Personality Profile Sponsored by :
ENGINEERING AFFORDS A LARGE-SCOPE EXPERIENCE
SFI Group
The highlight of this profession is watching a building progress from earthworks to fully-fitted and commissioned , according to Ashlee Moodley ( Pr . Eng ) – recently appointed director at RPP KZN Consulting Engineers .
Moodley grew up predominantly in the Durban area of
KwaZulu-Natal and also spent five of his formative years in Gauteng where he was schooled until the age of seven . He recalls that his family and himself alike dearly missed the coast and so eventually moved back to Durban where he continued his primary school education through St Michaels .
His high school years were completed at Northwood Boys . After matriculation in 2006 , Moodley then pursued a BSc degree in mechanical engineering at the University of KwaZulu-Natal . During that time , and in his final year of studies , he noted that he enjoyed all courses relating to renewable energy and designed a regenerative braking system for a bicycle – which received a distinction .
Describing then how he entered the HVAC sector , he says , “ My first job out of university was with an engineering consulting firm . At first I was exposed to all facets of mechanical design including HVAC , fire protection systems , wet services and industrial engineering . Out of all those different sectors I enjoyed HVAC the most as I found this discipline to be the most challenging due to its impact on personal comfort as well as toward the environment . I always strive to design systems in a way that requires the least amount of energy input to meet the end users ’ needs .”
As a people ’ s person , what Moodley finds most exciting about his work is definitely interacting with different professional teams . Traveling , he noted , is also a great aspect of being a consulting engineer but overall he finds his work a truly amazing experience and in an industry which he is grateful to be a part of .
Admittedly , a tough question is what one regards as your greatest achievement . “ I consider myself to have achieved a lot in my life thus far and several of these as my greatest such as building my own little family with my wife , owning my first brand new car , traveling overseas and so on , however I think my greatest overall achievement is making my parents proud of the person I have become over the years . Oh , and of course to mention – becoming a director of RPP KZN Consulting Engineers !”
In his spare time Moodley ’ s hobbies and interests include enjoying spending time with his family and friends , as well as going to the gym . He also enjoys gaming when his daughter allows him to , he comically suggested ! He also aims to do anything to take his mind off work , though as the readers of this article would know – this industry leaves you with many sleepless nights , quite often .
Turning to his view of the future of designs and technology with regard to HVAC systems , he adds that with the rising costs of electricity as well as the shortages of electricity currently being experienced in South Africa , energy efficiency is going to become paramount . “ As a design engineer , I always encourage clients to utilise the most efficient systems , but this is strongly driven by equipment capital costs which in turn often leads to clients choosing lesser alternatives . To help mitigate the need for air conditioning , I also encourage architects and developers to invest in the building envelope to reduce the requirement for HVAC as much as possible , without totally messing up the aesthetic , naturally ,” he concluded . RACA
Supplied www . refrigerationandaircon . co . za RACA Journal I February 2023 37