Dunham-Bush debts nearly £4m

UK: Creditors of Dunham-Bush Ltd are unlikely to receive any money after the Hampshire-based chiller manufacturer accumulated debts of nearly £4m.

The company went into administration on April 3 after “several” years of accumulated losses. Accounts for the 2022 calendar year revealed losses of around £909,000, with further losses for the two months to February 2023 being estimated at around £203,000. Unsecured creditors claims total £3,962,730.

Despite forecasting a profit of £200,000 for the current financial year through substantial cost reductions, subsequent cash constraints and an erosion of goodwill with suppliers meant the business began running out of critical component parts which was having a detrimental impact on sales.

Ultimately, a winding-up petition from steel supplier CJ Upton & Sons, in respect of an outstanding debt of £139,000, prompted the directors to file for administration.

Established in 1935 as the UK subsidiary of a US manufacturer, Dunham-Bush underwent a number of changes of ownership in recent years but continued to operate as a subsidiary of the wider Dunham-Bush group, which is now owned by the Chinese based State-owned Assets Supervision Administration Commission (52%) and Yantai Hongyuan Industrial Co Ltd (48%).

The company was a manufacturer of a range of HVAC products, including chillers, fan coils and radiant panels.

The post Dunham-Bush debts nearly £4m appeared first on Cooling Post.

source https://www.coolingpost.com/uk-news/dunham-bush-debts-nearly-4m/

JCI to acquire Australian firm Gordon Brothers

AUSTRALIA: Johnson Controls is to acquire Gordon Brothers Industries (GBI), Australia’s long-established industrial refrigeration company.

According to Johnson Controls, the acquisition will enhance its industrial refrigeration service offerings in Australia by combining Gordon Brothers’ engineering expertise and Johnson Controls’ connected service technology.

“The acquisition of GBI is one that ensures that Australian businesses are served by the best technology,” said Anu Rathninde, president, Asia Pacific, Johnson Controls. “As a leader in industrial refrigeration solutions in Australia, GBI represents a strong strategic fit for Johnson Controls, as we look to create value for our local stakeholders and customers.”

Customers are promised an expanded product and services mix with more offerings and coverage for local services and installations, including a range of energy-efficient products using low and ultra-lowGWP refrigerants. 

GBI’s team will be trained to design and engineer, select, and price Johnson Controls equipment for its industrial refrigeration and HVAC systems. Its technology team will also undergo specialised training in installation, commission, and service of Johnson Controls’ products. 

Established in 1917, Gordon Brothers became a pioneer in the development of the refrigeration industry in Australia and in 1922 produced one of the first totally enclosed ammonia compressors mainly for small dairies and butcher shops. Following WWll, the company entered into a license agreements with US manufacturers Vilter, Dunham-Bush and Brunner. It became a subsidiary of Baker Perkins and in 2006 was purchased by the Hastie Group before being acquired by the current managers led by Ian Sleeth in 2012.

GBI has developed industrial refrigeration solutions for a wide range of industries including convenience foods, dairy, distribution centres, gas and chemical, beverage, brewery, cold storage, confectionery, meat processing, mine cooling, pharmaceutical, and seafood. It also specialises in low-charge ammonia refrigerant systems, incorporating both low and ultra-low GWP refrigerants.

Johnson Controls has been in Australia since 1965. It is said that the acquisition will considerably expand localised assembly capacity in food & beverage, mining, and new energy markets, adding extra capability to GBI’s existing offerings. 

Going forward, the business will be comprised of four new divisions: York Process Systems, Gas Compression, Navy, and Sustainability. 

The post JCI to acquire Australian firm Gordon Brothers appeared first on Cooling Post.

source https://www.coolingpost.com/world-news/jci-to-acquire-australian-firm-gordon-brothers/

Roller expands DLK cooler range

GERMANY: A further development of Roller’s DLK series of air coolers sees the introduction of new units for use with CO2.

The DLK Next air coolers for applications up to 80bar expand the performance range of optimised evaporators with reduced tube volume for CO2 applications.

Special attention has been paid to installation flexibility with the new coolers. This includes an easy-to-install aluminium housing with practical and generously dimensioned cutout options to meet the diverse requirements of installation engineering. This is complemented by flush ceiling suspension brackets made of stainless steel.

The evaporator blocks are available with 4 and 6 rows of tubes, accompanied by correspondingly large heat exchanger surfaces. For deep-freeze applications, the units are offered in T-design with electric defrosting systems in block and tray.

The DLK Next offers a pre-installed electronic expansion valve with precise superheat control settings for 40 refrigerants, including CO2.

Available in sizes up to 14kW cooling capacity, the new DLK Next is equipped with 1 to 4 high-efficiency EC fans as standard. Roller says it will eventually replace the DLK/T…EP (Euroline Plus) units.

The post Roller expands DLK cooler range appeared first on Cooling Post.

source https://www.coolingpost.com/products/roller-expands-dlk-cooler-range/

ASHRAE conference call for abstracts

USA: Abstract submissions are now invited for the 2024 ASHRAE Winter Conference which will focus on how IEQ/IAQ, decarbonisation and energy efficiency can benefit people and the environment.

The Winter Conference will be held in Chicago, Illinois, January 20-24, 2024, at the Marriott Marquis Chicago.

Abstracts of 400 words or less are invited by June 28 on the following tracks:
Decarbonization and Climate Change
Hydronic Systems
Comfort, Indoor Environmental Quality and Energy Efficiency
HVAC&R Controls
Project Method Delivery
Fundamentals and Applications
HVAC&R Systems and Equipment
Refrigerants and Refrigeration

If accepted, final conference papers are due October 16. In addition, technical papers are also due June 28, 2023. 

For more information on the call for abstracts and the 2024 ASHRAE Winter Conference, visit ashrae.org/2024Winter.

The post ASHRAE conference call for abstracts appeared first on Cooling Post.

source https://www.coolingpost.com/world-news/ashrae-conference-call-for-abstracts/

Meridian training centre opens in Dorset

UK: Dorset now has its first and only refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump training centre following today’s official opening of the new Meridian RACHP Training centre.

Based in Ferndown, Meridian RACHP Training is s a partnership between Sam and Suzanne Lovell, owners of contractor Meridian Air Conditioning and Ventilation, and experienced assessor, verifier and lecturer Shaun Creech.

The facility was opened by current Institute of Refrigeration president and BESA technical director Graeme Fox. Here he is flanked by Shaun Creech (left) Suzanne Lovell and Sam Lovell

The 3,500ft2 facility comprises a large practical area, a brazing and test room and classroom for a maximum of 15. It is C&G and BESA approved and will provide a range of courses, including F-gas category 1, 2, 3 and 4, safe handling of flammable refrigerants, pipework and brazing and electrics, as well as meeting the predicted growth in demand for heat pump training.

“We are looking to grow our provision as we go forward and have already been approached by some companies about setting up specific courses for their employees on controls systems for ventilation systems,” said Shaun Creech, who will split his time between the new Meridian training centre and his role as assessor/lecturer at City of Portsmouth College. 

Creech has supported well over a thousand students during his career, including Meridian owner Sam Lovell. He is a Fellow and active member of the Institute of Refrigeration, sitting on the membership committee and working within the training section of the institute.

The post Meridian training centre opens in Dorset appeared first on Cooling Post.

source https://www.coolingpost.com/uk-news/meridian-training-centre-opens-in-dorset/

R1234ze chiller for data centre cooling

USA: Johnson Controls has announced the launch of its York YVAM air-cooled magnetic bearing centrifugal chiller with low GWP refrigerant R1234ze for hyperscale and colocation data centre cooling.

The YVAM’s magnetic-bearing technology allows the system to operate very efficiently at low lift conditions. This means free-cooling coils are not needed to deliver performances comparable to air-cooled chillers with integral water-side economisers.

According to Johnson Controls, when compared to traditional air-cooled screw chillers, the YVAM can improve efficiency by 49% in non-standard part load value (NPLV) in typical data centre conditions,

“The pioneering design of the York YVAM chiller was specified for the unique needs of mission critical applications, featuring industry-leading efficiency, simplified design and low harmonics,” said Chris Paraskevakos, Johnson Controls’ vice president of product management, chillers and applied equipment. 

The YVAM chiller uses a variable-speed drive with active front-end to lower energy consumption and total harmonic distortion. This means the magnetic driveline is significantly quieter than traditional air-cooled chiller drivelines that use screw compressors, Johnson Controls says. Full-load sound is said to be only 65dBA at a distance of 10m. The machine’s lubrication-free design also eliminates the complexity of subsystems and reduces the costs of routine maintenance and system checks.

To maximise uptime, the YVAM features quick start technology with integral UPS backup, allowing the chiller to return to full load in as little as three minutes after power is restored.

Johnson Controls

The post R1234ze chiller for data centre cooling appeared first on Cooling Post.

source https://www.coolingpost.com/products/r1234ze-chiller-for-data-centre-cooling/

Williams raises £562 for mental health

UK: Williams Refrigeration has donated £562 raised by its staff to support local mental health charity the 8:56 Foundation.

The 8:56 Foundation was founded in 2021 as a response to the tragic suicide of King’s Lynn resident Lee Calton at the age of 37. It aims to raise awareness of and reduce the stigma around mental health issues for men as well as providing support.

The charity was nominated by Williams’ employees as the target for the company’s latest fundraising at the start of May and the money was raised through contributions from a Coronation Raffle as well as a staff sale.

Alan Colby, a Williams employee, participates regularly in 8:56 fundraising events outside of work, and will even be climbing Mount Snowdon in May, to raise awareness for the charity.

“It’s great that we chose to donate money to the 8:56 Foundation. I think it’s so important to help spread the word that there is support available for men who are struggling.”

The post Williams raises £562 for mental health appeared first on Cooling Post.

source https://www.coolingpost.com/uk-news/williams-raises-562-for-mental-health/

Martinko steps in at Chemours as Bellezza resigns

USA: Joe Martinko, senior business director, Americas for Chemours Thermal & Specialized Solutions (TSS) business will step in as interim leader following today’s resignation of division president Alisha Bellezza.

Bellezza joined Chemours in 2015 from FMC Corporation where she was director of investor relations. She has been president of the TSS division, which includes Chemours refrigerants business since 2020. 

Joe Martinko will step in on June 1, while Chemours searches for Bellezza’s replacement.

Martinko has over 30 years of experience in the chemical industry, more than 20 years of which were with Chemours TSS and Fluoroproducts businesses. His experience spans both global and regional leadership roles in which he is said to have delivered record-setting financial performance.

“Joe’s deep knowledge of our thermal management products portfolio, market, and customers is truly unmatched,” commented Mark Newman, Chemours’ president and CEO.

“Alisha has been a valued member of the Chemours executive team, and while we will miss her leadership and drive, we wish her all the best in the next phase of her career.,” Newman added. 

Related stories:

Chemours creates new division for refrigerants – 12 February 2021
USA: Changes at Chemours sees the US chemical manufacturer’s refrigerants business in a new product-focused division, led by Alisha Bellezza. Read more…

The post Martinko steps in at Chemours as Bellezza resigns appeared first on Cooling Post.

source https://www.coolingpost.com/world-news/martinko-steps-in-at-chemours-as-bellezza-resigns/

Beijer Ref announces CFO change

SWEDEN: Beijer Ref executive vice president and CFO Ulf Berghult is to transition out of the company by mutual agreement in the next six months, the Swedish wholesaler has announced.

Berghult, who joined the company in 2021, will be replaced in November by Joel Davidsson, currently CFO of Malmo-based plastics manufacturing company Rosti Group.

Describing Berghult as a valuable CFO and colleague, Beijer Ref CEO Christopher Norbye said: “As Beijer Ref is now facing a new chapter, accelerating both its growth and its global presence, we have mutually agreed that this is a good opportunity for Ulf to scale down and to let a new long-term CFO take over the journey and the continued execution of Beijer Ref’s strategy.”

Davidsson joined the Rosti Group in 2021. Prior to that he served two years as head of group finance and investor relations at Alfa Laval and  CFO roles within Assa Abloy Entrance Systems and head of group business control at BE Group. 

Related stories:

Beijer Ref makes CFO leadership change – 26 October 2021
SWEDEN: Maria Rydén is to step down as chief financial officer and executive vice president at refrigeration wholesaler Beijer Ref AB after four years in the roles. Read more…

The post Beijer Ref announces CFO change appeared first on Cooling Post.

source https://www.coolingpost.com/world-news/beijer-ref-announces-cfo-change/

Kensa receives £70m heat pump investment

Dr Matthew Trewhella, CEO of The Kensa Group (left), with Sir Nigel Wilson, CEO of Legal & General, at Kensa’s new factory opening at the end of last year

UK: Green energy supplier Octopus Energy and investment company Legal & General Capital are investing £70m in UK ground-source heat pump manufacturer the Kensa Group.

This marks the biggest investment ever made in ground-source technology in Britain. It will allow Kensa to rapidly expand and install 50,000 ground source heat pumps a year by 2030 and create 7,000+ green jobs. 

The move is expected to drive down costs of heat pumps in the UK, which is targeting 600,000 heat pump installations a year by 2028. 

The companies involved insist that the investment will make heat pumps even more accessible to more properties, including retrofits for social housing, terraced housing and non-domestic buildings. 

Finance will also be provided for Kensa to offer house builders, housing associations and non-domestic customers their Networked Heat Pumps solution – described as a model similar to the current gas network – at a lower cost. 

“Backing Kensa will help rapidly expand Britain’s fast-growing ground source heat pump industry. This deal is a huge milestone for our exciting new energy transition fund, as we invest in ambitious companies rolling out tech to turbocharge the clean energy shift,” said Zoisa North-Bond, CEO of Octopus Energy Generation.

Dr Matthew Trewhella, CEO of The Kensa Group, described the deal as “a monumental moment” for ground source heat pumps. “This investment will help unlock Kensa’s vision of a mass transition to low carbon heating by replacing the gas grid with its 21st-century equivalent – an ambient temperature heat network. 

“Our approach harnesses the power of investment capital funding infrastructure, reduces the strain on our electricity grid and enables a just transition – keeping heating costs low and addressing fuel poverty simultaneously with climate change mitigation.”

Legal & General Capital has previously invested £15.7m in Kensa since 2020.

The deal also marks Octopus Energy Group’s entry into the ground source heat pump market, complementing the company’s existing air source heat pump expertise and building on its recent £10m investment in a heat pump R&D centre in Slough.

Related stories:

Kensa opens UK’s largest GSHP factory – 5 December 2022
UK: The Kensa Group has officially opened what it claims is the UK’s largest production facility dedicated to ground source heat pumps. Read more…

L&G takes 36% stake in heat pump firm Kensa – 17 April 2020
UK: Legal & General Capital has taken a 36% stake in ground source heat pump manufacturer, The Kensa Group. Read more…

The post Kensa receives £70m heat pump investment appeared first on Cooling Post.

source https://www.coolingpost.com/uk-news/kensa-receives-70m-heat-pump-investment/

Carel sales up nearly 25%

ITALY: Controls manufacturer Carel has recorded revenues of €161m in the first three months of the year, an increase of 24.8% on the same period last year. 

This is the ninth consecutive quarter that the Padua-based company has achieved double-digit organic growth.

Revenues from the air conditioning segment grew 39.6%, while the refrigeration segment slowed down by 0.5%. 

Net profit increased 13.2% to €18.5m.

The post Carel sales up nearly 25% appeared first on Cooling Post.

source https://www.coolingpost.com/world-news/carel-sales-up-nearly-25/

Aldi to install propane heat pumps in new stores

UK: Heat pumps using R290 (propane) are to be installed at all new UK Aldi stores in a new deal with Vaillant.

Vaillant UK, the UK arm of the German manufacturer, has been working with Aldi since 2016, when its AroTherm heat pump was installed at Aldi’s headquarters in Warwickshire. The retailer has installed the air-source heat pumps at seven of its regional distribution centres in total. 

Following the success of these units, the AroTherm Plus heat pumps will now be installed at all new Aldi stores across the UK, as part of an exclusive five-year contract.

Depending on the size of the site, each store will see between two to five 12kW units installed, along with, Vaillant’s SensoComgort controls. The units will be commissioned and serviced by Vaillant under the contract’s 10-year service agreement.

Aldi’s eco-concept store opened last year

As part of the contract, Vaillant’s AroTherm Plus heat pump has also been installed at Aldi’s new eco-concept store in Leamington Spa, where the unit provides both heating and cooling. The store, which opened in September 2022, was designed to significantly reduce carbon consumption, with sustainable building materials and design changes which are estimated to reduce life-cycle emissions by up to two thirds.

“Aldi UK has been carbon neutral since 2019, which has seen us transition to natural refrigerants,” said Aldi UK national property director George Brown. for Aldi UK, said. “Recently, we invested in adding chiller doors to our new and refurbished stores, which will reduce each store’s energy consumption by approximately 20%. However, this meant we needed a sustainable heat source in our new sites to replace the existing heat-generating fridge packs.”

The post Aldi to install propane heat pumps in new stores appeared first on Cooling Post.

source https://www.coolingpost.com/uk-news/aldi-to-install-propane-heat-pumps-in-new-stores/

Romanian police seize more refrigerant

ROMANIA: Customs officers in Romania continue to intercept illegal refrigerant being smuggled into the country from Ukraine.

Over the last three days, border guards and customs workers at the Vicovu de Sus border crossing point in Suceava have found over 150 refrigerant cylinders in two separate minibuses travelling in from Ukraine. 

On Thursday (May 11), officers discovered 144 refrigerant cylinders, along with 373.8 litres of alcohol in a Mercedes-Benz minibus driven by a Ukrainian national. Then, yesterday (May 13), officers discovered nine cylinders of refrigerant onboard a Mercedes-Benz Vito, registered in Ukraine and driven by a Portuguese citizen.

Part of the confiscated shipment from May 11 (above) and May 13 (top)

The authorities have not released details of any of the refrigerant found but photographs suggest in included R134a, R410A and possibly R32.

The border police have filed a criminal case against both men for the crimes of attempted smuggling and transportation and transit of dangerous substances and preparations.

Customs officers have previously been criticised for failing to tackle the illegal trade in HFCs. In 2021, the London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) accused enforcement authorities in Romania of “alarming complacency” after naming the country as a major illegal EU entry point for Chinese-made refrigerants. In 2020, Romania set maximum fines of €6,000 for breaches of the F-gas regulation 517/2014 after the European Commission sent letters of formal notice for failing to adopt penalties. 

Related stories:

Romanian police seize illegal refrigerant – 2 April 2023
ROMANIA: Border police from Suceava have seized 12 cylinders of illegal refrigerant in the Romanian town of Vicovu de Sus on the border with Ukraine. Read more…

EIA slams Romanian inaction on illegal refrigerant trade – 17 September 2021
UK: The London-based Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has accused enforcement authorities in Romania of “alarming complacency” in failing to tackle the illegal trade in HFC refrigerants. Read more…

EIA exposes corruption in Romania’s criminal HFC trade – 8 July 2021
UK: The Environmental Investigation Agency has uncovered “systematic corruption” of customs officials in the illegal importation of refrigerants into Europe, with Romania identified as one of the major entry points. Read more…

Romania seizes 9 tonnes of refrigerant from Turkey – 12 March 2021
ROMANIA: Authorities in Romania yesterday intercepted a truck smuggling 1,300 cylinders of refrigerant from Turkey. Read more…

Romania sets €6k maximum fine for F-gas violations – 25 March 2020
ROMANIA: Fines to a maximum of just over €6,000 have been set by the Romanian government for contraventions of the European F-gas regulation (517/2014) to control HFC refrigerants. Read more…

Illegal refrigerant seized for “lack of documentation” – 18 July 2019
ROMANIA: Border police in southern Romania seized 86kg of illegal refrigerant at the Calafat border crossing point with Bulgaria yesterday. Read more…

Romanian customs seize 95 refrigerant cylinders – 22 July 2019
ROMANIA: Border police in Romania made a further seizure of refrigerant yesterday (Sunday) at the Petea border crossing point with Hungary. Read more…

The post Romanian police seize more refrigerant appeared first on Cooling Post.

source https://www.coolingpost.com/world-news/romanian-police-seize-more-refrigerant/

RMI calls for rethink on AC standards

USA: The organisation behind the Global Cooling Prize claims that current air conditioning testing standards and performance ratings fall short in the context of a warming world.

The Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), a Colorado-based sustainability research and consulting organisation, claims that the standards are more aligned with the climate profiles of the global north, which experience lower levels of humidity than those in the global south. 

It adds that the current test procedures are too simplistic — measuring the AC’s standard cooling capacity by locking the compressor speed at an outdoor temperature of 35°C (95°F), far from how the units operate in the real world.

The RMI maintains that because these test procedures are not aligned with real-world operation, a major opportunity to improve AC efficiency is being missed. 

It argues that If you are an AC user living in a hot and humid place such as Mumbai or Chennai in India, Singapore, or Florida in the US, you almost always turn down the thermostat or the air conditioner setpoint significantly to manage humidity in the air. 

“This results in overcooling of the air and consequently higher than expected energy consumption,” the RMI says. “And while you expect to save energy and money because you purchased a high-efficiency AC, your energy bills are not going to be dramatically different than a typical product.”

A coalition has been formed between the RMI, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Global Cooling Efficiency Programme, and CEPT University, India to address this issue. The coalition has embarked on a programme to develop performance metrics for characterization of next-generation room air conditioners, with support from the Clean Cooling Collaborative. 

By establishing pragmatic hypotheses for future AC testing standards and performance rating systems, the initiative aims to provide manufacturers with clear targets, enable informed consumer decision-making, and drive the market shift toward super-efficient ACs. 

The post RMI calls for rethink on AC standards appeared first on Cooling Post.

source https://www.coolingpost.com/world-news/rmi-calls-for-rethink-on-ac-standards/

INWIC launches website hub

FRANCE: A new website launched by the International Network for Women in Cooling (INWIC) will act as a hub for the organisation and its members.

Formed just over 12 months ago, INWIC provides a networking platform for women working in cooling, which broadly covers heat pumps, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration.

Launching the website, INWIC president, Colleen Keyworth invited all women working in the cooling sector to join INWIC and become part of the global community. “As a collective, we have the potential to achieve remarkable feats,” she said.

Women who are working or studying in the refrigeration and air conditioning sectors are encouraged to apply to INWIC through the member level of membership. Members receive exclusive benefits, such as access to a private forum where women can engage with one another and discuss their experiences and challenges of working in the HVACR industries and the upcoming free mentoring programme.

Other individuals who are interested in supporting this initiative can also become members through an affiliate membership. HVACR associations, societies, and other not-for-profit entities with a role in women’s career development may apply for partner membership. Businesses, corporations, and industry associations and coalitions may apply to become industry supporters.

INWIC is led by the World Refrigeration Day (WRD) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) OzonAction as the joint secretariat, in cooperation with founding partner organisations AIRAH (Australia), AREA (Europe), ASHRAE (Global), CAR (China), FAIAR (Latin America), IIR (Global), IoR (UK), ISHRAE (India), JSRAE (Japan), U-3ARC (Africa), and Women in HVAC&R (North America).

www.inwic.org

Related stories:

Keyworth is first INWIC president – 30 November 2022
FRANCE: Colleen Keyworth, current president of the US group Women in HVACR, has been appointed as the first president of the International Network for Women in Cooling (INWIC). Read more…

Women in cooling goes global – 12 April 2022
FRANCE: A number of leading global groups and associations have formed a new network to increase the participation of women in the refrigeration, air conditioning, and heat pump sector. Read more…

The post INWIC launches website hub appeared first on Cooling Post.

source https://www.coolingpost.com/world-news/inwic-launches-website-hub/

Ex-Arctic Circle staff form Vital Energi team

UK: Energy solutions provider Vital Energi has assembled a specialist team of former Arctic Circle employees to support the rapid growth of the heat pump market.

The 10-strong Heat Pump Solutions team is led by engineering director, Chris Green, and technical director, Patrick Knight. Both are former colleagues and employees at Arctic Circle which went into administration in February.

Chris Green had been with the former Hereford-based company for nearly 25 years, having joined as a technician apprentice in 1998. He had been Arctic Circle’s director of engineering for the last five years. Patrick Knight was formerly Arctic Circle’s technical director. He joined the company in 2009 progressing through a number of engineering roles with the company. 

The rest of the team includes former Arctic Circle employees Edita Szuketiova, Lawrence Rogers, James Oddie, Kyle Lancet, Liam Grice, James Hawley and Meg Bradley. Between them, the team boasts over 140 years of combined experience in the refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump sector. The new team will enhance Vital Energi’s in-house expertise, enabling them to remain at the forefront of design, specification and implementation of energy solutions which include heat pumps.

In a press statement the company said: “Vital Energi have always believed in the importance of being a complete solution provider to clients by having the capability to deliver services, products and technologies that fully meet their needs, and have now invested in a new specialist team to support the rapid growth of the heat pump market.”

“The energy market is changing at pace, and through strengthening our in-house expertise, we’re demonstrating our market-leading capability and ensuring we can meet the needs of our customers in an agile manner,” explained Ashley Malin, Vital Energi’s MD (Solutions). “The addition of the new team not only enhances our heat pump capability, but ensures we have the right skills to create energy infrastructure for our future.”

The post Ex-Arctic Circle staff form Vital Energi team appeared first on Cooling Post.

source https://www.coolingpost.com/uk-news/ex-arctic-circle-staff-form-vital-energi-team/

Heat pumps drive Daikin Europe to record sales

Daikin Europe NV headquarters in Ostend

BELGIUM: Strong European demand for heat pumps helped Daikin Europe NV achieve record sales of €5.2bn in the year to March 31, a 20% increase on last year.

Sales of residential heat pumps are said to have grown by over 50%, outperforming the market. 

Daikin reports that the “significant” sales growth was achieved despite the ongoing global challenges of continued components shortage, supply chain disruptions, the European energy crisis, high inflation and lower buying power.

“Despite challenging economic headwinds, Daikin Europe’s strong growth in 2022 exceeds the ambitious targets of our five-year strategic Fusion 25 plan. Our low-carbon heating and cooling innovations developed in and for EMEA continue to enable the region’s energy transition,” commented Masatsugu Minaka, Daikin Europe’s chairman

Daikin attributes its increased market share to its recent investments in European production capacity. “With the increasing demand for heat pumps, our supply and manufacturing organisation was able to increase production output beyond initial plans, despite difficult and irregular component sources,” explained Takayuki Kamekawa, Daikin Europe’s vice-president sales. “As a result, we realised more than 150% heat pump heating turnover growth compared to the previous fiscal year.”

The post-covid European commercial market, still showed instability in retail and hospitality industry investments, Daikin says, but its strongest asset proved to be the well-positioned line-up for light commercial applications such as small data centres and warehousing, and good availability of large commercial VRV ranges.

In the refrigeration segment, low demand from food retail chains is said to have had a negative impact on the results of Daikin Europe’s subsidiary AHT.

Investments

Daikin Europe made a number of key investments in 2022, in addition to the acquisition of Italian technical service provider Landi SpA. These included over €90m investments to expand operations in its heat pump factories in Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic and Turkey and an investment of €300m in a new residential heat pump factory in Poland. 2022 also marked the opening of Daikin’s first factory in Saudi Arabia for the production of air handling units and applied air conditioning solutions.

The Daikin Europe group also welcomed over 1,200 new employees in 2022, growing its workforce by approximately 10%. It plans to recruit a further 7,000 people before 2030, nearly doubling its current staffing from 12,800 to 20,000 employees in EMEA.

The post Heat pumps drive Daikin Europe to record sales appeared first on Cooling Post.

source https://www.coolingpost.com/world-news/heat-pumps-drive-daikin-europe-to-record-sales/

Daikin sees sales rise 28%

JAPAN: Daikin has reported net sales of JPY3,981,578m ($29,487m) in the year to March 31, an increase of 28.1% on last year.

Operating profit was JPY377,032m ($2,791m), up 19.2% year-on-year and net income was up 18.4% to JPY257,754m (£1,908m).

Sales from its air conditioning and chiller business, which accounts for just over 90% of the company’s business, increased 28.3%.

Despite the increases, world markets were affected by a number of factors including continuing lockdowns in China affecting supplies, the war in Ukraine and rising energy prices. This was particularly the case in Europe, although sales in the region as a whole greatly exceeded last year, mainly due to increasing heat pump sales.

Elsewhere, residential air conditioning sales in the Americas were described as “sluggish”, while most countries in Asia/Oceania saw sales declines in the second half of the year. That was apart from India which maintained strong sales on the back of economic growth.

In the Middle East and Africa, sales increased significantly from last year, driven by stronger sales in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Local production helped expand commercial air conditioning sales in Turkey, although there was a temporary slowdown in economic activity following the earthquake.

The post Daikin sees sales rise 28% appeared first on Cooling Post.

source https://www.coolingpost.com/world-news/daikin-sees-sales-rise-28/

Heat Pump Summit – call for papers

GERMANY: Presentation proposals are now being invited for the 8th European Heat Pump Summit, taking place in October in Nuremberg.

Bridging the gap between the biennial Chillventa exhibition, the European Heat Pump Summit provides a discussion platform on the latest market developments, R&D topics, and trends in heat pump applications. 

It takes place on 24 and 25 October at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre in its customary format of congress with accompanying foyer expo.

“This is an event where heat pump and component manufacturers, especially the latter, come into closer contact with their users than at any other industry gathering. We are delighted that we are once again able to provide the platform for a highly innovative, cutting-edge sector and make Nuremberg the venue for professional dialogue and excellent products and innovations from all areas of heat pump production and application,” said the event’s director Elke Harreiss.

“It’s where researchers, technicians, product developers, decision-makers and consulting engineers, component manufacturers and suppliers, (building services) designers and architects, and operators of heat pumps come together with international experts and acclaimed speakers.”

With its four main themes – market developments, R&D, potential and applications, and product and component development – the congress will once again cover the entire spectrum of current developments and challenges in the international heat pump market. 

The spotlight will be on the following topics:

• Market and energy policy developments in Germany and the rest of Europe, report on the 14th IEA Heat Pump Conference, report on the 26th IIR International Congress of Refrigeration

• Refrigerants, circular economy, high-temperature heat pumps, steam and district heat generation, energy performance in hybrid systems, current research institute projects

• Existing building stock, single- and multi-family houses, neighbourhood heat pumps, commerce and industry, complements to existing heating systems, hot water heat pumps, heat pumps combined with solar panels, air-to-air heat pumps (heating and cooling)

• Compressors, heat exchangers, fans, refrigerants, controllers, acoustics

Prospective speakers from research and development institutes, universities, testing bodies and laboratories, energy utilities and associations, and component manufacturers are invited to submit their presentation proposals on the above-mentioned topics by 12.6.2023. The presentations are to be given in English only.

The Call for Presentations is available online here.

The accompanying foyer expo offers companies an additional opportunity to present their latest products and innovations and engage in face-to-face dialogue with international experts.

The post Heat Pump Summit – call for papers appeared first on Cooling Post.

source https://www.coolingpost.com/world-news/heat-pump-summit-call-for-papers/

Spain urges greater effort in leak prevention

SPAIN: The Spanish refrigeration association, AEFYT, has urged greater efforts in refrigerant leak detection and containment as the industry faces “an unprecedented challenge” from the F-gas revision.

Discussions are currently underway between the European Commission, European Parliament  and the Council of Ministers to negotiate the final make-up of the European F-gas revision. While the individual revision proposals differ in terms of severity of the bans and quota phase downs, it is clear that, whatever the form the new regulation takes, it will create challenges for the industry.

Faced with the likelihood of shortages and increases in the cost of HFC refrigerant gases, the AEFYT sees early leak detection and maintenance as key factors in tackling the effects of any new F-gas regulation.

“The foreseeable reduction in sales quotas for fluorinated gases places the refrigeration sector before an unprecedented challenge that requires a change of strategy in the very short term,” the AEFYT says in a statement.

“To face the projected scenario, one of the key actions that AEFYT proposes to users and maintainers is to dedicate more efforts to containment, preventive maintenance and optimisation of existing facilities.”

However, the AEFYT also urges a more proactive approach: “It is not just a matter of complying with the minimum requirements demanded by the legislation in terms of inspections and leak controls, but also investing in the maintenance of existing installations with systems that help to maintain the gas in the installation and significantly reduce the associated costs. Undoubtedly, early leak detection has proven its effectiveness and robustness in achieving this.”

As one of the few European member states to impose an additional tax levy on fluorinated refrigerants and blends, the Spanish industry is particularly susceptible to price rises.

In addition to the environmental damage, the AEFYT points out that the refrigerant leak causes serious economic harm. Apart from the high cost of the gas, leaks also lead to higher system energy consumption – the AEFYT quotes around 15% efficiency reduction for a leak rate of 25% – premature component wear and a risk of product spoilage. 

While it recognises the difficulties in achieving total system tightness, the AEFYT insists it is possible to reduce emissions by 80%-95% in a sustained manner, thanks to existing technology and the professionalism and experience of refrigeration maintenance companies.

The AEFYT also highlights the importance of refrigerant reclamation in supporting the reduced quota. 

Related stories:

F-gas proposals “disastrous” for Spain – 27 March 2023
SPAIN: Twelve associations and groups from across the Spanish HVACR industry and end user sectors have written to MEPs expressing concern at the F-gas revision proposals. Read more…

The post Spain urges greater effort in leak prevention appeared first on Cooling Post.

source https://www.coolingpost.com/world-news/spain-urges-greater-effort-in-leak-prevention/