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April 30 - ARI Issues White Papers on Efficiency of Energy Recovery Ventilation

The Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI) has issued a white paper entitled "Characterizing the Efficiency of Energy Recovery Ventilation and Informing the Design of HVAC Systems," supplementing ARI Guideline V, "Calculating the Efficiency of Energy Recovery Ventilation and its Effect on Efficiency and Sizing of Building HVAC Systems."
Energy recovery ventilation (ERV) conserves energy and reduces electricity demand associated with the heating, cooling, humidification and dehumidification of buildings.
ERV technology promises significant benefits and is available today on a wide variety of product platforms; the new guideline will help to ensure that it is fully utilized and properly integrated into the HVAC system.
"The publishing of the white paper and guideline is a first step in describing the combined efficiency of air conditioning systems that utilize more than one heating or cooling technology to meet the building load," said Bede Wellford, a member of ARI's Energy Recovery Ventilation Product Section. "These documents provide accurate information on equipment sizing and system efficiency that is essential for design, product selection and system optimization when energy recovery is used."
For more information about energy recovery ventilation, ARI provides an informative brochure that describes how ERV works and its advantages. Copies of the brochure, ARI Guideline V, and the white paper can be downloaded at www.ari.org, or by writing to ARI at 4100 North Fairfax Drive, Suite 200, Arlington, VA 22203.

April 29 - "ASERCOM Energy Efficiency Award" for 2004

Due to the high response rate and its success in 2003 the Association of European Refrigeration Compressor and Controls Manufacturers "ASERCOM" is proud to announce again the sponsorship of the "ASERCOM Energy Efficiency Award" for 2004.
The award, which has a value of ? 10 000, will be made for the most valuable energy saving concept or system in refrigeration/air conditioning (including heat pumps). To be eligible applications must be a new concept, technically practicable, and economically acceptable. An international panel of technical experts will evaluate the applicants' cases and make final judgment.
ASERCOM will honor an outstanding innovative approach to improved energy efficiency because energy consumption contributes by far the majority of greenhouse gas emissions over the lifetime of refrigeration and air conditioning systems - substantially more than any direct emissions of HFC refrigerants. One example: typically 14% of Germany's power consumption is used in these systems, and the figure is similar for other European countries. Hence efficiency improvements represent the way forward for refrigeration and air conditioning to contribute to emission reduction. This award is therefore focused on energy saving concepts.

April 28 - Indian AC Market Growing Favorably

The market for HVAC&R equipment in India has performed extremely well during the current business year which runs from April 1, 2003 to March 31, 2004. Most companies talk about a 20 to 25% growth over the previous year, fuelled by the growth of the "services" sector (such as IT, IT enabled services, shopping centres, malls, restaurants, hotels, hospitals and office complexes), "manufacturing" sector (such as pharmaceuticals and biotechnology), "commercial refrigeration" (for cold storages) and "industrial refrigeration" (for the pharma and chemical industries). By world standards the total market for HVAC&R equipment, excluding refrigerators, is not large and is close to US $ 1 billion approximately. This includes room air conditioners (both window and split) $385 million, central air conditioning systems $273 million, ducted split air conditioning systems $109 million and commercial/industrial refrigeration systems $233 million. But the exciting part is the high growth prospects starting from a low base. Companies are predicting a similar growth in the next business year 2004-2005, with a short period of slowdown during the year because of elections and the time it takes for the new government to settle down. The central air conditioning systems market prefers reciprocating chillers at the lower end, screw chillers in the medium range and centrifugal chillers at the high end. Higher capacity scroll chillers have started making an appearance.
Double skin air handling units are preferred by almost all users and there is a short-fall in manufacturing capacity, as a result, most manufacturers are gearing up to expand capacities and increase the level of sophistication by offering special units with heat recovery wheels, fine filters, humidifiers, plug fans, rounded corners on framework for clean rooms and larger air quantities.
Refrigeration systems for cold storages and freezers for the vast majority of applications still prefer reciprocating compressors of the semi-hermetic type with the larger size warehouses going in for screw compressors. There is a dearth of reliable manufacturers of unit coolers/ evaporators and the gap is being filled by several companies from Australia, Europe, UK and USA.

April 26 - China Refrigeration 2004 Expo

The 15th International Exhibition for Refrigeration, Air conditioning, Heating and Ventilation, Frozen Food Processing, Packing and Storage (CR 2004) was held at the "Shanghai New International Expo Center" (SNIEC) in Pudong, Shanghai, China from April 8th to 10th.
CR2004 was one the most " International " exhibitions with more than 630 exhibitors from 22 countries and regions, such as Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Netherlands, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom and USA displayed their products at this exposition with total exhibiting area of 34,500 square meters. In addition to the exhibition of products, during the three days there were 24 technical seminars presented by Danfoss, Midea, Sanyo, ebm, Bitzer, Bristol, Teco, Invensys and so on.
A show floor scene at China Refrigeration 2004
The show venue, SNIEC was designed by architects from the U.S. and consists of 4 exhibition halls which are column-free with a height of 11meters. The bright and impressive entry was used for registration service as well as the place for opening ceremony. The total number of visitors and types of occupation will be analyzed and become available in due course.
Both international and domestic manufacturers announced and showcased their recent products and technology. Among the exhibitors, it was noticeable to find a lot of large and light commercial air conditioners by the global players such as Carrier, Rheem, Ciat, Hitachi, Sanyo, Toshiba LG, Century, Teco, Electra, RC Group as well as the local manufacturers including Shuanglaing, Broad, Yantai Moon, Dalian Sanyo, Midea, Aux, Aucma and Hitachi / Hisense. Fedders international showed their extensive products range. Also there were world top class compressor manufacturers, including Bitzer, Copeland, Bristol, Danfoss, ACC (Electrolux), RefComp, Frascold, Dorin, Hanbell, Roltec, Fusheng, Vilter, Mycom and local Qingan, Shanghai Hitachi and Dalian Sanyo.

April 24 - Carrier Drops Challenge to 13 SEER Standard

Carrier Corporation has reaffirmed its commitment to environmental leadership and withdrew its support to a legal challenge in the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court in Virginia to the 13 SEER national minimum efficiency standard for residential central air conditioners and heat pumps. "A 13 SEER standard is the right environmental choice," said Mr. Geraud Darnis, president of Carrier Corporation. "It provides significant energy savings for the country while reducing energy bills for homeowners."
SEER, or Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, is the official energy efficiency descriptor for residential central air conditioners and heat pumps in the U.S. Thirteen SEER provides a 30 percent energy efficiency increase over 10 SEER.
In January, the Second Circuit Court in New York ruled that the 13 SEER standard as originally promulgated by the Department of Energy in 2001 should go into effect in 2006.
"A lot has changed in three years," said Mr. Darnis. He noted the Fourth Circuit Court challenge could revert the standard back to 10 SEER, which has been in effect since 1992.
"Given the choice between 10 SEER and 13 SEER, we think the industry should support higher efficiency," Mr. Darnis stated.
"While this increase in efficiency represents a significant challenge for the industry, Carrier will be prepared to meet that challenge to support our customers," said Mr. Darnis. "The nation, the industry and the public need certainty on the new standard so we encourage the industry to embrace 13 SEER."
Carrier, several other air conditioner manufacturers and the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute originally challenged the 13 SEER standard published by the U.S. Department of Energy in 2001. In releasing the 13 SEER standard on January 22, 2001, the Department of Energy indicated it would save the nation 4.2 quads of energy by 2030, or the equivalent of all the energy used by 26 million American households in a single year.

April 22 - China to Suffer 20 Mil. kW Power Shortages in 2004

Mr. Cha Songyue, Chief Director of the State Electricity Regulatory Commission, revealed a severe prediction of the electric power supply situation in China that, in 2004, China will have about 20 million kW of power shortages. This was reported by a Chinese newspaper dated February 25.
At a meeting for discussing the electric power supply stabilizing program, Chief Director Cha referred to the fact that regions suffering from serious power shortages are concentrated in Southern China, attributing the major cause of power shortages to the increasing power consumption in the economically developing areas such as Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province and Shanghai City.
He also predicted that Southern China will suffer from about 5 million kW of shortages, while Northern China and Central China will fall into some 3 million kW of shortages. In view of these circumstances, Chief Director Cha stressed that construction of an electric power network in various regions is imminent, giving instructions that those concerned should keep maintenance in order to maintain/improve the generating power of the existing equipment.

April 21 - REFRIGERATION & DEEPFREEZE TRADE FAIR

September 21-24, 2004;Crocus Exhibition Center Moscow, Russia
The Refrigeration & DeepFreeze Trade Fair will be held at the modern exhibition facility Crocus Expo in Moscow, Russia on September 21 - 24, 2004.
If your Company has targeted the international cooling systems, refrigeration, deep freezing systems, transport vehicles & devices, systems & services markets to generate new business, then you must exhibit at this event. According to recent reports by the U.S. Dept of State, and the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service, the refrigeration and freeze market in Russia represents a tremendous opportunity for international refrigeration equipment manufacturers. It is estimated that 25%-50% of Russia's agricultural output spoils annually, due to a lack of modern deep freezing technology, and substantial investments in new machinery and equipment for temperature-dependent industries have become a national priority for the Russian government and its food and agriculture industries.
Exhibitor will:

• Meet, discuss, influence and make product and service demonstrations to thousands of senior executives and government officials who are either in the process of modernizing their temperature control and distribution capabilities or planning to develop them.
• Be promoted worldwide as a participant in this event and also a global supplier who can help temperature-dependent industries increase productivity, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge.
• Get in on the "ground floor" and be considered as the "supplier of choice" as new purchases are being specified.
• Have the ability to network with key corporate and government officials at the event as new equipment and technology investments are being discussed.
• Pursue new business in this country of 144 million people in addition to investigating partner/distributor opportunities for its product line.

April 19 - Melco Develops 1 kW Fuel Cell System Using Paper HEX

Mitsubishi Electric Corp. (Melco) has developed a 1 kW polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) system having realized 34% of power generating efficiency by means of the company's own paper heat exchanger which can simultaneously exchange heat and humidity and also dehumidify. As a result of a demonstration test, the new system has attained Japan's top level overall energy efficiency 83% covering both power generation and water heating, according to the company.
At the same time, the company has adopted moldings of thermosetting resin and carbon material for a separator forming the FC (fuel cell) stack, planning to sell the separator at \200/ sheet. The company has also succeeded in halving the number of FC system components compared to the first system developed in 2002.
Components halved Judging that it is impossible to diffuse stationary FCs unless they develop a very cheap but high-performance system, Melco has applied "Lossnay" type humidifier having already been commercialized with residential/commercial ventilating fans.
Since it is obvious that how to humidify FC becomes a hurdle to be cleared before full-scale diffusion, the company has designed the heat exchanger into the simplest system. This heat exchanger diffuses heat without drying the room air. Adopted in 70^°C region of FC system, it has two functions - heat exchange and humidification.
By separating a loop for using cooling water as water for humidification, the heat exchanger has been reduced in size to 1/100 that of a conventional heat exchanger.
The separator is made of moldings of resin and carbon, and in the case of 10,000 kW FC, its price may be reduced to \200/sheet when one million separators can be mass produced. A hydrogen reformer is finished with stainless steel capable of withstanding the heat cycle, and can be produced at a drastically lower cost.
Thanks to the development of these components, the new 1 kW unit has halved the number of components compared to the first 1 kW unit developed in 2002. By starting field tests from 2005, the company aims to commercialize FCs in 1 ~ 10 kW class from 2006 onward.

April 18 - Matsushita and Ebara to Market Home-Use Fuel Cell System

A home-use fuel cell system supplying electricity and hot water is being commercialized. Matsushita and Ebara have developed technology of long life fuel cell which lasts more than 10,000 hours, and also aim to commercialize a system which would run for 3 years without component replacement.
The production cost is estimated to be more than \3 million at first, but by reducing the price to a moderate level with various discounts and government subsidy, the system will be released in 2005. They intend to reduce the price to some \500,000 in the future.
The home-use fuel cell system is such that, by extracting hydrogen from city gas or LP gas, causes it to react with oxygen in the air and generates electricity. If hot water at about 80^°C produced by power generation is adequately utilized at a kitchen or bathroom, fuel can be used without waste.
As a result, the energy efficiency will rise to 80%, by far higher than that of thermal power generation, thus contributing to the prevention of further global warming.
Fuel cell makers including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Sanyo and Fuji Electric are respectively developing a system capable of supplying about 1 kW of electric power which is said to be the basic demand of an independent house.
Products of Matsushita and Ebara will be sold via gas companies. Tokyo Gas will start sales in the metropolitan area centering around Tokyo in Jan. ~ Mar. 2005, while Osaka Gas plans to sell by March 2006.

April 16 - DENSO Develops the World's First "Ejector Cycle"

DENSO Corporation, headquartered in Aichi Pref., has recently developed the world's first "Ejector Cycle", incorporating it into a refrigeration unit for refrigerated vans. This refrigeration unit provides energy efficiency 50% higher than the predecessor unit, according to the company. For automobiles which are required to reduce fuel costs, it is a must to improve the energy efficiency of their air conditioners (ACs).
However, conventional efficiency improvement methods such as improving the performance of components including compressor, and modifying the layout, have already reached technical limits.
In conventional refrigeration units, refrigerant whose temperature has become high by being compressed in the compressor, cools by contacting the outside air through the condenser, and then cools further as it is expanded through the expansion valve which lowers pressure, thus cooling the freezing or conditioned space while passing through the evaporator. The new cycle adopts an ejector instead of expansion valve.
Energy which has been so far dissipated by the expansion valve can be re- used by the ejector as the compressor driving force, thus realizing a 20% reduction of compressor load. Usually, in the case of refrigeration units for refrigerated vans, an engine exclusive for the compressor is required, aside from the van driving engine. Since the new refrigeration unit dispenses with such an engine, energy efficiency has been improved by 50%, compared to the company's model in the same class.
DENSO has completed a system for middle/large truck (4- ~ 8-ton class), and reportedly sold 200 units in 2003. Also.
by completing a system for small 2-ton trucks in 2005, the company plans to sell 2,000 units/year. The company intends to adopt the "Ejector Cycle" in CO₂ heat pump water heaters to be released in the near future.

April 14 - Hisense Receives "Energy Saving Contribution Award"

In December last year, a press conference was held to herald the full-scale start of the "Year for Energy Savings with Inverter Air Conditioners in China" from 2004, under the co-sponsorship of China Electronics Chamber of Commerce (CECC), China Consumer Journal, China Electronics News Agency, and Marketing News under the influence of The People's Daily.
At the conference, Hisense in Qingdao, a pioneer of inverter ACs in China, had the honor of receiving the "Energy Saving Contribution Award".
Since 1996 when the company developed their own inverter ACs, they have been releasing a series of inverter ACs such as "Inverter ACs for Salaried Men". Having been accepted by many consumers thanks to energy savings and low prices, Hisense has become the top maker of inverter ACs in China.
The current event for energy saving recommendation is very rare in the Chinese AC market. Although the regulations concerning alternatives for CFC were legislated in China, energy saving regulations for home electric appliances have not yet been announced. The current event may be regarded as an important step towards implementation of an energy saving system.

April 12 - LG Appoints New MD in UK

LG Electronics has recently appointed James Jeong as its managing director in the UK. This follows the departure of general manager Rob Barton who had been recruited from Toshiba Carrier UK.
Mr. Jeong, 42, has 20 years experience with LG and has held senior positions in Korea and the USA.
He said: "LG Electronics has provided me with the opportunity to continue the vision of the LG brand and to build on its success in the UK." For LG, the UK is a strategically important market in Europe since all major Japanese AC players have been very active in presenting new products and systems. The culture of ductless split systems has been well accepted, and it is the largest VRF-multi AC system market in Europe. By competing in the UK market LG sees and follows closely the trends of European customer requirements.

April 10 - Mason Named As Turbocor Director of North American Sales

Turbocor, a leading designer and manufacturer of high efficiency commercial refrigerant compressors, recently announced that Daniel P. Mason has joined the company as the new Director of North American Sales. His primary function will be to spearhead Turbocor's sales efforts with original equipment manufacturers and key accounts.
After graduating with a B.S.M.E. degree from Drexel University in Philadelphia in 1981, Mr. Mason entered the HVAC industry as an air conditioning product design engineer, eventually moving into sales management. To date he has gained over 23 years of experience in the engineering and sales of specialized HVAC products (including high efficiency condensing units, commercial and industrial desiccant dehumidifiers, heat recovery systems, mobile military air conditioners, air conditioning systems for digital equipment, modular high-efficiency heat pumps, and high-grade custom air handlers). This broad experience provides Mr. Mason with the prerequisite technical and applications skills to serve Turbocor's clients well. He is an active member of ASHRAE.
TURBOCOR, proud recipient of the 2003 AHR Expo Energy/ Innovation Award and Canada's 2003 Energy Efficiency Award, is dedicated to the design, manufacturing, marketing, and support of the world's most efficient and quiet commercial refrigerant compressors. It is a proud supporter of the U.S. EPA's "Responsible Use" vision; a vision that encourages manufacturers, owners and system designers to invest in technology that offer the highest efficiency/lowest emissions on a sustainable basis, over the entire life of the product or system, with documented performance.

April 8 - REFRIGERATION & DEEPFREEZE TRADE FAIR

September 21-24, 2004;Crocus Exhibition Center Moscow, Russia
The Refrigeration & DeepFreeze Trade Fair will be held at the modern exhibition facility Crocus Expo in Moscow, Russia on September 21 - 24, 2004.
If your Company has targeted the international cooling systems, refrigeration, deep freezing systems, transport vehicles & devices, systems & services markets to generate new business, then you must exhibit at this event. According to recent reports by the U.S. Dept of State, and the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service, the refrigeration and freeze market in Russia represents a tremendous opportunity for international refrigeration equipment manufacturers. It is estimated that 25%-50% of Russia's agricultural output spoils annually, due to a lack of modern deep freezing technology, and substantial investments in new machinery and equipment for temperature-dependent industries have become a national priority for the Russian government and its food and agriculture industries.
Exhibitor will:

• Meet, discuss, influence and make product and service demonstrations to thousands of senior executives and government officials who are either in the process of modernizing their temperature control and distribution capabilities or planning to develop them.
• Be promoted worldwide as a participant in this event and also a global supplier who can help temperature-dependent industries increase productivity, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge.
• Get in on the "ground floor" and be considered as the "supplier of choice" as new purchases are being specified.
• Have the ability to network with key corporate and government officials at the event as new equipment and technology investments are being discussed.
• Pursue new business in this country of 144 million people in addition to investigating partner/distributor opportunities for its product line.

April 6 - International Symposium on New Refrigerants and Environmental Technology

The Japan Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Industry Association (JRAIA)will sponsor the International Symposium on New Refrigerants and Environmental Technology 2004. The symposium aims at introduction of the latest technologies on energy conservation, new refrigerants and environmental issues for air conditioning and refrigeration equipment including automotive A/C, and providing industry professionals with an opportunity to exchange their information.
Date: November 25 (Thursday) - 26 (Friday), 2004
Place: International Conference Center Kobe, Main Hall, Kobe, Japan
Language: English, Japanese (Simultaneous Interpretation)

April 5 - New Korean Association Chairman

Following the announcement that Mr. Haion Won, the former chairman of Century, would retire as Chairman of Korea Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Industry Association(KRAIA), KRAIA Board has unanimously appointed Mr. Wankeun Lee as new Chairman of KRAIA at the Regular General Meeting on 24 February 2004.
Mr. Wankeun Lee, who is currently chairman of Shinsung ENG Co., Ltd. took up his position from 24 February 2004. Shinsung ENG Co., Ltd. has been a member of KRAIA since 1979 and for last 26 years has served on several committees and will continue with this work during his term as Chairman.

April 4 - WiniaMando Appoints New CEO

On Jan. 15, 2004, Mr. Il-Tae Kim was newly appointed as CEO of WiniaMando Inc. in Korea. Mr. Kim brings a wealth of experience to WiniaMando with his extensive background in the home appliance industry for both the overseas and domestic markets. Mr. Kim started his career at Samsung Electronics in 1972 and worked his way to become the executive managing director of Samsung's home appliances division.
During his speech of taking office as CEO, he expressed his honor to have the opportunity to take part and lead WiniaMando's new growth era.
He also described his business philosophy as being faithful to the basic principles for customer satisfaction and offering quality products and services.
Under the new leadership, Winia- Mando will enhance its global marketing presence by more actively building on and promoting the high brand value and loyalty it has enjoyed in the domestic market.

April 3 - Fedders Clarifies Value Line Estimates of 1st Qr Sales

Fedders Corporation, USA, a leading global manufacturer of air treatment products, recently announced that sales in January and February of 2004, the first two months of its new fiscal year, exceeded $70.0 million and that sales in March are generally seasonally stronger than January or February. The company reported that in a March 5, 2004 publication, Value Line estimated sales of $50.0 million in the first quarter of Fedders' new fiscal year, possibly as a result of the change in Fedders' fiscal year.
The company changed its fiscal year end from August 31 to December 31. It is not the company's practice to give guidance or report estimates on its results but, given the unique circumstances relating to the fiscal year change, the company believes it is necessary and appropriate to address these estimates at this time.

April 2 - LGE Unveils New Air Conditioners

LG Electronics (LGE), Korea, held 2004 New Air Conditioner Unveiling Seminar in January in Seoul. The new model which drew attention is Whisen "2 in 1 Plus" series. This is a set composed of one outdoor unit, two indoor units (wall mounted and floor standing type) plus newly added air cleaner.
At present, in Korea, there is an increasing interest in air quality reflecting the SARS problem, pollution, etc.so that demand for air cleaners is increasing rapidly. Other makers have also released high-performance cleaners.
LGE's "2 in 1 Plus (air cleaner)" meets the market requirements.
Other highlighted items were new indoor units of Art Cool series. Having simpler flat surface, they come in more color variations. A model which can be mounted on the wall corner was also unveiled.
LGE maintained its No. 1 global position for four consecutive years since 2000 in terms of AC units by selling 8 million units in 2003. The sales grew rapidly from 4.1 million units in 2000, 4.9 million units in 2001 and 6.7 million units in 2002.
LGE estimated that the company occupies more than 40% share of window AC market in the USA, which turned out to be historically recorded shipments of 8 million units in 2003. The company also secures the top share in India, Saudi Arabia, Russia, etc., while it is highly recognized in the key European countries as the leading brand.

April 1 - Hisense Enjoys Refrigerator Sales in the 2nd Year

According to the recent report in China Securities News, Hisense, a major home appliance maker in China, announced that the number of Hisense brand refrigerators produced/sold in 2003 showed 150% increase over the previous year.
It was two years ago that the company participated the refrigerator industry.
Before the participation, Chinese refrigerator market allowed the top 4 to occupy 60% share, with facing the intensive competition by foreign makers.
Thus, as a newcomer, the company took the market offensive with products featuring the company's original modern design, now becoming a maker threatening the top ranking. The company is also developing energy-saving products with due considerations to the environment, being elected by consumers as the top brand in the energy-saving category in November 2003. In May 2002, the company purchased the stocks of Beijing Snowflower, an old established refrgerator maker, and established Hisense (Beijing) Electric Co., Ltd.
Aiming to produce and sell one million units in 2004, the company ambitiously plans to become the top 3 within 5 years.

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