Dubai, UAE, 5 June 2018: Looming environmental targets have made a case for integrating energy-efficient equipment at every turn, said Paul Groves, Business Development Manager, Khansaheb Industries. Speaking on the importance of insulation in this regard, Groves cited recent research from AECOM concluding that up to 24% of a building’s total lifetime cost was directly related to ductwork. “This may well be higher in the Gulf,” he said, “and if AC ductwork can enhance the energy efficiency of a system, then there are large savings to be made.”

Speaking in the context of the UAE’s environmental targets, Groves made a case for the company’s product, Spiralite, highlighting the design’s contribution to energy efficiency, sustainability, reduction of carbon footprint and optimising lifecycle cost. Thermal and airflow efficiencies, he said, are due to the rounded shape, internal laminate and use of phenolic DCD approved insulation.  “In recent projects we achieved energy cost savings of 27% and 38%,” he said. “These are serious numbers when taken over the lifetime of the building.”

Circular ductwork, Groves added, also has had a big impact, as in Scandinavia the use of circular ductwork has increased from 5%–85% in the last 40 years, “driven almost entirely by energy cost increases”. In the USA, Groves said, the recently completed multi-billion-dollar refurbishment of the Pentagon had a mandated 35% energy saving, “a substantial portion of which was achieved by converting all the AC ductwork from rectangular to circular or flat oval”.

Further highlighting Spiralite’s features, Groves said, that its being airtight and pressure resistant up to 7,667 pa, is also a significant factor in its enhanced performance. “In a recent study,” he added, “the cost of wasted energy due to air leakages alone increased from GBP 850 (USD 1,121) to GBP 24,580 (USD 32,419) when comparing Spiralite to Class A metal ductwork.”

Groves said that this also significantly impacts IEQ, stressing that the use of circular insulated, non-leaking and pressure-resistant ductwork facilitates the “optimal delivery of conditioned air at the right temperature, quantity, speed, location and humidity and, preferably, at a reduced noise level”.

Hannah Jo Uy is Assistant Editor at Climate Control Middle East magazine. She may be contacted at hannah@cpi-industry.com