‘District cooling, making it work for you’ brings important industry issues to the fore

In a communiqué, Qatar Cool has revealed that it hosted a seminar on December 11, entitled: ‘District cooling, making it work for you’, in partnership with Installation Integrity 2006 (i2i), CoolTech Qatar and Maintenance Management Group (MMG).

The seminar, the second in a series, organised by Qatar Cool, was held at the Diplomatic Club, with delegates attending from various sections of the district cooling industry, as well as individuals involved in project management, facility management, engineering associations and the hospitality industry.

Fayad Al Khatib, CEO, Qatar Cool, welcomed the delegates to the seminar, highlighting the need for information sharing among key partnerships and industry professionals to better service the community. “This would be a major element behind successful projects in the country,” he reportedly said in his opening remarks, and added, “Whether it’s in your personal or professional life, in your environment at home or at work, somehow conventional or district cooling is a part of all of our daily lives.”

Introducing the speakers and the day’s agenda, MC for the seminar, Wael Ayoub, Senior Business Development Officer at Qatar Cool, explained: “Efficient district cooling companies rely on a variety of technologies to ensure system optimisation. Qatar Cool, Installation Integrity 2006, CoolTech Qatar and MMG Qatar, work hand in hand to ensure that each part of the district cooling process is managed efficiently on both the supplier and customer’s side.”

Issa Qandeel, Qatar Cool’s Projects Manager began the morning session with a presentation under the seminar’s rubrics, ‘District cooling, making it work for you’. He discussed how Qatar Cool had evolved and grown as a company over the past two years, receiving peer and international recognition through several prestigious awards. He reportedly highlighted the point that the last two years had also seen the successful operation of two new plants, one in the West Bay area and one, a bespoke facility for The Pearl-Qatar – the Integrated District Cooling Plant (IDCP) – which the company claims is currently the largest in the world. He also stressed the importance of collaboration and coordination between district cooling providers and their customers to ensure the success of the project, starting from the planning stage through to the construction and operation phases. He presented data to elucidate his point.

Balanced air and water systems was the theme of i2i’s presentation by the company’s General Manager, Gerard McGeoch. “A well-performed testing, adjusting and balancing (TAB) of an HVAC system is essential for the proper performance of that system and can enhance indoor air quality and efficiency,” said McGeoch.

In support of making the system work for you, CoolTech presented about a blend of services, enabling operators of cooling systems to optimise efficiency and maximise equipment life. Kevin Fernandez, Area Manager, CoolTech, Qatar, shared Bio Manage – a presentation outlining common problems in water, such as corrosion, scaling and fouling. Speaking to the delegates, he said: “Clean water is the key. Microbiological infestation affects efficiency of the plant as well as the environment. In this case, prevention vastly outweighs cure, where system maintenance will ensure a significant increase in the equipment’s lifespan.”

The seminar also focused on another angle of District Cooling – the customer’s perspective. Richard Jowsey, the Operations Manager, Maintenance Management Group, whose presentation was titled, ‘Effective management of cooling systems’, delineated on the subject from both the supplier and the customer’s angle. Highlighting the benefits of using a facilities management company, he said: “It optimises the best functionality of the facility under management in the most cost-effective way. Our integrated approach builds efficiencies throughout the asset or project life cycle, and should be seen as a must in any serious building project.”

Following the Q&A session and the closing remarks, delegates were taken on a customised tour of the IDCP plant to wrap up the day’s events.