencing a lot of shortages, not only in generation capacity, but also infrastructure such as transformers and substations. “Projects have to wait for power. Generation is also very polluting. In addition, the actual generation costs far outstrip the 20 to 30 ﬁls/kWh that DEWA charges, when it actually costs 80 ﬁls/kWh. “If the grid is not overloaded, then underserviced areas can be prioritised. It is in the best interests of electricity providers to promote renewable energy,” Nabil Hamade from CStar International. “The MENA region has a unique opportunity to develop high-quality, globally-competitive solar suppliers, who produce at lower costs than US or European suppliers.” “A competitive regional solar energy industry has the potential of creating more than 100 000 new jobs in the region, based on benchmarks from other regions. This includes direct jobs in PV and CSP

suppliers, developers and operators, as well as supporting industries,” says AT Kearney Middle East principal Christian von Tschirschky. In terms of the perceived need to cut costs in light of the economic downturn, Ecoval General Trading LLC MD Jim Sebastian says a lot of customers do opt for bottom-line products. “However, I see there is a market for good products, and there is a market for cheap. We decided we wanted to opt for the niche of top-quality, high-end products. Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten. Satisﬁed customers equate to peace of mind and repeat business,” argues Sebastian. Solar power was prominent at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi. More than 160 major players exhibited their products and services, including ABB, Suntech, GE Energy, Schneider Electric, Siemens, Brisban Solar, Azur Solar, Solar One, Canadian Solar, Oerlikon Solar, BP Alternative Energy, Acciona, Yingli Green Energy, Solaria and Terna Energy. GERHARD HOPE Editor gerhard.hope@itp.com

Keep up-to-date with all MEP Middle East news at

February 2010 | MEP Middle East 5

UPDATE

ASHRAE to work on global HVAC report The latest data from the region will feature in the newest version of the RTOC report

A big problem in the Middle East is that air-con is used far more than it is needed, due to prevailing custom and force of habit.“ Ayman El-Talouny

Yousef Alshaer, Ayman El-Talouny and Dr Alaa Olama. HVAC

The American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHR AE) is co-operating with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to ensure that data for the Middle East HVAC industry is included in the 2010 Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heat Pumps Technical Options Committee (RTOC) Report. The last RTOC report was published in 2006. The 2010 update will contain data from 2008. While it is commonly known that HVAC accounts for up to

70% of electricity consumption in the UAE, as well as contributing significantly to carbon dioxide emissions, the region has always been under-represented in global surveys of the HVAC industry due to a lack of data. In order to address this, ASHR AE has teamed up with UNEP to provide “a joint pool of experts,” says ASHR AE Falcon Chapter, UAE President Yousef Alshaer. As a fi rst sign of this co-operation, Ayman El-Talouny from the UNEP Regional Office for West Asia addressed an ASHR AE technical seminar in

Dubai and Abu Dhabi. El-Talouny is also President Elect for the Bahrain AHSR AE Chapter. He says that while HFCs and HCFCs represent the next stage in the evolution of refrigerants, “natural refrigerants seem to be the future.” However, cost considerations and potential safety issues have hampered the large-scale adoption of natural refrigerants. Alternative refrigerants also have to take into account the total lifecycle cost. While Europe has already completed its CFC phase-out, developing regions have lagged

2013 When the cap on HCFC consumption takes effect for Article 5 countries

behind. Kuwait phased out CFCs in 1996, Bahrain in 1999 and Qatar only in 2007. “Enforcement at international level is a problem, and is generally not feasible in developing countries. “A big problem in the Middle East is that air-con is used far more than it is needed, due to prevailing custom and force of habit. The ‘comfort zone’ temperature here is 16°C to 18°C, which is far lower than the rest of the world. If this can be offset by 2°C, it will have a huge impact on the carbon footprint of the HVAC sector,” argues El-Talouny. Speaking at the same technical seminar, Dr Alaa E. Olama, head of the sub-committee responsible for writing the Egyptian district cooling code, highlighted the potential of such ‘alternative’ technologies as absorption chillers and indirect or evaporative cooling as future options for the global air-con industry to cut costs and boost efﬁciency.

New MD to oversee growth at MACAir APPOINTMENT

Mike Callender has been appointed MD of MACAir, a Dubai-based MEP contractor recently acquired by Transguard, an Emirates Group company. UK national Callender brings more than 30 years’ experience in mechanical and electrical engineering, as well as HVAC, of which 20 have been in senior 6 MEP Middle East | February 2010

management. Callender’s experience includes developing and steering new company start-ups through to strategic and operational roles within major multinationals, including Drake & Scull, GSH and Cofathec GDF. Welcoming the challenge, Callender says: “The synergy between MACAir’s current business and Transguard’s FM and

technology businesses offers a wealth of potential for the company going forward.” MACAir’s former MD, Geoff Frost, has been appointed vice chairman, and will continue to assist with the development of the company. MACAir, which turned over AED225 million last year, is a separate business unit within the Transguard Group.

Mike Callender www.constructionweekonline.com

UPDATE

Water recovery at The Park The Park at Burj Khalifa boasts a unique collection system to promote water reuse WATER CONSERVATION

The 11-hectare The Park at the foot of the Burj Khalifa continues the long string of construction ﬁ rsts associated with the world’s tallest building from developer Emaar. An area of gardens, colourful trees and water features, The Park is irrigated using a unique water collection system that recovers the condensation from the building’s cooling equipment to provide around 15 million gallons of water a year – or enough to ﬁll 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools. “The design of The Park is also inspired by the core concepts of Burj Khalifa, based on the sym-

metry of the desert ﬂower, Hymenocalis, and regional motifs. The Park creates an oasis, and is a logical extension to the Emaar Boulevard, envisaged as one of the world’s ﬁnest boulevards,” explains Emaar Properties chairman Mohamed Alabbar. The project was carried out by Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM), the Chicago-based architect, and SWA Group of California. WET, the designer of the Dubai Fountain, developed the park’s six water features. Subcontractors included Fisher Marantz Stone (lighting) and Pelton Marsh Kinsella International (acoustics and ELV systems).

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New York based MultiEducator has announced the release of Mechanical Engineer 1.0, its new formula and calculation tool for iPhone and iPod Touch. Designed from the ground up to leverage the iPhone’s unique abilities and interface, Mechanical Engineer includes 100 formulae used regularly by mechanical engineers. Perfect for any mechanical engineer or e n gineering student, version 1.0 features formulae for bearings, belts, brakes, clutches, elevators, gears, kinetic energy, metalwork-

ing, shafts and springs. There are also nearly 100 general conversion formulae that are a part of the program. Mechanical Engineer v.1.0 also allows for all formulae to be saved and/or e-mailed. Ultimately it will grow to over 300 formulae, with additional planned free updates on the cards. Mechanical Engineer v 1.0 for iPhone is priced at US$4.99, and is available exclusively through Apple’s App Store. MultiEducator released its ﬁrst application for the Apple iPhone, the Formulator, in October 2008.

www.constructionweekonline.com

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February 2010 | MEP Middle East 7

UPDATE

HVAC control upgrade cuts costs New white paper spells out how to reduce energy use in HVAC systems

HVAC systems typically constitute a large amount of a building’s operating costs, so it makes business sense to upgrade HVAC systems as efﬁciently as possible.“ Jenalea Howell

Colin Shepherd from Belimo Automation TECHNOLOGY

A new white paper from Rockwell Automation details how facility managers and owners can reduce energy consumption and maximise savings with HVAC control upgrade technology. The paper outlines a new option to help convert constant volume HVAC systems to variable air volume (VAV) control, while avoiding the cost and complexity typically associated with changing mechanical or build-

ing automation control systems. “VAV is a highly energy-efﬁ cient means of distributing air in an HVAC system. VAV is relatively new in the Middle East. It is a bit of a ‘black art’ for some contractors as they do not fully understand the concept behind it,” says Belimo Automation senior executive Colin Shepherd. The paper describes the technology behind this upgrade option, outlines the cost-saving beneﬁts. By adjusting fan speeds,

the upgrade option helps facility managers reduce energy consumption and building owners reap payback in a relatively short time, often less than a year. The new upgrade option helps building owners avoid costly redesign and capital investments associated with new systems. Designed as a self-contained unit for easy installation, the integrated control solution delivers more energy savings at a fraction of the cost of a traditional hardware retroﬁt. The unit includes temperature and carbon dioxide sensors, a microcontroller, a high-performance variable frequency drive and a touch-screen

operator interface. Rather than cycling between constant speed and off, HVAC fans controlled by the variable frequency drive automatically adjust in response to heating or cooling needs. “HVAC systems typically constitute a large amount of a building’s operating costs, so it makes business sense to upgrade HVAC systems as efﬁciently as possible, without being forced to reconﬁgure an existing system,” said IMS Research market analyst Jenalea Howell. “A new energy-saving solution comprising intelligent motor control technology allows building owners and facility managers to take better control.”

Water scarcity is a key driver for green building RESEARCH

A new green building report sponsored by the Mechanical Contractors Education and Research Foundation, the research arm of the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCA A), has highlighted water conservation as the fastest-growing concern of the green building movement. Water scarcity is a critical issue in the Middle East. A report from Birzeit University in Palestine reveals that the MENA region has 5% of the world’s population and less than 1% of the world’s available water. Future projections indicate that demand for water in the UAE will rise from ﬁve bil8 MEP Middle East | February 2010

lion cubic metres to seven billion cubic metres in 2020. In ‘Water Efficiency Technologies for Mechanical Contractors: New Business Opportunities’, Jerry Yudelson from Yudelson Associates of the US profi les the growing trend of water conservation, as highlighted by the new LEED requirements of 20% water savings for every project, compared with conventional buildings. “We cannot solve energy problems without dealing with inefficient water use,” argues Yudelson. The report provides a practical guide to water technologies for buildings, and how contractors, in particular, can generate

business opportunities from this trend. “This opportunity is not limited to contractors; it exists also for manufacturers, investors, technology developers, building owners and real estate developers,” says Yudelson. Water metering, ﬁ xture replacements, cooling tower water reduction, rainwater harvesting and grey water reuse in buildings are some of the technological options highlighted by the report. These can add signiﬁcant value to developments by lowering annual operating costs and increasing net operating income. “It is possible to add US$1 million to the value of a large building just by saving $100 000 in annual wa-

ter costs,” argues Yudelson. The free 64-page report is available from http://www. greenbuildconsult.com/.

Jerry Yudelsonn

www.constructionweekonline.com

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UPDATE

MEP sector is not cutting corners Sentiment at The Big 5 was that quality remains king, reports Matthew Warnock EXHIBITION

Despite a global slowdown that has forced many in the construction and development industries to look for the lowest-price options, manufacturers and suppliers of HVAC and MEP solutions have claimed that developers and specifiers are not cutting corners on price. Speaking at The Big 5 exhibition at the end of last year, companies specialising in these fields have also claimed that the slight tightening of buyers’ budgets has, in fact, led to a better and more competitive sector. “There is certainly still a big market here in the Middle East, and while it may not be as huge as it was a year ago, we do feel it is starting to grow again,” said Peter Klyver, marketing director for the Swedish Ostberg Group, which is dedicated to energyefficient ventilation systems. “Our main clients are hotels, and this is the place to be for hotels. They are not looking for the cheapest solutions, but actually the right balance between quality and price. We are Swedish, and with that comes a certain reputation for quality – we are not the cheapest, but we are certainly not the highest.” Western Airducts’ Tom Prideaux-Brune agreed that the search for the right price was not exactly destroying the industry.

Peter Klyver from the Ostberg Group www.constructionweekonline.com

Larry Lim and Zakir Ahmed from Gree

What developers are actually looking for is a cost-effective solution at an attractive price.“ Larry Lim, Gree “Our company manufactures grilles, diffusers and delivers air-quality engineering. To be honest, many of these products are very similar across the board, and therefore you do see a lot of clients looking only at the bottom line.” However, this has lead to a push towards better service levels. “Manufacturing has become a service industry. We have been conscious of that in the UK, and are now applying those principles here.” The Chinese company Gree manufactures air-con solutions, chillers and fan coil units, and currently boasts a global network of 20 000 distributors, while producing more than 27 million units a year, enjoying a 46% market share in China. “We have been doing good business in retail and wholesale, but of course we have also witnessed a decline in construction over the past year,” explained vice general manager of overseas sales Larry Lim.

“We see the current market as a great opportunity for Gree to grow its business. What developers are actually looking for is a cost-effective solution at an attractive price, and we can certainly compete on quality.” Zakir Ahmed, GM of NIA Limited, which supplies Gree’s products in the region, added: “A few years ago, property prices were booming and nobody was bothered about price; all they were bothered about was delivery and execution. Now developers and clients need a more realistic price solution.”

27 MILLION Units a year manufactured by Chinese company Gree

Maxell Trading is a UAE-based company that has been supplying the HVAC market for the past eight years. Sales executive CS Rathish said: “This market is currently ruled by price and competition. Some big projects and high-profi le smaller ones still demand quality, but others often want rock bottom prices. There are some cases where there is a genuine cheaper alternative, but a handful of contractors are unfortunately willing to compromise quality for price.” However, Rathish is quick to point out that this view of the market is far from a negative one. “We feel that it has been a little tough to attract business in the past few months but, having said that, we have already exceeded our target for this year. The next six months could be fairly diffi cult, but then we are confident that we will see the market come back strong.” So why are some companies revelling in current economic conditions while others are struggling to make ends meet and slashing jobs every few months? “It is about the structure of a company. Big companies have huge marketing budgets and big distribution costs, whereas Gree is very lean,” explained NIA Limited’s Ahmed. The one certainty is that HVAC specialists still see the Middle East as an essential market. “This is our fi rst time here, and the architecture and fi nishes are amazing – it is like the F1 of construction,” said Western Airducts’ Scott Lintern. “In terms of the air-quality engineering side of the business, we are getting a feel for the market and are trying to network. As health and safety regulations become more important, we feel we can play our part with 30 years’ experience manufacturing according to UK regulations.” February 2010 | MEP Middle East 11

PROFILE

off

MEP Middle East speaks to Scott Wilson associate director: building services Cathy Crocker. he “huge proportion” of the electrical load consumed by air-con has resulted in a largescale focus on efﬁciency measures to try and reduce this consumption. “Over the last eight to ten years, developers have focused on how we can reduce the electrical consumption for cooling. A district cooling solution, in the correct application, with the correct design, can consume up to 55% less energy than the equivalent standalone cooling system,” is Crocker’s main argument. However, it is also important to try and reduce energy consumption at the source, which means the buildings themselves. This, in turn, means that building services designers play a critical role from very early on. “Basically site selection and the outline design stage are, in my opinion, the key time for the design team to get together to lay a good foundation for a building design. “This is the time at which you can get the building orientation right, the building form and the building fabric. These three elements have a huge impact on the energy consumption of a building throughout its life. As we move on through the design stage into detailed design and construction, obviously the ability to change the building design diminishes.

CHANGE “No one will thank a designer, after a detailed design, for suggesting a change in orientation, even if it does bring about a huge reduction in cooling load,” argues Crocker. “Clients, engineers, architects and sustainability consultants really need to get together from day one to agree on a good methodology for the design of a building or the design of a site, so they have a good foundation for an energy-efﬁcient solution.” What elements need to be taken into account in the early design stages? “Building orientation is obviously the key to reducing energy consumption,” points out Crocker. “Here in Dubai it is the early sun in the morning and the late sun in the evening that has the ability to penetrate deepest into the building, and these

12 MEP Middle East | February 2010

30%

Reduction in energy use through sures alone passive design measures

are the areas we need to concentrate ncentrate on. The overhead sun, while it has a strong irradiation, cause it is higher does not penetrate as far because overhead.” ct in Dubai where Crocker refers to a project Scott Wilson worked with the architects to olution. The buildcome up with a self-shading solution. ing comprised three wings, and to protect the rning and evening building against the low morning paque façade was sunshine, a heavyweight, opaque applied to the east and west. “This fairly simple approach had a huge effect on the heat gain, er from high temso the building did not suffer d evening, and we peratures in the morning and could really drive down the cooling loads,” explains Crocker. The next critical element for the design to ric. “If we can get consider is the building fabric. the correct building fabric in terms of thermal n dramatically remass and UV value, we can duce the peak cooling load. This, in turn, will mption and size of drive down the energy consumption equipment,” says Crocker. A simple reduction rom .45 to .35, apin a building fabric U value from plied throughout an entire building, can have act on the overall a huge and incremental impact structure. “Another element which I think is very imsider is inﬁltration portant for designers to consider – the unwanted passage of airr in each building due to external pressures. We need to make ll-sealed so that sure that buildings are well-sealed the hot external air does nott come into our ng load. This is building and add to the cooling a design issue, and also a sitee issue, to make tailed and consure that the buildings are detailed structed correctly. s, the thermal “If we address the U values,

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PROFILE mass and the infiltration, I say we can achieve a minimum 30% reduction in peak load. Over recent years, building services designers in the UAE have become more familiar with energy-efficiency measures. Variable speed drives, heat recovery and other measures are being implemented more and more into buildings now as a matter of course, which is great for energy consumption,” says Crocker. She says that Scott Wilson’s W favoured design approach, wherever whereve possible, is deemed ‘mix match’. “In essenc essence it just means turning off the air-con when whe you do not need it. You have to have a building bui that is designed correctly to enable natural nat ventilation – that is, opening windows and an a shallow-plan floor plate. In certain periods of the year in Dubai, we do have the capability of turning the air-con off completely.

TURN OFF “The best way to reduce energy use is to turn off the system complete completely,” Crocker says simply. She acknowledges that this can be problematic in terms of dus dust and noise, but these issues can be addresse addressed successfully at the design stage. “For resid residential buildings or leisure facilities, it is very important for us to be buildin so they can be venable to design buildings win tilated naturally in winter, as that will save a ener Of course, during huge amount of energy. the hottest summer period we do need to have air-con, so that will always need to be factored in. conside “Another consideration is really to think th setpoint of the airabout increasing the con. Just by raising tthe setpoint from 21°C 2 in summer up to 25°C you almost halve cool your MW/h of cooling consumption,” arSimila the design process gues Crocker. Similarly, da also needs to take daylighting into account. al “Thermal analysis allows us to experiment with different window designs to ensure we bala get the correct balance between window size and minimising solar gain. It is a bit of becau obviously we do not a ﬁne balance because to much heat, but we want to introduce too also need to ensure that areas are well lit through natural mean means wherever possible.” thi boil down to? Do all So what does all this tra the ‘green’ platitudes translate easily into what ‘co Crocker terms the ‘construction reality’? “I d think it is all very well designing a good buildin ing and having good intentions, but we need f to make sure this is followed through into th Middle East, some construction. Here in the buildings are well built, and some are not. As a design team it is our responsibility to work inte at the design stage together so that the intent is worked through into iinstallation.

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Just by raising the setpoint from 21°C in summer up to 25°C you almost halve your MW/h of cooling consumption. “ Cathy Crocker “A key area we need to work harder on I think is commissioning, putting the building to use and making sure it is up and running correctly before it is handed over to the client. If the building is not set up correctly at handover, then the client/operator can never be expected to run the building correctly.” This means proper facilities management is equally important. “Again, buildings do not run themselves. We need to ensure the equipment is maintained and working at good efficiency throughout its life. “An interesting debate in the UK recently is energy certification of buildings. A number of public buildings are getting a rating from ‘A’ to ‘F’, which informs the public at large and the occupier how well the building is performing. I think it will be an interesting analysis in this part of the world to begin considering some form of energy certification,” says Crocker. How does the design phase interface with district cooling, for example, in terms of energy efficiency? “District cooling has been a popular way of providing cooling to large developments and large areas. The way we ap-

proach district cooling systems is, ﬁrst of all, to take a good long look at the site, at the buildings on the site, and how they will be used. Typically, we would not necessarily advocate a district cooling solution for a purely low-rise development, for example, as it might not be ﬁnancially viable to do so.

CONFIGURATION “When we work out a district cooling network we look at the best configuration, which is obviously informed by the site phasing, the load profile and then the remote station size. And that, in turn, generates a footprint area for the district cooling plant. The district cooling plant size is generated purely by the load it carries. “So to return to my earlier point: if we can achieve a 30% reduction in energy use through purely building measures, we can in turn reduce district cooling plant sizes, whereby you can service an increased area through the same plant. Our aim is to really try and demonstrate how interlinked all these elements are. If we can work very hard on the building systems, we can influence the larger utilities infrastructure. “In conclusion, I believe it is very important for designers to work very hard from day one of design to reduce the electrical load at source. That is the most important step we can take as designers. We need to incorporate passive design measures such as orientation, shading and daylighting, and active design measures such as mixed-mode ventilation and even turning off the air-con and raising the setpoints. That, in turn, will provide benefits to the clients and developers through releasing commercial space, reducing energy consumption and, of course, reducing capital and running costs,” says Crocker.

An example of an energy-efﬁcienct hotel project that Scott Wilson has worked on

February 2010 | MEP Middle East 13

THE BIG INTERVIEW

Family ties Established in 1973, IMEC’s EC’ss growth has reﬂected thee evolution of the district cooling industry in the UAE. MEP Middle East speaks to fatherand-son team Fahed ed and Aslan Al-Barazi azi about the company’s ny’s distinguished history storyy and penchant for or innovation.

14 MEP Middle East | February 2010

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THE BIG INTERVIEW

ahed attended the University of Florida’s School of Engineering, whereupon he immediately set about distinguishing himself at Moore Dry Kiln Company in the US in the field of heat transfer. This was about 1964. “The batteries of heating coils I recommended were half what the manufacturers were trying to sell them. The end result was a saving of about US$1 million.” In appreciation of his achievements, ‘preference status’ US citizenship was secured. Fahed joined the Borg-York division in 1966 to become its youngest Middle East GM, a record that stands to this day. “The main reason for establishing IMEC was simply that I wanted to be independent. Being GM was fine, but what was next? The fact that I had become GM at such a young age was certainly a stepping stone in my reputation and credentials,” reflects Fahed. The products he started out with were non-competitive with Borg Warner/York as such, comprising allied equipment such as boilers and fans. “This was the early 1970s, when Dubai was hardly anything at that time. Reciprocating chillers and air-cooled packaged equipment had just made their appearance on the market. The district cooling industry as we know it today was still in its infancy,” explains Fahed. Interestingly, the hub of innovation during this period was Kuwait, which opted for centrifugal water-based cooling for anything over 300 TR, which meant using cooling towers, and aircooled condensers for up to 120 TR.

CENTRIFUGAL CHILLERS Kuwait also introduced centrifugal chillers, which the mainly British-orientated consultants in the UAE at that time were quite leery of. “Air-cooled, packaged equipment was not really viable for large projects, as you ended up with ten chillers for a cooling load of 1 000 TR, for example,” says Fahed. He was quick to take note of the pioneering spirit of Kuwait. “IMEC’s ﬁrst major success, now we are talking 1978, was three years after I had left Borg Warner/York. Our ﬁrst major breakthrough was supplying the cooling requirements for four major naval bases in Kuwait, for which we supplied huge AHUs from the UK, a move that made the industry sit up and take notice,” says Fahed. In addition to car-park areas 5 and 9, the project comprised 18 000 TR, which was a staggering size at the time. Not content with his initial resounding success in Kuwait, Fahed then entered the Iraqi market with a new range of cooling towers, im-

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You need to have a particular commitment to take up a possible innovation and change the market’s perception about it. “ Aslan Al-Barazi mediately landing a 1 500 TR project, the National Research Centre. This success resulted in various renowned manufacturers approaching IMEC to represent their products exclusively in the region. “Thus we added AHUs and FCUs to our range, for example. Our strategy was that we added products to our main range as and when we needed them, or as a result of being approached directly.” This meant that Fahed began to forge business relationships that have endured for decades. “Our client base is extensive,” he acknowledges. “Many are friends and acquaintances who have known us since the inception of the business, and beyond that to our student days. We have acquired a good set of loyal clientele, which has enabled the company to survive the vicissitudes of the current global economic turmoil.”

KUWAIT MILESTONES Fahed is particularly proud of the fact that he has personally witnessed, and contributed to, the evolution of the district cooling industry in the Middle East. “The ﬁrst milestone was the Kuwait Radio and Television Compound (6000 TR) and the Kuwait International Airport (7000 TR). I was the effective designer; York centrifugal chilled water systems were speciﬁed.” Fahed says his success in this regard was based on rigorous equipment selection and evaluation. “What I did was apply the principle of ‘mix matching’ equipment, which resulted in the

25 000 TR/ 100 000 TR A large district cooling plant in the US vs. a large plant in the UAE

selection of a smaller compressor system, a move that immediately saved 15% in total capital and energy costs.” It sounds simple, but Fahed says the engineering underpinning this decision meant looking closely at factors such as kW/t and the square feet per ton of surface area. “I got big orders on the basis of this, as consultants would normally have to approach the factory for such data, and I was much faster as well.” Later in Europe, AHUs and FCUs were built for IMEC, based on Fahed’s design, for which he still has the catalogued engineering details. The next major development in the fledgling district cooling industry was the Gold Market in Kuwait, a project for which Fahed advised the Ministry of Public Works, Electricity and Water to opt for a combined system comprising centrifugal and absorption systems. (Today IMEC is continuing this trend of innovation by championing ice thermal storage, a system that employs absorption chillers.) Another major project at this time was the 1 000 TR Hilton Hotel in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. “These major projects were the inception of what eventually resulted in district cooling as an industry. What is important is that we are continuing to promote new technology in the industry to this very day,” notes Fahed. Aslan concurs: “You need to have a particular commitment to take up a possible innovation and change the market’s perception about it. For us, the process of innovation is very simply finding a gap, something that has not been used in the area but logically should be. We then fill this gap with the new technology. It takes a lot of education of the industry to change a mindset to a new way of thinking, but it is an enjoyable process in and of itself.”

February 2010 | MEP Middle East 15

THE BIG INTERVIEW ADDED CAPITAL COST Fahed cautions that a lot of so-called modern technological improvements “do not justify the outlandish added capital cost, such as a run-around coil in an AHU, which practically doubles the original cost. This is unjustified in terms of less than 10% added efficiency. “It takes that much extra effort when people are used to something and do not want to innovate or change. Here the issue of risk-taking is more entrenched.” However, legislation is resulting in something of a step change as the trend of green building spearheads the adoption of innovation as a viable business practice, says Aslan. So what has made IMEC endure for such a long period of time? Fahed’s answer is simple: “It is our reputation and integrity,” he says. “It is based on our professional background, our ongoing contribution to the market, and also on a personal level.” Aslan, for example, has become a leading authority on cooling tower technology. When clients seek out his advice or expertise, they also often enquire after his father, the founder of the company. Another issue that cannot be ignored is prevailing market conditions. “A critical factor of any company is its financial robustness, which allows it to ride over any bumps on the road to success,” says Fahed. Aslan adds that a key issue at the moment is cash flow. “A company may have an order book filled with a backlog of orders, or projects in the case of a contractor. However, if the cash does not flow timeously from the client to the main contractor and down the supply chain to suppliers and subcontractors, companies can choke to death as they are unable to cover their running costs.”

DEAD END Looking at the market more speciﬁcally, Aslan lted says that “district cooling is practically halted ut it now and come to a complete dead end. But aid, should move back in 2010. That being said, there are still some projects going on, and we are on top of that. That is very important. You obviously need to be winning orders at the same time.” Another major issue is the increasing mulomtinational nature of manufacturing conglomrice erates, which ﬂood the market with cut-price tion products. “Every company without exception g in is either wholly or partially manufacturing China, India, Pakistan, Korea, Taiwan or Maase laysia. For example, all horizontal split-case pumps used in district cooling in particular are hed. made either in India or China,” argues Fahed. Such products are then shipped to the US and re-exported under different brand names, and at vastly increased prices.

16 MEP Middle East | February 2010

We have acquired loyal clientele, which has enabled the company to survive the vicissitudes of the global economic turmoil.“ Fahed Al-Barazi

“This is something that over the last ten years has turned the market upside down. For example, a fan used in a cooling tower costs US$1200 if imported from China. That same fan, made in Germany or the US, costs US$12000. This state of affairs has caused great turmoil in the market among suppliers and manufacturers,” says Fahed. Aslan comments that the basic principles underlying mechanical engineering have not changed over the years. “As a field it has not changed much since the 1960s, and very little in comparison to other sectors such as computer engineering. The greatest changes have been in increased efficiencies.” Having said that, Fahed is of the firm opinion that the quality of mechanical engineering in the UAE is on a par with the US, and is certainly superior to that in Europe. “I can say without reservation

that, apart from the US, we are unequalled.” Aslan says this is because of the size and scope of the district cooling industry in the UAE, which has transformed itself into the biggest in the world. “The tonnages here are unheard of elsewhere. In the US, a big plant is 25 000 TR, whereas here it is 100 000 TR. Here they are constantly setting new design records. So if you want to be a district cooling design specialist, you really need to have acquired experience in the Middle East market.” Another engineering challenge is the associated primary and secondary stage pumping involved. “You have to be a very competent engineer to lay out such systems, as you are taking water kilometres away from a central point,” adds Fahed. What does the future hold for IMEC? While Fahed has gradually stepped aside, Aslan has taken over the reigns of the company. “We are a genuine family-owned business,” says Fahed. “If Aslan had not been interested, I do not know what I would have done. I would have probably sold it. As the Koreans say, people pass away, but companies should remain forever.”

The Vent-Axia Totus range available from IMEC

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SOLAR POWER

Solar powers The solar power market in the Middle East is hotting up, with a diversiﬁcation of products and suppliers. MEP Middle East ﬁ nds out about the latest products and developments.

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February 2010 | MEP Middle East 19

SOLAR POWER CSTAR INTERNATIONAL CEO Nabil Hamade, who is a certified energy manager from the Association of Energy Engineers in the US, explains that, while CStar International specialises in energy auditing and energy management, it also offers a range of solar-power products. These range from solar hot water heating systems to streetlights and PV panels. Hamade is convinced that solar-powered streetlights offer the biggest potential for this technology to become common and accepted in the Middle East, which is only starting to embrace renewable energy in any significant fashion. “When you get into solar, your upfront costs are very high. If you want to develop a brand new solar-power generation facility for air-con, for example, it is costly. With solar lighting, on the other hand, you do not have to run wires, and conduits or trenches are eliminated. It simply comprises a streetlight mast with a battery and a solar panel. It is totally independent, and you can put it anywhere, whether in streets or even in gardens. “We have calculated a two-year payback period, with a 50% return-on-investment – compared to solar-power generation itself, which typically has a 20-year payback. So in order to verse communities here and benefit the diverse meet the new sustainability objectives ment, we think this is of the government, the way to go.”” In terms of the streetlights themade explains that selves, Hamade the company offers LED, metal ow-pressure sodium halide and low-pressure cus on LED as this types. “We focus he latest technology represents the and offers thee best cost-savings. om a 28 W LED The output from alent to a light is equivalent standard 1500 W light. Therefore you do not need a big battery either, which has an added n cost benefit in terms of ancil-clary infrastructure.” mAll the comucts pany’s products are imported from esent. China at present. ot con“We have not sidered local manufacture right now, as

20 MEP Middle East ast | Febr February brrruuaary arry r y 2010 20100 20

The nice thing about solar hot water heating systems is that you do not have to worry about the grid.” “ Nabil Hamade I do not think the market is big enough to sustain this. We are considering possible manufacture of additional components in the future. Masdar City in Abu Dhabi is already looking into local manufacture, which could possibly ﬂood the market and result in an oversupply of products, unless it can tap into another consumer base.” Hamade adds that service support and back-up are as important as the innovative technology itself. “We offer a ten-year warranty on solar panels and a three-year warranty on batteries. We also stock replacement components – batteries, lights or whatever may be needed. Of course, with big users we are able to offer maintenance contracts, including annual check-ups, replacement and predictive suc as cleaning maintenance if required, such the panels.” In terms of retroﬁttting existing adv buildings to take advantage of reHam newable energy, Hamade points to solar hot water hea heating systems as a good starting point. po limite space on “There is limited commercial high-rise tower roofs th will readfor solar panels, but they wa ily support solar hot water systems. sec has much The industrial sector more roof space available, so there are opportunities there.” Hamad adds that, Hamade because solar hot h water heating is an off-grid solution, pr the prickly issue of inte integrating with the existing DEWA tariff str ucture is avoided. “That is why it so popular in p parking lots and any islandapp type applications.”

MENA SOLAR MARKET Global management consulting ﬁrm AT Kearney expects that solar power will become cost-competitive in the near future as rising costs for oil and gas make renewable energy sources increasingly attractive. AT Kearney believes that, when looking at energy generation cost and job creation opportunities, MENA countries should invest in solar power energy. Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) will likely become cost-competitive in the next 12 months, as oil and gas prices are increasing, to oil expected to selling at above US$100 and the costs for CSP technology sinking due to productivity improvements. “The cost-competitiveness of solar energy will lead to a global boom, and represents a unique opportunity for the Middle East,” said AT Kearney Middle East MD Dr Dirk Buchta. In the past, European and US suppliers in particular have dominated the solar market. This is currently about to change as cheap Chinese suppliers are entering the market, but with low-quality products. This may be the chance for the Middle East, which is geographically well-positioned to become a future major player. With an average of 310 sunny days a year, and a high annual solar irradiance of over 2 500 kWh/ m²/y, the Middle East has more than double the amount of solar energy potential than anywhere in Central Europe. “The Middle East may beneﬁt from the expected global boom in solar energy through developing its own solar power energy industry, supplying its own demand and parts of the growing global demand for renewable energy,” said AT Kearney Middle East principal Christian von Tschirschky. “There is an increasing demand for solar technology on a global basis, which may be covered partially by technology and production sites in MENA – why leave it to the Chinese?” he questioned. According to AT Kearney, the Middle East therefore has the opportunity to become a boom centre for solar energy in the next ten years, with an additional 9 000 MW of concentrated solar power capacities until 2020, and more than 40 000 MW until 2030. This solar generated power will give the Middle East the option to sell its gas and oil at increasing prices to the world market instead of burning it to generate electricity, and also create huge employment opportunities.

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SOLAR POWER ECOVAL GENERAL TRADING LLC MD Jim Sebastian says he “definitely sees the market for solar hot water heating systems picking up.” This is because electricity supply cannot keep pace with demand, which is forcing the authorities to look for alternative solutions. “The installed capacity for solar is also much smaller for the same or an even greater amount of power generation, leading to reduced initial outlay and costs.” Ecoval imports solar hot water heating systems from Australia, a brand called Solarhart owned by Rheem. “This is one of the most popular brands in the world, from South Africa to the Middle East,” comments Sebastian. In 2009, Ecoval achieved the distinction of being the largest Solarhart distributor out of 90 countries. “The top position used to be dominated by Italy, but this year we are on top.” Sebastian says Solarhart is the only system in the world to feature drain-back technology. “What happens is you have your storage tank on the lower level, which is the ground, and you have the collectors on the roof. When the sun is out, there is a pump that switches on. The high solar irradiation results in the fluid in the panels that transfers the heat being circulated by a pumping system. In the evening, when the sun is down, the pump switches off, and all the fluid settles by gravity. Hence it is

SOLAVEIL Exhibiting for the first time in the Middle East at The Big 5, Digital Surface Research from Wales launched an innovative energy conservation system called SolaVeil ‘Cool Daylight’. SolaVeil technical operations manager Nigel Dawson explains that the technology is able to harvest and manage daylight into a building, significantly reducing solar heat gain, eliminating glare and cutting energy bills by more than half. Solar heat gain is cut by as much as 81%, while maximising the potential for daylight usage within buildings, with overall lighting savings of up to 70%. Dawson says SolaVeil is a digitally manufactured and enhanced flexible substrate that can be applied to existing or new glass surfaces. Cleaning is simple, and is undertaken as part of a normal cleaning regime for glass. SolaVeil has been designed to be retrofitted to existing buildings. The application process is simple but technically thorough. Utilising a water-based application solution, SolaVeil is applied to existing glazing that has been prepared scrupulously. This proprietary Welsh technology is now being marketed in the Middle East. SolaVeil’s

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vital that the tank is one level below. “What happens normally is that most people place everything on the roof, which means the circulating ﬂuid is always in the loop, the temperature goes too high, and then the pumps and pipes fail. Our system is very simple, as it switches off before it can overheat,” explains Sebastian. In addition, the PV panels comprising the system are extra strong and durable. There are six different types of panel depending on the speciﬁc requirement. “We install and commission the systems. When we started Enval in 2002, we focused mainly on solar hot water heating, whereafter we moved into large commercial systems for hotels, for example, with the establishment of Ecoval in 2007. The average lifecycle of a Solarhart system

An example of a Solarhart hot water system

unrivalled ability to reduce solar heat gain and the region’s commitment to reducing energy usage and related carbon emissions made the UAE an obvious location to develop our business, explains Dawson. He reveals that distributorships will be set up in due course. “However, the core commercial relationships will be that of joint ventures, as we see the future development of SolaVeil being driv-

is anywhere from 12 to 25 years, depending on routine mechanical equipment maintenance. “We have a maintenance contract with Holiday Inn, for example.” Sebastian says that one particular Solarhart system at the company’s head ofﬁce in Australia had been in operation for an astonishing 50 years. “At the moment we are involved with the Movenpick on The Palm, which involves heating a 15 000 litre pool. This required an 8 MW boiler system and heat exchangers. In comparison, the pool at Atlantis, another project completed successfully by Ecoval, was 1 500 litres,” reveals Sebastian.

The installed capacity for solar is also much smaller for the same or an even greater amount of power generated, leading to reduced initial outlay and costs. “ Jim Sebastian

en in part by what we can learn from the market and reintroduce as part of our commitment to continuous research and development.” The slowdown in construction, combined with the ‘green’ trend, means that energy-saving products like SolaVeil should ﬁnd a ready market. In addition, SolaVeil’s signiﬁcant savings equate into a short return on investment of typically two to three years.

The slowdown in the construction industry, combined with growing environmental awareness, means that energy-saving products should ﬁnd a ready market. “ Nigel Dawson

February 2010 | MEP Middle East 21

SOLAR POWER MEGASUN SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS

The UAE has led the way for much of the region in terms of its commitment to environmental treaties. “ Yanni Vassalos Export sales manager Yanni Vassalos argues that technology adoption is critical for the region to embrace the full benefits of renewable energy. In addition, the UAE will have to embrace solar water-heating technologies in order to meet its Kyoto Protocol commitments. “The UAE has led the way for much of the region in terms of its commitment to the Kyoto and Johannesburg environmental treaties, but is not yet embracing the simple solutions that will make that possible,” explains Vassalos. The Greek company, exhibiting at last year’s The Big Five for the second time, used the high-profile platform to promote its solar water-heating panel and tank systems. Vassalos reveals that Megasun is looking for a network of distributors to take its product to the wider Middle East, having already made significant inroads into Dubai and Abu Dhabi. “What I really want is to find a distributor who can sell directly into Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Bahrain. This year, we have already sold three full shipping containers to Iraq and more to Syria, but we want a network in the Middle East that can transform occasional sales into a reliable business stream.” The company is hoping to turn the 2% of business the Middle East market currently represents into 10% within two years. According to Vassalos, the Greek system is capable of heating 300 litres of water to 75ºC in just a couple of hours, even on cloudy mornings in this region. “The systems we have on display are suitable for single residential units, right up to industrial-sized plant facilities, and obviously in the Middle East the application of this technology could result in real utility bill savings.”

22 MEP Middle East | February 2010

PTL SOLAR PTL Solar, an expert in solar streetlighting solutions, and part of Green Energy LLC, has announced its appointment as exclusive distributor for the Middle East and Africa region for Reliance Solar Group, part of Reliance Industries, the largest private sector enterprise in India. Following this announcement, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Honorary Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, inaugurated the first exclusive international Reliance showroom at the Dubai Creek Towers in Deira. His Excellency Dr. Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad, UAE Minister of Environment and Water, was the chief guest at the inauguration ceremony, which was also attended by Ali bin Towaih, executive director of Enpark and Sustainable Energy and Environment Division (SEED) at Tecom Investments, and Rabindra Satpathy, president of the Reliance Solar Group. A delegation from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) was also in attendance. PTL Solar MD Prabissh Thomas said: “This alliance is a perfect match for us, as it will bring synergy to our operations and help us meet our aim of offering the best energy solutions. We are looking forward to extending the benefits of this partnership to a wide base of stakeholders in the entire region.” The Reliance Solar Group specialises in developing and offering products, systems and solutions ranging from solar lanterns, home lighting systems and streetlighting systems to water purification systems, refrigeration systems and solar air-conditioners, all based on solar energy. “Enpark’s mandate is to ensure that its business partners are provided with an optimal environment and the resources to grow the green energy industry in the region. We are confident PTL Solar will play a crucial role in driving forward the green

630 000

terawatt hours in the form of solar energy falls unused on the MENA deserts. In contrast, Europe consumes just 4 000 terawatt hours of energy a year – a mere 0.6% of the unused solar energy falling in the desert.

industry and positioning the UAE as a leading player in the global energy sector,” commented bin Towaih. As part of its campaign to transform the existing lighting system into solar-based applications, PTL Solar has supplied its GRENlite solar energy outdoor lighting units to Dewa, as well as Tecom Investments’ Dubai Outsource Zone and Dubai Internet City. It has also installed solar carpark lights for Nakheel in its Waterfront project, as well as having illuminated the ﬁrst automotive factory in the UAE for heavy vehicles assembled by Scania, the world’s thirdlargest maker of trucks and buses.

Efﬁcient solar lights last up to 100 000 hours, which is 100 times as long compared to incandescent lamps.“ Prabissh Thomas Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Dr. Rashid Ahmed Bin Fahad and Prabissh Thomas

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SOLAR POWER LENNOX INDUSTRIES A leading provider of customised home heating, cooling and indoor air-quality products, Lennox Industries has introduced its patentpending SunSource Home Energy System, a new solar-powered central heating and cooling system that reduces overall household electricity consumption without the costs associated with traditional solar installations. The new SunSource Home Energy System not only harnesses solar energy from the sun to reduce the electricity consumed by a residential heat pump or air-conditioner, but is also able to use that solar power to operate other devices in the home that consume electricity, such as lighting and appliances, The SunSource Home Energy System from Lennox Industries

when the heating and cooling system is not running. In addition, if the SunSource system generates more power than is used by the home, that power will be sent back to the utility company, for example, which may entitle the homeowner to a credit on their utility bills in the US. According to the US Department of Energy, the typical US household pays US$2 200 a year on utility bills, and the bulk of those energy costs – between 50% and 60% – comes from heating and cooling the home. “With SunSource, homeowners can reduce the energy consumption associated with heating and air-conditioning, while also significantly cutting their overall utility bills,” said Lennox VP: product management John Hurst. “Lennox is the first heating and air-conditioning manufacturer tto harness solar energ gy for central heating an and cooling and beyond, an and the new SunSource sys system is really a gateway to the future of innova novation in the HVAC industry.” The Sun SunSource Home Energy System comprise comprises: • A solar-ready, high-e high-efficiency Lennox airconditioner or heat pum pump that has been specially enhanced to serv serve as the platform for this new home energy ssystem; • A Lennox solar subp subpanel that provides the connection between u utility-interactive solar power system and the H HVAC unit;

Lennox is the first heating and air-con manufacturer to harness solar energy for central heating and cooling and beyond. “ John Hurst • One to 15 roof-mounted solar modules that harness clean, sustainable energy from the sun and use it to run the home’s central heating and cooling system as well as other appliances – the more modules, the more homeowners can reduce their utility costs; and • A communications system that allows homeowners to monitor each solar module’s operation and energy production online, as well as other environmental benefits such as the amount of carbon offset. “The most efficient air-conditioners and heat pumps manufactured by Lennox will automatically come ‘solar ready’, just like many of today’s television sets are automatically sold as ‘HD ready’,” commented Hurst. “Consumers who purchase these systems will have the option to integrate a solar package at installation or at a later date. And because the system is expandable, homeowners can start small with a couple of solar modules and add more in the future, for a total of up to 15 solar modules per outdoor unit and added energy savings.”

‘BEAM DOWN’ TECHNOLOGY M Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s multifaceted renewable eenergy initiative, the Masdar Institute of SScience and Technology, Japan’s Cosmo Oil C Company and the Tokyo Institute of Technology hhave launched an advanced concentrated ssolar power (CSP) central tower research and ddevelopment project at Masdar City. The state-of-the-art, collaborative research pproject will test an innovative ‘beam down’ ttechnology, which has the potential to cconvert solar irradiation into electricity in a m more efﬁcient way than other technologies – producing a commercially-viable ‘beam down’ process would represent a signiﬁcant breakthrough in (CSP) technology. The ‘beam down’ process inverts cconventional tower solar tower technologies, w which uses mirrors (heliostats) to direct the

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sun’s rays onto a receiver at the top of a central tower to heat a heat transfer ﬂuid (molten salt, oil, or water) in order to generate steam, which is then used to drive a steam turbine. By placing the receiver at the base of the tower (ground level), the research team believes it can reduce energy losses resulting from pumping the ﬂuid The CSP project at Masdar

to an elevated receiver, raising operational efﬁciency and lowering electricity costs. Talking on the importance of the project and the development of solar power technologies, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, chief executive of Masdar said: “Solar thermal technology is a key research area for Masdar. The initial project ﬁndings have been very positive and, if the results continue to be successful, ‘beam down’ technology has the potential to revolutionise the way in which all solar towers are built in the future. “Masdar has once again shown its commitment to establishing Abu Dhabi as a global renewable energy hub, consistently raising the bar in terms of our investment in new technologies that serve to create a better tomorrow for us all,” he concluded.

February 2010 | MEP Middle East 23

COMPUTER MODELLING

Integrated software for HVAC design FineHVAC, advanced software for HVAC design, combines design and calculations within an integrated environment, performing all the required calculations directly from the drawings, and automatically producing all the study results. ineHVAC, an advanced software solution for HVAC design, combines design and calculations within a synergistically integrated environment, performing all the required calculations directly from the drawings, and automatically producing all the study results. These range from calculation sheets, technical reports, a complete series of ﬁnal drawings updated with the calculation results (plan views, vertical diagrams, details), bill of materials, cost estimation and all the rest. FineHVAC differs from any other HVAC software as it faces the HVAC design process from a holistic point of view, considering at the same time: • The Building model as a complex but uniform entity, composed by particular entities with speciﬁed features and given interactions (for example, the structural elements constitute walls, the walls constitute spaces, spaces compose levels etc); • The HVAC system also as a logical entity composed of particular entities (for example, a heating installation consists of radiators, pipe network and engine room, each of them having its own characteristics and interactions with the other ones); • The ‘smart’ interaction between the building model and the HVAC system. From its structure point of view, FineHVAC consists of two big components, namely the CAD and the calculations Components that work together, interacting synergistically with each other. The CAD component supports the user in designing any HVAC project in a simple way through a set of high-level commands. Then it ‘recognises’ the HVAC installation and transfers the required data to the calculations component. After the possible user interventions on the calculation environment, the CAD component gets back the results and

24 MEP Middle East | February 2010

creates, in a completely automatic way, all the project drawings in their final form (vertical charts and ground plans fully updated with the calculation results). The calculations component acquires the information from the drawings automatically (calculation data sheets are filled automatically), while it uses a rich and reliable methodological background in order to produce the whole case study booklet (calculation sheets, diagrams, bill of materials, technical reports, etc.), also taking advantage of a flexible report generator.

OPERATION AND FUNCTIONALITY FineHVAC has its own autonomous CAD engine, based on IntelliCAD, the famous alternative CAD solution provided by ITC (www. intellicad.org). The CAD component performs all the tasks needed for the design of an installation through a series of expert functions. In particular, the main tasks accomplished by FineHVAC CAD are the following: • Recognition of any architectural ground plan: The program recognizes – that is, it makes entities of – walls and openings, even if they come from a different architectural or even bitmap drawings (from a scanner); • Automatic receptor installation: The package

installs the heating radiators in the ground plan on its own, as well as the FCU Units and the duct grills, based on rules of logic; • Automatic connections: Using the commands ‘automatic designing of single pipe circuit’, ‘automatic connection of radiators with columns’ etc., entire blocks are designed with just one move; • Commands of automated piping drawing (auto-routing): Using the rooting commands ‘double pipe’ (that is, inlet-return), ‘pipe parallel to wall’ or ‘parallel to points’ etc., the pipes and their connections are designed almost automatically; • Automatic installation recognition: The program recognises and numbers the nodes (junctions) and transfers the data exactly as the calculating subsystem demands; • Automatic location of symbols: The ground plan drawings are enriched automatically with the results values, and also with the necessary drawing symbols according to the standards; • Automatic creation of drawings: All the view plan project drawings are produced automatically, as well as the vertical diagrams (automatically through the ground plans), plus other detailed drawings such as, for example, the 2D or 3D air duct network. The two-dimensional air duct network is also produced automatically by the conversion of the single line drawing.

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COMPUTER MODELLING The calculation component of FineHVAC is characterised by the following features and functionalities: • High-performance calculating core (spreadsheet-like): The user can interfere freely in the independent parameters and observe in realtime the results of his or her selections (the system is self-updated); • Rich methodological background: The user has the ability to select among a wide spectrum of alternative methods and techniques (for example, DIN, EN and ASHRAE for the heat loads, Carrier-ASHRAE for the cooling loads [in fact, three ASHRAE methods are included, namely CLTD, TFM and RTS], equal velocity/ equal friction/static regain methods for the air ducts, classical or based on simulation piping models, etc); • Results in various forms: Text, tables, diagrams, auxiliary drawings and others that result automatically from the calculation sheet; • Advanced bill of materials/cost estimation/ bid system: Many possibilities, such as freedom of editing, possibility to select from auxiliary material and task libraries, are open to the user; • Integrated technical report manager: Ready technical descriptions, speciﬁcation and acceptance templates, are open to the user; • Enriched material libraries: Material libraries are open to the user, and with the possibility of co-operating with speciﬁc material guides on CDs; and • Integrated reporting system: Selection of

The program redeﬁnes the competitive standards in the HVAC design industry. “ Papathanasiou and Perez

ready-print templates on many levels (general presentation, fonts, headings/frames/layout, etc.) that can also be deﬁned by the user. The calculation environment consists of eight modules, divided into two groups:

• Cooling loads: Calculation of the cooling loads using one of the Carrier, ASHRAE CLTD or ASHRAE TFM methods; • Fan coil piping: Calculation of the fan coil pipe network for any case (classic or reversereturn), using either the classic method or even with full hydraulic simulation; • Air ducts: Calculation of air duct networks using three alternative methods, namely equal velocity, equal friction, static regain; and • Psychrometry: Selection of air-conditioning units and distribution of the air in the air-conditioned spaces, based on the detailed equations of psychrometry (for cooling and heating), with any method (for example, cooling dehydration, re-heating, pre-conditioned, return air bypass, 100% wet, etc).

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS I. HEATING • Heat Losses: Heat loss calculation and energy analysis using the degree/days method; • Twin-pipe system: Calculation of twin-pipe heating installation for any network case (classic or reverse-return), with either the classic method or even with full hydraulic simulation; • Single pipe: Complete calculations of the single pipe heating system with three alternative methodologies, namely equal friction, equal temperature drop, hydraulic simulation; and • Inﬂoor: Complete calculations of the inﬂoor heating installation.

II. AIR-CONDITIONING

Recently the European Commission launched a public consultation on the recasting of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (2002/91/EC), which closed on 20 June 2008. The building sector accounts for 40% of the EU’s energy requirements. It offers the largest single potential for energy efﬁciency. Research shows that more than one-ﬁ fth of the present energy consumption, and up to 30 to 45 million tons of carbon dioxide/year, could be saved by applying more ambitious standards to new build, and when refurbishing existing buildings – which represents a considerable contribution to meeting the Kyoto Protocol targets. Within this new framework, FineHVAC is being extended to meet these new needs. For this reason the heating load application now includes also the EN12831 standard, while another major extension has to do with the incorporation of ISO 13790:2008.

CONCLUSIONS FineHVAC makes true the dream of any HVAC designer to automatically obtain the case study results directly from the project drawings through a really friendly, fast and reliable process. FineHVAC gives the opportunity for users to examine, in a very easy and fast way, various design alternatives in order to achieve optimal solutions. The fact that FineHVAC advances both the speed of designing and the quality of the end project proves that the program redeﬁnes the competitive standards in the HVAC design industry. Much more than an HVAC software application, FineHVAC is a sophisticated tool for green building design. By Spiros Papathanasiou E.E. Phd, 4M S.A. and Asif Perez M.E., 4M-UAE. For more information, visit www.4m-uae.com or e-mail info@4m-uae.com.

www.constructionweekonline.com

February 2010 | MEP Middle East 25

CASE STUDY

28 WAYS TO MAKE A LEED PLATINUM BUILDING The ASHRAE headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia in the US has been awarded a LEED Platinum rating, the highest certification available. MEP Middle East takes a closer look at the project as a landmark case study in green building. s an innovator in energy-efficient technology, ASHRAE felt its headquarters should serve as a showcase of sustainability. “The resulting design truly reflects that sentiment, as well as how ASHRAE standards and guidelines can be put into practice to result in a high-performance building,” said ASHRAE president Gordon Holness. “While our first objective was to provide a

healthy, comfortable and productive environment for our staff, we also wanted to set an example of what can be done to renovate existing buildings. Given that 75% to 80% of all existing buildings will still be around in 2030, our greatest opportunity for a sustainable future is through the upgrade and retroﬁt of these buildings,” said Holness. Built in 1965, the building was known as the Wausau Building until 1981, when ASHRAE purchased it and moved its headquarters from New York to Atlanta. It was renovated extensively in 1981, with another major in-

terior renovation taking place from 1991 to 1992. Changes here included reconﬁguration of interior space for additional ofﬁce space. The decision to commit to a comprehensive revamp was taken by the board of directors on 25 January 2006. ASHRAE aimed to earn 55 LEED points out of a potential total of 69 under LEED NC 2.2. It ultimately earned 54 LEED points (37 design and 17 construction). This meant a coveted Platinum rating. Below is a full listing of the building’s features and how they relate to the LEED requirements:

The ASHRAE headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia in the US

26 MEP Middle East | February 2010

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CASE STUDY

Site selection: It was a greyﬁeld site, which eliminated the impact on environmentally-sensitive areas such as prime farmland, ﬂood zone, endangered species habitat, wetlands, etc.

Enhanced commissioning: The enhanced commissioning process from ASHRAE Guideline 0 was used.

Enhanced refrigerant management: Refrigerants were selected that minimise the emission of compounds that contribute to ozone depletion and global warming. In addition, a refrigerant leak detection system from Thermal Gas Systems is used to identify potential system leaks early.

Development density and community connectivity: The site was within a half mile radius of three residential zones and at least ten basic services. PV arrays on the roof provide on-site renewable energy

Alternative transportation, public transportation access, parking capacity: The site is within a quarter mile of two public bus lines. On-site bike storage and a shower and changing room were provided. Ten per cent of the parking spaces in preferred locations was allocated to carpool and low-emitting/fuel-efﬁcient vehicles.

Maximise open space : The amount of vegetated open space was increased by 45.2% above the local code requirement.

Light pollution reduction: Light trespass/ sky glow from the building and site was minimised. Nighttime visibility was improved through glare reduction and reduced development impact on nocturnal environments through the careful selection of interior and exterior light ﬁxtures.

Water-efﬁcient landscaping: The landscaping has been updated and the need for landscaping irrigation eliminated. Refrigerants with low ozone depletion were selected

Innovative wastewater technologies: The estimated water consumption a year for bathrooms was reduced from 133 100 gallons/year to 63 500 gallons/year (a 52.3% reduction) by utilising low-ﬂow ﬁxtures.

Overall water consumption a year was reduced drastically

Water-use reduction: The estimated overall annual water consumption per year was reduced from 253 021 gallons/year to 135 921 gallons/year (a 46.3% reduction) by utilising low-ﬂow ﬁxtures. When compared with the old building’s water usage, the savings are even greater, with an estimated 79% reduction in annual water consumption.

Stormwater management: The amount of site run-off was reduced by 31%. The run-off rate was reduced by 30% through increased vegetated open space, green roofs and a stormwater detention system. In addition, a bio-retention system treats 90% of the annual rainfall volume to remove 80% of the total suspended solids.

Heat island effect: Polycon Manufacturing Inc. installed a SlurryKote material with a solar reflectance index of 32 over more than 50% of the asphalt parking lot to minimise the heat-island effect. A white reflective roof membrane with a solar reflectance index of 78 was installed to minimise the heat-island effect.

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Optimise energy performance : The estimated annual energy usage was reduced by more than 32.5% through enhancements to the building envelope and use of a dedicated outside air supply (DOAS) with energy recovery, ground-source heat pumps and mini-split systems with heat recovery. Nine out ten potential points were earned for this credit.

On-site renewable energy: GA Power demonstrated how PV arrays can be utilised to generate clean power by taking advantage of under-utilised space on the building’s roof. It is estimated that the installed array will provide more than 8% of the building’s total annual energy cost as renewable energy.

Measurement and veriﬁcation: An extensive measurement and veriﬁcation system has been implemented to provide for the ongoing accountability of the building performance over time through the ASHRAE Living Lab.

Storage and collection of recyclables: ASHRAE staff are working hard to reduce waste generated within the building and hauled to and disposed of in landﬁlls by collecting paper, cardboard, glass, plastics and metal on-site for recycling and by switching to bottle-less water coolers.

Refrigerant leak detection system

February 2010 | MEP Middle East 27

CASE STUDY

Outdoor air delivery monitoring: An air quality monitoring system from Aircuity is helping sustain occupant comfort and well-being in the renovated building.

Increased ventilation: ASHRAE and Trane worked together to provide a 6000 CFM dedicated outside air system for the building, which can provide ventilation rates to each space 30% higher than Standard 62.12004.

The building automation system A dedicated outside-air supply system was used

Building reuse: ASHRAE is showing building owners how to extend the lifecycle of existing building stock, conserve resources and reduce waste and environmental impacts of new buildings by retaining more than 92% of the building structure.

Construction waste management: Over 91% of the construction waste from this project was diverted away from landﬁlls and incinerators, and instead redirected back into the manufacturing process as recovered resources.

Low-emitting materials: Interface Carpet helped to reduce the quantity of indoor air contaminants that are odorous, irritating and/or harmful to the comfort and well-being of installers and occupants.

Part of the air-quality monitoring system

Thermal comfort: A comfortable thermal environment supports the productivity and well-being of all building occupants by adhering to the requirements of ASHRAE Standard 55 and by surveying occupants for feedback on a regular basis.

23 19

Recycled content: Products and materials made from recycled content make up more than 22% of the total value of the materials for the project.

Construction IAQ management plan: GAY Construction Company helped to reduce IAQ problems resulting from the construction/renovation process in order to help sustain the comfort and well-being of construction workers and building occupants by developing and following a construction IAQ management plan. Air-quality tests done just prior to occupancy validated the intended results of this plan and eliminated the need for a lengthy, energy-consuming, air ﬂush-out process.

Sustainable education : ASHRAE is utilising its headquarters to educate design professionals and the general public on the sustainable features and processes used to renovate the building and site in order to expand and enhance the awareness of green design principles and its impact on the environment.

Green cleaning policy and integrated pest management (IPM) programme: This reduces the exposure of building occupants and maintenance personnel to potentially hazardous chemical, biological and particulate contaminants, which adversely affect air quality, human health, building ﬁnishes, building systems and the environment.

Electric commercial water heater

Regional materials: ASHRAE increased the demand for building materials and products extracted and manufactured within 500 miles of the building site by utilising materials from this region, which made up more than 29% of the total value of the project materials.

28 MEP Middle East | February 2010

Water-efficient landscaping

Building envelope commissioning: ASHRAE took the extra step of commissioning the building envelope (new and existing sections) to further reduce energy consumption and improve occupant comfort and indoor air quality.

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OPINION

International PROJECT FINANCING Mark Bull from Illumine Middle East FZE examines sourcing and applying project ﬁnancing. ith apologies to Randy Newman, here is the fundamental reason why Dubai and the Middle East region needs to improve the way that it sources and applies project ﬁnancing. The following excerpt is from a song about Karl Marx called ‘The World Isn’t Fair’: “See Karl the world isn’t fair, it isn’t and never will be, they tried out your plan, it brought misery instead, if you could have seen how they worked it you would be glad you were dead, just like I’m glad I’m living in the land of the free, where the rich just get richer and the poor you never ever have to see; it would depress us Karl because we care that the world, still, isn’t fair.” Herewith is a checklist of some key due diligence issues for reference and use by the interested reader:

The project sponsor(s) Who are they, what are the ownership interests in the project company, what is their ﬁnancial status? What will each project sponsor contribute to the project in terms of equity, development experience, construction and startup expertise, technology, operating abilities,

host government experience? What limited recourse liability does each project sponsor have? Are they creditworthy? Is credit enhancement necessary to support the creditworthiness of the sponsor(s) such as a letter of credit or a bank payment guarantee? What restrictions, if any, do the laws of the host country place on equity ownership of the project?

The project site What is the terrain on which the site will be developed? What is the terrain of access roads, fuel storage areas and other important elements of the project?

The infrastructure (existing and needed) What is the existing and needed infrastructure necessary to access the site? What is the condition and weight tolerance of roads, road shoulders, intersections and bridges? What is the quality and quantity of water at the project site for construction and operation?

30 MEP Middle East | February 2010

Legal and regulatory considerations What are the speciﬁc laws and regulations applicable to the project? What governmental approvals, permits, licences, concessions, ﬁlings and other governmental actions are required for the project and each of the project participants?

Sensitivity analysis Are all assumptions used in the preparation of the construction budget and financial projections reasonable – including, but not limited to, those relating to interest rates, foreign exchange, inflation, fuel price inflation, raw material price escalation and de-escalation, the construction schedule and maintenance schedule?

Construction (period support by project sponsors) Political considerations What is the regulatory framework under which the project must operate? What is the host country’s ability to provide guarantees for a project ﬁnancing? Are special agreements necessary to provide a stable environment for a project ﬁnancing?

What are the funding commitments of each of the sponsors during the project construction period? What events trigger the funding obligations? Are the events consistently deﬁned in the ﬁnancing documents? If a construction cost overrun occurs, what are the funding obligations of the project sponsors?

Economic considerations

Potential sources of cost overruns

Here is the fundamental reason why Dubai and the Middle East region needs to improve the way it sources and applies project ﬁnancing ... “ Mark Bull

How do trade alliances and relationships of the host country affect the project? How do the public and private sectors interact in the economy?

Have the construction costs been veriﬁed by a truly independent and impartial consultant? How reliable is the cost estimation? What assumptions have been made in determining the construction period budget?

The construction contract What is excluded from the ﬁrm price? Are the performance guarantees acceptable? Is the force majeure provision integrated with the other project contracts?

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BUSINESS LEADS

PROJECTS IN THE UAE MEP Middle East and Ventures Middle East have teamed up to provide you with essential project information.

An impression of Sowwah Island, Abu Dhabi.

Mubadala plans to develop the Rosewood Hotel on Sowwah Island, a 1.1 million square metre real estate development between Reem Island and Mina, Abu Dhabi. The project includes a hotel, retail area, parking and related facilities. Phase 1 of Sowwah Island comprises the Cleveland Clinic and Sowwah Square. The latter is a mixed-use development including the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange Centre, four ofﬁce towers, a hotel and conference facilities. Handel Architects and Serex International Consultants are the project architects, WSP is the MEP consultant and Magnusson Klemencic Associates is the structural engineering consultant. The US$218 million main construction contract was awarded in January 2010.

ROSEWOOD HOTEL ON SOWWAH ISLAND Client: Mubadala Dev.Co/John Buck Int’l Consultant: Serex International Main contractor: Arabian Construction Company MEP contractor: Not appointed MEP consultant: WSP Value: $200 million

Project Title

Client

Consultant

Main Contractor

MEP Contractor

Value (US$. Mn)

Royal City Seasons Hotel in Abu Dhabi Layia Hospitality in Dubai

City Seasons Group

James Cubitt & Partners

Tae Young Contracting

Not Appointed

101 - 250

Gulf General Investment Co.

Not Appointed

Fisherman's Quay in Ras Al Khaimah Extension to the Ruler's Court in Souk Al Kabir Arjaan Hotel Apartments in Adnec Alps Hotel in Ras Al Khaimah

RAK Properties

National Engineering Bureau EDAW

Not Appointed

Project Status

Type of Project Hotel

31 - 100

project under construction project under design

Not Appointed

101 - 250

project under design

Hotel

Arif & Bintoak Consulting GA Architects & Engineers UniEstate

Not Appointed

project under design

Residential Development Others

Not Appointed

31 - 100

Not Appointed

101 - 250

award awaited for the construction contract project under design

Residential Buildings Hotel

OST Constructional Projects Not Appointed

Not Appointed

Oasis Hospital

Al Hatmy Design & Engg. Cons. Peddle Thorp Architects

Not Appointed

31 - 100

project under construction project under design

Residential Buildings Hospital

ALDAR Properties

Dar Al Handasah

Not Appointed

101 - 250

Hotel

Masdar

Not Appointed

101 - 250

award awaited for the construction contract project under design

Al Jassmy Contracting

Not Appointed

122

Dubai Municipality Bin Hamoodah Properties Union Group of Companies

Frankfurt Sports Tower 1 in DSC Refurbishment of Oasis Hospital in Al Ain Al Gurm Complex in West Abu Dhabi - Banyan Tree Hotel City Center in Masdar City

Memon Investments

Champions Tower IV in Dubai Sports City Medical Complex in Arzanah

Memon Investments

Laboratory for Visionary Arch. Adnan Saffarini

Capitala

HDP Overseas

Not Appointed

31 - 100

Villas in Safa Park Area

Meraas Development

Not Appointed

31 - 100

City Center in Masdar City

Masdar

Not Appointed

101 - 250

project under design

Residential Development Mixed Use

Mall at Deerﬁelds Town Square

Mubarak and Brothers Investment RAK Properties

Dewan Al Emara Engineers & Arch. Laboratory for Visionary Arch. RMJM

project under construction bidding underway for the main contract project under design

Not Appointed

31 - 100

project under design

Shopping Center

Arkonsult Abu Dhabi

Not Appointed

109

project under design

Salem Al Moosa Group

Arab Experts

Not Appointed

101 - 250

Royal Group

National Engineering Bureau Serex International

Not Appointed

101 - 250

award awaited for the construction contract project under design

Residential Buildings Residential Development Mixed Use

Not Appointed

200

Julphar Residences in the City of Lights on Reem Island 202 Villas at the Falcon City of Wonders Multi Media Towers at the City of Lights - C14 Rosewood Hotel on Sowwah Island

Mubadala Dev.Co/John Buck Int'l

bidding underway for the main contract

Mixed Use Residential Buildings Hospital

Hotel

For the latest Middle East MEP project information, visit www.constructionweekonline.com

February 2010 | MEP Middle East 33

ADVERTISING IN

GROWS YOUR BUSINESS ACROSS THE REGION

WE WILL CHECK YOUR AD COPY TO ENSURE YOU RECEIVE DIRECT SALES LEADS. ADVERTISING WILL RAISE YOUR PROFILE AMONGST YOUR COMPETITORS. EDUCATE YOUR CUSTOMERS ON YOUR BUSINESS BY ADVERTISING. GENERATE UP TO 60 SALES LEADS PER MONTH BY USING OUR EMAIL BLASTS.

ADVERTISING WILL SELL YOUR PRODUCTS & SERVICES QUICKER – CAN YOU AFFORD NOT TO CONTACT ME ON THE NUMBER BELOW? JASON BOWMAN Publishing Director Direct: +971 4 435 6344 Mob: +971 50 656 1567 Email: jason.bowman@itp.com

ITP BUSINESS PUBLISHING CO. LTD. Aamal House, IMPZ PO Box 500024, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 4 435 6000, Fax: +971 4 435 6080, Email: subscriptions@itp.com, www.itp.com/subscriptions

LEGAL

Exemption

CLAUSES Dennis Brand from Traprain Consultants looks at ‘exclusion and limiting clauses’. Exemption clauses, sometimes called ‘exclusion and limiting clauses’ are clauses, are terms in a contract that seek to restrict the rights of the parties to a contract. A common example of an exemption clause is a clause inserted into a contract with the aim of excluding or limiting one party’s liability for breach of contract or negligence. In the construction and engineering industry there are really only three types of exemption clause in general use, namely: a) those clauses which wholly exclude the liability of a party. The clause recognises a potential breach of contract, and then excuses liability for the breach. Alternatively, the clause is constructed in such a way it only includes reasonable care to perform duties on one of the parties; b) those clauses which limit the compensation (damages) that can be claimed and recovered from the other party. The clause places a limit on the amount that can be claimed for a breach of contract, regardless of the actual loss; and c) those clauses which make liability subject to certain pre-conditions or qualiﬁcations. The clause states that an action for a claim must be commenced within a certain period of time or the cause of action becomes extinguished. However, for an exemption clause to be enforceable, certain conditions have to be met: 1. It must be properly (validly) incorporated into the contract. That is to say, the person wishing to rely on the exclusion clause must show that it formed part of the contract. An exclusion clause can be incorporated in the contract by signature or notice: * If a party signs a document having contractual effect containing an exclusion clause, the clause will automatically form part of the contract, and the party will be bound by its terms. This is so even if the party has not read the document and regardless of whether he understands it or not; www.constructionweekonline.com

* The exclusion clause may be contained in a document which is not signed, for example a printed notice or ticket. In such case, reasonable and sufficient notice of the exclusion clause should be given. The clause must be contained in a contractual document, that is one which a reasonable person would assume to contain contractual terms, and not in a document which merely acknowledges payment, for example a receipt. It is important however, that the existence of the exclusion clause must be brought to the notice of the other party before or at the time the contract is entered into. Reasonably sufficient notice of the clause must be given; it should be noted that reasonable, not actual, notice is required; * However, where there has not been sufficient notice given, an exclusion clause may nevertheless be incorporated where there has been a previous and consistent course of dealing between the parties concerned on the same terms. 2. Its meaning must be clear and compare favourably with the nature of the defence to which it is to be put. For an exclusion clause to operate, it must cover the breach (assuming there actually is a breach of contract). If there is, then the type of liability arising is also important. Generally, there are two types of liability: strict liability (liability arising due to a state of affairs without the party in breach necessarily being at fault) and liability for negligence (liability arising due to fault). In terms of negligence, courts in many jurisdictions have taken the approach that it is unlikely that someone would enter into a contract that allows the other party to evade faultbased liability. As a result, if a party wishes to exclude his liability for negligence, he must make sure that the other party understands that. 3. It must not be prevented by statute or the law of the country. It might be said that this goes without saying, but although the parties to a contract may agree to a particular type of liability being excluded, the law may not al-

low it. An example of this is Article 882 of the UAE Civil Code: ‘‘Any agreement the purport of which is to exempt the contractor or the architect from liability, or to limit such liability, shall be void.’’ Therefore, in relation to decennial liability, whether the parties to a contact for design agree to limit or even exclude the liability of the architect (designer), such limit or exclusion is prohibited by law. 4. A contract must remain sufﬁciently intact that the clause still has some legal force. Courts generally have a tendency of requiring the party relying on the clause to have drafted it properly so that it exempts them from the liability arising and, if any ambiguity is present, the courts usually interpret it strictly against the party relying on the clause; this is called the contra proferentem rule. Therefore if after attempting to construe an exclusion clause (or indeed any other contractual term) in accord with the ordinary and natural meaning of the words, there is still ambiguity (if the clause was imposed by one party upon the other without negotiation) then the contra proferentem rule applies. Essentially this means that the clause will be construed against the person who imposed its initial inclusion. According to the UAE Civil Code Section 4 – Construction of Contracts adopts a similar provision in Article 266: (1) ‘‘A doubt shall be resolved in favour of the obligor. (2) Nevertheless it shall not be permissible to construe ambiguous words in contracts of adhesion in a manner detrimental to the interests of the adhering party.’’ Therefore, when considering the inclusion of exemption clauses in a contract, one should always ensure that the conditions for such clauses are met in order that they are enforceable. Dennis.Brand@traprain.com February 2010 | MEP Middle East 35

METAL MONITOR

NON-FERROUS METAL PRICES The London Metal Exchange (LME) is the world’s premier non-ferrous metals market. The LME offers futures and options contracts for aluminium, copper, lead, nickel and NASAAC, among others. Many of these materials are indispensable in the MEP sector. The latest historical data from the LME is presented to give readers insight into this dynamic trading market. For further information visit www.lme.co.uk.

DECEMBER 2009 THE LONDON METAL EXCHANGE LIMITED AVERAGE OFFICIAL AND SETTLEMENT PRICES US$/TONNE

Cash Buyer Cash Seller & Settlement Cash Mean 3-months Buyer 3-months Seller 3-months Mean 15-months Buyer 15-months Seller 15-months Mean 27-months Buyer 27-months Seller 27-months Mean

Primary Aluminium (dollars) 2,179.29 2,180.10 2,179.69 2,212.74 2,213.50 2,213.12 2,313.38 2,318.38 2,315.88 2,391.81 2,396.81 2,394.31

Aluminium Alloy (dollars) 1,881.76 1,886.81 1,884.29 1,916.86 1,926.24 1,921.55 2,020.00 2,030.00 2,025.00 2,102.86 2,112.86 2,107.86

Copper

Lead

Nickel

NASAAC

(dollars) 6,979.93 6,981.71 6,980.82 7,015.79 7,017.90 7,016.85 7,064.29 7,074.29 7,069.29 7,063.10 7,073.10 7,068.10

(dollars) 2,327.00 2,328.52 2,327.76 2,356.33 2,358.48 2,357.40 2,402.86 2,407.86 2,405.36 2,412.71 2,417.71 2,415.21

(dollars) 17,055.00 17,066.43 17,060.71 17,145.00 17,168.10 17,156.55 17,191.67 17,291.67 17,241.67 17,039.05 17,139.05 17,089.05

(dollars) 2,026.95 2,033.86 2,030.40 2,056.76 2,065.62 2,061.19 2,166.19 2,176.19 2,171.19 2,237.86 2,247.86 2,242.86

THE FOLLOWING STERLING EQUIVALENTS HAVE BEEN CALCULATED, ON THE BASIS OF DAILY CONVERSIONS: Copper Cash Seller & Settlement: Copper 3-months Seller: Lead Cash Seller & Settlement: Lead 3-months Seller:

£4,295.72 £4,320.48 £1,432.54 £1,451.80

Settlement Conversion Exchange Rates Stg/$ $/JY Euro

1.6256 89.7124 1.4624

$6989 Copper 3-months seller

LME AVERAGE SETTLEMENT PRICES IN EURO Metal

Euro Settlement Conversion Rate

Primary Aluminium

1,491.92

Aluminium Alloy

1291.48

Copper

4,775.89

Lead

1592.69

Nickel

11,684.14

Nasaac

1,392.10

NOVEMBER 2009 THE LONDON METAL EXCHANGE LIMITED AVERAGE OFFICIAL AND SETTLEMENT PRICES US$/TONNE

Cash Buyer Cash Seller & Settlement Cash Mean 3-months Buyer 3-months Seller 3-months Mean 15-months Buyer 15-months Seller 15-months Mean 27-months Buyer 27-months Seller 27-months Mean

Primary Aluminium (dollars) 1,948.60 1,949.29 1,948.94 1,981.24 1,981.95 1,981.60 2,087.38 2,092.38 2,089.88 2,170.43 2,175.43 2,172.93

Aluminium Alloy (dollars) 1,740.00 1,750.55 1,745.27 1,770.95 1,782.71 1,776.83 1,856.67 1,866.67 1,861.67 1,940.24 1,950.24 1,945.24

Copper

Lead

Nickel

NASAAC

(dollars) 6,674.24 6,675.60 6,674.92 6,696.48 6,698.12 6,697.30 6,717.14 6,727.14 6,722.14 6,683.33 6,693.33 6,688.33

(dollars) 2,307.62 2,308.76 2,308.19 2,328.90 2,331.26 2,330.08 2,348.43 2,353.43 2,350.93 2,340.86 2,345.86 2,343.36

(dollars) 16,982.62 16,991.19 16,986.90 17,053.33 17,071.67 17,062.50 17,011.19 17,111.19 17,061.19 16,714.76 16,812.38 16,763.57

(dollars) 1,809.00 1,817.55 1,813.27 1,835.48 1,845.57 1,840.52 1,948.81 1,958.81 1,953.81 2,021.43 2,031.43 2,026.43

£4,022.51 £4,038.51 £1,391.19 £1,405.59

Settlement Conversion Exchange Rates Stg/$ $/JY Euro

1.6596 89.1481 1.4917

$6588 Copper 3-months seller

LME AVERAGE SETTLEMENT PRICES IN EURO Metal

Euro Settlement Conversion Rate

Primary Aluminium

1306.70

Aluminium Alloy

1173.50

Copper

4474.99

Lead

1547.77

Nickel

11392.95

Nasaac

1218.35

Neither the LME nor any of its directors, officers or employees shall, except in the case of fraud or wilful neglect, be under any liability whatsoever either in contract or in tort in respect of any act or omission (including negligence) in relation to the preparation or publication of the data contained in the report.

36 MEP Middle East | February 2010

www.constructionweekonline.com

PRODUCTS SOFTWARE TO MODEL ‘GREEN’ STRATEGIES

there is also a built-in washbasin with a width of 58 cm for installation in practical surrounds. As an alternative to the hand-rinse basin with a 50 cm width, a corner hand-rinse basin is also offered. A bidet and WC are available as freestanding and wall-mounted versions, featuring an octagonal body and lid. All accessories feature skilled craftsmanship and an uninterrupted love of detail: from the towel stand and mirror to the glass holder and soap holder. Even the ceramic shelf is octagonal and the fastening of the towel holder has eight corners. For the metal surfaces, there is a choice of chrome or high-quality brass.

Trace 700 building energy and economic analysis software from Trane is used widely to model LEED buildings according to the requirements of the Performance Rating Method (Appendix G) in ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2007. Trace can model various ‘green’ strategies (such as daylighting, shading, optimised control sequences and thermal storage) and simplifies the calculation process by automatically rotating the baseline building and generating a pre-formatted LEED compliance report. Trane also offers advanced engineering support services to assist customers with modelling a building for energy simulation and LEED compliance. Unlike overly simplified spreadsheetbased energy analyses, Trace 700 software accurately compares the impact of building alternatives. Customers can test the effects and consequences of different architectural features, HVAC systems and building utilisation or scheduling scenarios. And you can see the different economic options for each scenario. This enables you to make genuine life-cycle, cost-based system decisions with absolute confidence.

www.duravit.com

www.trane.com

The Octagonal 1930 series from Duravit

DURAVIT’S LATEST Duravit has embraced an age-old design tradition to produce its new 1930 series, inspired by a model that was a market success as early as the 1930s. The latest addition to the range is a built-in bathtub. With dimensions of 180 cm by 80 cm, the bathtub is octagonal on the inside and rectangular on the outside. At the same time, the timeless design can be combined with state-ofthe-art whirl technology. As a two-seater tub with central outlet, the tub comfortably offers space for two people. Here, too, the rectangular outer shape facilitates installation. In addition to the washbasin in widths of 60 cm, 70 cm and 80 cm, with matching pedestals,

POWER TRANSMITTERS STMicroelectronics 1200V IGBT series of power transmitters reduce the environmental impact of daily-use equipment such as home appliances, HVAC systems and industrial machines. The series was designed to minimise two major sources of energy loss, namely conducting and switching. According to STMicro, the transmitter’s lower switching losses were engineered to allow a higher operating frequency – which, in turn, permits smaller and lower-cost components to power-control circuits. Its compact, industrystandard TO-247 package is intended to save component count by integrating the ultra-fast free-wheeling diode required by most circuits. The IGBT series was also designed to survive short circuits lasting up to 10 µsec, making them resistant to common causes of motor-controller failures such as an error in the gate drive signal, shorting at grounding and breakdown of motor phases-to-phase insulation. The goal is to improve motor reliability and save on repair and replacement costs. www.st.com 38 MEP Middle East | February 2010

www.constructionweekonline.com

We create the world’s best indoor climate for people and the environment We help our customers to save money by improving their energy saving potential whilst conserving the environment. We achieve this by offering energy saving systems with chilled beams and high efﬁcient energy recovery. Swegon is one of the leading manufacturers of equipment for air treatment in Europe. However, our vision is to create the world’s best indoor climate for people, with the least possible impact on the environment. Swegon’s development of ventilation products focuses on four key objectives: High energy efﬁciency and reduced carbon footprint Maximum comfort Low installation costs Minimum space requirement For further information, please contact: Gunnar Svensson, Swegon Mobile: +971 50 919 7181 E-mail: gunnar.svensson@swegon.ae

www.swegon.com

Bassel Anbari, InterCool Mobile: +971 50 667 0527 E-mail: Bassel@intercool.ae

SwegonSolutions

THE LAST WORD

ON GUARD Transguard MD Mike McGeever talks about its acquisition of MACAir. How has the downturn affected Transguard? Growth, while it has been impressive historically, has slowed simply because the size of the marketplace has decreased, and people are taking a little longer to make decisions in terms of their contracting. Our outlook for the future is very positive. The acquisition is a strong vote of confidence in Dubai and the UAE. We are very bullish about the future. The infrastructure being set up here in Dubai and the UAE in particular includes such notable achievements as the Dubai Metro, and the F1 at Yas Island in in Abu Dhabi, which was superb. So we have every confidence that we will continue to grow into the future. What was the reasoning behind the acquisition? MACAir is a considered strategic move. What we have done in FM is decided that, as well as having the soft services, we want to offer the full package – proper FM, self-performing, so we can control quality, efficiency and the expediency. We are very, very keen on making sure that when we have a client we can provide and anticipate everything that they will require. The acquisition has expanded your market and customer reach? Clearly it gives us a whole new client base. There is the dichotomy between contracting and maintenance. We are very supportive of the contracting side of MACAir. We have a significant forward order book of about AED550 million on the contracting side. We are bringing in Mike Calender as MD. His remit is to be build the maintenance side, where he has been very successful running a maintenance company for the last ten years, an MEP company in the UK. 40 MEP Middle East | February 2010

FM and MEP are essentially two sides of the same coin? I think MEP maintenance is a subset of FM. I do not think you can be an FM company if you are not able to provide the full package. What we are doing really is making ourselves a supplier of choice to enable us to sit down with our customers and really all sorts of activities. Many MEP companies have aspired to, and some have managed to become, FM companies, particularly in Europe. Similarly, you have single-trick ponies – catering and cleaning companies – moving up the value chain to FM. I think MEP is just another example of this. I do not think we are in the business of compromising on quality. I do not think you can, particularly with MEP, as health and safety issues are wrapped around it. Very often, particularly with MEP, there are also security issues wrapped around it. I do not think we can cut corners. I do not think Dubai and the UAE want corners to be cut. There is nothing to be gained. Short-termism is inimical to longterm quality. We are looking at operating lease type of ideas. We are very keen on off balance sheet solutions. My intention is ultimately to be able to put equipment in at our own cost in return for a long-term operating lease, a quasi-EFI type deal. The MACAir name will be retained? We see an intrinsic value in the name at this moment in time, simply because of the association it has had with quality in the MEP business over the last ten years. It will be the fourth division within Transguard group. We have already put our mobilisation and transition team into play to allow MACAir and its staff to bridge, hopefully bumpfree, into Transguard.

Many MEP companies have aspired to, and some have managed to become, FM companies, particularly in Europe.“ Mike McGeever What is your overall growth strategy in terms of growth? We have been asked by customers in Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and many African countries, as well as India, Pakistan and four European countries, to go and open Transguard internationally. We have not done so because the marketplace in Dubai, and the extraordinary growth we have had since our inception seven years ago, has suggested we are much better off to build on what we have and where we know, and that is across the UAE generally. We will be moving internationally, and we will be selecting somewhere within the GCC to open ﬁ rst and foremost. Internationally, outside of the GCC, we are in discussions with several organi-

sations about taking on a Transguard franchise. We will supply the knowledge, know-how and, in some instances, the opportunities and leads for the business; they will supply in-country knowledge and infrastructure. So that is a very exciting dimension for us. Any final message? I would like to extend a sincere thank you to the historic customers of MACAir and the Transguard group. All of you will understand that change sometimes brings uncertainty – that is not our intention at all in this instance. We would like the customers of MACAir to acknowledge and understand the beneﬁts of the deal. We look forward to servicing them in the future, and introducing MEP to our existing customer base. www.constructionweekonline.com

ARE YOU REALLY INSULATING? ARE YOU PROVIDING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT?

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