Masthead - Climate Control Journal

ASHRAE invites early registration for its Winter Conference

ATLANTA, Georgia, United States, 09 September 2022: ASHRAE said registration is now open for the 2023 ASHRAE Winter Conference, from February 4 to 8 in ASHRAE’s global headquarters city, Atlanta, Georgia. Making the announcement through a Press release, ASHRAE said registration for the conference provides entry to the co-sponsored  AHR Expo, scheduled to take place from February 6 to 8 at the Georgia World Congress Center.

“Each year, the ASHRAE Winter Conference and AHR Expo provide built environment professionals with industry-leading events and experiences and the best resources and presenters to deliver cutting-edge knowledge to address today’s challenges,” said 2022-23 ASHRAE President, Farooq Mehboob. “Attending the Winter Conference and AHR Expo provides a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with colleagues, make new professional connections and inspire innovative thinking. We are thrilled to return to our global headquarters city and look forward to a successful event.”

According to ASHRAE, the Winter Conference Technical Program will offer more than 80 technical sessions, within nine tracks. Professional development hours can be earned for all sessions and most online sessions upon successfully completing a short quiz, ASHRAE said.

According to ASHRAE, the complete technical programme will be available in the fall of 2022. The tracks include:

  • Fundamentals & Applications
  • HVAC&R Systems and Equipment
  • Refrigerants and Refrigeration
  • Grid Resilience and Thermal Storage
  • Pathways to Zero Energy Emissions and Decarbonisation
  • Multifamily and Residential Buildings
  • Operations and Maintenance
  • Building Simulation and Virtual Design in Construction
  • Innovative Responses to Supply Chain Challenges (mini track)

In addition to the technical program and AHR Expo, attendees can look forward to updates from Society leaders, general and technical tours around Atlanta and social events, including the Welcome Party at the Georgia Aquarium, ASHRAE said, adding that leading up to and during the conference, it will also conduct business, committee and technical meetings.

ASHRAE said President Mehboob will provide an update on the 2022-23 Society theme, “Securing Our Future”. Members will be recognised for their industry and Society accomplishments, ASHRAE said, adding that major contributors to ASHRAE will also be recognised.

According to ASHRAE, the cost to attend the conference in-person is USD 680 for ASHRAE members (USD 935 for non-members, which includes an ASHRAE membership for one year). Early bird discounts are available for registrations completed prior to October 30, ASHRAE said.

The cost to attend the conference virtually is USD 410 for ASHRAE members (USD 460 for non-members, which includes an ASHRAE membership for one year), ASHRAE said, adding that those interested may register at visit ashrae.org/2023winter.

Thailand gears up to host ‘Bangkok RHVAC 2022’, ‘Bangkok E&E 2022’

BANGKOK, Thailand, 3 August 2022: The Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), Ministry of Commerce of Thailand, in collaboration with the Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Club; the Electricals, Electronics, Telecommunications and Allied Industry Club; and the Federation of Thai Industries, will be hosting Bangkok Refrigeration, Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning 2022 (Bangkok RHVAC 2022) and Bangkok Electric and Electronics 2022 (Bangkok E&E 2022) from September 7 to 10 at BITEC, Bangkok.

Images from the last-held show, prior to the pandemic

Bangkok RHVAC and Bangkok E&E are organised under one roof and are the largest trade show in Southeast Asia for refrigeration, air conditioning, electrical and electronic products, the organisers said.

The September event will be the first event since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. With that as the background, the event will, therefore, return under the theme, ‘New Innovations for New Global Challenges’, to showcase the complete range of innovative products and services that answer the world’s challenges, such as pandemics and environmental issues, the organisers said.

Visitors would have the opportunity to meet top manufacturers of residential and commercial air conditioning products; major brands with expertise in designing and constructing cold storage facilities, convenience stores and refrigeration systems; companies with expertise in compressors for cooling systems; and manufacturers of controls systems and materials for the cooling industry as well as leading manufacturers of home appliances, audio and visual appliances, industrial/power supply, IT and OA, lighting, parts and accessories, in over 400 booths, the organisers said. 

They also would be able to meet and connect with several potential partners for business matching, the organisers said. In addition, they would be able to exchange and enhance their knowledge with technological experts and gain more fruitful experience, the organisers added.

The trade shows will be open for trade visitors on all four days; the general public would be invited to shop and visit the exhibition booths on the last two days of the event, the organisers said, adding that those interested in visiting the shows could visit www.bangkok-rhvac.com and www.bangkok-electricfair.com, and further, pre-register to visit the trade show at https://pre.eventthai.com/publics/create/visitor/rhe22/step1

UL Solutions is BridgeBuilding Partner of 2022 Eurovent Summit

BRUSSELS, CARUGATE, 19 July 2022: UL Solutions has become an official BridgeBuilding Partner (sponsor) of the 2022 Eurovent Summit, scheduled to take place from October 25 to 28 in Antalya, Turkey, Eurovent said through a Press release.

According to Eurovent, UL Solutions delivers testing, inspection and certification services, together with software products and advisory offerings that support customers’ product innovation and business growth.

Eurovent said UL Solutions will assume an active role in the Summit’s flagship event, Eurovent Innovation/HUB, focused on #BuildingBridges between innovation and sustainability. Dustin Steward, Director and Global Industry Lead for Appliances, HVAC, and Components, UL Solutions, will contribute to the event with a keynote speech dedicated to lower-GWP refrigerants, Eurovent said.

Steward said: “While low-GWP refrigerants are more environmentally friendly, manufacturers must be mindful of the additional layers of risk involved in their use. As a leading independent safety science organisation, UL Solutions has conducted extensive research on flammable refrigerants and has developed thorough expertise to support manufacturers during the design of their next-generation products.

“Among UL’s available services, in fact, there is the unique Modelling and Simulation programme that helps us to predict flammable refrigerant behaviour in circuits and potentially critical areas. Through this advanced analysis, manufacturers can lower the number of physical prototypes needed for certification tests. On top of that, a faster assessment of product design revisions meets both environmental and process acceleration issues that manufacturers committed to sustainability are pursuing.”

According to Eurovent, this year’s EUROVENTSUMMIT is co-organised with ISKID, the Turkish Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Manufacturers’ Association. It aims at #BuildingBridges between manufacturers and consultants, planners, installers, trade associations and policymakers between Europe, the East and beyond, towards more sustainable and circular products and a more socially and environmentally responsible industry, Eurovent said.

Among other activities, participants can look forward to a rich seminar programme focused on both ventilation and refrigeration, organised by ISKID and TTMD (Turkish Society of HVAC and Sanitary Engineers), with involvement from UL Solutions in English and Turkish, Eurovent said. There will also be an interactive policy panel on the first night, Eurovent said, which will connect many different stakeholders in the industry.

Cubigel Compressors celebrates 60 years of experience

BARCELONA, SPAIN, 13 July 2022: Cubigel Compressors of Huayi Group, the Spain-based compressor manufacturer, released a new brand positioning strategy, titled ‘Cooling Expert+’ for the commercial refrigeration industry, in commemoration of its 60th anniversary, on June 28, 2022, during Mostra Convegno Expocomfort (MCE), in Milan, Italy.

Making the announcement through a Press release, Cubigel said the strategy strengthens its brand positioning and image, focusing on ‘Cooling Expert+’ to fully sublimate the positioning of the expert with a 60-year heritage in the refrigeration industry and as a provider of overall solutions for the whole industry.

In the MCE special session of the 60th anniversary, Cubigel invited important customers from the world over to participate in the launch ceremony of its new brand positioning strategy, held under the auspices of Pedro Olalla, Sales and R&D Director, Huayi Compressor Barcelona. The ceremony included a screening of a video of Cubigel Compressors’ 60 years of industry experience. Subsequently, Tao Wen, Deputy General Manager, Huayi Compressor Barcelona, delivered the Keynote Address on four core values and in-depth connotations of the brand’s new proposition to customer representatives from around the world.

The Huayi Compressor Barcelona team at Mostra Convegno Expocomfort 2022

Cubigel said it not only provides reliable light-commercial refrigeration compressors but also overall services for its products, by combining Huayi Group’s strong Chinese manufacturing capabilities with its own local advantages from its base in Spain. Cubigel said that after being acquired by Huayi Group, it improved its overall production capacity and supporting service capabilities, successfully expanded its larger-scale loyal customer base and became a truly trustworthy global light-commercial refrigeration expert.

Cubigel said that in order to be the ‘Cooling Expert+’ for green light-commercial refrigeration, it attaches great importance to natural refrigerants, low-energy-consumption green solutions and related product innovations. The company said that its strong R&D capabilities allows its Green Cooling compressor series to be constantly updated and upgraded.

It further said that its R&D infrastructure has helped it overcome technical bottlenecks to meet the requirements of green refrigeration experts. At the same time, it added, it has been actively responding to industry trends and substantially expanding the application range of natural refrigerants through its product upgrades.

Tao Wen gives the Keynote Address

In addition, the company said, it aims to be the Cooling Expert+ with the most complete product range. It said it has a complete product portfolio in the market with a wide choice of displacements – from 1.4 to 42 cc – with refrigerants such as propane (R290) and isobutane (R600a), owing to its strong R&D team and 60 years of presence in Chinese and European markets. Meeting the needs of light-commercial refrigeration applications, its complete product line provides customers with convenience and choice in the process of customised selection under various working conditions, it claimed.  

Cubigel said it also aims to be the ‘Cooling Expert+’ in innovation. The company pointed out that it has been proceeding with innovations in compressor specifications, such as displacement, cooling capacity and noise levels, in addition to incorporating other cutting-edge technologies in materials, design and manufacturing processes.

The ceremony at MCE also included speeches from customers from various countries, who shared testimonies from over the years and commented on the release of the new brand proposition.

Yang said the release of the new brand strategy is not only a sublimation of Cubigel’s brand positioning but is also a process of pursuing excellence as an industry expert from R&D and production to services. Cubigel products and services, he said, embody the company’s advantages in various aspects to consolidate the brand identity of ‘Global Expert+ for Light Commercial Refrigeration’, aiming to provide the industry with the most cutting-edge and most complete solutions. Cubigel, he added, will open up new thinking and explore new paths to grow into a sustainable and socially responsible brand.

ASHRAE welcomes 2022-23 President, officers and directors

ATLANTA, Georgia, 27 June 2022: ASHRAE introduced its 2022-23 Society President, executive committee officers and directors through a Press release.

Farooq Mehboob, Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, will serve as the 2022-23 Society President, ASHRAE said. During his inaugural presidential address, Mehboob introduced the theme for the 2022-23 Society Year, “Securing Our Future”. According to ASHRAE, the theme examines how the crucial personal and professional events of the past can help us leverage relationships, knowledge and change, as the formula for making an impact and embracing our diverse world.

“What a heritage we possess!” Mehboob said. “ASHRAE should be proud. We all should be proud. It’s imperative that we continue to hunger for, and seek, information about our market, our changing world, and our technological advances. Breaking down silos and embracing change will infuse a new dynamism in our society at all levels, bringing to our members new knowledge, technology and tools in a timely fashion – helping them to successfully navigate the rapidly changing world.”

According to ASHRAE, Mehboob is a principal consultant for S. Mehboob & Company Consulting Engineers, in Karachi, Pakistan.

ASHRAE said elected officers, who will serve one-year terms, are as follows:

  • President-Elect: Ginger Scoggins, P.E., Fellow ASHRAE, Principal, Engineered Designs Inc., Cary, North Carolina
  • Treasurer:  Dennis Knight, P.E., Fellow ASHRAE, Principal, Whole Building Systems, LLC., Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
  • Vice President: Billy Austin, P.E., BCxP, BEAP, BEMP, HBDP, HFDP, OPMP, Member ASHRAE, Principal, Shultz Engineering Group, Charlotte, North Carolina
  • Vice President: Dunstan Macauley III, Member ASHRAE, Director of Mechanical Engineering, Setty & Associates, Rockdale, Maryland
  • Vice President: Sarah Maston P.E., BCxP, Member ASHRAE, Director, Commissioning & Energy Services, Colliers Project Leaders, Hudson, Massachusetts
  • Vice President: Ashish Rakheja, Member ASHRAE, Director/Chief Operating Officer, Aeon, Noida, India

According to ASHRAE, its newest Directors and Regional Chairs, who will serve three-year terms from 2022-2025, are:

  • Region IV Director and Regional Chair: Bryan Holcomb, Member ASHRAE, Vice President Sales & Preconstruction, Environmental Air Systems, Oak Ridge, North Carolina
  • Region V Director and Regional Chair: James Arnold, P.E., Member ASHRAE, engineer, Gutridge, Dublin, Ohio
  • Region VI Director and Regional Chair: Susanna Hanson, Member ASHRAE, Application Engineer, Trane, La Crosse, Wisconsin
  • Region XII Director and Regional Chair: John Constantinide, P.E., Member ASHRAE, Energy Manager, Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Merritt Island, Florida
  • Region XIII Director and Regional Chair: Cheng Wee Leong, P.E., Member ASHRAE, Director, Method Engineering Pte. Ltd., Singapore

ASHRAE also introduced its newest Directors-at-Large (DALs) as follows:

  • Blake Ellis, P.E., Fellow ASHRAE, Principal, Burns & McDonnell, Overland Park, Kansas
  • Luke Leung, P.E., Member ASHRAE, Sustainable Engineering Practice Leader, Skidmore Owings & Merrill, Clarendon Hills, Illinois
  • Wei Sun, P.E., Member ASHRAE, President, Engsysco, Ann Arbor, Michigan

 

ASHRAE, U.S. DoE sign renewed MoU agreement

ATLANTA, Georgia, 23 June 2022: ASHRAE and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DoE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), agreeing to further their long-term relationship, ASHRAE said through a Press release.

Mick Schwedler, 2021-22 ASHRAE President and Kelly Speakes-Backman, DOE Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, signed the MoU in early June. According to ASHRAE, the agreement defines parameters on how ASHRAE and the DOE will collaborate more closely to continue to advance and promote mutual interests.

“With ASHRAE’s focus on building decarbonization and resilience, we are pleased to continue our partnership with the Department of Energy, as we share our knowledge base in the built-environment on a larger scale and work towards a more sustainable world,” Schwedler said.

ASHRAE and DOE seek to work cooperatively on the following:

  • Advance decarbonization of the building sector by increasing the energy efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint of buildings beginning with the construction phase throughout the building’s life, including operation and maintenance;
  • Increase the grid-interactivity of buildings by advancing grid-flexibility, flexible energy storage, and renewables integration into buildings;
  • Promote more resilient, efficient buildings through the adoption of advanced building standards and codes, including supporting innovative code approaches in the model code development, building performance standards, and zero energy codes;
  • Increase compliance with the latest building energy codes by supporting States in understanding the latest codes;
  • Improve building resiliency and keeping occupants safe;
  • Develop the workforce of the HVACR and associated sectors, including through increasing diversity and advancing training to support decarbonization; and
  • Improve overall building performance, including for occupants’ health and well-being.

eurammon Symposium 2022 again online

FRANKFURT, Germany, 22 June 2022: eurammon, an association of companies, institutions, and individuals committed to the promotion and use of natural refrigerants, will hold its annual Symposium, titled ‘Journey to a naturally sustainable future’, from July 4 to 8 on a digital platform. Making the announcement through a Press release, eurammon said that as the digital format has been well received by participants in previous years, the event will again be held online over 5 days from 9am to 11.30am each morning. Registration for the Symposium is now open via e-mail to cornelia.roth@eurammon.com.  

Through online lectures and a virtual panel discussion, the industry will look at the importance of its products for a sustainable and energy-efficient economy, eurammon said. “Natural refrigerants will play an important role in creating a sustainable future for our planet,” said Rob Lamb of Star Refrigeration Ltd., and Chairman of the Steering Committee of eurammon e.V. “The eurammon 2022 online symposium builds on the success of last year and looks at the use of natural fluids for cooling and heating applications across a wider range of industries.”  

According to eurammon, the subjects on Day One will help set the scene for the rest of the week. They will include the European Green Deal, the UK Institute of Refrigeration’s ‘Beyond Refrigeration’ initiative and developments in the use of ammonia as a fuel. Day Two will focus on regulatory news, dealing with the proposed changes to the EU F-gas regulation and providing updates on the IEC 60335-2-40 and EN378 standards, eurammon said. The remaining three days will look at the new technologies and case studies that are helping the industry move to a sustainable future, eurammon said.

“With the online symposium, we are reaching out to a global audience interested in natural refrigerants,” Lamb said. “The symposium is a chance to learn, ask questions and share knowledge. We look forward to many participants joining us from the 4 to 8 July.”

According to eurammon, the programme agenda is as follows…  

4 July – Keynote speeches

9:00 Welcome & greeting, Michael Freiherr, Chairman eurammon e. V.

9:10 Green Deal in Europe, Andrea Voigt, Danfoss A/S

9:55 Beyond Refrigeration, Graeme Maidment, Institute of Refrigeration

10:40 Break

10:45 Ammonia engine development for marine propulsion, Johan Kaltoft, MAN DK

11:30 Concluding remarks, Michael Freiherr

 

5 July – Policy and regulations update

9:00 Introduction, Michael Rabenstein, Evapco Europe GmbH

9:10 F-gas regulation, Cornelius Rhein, European Commission

9:40 Break

9:45 IEC 60335-2-40, Asbjørn Vonsild, Vonsild Consulting

10:15 European standardization for refrigerating systems using flammable refrigerants, especially standard series EN 378, Carsten Hoch, TÜV Süd Industrieservice GmbH

10:45 Break

10:50 Panel discussion: Cornelius Rhein, Asbjørn Vonsild, Carsten Hoch, Moderator: Michael Rabenstein

11:20 Concluding remarks, Michael Rabenstein

 

6 July – Natural refrigerants for the cold chain

9:00 Introduction, Lambert Kuijpers, A/genT Consultancy

9:10 Industrial refrigeration production plants: “Heat recovery, reduced CO2 emissions!”, Michael Elsen, Kreutzträger Kältetechnik GmbH & Co. KG

9:40 Break

9:45 Heat pump integration in a plant based meat solution factory and needs to achieve decarbonization from an end-user perspective, Vincent Grass, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A.

10:15 Predicting annual refrigeration energy consumption in temperature-controlled facilities, Robert Lamb, Star Refrigeration Ltd.

10:45 Break

10:50 “Waterloop“ solutions for sustainable supermarkets – 100% propane for natural and efficient cooling and heating, Herbert Schupfer, Güntner Group Europe GmbH

11:20 Concluding remarks, Lambert Kuijpers

HVAC sector to drive demand for OEM insulation

PUNE, India, 18 April 2022: With increasing urbanisation and industrialisation bolstering growth of developing regions, applications in automotive, consumer appliances and HVAC sectors have seen a rapid uptick, posing a direct impact on the demand for OEM insulation. According to a new research report by Future Market Insights, an ESOMAR-certified market research and consulting company and a member of Greater New York Chamber of Commerce, the global OEM insulation market is expected to reach a market value of over USD 19,500 million by the end of 2028, growing at a CAGR of 4.5% during the forecast period.   

There has also been a significant increase in the construction projects globally in residential and commercial sector, which depicts leading growth of HVAC systems in the global OEM insulation systems, Future Market Insights said. HVAC systems cover a major part of the demand for OEM insulations, it pointed out. 

The sector holds a dominating position in the global market, owing to the cost advantage and energy efficiency, Future Market Insights said, adding that the need for installation of HVAC systems has also called for considerable use of interior insulation systems to counter any external noise and adverse climatic conditions. 

The rampant industrial requirements in developing regions, like Asia, shows a clear picture of the OEM insulation market’s potential for progress in the upcoming years, Future Market Insights said. The key factors expected to drive growth in the region include rising public and private investments in industrial, energy, oil & gas, petrochemical and food & beverage sectors; increased focus of local governments on enhancing industrial output; legislation of incentives to jumpstart the manufacturing sector, such as, development of Special Economic Zones (SEZs), industrial corridors, and industrial clusters and provision of subsidies and tax cuts for manufacturing groups and industrial corporations, Future Market Insights added. 

Among the leading countries in Asia, India is expected have a foremost role to play in the global OEM insulation market, Future Market Insights said. According to the regional forecast, India is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.6% during the forecast period, it said. However, in terms of market value, North America being a highly developed region, holds the largest market value by the end of 2028, it added. 

The global market for natural and eco-friendly insulating materials is projected to have a highly lucrative market, Future Market Insights said. The move is in response to the upgradation of manufacturing techniques taking place. In order to gain competitive edge over the other and to reap the maximum benefits, market players are channelising their efforts to develop value-added products with increased efficiency, Future Market Insights said. Inclination towards the trend of eco-friendly insulation is one of such moves, it said, adding that many players are also a part of various collaboration activities, which enables the market player to adopt competencies and further drive the market. 

Some of the players mentioned in the report are Rockwool Group, BASF, Evonik, Paroc Group Oy, Owens Corning Insulating Systems, Saint-Gobain, Armacell International, Johns Manville Corporation, ACH Foam Technologies, Henry Company, Shannon Enterprises of Western New York Inc., Styrotech, Inc. and NCFI Polyurethanes. According to Future Market Insights, the projections may reveal many more trends that companies may look forward to, in order to surpass their competitors and bolster growth. 

Danfoss breaks ground for ‘supermarket of the future’

NORDBORG, Denmark, 14 April 2022: Engineering firm, Danfoss recently hosted a ground-breaking ceremony for the construction of what it described as one of the world’s most energy-efficient supermarkets. 

Making the announcement through a Press release, Danfoss said the supermarket, scheduled to be ready in mid-2023 and spanning an area of 1,500 square metres, is situated next to Danfoss’ headquarters, in Nordborg, and is expected to lead the way for supermarket chains around the world to develop climate-friendly and sustainable stores with technologies that already exist today.  

An artist’s rendering of the supermarket

Built with energy-efficient refrigeration and heating technology, solar roof panels and charging points for electric cars, the Smart Store supermarket will capture and reuse heat produced by cooling cabinets and freezers to provide heating for the supermarket and local community through district energy, Danfoss said.

The supermarket will be connected to the Nordals Fjernvarmeværk district heating plant and will be able to supply it with surplus heat, Danfoss added. 

The cooling system in the new supermarket will also run on carbon dioxide, as a natural refrigerant, which helps to reduce the overall climate impact.  

Kristian Strand, President, Refrigeration & A/C Controls, Danfoss Climate Solutions, said: “The origins of this project go back a long time, but the new energy-efficient Smart Store supermarket that we are starting to build today has only grown in relevance.

The goal of the project is to show how easy and profitable it is to decarbonise our economy and ensure reliable and sustainable energy use. Heating and cooling are the largest energy consumers in supermarkets. The solutions we are building here today represent the core of Danfoss solutions and will showcase how we can approach zero-energy use in food retail, together.” 

According to Danfoss, the site will also serve as an Application Development Centre, where the company will work together with partners to co-develop new technologies and explore interfaces in the energy system surrounding energy storage. 

Jürgen Fischer, President, Danfoss Climate Solutions, said: “The supermarket will be the focal point for a new part of our campus, where all buildings will be energy-efficient and meet special sustainability requirements. Our aim is to boost the green transition with concrete evidence of how far we can go with energy efficiency. We want to demonstrate to customers and partners how energy-saving solutions work in real life. We want to show the greenest energy is the energy we don’t use or reuse.” 

According to Danfoss, BALS, Brugsen for Als and Sundeved, Denmark’s largest independent supermarket association, will rent the building from the company and install a COOP 365 discount supermarket. BALS, which works together with COOP, has a total of 13 stores in the area around Sønderborg in Denmark and, since 2015, has consistently reduced the consumption of energy in its stores. So far, it has cut 44% of its total CO2 emissions, Danfoss said, adding that it was, therefore, a natural next step that BALS became a partner in the project. 

Danfoss said it is establishing a showroom in a part of the supermarket building, where all installations are visible to visitors and customers. It said visitors will be able to experience its solutions for heating and cooling, such as CO2 as a refrigerant, heat recovery and the interaction between installations, once the building is in operation.  

Dunli introduces X-Pro axial fans

HANGZHOU, Zhejiang, China, 12 April 2022: Dunli introduced X-Pro axial fans, which it described as equipped with the latest rear guide vane and three-dimensional flow impeller. They are ideal for HVAC and refrigeration applications, the company added.

Making the announcement through a Press release, Dunli said the fans come in a wide range of impeller diameters, including 500mm, 630mm, 710mm, 800mm and 900mm. The maximum static pressure efficiency is up to 56%, and air volume is as high as 35,000m3/h, the company said.

In terms of noise control and range – throw distance – they perform significantly better than equivalent fans in the motor fan industry the world over, the company claimed.

Highlighting what it called the energy-saving characteristic of the fans, Dunli said an 800mm X-Pro axial fan working at 13,500m3/h at 160Pa, can save more than 17,000 kilowatt-hours in five years, compared to traditional equivalent fans in the market.

The fans can be used in a variety of HVAC equipment, such as air coolers, air-cooled heat exchange modules, heat pumps and cooling towers, Dunli said, adding that they are reliable, easy to install and maintain and convenient to control.

ASHRAE opens registration for its Annual Conference

ATLANTA, Georgia, 24 March 2022: ASHRAE said registration is now open for the 2022 ASHRAE Annual Conference, from June 25 to 29, at the Sheraton Centre Hotel, Toronto. 

According to ASHRAE, the five-day conference includes sessions addressing current trends and technologies in the HVAC&R industry, as well as tours, social events and a keynote message from Fredi Lajvardi, STEM educator and subject of IMAX film, Dream Big. 

“ASHRAE’s Annual Conference offers a unique combination of education, technology and networking in an effective format where industry professionals can share best practices, insights and real-world experiences with peers from around the world,” said Mick Schwedler, 2021-22 ASHRAE President. “We’re excited to come together in Toronto – a vibrant city known for innovation – and know the conference will be a worthwhile experience for all in attendance.”  

According to ASHRAE, the conference’s technical program comprises eight tracks, with over 70 sessions and over 200 speakers. Topics include decarbonization, environmental health and energy system integration and building performance, the Society said. 

According to ASHRAE, tracks include: 

  • Fundamentals and Applications 
  • HVAC&R Systems and Equipment 
  • 9th Annual Research Summit 
  • IAQ, Energy Use, Comfort and Health of Sustainable Buildings 
  • Connected Buildings, Connected Communities 
  • Buildings in the Aftermath of COVID-19
  • Professional Development and Education 
  • Cold Climate Building System Design, Operation and Resilience 

ASHRAE said it will also conduct business, committee and technical meetings in the weeks leading up to and during the conference. It said members will be recognized for Society and industry achievements, and Farooq Mehboob, 2022-2023 ASHRAE President, will present the inaugural Society theme address on “Securing Our Future”.  

According to ASHRAE, registration includes: 

  • Access to technical program from Sunday, June 26 to Wednesday, June 29 (seminars, workshops, paper sessions, debates and panels) 
  • Access to conference proceedings 
  • Networking opportunities 

The ASHRAE Ventilation 2022: 13th International Industrial Ventilation Conference for Contaminant Control will immediately precede the ASHRAE Annual Conference at the same location, from June 22 to 24, the Society said, adding that dual registration opportunities will be available at a discounted rate. It encouraged those interested in attending the events to visit ashrae.org/2022annual and ashrae.org/ventilation2022. 

ASHRAE announces call for abstracts for 2023 Winter Conference

ATLANTA, Georgia, 10 March 2022: ASHRAE said it has begun accepting abstracts for the 2023 ASHRAE Winter Conference, to be held from February 4 to 8, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia.

 

Making the announcement through a Press release, ASHRAE said the conference will address improving energy efficiency and decarbonization in the built environment.

 

According to ASHRAE, the technical program comprises the following eight tracks and a mini track:

 

The “Fundamentals and Applications” track will provide opportunities for papers of varying levels across a large topic base. Concepts, design elements and shared experiences for theoretical and applied concepts of HVAC&R design are included.

 

The “HVAC&R Systems and Equipment” track will focus on the development of new systems and equipment, improvements to existing systems and equipment and the proper application and operation of systems and equipment.

 

The “Refrigerants and Refrigeration” track will explore refrigeration systems, which generate and use cold for a range of processes, from food preparation and conservation to vaccine preservation, and to long-term protection of fragile ancient inks of historical documents and others.

 

The “Grid Resilience and Thermal Storage” track will highlight the advancements in grid resilience and thermal storage systems and how they are tied to resilience and energy conservation efforts.      

 

The “Pathways to Zero Energy Emissions and Decarbonization” track will highlight methods being developed to reduce carbon impact on the global environment and the efforts ASHRAE and its members are taking to advance these efforts.

 

The “Multifamily and Residential Buildings” track will cover programs and papers on best practices, utility and above-code incentive programs, field studies, and codes and standards requirements. The track also welcomes programs and papers for single-family housing and other residential buildings.

 

The “Operations and Maintenance” will address an array of topics, including lessons learned, improvement of process and team communications and effort to improve the installation, startup, O&M and commissioning of HVAC systems.

 

The “Building Simulation and Virtual Design in Construction” track will focus on the practices of energy modeling and building performance simulation using existing simulation tools, software development, and future simulation research and applications for building simulation & virtual design in construction.

 

The mini track, “Innovative Responses to Supply Chain Challenge” is intended to help members plan for the future disruptions and develop resiliency plans around supply chain by highlighting effective and innovative strategies to mitigate supply chain challenges.         

 

According to ASHRAE, abstracts, 400 words or less, are due April 5, 2022. If accepted, final conference papers (eight pages, maximum) are due July 25, 2022, it said.

 

In addition, technical papers (complete 30-page maximum papers published in “ASHRAE Transactions”) are also due April 5, 2022 and considered for Science and Technology for the Built Environment, ASHRAE’s research journal.

 

For more information on the call for abstracts and the 2023 ASHRAE Winter Conference, ASHRAE suggested visiting ashrae.org/2023Winter.

 

 

French transport refrigeration rental company aims for UAE market-share

DUBAI, UAE, 7 March 2022: French transport refrigeration rental company, Petit Forestier, announced its intention of garnering market share in the UAE’s food cold chain sector.

Speaking to Climate Control Middle East, Petit Forestier, which also manufactures its refrigerated boxes, pointed out that its entire fleet of vehicles is ATP-certified, which enhances food safety, and ensures a low carbon footprint and cost-savings for the customer. ATP stands for “Accord Transport Perissable” (Agreement on the International Carriage of Perishable Foodstuffs and on the Special Equipment to be Used for such Carriage). It comes under the purview of the Transport Division of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

Stanislas Przyklang du Chassin

Stanislas Przyklang du Chassin, its Managing Director for UAE operations, highlighted that the company is the first to supply ATP-certified boxes in the UAE. “We are trying to push everybody and explain to everybody that it is really important for food safety that we install these here,” he said. “These boxes are between 900 kilograms and one ton lighter than locally available boxes.

Imagine how green they are. Lighter means they consume less petrol – the fuel consumption is 20-30% less than locally available boxes – which means lower CO2 emissions. So, we are working on the cold safety and the green side of the vehicle.”

Przyklang du Chassin admitted that ATP-certified boxes are 25-30% more expensive that locally available boxes. However, when all aspects are considered, they would guarantee greater cost savings for clients. “Yes, the cost of purchasing is higher, but at the end, the vehicle is one ton lighter, which means we can save 20-30% on fuel costs,” he said. “We have customers who are doing one petrol tank per day, which means they get their money back in one year. Also, a lighter vehicle means you don’t have to replace your brakes that often, which will mean a reduced cost of maintenance.”

Dimitri Doinet

Petit Forestier, which has factories in France and Poland, manufactures 7,000 insulated boxes a year. It said it is the only rental company that has an innovation department, working every day to find solutions related to green transportation and food safety. Dimitri Doinet, its Sales Director, said innovation is a key strength of the company.

Pointing to the vehicles, he highlighted the use of fewer metallic parts in the chassis, which make them lighter and, hence, more fuel efficient. He also highlighted that the insulation of the boxes is six centimetres in thickness, as compared to 10 centimetres in boxes available in the country. This, he said, allows for carrying more foodstuffs per load. He further highlighted the use of door sensors, which cut off the cold units on opening the doors of the truck, thus preventing exposure to hot ambient conditions.

From a food safety perspective, Doinet pointed to the use of unique antimicrobial air strips for preventing the ingress of hot ambient air to the vehicle. This, he said, was only the beginning, though. Adding to this, Przyklang du Chassin said the company offers vehicles fitted with mechanical air curtains, They are currently available only in Europe, though. He said customers are happy with the innovation, for they do not have an obstruction while entering the vehicle.

Przyklang du Chassin said the company would eventually offer air curtains in vehicles in the UAE. “This is something we have to test,” he said. “We have plans of bringing them here in the next five years.”

Speaking on the rental model of the business, Przyklang du Chassin said the company was proposing renting its vehicles for 5-6 years, during which it would offer commitment to the customer to manage every aspect of the assets. That way, he said, the customer would know that cold safety is respected. Petit Forestier, he said, offers a full complement of aftermarket services, including maintenance, repair and replacement.

Speaking on the speed of service and reaction time, Przyklang du Chassin said the company has the ability to give a replacement vehicle within a short duration. “If the client has any issue on the road, we can give a replacement vehicle in 20-30 minutes, so as to be able to continue delivering perishable foodstuffs,” he said. “With refrigerated vehicles, if you have a breakdown, you can lose everything, especially here. So, we have developed a full service to replace vehicles very quickly.”

‘One for the books’: Organisers of HVACR mega show, AHR Expo, say

WESTPORT, Connecticut, 10 February 2022: The AHR Expo returned last week to Vegas after a forced hiatus in 2021, International Exposition Company (IEC), the organisers of the show, said through a news release.

After two years of uncertainty and a longing to reunite the industry, the event represented an eagerness to return to business, drawing 30,678 attendees, IEC said. What’s more, the success of the show signals a reignited energy for all things HVACR and the community’s readiness to take on the challenges and opportunities ahead with renewed optimism, IEC said. “It was impossible to miss the energy in the halls this year,” said Mark Stevens, Show Manager.

“There have been some heavy ups and downs across the industry in recent years, and we, as a community, needed to feel the inspiration that happens when we gather together under one roof. The 2022 AHR Expo surpassed any expectation – our exhibitors, attendees, associations, speakers and everyone involved made this event one of the most special we’ve ever hosted. If you were there, the camaraderie was hard to miss. This industry is strong, and we are back on track to tackle the challenges before us.”

According to IEC, attendees were eager to be back in the booths experiencing new products and methods that support their work in the field. It was evident from every corner of the show floor that this industry is bursting with prospects, IEC added. “My main reason for attending the AHR Expo is the whole experience,” said Arizona tradesman and first-time attendee, Brendan Bowie.

“You get to meet all the people who make the things that we buy and look up to and use every day. It is a lot of the vendors that we spend money with, because they make superior products. I talked to presidents and CEOs of companies that I buy products from every day, every week, every month. Instagram stories are not going to tell what AHR is, it’s the whole experience. Going to AHR matters, because you have to see what’s going on out there. I had the opportunity to see so much new. We’re trapped in vans every day on the job, you need to see what’s out there.”

According to IEC, a total of 1,573 exhibitors spread out over 443,769 square feet in the Central and North halls, packing the floor with an explosion of innovation and new products. Given the time apart, there was plenty to take in, as exhibitors launched new technology, products and ideas that came to life since we last gathered in Orlando, IEC said. “We and our [manufacturer] member companies that exhibited were very pleased with the quality of the Las Vegas Expo,” said Stephen Yurek, President & CEO, AHRI.

“We heard comment after comment about the quality and number of attendees and how grateful everyone was to get back together with their industry colleagues and customers. We are grateful to our [manufacturer] members for moving ahead with what turned out to be a really good show, and we look forward to seeing some of them in Guadalajara in September and more of them next year in Atlanta.”

According to IEC, inside the exhibitor booths, this year, company reps and attendees were busy catching up on lost time. The challenges in the supply chain and other COVID-related delays have opened the door for new ways of thinking about partnerships, IEC said. Emerson, one of the exhibitors, endorsed the organizer’s statement.

“Emerson has always valued the customer engagement opportunities provided by the AHR Expo and the forum to showcase our sustainable solutions that are helping to reduce global impact while improving comfort, efficiency, performance and food safety in the HVACR industry,” said John Schneider, President, HVACR Technologies Americas, Emerson.

“After last year’s pause, the Expo provided a much-needed, in-person touchpoint, and we were thrilled to have our valued customers join us in celebrating our Copeland brand’s 100-year milestone during our pre-show customer event. This year, we also sponsored the Podcast Pavilion, which was a great opportunity for us to align with industry influencers as their role in this industry continues to expand.

Ultimately, all our businesses and brands experienced a great turnout, and we are looking forward to even more attendance in 2023.” Added Sarah Beyerlein, Everwell Parts: “It does not matter where you come from or where in the industry you’re involved in, the AHR Expo is the most remarkable yearly event where we all share our passion and expertise in the HVAC industry. It cannot be missed out.”

Innovation sets the course

On Monday, January 31, the show celebrated the 2022 Innovation Award Winners with a private reception. Members from each winning company were invited to share food and drink and be among industry cohorts also being recognized as leaders in shaping the future of HVACR, IEC said. The 2022 AHR Expo Innovation Award Product of the Year Award, IEC said, went to Danfoss, for their Danfoss Turbocor VTCA400 Compressor, a winner in the Cooling category. Lisa Tryson, Market Communications Director, Danfoss, said: “Danfoss is honored to be recognized with the product of the year award for our VTCA400 oil-free compressor. Our industry is at the forefront of many critical trends, and innovation is vital to meet the challenges ahead. The AHR Expo is a great way to showcase these latest technologies.”

Stevens, speaking on behalf of the organizer, said: “We were honored to celebrate our 2022 winners with a more intimate celebration. The pace they each are setting for the future of HVACR is astounding, and collectively in each of the sectors they are raising the bar on how we are shaping the industry. Congratulations to all our 2022 winners, and to Danfoss for their leadership in innovation. As the industry looks ahead to changes on the horizon for HVACR, innovation from our exhibiting companies continues to push to new levels.”

Partnerships born through crucial in-person networking help to propel new ideas into the marketplace, IEC said. Jacques Beaudry-Losique, CEO, Enginuity Power Systems, said: “The AHR Expo is an environment uniquely suited to making high-level connections and business partnerships, as well as finding the latest state-of-the-art appliance product technology as well as supply chain and distribution channels. We were honored to be awarded the 2022 Sustainable Solutions Innovation Award, further validating our products to help homes and businesses save energy and achieve their sustainability goals.”

Education Program… something for everyone

In the Education Program, attendees were invited to sit in on more than 80 free sessions, covering topics from a wide range of industry experts, IEC said. Added to the roster this year was an industry panel discussion led by leaders representing all sectors of the industry, including Mick Schwedler, 2021-2022 President, ASHRAE; Yurek; Talbot Gee, CEO, Heating, Air Conditioning, Refrigeration Distributors (HARDI); Roberta MacGillivray, President, National Air Filtration Association (NAFA); and Dominick Guarino, CEO, National Comfort Institute (NCI). Bryan Orr, of HVAC School for Tech by Techs, and industry podcaster and well-known training advocate, moderated the panel, which included a discussion on the current state of HVACR as well as threats and opportunities as the industry recalibrates to a new normal post-pandemic.

Speaking during the discussion, Yurek said: “Our focus used to be on the box, on the equipment and the installation of it. Now, we need to address the entire HVAC system to provide efficiency and comfort. The change we will see over the next few years will be nothing we’ve seen before.” Schwedler said: “Our industry has never been more essential. The public became aware of what our industry does. We are fully connected as a world, with more people involved in problem-solving.” And MacGillivray said: “Before COVID-19, there was a tradeoff between energy efficiency and human health. As we solve the pandemic issue, we must continue our focus on how IAQ affects human health and productivity.”

Additional education program highlights included an overview of intellectual property in HVACR, by Wil Rao, an IP and Patent attorney in the greater Chicago area; a breakdown of warranty and callbacks from Bryan Orr; lessons learned from the supply chain, a panel discussion hosted by HARDI and moderated by the HVAC Jerks; and many more targeted discussions highlighting current opportunities, threats and methods across the industry. “It is absolutely fantastic to see the AHR Expo make such a strong comeback in Las Vegas,” said Jeff Littleton, ASHRAE Executive Vice President. “Bringing professionals from around the world back together to learn and share new technologies, with health and safety as a top priority, affords us the opportunity to continue moving the critical work of our industry forward.”

Strength in community

Perhaps one of the most inspiring sentiments shared throughout the floor this year was the sense of community that HVACR embraces, IEC said. Many of the industry’s workforce remained on the frontlines throughout the pandemic and relied on the daily connection with professionals through social media and other points of communication, it said adding there was an overwhelming sense of relief and contentment to be gathering again face to face at the industry’s largest event. “My first AHR was amazing, I really enjoyed meeting my social media community in person,” said Ashley Lynds, Texas tradeswoman Ashley Lynds. “Everyone was so welcoming, and I was able to network and make additional connections for future business. I can’t wait for Atlanta!”

The Podcast Pavilion returned for its second year as a show feature, IEC said, adding it was a clear fan favorite, as attendees packed the pavilions each day for live recordings from their favorite industry talents. Eric Aune, with Mechanical Hub, said: “We’ve been attending this show for over a decade. This year was different, there was a new connection with social media and a great podcast lineup. I like the direction they are taking things.”

Until we meet again

AHR Expo will head back to Atlanta for the 2023 show, bringing with it the positive energy established in Vegas, IEC said. Eager exhibitors have already reserved booths and discussions of travel plans among attendees are underway, IEC revealed, adding that it’s safe to say we are back to business! “Vegas is one for the books,” Stevens said. “We’ve been hosting this show for many years, and while it is always a great showing of our industry, this year felt like a new chapter for HVACR. We are a strong community, and we now have the attention this industry deserves to thrive on the global stage.

“We look forward to hosting many of our international attendees who couldn’t make it this year because of travel restrictions and supply chain issues. We have big problems to solve and hefty aspirations to meet, as our industry touches literally every part of society and our everyday lives.

The success of the 2022 AHR Expo is proof that we are poised to take on anything together. We are all excited to be a part of such a vibrant community, and we look forward to planning a stellar show for you in Atlanta. We’ll see you soon!”

According to IEC, the 2023 AHR Expo will take place at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Registration will open in summer 2022.

ASHRAE wraps up first hybrid Winter Conference

ATLANTA, Georgia, 4 February 2022: More than 2,800 HVACR industry professionals, building systems engineers, architects, contractors and students gathered in Las Vegas and virtually from January 29 to February 2 for the 2022 ASHRAE Winter Conference, ASHRAE said through a Press release. Registered conference attendees received entry to the co-sponsored AHR Expo, held from January 31 to February 2 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, ASHRAE added.

“This year’s Conference and Expo marked the first time that the Society has been together for our Winter Conference in two years and the return to the AHR Expo after last year’s cancellation,” said Mick Schwedler, 2021-22 ASHRAE President. “While the numbers are expectedly lower than past conferences, in-person attendance still exceeded our expectations, and our virtual attendees added a welcomed dynamic to our sessions. We are grateful to everyone involved in establishing a comprehensive health and safety plan for our attendees, which included guidance provided by the ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force.”

According to ASHRAE, the Winter Conference featured over 50 technical sessions, updates from Society leaders, tours, social events and livestreamed sessions for virtual attendees. Top sessions included Introduction of Building Decarbonization, HVAC Design, Control and Operation of Hospitals After COVID-19 Fiasco and CPS 21: Refining ASHRAE COVID Guidelines and Standard 100, ASHRAE said.

According to ASHRAE, the AHR Expo offered a total of 1,573 exhibitors, with 281 international exhibitors, occupying 443,769 square feet of exhibit space in the Las Vegas Convention Center. More than 43,000 people pre-registered to attend the show, including 130 media representatives, ASHRAE said.

At the Winter Conference, Schwedler provided updates related to the Society’s current theme, “Personal Growth. Global Impact. Feed the Roots”, ASHRAE said. He focused on personal development and how the Society’s extraordinary global growth and impact to the built environment has nourished the roots of the global HVACR industry, ASHRAE added.

“When we concentrate on our mission and vision and talk about our impacts – we make the world more sustainable and resilient to future changes,” Schwedler said. “We reduce both energy utilization intensity and environmental emissions. We helped mitigate a global pandemic by keeping vaccines cold – and their efficacy high – 40% of the world’s food spoils between the field and consumption. We reduce that. And most importantly, we keep students and staff in schools, and occupants of the built environment safe and healthy.”

During the plenary session of the Conference, Jeff Littleton, Executive Vice President and Secretary, ASHRAE, reported on the Society’s current initiatives, as well as the dedication of ASHRAE volunteers during the pandemic. “A Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Board subcommittee is focused on proactively driving diversity, equity and inclusion at all levels of the Society,” Littleton said. “Task groups have been formed to drive Society strategies on decarbonization and on international standards. We’ve released 14 new and 24 revised publications and standards.

Examples of new publications include the ASHRAE Design Guide for Natural Ventilation and the ASHRAE Guide for HVAC in Hazardous Spaces. We’ve even released the children’s book, Lucy’s Engineering Adventure. The commitment of ASHRAE’s entire global membership to the Society’s work has never wavered during the pandemic. I find that truly remarkable. When so much of our professional and personal lives has been disrupted, some 7,000 ASHRAE volunteers at the society, regional and chapter levels continue to drive ASHRAE forward.”

ASHRAE said an honors and awards ceremony, tied to the Conference, was an occasion for recognizing experienced and emerging leaders in the industry. Record-breaking polar explorer, Ann Daniels, closed the plenary session with an inspiring presentation on good leadership, teamwork and self-belief.

The ASHRAE Learning Institute (ALI) offered 17 courses. According to ASHRAE, new courses were as follows: Advanced High-Performance Building Designs: Key Concepts for Lifelong Building Sustainability; V in HVAC – What, Why, Where, How, and How Much (includes Basic Requirements of Standard 62.1-2019); Best Practices for Installing DDC Systems; Save 40% by Complying with Standard 90.1-2019; Principles of Building Commissioning: ASHRAE Guideline 0 and Standard 202; Guideline 36: Best in Class HVAC Control Sequences; Changing Environments and Loads for Data Centers (High Density, Liquid Cooling, Edge Computing); and Health Impacts of Indoor Air Extraction, Ventilation, and Filtration – Same or Different.

ASHRAE said all registered attendees, both in-person and virtual, would have access to the virtual conference environment for 12 months, post-conference. Registration, the Society said, is still open for access to the virtual conference until January 2023 at ashrae.org/2022winter.

ASHRAE said the 2022 ASHRAE Annual Conference will take place from June 25 to June 29 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The 2023 Winter Conference will take place from February 4 to 8, and the AHR Expo, from February 6 to 8, in Atlanta, Georgia.  

ASHRAE announces nominees for 2022-23 slate of officers, directors

ATLANTA, Georgia, 31 January 2022: ASHRAE announced Ginger Scoggins as President-Elect for the 2022-2023 Society Year, among other nominees for the slate of officers and directors.

Making the announcement through a Press release, ASHRAE said the ASHRAE Nominating Committee made the nominations for the officers and directors from a list that individual members and Chapters Regional Conferences prepared.

According to ASHRAE, the 2022-23 nominees are:

  • President-Elect: Ginger Scoggins
  • Treasurer: Dennis Knight
  • Vice Presidents: Billy Austin, Dunstan Macauley, Sarah Maston, Ashish Rakheja
  • Directors and Regional Chairs: Bryan Holcomb (Region IV), James Arnold (Region V), Susanna Hanson (Region VI), John Constantinide (Region XII) and Cheng Wee Leong (Region XIII)
  • Directors-at-Large: Blake Ellis, Luke Leung and Wei Sun
  • Alternate Director-at-Large: Patrick Marks 

ASHRAE said members will vote on the nominees via electronic ballot in May 2022. Farooq Mehboob will serve as ASHRAE President for the 2022-23 Society Year.

ASHRAE recognizes outstanding achievements of members

ATLANTA, Georgia, 30 January 2022: ASHRAE recognized the outstanding achievements and contributions of members to the Society and the built-environment industry during its 2022 Winter Conference in Las Vegas. It made the announcement through a Press release.

“Congratulations to all of ASHRAE’s Honors and Awards recipients,” said 2021-22 ASHRAE President Mick Schwedler. “Your service to the global built-environment and our Society is appreciated.”

Fellow ASHRAE

According to ASHRAE, the Fellow ASHRAE category is a membership grade that recognizes members who have attained distinction and made substantial contributions in HVACR and the built-environment, such as education, research, engineering design and consultation, publications, presentations and mentoring. The Society elevated 25 members to the grade of Fellow:

  • Edward A. Arens, Ph.D., Life Member ASHRAE, director, Center for the Built Environment, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California
  • Robert Bean, President, Indoor Climate Consultants Inc., Calgary, Alberta, Canada
  • Don Brandt, Life Member ASHRAE, Retired from Trane Co., in Phoenix, Arizona
  • James F. Butler, CTO, Cimetrics Inc., Boston, Massachusetts
  • Pieter De Wilde, Professor, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, United Kingdom
  • Titu R. Doctor, Life Member ASHRAE, Retired, Marietta, Georgia
  • W. Stuart Dols, Mechanical Engineer, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, Maryland
  • Brian A. Fricke, Ph.D., Group Leader, Building Equipment Research, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee
  • Shih-Cheng Hu, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor, Department of Energy, Refrigeration, and Air-Conditioning, and Director, Center for Clean Technology Research, National Taipei University of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan
  • Joe Huang, BEMP, Owner, White Box Technologies, Inc., Moraga, California
  • Luke C. H. Leung, P.E., P.Eng., BEMP, Director, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, Chicago, Illinois
  • Igor Y. Maevski, Ph.D., P.E., Manager of Engineering, Global Tunnel Fire & Life Safety Lead, Jacobs Engineering, New York, New York
  • Hugh Magande, Technical Principal, Research, Southface Institute, Atlanta, Georgia
  • Tim McGinn, P.Eng., HBDP, Principal, McGinn Technical Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
  • Janice K. Means, P.E., Life Member ASHRAE, Professor Emerita, Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, Michigan
  • Amy V. Musser, Ph.D., P.E., BEMP, Partner, Vandemusser Design, Asheville, North Carolina
  • Zheng O’Neill, Ph.D., P.E., Associate Professor, J. Mike Walker ’66 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
  • Ryozo Ooka, Professor, Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
  • Chun-cheng Piao, Ph.D., President, Daikin Open Innovation Lab Silicon Valley, Santa Clara, California
  • Lee Riback, Life Member ASHRAE, Project Director – Commissioning, McKinstry Co – South Region, Dallas, Texas
  • Charles Roos, CPEng, Senior Technical Director, Beca Ltd., Auckland, New Zealand.
  • William A. Ryan, Ph.D., P.E., Clinical Associate Professor and Director of the Master of Energy Engineering Program, Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
  • Roger R. Schmidt, Ph.D., Traugott Distinguished Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York
  • Celso Cardoso Simões Alexandre, P.Eng., Life Member ASHRAE, President, TROX Americas Extended Board, and Member, TROX GROUP Extended Board, TROX GmbH, São Paulo, Brazil
  • Filza H. Walters, Professor of the Practice in Architectural Engineering, Department of Multidisciplinary Engineering, College of Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.

Presidential Certificate of Honor 

According to ASHRAE, the Presidential Certificate of Honor is presented as a special honor by the ASHRAE President to recognize a member who has made a unique contribution to the growth and well-being of the Society. ASHRAE recognized the ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force in the category. The members of the Task Force are:

  • Bill Bahnfleth, Ph.D., P.E., Presidential Fellow Member ASHRAE, Professor of Architectural Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania
  • Dennis Knight, P.E., BEMP, Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, Principal, Whole Building Systems, LLC, Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina
  • Walid Chakroun, Ph.D., P.E., Fellow Member ASHRAE, Professor, Kuwait University, Kuwait
  • Brad C. Cochran, P.E., Senior Principal, CPP Wind Engineering, Windsor, Colorado
  • Wade H. Conlan, P.E., BCxP, Commissioning and Energy Discipline Manager, Hanson Professional Services, Inc., Maitland, Florida
  • Jason DeGraw, Ph.D., R&D Staff Member, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Knoxville, Tennessee
  • Traci Hanegan, P.E., HFDP, Fellow Member ASHRAE, Principal Mechanical Engineer, Coffman Engineers, Inc., Spokane, Washington.
  • Richard D. Hermans, P.E., HFDP, Life Member ASHRAE, Retired Mechanical Department Manager, AECOM, Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • Luke Leung, P.E., P.Eng, BEMP, Director, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, LLP, Chicago, Illinois
  • Stephen B. Martin, Jr., Ph.D., P.E., Senior Research Engineer, Respiratory Health Division, Field Studies Branch, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), Morgantown, West Virginia
  • John L. McKernan, Sc.D., Chief, Emerging Contaminants and Technologies Branch, US EPA, Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Corey B. Metzger, P.E., Principal, Resource Consulting Engineers, LLC, Ames, Iowa
  • Jim Ridenhour, Life Member ASHRAE, Retired, Greer, South Carolina
  • Max H. Sherman, Ph.D., Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, Retired Senior Staff Scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California
  • Stephanie Taylor, M.D., President and Founder, Building 4 Health, Inc., Keswick, Virginia
  • Pawel Wargocki, Ph.D., Associate Professor, International Centre for Indoor Environment and Energy, Department of Civil Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark

ASHRAE Technology Awards

According to ASHRAE, the ASHRAE Technology Awards recognize outstanding achievements by ASHRAE members who have successfully applied innovative building designs. Their designs incorporate ASHRAE standards for effective energy management and Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and serve to communicate innovative systems design. Winning projects are selected from entries earning regional awards. According to ASHRAE, first-place recipients for the ASHRAE Technology Award are:

  • Hermes Silva Flores, existing commercial buildings category, Hotel Mandarin Oriental, Santiago, Chile. The building is owned by Hotel Mandarin Oriental Santiago.
  • Donald R. Hartdegen, Jr., P.E., Asfandyar Khan, P.E., HBDP and Sudesh Saraf, P.E., new educational facilities category, Adlai E. Stevenson High School East Building, Lincolnshire, Illinois. The building is owned by Adlai Stevenson High School District 125.
  • Jason Volz, P.E., Matt Branham, P.E., Brian Duvall, P.E. and Braydi McPherson-Hathaway, EBCx educational facilities category, Kentucky Community and Technical College System, Louisville, Kentucky. The building is owned by Kentucky Community and Technical College System.
  • Lincoln Pearce, P.E., BEAP, existing educational facilities category, Marston Hall Renovation, Ames, Iowa.
  • Nicholas Rogers, P.E., Tracy Steward and David Mayer, new heath care facilities category, Norton Novak Center for Children’s Health, Louisville, Kentucky. The building is owned by Norton Healthcare.
  • Shana Scheiber, P.E. and Rick Flock, P.E., new industrial facilities or processes category, Exact Sciences Lab, Madison, Wisconsin. The building is owned by Exact Sciences.
  • Leighton W. Deer, P.E., HBDP and Brad Grubb, P.E., new public assembly category, Westwood Hills Nature Center, St. Louis Park, Minnesota. The building is owned by the City of St. Louis Park.
  • Dennis C. McKale, P.E., Bradley Herbeck and Ryan Cowan, existing industrial facilities or processes category, Stellantis – Sterling Heights Assembly Plant, Sterling Heights, Michigan. The building is owned by Stellantis.
  • Dustin Langille, BEMP, HBDP and Donald McLauchlan, residential facilities category, 3833 North Broadway, Chicago, Illinois. The building is owned by 3817-45 N. Broadway Inc.

First Place and Award of Engineering Excellence

According to ASHRAE, the Award of Engineering Excellence was created in 1989 to recognize a first-place winner of the Society-level Technology Award competition for an outstanding application of innovative design and effective energy utilization. The recipient of the Award of Engineering Excellence will have demonstrated the best overall compliance with the judging criteria.

According to ASHRAE, first-place and recipients of the Award of Engineering Excellence are:

  • Shiro Tsukami, P.E., Kitaro Mizuide, Ph.D., P.E. and Hirotaka Kubo, P.E., new commercial buildings category, DaiyaGate Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Japan. The building is owned by Seibu Properties Inc.

Student Design Competition

According to ASHRAE, the 2021 Student Design Competition focused on a new 50,000-square-foot building on a higher education campus in Prince George, British Columbia, Canada. The building included a two-story cafeteria, associated office, and commercial kitchen and storage space. The teams were tasked with providing safe and healthy storage of food materials on the lower level in a manner that prevents spoiling and the growth of bacteria, while providing enough kitchen/serving space and permanent seating to serve a peak occupancy of 720 students and a total of 3,000 students per day.

First place in the HVAC System Selection category was awarded to Ferris State University, Big Rapids, Michigan. Team members are Evan Eldred, Brian Van Schepen, Nick Schramski, Cole Quinlan, Cole Weber and Jordanny T. Williams.

According to ASHRAE, first place in the HVAC Design Calculations category was awarded to the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Team members are Brandon Jung, Arin Lee, Lukengo Miguel, Kyle Vanderhorst and Taewoong (Jeff) Yoon.

According to ASHRAE, first place in the Integrated Sustainable Building Design category was awarded to Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pa. Team members are Andre Cosini, Xinyan Liu, Christopher Maitski, Andrew McGrail, Roumany C. Phan and Christopher Unis.

The Setty Family Foundation Applied Engineering Challenge requires students to plan, develop and enact solutions to sustainability issues in their local or regional areas. In the 2021 Setty Family Foundation Applied Engineering Challenge, students were challenged to design an indoor farming system to meet the needs of a local community with regard to single or multi-family residential construction.

According to ASHRAE, the California Polytechnic State University, in San Luis Obispo, California, placed first. Team members are Adam Bessey, Matthew Malonzo and Ryan Salazar.

E.K. Campbell Award of Merit

According to ASHRAE, Thomas M. Lawrence, Ph.D., P.E., Fellow Member ASHRAE, received the E.K. Campbell Award of Merit. The award honors an individual for outstanding service and achievement in teaching and is presented by the Life Members Club. Lawrence is professor of practice, mechanical engineering program lead, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.

John F. James International Award

According to ASHRAE, Karine Leblanc, received the John F. James International Award. The award recognizes a member who has done the most to enhance the Society’s international presence. Lelanc is sales engineer, US Air Conditioning Distributors, City of Industry, California.

YEA Inspirational Leader Award

According to ASHRAE, Badri Patel, BEAP, received the YEA Inspirational Leader Award. The award recognizes a Young Engineer in ASHRAE (YEA) member who has gone above and beyond to make considerable contributions to the industry and community. Patel is commercial market account executive, Johnson Controls Canada, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

ASHRAE Award for Distinguished Public Service

According to ASHRAE, Steven J. Williams received the ASHRAE Award for Distinguished Public Service. The award recognizes members who have performed outstanding public service in their community and, in doing so, have helped to improve the public image of the engineer. Williams is mechanical project manager, James Posey Associates, Owings Mills, Maryland.

Honorary Member

According to ASHRAE, William “Bill” Nye, known as Bill Nye the Science Guy, was elected as an Honorary Member of ASHRAE. Honorary Members, elected by the Board of Directors, are defined as notable persons of preeminent professional distinction. Nye is CEO, The Planetary Society, Pasadena, California.

ASHRAE Hall of Fame

According to ASHRAE, Raymond G. Alvine, P.E., Fellow Life Member ASHRAE (1926-2005) and Alwin B. Newton, Fellow Life Member ASHRAE (1907-1985), were inducted into the ASHRAE Hall of Fame. The ASHRAE Hall of Fame honors deceased members of the Society who have made milestone contributions to the growth of ASHRAE-related technology or the development of ASHRAE as a society.

Paul Anderson Award

According to ASHRAE, James E. Braun, Ph.D., Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, received the F. Paul Anderson Award. The award, ASHRAE’s highest honor, for technical achievement, is named in memory of Presidential Member F. Paul Anderson, who was a pioneer in the study of environmental conditions for comfort.

World Refrigeration Day: Industry must break silos to reach public

Las Vegas, Nevada, 19 January 2022: Refrigeration and air conditioning are essential to modern life, yet most people are unaware of the technology behind cooling, partially from the RAC industry not reaching out to the public with coordinated messaging.

A free educational session, organized by World Refrigeration Day (WRD), ASHRAE and UNEP OzonAction at the 2022 AHR Expo in Las Vegas is aimed at encouraging the RAC industry to share messaging resources and to better engage with consumers, policy makers and young people. “Breaking Down RAC Industry Silos” will take place on Tuesday, February 1, from 11am to Noon, PST, Las Vegas Convention Center, Room N238/240, WRD said through a Press release.

Despite the increased number of policies, standards and codes related to RAC industry, there is still significant lack of attention and understanding of the importance of the RAC sectors by governments, end-users, and public, WRD said. Issues like refrigerant transition, emissions reduction and maximizing energy efficiency have been addressed over the last couple of decades by most governments mainly due to relevant global policies and binding frameworks, WRD said. However, the sector’s contribution to human welfare and our modern lifestyle goes beyond those topics and needs to be acknowledged and adequately considered by different groups from outside RAC community, WRD added.

World Refrigeration Day is a platform that all in the RAC industry can use to raise the industry’s profile, WRD said. Examples of how that platform is breaking down industry silos in outreach efforts will be presented by past WRD global campaign partners – ASHRAE, UNEP, IIR, EPEE, GFCCC, FAIAR, ISHRAE, and U-3ARC.

AHRI announces Rees Scholarship Foundation Awards winners

ARLINGTON, Virginia, 13 January 2022: The Clifford H. “Ted” Rees, Jr. Scholarship Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation of the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) and the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) announced scholarship awards totaling USD 45,000 to 24 students, including two military veterans and eight SkillsUSA awardees studying to become technicians in the HVACR and water heating industry, AHRI said through a Press release.

“Each year, the Foundation provides aid to these aspiring technicians, helping to promote careers in the industry and fill good-paying jobs that cannot be outsourced,” said Stephen Yurek, President and CEO, AHRI. “We are pleased to award scholarships to these qualified and dedicated students, and we look forward to welcoming them into the industry.”

Added Barton James, President and CEO, ACCA: “Workforce development is a major priority for ACCA, and we’re pleased to work with the Rees Scholarship Foundation and AHRI to help recruit financial support for deserving individuals. It is our responsibility as an industry to continue to support and encourage careers in the skilled trades, and it starts with training and education.”

According to AHRI, HVACR and Water Heating Technician Program recipients include:

Lindola Gilbert, HVAC Technical Institute, Chicago, IL

Elijah Hernandez, Institute of Technology Modesto, Modesto, CA

Mohammad Farhead Jalali, Institute of Technology Modesto, Modesto, CA

Zhifang Liu, Brownson Technical School, Anaheim, CA

Jose Moscosa, HVAC Technical Institute, Chicago, IL

Palmague Namboure, HVAC Technical Institute, Chicago, IL

Arthur Ramos, HVAC Technical Institute, Chicago, IL

Eduardo Rodriguez, HVAC Technical Institute, Chicago, IL

Andres Siguenza, HVAC Technical Institute, Chicago, IL

Likhit Sutchairak, Brownson Technical School, Anaheim, CA

Carlos Viquez, HVAC Technical Institute, Chicago, IL

Mustafa Zafari, Brownson Technical School, Anaheim, CA

Rutchanon Vongasavarit, Brownson Technical School, Anaheim, CA

Duane Hall, Grand Rapids Community College, Grand Rapids, MI

Elijah LaRue, Career and Technology Education Centers, Newark, OH

Jacob McArthur, Tulsa Tech Lemley Campus, Broken Arrow, OK

Juan Rodriguez, Brownson Technical School, Anaheim, CA

Alsharif Bogar, Lincoln Technical School, New Britain, CT

William Key, Bevill State Community College, Sumiton, AL

Carter Hanvey, Bevill State Community College, Sumiton, AL

Kurt Wester, Bevill State Community College, Sumiton, AL

Stephen Morrison, Bevill State Community College, Sumiton, AL

 

According to AHRI, the Veterans Program recipients are:

Joshua Parson, Bevill State Community College, Hamilton, AL

Robert Landerfin, San Joaquin Valley College – Temecula, Temecula, CA

Since its founding in 2003, AHRI said, the Rees Scholarship Foundation has awarded more than USD 1 million in scholarships to 643 deserving students and instructors.

AHRI to host its State Summit in California

ARLINGTON, Virginia, 5 January 2022: AHRI said it will be hosting its 2022 State Summit on June 7 and 8 in Sacramento, California. Participants will hear directly from key policymakers and stakeholders on priority issues impacting the HVACR and water heating industry in California and across the country, it added. The Summit, it further added, was an opportunity to let lawmakers know the HVACR industry’s position on the critical policy decisions affecting its business, employees and customers.

According to AHRI, the highlights of the Summit will include meetings with California legislators and regulators; presentations from key regulatory agencies, legislative offices, and environmental NGOs; two-way conversations with policymakers on high-priority issues; updates on AHRI’s state legislative and regulatory activities; and opportunities to network with colleagues and conference participants.

Eurovent completes Drift Eliminator Certification test campaign for 2021

PARIS, France, 16 December 2021: Eurovent Certita Certification (ECC) announced the completion of its 2021 Drift Eliminator certification test campaign, consisting of Counterflow, Crossflow integrated and Non-integrated drift eliminator types.

Making the announcement through a Press release, Eurovent said that within two months, the McHale Associates laboratory, in the United States and the 4JTECH testing laboratory, in Prague, Czech Republic, tested over 20 drift eliminators in accordance with ECC technical certification rules ECP 14-DE-2020 for laboratory drift testing and utilising the Isokinetic drift test code ATC-140.

Eurovent said this challenge could not have been successfully met without the collaboration of McHale Associates, a Cooling Technology Institute (CTI) licence testing agency for drift eliminator testing, together with the newly developed 4JTECH laboratory, which had to undergo a series of validation tests supervised by Principal Performance Engineer, Gabe Ramos from McHale Associates, before being approved by the ECC programme committee.

According to Eurovent, the scope of Drift Eliminator certification programme was developed in 2009 by drift eliminator industry experts utilising a controlled laboratory environment to obtain a drift rate at specific controlled operating conditions for air velocity and water loading, as well as the drift breakthrough air velocity, which is the air velocity for which drift losses become visible at any point of the drift eliminator, expressed in m/s.

According to Eurovent, the certification programme is yet becoming an increasing requirement not only in Europe but also worldwide to ensure a significant reduction in hazardous emissions into the environment and to meet government standards, such as the French NF E 38-424, or incentive schemes, such as the LEED green building rating system.

Tecumseh strengthens leadership team

ANN ARBOR, Michigan, 9 December 2021: Commercial refrigeration company, Tecumseh Products Company has appointed Jay Pittas as CEO. Making the announcement through a Press release, the company added that two proven industry leaders have taken new commercial management roles.

Jay Pittas

The newly appointed management team includes Doug Murdock, President of the Americas, and Ricardo Maciel, President of EMEA/Asia, the company said. Ernani Nunes continues to serve as the SVP of Global Sales & Engineering, it added.

Most recently, Pittas has served as the Chairman of Tecumseh’s Board of Directors since April 2020 and, thus, has already been an integral part of Tecumseh’s leadership team, the company said. Pittas previously served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Remy International, a supplier of highly engineered automotive parts for passenger and commercial vehicles, the company said.

Prior to that, he served as President of the Wolverine Specialty Materials business, which supplied coated metals for automotive and electronic applications, it said. He has also held significant international and managerial positions with Honeywell, UOP and ARI Technologies, it added.

To further accelerate commercial growth, operational excellence and improved customer service, Pittas has appointed three proven industry leaders to commercial management positions, the company said.

Murdock, who has served Tecumseh as the President and CEO for over five years, will assume the new role of President of Americas, the company said. Maciel, a former CEO of SECOP, assumes the role of President of EMEA/Asia, it said. Nunes, a former executive from Embraco, will continue to serve as the SVP of Global Sales & Engineering, it added.

Speaking on the appointments, Pittas said: “As we all work through these most challenging times, Tecumseh is taking every step possible to further strengthen our Leadership Team and, in turn, strengthen the service we deliver to our customers.

The steps we’re announcing today speaks to that commitment. We’re thrilled to have Doug and Ricardo and Ernani take on these key leadership positions, and help us drive forward in our continued transformation at Tecumseh.”

ASHRAE celebrates inauguration of global HQ building

ATLANTA, Georgia, 18 November 2021: ASHRAE formally opened its new global headquarters building, following a ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by its board of directors, top building campaign donors, elected officials and local guests. Making the announcement through a Press release, ASHRAE added that it completed a USD 20 million building renovation project intended to prove the economic viability of a fully net-zero-energy (NZE) operation.

“The completion of this project is an important milestone for ASHRAE as a professional society and for the built environment worldwide,” said Mick Schwedler, 2021-22 ASHRAE President. “Our investments in energy efficiency and sustainability will boost innovation within the built environment and inspire others to replicate our headquarters’ project model. Our Society reimagined a pathway forward for existing building stock and is pleased to provide an example of the future of high performance buildings.”

The renovated, 66,700-square-foot building, situated on 11 acres of land at 180, Technology Parkway in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, is the culmination of a 10-month project, completed in October 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, ASHRAE said.

“One could make the assertion that constructing a new net-zero-energy building from the ground up would have been much easier than renovating an existing building,” said Ginger Scoggins, 2021-22 ASHRAE Treasurer and Former Building Ad Hoc Committee Chair. “We decided that ASHRAE could make the greatest impact by showing others how to renovate an existing building with net-zero-energy as the focus, using our own standards and guidelines. ASHRAE is making net-zero-energy the ‘new norm’ in sustainable design and construction. It has been an honor to lead this historic project.”

ASHRAE said the building’s grand opening comes at the conclusion of highly successful building campaign that raised more than USD 10.3 million in monetary donations and contributions of equipment and services from multiple ASHRAE members and 33 corporate donors. Top corporate building donors, NIBE and Cisco, were represented at the ceremony, it added.

“When NIBE was presented with the opportunity to be a part of ASHRAE’s new headquarters, it was an easy decision to play a part in the growth and sustainability of the HVACR industry,” said Eric Lindquist, CEO, NIBE Industrier AB. “Our US brands are focused on continued promotion of systems and solutions that provide comfort, affordability, and betterment of the environment. We look forward to the new headquarters and what the future holds.”

Jeremy Witikko, Office of the Chief Technology Officer, Global Industry Business Strategy, Cisco, said: “When ASHRAE embarked on creating a workspace that reflected their organization’s vision of advancing human well-being through sustainable technology, Cisco was ALL-IN on partnering. Cisco is committed to power an inclusive future for all and were thrilled to be a part of that journey with ASHRAE. Together, let’s continue to build a place where we can meet human needs and protect the planet though technology, our actions, our people and our intentions. An inclusive future starts with a livable planet where people and the environment can thrive together.”

ASHRAE said that although it has occupied the building for more than one year, with limited onsite staff presence, the installation of a Photovoltaic (PV) solar array system was completed in October 2021, marking the beginning of the building’s operation at fully net-zero-energy performance. The PV system is a combination of three sub-arrays, totaling 332kW, mounted on the rooftop and in an unused section of the parking lot, it added.

ASHRAE said that in addition to the PV system, innovative approaches incorporated in the building include:

  • Eighteen new skylights and reconfigured window/wall ratio.
  • Radiant ceiling panel system: This is used for heating and cooling and dedicated outdoor air system for outdoor air ventilation with enthalpy heat recovery.
  • Overhead fresh air distribution system augmented with reversible ceiling fans in the open office areas and displacement distribution in the learning center.
  • Six water-source heat pumps (WSHPs): There are four on basement level and two on upper level atrium that will be used to condition these spaces.
  • A robust Building Automation System with remote access.
  • Demand Control Ventilation (DCV): This will be used for high occupancy spaces in the meeting and learning center.
  • On-site electric vehicle charging stations available for guests and staff.

In attendance at the ceremony were representatives from the offices of US Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock and Congresswoman Carolyn Bourdeaux, along with county and city officials, ASHRAE said.

“We are very pleased that a professional association of ASHRAE’s distinction selected Peachtree Corners as the site of its global headquarters,” said Mike Mason, Mayor, Peachtree Corners. “Technology Park is a natural fit for an organization whose focus mirrors the city’s efforts in technology innovation, sustainability and green living.”

ASHRAE said its Building Ad Hoc Committee and Technical Advisory Subcommittee, comprising Society volunteers, oversaw the building renovation project. Partners involved in the design, engineering and construction of the building project include: Houser Walker Architecture, McLennan Design, Integral Group, Collins Project Management, Skanska, Shumate Mechanical and Epsten Group, it said. The PV installation was completed by Creative Solar USA, it added.

AHR Expo 2022 Innovation Awards winners announced

WESTPORT, Connecticut, 20 October 2021: The AHR Expo (International Air-Conditioning, Heating, Refrigerating Exposition) announced the winners of the 2022 AHR Expo Innovation Awards, through a Press release.

Each year, winners are chosen in 10 industry categories to represent the most innovative products and technologies hitting the market in the coming year. “This past year was a challenge for everyone, and in unique ways, the HVACR industry,” said Mark Stevens, Show Manager. “Our industry was called to the front lines to put our very best products and technologies to the test. The Innovation Awards purpose is to honor those that are pushing the bar to create innovative solutions to difficult problems. We are thrilled to celebrate this year’s winners and what they bring to the industry, as well as to continue to champion innovation among our professionals.”

The Innovation Awards encourage exhibitors to submit new products and technologies for recognition via review and selection by a panel of third-party judges, comprising distinguished ASHRAE members, AHR Expo said. Entrants are evaluated based on overall innovative design, the creativity of the product or service offered, application, as well as potential market impact. “This industry is tremendously exciting for its role in our everyday lives,” Stevens said. “Now, more than ever, we have the chance to show the world just how important HVACR is. Manufacturers on the AHR Expo Show floor are in tune with their stakeholders and the greater needs of the world and are responding by developing new tools, products and services that offer safety, efficiency, and sustainable smart solutions.” According to AHR Expo, the Innovation Awards program serves as a metric to see the year-to-year growth in the industry. While the Awards officially recognize only a select few, the Show floor is a robust example of how manufacturers are growing the industry in exciting ways. “AHR Show Management would like to formally congratulate each of our 2022 AHR Expo Innovation Award winners, as well as finalists and all our entrants, for their continued leadership and contribution to HVACR,” Stevens said. “We look forward to seeing these innovators in the marketplace in the coming year, and in-person on the Show floor in 2022.”

The 2022 AHR Expo Innovation Award Winners and finalists were selected in 10 industry categories, including building automation, cooling, heating, indoor air quality, plumbing, refrigeration, software, sustainable solutions (formerly green building), tools and instruments, and ventilation.

The winners, with their products described in the words of AHR Expo, are:

BUILDING AUTOMATION

Winner: iSMA CONTROLLI S.p.A., iSMA-B-MAC36NL Hybrid IoT Controller, powered by Niagara Framework, Booth C969 Innovation: The iSMA-B-MAC36NL master application controller family provides an all-in-one solution for mini-BMS. Created visualization can be displayed and controlled via HDMI output and two USB ports that enable connection of a mouse/keyboard or dedicated touch for the HMI panel. No PC, additional licenses, or additional costs are required. As MAC controllers are based on the Niagara Framework, it enables the integration of almost any existing protocol on the building network. The onboard M-Bus port, 2 ethernet ports, and the RS485 port can be integrated with just one device. Finally, the controller has an onboard dip and rotary switches that can be used as a part of the application. All of the features of the controller are managed by dedicated modules in Niagara Framework to accelerate the installation process and thus reduce labor costs.

Finalists in this category include: BrainBox AI, BrainBox AI; CUBE USA, CUBE Edge IoT.

COOLING

Winner: Danfoss, Danfoss Turbocor® VTCA400 Compressor, Booth C3906 Innovation: The new VTCA400 from Danfoss offers improvements on traditional centrifugal compressor designs that are large in physical size and footprint, which ultimately lead to higher cost and space constraints for the end user. The VTCA400 solves this problem by using a patent-pending hybrid compression design that uses a combination of mixed flow and radial impellers, enabling high-performance and a compact footprint. In this design, the first-stage impeller uses a mixed flow impeller with both axial and radial components while the second-stage impeller uses a radial design. The hybrid compression design allows for a compressor footprint that is half the physical size and weight of a conventional radial-only design. It also maintains high efficiency levels — a 10% improvement in full load efficiency and 30% improvement in IPLV above ASHRAE 90.1-2019 minimums, when considering a three (3) compressor, 1200-Ton system.

Finalists in this category include: Copeland Compressors and Condensing Units / Emerson, Copeland™ oil-free centrifugal compressor; Teqtoniq GmbH, Teqtoniq TRC150 Oil-Free Centrifugal Compressor.

HEATING

Winner: Carrier, Infinity® 24 Heat Pump with Greenspeed® Intelligence, Booth C1310 Innovation: The Infinity® 24 Heat Pump with Greenspeed® Intelligence is Carrier’s highest-efficiency and most advanced heat pump with up to 24 SEER and 13 HSPF for premium energy savings, extremely quiet performance and premium comfort features. The unique, variable-speed compressor of this unit allows it to adapt its output to the needs of the home with infinite adjustments between 25% and 100% capacity. The heat pump offers excellent humidity control and is capable of removing up to 400% more moisture than standard systems. Based on Carrier testing, all data was run with the systems cycling once they met the assumed home load. The assumed load at AHAM conditions (80/70, 80) is the capacity of the variable-speed running continuously in dehumidification mode. The difficult conditions load was determined by a Wrightsoft® load calculation for a home in Florida at 69 OD 72/63 ID. This condition was provided by a customer in Florida as “worst case.”

Finalists in this category include: HVAC Manufacturing and Technology Inc., SpaceGain Air Handling Units; Addison, FrostShield Defrost-Free Heat Pumps.

INDOOR AIR QUALITY

Winner: Antrum, AntrumX™ IAQ Facilities Monitoring System, Booth C1071 Innovation: AntrumX is a patented centralized sensing technology. AntrumX monitors IAQ for 32 spaces from a single location, using one sensor for every 16 rooms. Consolidating one centralized sensor for multiple spaces increases sensor accessibility while ensuring better overall control. Centralized sensing ensures better overall control because the data from 16 spaces comes from a single source, allowing building managers to optimize their ventilation strategy, and save energy without sacrificing IAQ. Additionally, the AntrumX has the ability to transport air without moving parts. Leveraging the building’s pressure differential between supply and exhaust, AntrumX is able to move air samples from each space to the Sensor Pack without adding energy to the system. The Sensor Pack also monitors multiple data points across multiple rooms. Using over-the-air software updates and a state-of-the-art hardware design, the Sensor Pack can be customized to sense what’s required today and be easily exchanged or updated as requirements change over the life of the building.

Finalists in this category include: LG Electronics USA, Inc., LG Split Rooftop DOAS (Dedicated Outdoor Air System) with Energy Recovery Wheel; TZOA, HAVEN IAQ.

PLUMBING

Winner: Franklin Electric / Little Giant, Inline SpecPAK, Multi-Pump Pressure Boosting System, Booth C4334 Innovation: With only 14.5 inches in depth, its unique smaller footprint makes the Franklin Electric Inline 1100 SpecPAK Pressure Boosting System small enough to be hung in a small utility closet, or wall-hung to preserve critical floor space. The system’s Inline 1100 constant pressure pumps are quiet, compact, self-contained, and versatile. Powered by water-cooled motors, it delivers quieter operation versus traditional air-cooled motors. The self-contained design delivers a “plug and play” solution that is part of a complete package revolving around easy installation, operation, and durability. The ability to expand is a foundational and distinctive benefit. Both the suction and discharge headers are sized to accommodate the flow rate from the maximum speed of four pumps. Quick and easy disconnects to the main panel allow customers to disconnect each pump individually with minimal system disruption.

Finalists in this category include: Lochinvar, LLC, Lochinvar Commercial Heat Pump Water Heaters; Towle Whitney LLC, GEN-5 Platform.

REFRIGERATION

Winner: ebm-papst Inc., AxiEco 630-910 Axial Fan, Booth C3324 Innovation: The AxiEco 630-910 incorporates new impeller geometry with a rotating diffuser and optimized blade design in order to reach a low noise level and high-efficiency. The steep air performance curve provides a pressure increase of more than 700 Pa, which is extraordinary for axial fans. With a maximum air flow of up to 30,000 m³/h, the AxiEco 630-910 covers a wide range of different applications, especially those where high-efficiency and high back pressure are key. The integrated commutation electronics, with an active PFC (power factor correction) as an option, enables the fan to be used in applications with low harmonics requirements, without any external filtering measures.

Finalists in this category include: Copeland Compressors and Condensing Units / Emerson, Copeland™ horizontal variable speed scroll compressor for refrigeration (1 to 4 HP); and Johnson Controls, Inc., ZS series horizontal scroll compressors with R290 and variable speed compatibility.

SOFTWARE

Winner: Bluon, Inc., Bluon Support Platform, Booth C6617 Innovation: The Bluon Support Platform is a mobile application that becomes a centralized hub for HVAC technicians. Bluon was built for technicians, by technicians, and provides detailed system information, just-in-time training, best practices and 24/7 live tech support. The app’s most important function is its ability to make the lives of technicians easier by providing a single, trustworthy source of detailed HVAC system information, along with live tech support when needed in the field. The main features of the free app include: a comprehensive unit database of 40,000 HVAC model numbers, spanning 75+ brands, with 75,000+ original manuals, troubleshooting guides, wiring diagrams, and technical specifications; best practices known as “pro-hacks” for a wide-range of situations; easy-to-use calculators for SH/SC, airflow, pressure setpoints, TXV sizing, etc.; HVAC training videos and tools that techs can use on the job; a revolutionary HVAC forum that gets techs the info they need when they need it; 24/7 live tech support; and a replacement parts identification tool cross-referenced by model numbers and compatible part numbers.

Finalists in this category include: CoolAutomation, Service Provision App; Interplay Learning, SkillMill™.

SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS (formerly Green Building)

Winner: Enginuity Power Systems Inc, E/ONE Home Power System, Booth N7435 Innovation: Enginuity’s E/ONE Home Power System is a modern rethinking of a classic combined heat and power system. Using clean and plentiful natural gas, the E/ONE produces both electricity and heat for homes or businesses. Since the E/ONE is capable of making more power than the home or business requires, the additional power can be sold back to the grid, generating income for the E/ONE’s owner. In addition, the E/ONE leverages the reliability of the natural gas distribution network to replace conventional backup generators. E/ONE easily produces all the electricity needed to operate homes or businesses; therefore, the periodic blackouts, such as those recently seen in Texas and California, will not affect the product’s ability to function.

Finalists in this category include: Caleffi Hydronic Solutions, Commercial domestic hot water (DHW) recirculation systems combine energy efficiency and water conservation; Danfoss, Danfoss Turbocor® TGS380 Compressor.

TOOLS & INSTRUMENTS

Winner: Fluke Corporation, Fluke 378 FC Non-Contact Voltage True-rms AC/DC Clamp Meter with iFlex, Booth C2737 Innovation: The Fluke 378 FC true-rms clamp meter uses FieldSense technology to make testing faster and safer, all without contacting a live conductor. The meter measures accurate voltage and current measurements through the clamp jaw. It works by clipping the black test lead to any electrical ground and putting the clamp jaw around the conductor, which results in reliable, accurate voltage and current values on the display. The 378 FC clamp meter includes a unique PQ function that senses power quality issues automatically. When making FieldSense measurements, the 378 FC will detect and display power quality issues, relating to current, voltage, power factor or any combination of the three. This allows for quick determination if an upstream supply problem exists, or if there is a downstream equipment problem.

Finalists in this category include: Climatech International S.A., F-100 Cordless Stud Welder Machine; RIDGID / Emerson, RIDGID® PCS-500 Pipe Saw.

VENTILATION

Winner: Aldes, InspirAIR® Fresh, Booth C2734 Innovation: The InspirAIR® Fresh contains new innovative design features. A newly developed counterflow enthalpic core and unique fan scrolls ensure 75% sensible recovery efficiency at 32 degrees F, as tested to the new CSA 439 standard, required as of October 2020. Occupants can also expect to get ample fresh filtered air due to variable-speed EC motors that adjust speed to changes in pressure due to stack effect and filter loading. The InspirAIR® Fresh is designed to provide optimal fresh air, regardless of filter type. Currently, ERVs are rated for use with a basic filter, and when using a MERV13 or HEPA filter, the airflow is reduced significantly.

Finalists in this category include: Carrier, Carrier Aero® 39M with ECM Direct Drive Plenum Fans; LG Electronics USA, Inc., LG Split Compact DOAS (Dedicated Outdoor Air System).

“It’s always exciting to follow along as these products and services come to life in the marketplace,” Stevens said. “What’s more, is to see others work to keep pace with innovation and develop new solutions. We are thrilled to be back in-person and headed to Las Vegas for a return to business. We hope you’ll join us and these winners in action on the Show floor before they hit the market.”

Funds raised from the entry fees of the Innovation Awards competition will be donated to a Vegas-area charitable cause, AHR Expo said. Registration for the 2022 AHR Expo is free until January 30, 2021, and can be completed on ahrexpo.com.

Carel launches new iJM solution

BRUGINE, Padua, Italy, 22 September 2021: Carel launched a new iJM solution, backed by a strategic partnership with Vision IoT platform for connecting field assets, the company said through a Press release. Describing iJM as a dedicated product line for refrigerated merchandisers, Carel said the launch was against the backdrop of an increase in demand in the beverage cooler market for solutions that reduce environmental impact by cutting energy consumption and emissions, and for those that feature connectivity options to give beverage companies better intelligence on the sales performance and user habits of their merchandisers in the field.

Carel said it has extensive experience in this sector and continuously invests in new technologies to satisfy the trends. iJM, it added, is the latest result of these investments.

iJM, the company said, includes cutting-edge options for energy efficiency, such as direct control of variable speed compressors, and a completely new flat and frameless display, with various cosmetic customisation options, available according to the customer’s brand. Owing to its connectivity options (NFC, Bluetooth and Beacon), iJM is ready to connect to the Vision IoT cloud platform, so as to offer customers analytics to improve retail management, Carel said.

Vision IoT, Carel said, is a long-standing industry leader in IoT solutions for connected beverage coolers, with more than 1.7 million active units on its Harbor Cloud Platform. Carel and Vision IoT have defined an end-to-end seamless offering that will help Carel’s global beverage customers reduce asset loss, improve utilisation and increase sales, Carel said.

The new feature will allow bottlers to equip their merchandisers with the latest generation electronic controllers for energy-efficient management of their units, as well as to monitor them remotely, analyse their profitability and optimise operation through corrective actions in the field, Carel said.

The combined Carel, Vision IoT solution will provide key insights to bottlers, who will be able to gain competitive advantages at the point of sale, Carel said. For bottlers, being able to better understand the performance of their different assets in a retail environment allows them to take actions to improve important KPIs, such as planogram compliance and sales, reduce asset downtime and optimise asset locations within a store.

“CAREL has a strong presence in the beverage cooler market around the world,” said Giovanni Tonin, Group Marketing Manager – Food Service, Carel. “This partnership combines our quality and experience in control solutions with Vision IoT, a vertical, effective cloud platform for beverage coolers.”

Austin Groves, CEO, Vision IoT, said: “We are proud to have been selected as the platform partner of choice by Carel. Our device-agnostic platform is helping more and more global CPG brands gain mission-critical insights to their in-store operations. The scalability and ability to deliver insights directly to the representatives solving these issues are what’s enabling the continued success of our clients and partners.”

AHRI to participate in The Big 5 Dubai

ARLINGTON, Virginia, 17 August 2021: AHRI announced its participation in The Big 5 International Building and Construction Show, online from August 22 to November 17, and in-person from September 12 to 15 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The show features nine specialised events, three high-level summits, 70 free industry talks, and more, AHRI highlighted.

AHRI said it will be available at Stand 4A191 in Hall 4, which will be open from 10am to 6pm, GST. It added that it was open to discussing its turnkey solutions for the regulatory and environmental issues most relevant to HVACR businesses and the wider industry. It added that it was keen on learning about the challenges HVACR industry players face in these areas, and on discussing solutions.

AHRI added that it would provide its AHRI MENA USB Toolkit, a comprehensive guide to the AHRI standards, certification, and other programs relevant to the region, to visitors.

Cooling to the Green Deal with natural CO2 refrigerant systems

WELSHPOOL, United Kingdom, 17 August 2021: Invertek Drives showcased its dedicated VFD, Optidrive Coolvert, for use on CO2 refrigeration display cases used in the retail sector. The company added that its Optidrive Eco operates on larger current refrigeration compressor racks and cold rooms.

Invertek make the announcement against the backdrop of the European Commission’s Green Deal, also referred to as Fit for 55, which sets out proposals to cut EU net greenhouse emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. This could mean the current target of reducing fluorinated greenhouse gas (F-Gas) emissions by two-thirds by 2030, compared with 2014 levels, will be adjusted and tightened further.

The EU F-Gas Regulation brought a 44% reduction in the amount of available HFCs in the EU, compared to 2015. By 2030, the current regulation allows only 20% of HFCs being available, with stepped drops between then and now. This could change in the recast.

According to Invertek, the impact of both means there is a need to ramp up the use of natural refrigerants, such as CO2, in cooling and refrigeration systems. And this isn’t just in the EU but throughout the world as part of the existing Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, it said.

Variable frequency drives (VFDs), the company said, are playing an important role in reducing emissions and energy use in HVAC&R systems. Optidrive Coolvert, it said, is one of the smallest VFDs in its class providing OEMs with opportunities to reduce panel space and lower machine costs. It fits directly into refrigeration display cases alongside a CO2 compressor, it added.

This is in addition to end-user savings of up to 25% using CO2 refrigerant condensing systems, which it is specifically designed to work with, the company claimed. A combination of meeting EU F-Gas Regulations and cutting energy use is a significant benefit for the end-user as well as for the environment, it said.

Mike Carman, Head of Sales, Invertek Drives, said: “The recast of the F-Gas Regulation comes as the EU sets out its new and wider environmental ambitions through the Green Deal. It’s widely believed this is the precursor to a significant adjustment in the F-Gas Regulation timeframe.

“With either more cuts in the amount of HFCs available in the EU or increased limits on emissions, it’ll impact on the manufacturers and end-users of refrigeration and wider HVAC/R systems”

According to Invertek, the Optidrive Coolvert also has the widest ambient operating range of between -20 degrees C and +60 degrees C, making it ideal for use in a wide range of environments. It can be used for the control of CO2 ­­­­rotary or scroll, BLDC compressors used in supermarkets and convenience store display cases; heat pumps, and condensing units, the company said. This is in comparison to the Optidrive Eco VFD, which operates on larger-capacity semi-hermetic and screw compressors used in industrial and food retail refrigeration racks, and chillers, the company added.

According to Invertek, Coolvert is compatible with all motor types, including induction motors, permanent magnet motors, brushless DC motors, synchronous reluctance motors and Line Start PM motors ranging between Single Phase (Active PSE) 7A and 20A, and Three-Phase 14A to 24A (input of 200V to 480V).

Its open Modbus RS485 communication, the company said, ensures seamless connection to any external application controller, allowing the OEM freedom to select which components to use, which again helps lower manufacturing costs.

With an IP20-rated front and an IP55-rated rear, its panel mounting allows the drive’s power electronics to be cooled by the chilled air of the condenser, the company said, adding that this allows OEMs to select the smallest panel size for the control of the electronics, while removing heat generated by the drive and maintaining the IP rating.

Chillventa launches new Web site

Nuremberg, Germany, 2 August 2021: Following the Chillventa eSpecial 2020, and after four years without an in-person gathering, the exhibition for refrigeration, air conditioning, ventilation and heat pump technology will run from October 11 to 13 at the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg, the organisers said.

The Chillventa CONGRESS, will take place on October 10, the organisers said, adding that exhibitors can register for the event immediately. The organisers said they have launched a new Web site, which offers an improved user experience and provides even more focused information.

Chillventa, the organisers said, will offer opportunities for networking in person and view innovations through live demonstrations. The planned trade fora, Chillventa CONGRESS and supporting programme will spotlight issues like energy performance, contributing to the energy revolution, combined cooling and heating and the cooling of data centres, the organisers said. The event will also look at topics like the circular economy and the cold chain in the pharmaceutical sector.

“We are preparing to finally see our exhibition halls back in action again and to welcoming the international refrigeration, AC, ventilation and heat pump community in person to Nuremberg,” said Daniela Heinkel, Director of Chillventa at NürnbergMesse. “We are sure that the kind of platform offered by Chillventa is now more in demand than ever and are confident that it will build on its successful 2018 round.”

Bitzer launches Varipack frequency inverters

Sindelfingen, Germany, 27 July 2021: Bitzer has added models with IP55 and IP66 enclosure classes to its range of Varipack frequency inverters. Making the announcement through a Press release, the company further said that the additions retain all of the product family’s known properties, such as user-friendliness, reliability and performance.

BITZER VARIPACK Images courtesy BITZER

According to Bitzer, the inverters are designed for safe and easy capacity control and have been specially adapted for refrigeration and for the operation of Bitzer refrigeration compressors. They open up a wide range of applications in supermarkets, hotels and restaurants as well as in food manufacturing and processing, the company said. The inverters, the company added, are suitable for refrigeration and air conditioning systems as well as for heat pumps and can be combined with single compressors and compound systems alike. After intuitive commissioning, the inverters take over the control functions of the refrigeration system, the company said. They can be mounted in a switch cabinet (IP20) or outside of the switch cabinet, thanks to the higher IP55/66 enclosure class, it added.

According to Bitzer, the inverters can be operated in two modes: The compressor’s capacity can either be controlled depending on an externally set signal or on the evaporation temperature with an optionally available pressure control add-on module. In addition to direct control of the evaporation temperature, the speed of the condenser fan can be set via a 0-10 V output signal, and a second compressor can be switched on, the company said. With regard to pressure control, the inverters have a database of all commonly used refrigerants for ease of configuration and monitoring, the company said.

According to Bitzer, its software can be used to select a frequency inverter for specific applications, and BEST software (Bitzer Electronics Service Tool) can be used for easy commissioning and monitoring. The stored databases simply select the compressor model to fully configure every compressor, the company said. BEST software is also the interface for communication to configure, monitor and read out error messages, the company said. The inverters, with the IP55/66 protection class, are also fitted with a display, as standard, which makes it possible to view the current operating conditions and adjust common parameters, the company added.

The inverters ensure that when operating in field-weakening mode, the maximum frequency is automatically limited, depending on the load, the company said. Optimised adjustment to suit the system’s current cooling demand, the company added, reduces energy consumption, increases efficiency and lowers running costs.

Frascold upgrades its test laboratory for R290 and CO2 compressors

MILAN, Italy, 15 July 2021: Frascold said it has upgraded its test laboratory for R290 and CO2 compressors. Making the announcement through a Press release, the company described the laboratory – situated at its production site, in Milan – as one of the most advanced of its kind. The strategic investment plan in the laboratory, it said, includes new testing benches for propane, with an upgraded calorimeter and CO2 endurance system. The systems, added to the existing test benches, make the testing room an authentic centre of excellence, the company said.  

The R290 system

The main innovation in the testing room, Frascold said, is the endurance/calorimeter for propane compressors, which allows different performance parameters to be tested and new prototype components to be checked for efficiency. The company described the set up as a system dedicated to personnel safety, thanks to the numerous measures adopted, such as installation outside the building and the use of only ATEX components. Another advantage of the laboratory, the company claimed, is the possibility of using a single system to test a broad range of sizes of semi-hermetic compressors – from 30 to 300 m3/h, which correspond to cooling capacities up to 300kW, as well as other elements, such as the regulator and the flow switch intended for ATEX compressors.

Frascold also pointed out to the calorimeter for carrying out performance tests of CO2 compressors, in compliance with the two reference standards: UNI EN 12900: 2013, which specifies the rating conditions, tolerances and method of performance data presentation, and UNI EN 13771-1:2017, which covers in detail the performance test methods for compressors, which must be conducted in terms of refrigerating capacity, power absorbed, refrigerant mass flow, isentropic efficiency and the coefficient of performance.

Frascold said it has upgraded its Endurance system for CO2 with the aim of carrying out life and durability tests on compressors under stress, to replicate real-field operating conditions and, thus, ensure maximum reliability of the entire range of transcritical compressors.  

“With the aim of reducing the carbon footprint of the entire sector and meeting the stringent European and worldwide, which impose a drastic reduction of HFC, the industry-based actors are strengthening the development of systems which use refrigerants with low GWP,” said Marco Perri, R&D and Technical Support Manager, Frascold. “Frascold is one of the promoters behind this change and is investing accordingly in R&D and in its laboratory, with the aim of launching new generations of compressors and testing the existing ones, with alternative refrigerants, whether natural or HFO, capable of meeting the demand for sustainable, safe and high-performance solutions.”

LU-VE GROUP delivers 500 unit coolers for China logistics centre

UBOLDO, Varese, Italy, 12 July 2021: LU-VE Group said that it has completed the delivery of 500 unit coolers for the expansion of the Nansha International Logistics Centre, one of the largest logistics centres in the world, at the port of Nansha, which serves the Guangzhou (formerly Canton) area in the Pearl River Delta.

Thomas Stiller and the LU-VE Tianmen Team

LU-VE said that after about two years of work, the Centre raised a mega complex, consisting of six buildings for the storage of refrigerated goods, with a capacity of about 500,000 tons, which will expand the Port of Nansha, one of the five largest infrastructure projects in the world for container traffic. The complex will serve the cold chain (inspection, storage, processing, packaging and distribution) of the Jiangnan Fruit Market in Guangzhou and all major urban conurbations from Shenzen to Hong Kong and Macao, in the Zhū Jiāng (or Pearl River) Delta, LU-VE said. It will be used for fresh fruit and vegetables imported into China from all over the world, especially from North America and South America, and for frozen products destined for export (mostly fish products), it added.

“In January 2020, our Tianmen plant was the first of our Group to suffer the negative effects of the pandemic,” said Iginio Liberali, President, LU-VE Group. “It reopened in March, and since then our production has continued to accelerate in order to serve a rapidly and steadily growing market. Our presence in China is central to LU-VE’s internationalization strategy, due to its great potential for expansion. This new contract provides excellent support for our operations in the country. My applause goes to the whole Chinese team who managed to overcome difficulties, returning stronger and more performing than before.”

Most of the unit coolers – numbering 450 – that the LU-VE Tianmen plant, in Hubei Province, supplied belong to the LHS (Large Hitech Surface) industrial range, LU-VE said. The units use glycol water as refrigerant and are intended for cold rooms for storing products with high moisture content and for freezing (temperatures between -10 degrees C and -30 degrees C, the company said. Other compact unit coolers from the FHC commercial range, which the company claimed are characterised by quiet operation and low energy consumption, are instead installed in the cold rooms for fresh products (positive temperatures) or frozen products (temperatures below or equal to -18 degrees C.

Baltimore Aircoil Company acquires Eurocoil SPA

HEIST-OP-DEN-BERG, Belgium, 2 July 2021: Baltimore Aircoil Company (BAC) acquired Italy-based Eurocoil SPA. Making the announcement through a Press release, BAC said Eurocoil is a leading manufacturer of heat exchangers serving the European commercial and refrigeration industries.

BAC said the addition of Eurocoil increases its manufacturing capacity in the region, while adding additional heat exchanger capabilities used for BAC’s existing evaporative hybrid and adiabatic cooling products.

Don Fetzer, President, BAC, said: “We’re excited to welcome Eurocoil to the Baltimore Aircoil Company family. The acquisition of Eurocoil and our previous investment in Coil Design Corp., in North America, positions BAC to accelerate the development of industry-leading evaporative hybrid and adiabatic technologies, furthering our vision to reinvent cooling to sustain the world.”

David Jacobs, Vice President and Managing Director (EMEIA region), BAC, said: “Eurocoil is an excellent organization composed of quality people and industry experts. They have a history of providing exceptional products and services to their customers, which matches extremely well to the BAC strengths and culture. We welcome all of the Eurocoil employees to The Baltimore Aircoil Company and are excited to be working with them on a successful future together.”

‘We are headed back to Las Vegas with a vengeance’

ATLANTA, Georgia, 1 July 2021: ASHRAE hosted its 2021 Virtual Annual Conference from June 28 to 30, which the Society said saw 970 virtual global registrants exploring topics related to critical environments, building operation and maintenance, and plant and animal environments.

According to ASHRAE, the conference featured over 100 live and on-demand sessions with updates from Society leaders and virtual networking events. Top sessions included Fundamentals of Climate Change (Seminar 1), Keynote: The COVID-19 Pandemic and Built Environment: Update on ASHRAE’s Response and the Meeting of the Members, ASHRAE said.

According to ASHRAE, other highly attended sessions included topics on IAQ, energy efficiency and ASHRAE standards. “The 2021 ASHRAE Virtual Annual Conference brought our community of industry professionals together for a full slate of highly relevant and valuable content,” said 2021-22 ASHRAE President, Mick Schwedler. “The conference provided an opportunity to learn, share, and explore new ways to translate research and knowledge into built environment solutions that impact everyone. We are truly fortunate to be a part of this strong community that supports each other to accomplish great things. It is the power of this community that will propel us to future successes.”

According to ASHRAE, Day One included a final State of the Society and farewell address from 2020-21 ASHRAE President, Charles E. Gulledge III, as well as a Secretary’s Report from ASHRAE Executive Vice President and Society Secretary, Jeff Littleton.

“Plans for the January 2022 ASHRAE Winter Conference and AHR Expo in Las Vegas are well underway, and if you have any doubts about whether the industry is ready to reconvene in January, let me share some facts with you,” Littleton said. “Fully 90% of the 498,000 net square feet of AHR Expo exhibit space available in Las Vegas is already sold. That’s 1,200 exhibiting companies already under contract. We may have had to cancel the show and the face-to-face Winter Conference this past January, but we are headed back to Las Vegas with a vengeance. Put it on your calendar today – January 29th to February 2nd. We’ll see you in Las Vegas.”

ASHRAE said that in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, its Epidemic Task Force (ETF) presented an update on its global headlining work to share guidance on minimizing the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The keynote, titled ‘The COVID-19 Pandemic and Built Environment: Update on ASHRAE’s Response’, included a brief history and status of the ETF, as well as a higher-level discussion on non-HVAC issues, such as vaccines, data, transmission routes and reopening.

During the conference, ASHRAE’s Task Force on Building Decarbonization also gave an update on its progress, ASHRAE said. The task force was formed to develop technical resources and provide guidance in mitigating the negative impact of buildings on the environment and to the inhabitants of our planet, it added.

The conference was also an opportunity to honor retiring board members for their service. Further, the event saw a virtual installation ceremony for the 2021-22 Board of Directors and officers.

On the final day of the conference, Schwedler gave his address on the Society theme for the coming year, ‘Personal Growth. Global Impact. Feed the Roots’.

“We each are involved in ASHRAE for different reasons and volunteer in our chosen ways,” Schwedler said. “We do it because we grow – professionally and personally – and help others do the same. We do it because that global impact serves the world’s, as well as our personal, future generations. All this occurs because we are true to our deep, widespread and strong technical roots, grassroots and personal roots.”

According to ASHRAE, all technical sessions are now available on-demand to registrants for the next 18 months.

Eurovent Certita Certification launches its new website

PARIS, France, 30 June 2021: Eurovent Certita Certification launched a new version of its website, available at www.eurovent-certification.com, the organisation said through a Press release.

According to Eurovent, the new website was designed to provide a better user experience to a wider audience – comprising consultants, technical design offices, architects and end-users, among others – with a quick and easy access to certified data.

According to Eurovent, the website has the following new features:

  • An online search engine for third-party certified products, components and systems in the Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration fields with an easy access to certified data by:
    • product families,
    • brands,
    • performances
  • Editorial contents related to the following topics:
    • Indoor air quality and Ventilation
    • Thermal Comfort
    • Heat Pumps
    • Refrigeration
  • Online configurators allowing to find the best certified product families and product types, according to visitor needs
  • Content available in the following nine languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Turkish, Arabic and Chinese.

ASHRAE introduces 2021-22 President, officers and directors

ATLANTA, Georgia, 30 June 2021: ASHRAE introduced its 2021-22 Society President, executive committee officers and directors. Mick Schwedler, Application Engineer at Trane, has assumed office as President, ASHRAE said through a Press release.

Mick Schwedler

During his inaugural presidential address, Schwedler announced the new Society theme will be ‘Personal Growth. Global Impact. Feed the Roots’. The theme, ASHRAE said, explores the Society’s expansive root system from its founding, through its extraordinary global growth and impact to the built-environment. Three sets of roots were established to help members grow – member-to-member connections, grassroots chapters and regions, and technology, ASHRAE said.

“This Society Year, we will examine how ASHRAE cultivates its deep, widespread, and strong roots to collectively provide global benefits today as well as for future generations,” Schwedler said. “Most importantly, we ask for your active participation in helping someone else grow.”

According to ASHRAE, the -elected officers who will serve one-year terms are:

  • President-Elect: Farooq Mehboob, P.E., Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, Principal Consultant, S. Mehboob & Company Consulting Engineers, Karachi, Pakistan
  • Treasurer: Ginger Scoggins, P.E., Fellow ASHRAE, Principal, Engineered Designs Inc., Cary, North Carolina
  • Vice President: Don Brandt, CEM, Life Member ASHRAE, Instructor, Phoenix, Arizona
  • Vice President: Dunstan Macauley III, Member ASHRAE, Director of Mechanical Engineering, Setty & Associates, Rockdale, Maryland
  • Vice President: Sarah Maston P.E., BCxP, Member ASHRAE, President, Green Footprints Commissioning, Inc., Hudson, Massachusetts
  • Vice President: Tim McGinn, P.Eng., HBDP, Member ASHRAE, Principal, McGinn Technical Services, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

ASHRAE introduced its newest Directors and Regional Chairs who will serve three-year terms from 2021-24:

  • Region I Director and Regional Chair: Steven Sill, Plant Superintendent, New York State Department OPWDD, Sterling, New York
  • Region II Director and Regional Chair: Ronald Gagnon, President, Concept-R, Sorel-Tracy Quebec City, Canada
  • Region III Director and Regional Chair: Mark Tome, P.E., Development Engineer, Sitelogiq, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
  • Region XI Director and Regional Chair: N. Eileen Jensen, P.E., Mechanical Engineer, Bonneville Power Administration, Vancouver, Washington
  • Region-at-Large Director and Regional Chair: Richie Mittal, Managing Director, Overdrive Engineering Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, India 

ASHRAE also introduced its newest Directors-at-Large (DALs):

  • Dru Crawley, Fellow/Director, Building Performance Research, Bentley Systems Inc., Washington, D.C.
  • Art Giesler, Director of Technical Sales, PermAlert ESP, Colleyville, Texas
  • Kishor Khankari, Ph.D., President, AnSight LLC., Ann Arbor, Michigan
  • Heather Platt Gulledge, P.E., Senior Project Manager, Dewberry, Summerfield, North Carolina (Alternate Director-at-Large)

Epta: ‘Possible to replace HCFC, HFC refrigerants with transcritical CO2 anywhere in the world’

MILAN, Italy, 29 June 2021: Increasingly stringent international regulations are driving a massive transformation in the world of commercial refrigeration – at a European level with the F-gas Regulation and internationally with the Kigali Amendment, commercial refrigeration manufacturer, Epta said through a Press release.

The company said it has already achieved important milestones in the technological development of HFC-free solutions. It added that its Life-C4R (Carbon 4 Retail) Refrigeration project, co-financed by the European Union, confirms the benefits of a natural approach.

Francesco Mastrapasqua, the company’s Institutional Affairs Manager, said: “The three-year Life-C4R – Carbon 4 Retail Refrigeration project was created to sensitise the scientific community, the component suppliers and the retail world’s key players in the use of increasingly efficient solutions. One of the goals is demonstrating how HCFC and HFC refrigerants can be completely replaced with transcritical CO2, anywhere in the world.”

The patented FTE 2.0 Full Transcritical Efficiency and ETE Extreme Temperature Efficiency systems, Epta said, are recognised by the EU as simple and efficient systems and are at the very core of the Life-C4R. “The Life-C4R Plan is essential in validating the FTE and ETE performance in all climatic conditions, in promoting their international diffusion and in certifying both as global and reliable solutions for the future of commercial CO2 refrigeration,” Mastrapasqua said. “The data analysis of the three Italian pilot projects and four replica prototypes in Romania and Spain, installed in collaboration with Epta Iberia and DAAS, will be presented during the Life-C4R Project digital conference, scheduled for July 1.”

The event will be an opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge on the plan’s innovations, lessons learnt and the advantages of the FTE 2.0 and ETE technologies, using the results collected in store by retailers, Epta said, adding that those interested in attending the conference could do so by registering at https://blog.eptarefrigeration.com/en/life-c4r.

FTE 2.0, Epta said, represents the evolution of its patented FTE Full Transcritical Efficiency system. It is recommended at any temperature and is, therefore, a must for obtaining maximum efficiency above 37 degrees C, it said. Simple, efficient, reliable and industrialised, FTE uses flooded evaporators, it said. They allow for the difference between the evaporation temperature and the cabinet’s internal temperature to be significantly reduced and, therefore, for an energy consumption 10% lower than a traditional CO2 system, it claimed.

This is a simple solution, the company said, where it has mechanically added only a multilevel liquid receiver to the standard configuration. On the one hand, FTE reduces the compressors’ discharge temperature, allowing for smooth functioning at high temperatures, it said. On the other hand, it guarantees their perfect lubrication, favouring a longer life cycle of the component itself, it said. FTE also guarantees up to 20% lower installation and maintenance costs, it added. Finally, the FTE 2.0 version, which is integrated into the rack, takes up less space and reduces installation and start-up times, it further added.

The ETE, Epta said, allows for 100% cooling capacity to be reached even in the hottest climates, both in industrial and commercial refrigeration applications. Recommended at temperatures between 30 degrees C and 40 degrees C, it guarantees maximum savings over 40 degrees C, also in combination with FTE, the company claimed. In this case, the transcritical CO2 system is guaranteed to work perfectly at any latitude, even on non-booster systems and in industrial refrigeration, it said. ETE’s “secret” is contained in the refrigerant temperatures’ reduction before its distribution to end users, it said. As it leaves the air exchanger at a value close to the ambient temperature, the gas is further cooled, it said. The system, it added, allows for an almost total disappearance of “flash-gas”, creating significant energy savings over time and smooth functioning even well above 40 degrees C.

KRN gets new Global Commercial Director

DUBAI, UAE, 28 June 2021: India-headquartered KRN Heat Exchanger & Refrigeration Pvt. Ltd., which manufactures heat exchangers, said it has appointed Raja Subramanyam as its Global Commercial Director.

Based in Dubai, Subramanyam will be responsible for KRN’s international growth, starting with Middle East and Europe, the company said in a Press release. Prior to this, Subramanyam worked as an independent cold chain consultant, drawing from a wealth of experience through his tenures at Carrier, Emerson and Ingersoll-Rand, the company said.

Raja Subramanyam

Speaking on his new role, Subramanyam said: “KRN has a state-of-the-art factory spread over 80,000 square feet in Rajasthan, India, from where it produces nearly a million world-class units per year. After creating a name for itself in India and having increased its production capacity, last year, it’s only natural for the company to foray into international markets. Despite the pandemic, the company’s growth plans are robust, and I look forward to establishing the company’s presence globally.”

Santosh Kumar Yadav, Chairman & MD, KRN, said: “In Raja, we see an ideal leader, who, with his international, versatile experience of 25 years across diverse verticals, can strategize our entry into different markets and take KRN to the next level of success. We are committed to support him to become a valued and reliable partner to HVACR principals, worldwide.”

Subramanyam holds a BE degree in Mechanical Engineering from Kumaraguru College of Technology, in Coimbatore, India. He is passionate about digitalisation and has initiated the need for digital transformation of cold chain technical assets through serving as Chair of the 10th edition of Food Chain, on May 31 in Dubai.

ENGIE’s redesigned QUANTUM Water series available in 47 versions

LINDAU ON LAKE CONSTANCE, Germany, 28 June 2021: ENGIE Refrigeration said it has redesigned its water-cooled QUANTUM chillers and is able to offer the series in a total of 47 versions with a performance range from 200 kilowatts to four megawatts.

Jochen Hornung, CEO, ENGIE Refrigeration, said: “We at ENGIE Refrigeration have always aimed to offer our customers the highest-quality, most efficient and most sustainable chillers. With the QUANTUM Water series we have once again achieved this goal; our models currently represent the most efficient water-cooled chiller series in the world. We are proud of this fact and are further consolidating our pioneering role on the international refrigeration market.”

The new water-cooled QUANTUM Water series Source: ENGIE Refrigeration GmbH

ENGIE said the revised QUANTUM Water meets the highest economic and ecological requirements for refrigeration supply. To achieve this, the company said, the team at ENGIE Refrigeration relied on new components and an innovative control concept. The team also deployed ultra-modern inner tube technology, which ensures an excellent heat transfer performance and an especially high level of efficiency with a low input of materials, the company claimed. In addition, the QUANTUM Water series is currently the only model series on the market with an open-flash economiser, integrated as standard in all 47 versions, which also helps improve performance and efficiency, the company further claimed. Moreover, operating companies benefit from control system options that are now even smarter, through adapting the tried-and-tested regulation strategy from the QUANTUM Air series to the water-cooled series and through deploying the latest Siemens PLC in control cabinets, the company added.

As a result, ENGIE said, QUANTUM Water chillers achieve even greater efficiency than their predecessor models, especially under partial load.  

As the world’s first water-cooled chiller series, the QUANTUM Water offers groundbreaking digital features, ENGIE claimed. With the new ‘smart control’, a smart user interface replaces the touch panel that was previously integrated in a fixed position on the machine, allowing the chiller to be controlled using a tablet and a Wi-Fi connection, for example, the company said. This improves ease of use for operating companies while also simplifying maintenance and servicing, the company said. Furthermore, customers can now choose between four different refrigerants – R-515B, R-134a, R-513A and R-1234ze – and all machines require less refrigerant than the predecessor series, the company said. For the first time, the QUANTUM Water can be ordered with special housing to provide maximum safety in the unlikely event of an accident occurring in a machine operated with the A2L refrigerant R-1234ze, the company said. Customers who lack a large machine room but would nevertheless like to use future-proof high-end technology in their refrigeration supply can thus set up the new QUANTUM Water outdoors – a hitherto unheard-of option on the refrigeration market, the company said.  

The QUANTUM Water is available in 47 model versions with a smart modular principle and a performance range from 200 kilowatts to four megawatts, the company said.

The new QUANTUM Water, ENGIE said, replaces the previous water-cooled series, QUANTUM W, QUANTUM B, QUANTUM X and QUANTUM G. The QUANTUM Power, it added, will remain available as a customer-specific solution for even higher performance ranges up to 8.5 megawatts.

Eurovent, FAIAR sign MoU

BRUSSELS, BOGOTÁ, 23 June 2021: Eurovent and the Federation of Ibero-American Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Associations (FAIAR) signed a Memorandum of Understanding, underlining their commitment to greater harmonisation and stronger ties between Europe and Latin America, Eurovent said through a Press release.

In the framework of the Memorandum, Eurovent said, the two organisations will collaborate on standards development, codes of good practice and networking events, among others. Eurovent and FAIAR will have their first high-level coordination meeting still this year to identify concrete opportunities for joint action, Eurovent said.

Raul Corredera Haener, President, Eurovent, said: “In order to raise and harmonise industry standards worldwide, Eurovent’s ambition is to strengthen its international partnerships with like-minded associations. FAIAR has proven to be such a partner, and we look forward to working together with our colleagues from Latin America much more closely in the future to bring new opportunities to our industry.”

Odete de Almeida, President, FAIAR, said: “To achieve FAIAR objectives, we understand the importance of integration of related associations of any territorial scope, in order to provide mutual collaboration and exchange experiences in the professional field, which benefit the partners.”

Eurovent said the two organisations have agreed to work together to promote energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, safe and reliable HVACR technologies based on common principles. The HVACR sector, it added, has an important role to play in the welfare of society and in the fight against climate change. The two regional associations, it further added, aim to avoid disjointed regional approaches to these questions, which would turn opportunities for growth and innovation into market barriers.

ASHRAE participates in High Performance Buildings Coalition Congressional Event

ATLANTA, Georgia, 9, June 2021: In recognition of High Performance Building Week, 2020-21 ASHRAE President Charles E Gulledge III, spoke on a panel, titled ‘Building Better: Congressional and Private Sector Efforts to Promote High Performance Buildings’. Congressman, Peter Welch (D-VT), Co-Chair, High Performance Buildings Caucus, and the High Performance Building Coalition organized the event. The Coalition comprises more than 200 manufacturers, trade associations and other stakeholders who support policies and legislation that advance the next generation of buildings.

Joining Gulledge on the panel were chief executives from the International Code Council (ICC), the Green Building Initiative (GBI) and the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAMPO), ASHRAE said. This was followed by a Q&A session moderated by Lakisha A Woods, CAE, President and CEO, National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS).

In his remarks, Gulledge spoke from ASHRAE’s current Society theme, ‘The ASHRAE Digital Lighthouse and Industry 4.0’, which focuses on reimaging the building industry, ASHRAE said.

“With the technological transformation of how we design, build, and operate buildings, the lines within the built environment including energy and infrastructure are increasingly blurred,” Gulledge said. “We must think about how existing buildings fit into this transformation. About half of the commercial buildings in the U.S. were constructed more than 35 years ago. Revitalizing these existing buildings represents Congress’s single best opportunity for making a significant impact on sustainability, resiliency, and energy efficiency. ASHRAE is committed to working with Congress to provide resources and knowledge which continually drive the innovative and strategic improvements needed during this transformation of the built environment.”

According to ASHRAE, Gulledge highlighted the new ASHRAE Global Headquarters building to demonstrate how to transform older existing buildings into high-performance workplace environments in a cost-effective and practical way.

“Cool Careers” webinars planned for World Refrigeration Day

ASTON ON TRENT, Derbyshire, United Kingdom, 23 April 2021: A series of webinars focusing on the cool careers that make the world better are coming in June to celebrate World Refrigeration Day, June 26, the World Refrigeration Day Secretariat said through a Press release.

The Secretariat said it will partner with seven organisations to make students and young professionals globally aware of career opportunities in fields relying on refrigeration technology.

By way of listing the issues expected to come up for discussion in June, the Secretariat posed the following questions: Who researches how food can be preserved from its source to the table and how vaccines and medicines can be shipped around the world? Who enables data centres to function? How can climate change be stabilised while not sacrificing modern convenience? Who safely manages the processes that enable air to be cooled? How can the quality of indoor air be improved, and disease transmission prevented?

The people, “cooling champions,” and the careers that make modern life possible will be spotlighted in “cool careers” webinars over two weeks in June, the Secretariat said.

Organised as part of the day’s 2021 campaign theme, “Cooling Champions: Cool Careers for a Better World”, the webinars will be conducted by groups whose networks reach into developed and developing nations, the Secretariat said. Campaign partners are UNEP OzonAction, ASHRAE, EPEE, FAIAR, IIR, ISHRAE and U-3ARC, it added. The objective is to inspire students and those early in their career path to join the more than 15 million people worldwide currently employed in the refrigeration sector, making the world better, it further added.

“Partnering with these organizations enables the refrigeration industry to reach out globally, with particular emphasis on developing countries, to expand the workforce that supports life-giving and society-dependent technologies,” said Steve Gill, Founder & Head, World Refrigeration Day Secretariat. “Opportunities within the industry abound for young people with a wide range of career aspirations. Advanced cooling technologies provide them with a profession that improves life in their communities and in the world as a whole.”

According to the Secretariat, each campaign partner will target career opportunities with webinars in the language common within that network. Special emphasis will be given to sectors that are commonly less known, like Cold Chain, Refrigerant Management, Indoor Air-Quality, Sustainability, Heat Pumps, and Not-in-Kind Technologies. Gender equality and promoting women in cooling careers will be highlighted in this year’s campaign as well, it said, adding that the schedule of webinars and topics will be available in the coming weeks at www.worldrefrigerationday.org.

Craft makes first complete R-290 commercial system

SAN DIEGO, California, 13 April 2021: US-based contract manufacturer, Craft said it has designed its first complete propane (R-290) refrigeration system that includes a condenser, compressor and evaporator for a US-based display case OEM, Hydrocarbons21.com reported on its Web site.

It is the latest move by Craft in the R-290 commercial refrigeration space, where it has stepped up its investment in the past year, Hydrocarbons21.com said.

The OEM, which had approached Craft about making the R-290 system, will begin marketing the cabinet “in the next few months,” said Dean Rafiee, Partner and Managing Director, Craft. “We will go into mass production by July.” He declined to name the OEM without their permission, Hydrocarbons21.com said. Craft, which focuses primarily on the North American market, will also manufacture its own version of the R-290 refrigeration system over the next few months, Hydrocarbons21.com quoted Rafiee as saying.

Craft R290 condensing unit

According to Hydrocarbons21.com, since 2016, Craft has manufactured Thermocraft R-290 condensing units for retail cabinets and other applications, first under the SF line and, then, the more efficient EH line. R-290 condensing units comprise about 10% of the condensing units manufactured by Craft, which also makes units for HFO blends R-448A, R-449A and R-513, and for R-404A, Hydrocarbons21.com said.

However, Rafiee sees a “big trend” to R-290 refrigeration among Craft’s OEM customers, Hydrocarbons21.com said. “The number of clients contacting us for R290 is amazing,” Rafiee said. “They see that’s where the future is headed, and they want to be there with the right products.”

Over the past year, Craft has been preparing for that future by making a “significant investment” in its manufacturing capability for R-290 products, along with testing chambers and charging functionality, Hydrocarbons21.com said.

“We see [HFO blends] as a transitional fluid, which is why we have invested so much in R-290 over the past year,” he said. “We are always directing our clients to R-290, to make an early investment, so later on they can compete in the marketplace.”

Hydrocarbons21.com quoted Rafiee as saying that R-290 compressor manufacturers, especially Embraco, “have taken the efficiency of R-290 compressors to the next level”. Craft employs Embraco and Cubigel (Huayi) compressors in its EH line of R290 condensing units, Hydrocarbons21.com said.

Craft’s EH Series R290 single-speed, air-cooled condensing units range from 1/5 to 3/4HP and are available for medium/high and low temperatures, Hydrocarbons21.com said, adding that they feature EC motors and condensers with 7mm tubes that “optimize the charge of refrigerant gas required,”

AHRI, others petition EPA on HFC phase-down rule

ARLINGTON, Virginia, 13 April 2021: The Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration institute (AHRI) today joined more than 35 other industry and environmental organizations in petitioning the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) seeking uniform national standards for stationary air conditioning and commercial refrigeration equipment in the transition to climate-friendly refrigerants under the American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act. If promulgated, these standards will result in an additional half billion tons of CO2 reduction, over and above what already is projected to be achieved by implementation of the AIM Act, AHRI said through a Press release.

The federal standards sought by the AHRI petition align with similar standards already in place in nine states. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM), and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) submitted similar petitions under the AIM Act, AHRI pointed out.

For new residential and light-commercial central air conditioning equipment, the petition, AHRI said, seeks a regulation requiring that equipment manufacturers use refrigerants with a global warming potential (GWP) of 750 or less in equipment made after January 1, 2025, with the exception of variable refrigerant flow (VRF) equipment, whose deadline would be January 1, 2026. These transition dates would align the country with the dates adopted in December 2020 by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and nine additional Climate Alliance states, AHRI said.

For commercial refrigeration and chiller equipment, the petition seeks the GWP limits and transition dates according to the table below:

Through these petitions, AHRI said, a broad variety of stakeholders, including itself, hope to demonstrate that sufficient consensus already exists and that a regular notice and comment rulemaking would adequately represent all material interests, thereby allowing the agency to forego the negotiated rulemaking process it must consider – but is not required to undertake – for such petitions, pursuant to the AIM Act.

AHRI said its petition emphasizes that as a general matter, “the U.S. HVACR industry already is proceeding with the requested transition date as its goal; granting this petition provides order and structure to the market and streamlines industry preparation”.

The transition dates contained in its petition, AHRI said, allow “sufficient time for careful planning and preparation, both to avoid excessive costs that can unduly burden consumers, and to ensure all safety and other associated standards can be met”, according to the petition. “For example, contractors and technicians must receive appropriate training, state and local building codes must be updated and changed, and supply chains and distribution networks must be modified,” AHRI said.

“While AHRI has long believed that an earlier transition would not allow enough time for manufacturers to prepare, we have been equally clear that a later transition date would put long-term compliance with the AIM Act at risk,” said Stephen Yurek, AHRI President & CEO. “Aligning these dates also reduces costs for consumers and ensures long-term availability of energy-, environment-, and life-saving refrigerants for climate control and for the cold chain for food, vaccines, and other medicines.”

AHRI, the U.S. Department of Energy, CARB and other stakeholders have invested more than USD 7 million in research into alternative refrigerants in preparation for this transition, AHRI said, These more climate-friendly alternatives, it added, are in use today in Europe, Australia, Japan, Thailand and in more than 90% of new passenger vehicles currently sold in the United States.

ASHRAE announces call for abstracts for Winter Conference

ATLANTA, Georgia, 26 March 2021: Abstracts are now being accepted for the 2022 ASHRAE Winter Conference,  to be held from January 29 to February 2, 2022 at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, ASHRAE said through a Press release.

With an eye on future resources, the conference seeks to present papers and programs that cover sustainable use of energy and water, reduction of waste and improved Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ), while addressing other challenges and opportunities in facilities, applications and processes, ASHRAE said.

“It is estimated that the world population will grow from eight billion now to around nine billion in 2050; global GDP is expected to stabilize at +2%/year,” said Raul Simonetti, Chair, 2022 Conference. “This will increase the need for food, energy and other resources to support a growing population in the coming future. The 2022 Virtual Winter Conference will provide an opportunity to examine holistically – that is, at 360° – what we do and the way we do it in order to minimize the impact on our planet.”

According to ASHRAE, the following tracks are developed to support the conference theme, ‘Holism and Perspectives towards Decarbonization’…

  • Buildings use a large share of a country’s final energy, particularly for heating, cooling and various services. Papers in the Buildings at 360°” track will focus on explaining methods, equipment, systems and solutions to satisfy occupants’ needs, to guarantee buildings’ performances and resilience, and to save resources like energy and water.
  • Energy is omnipresent in our daily lives in ways like electricity for appliances or heat and cooling for industrial processes. The integration of various energy sources, processes and transportation allows us to better exploit the available energy and reduce waste. The “Energy System Integration” track will explore renewables, fossil fuels, grid integration, aggregation, demand-side flexibility, smart devices, IoT, synthetic hydrogen and synthetic fuels, CCUS and electrification.
  • Indoor environment is essential for our well-being and productivity, but is often regulated differently in various parts of the world due to local conditions, circumstances, history and traditions. Papers that explain local norms and trends with an eye on energy usage would fit in the “Environmental Health and IEQ in the International Arena” track.
  • The “HVAC for Industrial and Commercial Purposes” track will focus on papers that examine the challenges and opportunities in improving energy efficiency of commercial and industrial facilities and transferring lessons learned to other types of facilities.
  • Refrigerants play an important role in maximizing performances and minimizing direct and indirect GHG emissions. The “Refrigerants, Safety and Performance” track will focus on papers that present advancements and developments about flammability of refrigerants that can reduce the direct emissions, but that may have safety, regulatory and performance issues when deployed on the field.
  • The “Refrigerants and Refrigeration” track will explore refrigeration systems, which generate and use cold for a range of processes, from food preparation and conservation to vaccine preservation, and from long-term protection of fragile ancient inks of historical documents to others.
  • The “HVAC&R Systems and Equipment” track will focus on the development of new systems and equipment, improvements to existing systems and equipment and the proper application and operation of systems and equipment.
  • The “Fundamentals and Applications” track will provide opportunities for papers of varying levels across a large topic base. Concepts, design elements and shared experiences for theoretical and applied concepts of HVAC&R design are included.

According to ASHRAE, Abstracts (400 words or less) are due April 5, 2021. If accepted, final conference papers (eight pages, maximum) are due July 12, 2021.

In addition, technical papers (complete 30-page maximum papers) are also due March 29, 2021, ASHRAE said, adding that accepted conference papers and technical papers are published in ASHRAE Transactions, cited in abstracting indexes and considered for Science and Technology for the Built Environment, ASHRAE’s research journal.

For more information on the call for papers and the 2022 ASHRAE Winter Conference, ASHRAE urged those interested to visit https://ashrae.org/2022Winter.

In conjunction with the ASHRAE Winter Conference is the 2022 AHR Expo, to be held from January 31 to February 2, 2022, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. For more information on the 2022 AHR Expo, ASHRAE urged those interested to visit https://www.ahrexpo.com/.

Digitalisation of cold chain assets

While 2020 will undoubtedly join the pantheon of eminently forgettable years in modern recorded history, it will be remembered as the time when we further strengthened the food sector by making use of opportunities presented by technology and other disciplines. Indeed, it would be accurate to say that the pandemic sent food retailers into a tizzy with consumers relying on e-commerce platforms more than ever.

Now, amidst the melee that ensued on the front end, very few noticed the steady rise of IoT acceleration at the back end or the machinery. With that, the need for digitalisation of refrigeration technical assets started gaining pace with the objective of improved energy efficiency.

Since October 2020, companies such as Eliwell Schneider Electric, Danfoss, Carel, Carrier, Emerson, Bitzer and Daikin vigorously started showcasing their digital solutions through such shows as e-Chillventa. The digital ‘show of strength’ highlighted the importance attached to digital transformation and its vast positive implications on operational efficiency. Based on these developments, CPI Industry, which is organising the Food Chain conference – and in doing do so, stands on the threshold of conducting the 10th edition of the event – has aptly themed it as, “Digital transformation of cold chain & food machinery technical assets”.

Apart from the topic of food safety, the conference will be a platform for brainstorming on IoT acceleration, which is one of the main pillars of Industry 4.0 in back-end technical assets. Digital transformation is the current business buzz-term in the GCC region, and I do believe there is considerable untapped market potential for this in cold chain verticals.

What is digitalisation? How is it different from digitisation? Is it technological or cultural?

Who are responsible for making it happen? How does it help the cold chain verticals? Whom does it benefit? Why do we need it? To what extent does it play a role in energy and eco efficiency and sustainability? What are the human and technology-related processes? What are the skills required and their availability in the region? Is digital transformation a bane or a boon? Do we indeed need to incorporate digitalisation to progress?

I look forward to answering these and more in the April issue.

The writer is an independent cold chain consultant after having served in the refrigeration sector in the GCC region as part of major MNCs. In May 2021, he will serve as Chairperson of the 10th edition of the Middle East Cold Chain Food Safety Conference, popularly known as Food Chain. He may be contacted at rasubra7@yahoo.com

ENGIE Refrigeration bets on sustainable refrigerant

LINDAU ON LAKE CONSTANCE, GERMANY, 23 February 2021: ENGIE Refrigeration has added a new refrigerant to its portfolio. R-515B is now available for QUANTUM chillers as an alternative to R-1234ze, it said. R-515B is eco-friendly, non-toxic and non-combustible and, thus, especially safe, it said. With the introduction of the new refrigerant, the company said it is setting a clear example for more sustainability.

R-515B is available for QUANTUM models as an alternative to R-1234ze. Source: ENGIE Refrigeration

ENGIE said it is one of the first manufacturers in the world to use the refrigerant R-515B. It was developed as an alternative to R-134a and can be used instead of R-1234ze in the form of a drop-in refrigerant, it added. “Refrigerant R-515B combines the positive properties of a 77% lower greenhouse potential than R-134a with a classification as safety level A1 according to EN 378-1,” Daniel Keller, Head of Product Management, ENGIE Refrigeration, said. “This means that unlike R-1234ze (A2L), it is considered a non-combustible safety refrigerant.”

R-515B is an azeotropic mixture, 91.9% R-1234ze and 8.9% R-227ea, ENGIE said. With a GWP value of 293 (IPCC-AR4*) and 299 (IPCC-AR5**), R-515B meets the requirements of the F-Gas Regulation – until at least 2030, the company said. Another important advantage for companies operating existing machines run on R-134a is that because R-515B is classified as A1, no additional safety measures need to be taken for the machine room containing the chiller or heat pump, the company said.

From February 2021, the air-cooled, water-cooled and split models of the QUANTUM series are available with R-515B as an alternative to the previous standard refrigerant, R-1234ze, ENGIE said. “With the new refrigerant, R-515B, the chiller achieves almost the same refrigeration capacity and energy efficiency as with R-1234ze,” Keller said. “This means that R-515B is suitable for customers from all industries that require optimal refrigeration capacity and also wish to switch to an eco-friendly and sustainable refrigerant.

ASHRAE 2021 Annual Conference to be held virtually

ATLANTA, Georgia, 17 February 2021: ASHRAE said its 2021 Annual Conference,scheduled to be held in Phoenix, will now take place virtually.

Making the announcement through a Press release, ASHRAE said the event (2021 ASHRAE Virtual Annual Conference ) is designed to provide the latest insights from industry-leading expert in the built environment. It will provide focused, actionable and innovative content to support HVACR and building systems professionals, it added.

“Our pivot to virtual conferences over the past year has been met with great success,” said 2020-21 ASHRAE President Charles E Gulledge III. “Engagement from members and industry professionals from around the world in these events is a testament to the quality of our conferences and the importance of staying connected within the ASHRAE community. The 2021 ASHRAE Virtual Annual Conference will be a wonderful forum to share fresh ideas and unique approaches to tackle the challenges of our rapidly changing world. I look to extending our digital connection, and I anticipate an immense level of interest and participation.”

According to ASHRAE, conference attendees can expect:

  • Technical sessions from industry experts and thought leaders
  • Online networking and social opportunities
  • A chance for professionals to come together and connect with collaborators around the world
  • A keynote presentation, roundtable decisions and expanded learning opportunities
  • Updates and announcements from Society leaders

ASHRAE said additional information on the conference, including committee meetings and registration details, will be made available in the coming weeks. It recommended that those interested in the event could visitashrae.org/2021annual for more information.

ASHRAE recognizes members for “outstanding industry accomplishments”

ATLANTA, Georgia, 14 February 2021: ASHRAE recognized what it evaluated as the outstanding achievements and contributions of members to the Society and to the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) industry, during the 2021 ASHRAE Virtual Winter Conference, which took place from February 9 to 11.

ASHRAE released the following list of awards and their recipients:

Fellow ASHRAE

Fellow ASHRAE is a membership grade that recognizes members who have attained distinction and made substantial contributions in HVACR and the built-environment, such as education, research, engineering design and consultation, publications, presentations and mentoring. The Society elevated 14 members to the grade of Fellow:

  • Cynthia Cogil, P.E., principal, SmithGroup, Chicago, Illinois, United States
  • Donald C. Herrmann, BEAP, HBDP, vice president, D.C. Herrmann and Associates, Tampa, Florida, United States
  • David Michael Platt, retired, Corning, New York, United States
  • Martin Dieryckx, general manager, Daikin Europe, Oostende, Belgium
  • Tianzhen Hong, Ph.D., P.E., senior scientist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, United States
  • Rajan Rawal, professor, CEPT University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
  • E. Curtis Eichelberger, Jr., P.E., principal consultant, Eichelberger Acoustics LLC, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States
  • John M. House, Ph.D., principal, John House Consulting Services, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
  • Steven Tredinnick, P.E., CEM, associate senior project manager, Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company, Inc., Lisle, Illinois, United States
  • Blake E. Ellis, P.E., principal, Burns & McDonnell, Overland Park, Kansas, United States
  • Ronald Judkoff, chief architectural engineer emeritus, Center for Building Technologies and Science, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Lakewood, Colorado, United States
  • John O. Varley, P.E., HBDP, mechanical discipline manager, AAA Engineering Ltd., Chicago, Illinois, United States
  • Donald L. Fenton P.E., Ph.D., professor of mechanical engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States
  • R. Christopher Mathis, president, MC2 Mathis Consulting Company, Asheville, North Carolina, United States
  • Ibrahim Galal Hassan, P.Eng, Ph.D., professor, Texas A&M University at Qatar, Doha, Qatar
  • James L. Newman, BEAP, OPMP,  founding member and managing partner, Newman Consulting Group, LLC, Farmington, Michigan, United States.

ASHRAE Hall of Fame

William M. Mackay and Hugh J. Barron, founders of the American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers (ASHVE). The ASHRAE Hall of Fame honors deceased members of the Society who have made milestone contributions to the growth of ASHRAE-related technology or the development of ASHRAE as a society.

  1. Paul Anderson Award

Samir R. Traboulsi, Ph.D., P.Eng., Fellow Life Member ASHRAE received the F. Paul Anderson Award. The award, ASHRAE’s highest honor, for technical achievement, is named in memory of Presidential Member F. Paul Anderson, who was a pioneer in the study of environmental conditions for comfort. Traboulsi is an engineer with Thermotrade SAL, Beirut, Lebanon.

Louise & Bill Holladay Distinguished Fellow Award

Charles C. Copeland, P.E., Fellow Life Member ASHRAE received the Louise and Bill Holladay Distinguished Fellow Award. This annual award is given to an ASHRAE Fellow for continuous preeminence in engineering or research work. The honor was initiated in 1979 by Presidential Member Bill Holladay. Copeland is president and CEO, Goldman Copeland Associates, P.C., New York, NY, United States.

Andrew T. Boggs Service Award

Bjarne W. Olesen, Ph.D., Presidential Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, received the Andrew T. Boggs Service Award. The award, named after ASHRAE’s executive vice president emeritus, recognizes an Exceptional Service Award recipient for continuing unselfish, dedicated and distinguished service. Olesen is director, International Center for Indoor Environment and Energy, and professor, Danish Technical University, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark.

YEA Inspirational Leader Award 

Vanessa J. Freidberg, P.E. received the YEA Inspirational Leader Award. The award recognizes a Young Engineer in ASHRAE member who has gone above and beyond to make considerable contributions to the industry and community. Freidberg is in business development, Siemens, Austin, Texas, United States.

E.K. Campbell Award of Merit

Chandra Sekhar, Ph.D., Fellow Member ASHRAE, received the E.K. Campbell Award of Merit. The award honors an individual for outstanding service and achievement in teaching and is presented by the Life Members Club. Sekhar is a professor, National University, Singapore.

Lincoln Bouillon Award
Ryan Pinckard, of the Oregon Chapter, received the Lincoln Bouillon Award, which recognizes a member who performs the most outstanding work in increasing membership. The award commemorates Presidential Member Bouillon’s efforts in recruiting new members. Pinckard is business development engineer, CHC Hydro, Vancouver, WA.

William J. Collins, Jr. RP Award

Reed Coggins, P.E., of the Atlanta Chapter, received the William J. Collins Jr. RP Award. The award, named in honor of Presidential Member Collins, recognizes a chapter RP chair who excels in raising funds for ASHRAE’s RP campaign. Coggins is application engineer, Lincoln Associates, Marietta, Georgia, United States.

Homer Addams Award

Gabrielle McMorrow, of the National Capital Chapter, received the Homer Addams Award, which recognizes a graduate student who has been engaged in an ASHRAE research project at a university that has graduate programs in the areas of heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and has achieved a high standard of performance in this work. McMorrow is a mechanical engineer (Energy), Architect of the Capitol, Washington, DC, United States.

 

Ralph G. Nevins Physiology & Human Environment Award

Shichao Liu, Ph.D., of the Boston Chapter, received the Ralph G. Nevins Physiology and Human Environment Award, which is given to a researcher under the age of 40 for significant accomplishments in the study of bioenvironmental engineering and its effect on human comfort and health. Liu is assistant professor, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States.

 

John F. James International Award

Peter Simmonds, Ph.D., received the John F. James International Award. The award recognizes a member who has done the most to enhance the Society’s international presence. Simmonds works for Building and Systems Analytics, Los Angeles, California, United States, and Hong Kong, China.

 

Standards Achievement Award

Paul A Lindahl, Jr., Life Member ASHRAE, of the Kansas City Chapter, received the Standards Achievement Award, which recognizes exceptional service in the area of standards leadership and technical contribution. Lindahl is a consultant, SPX Cooling Technologies, Overland Park, Kansas, United States.

 

Dan Mills Chapter Programs Award

Beatriz Salazar, of the Toronto Chapter, received the Dan Mills Chapter Programs Award, which recognizes excellence in chapter program endeavors. Salazar is designer – electrical, Smith and Andersen, Toronto, Ontario.

Student Activities Achievement Award

  1. Kapilan, Ph.D., of the ASHRAE Bangalore Chapter, received the Student Activities Achievement Award, which recognizes a chapter student activities chair for growth of student activities. Kapilan is professor and head, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Nagarjuna College of Engineering and Technology, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.

Lou Flagg Historical Award

Bruce Flaniken, Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, of the Houston Chapter, received the Lou Flagg Historical Award, which recognizes an individual for preparing the most outstanding historical presentation related to HVAC&R. The award is named in recognition of Presidential Member Lou Flagg, who promoted an interest in history. Flaniken is manager of facility system design & construction engineering, Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, United States.

Donald Bahnfleth Environmental Health Award

Paul W. Francisco, Fellow Member ASHRAE, of the Central Illinois Chapter, received the Donald Bahnfleth Environmental Health Award, which recognizes excellence in volunteer service focused on environmental health issues. Francisco is associate director for building science, Applied Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, United States.

Youth Outreach Award

Elise Kiland, P.E., of the San Jose Chapter, received the Youth Outreach Award, which recognizes the outstanding effort of a member who actively engages a youth audience in their country, region, or local community through science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) activities. Kiland is a project manager, Critchfield Mechanical, Inc., San Jose, California, United States.

Government Affairs Award

Elizabeth Tomlinson, P.E., of the Minnesota Chapter, received the Government Affairs Award. The award recognizes individuals for outstanding effort and achievement in state, provincial and local government activities in connection with technical issues related to the Society. Tomlinson is senior mechanical engineer, Facilities Sustainability and Resilience Leader, TKDA, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States.

Exceptional Service Award

The Exceptional Service Award recognizes Distinguished Service Award recipients who have continued to serve faithfully and with exemplary effort. Ten members were recognized: 

  • George W. (Billy) Austin, BCxP, BEAP, BEMP, CHD, HBDP, HFDP, OPMP, principal, Shultz Engineering Group, PC, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
  • Wade H. Conlan, P.E., BCxP, commissioning discipline manager, Hanson Professional Services, Inc., Maitland, Florida, United States
  • Mark W. Fly, P.E., Fellow Member ASHRAE, executive director, Norman Asbjornson Innovation Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma, United States
  • Jeff Gatlin, P.E., central energy plant manager, Aramark Healthcare/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
  • Carl C. Hiller, Ph.D., P.E., Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, is president, Applied Energy Technology, Davis, California, United States
  • M. Dennis Knight, P.E., Fellow Member ASHRAE, owner, Whole Building Systems, LLC, Charleston, South Carolina, United States
  • Nicolas Lemire, P.Eng., HFDP, Fellow Member ASHRAE, president and CEO, Pageau Morel & Associates, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
  • Kevin L. Marple, president, Benz Air Engineering Co., Inc., Beaverton, Oregon, United States
  • Tim McGinn, P.Eng., HBDP, retired, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
  • R. Lee Millies, Jr., P.E., Fellow Member ASHRAE, president, Millies Engineering Group, Munster, Indiana, United States.

 

Distinguished Service Award

The Distinguished Service Award salutes members of any grade who have served the Society faithfully and with distinction and who have given freely of their time and talent in chapter, regional and Society activities. The following 43 members were recognized: 

  • Jason Alphonso, BEAP, OPMP, branch manager, Wood plc, Orlando, Florida, United States
  • Kevin Amende, P.E., associate professor, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, United States.
  • John S. Andrepont, Life Member ASHRAE, president, The Cool Solutions Company, Lisle, Illinois, United States
  • Nathaniel Boyd, associate director, Utilities and Energy Services, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, United States
  • Robin Bryant, project manager, B&I Contractors, Inc., Fort Myers, Florida, United States
  • Andrew Cochrane, P.E., vice president, Industrial Air, Inc., Greensboro, North Carolina, United States
  • Michael Collarin, BEMP, senior engineer – Mechanical, Gresham Smith, Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
  • Wade H. Conlan, P.E., BCxP, commissioning discipline manager, Hanson Professional Services, Inc., Maitland, Florida, United States
  • John M. Constantinide, P.E., energy manager, U.S. Air Force, Cape Canaveral AFS, Florida, United States
  • Michael P. Cooper, P.E., executive vice president, Bernhard, Metairie, Louisiana, United States
  • Derek A. Crowe, P.E., senior associate/mechanical team leader, Stantec, Berkley, Michigan, United States
  • Keith I. Emerson, Life Member ASHRAE, retired, Denver, Colorado, United States
  • Vanessa J. Freidberg, P.E., business development manager, Siemens, Austin, Texas, United States
  • Joseph L. Furman, senior sales engineer, Automated Logic, Wallingford, Connecticut, United States
  • James T. Hanley, retired, Cary, North Carolina, United States
  • Nathan P. Hart, P.E., managing principal, RWB Consulting Engineers, Dallas, Texas, United States
  • Kristin Heinemeier, Ph.D., P.E., Fellow Member ASHRAE, principal development engineer, Frontier Energy, Inc., Davis, California, United States
  • Carl C. Hiller, Ph.D., P.E., Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, president, Applied Energy Technology, Davis, California, United States
  • Trenton S. Hunt, vice president, Mechanical Products NSW, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
  • Mark Jackson, Ph.D., sr. product manager, Indoor Environmental Quality, Daikin North America LLC, Waller, Texas, United States
  • Thomas Allen Justice, Life Member ASHRAE, principal, Zene, LLC, Williamsburg, Virginia, United States
  • Ganeson Kandasamy, product engineer, Trane Technologies, Lexington, Kentucky, United States
  • Firouz Keikavousi, Life Member ASHRAE, retired, Orlando, Florida, United States
  • Hyojin Kim, Ph.D., associate professor, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), Newark, New Jersey, United States
  • Lindsey King, energy model analyst, Oglethorpe Power Co, Tucker, Georgia, United States
  • M. Dennis Knight, P.E., Fellow Member ASHRAE, owner, Whole Building Systems, LLC, Charleston, South Carolina, United States
  • Stephanie Kunkel, P.E., associate, Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson, Inc. (JMT), Hunt Valley, Maryland, United States
  • Wichai Laksanakorn, P.E., Fellow Life Member, founder and chairman, W. and Associates Consultants, Co. Ltd., Bangkok, Thailand
  • Nicolas Lemire, P.Eng., HFDP, Fellow Member ASHRAE, president and CEO, Pageau Morel & Associates, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
  • Xiaobing Liu, Ph.D., R&D staff, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, United States
  • Brian Lynch, HBDP, owner, Western Mechanical Solutions, Denver, Colorado, United States
  • Steven A. Marek, P.E., mechanical engineer, self-employed, Hanahan, South Carolina, United States
  • Farhan Mehboob, consultant/director, S. Mehboob & Company, Karachi, Pakistan
  • Tim Merrigan, Life Member ASHRAE, consultant, Energy Information Services, Parker, Colorado, United States
  • Corey B. Metzger, P.E., principal, Resource Consulting Engineers, LLC, Ames, Iowa, United States
  • Ahmed Alaa Eldin Mohamed, Ph.D., chairman, Middle East Gate Holding Group, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
  • Carrie Anne Monplaisir, mechanical EIT, Clark Nexsen, Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States
  • Michael P. Sheerin, P.E., chairman and CEO, TLC Engineering Solutions, Inc., Orlando, Florida, United States
  • Michelle Swanson, mechanical project manager, The RMH Group, Lakewood/Denver, Colorado, United States
  • Michael L. Watz, Jr., P.E., engineering manager – Commercial Dampers, Greenheck Fan Corporation, Schofield, Wisconsin, United States
  • Ronald L. Westbrook, P.E., Life Member ASHRAE, retired associate director of Physical Plant Utilities, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, United States
  • Robert W. Yost, technical director, National Refrigerants, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Chariti Young, software product manager, Automated Logic, Kennesaw, Georgia, United States

 

Distinguished 50-Year Member Award

The Distinguished 50-Year Member Award is given to individuals who have been a member for a minimum of 50 years, and are a past Society president, Fellow ASHRAE or Distinguished Service Award recipient or who have performed outstanding service to ASHRAE or its predecessor societies – the American Society of Heating and Ventilating Engineers (ASHVE), the American Society of Refrigerating Engineers (ASRE), and the American Society of Heating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHAE). Twenty-three members were recognized:

  • Stephen A. Becker, P.E., Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, senior mechanical engineer, Fellow, Lawrence Engineering Group, Fresno, California, United States
  • John B. Bisset, P.Eng., Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, founder, Chorley + Bisset Ltd., London, Ontario, Canada
  • Richard Burr, Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, Spring, Texas, United States
  • Charles D. Callahan, Life Member ASHRAE, retired general manager of commercial market, Oklahoma Natural Gas Co., Placitas, New Mexico, United States
  • Richard E. Cawley, P.E., Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, retired, Tyler, Texas, United States
  • Douglas Dewerth, Life Member ASHRAE, Cleveland, Ohio, United States
  • Francis Ferreira, Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, New Bedford, Massachusetts, United States
  • Robert H. Fuller, P.E., Life Member ASHRAE, mechanical engineer, Gutridge Mechanical, Dublin, Ohio, United States
  • David F. Geary, Life Member ASHRAE, retired, Annapolis, Maryland, United States
  • Ralph Goldman, Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, Dedham, Massachusetts, United States
  • Mark P. Hershman, P.E., Life Member ASHRAE, consulting engineer, Mark P. Hershman, PE, Richboro, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Ronald H. Howell, Ph.D., P.E., Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, retired, Meridian, Idaho, United States
  • H. Gerhard Kerschbaumer, Ph.D., Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, retired, Ludwigshafen, Germany
  • John H. Klote, Ph.D., P.E., Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, owner, SmokeControlExpert.com, Leesburg, Virginia, United States
  • Wichai Laksanakorn, P.E., Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, founder and chairman, W. and Associates Consultants, Co. Ltd., Bangkok, Thailand
  • Valentine Lehr, Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, Kings Park, New York, United States
  • Franklin Y.S. Lum, Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, San Antonio, Texas, United States
  • Stanley A. Mumma, Ph.D., P.E., Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, professor emeritus, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Ramesh Paranjpey, Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, Kothrud, Pune, India
  • Mirza Mohammed Shah, Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, director, Engineering Research Associates, Redding, Connecticut, United States
  • Charles Simpson, Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, Monroe, North Carolina, United States
  • Stanley Slabinski, Life Member ASHRAE, Monroe Township, New Jersey, United States
  • Frantisek Vaculik, Life Member ASHRAE, Nepean, ON, Canada

Crosby Field Award

Charles S. Barnaby, Fellow Life Member ASHRAE and Peter Simmonds, Ph.D., Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, are recipients of the Crosby Field Award for “Development of a Unified Tool for Analysis of Room Loads and Conditions”, which was judged to be the best paper presented before the Society. The Crosby Field Award is named for a former Presidential Member.

Barnaby is an independent consultant, Moultonborough, New Hampshire. Simmonds is president, Building Systems and Analytics, Los Angeles, California, United States.

Willis H. Carrier Award

Emily Ann Oldham received the Willis H. Carrier Award given to a member 32 years of age or younger for presenting an outstanding paper at a Society conference. The award is presented for “Energy Performance of an Occupancy-Based Climate Control Technology in Guest Rooms.” Oldham is designer, DLR Group, Washington, DC, United States.

ASHRAE Technical Paper Award

The following papers received a Technical Paper Award, which recognizes the authors of the best papers presented at Society conferences.

  • Di Lu, Dennis L. O’Neal, Ph.D., P.E., Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, and Peng Yin, Ph.D., receive an award for “A Comparison of the Annual Energy Use of Fixed and Variable Airflow Parallel Fan-Powered Terminal Units in a Small Office Building.” Lu is a graduate research assistant, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States. O’Neal is Dean, School of Engineering and Computer Science, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, United States. Yin is assistant professor of mechanical engineering, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette, Louisiana, United States.
  • Lisa Meline, P.E., and Stephen Kavanaugh, Ph.D., Fellow Life Member ASHRAE, receive an award for “Geothermal Heat Pumps: Simply Efficient.” Meline is owner and principal engineer, Meline Engineering Corporation, Sacramento, California, United States. Kavanaugh is professor emeritus, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States.
  • Douglas Reynolds, Life Member ASHRAE, and Michael A. Schwob, P.E., receive an award for “The Effect of Length on the Insertion Loss of Fiberglass Lined Sheet Metal Ducts, Part I: Rectangular Duct.” Reynolds is director, Center for Mechanical and Environmental Systems Technology, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Schwob is president, Schwob Acoustics, Inc., Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.
  • Ngoc Dung (Rosine) Rohatgi, Ph.D., receives an award for “Effects of System Materials towards the Breakdown of Lubricants and Low GWP Refrigerants.” Rohatgi is president, Spauschus Associates, Inc., Bethlehem, Georgia, United States.

ASHRAE Journal Paper Award

Gwelen Paliaga, P.E.; Hui Zhang, Ph.D.; Tyler Hoyt; and Edward Arens, Ph.D., Life Member ASHRAE; receive the Journal Paper Award for the article, “Eliminating Overcooling Discomfort While Saving Energy,” judged to be the best article published in ASHRAE Journal. The article was published April 2019.

Paliaga is technical director, TRC, Oakland, California, United States. Zhang is professional researcher, Center for the Built Environment, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States. Hoyt is Staff Engineer, Comfy, Oakland, California, United States. Arens is director, Center for the Built Environment, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States.

 

Science and Technology for the Built Environment Best Paper Award

Mehdi Mehrabi, Ph.D., P.E. and David Yuill, Ph.D., P.E. are recipients of the Science and Technology for the Built Environment Best Paper Award for “Fouling and its Effects on Air-cooled Condensers in Split System Air Conditioners (RP-1705).” The article was published July 2019. The award is for the best paper published in the volume year of the Science and Technology for the Built Environment, the ASHRAE research journal.

Mehrabi is mechanical engineer, Paradigm Consulting Engineers, West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States. Yuill is Assistant Professor, Architectural Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Omaha, Nebraska, United States.

Student Design Competition

The 2020 Student Design Project Competition focused on building a new 17,500-square-foot document storage and archive center in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The new facility’s purpose was to store rare documents, books, manuscripts, photos, and audio recordings in a manner that will ensure the preservation of historical items for future generations.

First place in the HVAC System Selection category was awarded to the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. Team members are Ashley Everitt, John Kramer, Jessica Lee and Mitchael Sieh.

First place in the HVAC Design Calculations category was awarded to Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt. Team members are Eslam Mohamed Ali, Ahmed Mohamed Soltan, Amr Gamal Fawzy, Moustafa Ahmed El-Saeid and Mark Magdy Fouad.

First place in the Integrated Sustainable Building Design category was awarded to Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom. Team members are Alekhya Yalamanchili, Amr Suliman, Jacob George and Mohamad Abdul Gaffoor Seyad. 

Setty Family Foundation Applied Engineering Challenge

The 2020 Setty Family Foundation Applied Engineering Challenge required students to design a system to be used by building occupants to report operational issues to building operators.

First place was awarded to Bandung Institute of Technology – Wetonia, Bandung, Indonesia. Team members are R Muhammad Nadhir Nasrudin Tanujiwa, Alpinus Raditya Dewangga, Kamilita Hening Musono, Reza Dzikri Khusaini, Hilman Prakoso and Selvia Diwanty. 

The ASHRAE Technology Awards

The ASHRAE Technology Awards recognize outstanding achievements by ASHRAE members who have successfully applied innovative building designs. Their designs incorporate ASHRAE standards for effective energy management and indoor air quality and serve to communicate innovative systems design. Winning projects are selected from entries earning regional awards.

First place recipients for the ASHRAE Technology Awards are:

  • Kwai Ping Lau and Raymond M. H. Yau, Ph.D., commercial buildings – existing buildings commissioning, Two Pacific Place, Hong Kong, China. The building is owned by Swire Properties Limited.
  • Tomoaki Ushio, PE, P.Eng, Harunori Yoshida, Ph.D., and Shigemi Mori, existing commercial buildings category, Kyoto Station in Kyoto, Japan. The building is owned by Kyoto Station Building Development Company Limited.
  • Shana Scheiber, PE and Roger W. Lautz, PE new commercial buildings category, American Family Insurance “The Spark,’ Madison, Wisconsin, United States. The building is owned by American Family Insurance.
  • Brian K. Rose, PE, existing educational facilities category, Historic Mercy High School Renovation/Cincinnati Public Schools Gamble Montessori project, Cincinnati, Ohio, United States. The building is owned by Cincinnati Public Schools.
  • Aaron Smith, P.Eng, BEAP, BEMP, Denis A. Morris and Andrew Bartlett, new educational facilities, the Dalhousie IDEA and Design Buildings project, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The building is owned by Dalhousie University.
  • Reece Kiriu, PE and Jeff Stein, existing healthcare facilities category, Kaiser Vallejo Medical Offices, Vallejo, California, United States. The building is owned by Kaiser Permanente.

First Place and Award of Engineering Excellence

The Award of Engineering Excellence was created in 1989 to recognize a first-place winner of the Society-level Technology Award competition for an outstanding application of innovative design and effective energy utilization. The recipient of the Award of Engineering Excellence will have demonstrated the best overall compliance with the judging criteria.

First place and recipient of the Award of Engineering Excellence is:

  • Ned Greene, P.E., new health care facilities category, OHSU Knight Cancer Research Building, Portland, Oregon, United States. The building is owned by OHSU.

‘A gas leak becomes evident only after the system runs out of it’

CORNAREDO, Milan, Italy, 12 February 2021: One of the weak points in a gas detection system, especially in refrigeration applications, is that it is almost impossible to detect a small leakage in the plantroom. Dr Giacomo Frigo, Founder & Managing Director, Sensitron, said this, adding that the management realises the leakage only when there is no more gas in the system.

Dr Frigo pointed out to how hotel chains have started installing fire detectors to be able to assure guests that no accidents will occur in their hotel room. Much in the same way, he said, the right step forward would be to install gas detectors that give out a warning much before an alarm does, to improve the management of a gas detection system.

Hand in hand with installation is the maintenance of the detectors, he said. In Sensitron, for instance, we have adopted the NDIR technology in all our detectors, which he said is a bit more costly than the MOS technology. The additional cost, he added, is worth it, because the alarm value from the detector is much more stable and accurate. As a result, he further added, the period of checking and recalibration of the detector practically is three time longer than that of other systems.

GEA speaks of improving plant efficiency, reducing carbon emissions

DUESSELDORF, Germany, 12 February 2021: Potential energy savings of up to 30% and a significant reduction in CO2 emissions by as much as 90% or even 100% – that’s what its Sustainable Energy Solutions (SEnS), which integrates processes and utilities (refrigeration and heating) solutions, can help in developing optimisation strategies for customers in diverse industries, GEA said through a Press release. Numerous successfully completed SEnS projects from GEA show that these optimisations reduce the customer’s energy footprint and running costs, without compromising output or the bottom line, GEA added.

Kai Becker
Source: GEA

According to the United Nations, energy efficiency offers a potential 40% of the emission reductions required to help meet global climate goals, GEA pointed out. Due to a growing number of rules and regulations and its own climate targets, there is an absolute need for the industry to reduce its carbon footprint and become more energy-efficient, overall, it said. With cooling and heating traditionally accounting for anywhere between 50% and 90% of a plant’s entire energy consumption, it’s the ideal starting point for GEA’s SEnS initiative, it added.

GEA said its SEnS offering is a culmination of a broad processing portfolio and years of industry know-how, combined with extensive refrigeration expertise. “SEnS supports customers in the food processing, dairy and beverage industries, helping them achieve their climate goals by making them more sustainable,” said Kai Becker, CEO, Refrigeration Technology Division, GEA. As a global industrial technology provider, GEA said, it will continue to strengthen its SEnS offering in 2021. Using the SEnS approach, GEA said it will promote the increased adoption of sustainable solutions, which drive down energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions while helping customers from diverse industry sectors slash their operational costs.

Ulrich Walk
Source: GEA

Ulrich Walk, Chief Service Officer (CSO) – Refrigeration Technologies, said: “GEA has developed a structured holistic and proven approach that begins with analysing the customer’s precise energy requirements, then making process optimizations and including utilities in the equation. By connecting heat pump technology to manufacturing processes, the GEA experts ensure energy is moving circularly, rather than being wasted.”

According to GEA, each SEnS project includes a single point of contact, enabling customers to achieve genuine and proven reductions in energy consumption and their carbon footprint. The SEnS process, the company said, is backed up by a cross-functional engineering team, with experts from dairy, food or beverage processing, as required, as well as team members with refrigeration (heating & cooling) expertise in diverse processing industries. Each project, it added, considers the customer’s business parameters and ambitions, formulated as measurable KPIs, against which the installation must deliver.

Shecco to host annual trade show on natural refrigerants

BRUSSELS, Belgium, 05 February 2021: Clean Cooling market accelerator, shecco has opened free registration for its second Virtual Trade Show (ATMO VTS 2021) for natural refrigerant and sustainable cooling technologies, the body said through a Press release. The registration page can be found here, it added.

According to shecco, the event, designed for the global refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump industry, will take place over a 24-hour period, from 10 am CET (Central European Time) March 30 to 10 am CET March 31. The show is designed to fill the physical trade show void, as the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, shecco added.

shecco said it is expecting 5,000-10,000 registrations and more than 100 exhibitors of natural refrigerant products for ATMO VTS 2021. Premium exhibitors so far include Teko, Zudek, ebmpapst, Carel, Alfa Laval and Dorin, it added.

The inaugural ATMO VTS took place from September 1 to 2, 2020, shecco said, adding that it attracted 77 natural refrigerant companies as exhibitors and more than 4,200 attendees from 1,500+ organisations from around the world.

“ATMO VTS 2021 will give that ‘real’ trade show feeling, which is much needed these days,” said Marc Chasserot, CEO, shecco. “The platform allows us to explore different halls, listen to live presentations, and make valuable connections with customers and suppliers from all over the world.

“In addition to some great exhibitors, with more signing-up each week, we’ve made some big changes, including new Product Innovation Awards and 24 hours of live webinars, including panel discussions, so that everyone, no matter where you are in the world, can listen live to some key discussions from cooling thought leaders.”

The live webinars will include presentations on shecco’s first Annual Report on the natural refrigerants industry, global training, the new EU F-Gas Regulation update and food retail experiences from around the world.

ASHRAE announces nominees for 2021-22 officers, directors

ATLANTA, Georgia, 5 February 2021: The ASHRAE Nominating Committee has made nominations for officers and directors from a list recommended by individual members and from Chapters Regional Conferences, ASHRAE said through a Press release.

According to ASHRAE, the 2021-22 nominees are:

  • President-Elect: Farooq Mehboob
  • Treasurer: Ginger Scoggins
  • Vice Presidents: Don Brandt, Dunstan Macauley, Sarah Maston, Tim McGinn
  • Directors and Regional Chairs: Steven Sill (Region I), Ronald Gagnon (Region II), Mark Tome (Region III), Eileen Jensen (Region XI), Richie Mittal (Region-at-Large)
  • Directors-at-Large: Dru Crawley, Art Giesler, Kishor Khankari
  • Alternate Director-at-Large: Heather Platt Gulledge 

According to ASHRAE, its members will vote on the nominees via electronic ballot in May. The Society added that Mick Schwedler will serve as ASHRAE President for 2021-22.

GEA Refrigeration Technologies Division gets new CEO

DÜSSELDORF, Germany, 02 February 2021: Kai Becker took over as CEO of GEA’s Refrigeration Technologies Division as of February 1, 2021.

Kai Becker (Photo courtesy GEA)

“In Kai Becker, we have an experienced manager who has successfully and continuously served in a wide variety of positions at GEA for more than 15 years,” said Stefan Klebert, CEO, GEA Group AG. “His international experience and technological expertise will be of great value for the continued success of the Refrigeration Technologies Division. Kai builds on a solid foundation, which we have Thies Hachfeld (former CEO of the Division) to thank for.”

According to GEA, Becker joined the company in August 2004 and, most recently, headed the homogenisation business unit within the Separation & Flow Technologies Division. He has held GEA positions in Germany, China and the United Kingdom.

Khalifa Port strengthens UAE food security with new facility

During the signing ceremony

ABU DHABI, UAE, 25 January 2021: Abu Dhabi Ports said it has inked a 50-year land lease agreement with Anchorage Investment, for the development of grain storage and processing plants at Khalifa Port, to be managed by National Feed, one of the largest Agro commodity processors in Abu Dhabi.

Making the announcement through a Press release, it said the new facility is set to be developed on a 100,000-square-metre plot. With an initial design capacity of 300,000 metric tons, the facility will introduce grain storage and processing capabilities to the multi-purpose port for the production of key food and animal feed ingredients, it added.

Providing Abu Dhabi Ports’ customers with direct access to competitive food ingredients, the facility will utilise grain resources to convert wheat into flour for baked goods, corn into starch, and glucose, barley, corn, and wheat by-products into animal feed, it said.

Saif Al Mazrouei, Head of Ports Cluster, Abu Dhabi Ports, said: “It is a great honour and privilege that Khalifa Port has been selected to serve as the future home for National Feed’s grain storage and processing facilities. Furthering the capabilities of our multi-purpose port and bolstering our ongoing activities within the region’s food supply chain, the operation will introduce several key advantages for the benefit of new and existing manufacturing customers. Our clients will be able to source ready-made, competitive products quickly.”

Following the official handover of the plot of land in the first quarter of 2021, the new project will house several grain silos capable of storing grain for an extended period, providing Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE with a long-term storage solution contributing to national food security, it said in the release.

Abu Dhabi Ports, part of ADQ, one of the region’s largest holding companies, has witnessed a tremendous increase in demand for food storage solutions across its ports and industrial zones, and has been quick to respond to demand, it said.

As such, it said, it has also developed ultra-modern cold and dry storage installations that provide importers and companies involved in food distribution with robust, efficient and sustainable services, along with local and regional distribution centres for handling food and medical supplies.

Edward Hamod, General Manager, National Feed, said: “We are extremely proud to be part of one of the most important ports in the region and the world. Having direct access to superior logistical capabilities not only enhances our service delivery but also allows us to expand our contribution to the national food security ecosystem.

“A robust logistical offering can play a fundamental role in the accessibility and cost structure of food commodity supply chains. With its deep-water capabilities, a strategic geographical location, and access to an extensive road and future rail network, Khalifa Port will unlock new opportunities for National Feed.” Hamod added that the port will not only increase National Feed’s grain storage and industrial capacities but also enhance the movement of products, which will be instrumental to “the abundance and competitiveness of food and feed strategic commodities in the UAE”.

Following the completion of the new facility, Abu Dhabi Ports said, it will leverage the capabilities of the new food storage and processing plant to extend its food supply chain activities within the region. In addition to expanding Khalifa Port’s role beyond handling food containers and livestock, the new facility, it said, will support the operations of world-leading food production brands that have established themselves in Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD).

Danfoss Press Release – Fresh food, with minimum energy

NORDBORG, Denmark, 21, January 2021: Danfoss said it has strengthened its Alsense IoT services with a holistic store-level software suite, moving store maintenance from reactive to proactive. Making the announcement through a Press release, the company said the technology enables food retailers to prioritise and reduce their maintenance efforts across stores and critical events. It added that the software solution was originally developed by Honeywell.

“We are thrilled to welcome the Smart Refrigeration Solution and incorporate it into our Alsense cloud-based services,” said Jürgen Fischer, President, Danfoss Cooling Segment. “We are now putting predictive maintenance into action, allowing the food retail industry to prevent unplanned cooling system downtime and inefficiencies in energy consumption.”

Natalie Schnippering, Head, Product Management Digital Services, Danfoss, said: “Combining the Smart Refrigeration Solution with our existing Alsense portfolio accelerates our ambition of meeting food retail customers’ needs for optimizing and proactively maintaining a high store performance. The solution goes beyond the traditional monitoring systems that are primarily providing alarms and data overviews. It identifies operating issues, such as compressor failure or coil icing, and provides hands-on guidance to fix them.”

According to Danfoss, Alsense provides food retail professionals with transparency and executive overviews of refrigeration assets and energy efficiency at chain level. Going forward, the combined Alsense offering will enable managers to easily benchmark and prioritise efforts across stores to save time and optimise the impact of their maintenance spend, Danfoss said. Further, Alsense will provide service technicians with a prioritised action plan, empowering them to immediately address equipment performance and operating concerns upon arrival at a store, Danfoss added.

Chris LaPietra, Vice President and General Manager, Honeywell Stationary Refrigerants, said, “The Smart Refrigeration Solution software was developed based on customer requirements gathered from leading food retailers, who were looking to save money by reducing energy spend and improving performance of their refrigeration system.”

According to Danfoss, the step follows the launch of its Alsense IoT platform in October 2020 and will accelerate its efforts in providing food retail professionals with intuitive software tools and data-driven, expert-enabled insights to optimise operational efficiency, refrigeration asset performance and energy efficiency.

Al Salem Johnson Controls offers support to cold stores in Saudi Arabia for holding COVID-19 vaccines

JEDDAH, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 03 January 2021: Al Salem Johnson Controls said it is offering its expertise to support the health sector and pharmaceutical companies in equipping industrial cold stores with the latest technologies, through systems that ensure temperatures set by each COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer.

The company made the announcement against the backdrop of countries the world over, including Saudi Arabia, rolling out vaccination drives, and health and logistics sectors and pharmaceutical companies the world over preparing their cold storage solutions across the chain to ensure safe and efficient transportation and storage of the COVID-19 vaccines at very low temperatures, ranging between -20 and -70 degrees Celsius.

Al Salem Johnson Controls quoted one of the vaccine manufacturers, Moderna as stressing that its vaccine must be kept at a freezing temperature of -20 degrees Celsius for long-term storage (up to six months); the vaccine can be stored for 30 days at a temperature ranging between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius. The company quoted Pfizer as saying that its BioNTech vaccine requires to be stored at -70 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, the preservation and storage temperature of the Russian vaccine, Sputnik V, ranges between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius, the company said.

It said that it has a track record of providing integrated solutions in HVACR, fire, safety & security systems and building management systems in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Lebanon and Yemen, and that it has extensive experience in the field of industrial refrigeration and the implementation of cold store projects, as well as in customising and engineering refrigeration solutions to suit the requirements of each project, depending on the nature and needs of the materials being stored.

The company said it has vast experience in the customisation, design and development of industrial refrigeration projects, and has implemented a number of large projects in several cities across the Kingdom, in various sectors, including logistics centres, refrigeration warehouses, meat and poultry factories, storage facilities for fruits & vegetables, processed food factories, water and beverages factories, and medicine and dairy plants.

It said that among the key industrial refrigeration projects and cold stores it has implemented are Shahini Holding Group in Riyadh, Transmed Distribution Company, Naqel Express, Al Rabie Saudi Foods Company, and three dairy and ice cream factories of the Saudi Dairy and Food Company (SADAFCO).

Industrial refrigeration, the company noted, is not a standard system that can be used for all projects; it requires a thorough study of the project’s facilities, utilisations and nature of work. In manufacturing facilities. It is crucial to determine if the system will be used to cool the facility, the production lines or both, the company said. Therefore, as a first step, its industrial refrigeration engineers visit and study the site from all aspects, then design and develop a system according to its cooling requirements, it added.

Al Salem Johnson Controls stated that its 29 years partnership as a JV with Johnson Controls International enables it to provide its customers with the latest technologies and to transfer the global expertise available to the Kingdom. Recently, Johnson Controls International was part of a team designing, developing and implementing a cold store at the Danish Odense University Hospital, by merging two industrial refrigeration systems that use ammonia and methane, to reach the required cooling of the cold store, spreading across an area of 352 square metres, Al Salem Johnson Controls said. The system, it said, can reach a temperature of -80 degrees Celsius, which is close to the temperature needed to preserve and store COVID-19 vaccines. The system, it added, uses SABROE Chillers, which offers industrial refrigeration solutions, under the umbrella of Johnson Controls International.

UPS delivers Pfizer vaccine in Saudi Arabia

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, 21 December 2020: UPS said it has successfully delivered the first batches of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Saudi Arabia, to support vaccinations of first citizens and expatriates. Making the announcement through a Press release, UPS said Saudi Arabia is the first Arab country to roll out the Pfizer-BioNTech jab, marking a breakthrough milestone in the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rachid Fergati, UPS Managing Director for Middle East and the Indian subcontinent, said: “UPS has proudly delivered the first batches of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to Saudi Arabia, to support vaccinations of first citizens and expatriates in the country.

“Saudi Arabia is the first country in the Middle East that we are serving, and we are in position to continue delivering what matters to help stamp out the pandemic in the region.

“We have spent months developing new products, agile approaches and new capabilities to ensure we are fully prepared to deliver the vaccine at the right time, at the right temperature to communities all over the world, especially here in the region.

We are honored to work with UPS Healthcare partners in other countries to help deliver what matters in these times.”

GEA wins at RAC Cooling Industry Awards

 

The GEA Grasso Conversion Kit (GGCK) at the North Yorkshire site. Photo courtesy GEA

DUESSELDORF, Germany, 18 December 2020: GEA won in the ‘Contractor of the Year 2020’ category at the RAC Cooling Industry Awards, on December 9. In addition, GEA received a “highly commended” rating in the ‘Building Energy Project of the Year’ category, during a pandemic-induced virtual ceremony, organised and conducted by the British Refrigeration & Air Conditioning magazine (RAC), the company said through a Press release.

According to GEA, the award recognises companies that have made a special commitment to environmentally friendly and innovative solutions in the refrigeration and air conditioning industry. 

GEA bagged the ‘Contractor of the Year’ award for implementing the Quorn Foods project, which the company said involved installing a new compressor to improve performance – in parallel with replacing a faulty refrigeration system during a planned shutdown at the food manufacturer’s plant at its site in North Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom. The customer, as well as the judges of the RAC Cooling Industry Awards, were delighted with the solution it provided, GEA claimed. By investing in a GEA Grasso Conversion Kit (GGCK), Quorn Foods benefited from a larger compressor that replaced ageing equipment and increased cooling capacity by an additional seven per cent, GEA said. This not only improved the site’s efficiency, but also resulted in energy savings and a reduced carbon footprint, GEA claimed. GEA said it also upgraded the existing control system with a new OMNI Retrofit Panel control (GORP). The control and management system ensures optimal operation of the plant, it added.

Throughout the installation, the GEA Refrigeration Technologies team worked under great time pressure, with only 10 days available for all the work, GEA said, adding that it successfully completed the project in just five days and, as a result, Quorn Foods was able to restart production without interrupting the plant’s workflow.

GEA said the RAC Cooling Industry Awards judges praised its strong commitment at the awards. “GEA demonstrated great foresight and found a cost-effective solution for the customer within the given timeframe through its great expertise and decades of experience in refrigeration,” GEA quoted the judges as saying. “Furthermore, GEA also took the opportunity to improve the flexibility of the plant’s operation and realized energy savings.”

GEA said the jury of the Awards also praised its project for the Scottish premium ice cream manufacturer, Mackie’s, offering GEA a “Highly Commended” recognition for executing the project.

The Mackie’s project saw GEA replace the existing freezer at the ice cream maker’s Aberdeenshire plant with a design using an ammonia and CO2 low-carbon, energy-efficient cooling system to work alongside an absorption chiller. It was the first large-scale ice cream production plant in Scotland to combine biomass heat and absorption cooling, GEA said. The solution, it added, helped Mackie’s achieve its plan and ambitious target of CO2 reductions of 90% and energy cost savings of 70-80%

Mackie’s Aberdeenshire plant. Photo courtesy GEA

Eurovent to host ecodesign and energy labelling webinar

BRUSSELS, Belgium, 18 December 2020: Eurovent said it will be hosting a webinar on industry recommendation covering ecodesign and energy labelling requirements for refrigerating appliances with a direct sales function, on January 26. The webinar will take place from 2.30pm to 4pm on January 26, the association said, adding that speakers include members of the Eurovent Product Group, ‘Commercial Refrigeration Equipment’.

It said individual webinar topics will be followed by a moderated Q&A session, where participants would be invited to discuss any related issues.

Eurovent Secretary General, Felix Van Eyken would commence the event, to be moderated by the association’s Deputy Secretary General, Francesco Scuderi. According to Eurovent, the speakers include:

Francesco Mastrapasqua, Institutional Affairs Manager, Epta

Ines Muehlhaus, Manager, Systems Cabinets, Carrier

Daniel Antoñanzas, General Manager, EXKAL

According to Eurovent, key learning points of the webinar include:

Ecodesign and energy labelling requirements for refrigerating appliances with a direct sales function and EPREL, including products in the scope of the Regulations

What is a reference/deducted model and how to extrapolate the EEI of a deducted model

How to deal with incomplete deliveries and how to increase the effectiveness of market surveillance

According to Eurovent, interested participants can register via this link.

ENGIE announces new version of the Quantum Air

Lindau, Germany, 14 April 2019: ENGIE Refrigeration is redesigning its entire air-cooled Quantum series, the company said through a Press communiqué. The new Quantum air models will be available worldwide from June 24, the company added through the communiqué.

“The requirements for the refrigeration industry have changed in recent years,” said Jochen Hornung, CEO, ENGIE Refrigeration. “Our customers are placing increasing value on greater efficiency and performance in their chillers, for example. We are accommodating these changing conditions by redesigning our air-cooled QUANTUM series.”

Jochen Hornung, CEO, ENGIE Refrigeration

On the launch date, ENGIE Refrigeration will offer 28 basic models of the Quantum Air. Fourteen of these models use the refrigerant R-1234ze, and 14 models use the refrigerants R-134a and R-513A; all of them require lower quantities of refrigerant, the communiqué said. Like its predecessor model, the revised chiller is ideal for use in a variety of industries – from automotive manufacturers and suppliers to the chemicals and pharmaceuticals industry, industrial production and data centres, the communiqué said.

According to the communiqué, customers will benefit from additional important advantages in the future – ENGIE Refrigeration has combined the individual machine components in a new way, so that the Quantum Air surpasses even the exceedingly high efficiency of the current series. The chiller is also suitable for applications from 250 kilowatts to two megawatts, the communiqué quoted the company as saying, adding that with this refrigeration capacity, the Quantum Air outperforms not only its predecessor but also all air-cooled chillers from other manufacturers that are currently on the market.

India in top three fastest-growing District Cooling markets, says Engie

Dubai, UAE, 6 March 2019: India is in the top three fastest-growing District Cooling (DC) markets in the Asia Pacific region, said Frederic Claux, Head of Assets, Engie MESCAT and board member, Tabreed, highlighting the country’s position as one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, with 7-8% GDP annual growth forecast in the short-to-medium term. This he said, is largely owing to the rapid growth of real estate, creation of Smart and Green cities, increased purchasing power and ambitious plans for new developments.

Additionally, Claux said, the move to integrate energy efficiency as a core strategy in India’s development demonstrates the public sector’s commitment to address climate change and electricity disruption. He said: “Government stability and different measures taken to promote and enable energy-efficient solutions creates a positive context for the development of DC. Moreover UNEP, with whom Engie has established a close cooperation, is deeply involved in the promotion of DC, in the framework of the District Energy in Cities Initiative, in India.”

To underscore the growing acceptance of District Cooling in India, Claux pointed to the Amaravati District Cooling project, which, according to Engie, is Tabreed’s first project outside the GCC region and the first District Cooling project developed in PPP in India. The agreement between Tabreed and the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) is for a total capacity of 20,000 tonnes of refrigeration (TR) for over an area of one square km for government buildings. “In parallel with the great success of the Amaravati Capital City DC project that Tabreed has been awarded,” Claux said, “we are exploring a few other opportunities around the Mumbai area and in other areas in the Western regions. The potential for development of DC projects is very promising across the country.”

District Cooling, Claux stressed, is the backbone of smarter and sustainable cities and a way to improve resilience, pointing out that it is up to 50% more efficient than conventional stand-alone air conditioning solutions and produces 50% lower CO2 emissions, allowing for more efficient integration with locally available renewable resources for cooling production. He said, “The new energy world is characterised by decarbonisation, decentralisation and digitalisation, with modern District Energy systems at the heart of the energy revolution.”

Claux said, “Engie, together with its partners in different parts of the world, like Mubadala and Tabreed in the GCC region, believes that District Cooling will create tremendous value for customers and stakeholders and has identified it as a rapidly developing growth sector, which is significantly contributing to Engie’s transformation.” He added that with more than 1.3 million TR installed, and with the acquisition of 40% of Tabreed, “Engie has become the world’s independent leader in District Cooling”.

 

An uncompromising stance

Italy’s relentless compliance with the European Union’s broader environmental targets is in the process of reshaping the HVACR sector in the country, with Andrea Guderzo, General Manager, Clivet Mideast FZCO, emphasising that the decarbonisation of the EU has created a new set of challenges and opportunities for the market in the country, as well as in the rest of Europe.

In agreement was Salah Eldeeb, AREA Export and Sales Manager, Castel, who says that there has been increasing demand for products that can accommodate new refrigerants with lower GWP in view of the F-Gas Regulation. “Everybody is focusing on these new regulations,” he says. “Within 2020, all HCFCs will be abandoned completely, so new projects and productions are going in with the new refrigerants.” Guderzo adds that the regulation has also led to a significant increase in the price of refrigerants and that those containing CFCs have already been withdrawn from circulation. “Today’s refrigerants may no longer be comparable with these, but their potential for harm cannot be ignored,” he says, emphasising that it is necessary to undertake step-by-step phase-down in refrigerants with a high-GWP.

Francesco Mastrapasqua, Marketing Manager, Refrigeration Systems, Epta, adds that the huge increase in price and the dramatic cut in the availability in the market, owing to F-Gas Regulation, has made every stakeholder consider very carefully the refrigerant for future applications. The market conditions created by these regulations, Guderzo says, has been driving innovation among HVACR manufacturers in Italy. As a temporary solution, he says, a number of producers are delivering units addressed to non-EU countries without refrigerants to cut down costs, which, he says, merely postpones the problem. However, Guderzo stresses that most producers are taking a more long-term approach by investing significantly in R&D to adopt new refrigerants, especially R-32, for small capacity units, which, he says is the same direction Clivet is taking. “Our company is facing the refrigerant challenge with great research and development work,” Guderzo says. “The first step is to adopt R32 refrigerant for units with inverter and scroll compressor for the medium- and low-capacity units. In the meantime, a joint task force involving the R&D units of Clivet and Midea, is developing new solutions using R1234ze refrigerant for high-capacity chillers. We are also studying to decrease overall the maximum quantity of refrigerant and the use of other low-GWP gases, especially for the medium-capacity chillers.”

The paradigm shift is especially palpable in the refrigeration sector, where Mastrapasqua says, natural refrigerants are being viewed as key to futureproofing equipment. “The refrigeration market in Italy is placing maximum importance on natural refrigeration solutions,” he says, adding that the company has, thus, ensured its scope of products offers a large variety of natural solutions. “The main technological trend and development have been for small-capacity systems; self-contained product adoption based on hydrocarbons, namely propane; and larger systems, which tend to be based on C02 for direct expansion market in Italy.” There has been strong determination in the market to adopt to this trend, he adds, as they are in accordance with F-Gas Regulation and Eco-Design Regulation. Mirko Travaglin, Marketing Manager Refrigeration – EMEA Region, Carel, seconds this, saying that in Europe, the use of natural refrigerants has mainly been implemented with trans-critical CO2 systems, which has, today, become a standard solution.

Bottlenecks in adoption: training

While the adoption of manufacturers is undeniable, Mastrapasqua says the main bottleneck for more widespread adoption is related to availability of skilled personnel that can ensure the performance and facilitate in the installation, commissioning and overall service of products with natural refrigerants. “There is still a need for training,” he says. “Despite all activities in place, the industry is still not coping with the demand. Still, competence and specific training is somehow a barrier in the adoption.”

Mastrapasqua says the industry, as a whole, has to work together to remedy this, in two aspects. “Aftersales service is one side,” he said. “On the other side is the need to provide simplified technology in our systems to fight against the very complexity of natural systems and provide the market with a product that eliminates all concerns.” Secondly, Mastrapasqua says the industry must take a more proactive stance towards training. Epta has made a move in this regard, with the recent inauguration of the Training Center for Refrigeration Experts, in Italy, which, the company says, is the only professional school in Italy to train future refrigeration technicians according to UNI EN 13313 and the first school in Europe, where a small store has been set up with trans-critical CO2 technology, made available by Epta. Costing over EUR 500,000 of investments and donations, the Training Center, the company says, was set up by the professional institute, ASLAM, together with the Assocold and Assofrigoristi associations, to address growing need for skilled expert to manage new natural refrigerants, which are the solutions of the future.

On the inauguration, Marco Nocivelli, Chairman and CEO of Epta and Chairman of Assocold, says: “Italy boasts a wealth of technical expertise in refrigeration and climate control. Passing that expertise on to young people will make a positive contribution towards increasing the success of the national system as a whole. The creation of the Institute bears tangible witness to our social commitment and our faith in the younger generations. It will allow them to achieve preparation of a high standard for a profession, which is increasingly in demand. The training is geared towards the future and will allow young people to become successful expert technicians that can provide effective responses to the challenges posed by constant technological progress, and by European and international regulations.”

Eldeep echoes the importance of proper training, saying that Castel, as an OEM provider, with 75% of its products compatible for refrigeration and only 25% going to air conditioning segment, is taking on a consultancy role to companies and providing assistance to develop products according to regulations. “We conduct a lot of seminars because of this, not only with the manufacturers but also with installers and maintenance,” he says. This, he says, has been especially vital, owing to the number of retrofits related to refrigerants. “In Italy,” he says, “new products and machines are going towards new refrigerants, but people have to know how they work. That is our role. We have to help them understand how it works and the difference between all the refrigerants for new technology and old technology.”

The need for skilled workforce, Matrapasqua says, is thoroughly recognised by the government, which has implemented a more stringent enforcement scheme for refrigerant management. “In Italy, we had the adoption of a new law, entering into force January of this year for the training and certification of equipment providers and refrigerant installation companies,” he says. “Contractors and services companies have to be certified to be allowed to perform any activity related to the refrigeration system. This is not new for our market in Italy. For several years, we have this requirement of certification; only, the process of training and certification is more strict, structured and more reinforced than ever before.”

The same law, Matrapasqua says, states that any official information related to operations performed on an F-Gas System will be downloaded in the country’s main database. “Whatever you do on an F-Gas system, whether you charge, adjust or check leakage of refrigeration, the details must be properly transmitted to the national database for a better control of these F-Gas refrigerants,” he says. “Laws and regulations on F-gas are more and more strict to ensure perfect control. If you choose natural refrigerants, there are less obligations and controls, so there is very strong discrimination in Italy. Of course, this drives the market to choose much easier refrigerants than F-Gas.”

Mastrapasqua believes that the narrative surrounding refrigerants in Europe is only the beginning of a trend that is already going global. “We believe the market is going to accept, more and more, natural refrigeration and CO2 systems, because they are the only sustainable solution for the future,” he says, with F-Gas, in Europe, and Kigali amendment, worldwide, driving forces in this direction.

Travaglin offers an example, as Carel, taking the key learnings from operations in Europe has released EmJ (Electronic Modulate Ejector) as the latest solution to allow trans-critical CO2 systems to work even in high-temperature climates. “In the Middle East,” he says, “close cooperation between Carel and the main OEMs in the region has created the opportunity to develop the first C02 supermarket, an UNIDO project in Amman, and a new supermarket in Masdar city in Abu Dhabi.”

Mastrapasqua says the industry is working towards making the system available and applicable globally. There will be a natural progression, more or less, everywhere in the world, he says. “Of course, at different times,” he admits, “but sooner or later, this is going to be accepted as the only solution.”

 

Food cold chain driving India’s refrigeration sector

Arvind Surange

Pune, India, 28 March 2019: The overall trend and future of the market of the Indian HVACR industry is very positive, said Arvind Surange, CMD, ACR Project Consultants, adding that the food cold chain has been the major driving force for the refrigeration industry and cold chain sector. “This is due to the fact that India is a major producer of perishable foods,” he said, sharing that India ranks No. 1 in milk production, No. 2 in fruits and vegetables production and is again one of top-ranking countries for meat, poultry and fisheries products. “The overall perishable food production in India is over 400 million metric tonnes (MMT),” he added.

Surange shared that current demand estimates show that the potential for growth in the cold storage capacity is about 10%. “However, in the food processing segment, there is a vast potential for the growth of the industry, as the current food processing capacity is less than six per cent of the production,” he said. Surange added that other applications of refrigeration showing great potential for growth include pharmaceutical and bulk drugs industry, beverages industry and the entertainment sector.

 

ACR Project Consultants aims to drive Green cold chain applications across India

Arvind Surange

Pune, India, 19 March 2019: ACR Project Consultants has placed a strong focus on the cold chain sector over the last 30 years, said Arvind Surange, CMD. It was while working on large number of cold chain projects, Surange said, that the company realised the need for integrating Green design concepts in the sector. “We introduced this concept in 2008 and have been promoting it at a global level, highlighting the importance of environment friendliness, energy efficiency, water saving, waste heat recovery, application of renewable energy and other green features,” he said.

Surange said that realising the importance of natural refrigerants, ACR took the lead in designing the first few low-charge Ammonia DX systems in India for cold storage projects. He said: “The basic features of these are: Ammonia charge reduction; compact and lightweight equipment; full automation, including use of electronic expansion valve; and air-cooled or water-cooled setup, based on water availability.

Providing an example of one of the company’s Green projects, Surange pointed to the integrated cold chain facility of Savla Foods and cold storage in Navi Mumbai, which includes recycling of water, waste heat recovery for generating hot water for processing, along with other Green features. He added that the project was named Best Green Cold Chain Solution by the Cold Chain and Logistics Industry in 2017 and Best Food Processing and Cold Chain Project by RefCold India Emerson Awards in 2018.

In addition to this, Surange said, the latest projects the company is working on involve PEB structure with insulated panel enclosures, mechanised loading and unloading systems, eco-friendly and energy-efficient refrigeration and electrical systems, water-saving techniques and full automation. “These projects,” he said, “have been implemented in right from the northern to the southern and from the eastern to the western regions of the country.”

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