It is time to address the twin problems of power and data loss in data centre

Every organisation relies on data centres in some way, be they small, in-house servers or large systems. It is obvious that processing data creates heat, which adversely affects computers. How long can a data centre go without cooling before the servers begin to overheat, is a question that needs to be addressed. Equally important is the issue of huge amount of energy that these data centres consume. This ‘phantom loss’ often goes unaccounted for. This is a serious concern, especially given the growth rates of emerging markets like the Middle East.

According to 2007 estimates by the US Environmental Protection Agency, data centres consumed 1.5% of the total power in North America. This is predicted to double by 2011 to more than 100 billion kWh. Evidently, this is an area that deserves urgent and immediate attention.

Now, coming to the problem of data loss, according to information released by Trane, it has been found out that for some companies, just two-minutes of down-time can result in considerable financial and data losses. For these organisations, cooling is “mission critical”. This makes cooling a serious concern, says Trane.

According to Trane, it has tried to ensure that owners, operators and designers of mission-critical applications have the most energy-efficient and reliable cooling systems available. It claims that it has also developed chillers with a quick restart capability of 93 seconds. Trane believes that this can go a long way towards mitigating the risks of devastating data loss and asset damage caused by power outages.

Evidently, end-to-end cooling solutions that are energy-efficient, reliable, and green is the answer to the problem of overheating, data loss and above all, huge energy consumption by data centres.

Clinton praises its vision and Abu Dhabi’s leadership in taking on world’s energy challenges

According to an announcement by Masdar, US Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, affirmed the strong relationship between the US and the United Arab Emirates, in her speech, delivered on January 10 at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology’s campus.

Located at Masdar City, the institution is claimed to be the Middle East’s first graduate research centre dedicated to innovations in clean energy. Clinton also reportedly commended Masdar’s ambition and commitment to advancing and commercialising innovations in renewable energy and clean technology.

According to the announcement, in her address, Clinton said: “UAE is so well-positioned to compete in the 21st century because of your commitment to clean, renewable energy. We are fully committed to supporting your work and we will do everything we can through our academic institutions, like MIT, through our government, like the Department of Energy, and the State Department, and through our private sector, to bring more jobs and to bring more innovative entrepreneurial spirit here to the UAE. I want my country to know how advanced you are in pursuing clean renewable energy.”

Clinton reportedly added: “I want the world to know that the US is partnering with you because we are betting on Abu Dhabi and the UAE. We are betting that this incredible investment represented by Masdar is going to pay off. And when it pays off, it will not only mean a better life for the people of this country and this region, it will have ripple effects throughout the world.”

Following a guided tour of the facilities at Masdar City, Clinton was officially welcomed by Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, CEO and Managing Director of Masdar, the announcement stated.

On the occasion, Dr Al Jaber said: “We are privileged and honoured to welcome Secretary Clinton to Abu Dhabi and Masdar. Cooperation between our nations is built on mutual trust, respect and friendship. We look forward to further strengthening our relationship by working together to address the challenges of delivering viable, scalable clean energy to the world. Secretary Clinton’s visit to Masdar is a testament to the strength of this relationship and our leadership’s commitment to the development of renewable energy and climate change mitigation.”

According to the announcement, during the tour of Masdar City, Clinton was able to see innovations made possible by global collaboration. One such example was Clinton’s visit to Masdar’s advanced concentrated solar power (CSP) – Solar Beam Down project – a joint venture between Masdar, Cosmo-Oil of Japan and the Tokyo Institute of Technology.

Visiting the Masdar Institute campus, established in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Clinton was also shown the sustainable facilities that have been designed to improve both the living and working experience of the students and facultys through smart, energy-efficient and high- performance building design, said the announcement.

“I express my gratitude to the people of the UAE for being innovative, creative and at the same time, very practical about how you intend to achieve your goals,” Clinton said, during her visit. “We are proud to be your partner, and we are looking forward to achieving real progress for your citizens and the world at large,” she added.

According to Masdar, it believes that the visit by Clinton further enhances the ongoing cooperation between the UAE and the US.

On a tangential, but relevant note, Masdar’s announcement elaborated that the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Energy and Climate Change at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, worked closely with Masdar on initiating the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) process.

This bilateral preparation effort reportedly began on 26 April, 2010, when the DOE and Masdar signed a Memorandum of Understanding on clean energy cooperation. The UAE served as host to the first CEM Preparatory Meeting in Abu Dhabi on June 28 and 29, 2010.

Having brought together officials from the participating countries, the meeting provided an invaluable forum for productive multi-lateral dialogue on the transformative policy and programme initiatives that were publicly announced at the event in Washington. The second Clean Energy Ministerial meeting will be held on April 6 and 7, this year in the UAE.

2011 event will be bigger and showcase alternative and renewable energy projects, says utilities supplier

Following the success of the Qatar Alternative Energy Investors Summit 2010, Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) says the 2011 edition will create a fund raising platform for renewable and alternative energy projects.

Showcasing regional initiatives, the event will host investment bodies, private investors and international and regional decision makers in a bid to match investors with innovators.

Over one hundred representatives from government authorities, investment firms and industry service providers are expected to attend the two day event, which is widely seen as a seriously creative attempt to change the way energy is sourced and used in the Middle East.

To encourage collaboration, pre-qualified private and government investment bodies and individuals from the GCC will be introduced to innovators seeking project capital on a one-to-one basis throughout the event.

His Excellency Essa bin Hilal Al-Kuwari, Acting Managing Director of Kahramaa, Chairman of Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority (GCCIA), said of the summit: “It is an excellent opportunity to meet with all pivots of the renewable energy industry, including government representatives, academics, investors and private sector representatives.”

He further stated: “This summit is important as it comes at a time when the world economy is heading toward recovery after the 2009 recession.

“The Qatari economy, as part of the market economy, will use this opportunity to invest in renewable energy, which will eventually benefit both the economy and the environment.”

In-line with the energy investment plans of the region, the summit will highlight the future energy outlook for Qatar and the Middle East, the announcement elaborated.

Additional highlights are expected to include: government alternative energy strategies and goals; the investment landscape within alternative energy; and the risks, the rewards and return on investment – solar versus wind – the key factors that need to be considered before investing.

Nicholas Watson, Energy Series Director at organiser naseba, explained: “Qatar Investment Authority is earmarking $130 billion for investment over the next five to six years, $65 billion of which will be devoted to energy related projects.

“Qatar has an anticipated growth rate of 20% in a region that has energy investment potential of $615 billion. Add active government initiatives such as Kahramaa investing $4 billion in power generation and involvement in the first solar powered desalination plant, and Qatar will very soon become the region’s energy hub.”

Some of the alternative energy experts who are slated to discuss key issues during the summit include: His Excellency Essa bin Hilal Al-Kuwari; Dr Horst Kreuter, Member of Board of Directors, International Geothermal Association; Dr Dirar Khoury, Director of Institutional Research, Qatar Foundation; Ben Cotton, Partner, Earth Capital Partners; and Ennis Rimawi, Managing Partner, Catalyst Private Equity.

The organisers have announced that Helianthus Group; Altira Group (Ecolutions Solar); AZMEEL International for Construction and Trading; I2BF; Kahramaa; International Geothermal Association, and Oxford Business Group, among others, will be the main summit sponsors and partners.

Move aimed at giving customers direct access to the company’s range of solutions

Aldes Middle East has launched its new website – www.aldes.ae – dedicated to HVAC professionals and to support its customers and provide them with relevant information.

According to Aldes, it has exchanged information with its customers and highlighted their three main requirements:

• Quick access to information
• Complete technical information
• An exhaustive list of downloadable documents

Aldes Middle East claims that the new website is simple, clear, functional and ergonomic. In just a few clicks the visitor can discover Aldes Middle East and have direct access to all the solutions, it adds.

According to Aldes, data dealing with its activities including case studies, articles and product information are also available online and easily downloadable. The website will be continuously updated, said the source.

B Surendar

A rapidly growing population in the GCC has led to an increase in the number of supermarkets and convenience stores. And with that, the demand for robust cold chain solutions has intensified.

Refrigeration experts have called for a review of food handling and storage practices, and for increasing vigilance to ensure that there are no weak links in the chain, from farm to fork.

In north-western Saudi Arabia, fruit and vegetable pluckers at Tadco Farm, which incidentally, is the size of Bahrain, take immense care to ensure that the produce do not lose their weight or nutrition. The threshold limit is 10 minutes from the time of plucking, within which the produce have to be refrigerated, else there is loss of weight and nutrition. Taking this into consideration, the fruits and vegetables are plucked and immediately stored in mobile refrigeration units, which move along with the pluckers in the farm. And from there, they are taken to refrigerated storehouses, where again, the right temperature and humidity are maintained.

While the fruits and vegetables are in almost pristine condition until the time they are in the storehouses in farms, like Tadco, there is a need to ensure that they are transported properly from there onwards and that they arrive at the supermarkets with their weight and nutrition intact. There can be a number of technical and non-technical imponderables on the way that could disrupt the cold chain. To cite one possibility, it could be a case of a less-enlightened truck driver, who in order to save on power, could switch off the refrigeration for a considerable length of time and switch it back on, as he nears the destination. If questioned about the produce, the truck driver could blame the farm for not ensuring that the fruits and vegetables were up to acceptable standards, in the first place.

Needless to say, this malpractice can be caught through a vigilant approach, which should include checking the produce at the time of placing it in the truck at the farmhouse and sealing and certifying the container. Systems and processes, such as this, will go a long way in ensuring a robust cold chain.

Food handling and storage collectively form the theme of Food Chain, the two-day food-safety seminar we will be conducting in end-April. It has an end-user focus; delegates will listen to issues raised by retailers, wholesalers and food processors. Suppliers, service-providers and logistical entities will have an opportunity to address their concerns. It is intended that the seminar is a meeting ground for the industry to identify the weak links in the chain and resolve issues that simply cannot be ignored, especially when the footprint of supermarkets and convenience stores is getting larger and larger.

James K Walters

On behalf of AHRI and its more than 450 manufacturer members and global participants in the AHRI Certification Program, I want to extend congratulations to CPI Industry on the 10th anniversary of its excellent publication, Climate Control Middle East.

I am certain that each reader has a favorite feature of the publication. And I suspect many would agree on what I believe is an important approach taken by the publication, which is covering both the Middle East and global developments of concern to the entire HVACR industry. The publication nicely integrates these two levels of developments into interesting, informative discussions of the impact of those developments on the industry in the Middle East. In other words, the publication clearly demonstrates some of the unique aspects and challenges of the region, while concurrently depicting the global context.

James K Walters
Vice President, International Affairs, Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI)

Ghaleb Abusaa

With due diligence, determination, patience and persistence, the founders started Climate Control Middle East under tough conditions, some 10 years ago. I came to know the founders right during the first year and can confidently say that the magazine was born matured, thanks to the founders and their supporting staff. I watched the magazine branch into multiple disciplines, all aimed at raising public awareness for the well-being of humankind and our planet. I’m proud of being associated with the team at Climate Control Middle East, in its English and Arabic versions. My recommendation is to keep going with the same energy, ethics and determination, fuelled by the excellent support of friends and readers, locally and internationally.

Ghaleb Abusaa
CEO, en3solutions

Brian Suggitt

Climate Control is the major provider of information pertaining to our industry in the Middle East. The magazine is always diversified, informative, topical and easy to read. The organisation also provides a platform through conferences and seminars for the HVAC community to air opinions and to educate. Without doubt, there would be a major gap in the market if Climate Control and its professional and knowledgeable personnel were not present.

Brian Suggitt
Managing Director, Systemair

Zakir Ahmed

Congratulations to Fred, Surendar and their team on the 10th anniversary of Climate Control Middle East magazine. HVAC plays a critical role in maintaining good health of the building and its occupants. It may represent a small part of a building’s value, but it consumes large amounts of energy. The industry is at its best in dealing with this challenge by developing state-of-the-art products that are efficient by integrating new technologies, such as eco-friendly refrigerants, variable speed compressors and energy-recovery systems.

Climate Control Middle East excels in bringing these developments to the public domain, not only through traditional print format but also through its digital platforms and technical seminars. It also engages the protagonists of competing solutions to discuss, debate and disseminate the knowledge to all stakeholders.

John Ruskin said, “When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece.” Climate Control Middle East is one such blessing to the HVAC community in the region. Join me in wishing them the best for the future.

Zakir Ahmed
Managing Director, Nia Limited

Faris Saeed

Diamond Developers extends its sincere congratulations to Climate Control Middle East on its 10th anniversary. The magazine, with its aim to create a brighter and sustainable future, has provided an exciting platform to Diamond Developers to showcase its unique development, The Sustainable City. We look forward to a strong and fruitful
relationship with the highly professional team at Climate Control Middle East in the coming years and to it being a continuous source of valuable information on the creation of viable and sustainable smart communities.

Faris Saeed
CEO, Diamond Developers

Charles Blaschke

Maybe it’s because I am a nerd, but honestly I think that Climate Control Middle East is the best magazine in the UAE. It is the one place I can go to and always get all the information and updates on projects and people. I feel like without it I would kind of be lost and with us being in the energy field, we don’t really do design and construction like we used to, so I feel we are kind of removed from that part of the industry, but then the magazine pulls me back in and gives me the information.

Charles Blaschke
General Manager, taka solutions

Bassam Al Awar

Congratulations to the entire editorial team of Climate Control Middle East on their fifth anniversary. The magazine has been an excellent platform of communication within the HAVCR community in the region, highlighting the best practices and challenges faced by our industry.

Climate Control Middle East’s extensive coverage of all key events and seminars by the HVACR professionals has speeded up the region’s drive towards more responsible and energy- efficient designs and has created better awareness among engineering firms, developers and the general public.

Best wishes for continued success.

Bassam Al Awar
General Manager, Tour & Andersson Middle East, Africa & India

Aslan Al-Barazi

It’s a job well accomplished! I believe that the team at Climate Control Middle East is an inspired one, which is always looking for ways to move forward into the future, exploring new ideas on a continuous basis along the way. Its strengths are its intimate work with the MEP Industry, being always a part of the action locally as well as globally. I wish the magazine all the best for future milestones and timely celebrations, as well.

Best regards,

Aslan Al-Barazi
Executive Director, IMEC, Sharjah, UAE

Antoine Stephan

I have been reading Climate Control Middle East for the past few years. I find its content to be vast, varied, interesting and up-to-date. It covers the latest topics, events and players in the district cooling industry. It is easy to read, and I appreciate the innovative efforts it makes – organising debates, conferences, on-line version, the Arabic version…. On the other hand, I believe what could be improved is innovation in its format, layout, paper quality and photos.

Best regards,

Antoine Stephan
General Manager, Hamon Cooling Tower Company, Dubai, UAE

Even in the mature world of our HVACR industry, development has continuously kept everybody hungry for information. In this scenario, Climate Control Middle East has changed the pace with which information about innovation and concepts is communicated to the stakeholders in the Middle East, and has given local players a place to express their ideas. The accuracy and technical depth of the articles make it a must-read for all stakeholders in the region. Information about and coverage of different technical and business aspects of the industry has placed Climate Control Middle East in a league of its own.

Congratulations to the Editor and his staff, and best wishes for more good years to come. Congratulations to Climate Control Middle East on completing five successful years in which the magazine has made a big impact on the HVACR media and information in the Middle East.

Good luck for the future. We hope to see your excellent efforts continue in the years to come.

Kind regards,

Bassam Elassaad
Past President, ASHRAE Falcon Chapter Founding Member, EmiratesGBC

Dr M Ramaswamy

I have been associated with the magazine since 2006, and have observed its growth since then. The goodwill and popularity of the magazine among the practising engineers in Oman and the UAE are excellent. The entire team behind the magazine has a well-defined vision and mission to update the refrigeration and air conditioning engineers with the latest trends in the industry through technical articles, product advertisements, seminars, exhibitions and conferences. The Climate Control Conference (C3) has already gained a brand name within a short span of time. I have participated in a few of the conferences and have found them extremely useful for enhancing my professional experiences.

Though I love each page of the magazine, the Editoral and Perspective are two sections that draw my immediate attention as soon as I receive the magazine. Recently, the publishers have added a recruitment section, which will be useful to develop a human resources database among the HVAC engineers. If they can include a Q&A section, it will be useful for the engineering community and technicians to post their questions and seek the right advice from the panel of experts in the HVAC industry.

Climate Control Middle East is celebrating its fifth birthday. I take this occasion to wish it a long association with the HVAC industry and hope that it will grow more by including a wide spectrum of knowledge in the HVAC domain.

My best wishes!

With kind regards,

Dr M Ramaswamy
Technical Expert at His Excellency’s Office in Royal Court of Affairs, Palace, Muscat, Oman

In 1978, Carrier sent me to Dubai to start the first Carrier owned sales company. Back then, a big sale was a pick-up truck load of room air conditioners. Today, the UAE represents one of the most sophisticated air conditioning markets in the world, and is quickly becoming a world leader in alternative energy and green building construction.

I was honoured to serve as the Master of Ceremonies at The Climate Control Conference (C3) in 2008, which brought together international leaders of the air conditioning and construction industries. The conference was just one example of Climate Control Middle East’s leadership in these important areas, as exhibited by the magazine with every issue.

Congratulations on the accomplishment of your fifth anniversary.

Best regards,

John Hunter, USA

Peter Blanchflower

I would like to offer my congratulations on the fifth anniversary of Climate Control Middle East magazine. Is it five years already?!

Overall, I find the magazine well presented. There is also usually a good range of articles that address industry issues and ‘happenings’. In addition, I note that the editorial staff is present at most key industry events, which is reassuring. However, I do find that some of the verbatim style of reporting on some of the conferences to be a bit long and tedious.

Also, the trend to greater focus on specialities within the industry is a two edged sword. On the plus side, it may provide better targeting, but this can come at an additional cost for advertisers. I would like to see more well researched engineering articles, as I believe your readers are mostly professional HVAC engineers who would probably appreciate this. In addition, there is a strong focus on new construction; how can you increase readership with operators and owners of existing facilities?

I wish you every success in your next five years.

My very best regards,

Peter Blanchflower
Regional Marketing Leader, Trane, Europe, Middle East, India, Africa-Ingersoll Rand

Prashanth BS

Whilst you celebrate this milestone, I must take the opportunity to congratulate everyone at Climate Control Middle East for its great coverage of the region’s HVAC&R industry insights and highlights, which are useful to the industry professionals. The magazine is neatly arranged into Happenings, Marketplace, Advertorial, Report, Country Focus, Perspective, Cover Story, Spotlight, Events Watch, etc. I sometimes come across very interesting and thought-provoking articles. It has been a particular pleasure to read interviews with our industry leaders in End Point. Great work and keep going! Wish you all the success in future.

Regards,

Prashanth BS
Marketing & Business Development Manager, UTS Carrier LLC and President, ASHRAE Falcon Chapter, UAE

Climate Control Middle East undoubtedly offers a key perspective on the region’s HVACR industry. Not only does it give us updates on the latest happenings in the region but also the much needed meaningful insight into the heating and cooling business around the world. It has been an excellent resource to readers like me, who want to be in the know and to drive the game. No other magazine in this region is as relevant or robust. Working with the people that run the magazine has always been a pleasure.

Surajit Mahanty
Marketing Specialist, Trane, Middle East, India & Africa-Ingersoll Rand Climate Solutions

Sougata Nandi

Since mid-2006, when I first came across Climate Control Middle East, I have been an avid reader of the magazine. Given the nature of my work involving energy and water conservation, green building certification and sustainable development in general, Climate Control Middle East has steadily supplied me with relevant information, not only in terms of technology, but also in terms of projects of interest in the region.

In addition to the standard work a magazine performs, Climate Control Middle East also stands out in its efforts to bring the industry together via various events like C3, roundtables, seminars and training workshops, all of which have maintained high standards of quality, objectivity and technical depth.

Climate Control Middle East stands out in that these values and standards have been maintained over the years. I look forward to greater contribution from the magazine in the future.

Sougata Nandi
Executive Director, Asset Management & Sustainable Development, TECOM Business Parks Operations

Ken Currie

It would be forgivable for some to think that in its early days, Climate Control Middle East would be yet another technical journal – capable, but limited – and a toss-up between reading it or watch paint dry. The magazine, however, has provided both much-needed focus and forum for industry issues and an avenue for debate, both on and off print for evolving technology and issues particular to the Middle East. It allows its readers to garner broader understanding of new systems and products. These chaps should be congratulated; it would be hard not to think of them being there to play their important part in the regional HVAC and refrigeration industry.

Ken Currie
Technical Director, Mott MacDonald, UAE

To our colleagues and friends at Climate Control Middle East:

On behalf of the members and board of directors of the International District Energy Association (IDEA), I want to extend our congratulations on the occasion of your fifth anniversary of operation. Five years is a significant milestone for a publication, and you are to be commended for your vision, commitment and engagement in the district energy industry in the Middle East region.

Our paths have been intertwined since the first International District Cooling Conference in Abu Dhabi in January 2007, nearly 100 years after IDEA was founded in 1909. Since we first published District Energy magazine in 1915, we have maintained editorial focus on energy efficiency and environmental stewardship as guiding principles, a mission that you have mirrored.

As surging urban populations with escalating energy appetites drain ever more finite fuel and water resources, district energy will emerge as essential infrastructure for economically sustainable cities.

The next century will demand our very best efforts to maintain a livable planet. We are pleased that Climate Control Middle East will be with us on this engaging and rewarding ride.

Best wishes and continued success,

Robert P Thornton
President & CEO, International District Energy Association

On behalf of its 55,000 members worldwide, ASHRAE offers congratulations to Climate Control Middle East magazine on the occasion of its fifth anniversary.

ASHRAE’s long history is renowned for its focus on energy efficiency in heating and cooling. Our mission, “promoting HVAC&R to serve humanity and promote a sustainable world”, clearly sets a path for us in providing guidance for sustainable design, construction and operation of buildings, systems and equipment. Our members in the Middle East play a vital role in helping us carry out our mission.

ASHRAE has a strong presence in the Middle East, with almost 1,500 members spread across Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen. The society has seven chapters in the Middle East – Bahrain, Cairo, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar (Oryx), Saudi Arabia and the UAE (ASHRAE Falcon).

AHSRAE has seen strong growth and participation of these chapters in the region. I am pleased to recognise the tremendous impact dedicated ASHRAE volunteers and chapter leaders are having in the region.

These 1,500 members help us develop our technical guidance in a variety of ways – in standards, publications, research, education and conferences. Of note are new projects, which include ANSI/ASHRAE/USGBC/IES Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Building, the first standard in the United States, developed for high-performing buildings, a new building labelling programme known as Building Energy Quotient, a new research strategic plan that sets out research goals for the next five years and continued development of our series, providing advanced energy design guidance.

Two projects of special interest to your readers are design guides that deal with district heating and cooling. With funding from Empower, ASHRAE is developing a design manual for district cooling systems. ASHRAE also is funding a research project to develop a district heating and cooling guide. Our goal in the two endeavours is to provide guidance to properly design and operate integrated systems.

Earlier this year, ASHRAE assisted in the adoption of a residential energy standard in Kuwait. Known as ASHRAE Standard 90.2-Kuwait, Energy-Efficient Design of Low-Rise Residential Buildings in Kuwait, it was developed by a committee consisting of representatives from the Society and Kuwait University, and supported by the Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) in Kuwait. In late March, ASHRAE members from the United States travelled to Kuwait to present a course on the application of the standard over a five-day period.  Twenty-seven engineers from MEW were trained on the new standard.

“The project was very successful; it was heard by many people in the region and I was approached to see if the same experience could be repeated in other Gulf countries,” Walid Chakroun, a professor of Mechanical Engineering from Kuwait University and ASHRAE Director and Regional Chair of Region-at-Large, said.

Last year, ASHRAE published a new book that contains expanded and revised guidance on keeping heat and humidity out of buildings in hot and humid climates. The second edition of The ASHRAE Guide for Buildings in Hot and Humid Climates, is based on years of compiling questions, comments and suggestions from practising architects, engineers and building managers, who work in hot and humid climates.

The book includes four new chapters to guide architectural design towards reduced energy consumption, reduced mould risk and lower-cost mechanical systems. The HVAC&R design section has also been expanded. Six new chapters help system designers quantify and reduce cooling and dehumidification loads, design more economical ventilation systems and save more than 25% of annual HVAC&R energy through low-cost sealing of air distribution components.

This year, I am focusing on Modelling a Sustainable World, calling on use of modelling and integrated design to guide the industry in optimising system and building performance. Our challenge is to approach every project with innovation, not repetition, and to challenge ourselves to find elegant solutions that will minimise energy use and provide exceptional indoor environmental quality.

With energy simulation, daylight analysis, CFD and BIM software, we have powerful modelling tools that enable us to create and refine our vision of a building – its appearance, systems, operation and performance. Those resources, used effectively in an integrated design process for new buildings and in analysing retrofit opportunities in existing buildings, will help us model a sustainable world.

Our biggest challenge is implementing integrated design in daily practice. The traditional approach, where the architect designs the building shape, orientation and envelope, and then transmits the drawings to the mechanical and electrical engineers for their design, is a silo approach that misses the rich opportunities for optimising building performance through a collaborative approach from the beginning. It is going to require a real cultural shift in our industry to transform the design process, and it’s a shift that has to occur if we are going to reach our goal of net-zero-energy buildings.

In closing, I again offer my congratulations to Climate Control Middle East on the occasion of its fifth anniversary. And I again offer a sincere thank you to our members in the region for their hard work and dedication. Today, we are called to become the giants of our industry, to set the example of innovation and dedication that future generations will remember when they look back on the time when buildings ceased to be net consumers of energy and became net-zero-energy, and even producers of energy.

I invite you to join with ASHRAE in setting the example in energy efficiency, in elegant, innovative solutions to meeting the energy needs of today and the future, to model a sustainable world.

Personal regards,

Lynn G Bellenger
PE, ASHRAE Fellow, 2010-11 ASHRAE President

Dear Climate Control Middle East:

I am pleased to offer congratulations on the occasion of your fifth anniversary on behalf of the 300 member-companies that make up the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) of the United States. We share the common goal of increasing energy efficiency while maintaining and even increasing comfort in a way that is affordable and as environmentally benign as possible.

Many of our member-companies are very involved in the Middle East market and are excited about the opportunities that exist for high quality, energy-efficient cooling, and commercial refrigeration products. In just five years, Climate Control Middle East has become an invaluable source of information about energy efficiency and environmental issues facing the industry in an important region of the world.

AHRI is the trade association representing manufacturers of air conditioning, heating and commercial refrigeration equipment.  An internationally recognised advocate for the industry, AHRI develops standards for, and certifies the performance of, many of these products. AHRI’s 300 member-companies account for more than 90% of the residential and commercial air conditioning, space heating, water heating, and commercial refrigeration equipment manufactured and sold in North America. We also have an increasing global presence, particularly in the areas of industry performance standards and performance-certification programmes.

Sustainability and Green have become the watchwords of the day, owing to the twin challenges of global climate change, and energy supply and use. Concerns about energy use and environmental stewardship have driven a movement, both in the Middle East and around the world, towards ensuring sustainability through good building practices and care in selecting and installing building components and systems that work together as a unified, energy-efficient system. The new UAE energy efficiency standards are a good indication of how seriously curbing energy use is now being taken in the Middle East.

In an atmosphere where efficiency and environmental stewardship are prized, equipment choices need to be informed ones – those that rest on accepted and respected performance data, and are credible to architects, specifiers, engineers, building owners – and an increasing number of government regulators.

But how can you be sure the manufacturers’ performance data are accurate and credible? The answer is quite simple: performance certification. It is one indispensible tool that those responsible for residential and commercial space heating and cooling, commercial refrigeration, and residential and commercial water heating need to meet their responsibilities towards sustainably.

Ultimately, two very important tools – industry standards and product performance certification programmes – enable improved quality of life by contributing to more efficient and effective indoor comfort, water heating and refrigeration. Regulators, policy makers and equipment purchasers understand this, and increasingly rely on credible third parties to verify HVACR and water heater manufacturers’ performance claims.

The first tool – standard test methods and testing and rating procedures – is integral to verifying claimed equipment performance. It is important that the standards used are those best suited for the purpose, regardless of brand, that stimulate innovation, and are stepping stones to improving and driving energy efficiency and product performance.

The second important tool is third-party, industry-driven performance certification. Certification is one of several approaches in conformity assessment used to verify if a resulting product, does in fact, comply with claimed design or performance criteria in a way which is technically defensible and credible to engineers, contractors, building owners, specifiers, end-users of such equipment and governments. Successful programmes, such as AHRI’s century-old programme, have the characteristics and principles to meet the demands of sustainability.

I again offer you congratulations on your fifth anniversary. AHRI and our members stand ready to join you in a partnership of research, innovation, production, and performance, as we work together towards achieving our common goals of energy efficiency, performance verification, economic sustainability, and environmental stewardship.

Regards,

Stephen Yurek
President and CEO, AHRI

For five years now, we have been bringing out Climate Control Middle East, and what a thrilling, maddening, befuddling ride it has been!

B Surendar

Every day has been a discovery and an opportunity to add heft and variety to reportage, the kind of which we never imagined possible in late 2005, as we sat at the drawing board. Indeed, at the time of doing the initial rounds and getting feedback from the industry, some of the common questions were: An HVACR magazine? Will it have enough meat? What’s there to write about, anyway?

In all honesty, we didn’t have all the answers, then. It was a challenge to comprehend the variety in the acronym, HVACR. And we are still learning… and discovering. At the risk of sounding trite, every letter in the acronym is an ocean of esoteric features and peculiar traits, of epiphanies, accomplishments and immense potential. And to make it even more confounding, every letter is a slave of situations – some within its control and some seemingly as unbendable as the wind. Case-in point, the lingering downturn and the uncertainty and excitement it has fathered.

I shall ramble no further. This supplement, which shall later come out as a standalone book, is an opportunity to look back and, at the same time, look ahead in anticipation. It has been blessed by introductions from key industry associations – AHRI, ASHRAE and IDEA. We would like to call them friends of Climate Control Middle East, for that’s what they are in our esteem. We asked them to write to celebrate the occasion, and they were kind enough to oblige. And for that, we are ever so grateful to them and will ever cherish their gesture. Thank you!

This supplement also contains a picture-feature. Words cannot express better what the pictures – a reproduction of some of the pages from the distant and recent past – can accomplish. We hope you enjoy the spread.

And as a final thrill, we bring to you the kind words of the many readers who, when they heard of this supplement, promptly sent in their best wishes and expressed their sentiments about the magazine. Thank you, all. We immensely do appreciate your thoughts and perspectives.

B Surendar
Editorial Director & Associate Publisher 

Frédéric Paillé

As Surendar said, some in the industry questioned the need for HVACR publication. However, it struck me that there were existing HVACR magazines in nearly every corner of the world, except in the hottest one, right here in the Middle East!

Initially the publication was bi-monthly, purely as a precautionary measure. The response was such though we went monthly in March 2006, missing February as a mark of respect to the passing of HH Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

I would like to thank you, the industry, for your support. The aim going forward is to grow Climate Control Middle East as a comprehensive marketing solutions provider.

Watch out for a raft of upcoming industry focused events, recruitment services, educational seminars.

Frédéric Paillé
Managing Director & Associate Publisher