ACREX India 2020 was held in Delhi from the 27th to 29th February. The event revived discussions on the Refrigeration, Air conditioning and Building services sector. With an energetic disposition, representatives from the HVACR sector took keen interest to showcase their best in technology and innovation. The ACREX Hall of Fame is a joint initiative by Danfoss and ISHRAE that seeks to recognise benchmark commercial building projects in India. Ravichandran Purushothaman, President, Danfoss India, said: “India is developing in terms of infrastructure and we see the country-leaning towards energy efficiency while bringing about sensitisation among stakeholders.” Over the next 33-years, all urban areas will need to provide space for another 2.2 billion people, and this will take a toll on cities and its resources, he said. “Cities need to set ambitious targets for energy efficiency to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement. Buildings today account for 40 per cent of the global energy use and half of a city’s emissions, and instituting energy efficiency and sustainability in buildings can cut energy consumption by nearly 30-45 per cent. It is time that more buildings across all cities proactively invest in smart and energy-efficient technologies to enable their transformation\ into a sustainable building,” added Purushothaman. Danfoss, he said, places focus on renewables and solar energy and this form of renewable energy is likely to become a key disruptor in the future. He added: “Danfoss is coming up with new strategies to be Carbon Neutral by the year 2030.” Speaking about the company turn-over, he said: “From the year 2007, our turn over has increased two and a half times and we have achieved 80 per cent success in projects.”
Giving us a perspective from the Cooling industry side of things, Anuraga Chandra, Head – Cooling Sales – India, Danfoss India, said: “We have tackled multiple projects, and if we talk of invention, we have come up with air and oil-free compressor which uses a low amount of energy.” India, he said, has been facing challenges in terms of energy, hence we provide customised solutions for the Indian market as per the climatic conditions. Purushothaman added to what Chandra said. “If you take a closer look at the air conditioning and refrigeration industry, penetration on cooling is low in India.” He also pointed to the importance of research and development and said: “Six to seven per cent of our turn over goes to research and development, this is our focus.”
Excerpts from interviews conducted with representatives at the ACREX Expo 2020:
Kshama Jain, Managing Director, KEHEMS Technologies Pvt Ltd
“KEHEMS Technologies works with screw and scroll chillers, heat pumps and thermal storage systems. Since the year 1992, we have been working towards manufacturing and on increasing the acceptability of technology in the market. Our chillers are fitted with Bitzer compressors, this in addition to hydro processor-based controls. We also manufacture low temperature chillers that are used in pharmaceutical applications. Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) systems control power consumption by helping soft-start the compressor. Another feature is that our chillers use fewer refrigerants as compared to our competitors; this makes it a green product.”
Shivaji Darade, Managing Director, HIVER
“HIVER manufactures nearly fourteen types of chillers that are created for the industrial and commercial segments. We also provide service on a contractual basis. Spare machine parts are supplied to manufacturers. HIVER chillers are Lan based with net-based control, this makes it easily accessible. These chillers are energy-efficient and have a universal temperature base. The use of soft-starters helps control the stability of air and watercooled chillers. The pharmaceutical sector widely uses the Internet of Things (IoT), this also increases the demand within the market.”
Mark Johnson, LEFOO
“LEFOO is a pressure sensor and a switch manufacturing company that has a wide range of product designs for various markets. The switches are consumer-based ranging from one to ten volts. The company manufactures reliable and high-quality standard Pressure Control, temperature control devices offering innovative solutions and components that can outfit the best machines and production systems while giving a single answer to any requirements in pressure control systems. Within the scope of pneumatics, HAVC, refrigeration, food and beverage processing, packaging systems, hydraulics, the company provides clients with accurate and dependable pressure control devices.”
Niklas Graberg, Director of Global Sales, Industrilas
“Industrilas produces latching and hinging systems to Sweden, Sri Lanka, and the Indian markets for huge ventilation units. For the past 20-years, we have been specializing in ventilation. We enhance our equipment regularly to stay up to date with the evolving market. We also export to over 60-countries worldwide. The market is presently focused on quality and on raising the standard in an increasing price war.”
Yatheendar Ramakrishnan, Instrumentation Group, Parker
“Parker is a 100-year-old company and one of our products is ‘Sporlan’ and we have recently introduced one-of-a-kind flame-free Zoomlock refrigerant fittings which are truly a game-changer for HVACR contractors who are looking to be more efficient. Zoomlock is a brace-free refrigeration block copper fitting that is leak proof. It eliminates the need for bracing, welding, fire spotter, and fire license, as it has an electro-mechanical tool that crimps the fitting in place. Zoomlock can be used
in cleanrooms, data centres or application where fire permits are a challenge. Tools and jaws compatible with ZoomLock fittings. These fittings are specially designed to work without brazing, which automatically makes jobs simpler and faster when joining copper tubes. Sporlan Type SSTK Smart Service Tools work with a SMART Service Tool App for smartphones or tablets along with sensors and pressure transducers to assist in diagnostic/service problems. The focus is on exposing the technology globally and on introducing a safe working environment. Refrigerant technology has evolved over the years and Indian is speeding up with most of the European and US manufactures. There is more focus on greener refrigerants; hence Parker has launched products that are flexible towards these changes.”
