Eurovent Middle East has published its Annual Report of 2019, looking back on its activities in its third year of existence. Started in January 2017 with 22 members, the association has grown to currently 46 members and in 2019 implemented dedicated working groups for technical and regulatory issues for Cooling, Air Treatment, Refrigeration and Evaporative Cooling.
Air conditioning and refrigeration are naturally critical technologies in an environment which sees temperatures going up to 50° C during the summer months. The dependence on cooling in all aspects of social and commercial activities and thus the exposure to immense energy consumption mandates a responsible approach to energy efficiency and quality. In a market which, in previous years has been driven by price rather than performance, this responsibility rests on authorities and industry alike.
Mr Markus Lattner, Managing Director of Eurovent Middle East said, “We notice that authorities try to cope with the increased demand for technical regulations to contain the ever-increasing demand for energy. On the other hand, we see a reluctance in the market to invest in appropriate technology and systems, despite life cycle cost calculations clearly show long-term benefits. In light of this disparity, it is without alternative that the industry works hand-in-hand with the government to achieve our common goals.”
Mr Brian Suggitt, Chairman of Eurovent Middle East and Managing Director of Systemair Middle East added, “We see enormous cost pressure on all parties in the construction sector, and this pressure is likely to increase throughout the next year. It is imperative that we make all stakeholders aware of the consequences and costs to be incurred if cooling and ventilation installations are treated carelessly and looked at purely from a cost perspective. The unnecessary cost paid through increased energy consumption, consequent increase in maintenance costs, fungal growth resultant in sick building syndrome and personal health hazards can never be worth the pure cost saving on poor equipment, installation or maintenance.”
Mr Srinivasan Rangan, Director of Marketing and Product Management of Rheem MEA and a nominee for the Eurovent Middle East Board, underlines the importance of a joint approach by the industry, “It is important for manufacturers to be a part of industry associations for constructive dialogue with regulatory bodies. These forums help in understanding the key issues; and industry concerns can be summarised and represented in a channelised manner to regulatory bodies.”
Mr Rafael Van Eijcken, General Manager Middle East, Turkey and India of Baltimore Aircoil Middle East and Eurovent Middle East Board member, shares his view on the Association, ” It is in the interest of the industry and its responsibility to work jointly with peers and other stakeholders to create an educated, informed and open market. This has always been BAC’s commitment and we are happy to contribute to the development of a true regional association which reaches out to authorities and engineers alike.”
Sharing a similar sentiment, Mr Tariq Al Ghussein, Chairman and CEO of Taqeef and Eurovent Middle East Board member adds,” Greener, cleaner cooling is all of our business. As an industry, it’s essential we evolve to meet the changing needs of our changing planet and that we do so with efficiency front and centre of our agenda. Legislation, standardisation and certification are all crucial to this, and by promoting education, awareness and knowledge-share, Eurovent Middle East is facilitating best practices amongst industry stakeholders throughout the region.”
Looking forward to 2020, Mr Suggitt concludes, “We will face a tough year as an industry. While everyone is really awaiting Expo 2020, we are also expecting a recessive building market. We believe it is time to put our focus on the existing build stock and push for retrofits and improvements in the current HVACR installations. Eurovent Middle East will initiate several activities in this respect in 2020 and we invite everyone to join us in our quest to improve energy efficiency and awareness in this field for the benefit of our region and its people.”