www . refrigerationandaircon . co . za RACA Journal I October 2024 27
Feature
Airedale is a world leader in the delivery of innovative thermal management solutions in mission critical environments like data centres , healthcare and towers & telecoms .
HIREF SA EMPHASISES INNOVATION AND PRECISION IN COOLING SOLUTIONS Headquartered in Rosebank , Gauteng , staffed by local management , HiRef SA was officially opened in September 2023 aiming to develop and foster local and regional relationships with clients and industry stakeholders to continue developing technologies and products that are good for the client , the industry and the environment . HiRef SA is 100 % owned by HiRef Italy , providing innovative solutions of Italian-manufactured equipment in South Africa .
At the Pan African Data Centre Conference in Johannesburg , Andrew Koeslag of HiRef SA discusses the company ' s strategic focus on data centre cooling highlighting trends and technological advancements in the sector .
As a key player in data centre cooling , HiRef SA ' s participation at the conference underscores their commitment to the industry . " Data centre cooling is our core business , so being here makes perfect sense for us . There has been an influx of large-scale data centres and telecom upgrades across Africa . We ' re seeing significant activity with hyper scales like ADC and Teraco , alongside telecom giants such as Vodacom and MTN upgrading their infrastructure ," he notes .
Koeslag outlines the company ’ s comprehensive offerings in chillers and free-cooling chillers , designed to cater to data centre requirements . " We provide a full range of water-cooled and air-cooled chillers that are crucial for maintaining precise temperature control in the data centre environments along with heat pumps for heat recovery for the sustainability of data centre that can provide recovered energy to District heating or other industrial and commercial users . These products are integral to supporting various cooling configurations such as CRAC ( computer room air conditioning ) units , in-row coolers , and chilled water systems .”
Differentiating data centre cooling from other applications , Koeslag emphasises the need for precise environmental control . " Data centres require tighter temperature and humidity control compared to commercial air conditioning . Our solutions include advanced features like humidification and dehumidification to meet these exacting standards . We differentiate ourselves through continuous R & D efforts , exploring new refrigerants and technologies to stay ahead of industry standards ," he states .
HiRef SA ' s research and development priorities , Koeslag says , include new refrigerants “ which are pivotal in our R & D efforts , especially in moving away from high global warming potential refrigerants ".
Koeslag acknowledges new refrigerants ’ slow adoption rate in South Africa but highlighted the influence of international standards set by global data centre operators . " Most hyper
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scale data centres in South Africa are operated by international companies like Vantage , adhering to stringent global environmental standards . Even when these companies establish operations in South Africa , they maintain their commitments to eco-friendly practices mandated by their international operations . For instance , if HiRef Italy adopts new refrigerants due to international pressures , we align our product offerings accordingly
www . refrigerationandaircon . co . za RACA Journal I October 2024 27