Paharpur cooling towers shape the future of sustainable HVAC solutions

India’s HVAC industry is quickly expanding, with Paharpur leading the way. The company specialises in comfort cooling and process cooling in diverse industrial applications such as metals, power, sugar, chemicals, cement, data centers, automotive, and others. Paharpur’s breakthrough product, ‘Infinium’, saves water by 70-90 percent. The company is expanding its product line to include adiabatic coolers and condensers for largescale industrial applications.

Tell us about the HVAC industry outlook for 2024.

The HVAC industry in India is undergoing significant expansion, marked by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) ranging between nine to ten percent over recent years. Paharpur, a renowned global leader in the wet and dry cooling segment, is strategically directing its attention towards this burgeoning market. Anticipated growth trends indicate promising opportunities for Paharpur and other stakeholders in the industry in the foreseeable future.

What is the primary focus of Paharpur Cooling towers for industrial sectors? 

As a group, our specialization spans diverse industries, encompassing HVAC/comfort cooling, process cooling, data centers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, automotive applications, and more. We intend to reach out extensively to the market, aiming to cater to the diverse array of cooling applications available.

How do you differentiate Paharpur from other cooling tower providers? 

With a rich history spanning 75 years, Paharpur stands as a testament to its unwavering commitment to delivering technically robust products that are commercially feasible. As one of the select Indian enterprises to achieve global prominence, we have emerged as pioneers in the worldwide cooling industry. Our forward-thinking approach prioritizes product development and relentless research and development efforts. This dedication to innovation enables us to continually evolve, introducing new features and staying ahead of the competition. It’s this relentless pursuit of excellence that affords us a significant competitive edge within our industry.

How do you address the evolving needs and demands of the market?

At Paharpur, our team’s foremost priority is addressing the needs of our consumers. We are committed to comprehensively understanding our customers’ pain points and concerns, discerning what troubles them most. Through extensive interactions with customers spanning diverse industries nationwide, we’ve identified common challenges related to energy efficiency, water efficiency, maintenance, and other critical factors. Our focused approach revolves around developing solutions that directly address these major pain points, tailored to meet the specific demands of our clientele. Over the past five years, we have diligently optimized and refined our offerings across these dimensions, ensuring enhanced performance and customer satisfaction.

You are showcasing one of the products – ‘Infinium’. What are its specific attributes?

Infinium is the most premium range of innovative products that we have launched in the recent past. It introduces a ground-breaking technique designed to enable clients to conserve substantial amounts of water—a significant departure from conventional cooling towers, which have long been our mainstay in the industry. Conventional cooling towers, operating on the principle of evaporative cooling, consume vast quantities of water, necessitating continuous replenishment. We’ve received consistent feedback from customers across India expressing their struggles with water scarcity, hindering the operation of traditional cooling towers. As leaders and innovators in the cooling industry, we recognized the imperative to devise a solution that addresses this pressing concern. The resulting product concept harnesses cutting-edge technology to deliver remarkable water savings, reducing annual water consumption by an impressive 70-90 percent compared to conventional models. Powered by automated systems and heat exchanger coils, this technology relies on sensible heat rejection rather than evaporative cooling, yielding a substantial reduction in water usage—around 80-90 percent annually.

There is going to be huge water scarcity around 2030. How is this going to help in water conservation?

The substantial water demand inherent in most cooling applications is particularly pronounced in countries like India, characterized by high cooling requirements due to its tropical climate. Our extensive surveys across the country have revealed a concerning reality: over 50 percent of India is already grappling with water stress, with regions in the North West and South experiencing severe water scarcity. Government regulations, such as caps on bore well water extraction, further exacerbate the challenges, particularly in industrial clusters heavily reliant on water. Cooling towers, ubiquitous in industrial settings, contribute significantly to this water consumption. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, we’ve developed an innovative alternative technology known as adiabatic cooling. This solution promises remarkable water savings—between 70-90 percent annually—helping to alleviate the strain on water resources. Through collaboration with numerous clients, we’ve pursued a long-term vision of establishing net-zero water plants or buildings. Our adiabatic cooling technology plays a pivotal role in realizing this vision, aligning customers with sustainability goals, and significantly reducing overall plant water demand.

With the need for heat and the systems, automatically the consumption of electricity would also go up. How to conserve electricity in that case?

Energy and water are intrinsically linked in cooling applications, and our product addresses this relationship intelligently. By leveraging an advanced automation system, we effectively mitigate the risk of excessive energy consumption. While reducing water demand could potentially lead to increased energy usage, our automation system serves as a solution. Our integral controller system continuously monitors ambient temperature conditions and heat loads. When ambient temperatures are lower, it signals the fans—specifically, energy-efficient EC motor fans—to adjust their speed accordingly. This optimization of fan speed ensures that power consumption is minimized, thus enhancing energy efficiency. In essence, our equipment not only conserves water but also operates with exceptional energy efficiency, thanks to this innovative automation system.

What are the other sectors, which Paharpur is looking for in the coming future? 

Across various industrial sectors, we’ve observed a notable surge in momentum, particularly from rapidly emerging industries. A prime example is the exponential growth of data centers, a trend that has gained significant traction in recent years. India, in particular, is emerging as a prominent global player in the data center arena. Recognizing this shift, we’ve honed our focus on serving the needs of data centers. Given the substantial cooling requirements inherent in data center buildings, our products are exceptionally well-suited for this environment. Moreover, our products, integrated with advanced automation systems, seamlessly integrate with a single Building Management System (BMS) or building monitoring system. This streamlined connectivity enables data center operators to efficiently manage and control the entire building’s automation from a centralized platform. This synergy between our cooling solutions and data center infrastructure exemplifies our commitment to providing tailored, high-performance solutions that align with the evolving needs of modern industries.

When you talk about automation, have you already integrated the IoT systems and sensors?

Our integrated automation system incorporates a set of sensors, meticulously designed to measure ambient conditions and user heat loads. The control logic governing our system is intricately informed by these factors, ensuring precise and adaptive performance. Moreover, our controller system is internet-enabled, facilitating seamless data transmission to the cloud. This enables remote monitoring of system performance, empowering us to proactively address potential issues without requiring human intervention. By leveraging this capability, we can pre-emptively take measures to prevent shutdowns or breakdowns, thereby enhancing system reliability and uptime.

How do you see the future plans and expansion of Paharpur Cooling Towers?

Paharpur is undergoing rapid expansion of its product portfolio, transitioning from conventional cooling towers tailored for large-scale industrial needs to a diverse array of specialised solutions. Our expertise spans both wet and dry cooling solutions, encompassing a comprehensive range of cooling towers, air-cooled condensers, and air-cooled heat exchangers. A recent addition to our offerings is the innovative adiabatic cooling products, representing a hybrid solution that amalgamates the advantages of both wet and dry cooling principles. With this expansive portfolio, Paharpur is equipped to address diverse application requirements, ensuring sustained growth and continued success in the industry.