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February 2024 UAE MINISTRY OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENT LAUDS EXTENSION OF 'YEAR OF SUSTAINABILITY' TO 2024 US$ PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ US$ PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ US$ PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ US$ PUBLICATION LICENSED BY IMPZ CHICAGO Articulations on climate action, IAQ at AHR 2024 HOPE REGULATION ROUNDUP APPLIANCE ENERGY EFFICIENCY POLICY FRAMEWORK Dalip Singh, Sr. Technical Analyst - AHRI MENA FILTER FOCUS THE BROKEN LADDER OF IAQ Dr Iyad Al-Attar, independent air filtration consultant INSIDE-OUT FOLLOWING UP ON THE GLOBAL COOLING PLEDGE Omnia Halawani, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, GRFN Global PERSPECTIVE ‘Cloud supervisory platforms can unlock the untapped potential of BMS data’ Prabhu Ramachandran, CEO, Facilio COUNTRY REPORT ‘Italy is spotlighting energy refurbishment, IAQ’ END-POINT Madhanagopal Chandrakumar, CEO, AHI Carrier NEWS •AMCA updates Fan Sound-Testing Standard 320 • Danfoss, Google enter into strategic partnership •Mekar joins Eurovent Middle East •Güntner announces Güntner Impact° SummitECOLINEECOLINE CO 2 ECOLINE+ IQ MODULE ECOLINE PLUS IQ MODULE. BOOST YOUR SYSTEM’S VALUE! Intelligent standard on ECOLINE reciprocating compressors: The IQ MODULE simplifies installation and commissioning as well as maintenance of the compressor and the entire system. It keeps an eye on essential operating parameters, supports data evaluation and ensures efficient and safe system operation with clever features. The range of functions can be individually adapted thanks to extension boards. Learn more at bitzer.de/reciprocating_compressors // bitzer.de/electronics_controls // mail@ bitzer.ae NEW EDITIONwww.climatecontrolme.com 3 PERSPECTIVE ‘CLOUD SUPERVISORY PLATFORMS CAN UNLOCK THE UNTAPPED POTENTIAL OF BMS DATA’ Prabhu Ramachandran, CEO, Facilio, providing an update, elaborates on how IoT-based automation and monitoring systems are shaping the future of building operations VOL. 19 NO. 02 FEBRUARY 2024 26 COVER STORY 12 page CHICAGO HOPE Articulations on climate action, IAQ at AHR 2024 GUEST COLUMNS MACRO-ECONOMIC ANALYSIS IS 2024 GOING TO BE THE YEAR OF DECISIONS? For Krishnan Unni Madathil, Auditor, Bin Khadim, Radha & Co. Chartered Accountants, the answer is an emphatic ‘yes’, with a firm jaw to match REGULATION ROUNDUP APPLIANCE ENERGY EFFICIENCY POLICY FRAMEWORK Dalip Singh, Sr. Technical Analyst - AHRI MENA, discusses the pivotal role of appliances in net-zero initiatives INSIDE-OUT FOLLOWING UP ON THE GLOBAL COOLING PLEDGE Consultants are uniquely positioned to positively impact the transformation needed to achieve the targets of the Pledge, says Omnia Halawani, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, GRFN Global FILTER FOCUS THE BROKEN LADDER OF IAQ Dr Iyad Al-Attar, independent air filtration consultant, offers a historical perspective on urbanisation and air quality, emphasising how humans have been polluting, living, working and filtering air unsustainably 06 08 20 22 REGULARS 30 Regional News 38 Global News 58 Quoteyard 04 eDItor'S note 28 48 COUNTRY REPORT ‘ITALY IS SPOTLIGHTING ENERGY REFURBISHMENT, IAQ’ Gloria Gualdi, Marketing and eBusiness Manager, MCE – Mostra Convegno Expocomfort, speaks on energy efficiency regulation in Italy, and Piano Nazionale di Ripresa e Resilienza (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) END POINT COLLABORATION AS A CONSCIOUS BUSINESS STRATEGY Madhanagopal Chandrakumar, CEO, AHI Carrier, speaks on his life journey and on the unique experiences that shaped his professional outlook and approach to engineering and business leadershipFebruary 2024 4 W ith the embers of COP28 still burning bright, it was exciting to travel to Chicago for the AHR Expo, which concluded on January 24. The Global Cooling Pledge, which was one among nine non-negotiated declarations, pledges and charters that constituted key outcomes of the COP28 Presidential Action Agenda, was the basis of my interactions with a diversity of stakeholders at the Expo. The fact that the United States was one of the signatories of the Pledge added that extra bit of context for the interactions, though I must hastily add that the Expo was a global HVACR event, with exhibitors from around the world dotting the vast landscape of companies on the show floor. Considering that the Pledge provides an opportunity to commit to sustainable cooling with concrete actions, it was interesting to ask manufacturers of HVACR equipment, in particular, on how they proposed to respond to such a key outcome of COP28. Just in case you have not read the details of the Pledge, it aims to raise ambition and international cooperation through collective global targets to reduce cooling-related emissions by 68% from December 2023 to 2050, significantly increase access to sustainable cooling by 2030, and increase the global average efficiency of new air conditioners by 50%. In addition to meeting manufacturers on the subject, the Expo was an opportunity to meet Steve Yurek, the CEO and President of AHRI, for an exclusive face-to-face. The interview appears in this issue, as part of a detailed post-event coverage, as does the broadcast version in Climate Control Middle East’s new-look Web site (ccme.news); please do visit and share feedback on what you think. Another point of discussion during the Expo was ASHRAE Standard 241. The manufacturers I met spoke with candour and shared interesting insights. Their views, too, form part of the post-event coverage and of the broadcast feature in the new Web site. At this juncture, it is pertinent to mention that visiting the Expo was an opportunity to meet the man who led the development of the Standard. Dr Bill Bahnfleth, Professor in the Department of Architectural Engineering at The Pennsylvania State University, and the Chairperson of the ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force, spearheaded the drafting of the Standard, and for that, he won the Editor’s Choice Award during the 13th Edition of the Climate Control Awards, in December 2023. He was not able to attend the ceremony, and so the Expo became a venue to hand over the trophy to him. February is a busy month. I am headed to ACREX, mid-month, in Noida, India, and from there, to Big 5 Construct Saudi, towards the end of the month, in Riyadh. And then, there is Mostra Convegno, in mid-March, in Milan, Italy, that Climate Control Middle East will be participating in.. So, quite a lot to look forward to in Q1, really! Krishnan Unni Madathil Auditor, Bin Khadim, Radha & Co. Chartered Accountants, carrying out an analysis of the market, writes on business opportunities for the HVACR industry. Jeremy McDonald Principal of Guth DeConzo Consulting Engineers, in New York. He served as the technical consultant to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority in development of an IAQ guideline for Higher Education in NY: “Covid-19 Response Guide, State University of New York”. Dan Mizesko Managing Partner/President, US Chiller Services International, writes on issues relating to chilled water systems, including operation & maintenance. Dalip Singh Senior Technical Analyst, AHRI MENA, writes on HVACR-specific regulation issues. Dr Iyad Al-Attar Independent air filtration consultant, writes on specific science and technology issues relating to Indoor Air Quality, including airborne particles. Kandasamy Anbalagan Managing Partner, Proleed Engineering Consultants, writes on the need for upholding time-tested engineering principles, which would only serve to complement advances in technology. Antonios Dimitracopoulos Partner, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates LLP, writes on legal affairs pertaining to the construction industry. Omnia Halawani Co-Founder & Co-CEO, GRFN Global, writes on MEP consultancy- related issues. Editor Surendar Balakrishnan surendar@cpi-industry.com Features Writer Indu Revikumar indu@cpi-industry.com Advertising Enquiries Frédéric Paillé +971 50 7147204 fred@cpi-industry.com Sayf Camran Advertising Manager (Europe) sayf@cpi-industry.com Judy Wang Our representative in Asia (except India) +852 307 80 826 judywang2000@vip.126.com Deep Karani Our representative in North America +1 365 885-6849 deep.karani@cpimediagroup.com Design Head Ulysses Galgo uly@cpi-industry.com Webmaster Chris Lopez chris@cpi-industry.com Database/Subscriptions Manager Purwanti Srirejeki purwanti@cpi-industry.com Published by Founder, CPI Media Group Dominic De Sousa (1959-2015) Co-Founder & Commercial Director Frédéric Paillé fred@cpi-industry.com EMPANELLED COLUMNISTSCo-Founder & Editorial Director Surendar Balakrishnan surendar@cpi-industry.com Head Office PO Box 13700, Dubai, UAE Web: www.cpi-industry.com Printed by: Jaguar Printing Press L.L.C © Copyright 2024 CPI Industry. All rights reserved. While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein. CHICAGO HOPE Visit our website: climatecontrolme.com/digital Also available at February 2024 UAE MINISTRY OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENVIRONMENT LAUDS EXTENSION OF 'YEAR OF SUSTAINABILITY' TO 2024 PUBLICATIONPUBLICATIONPUBLICATION US$ PUBLICATIONLICENSED BY IMPZ CHICAGO Articulations on climate action, IAQ at AHR 2024 HOPE REGULATION ROUNDUP APPLIANCE ENERGY EFFICIENCY POLICY FRAMEWORK Dalip Singh, Sr. Technical Analyst - AHRI MENA FILTER FOCUS THE BROKEN LADDER OF IAQ Dr Iyad Al-Attar, independent air filtration consultant INSIDE-OUT FOLLOWING UP ON THE GLOBAL COOLING PLEDGE Omnia Halawani, Co-Founder & Co-CEO, GRFN Global PERSPECTIVE ‘Cloud supervisory platforms can unlock the untapped potential of BMS data’ Prabhu Ramachandran, CEO, Facilio COUNTRY REPORT ‘Italy is spotlighting energy refurbishment, IAQ’ END-POINT Madhanagopal Chandrakumar, CEO, AHI Carrier NEWS • AMCA updates Fan Sound-Testing Standard 320 • Danfoss, Google enter into strategic partnership • Mekar joins Eurovent Middle East • Güntner announces Güntner Impact° Summit Get the next issue of Climate Control Middle East early! Surendar Balakrishnan Editor @BSurendar_HVACR EDITOR’S NOTE Climate Control Middle East magazine proudly supports the UAE President’s initiative of extending the ‘Year of Sustainability’ to the whole of 2024.Leading global provider of special purpose, energy efficient motors and air moving sub-systems Innovative, high-efficiency technology designed to solve problems, save energy, and reduce downtime Deep market and product expertise across a broad range of the most demanding applications Trusted, industry leading brands with over 100 years of global manufacturing experience REGAL REXNORD EMPOWERING THE HVAC INDUSTRY WITH INNOVATIVE CLIMATE SOLUTIONS For Product Enquiry please email Regal Rexnord Dubai Office at regaldxbsalessupport@regalrexnord.com MOTORS EC AND AC SYSTEMS & SUB-SYSTEMS Super Premium Efficiency Variable Speed Motors Special Form Factor Motors General Purpose Motors Configurable Blowers Draft Inducers Premium Efficiency Air Moving Systems Hybrid DrivesFebruary 2024 6 T HE YEAR 2024 has been billed by The Economist magazine as the year of electoral decisions. At various times during the year, a combined total of nearly four billion people across the world will be going to the polls to elect their leaders and representatives, with varying degrees of electoral freedom and agency, making it the world’s biggest year ever for civic decision-making. It also serves us well to be made aware that we are collectively in the midst of the longest- running monetary experiment in the history of the world, with the pandemic- era spree of quantitative easing still making its way through to nooks and crannies of the global economy. The unprecedented inflationary effects of this monetary splurge, and the ever more assiduous efforts to suppress word of the impact of this inflation on society, and the inevitable frustration which that produces, is laying the ground for an upsurge in populist politics across the world, where public decisions are made through the electoral franchise. Against what seems to be all odds, the world is faced with the prospect, daunting to some, of yet another Donald Trump presidency in the United States. Even Mr Putin will be submitting himself to the ballot at some point in the middle of the year. For a part of the world that is economically so closely linked to the rest of the world, it is worthwhile for us to consider the goings-on in some of the major trade partners of our bases in the UAE and the GCC region. China has emerged from the pandemic a weaker and surprisingly shaky-legged economic superpower to be. Domestic demand in China, while still massive in absolute terms, continues to grow at a rate unsuited to whetting the appetites of suppliers from the Middle East. Growth rates in the EU have fallen short sharply, with the economies of many countries officially billed to slip into recession at some point during the year. The war in the Ukraine with Russia, formerly the EU’s main energy supplier, has not helped matters for them, even as it has proved an opportune moment for oil and gas suppliers with spare capacity, such as Qatar. Decision-points abound for the countries in Europe this year, from Sweden (of all places!) deciding to arm up and send a forward contingent to Estonia, with Finland, which borders and has a history of giving Russia the bloody nose, deciding to join NATO. A more consequential decision, which had already been made, was by Angela Merkel, when, during her tenure, Germany decided to do away with nuclear power plants (in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan), and to pledge the majority of energy custom to Russia. Economic growth rates in the United States have registered surprising resilience, with US businesses and consumers finally putting the pandemic behind them. This, together with one robust jobs report after another, may in fact provide a major boost in strengthening Joe Biden’s chances of By Krishnan Unni Madathil being a two-term President later this year. In India, another “democratic partner” and an increasingly present one at that, as well as a major customer of the Gulf countries, economic growth has been strong as well. This, as well as a track record for prudent, results-oriented economic management, may be enough to push Modi past the finish line when the hustings in his country are up in May, in what has been billed tongue-in-cheek as history’s biggest election. The year is filled with decisions to be made for us in the world of business as well, and they bear resonance to the world of civics and politics in more ways than one might initially think. At first, people around the world seem to wish to wholeheartedly push for more stability, whatever their situations are. There is simply so much instability and trepidation renting the air, rendered no less unstable by the cornucopia of civilian and military conflicts raging across parts of the world, as well as the increasingly bitter partisanship that has coloured so much of democratic societies like an infestation. Like people, businesses also like stability and certainty. They like small, incremental changes to the status quo, if there has to be any at all. They like clear guidelines and adequate timeframes in which to make adjustments. The Krishnan Unni Madathil Auditor, Bin Khadim, Radha & Co Chartered Accountants, writes a bi-monthly macro- analysis on geopolitics, incumbent political structures, global business and finance exclusively for Climate Control Middle East. He may be contacted at krishnan.madathil@binkhadimradha.com. MACRO-ECONOMIC ANALYSIS For Krishnan Unni Madathil , the answer is an emphatic ‘yes’, with a firm jaw to matchwww.climatecontrolme.com 7 source of anguish for so many people in so many parts of the world seems to simply be that the onslaught of change has been too rapid for their comfort and has left them stranded, leading to a society with substantial differences between winners and losers, between the fortunate and the less fortunate. They could learn a thing or two from the way the UAE has gone about implementing what amounts to a paradigm shift in the conduct of business in the country – the UAE Corporate Tax. The declaration of the tax regime took place in the middle of 2023, and businesses and businesspersons across the UAE have been given as much as 15 months in order to get their business books and records in order so that they are ready for submitting their first Corporate Tax Return submissions within nine months to either one of February 2025 or September 2025, depending on their business’s chosen calendar year-end. The government agency in charge of implementing the Corporate Tax regime – the UAE Federal Tax Authority – has done remarkable work in organising conferences and setting up discussion sessions, where businesspersons from the smallest business to large MNCs can all have their doubts about the incoming corporate tax regime cleared. The decision that has to be made by businesses during this time is simple: Do they wish to face UAE Corporate Tax in a state of preparedness and readiness, or do they wish to face it in a state of confusion, disorganisation and general disarray? I would be lying if I told you, the reader, that, in my experience, everyone is absolutely set and raring to take the UAE Corporate Tax regime head-on. Many are not even fully at home with the cash implications of the UAE Corporate Tax regime on their businesses either. Decades and decades of tax-free business has led to a certain degree of sunken inertia among businesses towards the incoming UAE Corporate Tax regime, which I am fairly certain will lead to a last- minute rush towards achieving some sort of compliance with the rules and regulations. Or, like many in the civic and political world, they, too, simply wish that the most painful and difficult adjustments merely involve doing what they have to do and passing them over. This sort of hopeful fatalism is also not out of character. What is commendable in all this is the emphasis of the UAE leadership on , or “stability”, and , or “coordination”. They are fairly resigned to the fact that the days of hydrocarbon-induced largesse will soon enter its early evening, and that, if not eliminated completely, will at least cease to be as tasteful an income proposition as before. The UAE leadership at the federal level, and the Dubai leadership at the emirate level, have come up with multiple forward-looking plans, including Vision 2030 for the UAE and D33 for Dubai, which envisages nothing less than a complete transformation of the country. This is the stuff which in the days of yore used to call for debates. The UAE does things differently. The country understands the need for change, but also understands that change has to be shepherded carefully, so that the cartwheel of change does not fall out of track and just becomes an unholy mess. Hence, the need for “stability” and “coordination”. Hence the long time periods given for companies to prepare themselves to the best extent possible for the UAE Corporate Tax regime. It is this combination of a clear, well-announced set of goals, a clear intent to make it happen, a clear set of small milestones leading up to the desired objective and a system of obtaining feedback and actively adopting the learnings from that into the future course of action that distinguishes the UAE in achieving what so many billions of people around the world will be hoping for as they go to the polling booths during this year. CPI Industry accepts no liability for the views or opinions expressed in this column, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided here. February 2024 8 W HILE this article covers general aspects of the above scope, the second article, in the month of April, will cover regulations & MEPS, including how those are designed; the third article, in June, will focus on labels and incentives. For now, let’s focus on laying the ground on the topic of appliances. Why is appliance energy efficiency important? Appliances are at the core of net-zero initiatives, due to their widespread presence typically in every household the world over. In developed countries, household appliances typically account for a significant portion of residential electricity consumption. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), in the United States, about 60% of residential electricity consumption is attributed to appliances, electronics, lighting and other equipment. The Brainy Insights reports that the global household appliances market was valued at USD 600 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 1 trillion by 2032. The Middle East and Africa Home Appliances Market is poised to grow at a CAGR of five per cent by 2028. The electricity consumption per capita in the GCC region countries is APPLIANCE ENERGY EFFICIENCY POLICY FRAMEWORK Saying that appliances are at the core of net-zero initiatives, Dalip Singh presents the first in a series of three articles covering the importance of appliances in the context of energy efficiency, their policy framework, and the societal and environmental benefits Dalip Singh is Senior Technical Analyst, AHRI MENA. He may be reached at DSingh@ahrinet.org. REGULATION ROUNDUP EES&L highly ranked worldwide and increasing by the passing of every year in many of the countries. The usage of appliances at a vast scale is one of the important rationales behind this increase, apart from the low quality of the building envelope, a large building area and occupant behaviour. The total annual electricity consumption per capita in the GCC region countries was between 7,000 and 18,000 kWh, whereas the global average was approximately 3,000 kWh in 2018. The growing use of personal electronic devices and appliances, including televisions, computers, office equipment and smart phones, releases heat into the ambient air and increases the need for space cooling in buildings. The use of any appliance impacts energy use in buildings in two ways: 1.Energy to operate the appliance and 2.Cooling energy used to remove heat gain from the appliances LOOKING FOR HVACR PRODUCTS? www.climatecontroldirectory.com TO LIST YOUR COMPANY FOR FREE, VISIT: www.climatecontroldirectory.com/register FOR ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES, EMAIL: advertising@cpi-industry.com The region's comprehensive online directory for the HVACR industrywww.climatecontrolme.com 9 The energy consumed by an electronic device or appliance is emitted as heat or radiative heat both while in operation and in standby mode. This heat adds to an already large set of heat gains in buildings, including from bathing, cooking, lighting and heat directly from people. All heat gained within a building adds to space cooling loads and the energy needed to achieve thermal comfort. Typically, more energy- efficient appliances will use less energy and emit less heat. While appliances have been getting much more efficient, they have also been greatly increasing in number. As the use of electronic devices and appliances continues to grow, the amount of energy needed to cool rooms to comfortable levels will also increase. Appliance energy efficiency is crucial for addressing environmental challenges, promoting economic savings and for ensuring sustainable and responsible use of energy resources. It plays a vital role in the broader efforts to create a more resilient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly energy landscape. Appliance energy efficiency policy framework plays an important role in reducing global carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) emissions – consistent with efforts to limit the long-term increase in average global temperatures to 1.5 degrees C and achieving the net-zero goal. The global pathway to net-zero emissions by 2050 requires all governments to significantly strengthen and then successfully implement their energy and climate policies. Appliances efficiency policy: Framework National appliances regulations have been in existence since the 1970s and have since proliferated. As of 2021, Energy Efficiency Standard & Labelling (EES&L) programmes have been in existence in more than 120 countries around the world and have been applied to more than 100 types of appliances and equipment in the commercial, industrial and residential sectors. While the design and coverage of EES&L programmes vary according to national circumstances, they provide the cornerstone of most national energy and climate change mitigation programmes. Typically, EES&L programmes use one or both of the following complementary tools as the basis to improve the energy efficiency performance of appliances and equipment: 1.Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS), which are employed to overcome barriers to improved efficiency – such as potentially higher purchase prices – and to provide a level playing field in competitive markets by prohibiting the least efficient products. MEPS for cooling equipment pushes the market towards equipment that will reduce energy use by eliminating the least efficient models and lowering the cost of more efficient equipment through a virtuous cycle of innovation and economies of scale. 2.Energy labels, which are used to address information barriers and enable consumers to make more informed choices at the point of purchase, either by showing the comparative performance of all appliances (rating labels) or by identifying the best-in-class products (endorsement labels). These labels also support building energy codes and energy efficiency programmes by making information more available. These two measures may be complemented by other policy measures, such as subsidies and rebates to help transform markets. MEPS, energy labels and subsidies/ rebates are collectively referred to as “Energy Efficiency Appliances Policy Package”, and will be covered in more detail in the upcoming two articles in subsequent editions of Climate Control Middle East magazine. Appliances efficiency policy Impact: Energy System and CO 2 A 2021 International Energy Agency (IEA) report states that the longest-running EES&L programmes with the largest product coverage have collectively reduced their countries’ total annual electricity consumption by about 15% of their country’s total electricity consumption. Around two-thirds of these savings are seen in the residential sector, while savings in the services and industrial sectors each account for one- sixth of the total. The following nine economies –Australia, Brazil, China, EU, India, Malaysia, Mexico, South Africa and the United States – together saved approximately 1,580 TWh in 2018. It is estimated that global savings of around 3,500 TWh could have been realised in 2020, if all countries had adopted similar measures, roughly equivalent to halving the total electricity consumption of China. Under these programmes, new, more efficient products are continually entering the market and replacing older, less efficient ones, compounding the energy savings year after year, as the overall stock of appliances becomes more efficient. Electric usage - typical villa - GCC region 67% 10% 7% 5% 4% 4% 3% Air Conditioning Lighting Water Heating Refrigeration Cooking Washing OtherNext >