Gulf Construction Online

The Big 5

Cool concept

01 October 2010

DUBAI-based Clima Gulf Trading will be promoting a new air-conditioning concept at this year’s Big 5 show.
The company was recently appointed exclusive dealer for Breezair, an innovative natural air cooling technology brand from Seeley International of Australia.

Evaporative cooling technology from Breezair is ideal for hot, dry climates like the Middle East, as it cools air naturally, effectively and efficiently, says Sabu C Abraham, managing director of ClimaGulf.

“It is a simple process, wherein the cool breeze is created by hot air passing over water-soaked cooling pads. Natural evaporation helps soak up the heat and cools the hot air. The effect created by evaporative air cooling is similar to the cooler conditions found at or near large expanses of water,” he says.

Breezair, according to ClimaGulf, is set to become a trend-setter for natural air cooling in the UAE, which supports environment-friendly and energy-efficient sources of air-conditioning. “We are not equating the machine to an air-conditioner. Our application areas are not residential. We would be restricting ourselves to open areas such as factories, auto workshops, construction sites and school play areas,” says Abraham.

“Breezair is suitable for places where a normal air-conditioning system cannot work or be installed,” says Durgesh Verma, general manager, ClimaGulf. “Summer temperatures in the UAE can rise in excess of 45 deg C in factories, warehouses and other large commercial open spaces. The unpleasant working conditions could affect the morale of workers and in turn could affect productivity. To continuously use the traditional air-conditioning systems in such places would be extremely expensive, but Breezair is an affordable alternative cooling system.”

The product is highly beneficial in partially covered/ventilated places, which require a constant flow of cool fresh air and helps in controlling a build-up of heat, smoke and fumes and ensures a flow of cool natural air.

Some of the applications of Breezair include commercial kitchens, outdoor majlis, kitchens, tents, restaurants (outdoor), airports and hangars, bus stops, zoo, sports grounds, outdoor swimming pools and poultry farms.

“Some of the advantages of evaporative cooling over conventional, refrigerated air-conditioning include low energy consumption – as little as 20 per cent of what is consumed by conventional air-conditioning systems. It does not contain harmful CFC (chlorofluorocarbons) gases and is easier and cheaper to install and easy to maintain,” Verma says.
Breezair also has some innovative features such as a water management system that monitors water quality automatically to ensure maximum product life with minimum water wastage. It also features a unique, highly-sensitive computer-controlled device – a digital smart box, which monitors, manages and controls all the air-conditioner features to provide ultimate comfort control, he adds.

Another important feature of the product, according to Verma, is its 100 per cent plastic body (Permatuf casing), which is corrosion proof. It is made from ultraviolet (UV)-stabilised structural polymer, which is the same material used in the manufacture of space shuttles. As such, the cabinets of Breezair machines boast a 10-year structural guarantee and 20-year guarantee against corrosion, he claims.

Commenting on the market, Abraham says: “The size of the Middle East market for air cooling systems is estimated at 100,000 units per annum. The company plans to tap the UAE market in the initial phase before expanding across the region.”

Climagulf, part of the UAE-based Clima Group, was launched two years ago. Due to the recession, the company says it moved forward its plans to distribute products like Breezair, in the market.

“We would be launching additional environment-friendly products of this type later on and are also looking at starting a company for facilities management in the near future,” says Abraham.

Currently, the company says it is trying to build good references. “The response has been very good and some big clients have shown interest in the product. We have a specialist team promoting the product,” Abraham says.

Climagulf has sold some units to factories in Jebel Ali Free Zone and is also installing units at automotive training centres. The company is also looking for sales and service dealerships as its prime focus now is on typical reference sales.

“We are at The Big 5 to create awareness about our products. We can reach out to a majority of our target audience as the show is not just restricted to the UAE,” he concludes.

Climagulf will be represented at Seeley International’s Stand 8E341 at The Big 5.