RACA Journal: ISSN 1812-772X
Hot and chilled
AN UNEXPECTED
TURN OF EVENTS
E
ish, it seems as if things might be moving at a slower pace than expected! I’m
talking in terms of the CETA being placed under administration and the coronavirus
outbreak that hit China not so long ago.
At the time of writing, the virus has killed thousands and is spreading pretty quickly
in the Northern Hemisphere, with Italy reporting confirmed cases and shutting down
various cities. Although nothing has yet been confirmed, Sung Yoon, CEO and president of
Samsung, has shared that this will impact supply in the near future.
It really is a terrible thing to happen as experts around the world expected economic
growth – now, with the virus, things might possibly take a turn in the opposite direction.
But, as Generation Z says, ‘we move’. MCE 2020 organisers have decided to postpone the
biennial event until September. And Chillventa will take place a few weeks after. These are
two of the biggest shows in the industry – good luck to the exhibitors who are featuring in
both; it’s not going to be easy.
Measures are in place by different Asian countries to prevent infection and big ups to
them. We do hope that the World Health Organization finds a cause and cure of the virus as
soon as possible.
What a memorable expo AHR was! It was interesting for me to learn that VRFs (page
38) aren’t as popular in the US as they are locally; water-chilled pumps are the buzz word
as they save energy. I took over 50 000 steps going through the exhibition and experienced
different products and services. Innovations presented stretched far and wide and even
crossed into other sectors. I bumped into the ASHRAE South Africa Chapter vice president,
who was on a dedicated ASHRAE tour throughout the conference. He shares his visit to
the US on page 68. He was in awe of the sheer size of the Apollo/Saturn V Center. From his
diary submission, it is clear that it was a life-changing experience. Companies like Daikin,
Emerson, Siemens and more launched signature products and hosted talks, breakfasts and
sessions throughout the three days. Read about these and more from page 17.
Locally, Eurocool (page 27) and Samsung (page 28) also launched products, which saw
great support from the industry. Another event that saw many of you present was the
SAIRAC Joburg Centre Talk (page 35). Ron Burns is quite an impressionable fellow and that
could be one of the reasons why his presentation was well attended. As he rounded off his
session, some agreed with what he shared, while others didn’t take it well. Well, if we’re
not asking difficult questions, are we really progressing? These are the kinds of things I look
forward to that put a smile on my face.
A lot more has happened with one of the biggest air conditioning companies receiving a
B-BBEE certificate (page 5). Times have changed, and as small and specialised the industry
is, we do need to take serious steps to breaking barriers that prevent inclusion.
Actually, come to think of it, things aren’t slowing down, they are moving along very
well, however tough – locally and internationally. We are a resilient bunch and the one thing
we never do is stop. We move. RACA
Dale Macnamara
Business unit lead | [email protected]
www.hvacronline.co.za
RACA Journal I April 2020
1