LG introduced the Multi V5 VRF system to the UAE during its launch on October 25, in Dubai. Elaborating on the product, Dharmesh Sawant, Senior Manager, LG Electronics, said that the company has enhanced the efficiency of the Multi V5, adding that at T1 conditions, LG has improved the efficiency by five per cent to a COP of 4.46, while at T3 conditions, the COP is at 3.44, “which means a lower transformer size due to lower connected load”.

Sawant also said that LG has increased part-load efficiency by nine per cent, to help lower electricity bills of consumers. The advantages, he said, were made possible owing to the dual-sensing feature, which takes into account humidity and temperature. Together with the Smart Load Control, the system changes the evaporation temperature to meet the fluctuations in the latent load, Sawant said. According to LG, the Smart Load Control makes it possible to effectively regulate outdoor unit discharge refrigerant temperature, and increase efficiency from 15 to 31%, depending on humidity conditions.

Touching on innovations within the inverter compressor, Sawant said LG has increased the frequency range to operate from 10 Hz to 165 Hz, for compressor reliability at low cooling load, and enhanced its bearing system. Speaking on the importance of compressor lubrication, Sawant said LG has introduced smart oil management with sensors to ensure oil levels are maintained equally among multiple compressors.

According to LG, the Large Capacity Outdoor unit features a biomimetic fan and a four-sided heat exchanger, making it possible for a single ODU to reach 20 HP. Sawant added that increased shroud height in the Multi V5’s outdoor unit also helps further increase air flow rate in the condenser coil. The more compact design of the outdoor unit, Sawant said, provides developers with 29% more space, which can be used for landscaping or other utilities, and 30% reduction in weight. Sawant also said that LG has minimised noise level by 4-5 decibels through the night-silent-operation function.

The last two features Sawant highlighted are the Ocean Black Fin heat exchanger and auto- dust-removal function. The former, he explained, increases the product’s life span by protecting it from corrosion, which emerged as a main concern among developers. The auto- dust-removal function, Sawant said, was retained and enhanced, owing to the positive response from clients in the Middle East, and functions with the condenser fan rotating in the opposite direction to ensure removal of the dust accumulated on the condenser coil.

Speaking on the viability of the Multi V5 for high-rise buildings, Amjad Mansour Abu Alika, Senior Manager, HVAC Engineering 1 Team, LG Electronics, said that it can be applied in G+30 buildings , with 110 metres vertical elevation between indoor and outdoor [units], and a 225-metre distance from the indoor to the farthest outdoor unit. Abu Alika added that in some projects in the UAE, LG has applied the technology to G+50 or G+60 projects by putting 50% of the machines on the roof, and the other 50% on the mechanical floor or parking area.

Abu Alika shared that LG is proactive in coordinating with clients and consultants to explain VRF systems and help with the design through studies and comparisons, adding that the academy in Jebel Ali aims to provide training support to help cultivate greater understanding and trigger a change in mind set among stakeholders. “This will not only help LG – it will help the VRF technology market as a whole,” he said. Abu Alika said that in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, Iran and the Levant region – namely Lebanon and Jordan – have witnessed strong penetration of VRF technology.

Markus Lattner, Director, Eurovent Middle East, provided an international perspective with regard to the growing acceptance of VRF technology, during his speech congratulating LG on the new addition to its product line. “VRF systems and inverter technologies have proven their efficiency and advantages over fixed-speed, on/off generation and have gained almost 100% market share in countries like Japan and Korea and almost 80% market share among residential air conditioners in Europe, yet only around 30% in the Middle East,” he said. “With direct and real-time approach to cooling demands throughout the day and throughout the seasons, they mark the latest generation of highly efficient and reliable products for residential and commercial air conditioning.” Lattner added that Eurovent Middle East supports such technologies due to its lower energy consumption and the role it can play in helping achieve the sustainability targets set by various government policies, urging stakeholders to look towards the “advantages of the VRF system as a trusted forward-thinking technology”.