32 MEP Middle East | August 2019 http://www.mepmiddleeast.com
INSIGHT
Are VRF systems the solution to net zero energy
building aspirations? Head of VRF DX consulting sales
for Daikin Middle East, Utpal Joshi, shares his thoughts
INTO THE FLOW
TRUSTED
AND
PROVEN
TO WORK
I
T started as a patter, but the drumroll en-
veloping VRF systems in the Middle East is
steadily evolving into a thunder.
Consultants and contractors across the
region are waking up to the potential of variable
refrigerant fl ow systems – nearly four decades
after the tech was fi rst harnessed by Japanese
innovators.
Reaching the GCC via an explosion of popu-
larity in China, VRF systems have steadily been
adopted in increased numbers by the construc-
tion industr y, and it appears they are now sitting
on the cusp of a crescendo in the marketplace.Typically comprising an outdoor module of
multiple compressors, the exterior unit supplies
numerous indoor units that have the ability to cool
different areas of a structure independently.
In contrast to conventional chillers that trans-
fer heat from a zone to the refrigerant via air- or
water-circulation, VRF systems transfer heat by
circulating refrigerant to designated evaporators.
Greater energy effi ciency, use of diversity in
loads, precise temperature control, zoned com-
fort, fl exible and modular designs, and easy instal-
lation have all ser ved to stimulate market interest.
In a time when ever yone is looking for ease of