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CHANGES TO THE CHILLER LANDSCAPE In recent years we have seen two big drivers shaping the chiller landscape . Water and refrigerants . Many end users have opted for air-cooled chillers to ensure uptime and eliminate the risk of having a variable water supply ( consider the facility owners in the Western Cape during their water shortage ). Uptime comes at the price of higher running costs but when having no water , this means not running your facility so the decision is more easily swayed .
“ Changing environmental regulations have also driven a change in the chiller landscape . South Africa was a signee of the Kigali amendment of the Montreal Protocol , and as such has committed to phasing down the use of HFC refrigerants . The phase-down in South Africa is not particularly aggressive , but since the chiller OEMs are largely located in North America and Europe we are seeing that the product offering is changing to suit the global market needs . As a result chillers using HFO refrigerants are gaining traction and we will continue to see more and more owners opting for these chillers as the phase down continues ”, Hattingh notes .
“ There are many pro ’ s and cons with any HVAC installation type , and it all ultimately depends on the client or project ’ s specific requirements , priorities of cost , operations , flexibility and efficiency . In general , economy of scale applied to larger installations tends to favour chilled water systems in lieu of modular VRF or DX type systems , both in terms of cost , operation and complexity ”, du Plessis adds .
Roelofse notes , “ We are seeing that there is a definite swing towards central plant systems again , combining the benefits of cooling only , heat recovery , heat pumps and multipurpose units within an installation . 10 to 15 years ago , central plants were the answer , but then something like VRV / VRF and certain other systems came into play and became the ‘ in-technology ’. This resulted in less central plants being chosen in favour of a different type of solution . Now , as chillers have advanced where you can utilise heat recovery and implement or include all sorts of other technology mixes , it ’ s swinging back to central plants again , specifically in the bigger applications – medium and large buildings . The changes to the chiller landscape as Russell says is primarly pushed by the development of lower GWP refrigerant ( and pressed by government legislation ), but also there is a much higher efficiency of all components directly linked to chillers ( like compressors and electric motors ) and this is driven in turn by energy-related product ( ErP ) regulations . This is an international standard relating to how all energy consuming products perform .”
Daikin South Africa Daikin South Africa
into account the services and products that suppliers create to enhance the customer ’ s experience . These are things like leveraging the power of wireless technologies , data analytics , cloud computing , artificial intelligence , and the internet of things ( IoT ). These are becoming more important differentiators which give some suppliers a competitive advantage . Utilising remote diagnostics and troubleshooting , our team of experts can for example , prevent breakdowns and ensure optimal performance of the clients HVAC systems . With ‘ smart ’ technology and IoT connectivity , clients can now benefit from the advanced analytics that offer improved visibility of their operations , reduce incidents of failure , increase uptime , better their equipment performance and efficiency , and reduce operating and maintenance costs . All of these being the biggest portions of technology advancement and efficiency .”
Europe has also played a significant role in promoting chiller efficiency as their regulations mandate minimum equipment efficiencies . OEMs ( either based in Europe or wanting to punt their wares there ) are constantly being pushed to improve efficiency levels and these changes come about in various forms .
“ Microchannel condensers , falling film evaporators and magnetic and ceramic bearing compressors have certainly made a significant difference to the efficiency of today ’ s
An R32 air cooled chiller with nominal cooling capacity 700kW at + 7 degC supply / 35 degC ambient , high efficiency and low noise .
NEW TECHNOLOGY Jaco Smal , sales , service and marketing director at AHI Carrier says , ” technology advancements in this area also must take
An R134a refrigerant air cooled chiller with inverter screw compressor offers premium efficiency with low noise . This model has two integrated circulating pumps with a nominal cooling capacity of 285 kW at + 7 degC supply / 35 degC ambient .
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