Intelligent air solutions boost the bottom line
Division is as focused on utilising ‘safe’ gases as it is on energy efficiency, and it educates the market on installation and servicing procedures
THE Samsung Digital Air Solutions’ (DAS) division is headed up by Michael McKechnie and is a business that is about more than cooling offices and homes, but rather provides state of the art air conditioning, air modification and heating products for residential homes, commercial and light industrial businesses.
The division accounts for about 10% of Samsung South Africa’s revenue and, of course, given the focus on the larger air solutions offerings, there is certainly plenty of opportunity for growth.
Samsung Digital Air Solutions is focused on two key areas of innovation, including changing consumer perceptions on the price sensitivities of air heating and cooling, as well as a strong focus on providing the consumer and business markets with truly green products. perception and educating the market around the offerings available and how these products can save energy and result in cost efficiencies.
Older generation air conditioners — which account for 60% of the domestic air conditioner market — utilise a CFC-based gas called R22 which might be cheap, but is also extremely bad for the environment and has been singled out for its contribution to global warming. As a result, local manufacturers have been given until 2040 to ensure that products no longer include this gas. Samsung is leading by example and the company already manufactures 90% of its product range with a non-CFC based gas. Furthermore: “Something that the division will consider from 2013 is to ‘scrap’ old technology units free of charge,” says McKechnie. “This would involve the reclaiming and correct disposal of the gas as well as the recycling of the old unit.”
The division is not only focused on utilising “safe” gases but also very much on energy efficiency, and educating the market on installation and servicing procedures.
Samsung DAS launched a green product portfolio in March 2012 to shortlist “best in industry” cooling, air modification and heating products for use in its corporate and residential “air” solutions. This portfolio meets best practice green industry requirements in terms of a number of criteria, including —
“This industry is flooded with products that don’t meet best practice criteria and is beset by poor installation practice,” says McKechnie. The green product portfolio takes account of how the product is installed, maintained and whether it is fit for application.
“At Samsung we decided to stop offering products that fall outside the European B-energy rating from June this year,” says McKechnie. As such, Samsung products are all epitomised by best in class energy efficiency.
Samsung views “green” manufacturing as a process that moves towards a carbon neutral state — offsetting every ton of carbon gas emissions by planting trees or by adopting manufacturing technologies that minimise such emissions. The company rates air conditioners based on the units of cooling or heating produced for each kilowatt of electricity consumed.
An air conditioner is ranked based on its Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) when in cooling mode and on its coefficient of performance (COP) in heating mode. An EER of 3.2 or better is preferred and Samsung is aligned to this.
“South Africans are beginning to feel the pinch of higher electricity bills and appreciate the impact of heating and cooling residences and offices on their budget,” says McKechnie. “It is for this reason that we aim to educate local consumers about both the energy benefits and multiple uses of air conditioners.”
Since adopting a green management strategy in 2009, Samsung has shifted from being price to efficiency driven. In some instances this results in slightly more expensive product prices; however, consumers certainly benefit in the long run from lower operating costs through the product lifecycle as well as the intangible benefits to the environment.
Samsung’s Jungfrau, for example, is suitable for home, home office and office environments where it not only reduces energy consumption by up to a massive 90% but also offers a fresher, healthier environment within which to live and work. The Jungfrau, through Smart Inverter technology, allows consumers to save energy whether the device is on or off. When the unit is turned off, an improved control board consumes low dosages of energy that uses no standby power and saves consumers up to 90% more energy than conventional air conditioners.
Additionally, through its enhanced Double Cleaning purifying system, the high density filtration process removes up to 90% microscopic dust particles and viruses from the air. Also, a unique feature to the Jungfrau system is Samsung’s dynamic 3D Wind technology, which evenly distributes airflow through a room, allowing users a cooler environment in a shorter amount of time, maximising the environmental and efficiency benefits of this unit.
Energy consumption trends change with time, and Samsung believes that its technology and product innovation will assist energy utilities, such as Eskom, in balancing the electricity supply and demand equation.
Solar geysers have unfortunately not delivered the desired energy result, although they reduce overall power consumption they have not changed the energy consumption peaks. Samsung heat pumps, to this end, could prove to be a more sustainable solution — eliminating huge peaks in demand for power currently experienced.
“Heat pumps utilise ‘free’ energy in the air to heat water,” says McKechnie. They are