Partnership to tap potential for evaporative air conditioning systems

Breezair, air cooling technology brand from Seeley International, Australia, has announced its partnership with ClimaGulf Trading, to launch a range of evaporative air conditioning systems in the UAE. The announcement added that as a result of the tie-up, ClimaGulf has become the exclusive distributor of Breezair in the UAE.

As part of the joint statement, ClimaGulf said that with the size of the Middle East market for air cooling systems reportedly estimated at 100,000 units per annum, it planned to tap the UAE market in the initial phase, before expanding across the region.

Breezair claims that it foresees numerous growth opportunities its cooling systems in the Middle East.

Commenting on the partnership, Sabu C Abraham, Managing Director, ClimaGulf, said: “We are pleased to forge this alliance with a prestigious brand like Breezair, the innovator of natural air cooling technology. Breezair will become a trend-setter for natural air cooling in the UAE, which supports environmentally friendly and energy- efficient sources of air conditioning. Breezair systems use only a fraction of the energy compared to conventional, refrigerative air conditioning.”

Kym Garrick, Export Manager, Asia, Middle East and South America, Seeley International, added: Sales of the high-quality, high-efficiency Breezair machines are expanding in the Middle East region, where evaporative cooling can be successfully used. Even on the coastal areas of the Gulf countries, Breezair machines can provide cooling solutions to many commercial and industrial applications.”

Durgesh Verma, General Manager, ClimaGulf, claimed that Breezair was suitable for places where the normal air conditioning system cannot work or be installed, and added that the technology developed by Breezair was an affordable alternative cooling system.

Event also trains the spotlight on ‘performance contracting’ to achieve capital and operational cost reduction in buildings
 
A wide range of innovative solutions in the clean tech sector can help augment energy supply, especially during the peak season, according to energy and environmental experts at a seminar hosted by the Energy and Environment Park (Enpark), a sustainable community model for commercial and residential use, and a member of Tecom Investments’ Sciences Cluster.
 
According to a news release on the event, key industry leaders, including Enpark business partners, as well as representatives from the government, financial institutions and legal firms, also demonstrated through a sequence of regional case studies, how regional organisations are successfully addressing environmental and energy concerns by deploying clean tech solutions, particularly during the summer season.
 
Themed ‘Energy Efficiency’, the seminar, said Enpark, was its first in the ‘Green Brunch’ series of four events that aim to focus on different aspects of the energy and environment industry.
 
Topics covered during the seminar reportedly included green retrofitting for private and commercial space, water and waste water management as well as solid waste and recycling management.

Commenting on the Green Brunch series, Ali bin Towaih, Executive Director of Enpark reportedly, said: “Worldwide, there is an increasing call for organisations to operate in ways that are less power intensive and less impactful on the environment. The Green Brunch series of seminars organised by Enpark serves as a platform to zoom into what regional organisations have already done in this sphere, which could be upheld as examples worthy of emulation.”
 
Sougata Nandi, Director of Sustainable Energy and Environment Division (SEED), Tecom Investments, made a presentation titled Performance Contracting at Tecom, the news release claimed.
 
As part of his presentation he reportedly said: “This innovative financing technique is ideal in this economic climate, as it allows building users to achieve energy savings without up-front capital expenses. The costs of the energy improvements are borne by the performance contractor, and later paid back out of the energy savings. The scientific approach to energy efficiency initiatives, depending on several factors, can often reduce operational costs in a salutary range of 10 to 25%.”
 
Tecom claimed that the Green Brunch series featured presentations and open debates to help raise awareness of new energy and environment-related technologies and solutions available today. The series, said Enpark, follows the success of its Green Building series in 2009, which was said to highlight its initiative to promote sustainability across the region.
 
The news release further added that, as part of Tecom’s initiatives to inform and educate on green issues and contribute to reducing the region’s carbon footprint, it has also compiled the ‘Sustainable Development Report’. Tecom claims that it is the first of its kind to be released by a company based in the Middle East.

Claims that its actuation technology and Torento’s product portfolio is the perfect match for strong growth market in district cooling

SIPOS Aktorik actuator technology installed in UAE

In an announcement, SIPOS Aktorik, supplier of specialist variable speed and standard actuator solutions, has reported the success of its Middle East agent, Torento Energy Systems, a member of the Al Dhafra group. It was reportedly appointed as the exclusive representative for SIPOS, for the region in 2008. It brief was to incorporate SIPOS’ actuation products into its turnkey solutions across a range of sectors, including major utilities, district cooling and construction in the UAE.

Commenting on the synergies of SIPOS’ actuation technology with Torento’s product portfolio, Ahmed Sobhi, a Director of Torento Energy Systems, said: “SIPOS, with its focus on high level service and bespoke solutions, is a perfect match for our business and our customers’ requirements. The extreme heat of the UAE makes the centralised production of cooling energy a highly attractive solution, and this has made district cooling, a technology that is supported by SIPOS’ actuators, a particularly strong growth market.”

According to the announcement, SIPOS claims that its actuation technology plays a key role in controlling valves that manage the cooling water flow and protect hydraulics from water hammer.

Regions supported by Torento Energy Systems include, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Bahrain, Kuwait and Pakistan.

Will provide district cooling to 59 buildings with a capacity of 320 TR

Emirates Central Cooling Corporation (Empower) has announced that it has bagged the Mirdif Gate Buildings project for providing district cooling services.

Ahmad Bin Shafar

According to Empower, the Mirdif project will be in addition to other areas it provides district cooling to in Dubai, such as Dubai International Financial Center, Dubai Healthcare City, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Business Bay and City of Arabia.

In a statement, Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, confirmed that the project was preceded by extensive studies before investing into central stations and networks to enhance ROI in the long and short run. In his opinion, Dubai was moving rapidly towards increased use of district cooling as an alternative to conventional cooling, because of its efficiency in rationalising electricity consumption and conserving natural resources and reducing operating and maintenance costs. He also confirmed that Empower’s plant in Mirdif would provide services to 59 buildings with a capacity of 320 TR.

He added: “Mirdif is one of the dynamic destinations of Dubai, and it is becoming a very busy area. This area has developed remarkably, and it offers customers a wide array of options. We have managed to create a large demand on our services from landlords and tenants at the same time.”

Claims 240 million-worth contracts will leverage its market share in Abu Dhabi

According to a statement by Drake & Scull International, it has recently won the contract for the complete mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) works for two major projects in Abu Dhabi – Saadiyat Beach Apartments project and a government building project – worth a combined value of Dh240 million.

Commenting on this, Khaldoun Tabari, CEO, DSI, said: “We are very pleased to continuously work on domestic projects in a city that has contributed so greatly to the 40 years of experience which we have gathered in the MEP field. We have always seen Abu Dhabi as a lucrative market, and our expectations of projects in the pipeline have indeed been fulfilled.”

DSI reports that it will begin work immediately on the Saadiyat Beach Apartments Plot SB19 project located on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi. The series of beachside apartments, which are being developed by the Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC), will provide living spaces in private gated communities, with options ranging from studios to multiple bedroom apartments.

The project is scheduled for completion in December 2011. The scope of work for DSI will include supply, installation, testing and commissioning of the entire electro-mechanical works.

According to DSI, it will simultaneously start the MEP works for the government building project, which will be completed by June 2012, and will include a total built-up area of 106,670 square metres.

“These two recent project wins bring the total value of contracts awarded to us this year to Dh1.4 billion,” said Tabari, and added, “Aside from this being a marked accomplishment for the company, we expect that this will also aid in boosting our returns towards the end of the financial year.”

B Surendar

Against the baseline level of 1998, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry building has been able to achieve a 77% reduction in water and a 47% reduction in electrical consumption. The 15-year-old building, along the creek in the historical Deira part of Dubai, is the first LEED EB in the Arab world. Jagath Gunawardena, its Manager (Projects and Building Development), says that the building has been able to achieve an 8-9% reduction in operating cost, a 7.5% increase in building value and an accumulated savings of Dh7.1 million since 1998.

The Chamber building is an example of a client showing faith in facilities management to achieve power efficiency and water efficiency. According to industry figures, facilities management has a 70% impact on the efficient running of a building and even its aspiration for green building status. Gunawardena vouches for that by saying that in an EB certification process the role of a facilities manager is crucial.

Generally, he says, the onus is on the facilities manager to regularly re-commission and retrofit the building, to regularly analyse data and to switch off equipment when not necessary. Switching off, he says, is not something that can be flippantly dismissed as a minor exercise in savings. His words resonate with what another building in Dubai achieved through switching off its chillers and FAHUs in the night – a savings of 15% every year. The fact that the owner of the building achieved this without investing anything and by merely operating the facility the way it should be operated is noteworthy.

In that context, building owners, consultants and contractors would probably do well to consider involving an FM specialist from the design stage of a building through to its hand over, a practice that is “more honour’d in the breach than the observance”, to quote Shakespeare. Other less-than-ideal situations include the overdesign of MEP (usually 200% of HVAC), lack of MEP knowledge in BMS design personnel and the fact that designers of a building never return to evaluate its performance and negative features and, worse, go on to replicate the design, replete with mistakes.

Thrift, planning, history and collaboration are mind-entities worth their weight in gold.

The Güntner Group, with its headquarters in Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany, is a global leader for the production of refrigeration and air conditioning components. Operators include, among others, the international automotive, food, pharmaceutical and computer industries as well as a large number of public facilities. Founded in Germany in 1931, the Güntner Group is present for its customers and partners today with nine production sites as well as 40 sales offices and subsidiaries, worldwide. To support our Güntner Middle East Team, we are looking for an experienced and qualified SALES MANAGER, reporting directly to the Managing Director Middle East

• 2 – 3 years experience in refrigeration
• Familiarity with the Middle East market, and based in Dubai
• Regular travels required
• Fluency in English is a must
• Knowledge of spoken Arabic will be an advantage
• UAE driving license required
• Joining date: as soon as possible

Please send your application to Svenja Konken <s.konken@guentner.de> and visit our website <www.guentner.de> for more information.

Move is mandated to maximise the growth potential of the company’s Room Comfort Division

SAS International, manufacturer of interior building solutions, which supplies projects worldwide and has offices in Europe and the Middle East, has announced that David Leatherbarrow, the former Managing Director of Trox UK, has joined its Board in a non-executive capacity.

According to the announcement, Leatherbarrow has worked for more than 35 years in the global building services industry, with significant experience in managing and developing businesses in the UK, Europe, US, Middle East and Asia. He will bring to the company his construction and manufacturing industry knowledge, together with his strategic skills, and will work with the existing team to maximise the growth potential of its Room Comfort Division.

The division specialises in convective and radiant heating solutions, and is claimed to be the largest manufacturer and installer of trench, perimeter and radiant heating systems in the UK. Chilled ceilings and beams also feature in its range, along with integrated service modules, which can be designed and tailored according to specific project demands.

Business Development Manager (HVAC) — Dubai (Western Educated)

Business Development Manager (HVAC) — Abu Dhabi (Arab National)

Attractive Package

Econosto Group, whose head office is in Capelle aan den IJssel, the Netherlands, operates worldwide in the manufacturing, development, marketing, distribution and service of a full range of high-quality valves, pipes and related equipment for various industries including Oil and Gas, HVAC and Marine. These roles will be reporting to the Regional Manager for HVAC activities in and around the region. Key responsibilities would include researching on the company’s existing and potential customers and identifying new opportunities, securing industry approvals with developers and consultants for the products we carry, developing and maintaining relationships with key industry people, maintaining regular contact with the sales and marketing teams functions.

You will be responsible for promoting and representing the company in local and GCC trade exhibitions, conducting presentations, seminars and trainings in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and showcasing Econosto’s facilities and capabilities. To be considered for this role, you must have a Degree in Mechanical Engineering and at least 5 years experience in sales/marketing and market research in the UAE/ME. Existing relationship and good rapport with MEP contractors / consultants are required. Thorough knowledge of valves and piping products related to the HVAC industry and a valid UAE driver’s license are essential.

Email CV to: hrd@econosto.ae

Team of engineers invents low-cost solar energy/natural gas-powered DEVap cooling system.

The US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has announced that it has invented a new air conditioning process with the potential of using 50% to 90% less energy than today’s top-of-the-line units.

The DEVap, which stands for desiccant-enhanced evaporative air conditioner, uses membrane technology to combine the efficiency of evaporative cooling and the drying potential of liquid desiccant salt solutions. 

According to the announcement, the idea is to revolutionise cooling, while removing millions of metric tonnes of carbon from the air. Engineers from NREL, who have been working with membranes, evaporative coolers, and desiccants, reportedly observed an opportunity to combine them into a single device for a product with unique capabilities. 

The press release further elucidated the process: Evaporative coolers are a low-cost alternative to air conditioners in places with dry climates (for example, Rustaq and Nizwa). But in humid climates (for example, Muscat, Salalh, Sohar and Sur), adding water to the air creates a hot and sticky building environment. Furthermore, the air cannot absorb enough water to become cold. Therefore, evaporative cooling or desert cooling is not useful. So, refrigeration-based air conditioning is the preferred way of keeping cool and it consumes significant amount of energy. The DEVap solves this problem by relying on the desiccants’ capacity to create dry air using heat and evaporative coolers’ capacity to take dry air and make cold air. 

According to HVAC news, the kind of desiccants that NREL uses are syrupy liquids – highly concentrated aqueous salt solutions of lithium chloride or calcium chloride. They have a high affinity for water vapour, and can thus create very dry air. Because of the complexity of desiccant cooling systems, they have traditionally only been used in industrial drying processes.

To solve the problem of easy installation and maintenance, the NREL device uses thin membranes that simplify the process of integrating airflow, desiccants, and evaporative cooling. These result in an air conditioning system that is said to provide superior comfort and humidity control. 

The membranes in the DEVap air conditioner are hydrophobic, which means water tends to bead up rather than soak through the membranes. This property, reportedly, allows the membranes to control the liquid flows within the cooling core and keeps the water and the desiccant separated from the air stream. In this technology, water and liquid desiccant are brought into DEVap’s heat-mass exchanger core. The desiccant and evaporative cooling effect work together to create cold-dry air. The air is cooled and dried from a hot-humid condition, to a cold and dry condition, all in one step. It is claimed that this happens in a fraction of a second, as air flows through the DEVap air conditioner. The result, evidently, is an air conditioner that controls both thermal and humidity loads.

Because the DEVap uses salt solutions rather than refrigerants, it eliminates greenhouse gas concerns. Also, traditional air conditioners use a significant amount of electricity to run the refrigeration cycle, but DEVap is said to replace the refrigeration cycle with an absorption cycle that is thermally activated. It can be powered by natural gas or solar energy and uses very little electricity. 

NREL has patented the DEVap concept and engineers from the organisation expect that over the next couple of years, they will be working on making the device smaller and simpler and perfecting the heat transfer to make DEVap more cost-effective. NREL will eventually license the technology to industry.