Environment & Energy | Wednesday 25 October, 2017 6:27 am |

The global strategy consulting firm Booz & Co has estimated that district cooling systems are able to reduce 30% of the cooling requirements of Saudi by 2030. Additionally, the Kingdom has stressed the need to adopt district cooling systems in urban planning, to ensure sustainable economic growth. As district cooling is considered as the ultimate solution for cities with dense populations and is the least costly when compared to other cooling solutions.

 

Being one of the leading companies in district cooling, the specialist on HVAC&R solutions Al Salem Johnson Controls (YORK) has participated in the third annual district cooling summit held in Riyadh on the 23rd and 24 of October, along with the participation of the most prominent companies in the HVAC&R sector in the GCC. The event in its second edition in 2016 underlined ways to strengthen district cooling in the Kingdom; by laying down the infrastructure and framework by local municipalities, and to make way for competitive pricing as well as to use the latest and most efficient equipment.

 

In support of the recommendations made in last year’s edition, Al Salem Johnson Controls (YORK) presented the concept of Hybrid District Cooling Plants and the diversification of cooling solutions in each plant. Even though most developed economies have been using hybrid district cooling plants for a long time, the designs available in the Kingdom are extremely limited. In that regard, Al Salem Johnson Controls (YORK) has put forth a case study where water chillers and air chillers have been used in the same plant with the Purpose of utilizing the advantages of both systems, and to employ the solutions that are compatible with district cooling. The success of such studies would lead to the adoption of the most appropriate solutions in accordance with modern technology. Thus, contributing to the achievement of the efficacy goals of the Kingdom’s national transformation program 2020.

 

In a statement regarding the company’s participation in all editions of the summit, Dr. Mohanad Al Shaikh the CEO of Al Salem Johnson Controls (YORK) said, “Although district cooling is new to the Kingdom, our leading role in this field has enabled us to achieve great progress. Not to mention the results of the last edition of the summit had a substantial role in indicating the prioritization needed to achieve the Kingdom’s vision 2030, which is the achievement of sustainable growth through the efficient use of energy. Here at Al Salem Johnson Controls (YORK), we work towards moving forward with our strategy of providing a wide range of smart solutions to ensure the achievement of the desired sustainability”.

 

It is worth noting that this summit has contributed to the implementation of SASO standard 2874 with a possibility of updating after three years. We have also seen Saudi Electric company taking critical steps towards rational use of electric power by mega users, applying differential rates during summer-winter based on peak & off-peak time during the day, and the penalty applicable on consumers with loads exceeding 1MVA. Perhaps this is the right time that we look into innovative strategies as professional engineers and offer practical viable solutions to investors.

 

In his opinion, Dr. Anwar the vice president of sales and field operations at Al Salem Johnson Controls (YORK) said, “probably one of the best solutions to present to the regulating bodies is represented in building a chilled water network dedicated to district cooling with the city’s infrastructure. From it, all operating companies in district cooling can utilize the network to provide cooling services to the different projects and consumers.”

 

It is worth mentioning that Al Salem Johnson Controls (YORK) is extremely meticulous when designing its chillers, taking into consideration the harsh climate conditions. As it installs variable speed drive systems that help chillers work efficiently in high temperatures. Variable speed drive systems save between 10% to 30% if energy depending on the working condition of a project. Some of the many projects the company has included but is not limited to, the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdul Aziz Endowment tower in Makkah (Clock Tower), Jabal Umar area in Makkah, and the third terminal in the Jeddah King Abdul Aziz airport. All these locations have been reinforced with latest technologies and energy efficient standards.