Industry is yet to explore the benefits of VRF technology

Explaining the significance of VRF systems and VRF technology across the industries, Naohiko Hosokawa, Director & Business Unit Head-Living Environment Division, Mitsubishi Electric India Pvt. Ltd., tells TCBU magazines that we need further emphasis and awareness to increase its use. Further, we need more skilled technicians and trained manpower to maintain and manage these systems thoroughly.

Demand for energy-efficient cooling is on rise. How do you evaluate the benefits of VRF technology in the air conditioning systems?

The current pandemic demands more individual air-conditioning zones. Air conditioning is all about creating micro-climatic zones for each individual in the space. This is also because the comfort zone of each individual is different. That is the reason some people often complain of cold in cinema halls, public spaces like an airport, etc. VRF helps in creating micro-climatic zones to suit each individual, thereby, avoiding overcooling/undercooling and increase the productivity of each individual in the room or space.

Being the latest in line and upgrade, the VRF technology provides comfort with maximum energy efficiency. It is highly advanced and offers a fast and accurate response to the needs of users and also the ambient conditions. Hence, VRF can respond faster to changes, enabling better energy savings. While the technology has the advantage of a centralised system, it offers individual control and comfort too.

More than 80 percent of our day today is spent indoors. How is it impacting the demand for quality of air-cooling?

In the current state of the pandemic, the debate on air quality has come back to the limelight. Polluted air is like a slow poison. It is just like cigarette smoking, which kills a person if left unchecked for a longer time. The continuity of this state is harmful. Spending most of the time indoors in bad air quality could be harmful in the long run. Awareness about suspended particle pollution like PM2.5 has increased recently among those affected. But pollution due to volatile organic compounds and micro-organism like viruses have not yet made to the core of the workplace and human experience discussions.

Customers are gradually opening up to the idea that living with poor quality air comes at a cost. Hence, customers are demanding better filtration for suspended particles and various mechanisms to neutralise the micro-organisms. And thankfully, leading companies such as Mitsubishi Electric have taken note of this demand.

How can VRF contribute to increasing uninterrupted and energy-efficient cooling in the pharma and F&B sector?

VRF is capable of working in a 24×7 operations framework. With easy stand-by options due to its modular construction, the VRF plus AHU combination works best. For example, a 40 HP system is made up of 20HP + 20 HP system, so by installing 60 HP, a VRF can provide 100 percent back, whereas, in a non-modular type of unit for 100 percent back 80 HP is required. The combination can provide air conditioning for specified applications with high air quality as required by various specific sectors such as pharma and F&B.

How do you see the challenges in defining a perspective approach towards VRF systems for energy-efficient cooling?

VRF is a new technology, only few decades old as compared to other Aircon technologies. Although awareness is there about this new technology, but the acceptance is still not widespread for very large projects. Lack of experienced and qualified installation engineers, skilled technicians and supervisors is also a critical challenge for VRF technology as it requires good quality workman ship.

With the government’s Cooling India Action plan, how do you see the future of energy-efficient air-conditioning in India, especially under the present global circumstances?

The India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) was launched in March 2019 by the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change. ICAP is a noble initiative by the government and is likely to boost the industry to invest in India’s manufacturing sector. This will also boost the production of India-specific products portfolio. With the current global economic scenario favouring India, several Performance Linked Incentives and industry-specific sops and policies have also been announced. The evolved economic situation favours India to be a global air-conditioning hub in near future.

ICAP in a way is also prompting the youth in the country to opt for a career in the field of HVAC and related segments. These segments are poised to grow continuously for the next two decades. Such a big occasion may propel several employment opportunities in India. Projection’s basis ICAP is helping the academic institutions in the country to develop HVAC-specific programs for students aspiring to build their careers in the space.