Mumbai: While Climate Change is rocking the world through unexplained heat waves, wildfires, rising oceans and land submergence, environmentally-sustainable technologies and efforts are being rushed in to fill the breach in ensuring human comfort globally.
One such effort is “ACREX India” whose 22nd edition three-day event – themed “Engineering Towards Net Zero” — began in Mumbai recently bringing together participation of over 450 global exhibitors and 40 countries, besides over 35,000 visitors.
N S Chandrasekhar, National President, ISHRAE, said that this two-year-Covid-delayed exhibition would witness products, system solutions and innovations by startups with the commitment to share greater awareness about energy conservation, artificial intelligence and IOT with the Indian HVAC industry.
“While the world is witnessing global warming and climate change, the HVAC industry is working towards ensuring that it does not go into the era of non-sustainability,” he said, adding that ISHRAE is focusing on new innovations through its numerous chapters in India, Bangladesh, UAE and Qatar.
Noting that barely 4% of the residential sector is using air-conditioning, the percentage of usage is expected to grow due to India’s rapid urbanization and growing incomes alongside even factory workers now demanding its usage, he said while reiterating that ISHRAE highlighted the HVACR industry’s responsibility in achieving a “decarbonized India by 2070” clarion call given by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi.
Noting that ISHRAE has adopted “Prithvi Paryavaran Parivartan” towards caring for the environment, he said its focus would steer towards – besides business – the green commitments for the future of this industry. “We are bound by the Montreal Protocol and the R2 refrigerant is on its way out with December 31 being the final date,” he said.
While the HVAC industry’s mantra is “energy-efficient products,” it is emphasizing on sustainable buildings and greater innovation in the industry’s product portfolio since buildings are contributing to 40% of energy-guzzling.
Describing ACREX as the largest HVAC&R industry show in South Asia and 6th largest in the world, Amitabha Sur, Chair, ACREX National Steering Committee, said that this industry is poised to grow by 6 times its current size in the next decade. “India is committed to achieve Carbon Neutrality by 2070 and the HVAC&R industry will play an important role in reducing its carbon footprint,” he said.
Noting that the post-COVID era is witnessing buildings becoming more health-conscious alongside also being energy-efficient, he said ACREX 2023 provided the perfect platform for emerging technologies in this industry based on the relevant market trends, which is foreseeing growth of residential air-conditioning from 4% to 14%.
Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets in India, noted that ACREX India’s potential to positively boost the industry highlighted the US$ 1.45 Trillion government investment in infra projects over the next five years being harnessed through this buyer-seller platform.
“More than business, ACREX India” 2023 is bringing together various JVAC industry stakeholders, organizing conferences by industry stalwarts, “Acrex Awards of Excellence” and “ACREX Hall of Fame” to inspire and build India’s sustainable future.
ACREX 2023 will be featuring insightful workshops, seminars for the industry to carve out a medium-to-long term blueprint for the HVAC stakeholders and identify various growth driers and inhibitors within it, besides conferences with panel discussion and presentations on topic like “Engineering Towards Zero,” “Role of HVAC in Net Zero Plan of India,” “Design Challenges for Large-Scale Residential,” “Making Commercial Buildings Carbon Neutral the IOT Way.”
One seminar witnessed discussions by eminent speakers on an important topic: “Landscape of current refrigerant use and disposal in India, barriers and priorities.”
One of the recurrent concerns for the consumer durables industry is that the vast potential of creating demand for these goods has not been fully realized in India. While the Union Budget announcement of a 33% expansion of the capital expenditure is a welcome change for unlocking this industry’s potential, an initiative like ACREX is providing a one-stop platform for a much-needed boost.
The event is being supported by industry associations like: Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Trades association (RATA), All India Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Association (ACRA), International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR), ASSOCHAM India, Indian Plumbing Association, India Green Building Council, FSAI. The participating companies that provide a 360-degree overview on current HVAC trends worldwide include: Fujitsu General India, Aeropure UV Systems, Daikin, Danfoss, Blue Star, Greystone Energy Systems, Honeywell Automation India, Kirloskar Brothers Limited, Matel Motion & Energy Solution, Panasonic Life Solutions, Murugappa Morgan Thermal Ceramic, Yaskawa India, Shanti Refrigeration and Auro Engg Company, among others.
