Testing lab for heating, AC equipment

The Indian Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ISHRAE) is planning to set up a lab either in Delhi or in Bangalore for testing various heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) equipment that are under development.

“It is currently under the planning stage and the HVAC&R testing lab will be up and running within two years down the line,” BBN Prasad, member of ISHRAE, told mediapersons here on Monday.

ISHRAE, affiliated to ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers), has over 10,000 members including manufacturers like Blue Star, Carrier, LG, Mitsubishi and Panasonic, suppliers, dealers and consultants, and 35 chapters across the country.

Prasad, who is also president of ASHRAE’s Hyderabad chapter, said ISHRAE was organising ACREX 2012, an international exposition with the theme ‘For a greener tomorrow’ in Bangalore from February 23, 2012.

The three-day conference will provide a platform for air-conditioning, refrigeration and allied building services such as electrical, lighting, plumbing and water treatment, fire and safety, automation and fenestration, to showcase innovative, environmentally-friendly and energy saving sustainable products and services.

“Around 400 exhibitors, including 25 per cent of them from overseas, and over 50,000 visitors, who will be the decision-makers (architects and consultants) in the HVAC industry, are expected to take part in the exposition,” he said.

Stating that energy conservation and efficient newer technologies were taking precedence over outdated and older technologies, Prasad said everyone was aiming to build green, healthier living and working environment all around them. HVAC is gradually aligning itself with the global developments. The domestic is strongly focused on these requirements apart from the rapidly-growing residential sector.

The Realty sector in Hyderabad is witnessing continuous growth in demand for high-performance buildings. They are realising the benefits of high-performance buildings like low-energy consumption, low-water consumption, less impact on environment and increased productivity from employees, Prasad said.

“The HVAC market in Andhra Pradesh is pegged at around Rs 900 crore a year, with a majority contribution from Hyderabad. Though the growth is flat due to political turbulences in the state capital, the industry is expected to witness a 25 per cent in the next two to three years,” he added.