Munawar Shariff elaborates on the current market situation for compressors in the Middle East.

One would think that, with summer here, the compressor market would be booming, but given the lingering downturn, the market, as per many industry insiders, is not as good as in 2008 but is steadily becoming positive. “The situation is different for each market, says Uday Mahadeokar, Marketing Manager, Emerson Climate Technologies. “The UAE is recovering slowly, what with the slowdown in new constructions. Abu Dhabi is still strong. Dubai is making a very slow recovery. Other parts of the Middle East are still strong and haven’t slowed down as much as the UAE. Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain are all recovering slowly. Of course, volumes of trade will never reach 2008 levels when every economy and market was growing, but it’s positive as compared to a few months ago.”

It’s not surprising, then, that the mass reduction in spending has led to a completely different set of needs. In district cooling, for example, the two drivers are new constructions and existing machines. Since there is a major drop in new constructions, businesses are concentrating on maintenance of existing machines. District cooling exclusively used centrifugal compressors, for their ability to provide operational economy and reliability, especially for large building complexes. Now the emphasis is on small-sized compressors, with a big focus on efficiency on the kilowatt per tonne, as centrifugal compressors are known to be very efficient.

Screw compressors, which are widely used in Europe and Japan, are called Variable Flow Refrigerant (VFR) systems. These are attractive currently, as they are the latest products, technology-wise, and are environmentally friendly. The refrigerant, R410A reportedly has high efficiency at partload operations. For most of its life, it runs at 40 to 80% capacity and, then, switches from full capacity to partial load. Modulating from using the most electricity at highest loads to pumping less and using less electricity when the need for cooling reduces, this enables the refrigerant to have a lower carbon footprint and not use full power continuously.

However these refrigerants are currently not being used in the Middle East. The most common refrigerant in the region is the R22 refrigerant, which is known to be ozone depleting, whereas the R410A does not deplete the ozone layer. Awareness of the qualities of the R22 refrigerant is widespread, but that hasn’t stopped companies from using them. “This is because the region comes under the category of developing countries, and the use of this refrigerant is allowed in developing countries till 2030,” Mahadeokar says. “Developed countries cannot use this refrigerant, and so they are using the R410A.”

R22 refrigerants are hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), and R410A refrigerants are hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). The latter are crucial in the non-damaging elimination of use of the former refrigerants. HFCs aid in conserving more energy and provide quicker cooling. Having said that, an R410A machine requires stricter installation procedures by certified technicians, a small detail which can be overlooked.

To get value for money from existing investments, developers are placing huge emphasis on energy efficiency and on reducing the carbon footprint. Says Liju Thomas, General Manager of Al Arif: “More efficient use of energy is the way forward. There is an increasing demand for water-cooled chillers now because of their energy efficiency, and people are very meticulous about getting value for money.”

Says Mahadeokar: “Our main focus these days lies in two areas, one is energy conservation. And the other is trying to engage different bodies in trying to promote environmentally friendly refrigerants.”

Energy conservation is an important factor which needs to be established with regulatory authorities like the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology (ESMA) and Saudi Arabian Standards Organisation (SASO). These are the main regulatory bodies that ensure efficiency in air conditioning standards are put in place in the region. Emerson also works with the international regulatory body, the Air Conditioning Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI), as a neutral player. They are taking the initiative to bring the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and regulatory bodies together by preparing presentations with these bodies and presenting them to Dubai Municipality in order to establish energyefficiency standards. Says Mahadeokar: “We have seen success. SASO announced a standard, last month. ESMA has announced a plan to have standards in place by the end of the year, with implementation by mid 2011.

Other Middle Eastern countries are also quick to be on par. Kuwait has upgraded from January of this year and is focusing on energy saving and technology production. Every country is actively starting to adhere to standards and upgrading them every two to three years; reflecting this trend are the OEMs. They have new product ranges with ecofriendly refrigerants, and it can easily be predicted that in the next three to five years, there is going to be a 50 to 60% rise in the use of these energy-efficient and ecofriendly refrigerants in the region.

A most important trend today is the VRF modulated technology. Says Mahadeokar: “Modulated technology depends on how long the air conditioning is running. Normally, we don’t want the unit to run continuously, hence the modulated compressor, depending on the load. This technology is getting very popular today. The percentage share of VRF will definitely increase in the near future.”

The VRF Modular compressor trend goes hand in hand with Dubai Municipality’s green initiative, which is calling for individual metering. In such a regimen, consumers are able to track their individual meters and have a direct impact on their consumption levels and the bills they pay each month so they can get the benefits of using less. The current system has less incentives for reducing bills as, usually, a building complex has three big chillers, and every house or office does not have the ability to track their usage.

What about the business end of things? Issues being faced by larger compressor companies and smaller companies in the market differ in a big way. Eapen says: “For our company, Al Arif, business has not decreased; in fact, it has increased. But the biggest problem in the market right now is receiving payments. So although there are plenty of jobs out there, we’re not committing ourselves, unless payments have been secured.”

Eapen says he follows his gut when it comes to finalising contracts with clients. “We have experience in the market,” he says. “It’s not difficult to gather intelligence. This is a small market place, and word gets around if a certain company is defaulting on payments. All then stay clear of the company. If we don’t get a 50% advance payment, we don’t go ahead with the contract, because the initial 50% covers our material cost. A loss in labour cost can be absorbed, but a loss in material cost cannot be absorbed. But there have even been occasions where we have received the LPO and no payments have materialised.”

Not only is receiving payments a big issue currently but also the availability of only a few contracts and a lot of companies quoting for them. Says Eapen: “We’ve been in the business for six years. There have always been plenty of companies and jobs, with the possibility of acquiring projects much higher before the recession. Now there are few jobs and a large number of companies, including direct suppliers, vying for projects. Recently, there was a project for Dubai College where they had a need for chiller and package units. Fifteen companies quoted for them, including direct suppliers.”

But Eapen is leaving no stone unturned to retain his share of the market. “Now we have to knock on more doors than we did in the past. We are establishing our client base on credibility, keeping a balance of sales and expenses. It’s not the right time to think about doubling the size of the company. It’s enough that we’re running on profits and not losses. We’ve always been in the maintenance market. Today, our work is 50% new installations and 50% maintenance of existing units. Exploring new markets is not on our agenda, as we are a very small company of only 25 employees. So we are focusing on the local market.”

In an interview with Climate Control Middle East, Phil Barnett, Property Manager at Grand Hyatt Dubai, gives an insight into the various initiatives the hotel has taken to make it environmentally sustainable. The article also brings to light the fact that engineers are often the unsung heroes in the battle of conservation.

Phil Barnett

A hotel is a microcosm. Running it is akin to running a small community of diverse people with varying needs and demands. And to run it efficiently and economically is a challenge. Add the dimension of making it an environmentally sustainable undertaking, and it becomes a balancing act. Phil Barnett should know. He, as the Property Manager of Grand Hyatt Dubai, is familiar with its inner workings. He knows that behind all the glitz and glamour, a luxury hotel needs to have a welloiled and complex machinery that keeps the establishment running. As a longtime resident of Dubai, with his relevant and rich experience at Hyatt Regency Deira, he has brought to the table innovative measures that are helping make Grand Hyatt Dubai environmentally sustainable.

THE POWER OF AN IDEA

During his time at Hyatt Regency, Barnett was instrumental in installing a condensate reclamation system in the hotel. Thanks to the system, Barnett and his team were able to capture cold water runoff from chilled water coils, which they collected and piped to cooling towers as make-up water for the cooling towers. “The best part of the unique measure was that the condensate water was very cold,” Barnett says. “That, in itself, was a step forward in terms of savings, as it cut down on refrigeration plant power consumption. So, on partially humid days, we got 25 gallons a day of the water. Since cold water is being sent into a system that is already producing cold water, the reclamation system not only saves water, but also, the power is absolutely free, except for the power consumption, in the form of pump costs. Apart from that, there are no running costs.”

THE BACKROOM BOYS

Engineers are often the unsung heroes in the cause of energy saving. Barnett echoes this sentiment when he says: “As engineers, we continually look at new ways of power conservation.” A cost-cutting initiative Barnett introduced in the hotel exemplifies this: changing the electricity steam boilers into gas-fired boilers. “I thus reduced electricity consumption and cost,” says Barnett. “In those days, we did not have the concept of Green Buildings. Such buildings did not exist. But that’s what these initiatives amounted to – water and power savings. We were looking at energy conservation.”

Barnett also introduced the regimen of a yearly thermograph survey, which helped in identifying air leaks. “Through the initiative, we stopped air conditioned air from escaping from the building,” says Barnett. “It identified installation failures and air conditioning losses.” As a remedy, Barnett and his men installed air curtains and brought costs down.

EVERY ‘PHIL’ COUNTS

There was a time in Dubai, when people and businesses used power indiscriminately. There seemed to be a perennial supply of it, and not many were interested in counting the costs – both economic and environmental. But everyone was made to sit up and pause for thought when costs began to pinch.

“Early in the 1990s – in 1992, in fact – the price of city’s power increased from 7.50 fils/KW to 15 fils/KW,” recalls Barnett. “It was a 100% increase! It caused people to press the panic buttons, and everybody got onto the energy-conservation bandwagon. Today, it is 33 fils!”

SCREAMING IT FROM ROOFTOPS

In 2003, Grand Hyatt opened, and Barnett executed a couple of innovative concepts there. One of them was a solar hot water project. Barnett elaborates: “It was an idea I had to use the cinema (Grand Cineplex) roof space, which was wide open, and which gets sunlight all day long. And it is adjacent to the hotel’s dieselfired hot water plant. So, by installing solar panels, I was able to produce hot water that was heated by solar energy.”

This is how the system worked, and still does: In conjunction with storage facility, the water was heated during the day and well into the evening, at which point, the diesel-fired boiler took over. “I’m achieving a high temperature, and I need 70ºC to satisfy the internal requirements of the building,” Barnett says. “I have been saving diesel fuel consumption by 33% every year. That’s a heck of a lot of carbon – a gallon of diesel equals 2.7 kilogrammes of carbon dioxide. So, it’s savings in hundreds of thousands of gallons. It is not only a saving on diesel costs, but also a reduction in carbon emissions.”

SPRINGING A SURPRISE

Apart from introducing innovative ideas, troubleshooting is another of Barnett’s specialities. The trouble, in this case, sprung in the form of mildew and fungus in the residential building of the Grand Hyatt. “In summer, we received hot and humid air, and we were not able to cool it enough to get the moisture out,” recounts Barnett. “The dehumidification system would have cost us 175KW/ hour in electrical reheating, to dehumidify the necessary fresh air. I overcame this by installing two coils in each fresh air unit.”

The problem, Barnett figured out, was humidity entering the apartment – an inability to cool the outside air below its dew point. Thus, humidity was being carried indoors, as a result of which, mildew and fungus sprouted.

Design consultants offered conventional dehumidification solutions, including duct re-heating and/or desiccant wheels. Both solutions would have meant consumption of very large amounts of electricity. Calculations showed the estimates at 175KW/hour.

Barnett hit upon a simple plan: “My solution was a thin coil placed on the fresh air stream before the chilled water coil, and connecting it to a similar coil after the chilled water coil. A closed loop circulated with a fractional horsepower pump through each coil. This carried outside air temperature – which can reach 45ºC – to the inner coil, when the air passing through it is reheated from 12ºC to 17ºC. This allowed us to cool the incoming air below its dew point, thus expelling all humidity, and then reheating this air using a heat transfer. This achieved a temperature of 5ºC and solved the problem, with no electrical consumption. I did this four years ago, and have not had a problem since then.”

GOING DOWN THE DRAIN

Barnett’s next project at the Grand Hyatt was to install an effluent treatment plant. “Firstly, I got the city of Dubai to give me a second effluent connection,” Barnett explains. “The Director of Drainage agreed to help supply the effluent to cooling tower make-up water. The effluent has lot of suspended solids and has minerals in it. I installed a treatment plant to filter the particulates suspended in the water. Secondly, I installed an RO section to remove some of the dissolved minerals by mixing these two waters together. I produced make-up water that was similar in consistency to Dubai mains water.”

The entire exercise had interesting and far-reaching implications. It translated into environmental and economic sustainability. For one, the city supplies effluent water at a fraction of the cost of mains water. This means that in summer, the hotel is able to save 100,000 gallons of drinking water a day.

Installing automatic taps and flow restrictors in guest rooms was yet another measure the hotel adopted. Albeit a minor, low-cost initiative, it is still a laudable one.

INNOVATION IS THE KEY

The hybrid transformer from South Korea

Barnett, in keeping with hotel’s policy, is always on the lookout for new ways to cut costs and energy consumption. So, when he was recently introduced to a hybrid transformer made in South Korea, he put it to good use. “The South Korean company said that it would save 8-10% of power consumption,” Barnett says. “They offered to install it on a trial basis, at no cost to me. Today, I am happy to say, I have had it running since mid-November 2009, and I get 13-14% average savings in my power consumption every month. I’m happy with the machine. It will pay for itself in one and a half years. After that, it is a case of clear profits.”

The device, Barnett explains, has no moving parts, and is, therefore, maintenance free: “The way it works is that it sits next to the DEWA transformer and balances your power and removes all harmonics. In big buildings with VFDs, harmonics is a big problem in increasing your power consumption. In power, you have a nice, smooth wave. When you are supplying a non-linear load, another wave comes backwards and causes interference. And to overcome the back wave, you consume more power. This device cleans up the back wave.”

Barnett has taken this innovative experiment a step further: “I showed this device to the DEWA people and told them, ‘This is the future’. It is expensive, but the net result is that you use less power.”

Grand Hyatt Dubai currently has 28 transformers, each 1,500 kVA, but only one of the transformers has been fitted with the device. Barnett is studying the loads of the other transformers so that he can take a call on expanding the use of the device in future installations. “I want to save money and power,” says Barnett.

LIGHT MINUS HEAT

To replace the MR16 halogen spotlights in the hotel is another initiative that Barnett wants to undertake. “They look nice, but cost money,” he says. “They use 50W of electricity. Over 90% of the electricity is dissipated as heat. LED has replaced the MR16. It is similar in colour and intensity, but uses only 7W of electricity, and burns absolutely cool. So no heat is generated.”

This implies that there is less heat load on the building, which in turn, means the air conditioning does not need to be notched up higher to cool the interiors. In the final analysis, not only is there savings in terms of bringing down the energy use from 50W to 7W but there is also a reduction in the heat load.

Barnett is, therefore, understandably in a hurry to get rid of the halogen lamps in the hotel. He says with palpable enthusiasm: “I have 2,500 halogen lamps to be replaced with LED. 50W down to 7W, and no heat! So electricity load and air conditioning load will come down. Also, the bulbs will have 25,000 hours as opposed to 3,000 hours’ lifetime. They are expensive, but the payback is six months. Definitely, LED is the way to go. We are looking at installing them this year.”

WATER – GREY AREAS

Another initiative Grand Hyatt Dubai is considering is to install a system to conserve rinse water generated by the laundry system. The rinse water has relatively less soap and no dirt. The good news is, it can be captured and processed through a filtration system and into a tank.

“After that, it is a matter of delivering the water to the machines as wash water – reusing the water many, many times,” explains Barnett. “The rinse water comes back to the machine as wash water. There is currently fresh water coming in. So that would be 50% savings on consumption of fresh water.”

The hotel also has its sights set on using the building’s grey water – capturing it and passing it through a small treatment plant for coloration purposes and cleaning it. It can be subsequently used to flush toilets. Currently, fresh water is being used for this purpose. Barnett, with one eye on water conservation and another on cost cutting, exclaims, “What a waste of this fresh water! Grey water will save us money and 30,000 gallons a day!”

Barnett believes that the project can easily be implemented, as the hotel building already has a twopipe system in place.

CORPORATE COMMITMENT TOWARDS CONSERVATION

Barnet’s personal commitment to safeguard the environment and to cut costs is aligned to that of Hyatt Hotels, which wants to be recognised for its CSR policy, vis-à-vis the environment. The powers that be would like every Hyatt hotel the world over to reduce water and electricity usage by 15% by 2015. “To achieve this, you have to do the kind of things I am doing,” Barnett says. “These initiatives cost money.”

The Wasl Corp, which owns the hotel is aware of the virtues of retrofitting and embracing new ideas to make the establishment more comfortable, efficient and environmentally friendly. Barnett endorses this: “I made a presentation to the owning company. They listened to me and accepted the savings potential. They also appreciated the environmental impact reductions. They were pleased that we were leaning in this direction.”

The corporate support has nudged Barnett to push his agenda forward: “Initially, it is a challenge to persuade the owners of any facility, but it depends on how the plan and the vision are presented. It has to be presented properly, and not just the commercial perspective, because in some cases, the ROI period could be long. But the impact on environment is equally important. We are looking at solar lighting technologies.” But Barnett adds with cautious enthusiasm: “We are investigating; I don’t want to rush. I believe in stringent tests of the technologies, and if satisfied, will go in that direction. If they give lights for only four hours, that is not good enough for me.”

GRAND PLANS

With all the groundwork that Grand Hyatt has done under the guidance of Barnett, LEED certification would, perhaps, be the logical step forward. Barnett concedes this and adds: “Hyatt is one of the founding members of the Emirates Green Building Council (EGBC). I am still in contact with Dr Sadek Owainati (EGBC co-founder) – he was the lead consultant for this building, and so he has a soft spot. He is in dialogue with me to turn this into a certified green building. We have to look what it is going to cost us. It is a goal. Certain things we are stuck with, considering it is an already constructed building.”

Saying that condensate traps are recommended by the International Mechanical Code to eliminate conditioned air from inefficiently escaping through condensate drain lines in both residential and commercial HVAC units, Airtec has introduced EZ Trap as an addition to its series.

EZ Trap Model EXT-626

Airtec, manufacturers of air diffusion, condensate management and lineset ducting products, claim that the new product is the HVAC industry’s only cleanable solution that prevents microbial-laced ambient air infiltration entering into commercial, residential and mini-split air conditioning airstreams through the drain line and air handler. They add that the product also reduces air conditioning efficiency in negative pressure systems and also prevents energy loss due to conditioned air being expelled through the drain line on positive pressure systems. Thus, it addresses both health and green concerns.

Salient features of EZ Trap are:

• It comes with a line of condensate traps, condensate overflow cutoff switches and other accessories.
• Transparent condensate traps that help “see the problem”.
• Easily cleanable PVC trap in both standard “P” trap configuration and configurations for all air conditioning systems brands and models.
• “Waterless” configurations that provide the benefits of a trap without the presence of standing water that can be used for conventional split systems, commercial rooftop units and minisplit units that feature a mechanical trapping method.
• The traps automatically drain bacteria-generating standing water and eliminate the danger of clogs, dry trap or freeze damage, while providing all of the benefits of a standard trap.
• Comply with the International Mechanical Code that mandates a condensate drain line trap.

Other features in the line are:

• The EZ Trap 100 and 200 Series feature adaptable Schedule 40 1-inch and 3/4-inch-diameter crosses, tees and other fittings to accommodate field installation challenges.
•  The 200 Series of SmartTrap kits come with integral float switch overflow protection mounted in the trap, which can be field-installed to activate a visual or audible warning alarm.
•  The 220 Series has microswitch overflow cut-off switches.
•  The 300 Series UltraSwitch is a selfevacuating electronic overflow switch with an integral mini pump that evacuates the drain pan, cutting power to the unit and continuously pumps the melting evaporator coil ice from the condensate pan and requires activating a manual reset to restart the unit after troubleshooting.
• The 600 Series of kits provide a trap for the primary drain pan outlet to prevent infiltration of unconditioned air and a cut-off switch for the secondary drain pan outlet to provide overflow protection

Claiming that it is the industry’s only dehumidifier offering engineers and contractors a choice of three environmentally friendly refrigerants – R-134a, R-407C and R-410A, Dectron Inc, manufacturer of indoor air quality equipment, has introduced the Dry-O-Tron DSV Series, dehumidifier, designed for light commercial and residential indoor pool and spa areas.

According to Dectron Inc, besides the regular features of heat recovery for free pool water heating, the DSV Series includes green features such as a variable frequency drive (VFD)-controlled plenum fans, optional electronically commutated (EC) motors, micro channel condensing coils and energy-saving microprocessor-based controller and diagnostics monitor, Supervisaire. The Supervisaire continually reviews 28 sensing points, which Dectron Inc says, is the most in the industry, thus optimising energy savings with quick response time.

The manufacturers enumerate the following advantages of the product:

• Combination of ECM or VFD with direct drive plenum fans are 12 to 14% more efficient than fans using conventional belt-driven drives
• An optional micro channel outdoor condenser that requires 60% less refrigerant along with night setback and load shedding demandcontrolling features
•  Space-saving vertical configuration with a 60% smaller footprint requirement than horizontal counterparts, offering up to 10 field-selectable air discharge locations
• Mirror image options for optimum field installation flexibility
• Residential sizes that fit through 32-inch-wide doors

Other features include:

• Optional space air conditioning along with optional space electric, hot water or steam heating
• Available in two-tonne to 16-tonne sizes
• Chloraguard, indoor air purification system option that removes harmful chloramines and other airborne gaseous contaminants commonly found in indoor pool spaces
• Chloraguard’s aftermarket service, supported by the Circul-aire’s team of scientists and the Tech-Chek preventative maintenance programme and testing laboratory
• Water Smart offers space conditioning without water flow
• Heavy gauge epoxy-painted metal cabinet and corrosionresistant HyPoxy-coated coils
• Scroll compressors Dectron Inc, with Dectron Internationale as its parent company, add that every unit is factory tested under each application’s simulated operating parameters and that extended warranty plans are available.

Speakers elucidate on ‘Role of Insulation in Environment Sustainability’

The ASHRAE-Oryx, the Qatar chapter, in association with The Jersey Group; Kuwait Insulation Material Manufacturing Company (KIMMCO) and Daikin McQuay Middle East, organised a technical seminar on May 22 at the college of North Atlantic, Qatar.

The programme details were …

Dr Kailash Chandra is a Senior Technical Manager with KIMMCO, a subsidiary of Alghanim Industries. He is a PhD in Chemistry from India. He has over 27 years of experience in mineral wool (glass wool and rock wool) insulation. He has worked in India for 16 years and has 11 years of experience in the GCC, across various departments such as, quality assurance, product development and technical support.

Manhal Jaweesh is the Regional Sales Manager with KIMMCO, a subsidiary of Alghanim Industries. He has a BSc degree in Applied Chemistry and has more than 14 years of relevant work experience in fibre glass insulation, in both production and sales, for eight and six years respectively.

Alessio Gusman, who joined McQuay in 2002 as an Electrical Engineer, is the Area Sales Manager based in McQuay’s Italy factory since 2007, and provides technical and marketing support to several European countries and the Middle East.

For details regarding future seminars, contact: Seenu Pillai, LEED AP, Secretary (2009-2010) Member of Chapter Newsletter Committee, ASHRAE, Qatar Oryx Chapter Phone: +974 422 7436 Mobile: +974 562 6509

Solar-powered refrigeration container to be unveiled at Intersolar Europe trade fair

Phaesun will reportedly display their latest solutions for the off-grid operation of refrigeration containers at their booth at the Intersolar Europe, a trade fair for solar technology, being held in Munich from June 9 to 11.

To be used in hospitals, medical supply depots and food storage centres in regions with insecure or unavailable energy supply, the new solar refrigeration container is claimed to have a storage capacity for a reserve of three consecutive days without noteworthy solar irradiation.

Designed by ILK Dresden, for whom Phaesun distributes the container solutions, the system has a modular structure, including integrated solar modules with a capacity of 1.7 or 3.6 kilowatts, depending on the respective design. The larger system consists of a single cooling chamber for the storage of up to 400 kilogrammes of meat or vegetables at a temperature of 0ºC to 10ºC. The smaller container includes three separate chambers for the storage of drugs at temperatures from 0ºC to 8ºC, 10ºC to 15ºC and 22ºC to 25ºC. The maximum ambient temperature amounts to 52ºC. The containers being flexible, they can be adjusted to customer requirements.

According to Phaesun, the standard container can be easily transported by truck, train, or helicopter and is, therefore, suitable both for stationary applications and for use in different locations. The company issues a 10-year guarantee on the main components.

In addition to the refrigeration container, Phaesun will display a solar module with integrated lithium-iron battery, produced by the Chinese manufacturer, Build Your Dreams (BYD), for the supply of a streetlamp. Lithium-iron batteries are believed to be many times lighter than gel batteries, while providing the same capacity. “Moreover, their energy density is by far higher,” said Tobias Zwirner, Managing Director, Phaesun GmbH, explaining the advantages of the battery technology. By comparison, a gel battery with a capacity of 150 ampere hours weighs approximately 50 kilogrammes, depending on the manufacturer, while a lithium-iron battery weighs only 28 kilogrammes. Moreover, the number of cycles of a lithium-iron battery is up to four times higher than the number of cycles of a lithium-iron battery, and up to six times higher than those of a gel battery.

Solar water pump and cleansing systems, as well as a hybrid system and a wind power station are also among the other offgrid solutions to be presented at the Phaesun GmbH fair booth. Since being founded in 2001, Phaesun GmbH, headquartered in Memmingen, Germany, specialises in the sales, service and installation of off-grid photovoltaics and wind energy systems. It also offers solutions for energy supply and telecommunication

According to Ingersoll Rand, its Center for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability, which selected the airport for the award, comprises international experts, who integrate the best practices for the long-term use of energy and other resources. They also develop solutions which advocate green policies, standards and education in the communities in which Ingersoll Rand operates and serves. The consortium was avowedly created by the company as part of its commitment to responsibility towards the environment.

(From left to right) Leszek Drogosz, Director, Infrastructure Department, city of Warsaw; Wiktor Zieminski, Technical Bureau Director, Warsaw Chopin Airport and Pawel Markiton, General Manager, Trane Poland

Qatar ’s infrastructure sector to grow , fuelled by IMF forecast of real GDP rise by 7% this year.

Khaldoun Tabari

Drake & Scull International, Qatar LLC (DSQ), a Qatar based, Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing (MEP) company, recently acquired by Drake & Scull International PJSC (DSI), announced its first contract win – worth Dh140.2 million (QR139 million) – since DSI acquired it in April 2010. The contract is for a mixed used project located in the Al Sadd district of Doha.

DSI acquired DSQ with the intent of gaining greater access to the construction market in Qatar, which is currently being fuelled by substantial government investment into infrastructure projects, and also to diversify its backlog across its network of regional offices.

“We acquired DSQ in expectation of tapping into the liquid markets of Qatar, so we are very pleased to see rapid progress in Qatar, in line with our horizontal growth strategy,” said Khaldoun Tabari, CEO, DSI.

“This new contract strengthens our position as a regional leader in the MEP contracting industry, while enhancing our access to a broader range of construction opportunities, adding manifold value to our portfolio for the benefit of all our stakeholders,” Tabari added.

According to IMF forecasts, Qatar’s real GDP growth is projected to rise by seven per cent in this year alone, which will result in greater government expenditure on construction and infrastructure

The world ’s largest LEED Platinum project has integrated sustainable measures from planning to operations ’ stage

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and its Committee on the Environment (COTE) have selected King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) as one of the top 10 examples of sustainable architecture and green design solutions that protect and enhance the environment. The project will be honoured at the AIA 2010 National Convention and Design Exposition in Miami. The new campus of KAUST, located in Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is an upcoming international, graduate-level research university. It has integrated sustainable measures into the site planning, the community, the building design and the campus operations, thus becoming the country’s first LEED certified project and the world’s largest LEED Platinum project.

Logistical operation included transporting specialised equipment from Dubai to Doha.

The UAE-based Manlift Power, dealing in temporary power projects, has announced its largest power supply so far – the delivery of 27MW (Prime) of temporary power – to the Gulf Cement Company (GCC), Qatar, within 10 days.

Manlift installed 27 Cummins 1250kVA Powerbox units, synchronised into a central power package, producing 27MW of power, running at 6.6kV. The award of this contract is an extension of the 17MW temporary power project that Manlift Power had been operating since May 30, 2009, for the GCC in Qatar.

According to Manlift, the first tranche of power was fully operational on April 2. The logistical operation included transporting specialised equipment from Manlift’s head office in Dubai, to Doha, while ensuring that the tight timeframes and specific production requirements requested by the client were met.

Manlift reported that it is the sole power supplier to the GCC plant, which reportedly has a capacity of producing in excess of 6000 tonnes of cement every day.

David King, General Manager, Manlift Power, Qatar, said: “This project is a true example of the high levels of professionalism and knowledge that we offer our clients. The GCC project highlights our tremendous capabilities for delivering multi-megawatt international power projects, under tight time and logistic constraints. I’m very proud of the Manlift Power team, both here in Qatar, and in Dubai, and we look forward to a fantastic extended relationship with the GCC.”

Adam Ashcroft, Regional Director, Manlift Power, added: “Building upon our previous successful performance in Qatar for GCC, we are delighted to have successfully undertaken this extended contract. Manlift has an impressive proven track record of supplying turnkey temporary power solutions, and is fast becoming the chosen supplier in the region for both single unit and multi-megawatt rental projects.”

Manlift Power, Manlift Group, supplier of access platforms and power generators for sales and rentals, is a joint venture between local shareholders and a European rentals company. It operates alongside Manlift Middle East.