Natural refrigerants: an alternative to reduce carbon emission

Carbon footprints can be reduced by switching onto the renewable energy option for refrigeration and adapting newer technologies.

Gurmeet Singh, Chairman & Managing Director, Johnson Controls-Hitachi Air Conditioning India Pvt. Ltd. in a discussion, says that shifting to natural refrigeration and adapting renewable energy can be a viable alternative to reduce the increasing carbon emission generated through refrigeration.

Your journey in keying success.
I have had the fortune of working with remarkable brands throughout my professional journey. I started my association with Hitachi 15 Years ago and there has been no looking back. At Hitachi, I have dedicated my energy in driving the brand’s vision and mission in the Indian Market. We have worked to bring the brand closer to the consumers and make it one of the most preferred brands. With Hitachi, the going has been full of innovations both in respect to product and brand building. In the past few years, we have earned a strong bond with customers due to our intelligent solutions and the brand’s approach towards delivering solutions. We have been successful in increasing our reach in both residential and commercial spaces. We have also concentrated specially on building a good team and cementing relations with trusted channel partners. The aim has been to fuel the company’s strategic growth in the country and the future looks promising.

Reducing energy consumption while boosting the air-conditioner utility capacity
With changing lifestyle, cooling needs have become a necessity, and with the widespread use of cooling solutions it is important for all stakeholders to think of the environmental impact. We believe that sustainability has to be the only choice when designing. And smart and responsible usage at residential and commercial spaces can avoid damage to a huge extent. It is a misconception that keeping the temperatures set at lower levels gives better cooling, especially at commercial spaces such as offices and malls. But, optimal and comfortable cooling can be maintained even at 24-25 degrees as the unit compressor works as effectively at this temperature as any other. We are in complete agreement to this recommendation and believe that abiding by it would go a long way in saving energy.

Minimising carbon footprints generated by refrigeration
Carbon footprints can be reduced by switching onto the renewable energy option for refrigeration.
It can be done in many ways such as:

• Shifting to natural refrigerants
• Moving towards highly energy-efficient products
• Always buy the star rated products with maximum stars
• Reducing the use of energy
• Regular maintenance of our existing products
• Switch to new technology such as inverter technology
• Reduced the consumption of frozen foods and opt for fresh ones. In this way, we can reduce the truck refrigeration equipment’s which are used to transport frozen foods

Hitachi’s HVAC system offerings with infusion of automation and IoT
Under the banner of IoT, we are on the verge of offering the VRF System centralised controller i.eairCloud Gateway. For automated HVAC systems, all our VRF Systems are compatible with the BMS system either through BACnet, LONWORKS or ModBus. Presently, consumers are very enthusiastic for complete automation and manage the different aspects of building i.e HVAC, security, Safety, entertainment and lighting together. People are ready to pay for automating the systems and us, as technology innovators are providing each and every solution to meet the demand of the consumers.

HVAC and Automation – Your stand amidst your competitors
For the commercial building segment, we offer VRF Systems and Ductable air conditioners. Designed keeping in mind the needs of Architects and HVAC consultants, Hitachi has introduced new SET-FREE Sigma (∑) Series. Named after the Mathematical symbol “∑” which stands for the combined strengths of Johnson Controls and Hitachi VRF Technologies, this series has been designed with global expertise especially for the Indian climate and consumers. It offers higher energy efficiency, engineered aesthetics, enhanced strengths, compact design, compact cooling, and heating. Thus, with least energy wastage, maximal capacity in minimalistic floor space, SET FREE-Sigma series gives energy-efficient performance combined with premium looks. In light commercial packaged air conditioners, Hitachi has also introduced Toushi Ductable air-conditioners; Flexi split ACs and 8 new models of Cassette ACs.

Planning and operations involved in HVAC management for larger structures, with data centres, power systems
If we talk about the management in larger structures, it starts from the initial stage till the final commission and handing over the project to the customer. It starts from booking the project, then doing the designing of the HVAC systems so that equipment designed for that particular location is selected. In the planning stage, all the aspects are considered such as the timeline & activity chart for material management, planning the manpower and managing the resources. During execution, we have to take care of managing the site and site resources. We have to take care of critical tasks that can be encountered in the execution stage. After execution, at last measurement of all the items are done for final calculation and submission of bills. Post completion of the installation, the site is commissioned and handed over to the customer for usage.