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Solar cooling systems for ME buildings

Dubai, January 28, 2008

Man Ferrostaal is set to launch environmentally friendly high efficiency solar thermal cooling systems in large public buildings for the first time in the Middle East.

Man Ferrostaal is a Dubai-based general contractor for the construction of industrial plants.

The company has recently taken a major share in Solitem group, which specialises in the solar thermal cooling technology, said a company official.

Solitem has successfully commercialised and applied this technology in several installations in Southern Europe, noted Dr Wolfgang Knothe, member of the executive board of Man Ferrostaal. 

'The installations are roof-top and ground systems which turn radiation energy of the sun directly into cooling. This presents a highly efficient alternative to current air conditioning systems.'
 
'There is no conversion of fossil fuel into electricity and then into cooling necessary. Compared to existing solar cooling systems, based on photovoltaic panels, the efficiency is twice as high,' he pointed out.

Overwhelmed by the success of its installations abroad in retail and hotel industry, Man Ferrostaal will now use this technology on a larger scale in the Middle East, he added.

Dr Knothe pointed out that the Middle East had tremendous potential, as the region had an enormous amount of solar radiation, which remained untapped.

'The biggest share of electricity produced in conventional power stations goes into cooling systems for private and public buildings. Solar thermal cooling is a 100 per cent eco-friendly way of air conditioning which can be used independently of national grids.”

It’s efficiency however, is not only reflected in environmental benefits but also in a short payback time. Furthermore, modular systems and a cooling equivalent of 0.5 to 20 MW and more make solar thermal cooling specifically suitable for airports, large buildings and production and storage facilities, he added.

“Large international airports consume around 300MW for cooling only with the help of fossil fuel power stations. Realising the cooling of such an airport with solar thermal cooling systems instead would save the environment around 150.000 tons of CO2 per year,” Dr Ahmet Lokurlu, managing director and founder of the Solitem group said.

“Countries that want to react to climate change in sunny regions like this in a cost effective way have now an excellent alternative,” he observed.-TradeArabia News Service




Tags: Middle East | Dubai | solar | cooling | Man Ferrostaal | thermal |

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