Vineet Kashyap

DUBAI, UAE, 11 December 2019: Saudi Arabia’s climate, in addition to demographic and economic factors, will continue to drive growth in the HVACR sector, making the country one of the most exciting places for the sector, said Vineet Kashyap, Managing Director, Carrier Middle East. “On one side, initiatives under the Vision 2030 will fuel a demand for new-build projects,” he said. “On the other hand, the government’s efforts on standardisation and energy efficiency will imply a move towards higher quality and more efficient products, with opportunities in retrofit of old equipment in favour of more efficient ones.”

Kashyap added that there are many areas of opportunity for new-build projects. “The focus on tourism in the country, for example, and the implementation of the open tourist visa and increasing investment in entertainment infrastructure have boosted wider business opportunities for the sector,” he said. Kashyap said that an increasing number of ambitious projects, such as NEOM, Qiddiyah, the Red Sea Project and Amaala, will also drive demand for competitive HVACR solutions. “In line with the Kingdom’s strategic sustainability goal of achieving significant energy savings, the regulatory bodies, SASO and GSO are active participants and supporters of the standardisation of the HVACR sector, raising the quality of products on the market and, in turn, promoting competitive innovation in the field,” he said. Kashyap said that the retrofit sector is also poised for growth, as the formation of Saudi Arabia’s Super ESCO to fund and manage the Kingdom’s retrofit projects will result in improving energy efficiency and savings across the existing buildings.

In view of the growing demand in Saudi Arabia, Kashyap said, Carrier is introducing product innovations. “The current focus is to innovate products that stretch the limits on efficient operation at high-ambient temperatures, such as those experienced during summers in Saudi Arabia and to blend connected solutions and IoT for better performance and maintenance,” he said. Kashyap said one of the main products being introduced to the Saudi market is the Carrier AquaEdge 19DV centrifugal chiller, which he said, offers water-cooled, oil-free chiller technology with an EquiDrive compressor, ceramic bearings, PUREtec refrigerant R-1233zd(E), falling film evaporator and SmartView control.

Another product recently launched, Kashyap said, is the AquaForce 30XV air-cooled variable speed screw chiller, which, he said, uses an environmentally balanced refrigerant, Puron, which does not emit any ozone-depleting chemicals and is non-flammable and non-corrosive. “To ensure performance and efficiency, the AquaForce 30XV has variable frequency drives that are IP55-rated and fully air-cooled by ambient air,” he said. “It also utilises a next-generation rotary screw compressor, which is designed and optimised specifically for variable frequency drive operation.” Additionally, he said, the product has a significantly smaller footprint, on average, compared to conventional designs, achieving IPLVs above 21 and fully meeting ASHRAE 90.1-2016 requirements. Kashyap said Carrier has also introduced the AiroVision 39HQM air-handling unit, which comes with a factory-installed starter panel and offers best-in-class casing strength, modular size configuration options, high corrosion resistance and indoor air quality. “The AiroVision 39HQM comes with user-friendly selection software and is easy to maintain,” he said.

Kashyap also discussed the company’s move to optimise Big Data and AI to improve operations. “EcoEnergy Insights, which is also a part of Carrier, offers CORTIXTM, an AI-powered platform, which uses building, site and equipment data  to deliver exponentially improved building comfort with enhanced energy efficiency and reduced operating costs,” he said. “While connecting HVAC equipment like a chiller has been possible for many years now, the question has been, how do companies use the huge amount of data generated to effectively deliver value to customers in terms of higher uptime and continuous monitoring?” Kashyap said the CORTIXTM platform does this through the use of advanced AI and machine learning algorithms, which lead to higher thermal comfort while improving on energy efficiency and associated operational costs –  goals that have traditionally been at contradiction for building owners and operators.

Note: Climate Control Middle East would like to thank dmg events, the organisers of HVAC R Expo Saudi, for facilitating the interview.