Dubai, UAE, 30 September 2018: ASHRAE Falcon Chapter conducted a seminar on Flow Control Regulation of HVAC Systems featuring presentations by Siemens, on September 17, in Dubai. Leading the seminar was Luca Baroli, Global Product Manager, Valves & Actuators, Siemens, who expressed delight at the positive feedback from audiences, which, he said, expressed genuine interest in getting the best understanding possible of pressure independent and control valves. “The engineering society is now ready to embrace and support the future of hydronic balancing, which is the integration of digital applications with the mechanical hardware,” he said, adding that companies, such as Siemens, have the technical expertise and assets to help the industry transition.

Baroli said that in recent years, pressure independent technology has gained more popularity in the market; however, much still needs to be understood about the technology. “This is sometimes due to lack of standards and regulations,” he said, “the seminar aimed to address concrete guidelines for assessing expected performance of PICVs, which are offered by a range of manufacturers with differing technological choices, leading to different performance within the same hydronic system.” Baroli stressed that not all PICVs are the same. “The product cannot yet be considered a commodity, and particular attention must be paid to the type of solution required, because ultimately this will have a major impact on system performance,” he added.

Liju Thomas Eapen, President, ASHRAE Falcon Chapter, spoke on the body’s commitment to provide a platform for knowledge exchange. “As ASHRAE, our primary aim is to support technology, energy efficiency and any advancement in HVAC industry for energy efficiency and human comfort,” he said. “These are the two important factors in looking at any system, because energy need is growing and it will keep growing as cities are growing. Every building needs power and cooling, and the more buildings are being built the more we draw on energy. Anything that can save energy or [help equipment] perform better even 5-10% is a huge number.” The seminar concluded with a panel discussion featuring consultants.

Hannah Jo Uy is Assistant Editor at Climate Control Middle East magazine. She may be contacted at hannah@cpi-industry.com