MEA pushing towards energy efficiency, HVAC expert tells MECN
LG Electronics Gulf’s Avijit Das Gupta says that the client requirements region have changed considerably over the last decade
Client requirements over the last decade have undergone a tremendous shift, but it is government initiatives which have really helped propel the HVAC industry towards energy efficiency, says Avijit Das Gupta, head of commercial AC business at LG Electronics Gulf.
The energy management system market in the MEA region is expected to grow at an annual rate of 11.87 per cent to reach $3.76 billion by 2021, according to a global market research company, Mordor Intelligence.
Talking to MECN on the sidelines of the LG Air Solution MEA Conference, Gupta said, manufacturers, suppliers, and customers have understood the urgency and has started to look into energy conservation.
From a broader perspective, he said, LG Electronics is also working closely with the regulatory board to understand their future requirements and prepare themselves well in advance to handle the situation.
Additionally, members of the GCC are increasing investing in energy infrastructure by utilising smart grids with Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia all announcing energy policies up until 2030 to maximise energy efficiency.
“In particular, I think the UAE is changing quite fast; before our customers used to use the R22 refrigerant, which is a non-green refrigerant, but now they have shifted to the R410A, which is a green refrigerant.”
“This is not the only change, we have also gradually repositioned from using on-off type air conditioners (AC) to inverter-type ACs, which is an energy efficient product and a big shift. But really, it is the government initiatives in the region that are pushing the industry forward,” he added.
Additionally, Gupta said that the GCC region is more cautious, but proactively shifting towards green initiatives and is now at par with global countries in terms of energy efficiency.
The UAE, through Vision 2030 has already focused its attention on having 15 per cent of power from solar energy, he highlighted.
“The government will go ahead with this responsibility of generating green energy through solar power, and Vision 2030 is only the first step in that,” Gupta concluded.
