EME Newsletter MEssage #02/20

NEWSLETTER
MESSAGE
NEWSLETTER FROM EUROVENT MIDDLE EAST
NOVEMBER 2020 VOL. 02
LEAD
STORY
Eurovent Middle East traces the
construction trends brought
on by the economic upheaval
caused by COVID-19 and the
role ventilation equipment will
play in the future of the HVACR
industry
MARKET
OUTLOOK
A Multi-Billion Dollar Question
by Aritra Gupta, Head of
Research and Analysis, BNC
INTERVIEW
Tariq Al Ghussein, CEO,
Taqeef and President,
Eurovent Middle East son the
outlook of the Association
INTERVIEW
Brian Suggitt, former
President of Eurovent Middle
East on the evolution of the
Association
TECHNICAL
PAPER
A perspective on air
filtration by Dr Iyad Al Attar,
Independent Air Filtration
Consultant
www.eurovent.me

NEWSLETTER
CONTENTS
01 Letter to the industry
02 Is ventilation the lifeline
of the industry?
03 Interview with Tariq Al Ghussein
MESSAGE
LETTER
TO THE INDUSTRY
04 BNC: A multi-billion dollar
question
06 Position Paper:
Pandemic - The need for government
incentivised retrofitting
05 Interview with Brian Suggitt
07 Technical Paper:
A Perspective on Air Filtration
What a year!
When one expects an asteroid to finish off this
year, it is clear that it hasn’t been a very pleasing
one. 2020 has turned all our lives and businesses
upside down and the effects of this will be felt for
many years to come. Most of our plans for this year
had to be canned, postponed to better times or
adjusted to cope with remote working and online
meetings. But it has been impressive how fast we
could adapt to the new reality.
From a highly successful series of webinars to the
relaunch of our newsletter and the establishment
of our YouTube Channel: we have been busier than
ever to increase and transform the output of our
association in support of our members and the
stakeholders outside. Eurovent Middle East has
been among the first professional organisations to
publish guidelines and recommendations related
to the pandemic.
We published a Position Paper to include HVACR
in the list of essential businesses, called on
regulatory bodies to extend product certificates
and delay implementation of new regulations and
were happy to see our requests answered. And we
are now releasing another Position Paper calling
for incentivised retrofits which focus on building
ventilation and air filtration.
If we learned anything this year, then it’s
the dependency of everyone on safe building
environments, to sustain our economy, our jobs, our
lives. And this means, that we depend on the people
and products needed to create our built environment.
We all have to recognize the great responsibility we
have in adhering to highest standards and integrity,
or else the price we pay is huge. While each individual
can and must make a difference, it is the collective
initiative and effort which will bring about the biggest
impact.
Eurovent Middle East has been built on the
foundation of a number of manufacturers, who share
this idea. To create a positive impact in the region
through cooperation and pooling resources. It is with
great pleasure to see how our working groups have
stepped up the game over time and provide focused
and tangible results. We are only a small step
away from a major announcement, which will bring
tangible benefits to the region’s market and people.
Subscribe to our newsletter and YouTube channel
and follow us on LinkedIn, so you don’t miss out!
On behalf of our members, thank you for your
interest!
Markus Lattner
Managing Director
Eurovent Middle Eastw
www.eurovent.me
NOVEMBER 2020 VOL. 02

NEWSLETTER
LEAD STORY
Is Ventilation the
lifeline of the
industry?
Eurovent Middle East traces the construction trends brought on by the economic
upheaval caused by COVID-19 and the role ventilation equipment will play in the
future of the HVACR industry
The COVID-19 pandemic has
fundamentally changed the course of
countries, businesses and individuals
alike, with many still struggling to
find their bearings amidst the socioeconomic
disruptions caused by
the virus. As Lubna Shaikh, Senior
Manager Business Development,
Trosten, points out, the pandemic
affected the USD 90 trillion global
economy unlike anything the world
has experienced in nearly a century.
“The highest impact was on aviation
and hospitality sectors in the Middle
East,” she says. “And in my opinion,
the impact on the construction
industry has just started hitting the
tip of the iceberg.”
Avin Gidwani, Chief Executive Officer,
Industry Networks (FZC), describes
the regional and global commercial
real estate situation as being in the
doldrums. “Businesses that are in
the early part of the construction
cycle have started feeling the
economic pain, while businesses
that participate in the latter parts
of construction are still doing very
well,” he says.
“This is due to abrupt and drastic
decline in new contract awards, while
the large volume of existing work is
pushed to completion.”
Shaikh echoes this, adding that
the continuation of projects under
construction is still dependent on the
flow of funds from developers.
Frank Taaning-Grundholm, Vice
President Global HVACR Sales,
ABB, says that many companies
are now also eager to learn from
the pandemic, capture the benefits
of the remote working structure
and possibly down scale offices
to accommodate a more flexible
working culture. “This has put a
halt on a lot of projects, which were
already in the pipeline, but where
construction had not commenced
yet,” he says. “It has also increased
the focus on the risk of large open
offices, as the exposure to infections
is much higher when you have
many people in the same room, so
we might see smaller offices or
sectioned office spaces more in new
buildings.”
Gidwani shares a similar observation:
“At present there is no logical case
to be made for the growth of office
space as remote working models
have proved to be extremely effective
for numerous positions across
almost all industries.” He adds that
demand for retail space is also under
pressure due to the popularity of
online shopping, though recovery is
expected as people require social
spaces. “The configuration and use of
retail spaces is accordingly changing
and one can expect significant churn
as traditional retail businesses
that don't make the transition to a
digital model are replaced by new
businesses,” he says. “In this game
of survival, Dubai is clearly still the
fittest and is evolving fast to adapt to
a post-COVID world.”
What does this mean for the HVACR
industry?
Speaking on the domino effect these
trends have had on the HVACR
industry, Shaikh says the impact
of COVID-19 was felt by companies
during the second quarter of
2020 with the supply chain being
challenged by delayed delivery of raw
materials due to closed factories,
shipping delays, sterilisation
processes across borders and
limited workforce, which, in turn,
slowed down construction. “The
construction sites were also affected
with the virus infection spread rate
among the labourers,” she says. “By
practicing social distancing norms,
transportation with limited numbers
per vehicle also served as a huge
hindrance for the construction
business, ending up with more
operational costs.” Shaikh says
the trend of lower budgets and
value engineering proposals pre-
COVID will also be magnified in the
current scenario, as organisations
try to cut down expenses in terms
of capital, budgets and overheads
to keep business afloat. “Under
this scenario, I think the clients
would wait and hold on to their cash
reserves at least until mid-2021 to
monitor the situation,” she says.
Weighing in, Iyad Al Jurdy, Regional
Director, LG Electronics Middle East
and Africa, says that although the
aftershock was largely contained,
thanks to the resilience of the
regional construction market,
COVID-19 has reshaped the way
different manufacturers and
stakeholders view the market.
“As the ‘new norm’ kicked in, the
market started to partially regain its
momentum, slowly but surely,” he
says. “So, in terms of the pipeline,
the total volume of new awarded
projects was affected largely and, to
a lesser extent, the total volume of
the construction projects’ pipeline.”
Naveen Sivakumar, Head
of Marketing and Business
Development, Danfoss Turkey
Middle East and Africa, shares
that following the onset of COVID,
general sales in the industry has
been down by 10%, but that at the
same time it has become clear
how vital HVACR industries are to
ensure hospitals, data centres and
other critical infrastructure keep on
running. “The market needs retrofit,
and we are seeing that governments
are realising the importance of
focusing on driving down emissions
by encouraging energy efficiency
in retrofits,” he says. Al Jurdy adds
that retrofit projects have also seen
its share of disruptions, due to the
uncertainty surrounding the return
to normal operations and complexity
of retrofitting larger buildings. “On
one hand, we’ve seen a slowdown
in the commercial office buildings’
retrofits, while hospitality retrofits
continued, taking advantage of the
low occupancy rates,” he says.
“The same trend was noticed in
the healthcare vertical in an effort
to build new COVID-19 isolation
sections at the existing hospitals.”
Tariq Al Ghussein, CEO, Taqeef, and
President, Eurovent Middle East,
believes that overall, the momentum
will remain steady, considering in
the region ‘HVAC is a necessity and
not a luxury’. “I’m fairly confident
that product demand and project
pipelines will remain buoyant,
despite the changing economic
landscape,” he says, adding that
for Taqeef, consumer demand
has soared as more people spend
time at home. “We have also seen
heightened interest in retrofitting
with consultants and business
owners looking more closely at how
we make our built environment as
healthy a place as it can be,” he
says. “Looking to better indoor air
quality (IAQ) and greener, cleaner
technologies is a key strategic focus
for most of our members and we see
this as a significant growth area.”
The price of inaction
The need to focus on IAQ has been
a long time coming especially in
the context of the pandemic. As
Burhan Jaber, Engineering and R&D
Director, SKM, points out, ventilation
is an essential parameter that
should be taken into consideration
during the stage of building design.
“Ventilation is linked with Indoor
Air Quality (IAQ), that marks its
importance and the demand of
maintaining proper ventilation has
been increased after the pandemic,”
he says. “Outside air ventilation is
also one of the successful proven
methods used to dampen the spread
of viruses, especially for the people
who stay at home most of the time.”
Dr Iyad Al-Attar, Independent Air
Filtration Consultant, says, the role
of HVAC systems and air filters in
combatting COVID-19 has come
Lubna Shaikh
Avin Gidwani
Frank Taaning Grundholm
Iyad Al Jurdy
www.eurovent.me
NOVEMBER 2020 VOL. 02

NEWSLETTER
LEAD STORY
under scrutiny in light of increasing
evidence that SARS-CoV-2 may be
transmitted by aerosols. “In fact,
mitigating airborne transmission
should be our top priority in our
holistic disease-control strategies
for COVID-19,” he says.
However, William P. Bahnfleth,
Professor of Architectural
Engineering, The Pennsylvania
State University, points out that
unfortunately, the importance
of ventilation has been largely
ignored over the years. “Ventilation
rates have generally been kept to
the lowest levels consistent with
acceptability based on occupant
perception,” he says. “Ventilation
rates in minimum standards
are not based on the results
of research that indicates the
relationship between ventilation and
health, productivity, and learning.
Mechanical filter efficiencies
required in minimum standards
are not effective for removing fine
particles that may affect health,
including respiratory droplet nuclei
that may contain pathogens. I am
afraid that, at a regulatory level,
we have either ignored or accepted
as inevitable the consequences
of seasonal airborne infectious
diseases and less frequent
epidemic diseases such as SARS
and COVID-19.” Bahnfleth further
adds that respiratory droplets cover
a continuum of sizes, from less
than one micrometre to hundreds
of micrometres. “In general, any
time someone is close enough
to an infected person for droplet
transmission to occur, they are also
experiencing significant inhalational
exposure,” he says.
Adding to this, Dr Iyad Al-Attar
says, “The role of air filtration in
enhancing air quality has been on
the wane for the past few decades
and sometimes, totally ignored. The
HVAC systems have been on a high
filtration diet and our respiratory
systems have become sick and tired
of such air quality. How can IAQ be
granted the attention if air quality
Naveen Sivakumar
Tariq Al Ghussein
Burhan Jaber
William P. Bahnfleth
and filtration do not hang in the
balance of building physics?” Dr
Al-Attar stresses that if there are
neither incentives for enhancing
IAQ nor penalties for not doing
so, IAQ will remain on the back
burner for years to come. “Given
that scientists have detected the
virus in places that can be reached
only by air, I would suggest that
instead of consuming our time
arguing whether or not airborne
transmission is an issue, why don’t
we assume it is and undertake
all preventative precautions
that can enhance our IAQ,” he
says. “Conducting full-fledged
maintenance and filter replacement
can’t be bad! Keep in mind, central
air conditioning is in fact, central,
which may spread diseases via the
transportation of contaminated air.”
Sharing general recommendations
for improving IAQ and minimising
the risk of contracting the virus,
Igor Sikonczyk, Senior Technical
and Regulatory Affairs Manager,
Eurovent Association, says building
owners and managers should
look to increase fresh air rates
delivered indoors, eliminate or
limit recirculation of air as much
as possible and try to use better
filtration grades for recirculation
air. However, Sikonczyk, points
out that before implementing any
measures, there is a need to verify
whether the current state of the
equipment in buildings are even
capable of accommodating these
changes. “There are cases where
even if you want to increase the
fresh air rates in existing buildings,
the ducting can be too small or
would not be capable to transport
this type of air,” he explains.
“Then you would have to change
the ductwork, which could mean
requiring a structural change that
could lead to a building needing
to be demolished. This cost of
renovation must be massive and
huge. All in all, I think it would be
good to verify what is the status
quo. There is a need for good
assessment. You have to see
whether your air handling unit is
capable to increase and you can
force these devices to deliver more
air.”
The outlook of ventilation equipment
In view of these trends, Al Jurdy is
of the opinion that ventilation and
IAQ requirements will continue to
be a main concern for the industry‘s
foreseeable future. “Established
manufacturers and newcomers
will need to up their game in their
offerings and invest more in R&D in
order to provide effective solutions
for higher IAQ levels,” he says.
“We expect a larger trend towards
decentralised ventilation and air
purification solutions for new
and retrofit projects to be a main
objective for designers, especially
for education and healthcare
verticals. While central ventilation
solutions will need to have more
sophisticated filtration, controls and
zoning capabilities, when it comes
to commercial and multipurpose
facilities.”
Taaning-Grundholm echoes this: “I
think there will be a lot of existing
buildings, which will be renovated
to better fit for this updated
requirement to the workplace and
this will drive more investment,
also in HVAC equipment. More
attention will be paid to air flows
in the buildings, to minimise cross
contamination between sections
of the building.” Jaber says that in
addition to conventional filtration
systems, which is crucial to
maintaining air quality, UV lamps
and ionization filters will also be a
common requirement in future.
Al Jurdy adds that he has also
noticed more emphasis on IAQ
from industry associations and
government regulators. “There has
been a lot of research published
and more underway that look into
ventilation at a micro level rather
than a macro level,” he says. “These
findings will be the building grounds
for manufacturers and designers
to adopt their offerings to improve
IAQ and reduce the threat of
Dr. Iyad Al-Attar
Igor Sikonczyk
Markus Lattner
transmission of viral infections in
the future; all in favour of reducing
the disruption of workflow and
enhancing human health.”
In agreement, Al Ghussein
says, the news agenda puts the
transmission of airborne virus and
the importance of ventilation front
and centre at the moment. “We
really need to be led by science
on this and take a measured and
tailored approach to different
applications,” he says. “But,
whether it’s hospitals, windowless
towers, or factories with hazardous
materials, IAQ protocols need to
be robust and regulated. To do
this we need an all-encompassing
legislative framework coupled with
business incentives and support.”
Markus Lattner, Managing
Director, Eurovent Middle East
sums up: “If I look at countries
like Germany or Austria, where
you have extreme regulations
regarding workplace safety, as
detailed as the curvature of the
edges of working tables, it is
actually not comprehensible that
IAQ has no relevance in these.
While Eurovent and Eurovent
Middle East, along with many other
organisations, have emphasised
the importance of IAQ on public
health in the past, we also need
to step up the game and make
it one of our core messages
in the coming years, to push
for mandated minimum levels
of building ventilation and air
filtration. In the end, this will not
only help the society and provide
better protection against future
viral threats, it also provides us as
an industry a lifeline to overcome
years of a stagnating building
sector.”
www.eurovent.me
NOVEMBER 2020 VOL. 02

NEWSLETTER
INTERVIEW
Video interview with
Tariq Al Ghussein
The President of Eurovent Middle East speaks on taking
over from Brian Suggitt, his role as President and the
outlook of the Association.
A Multi-Billion Dollar Question
by Aritra Gupta, Head of Research and Analysis, BNC
From the initial phase of imposing lockdowns
across the globe to the current turmoil that
governments are facing whether to or not to
re-impose restrictions, the one question that is
driving sentiment and business decision is:
“When will the market recover and what will be
the degree of recovery?”
Comparison with 2019
GCC construction was impacted but was not
stopped by the current mayhem in 2020. Project
completions sky-rocketed in 2020 and recorded
USD 136.4 billion in completions till Q3, compared
to USD 129 billion worth of completions in 2019 for
the same period, registering an increase of 6%.
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There is no definitive answer to this question, but
here are a few statistics that may help you arrive
at an educated conclusion.
A quick insight of the GCC construction industry
in 2020 to date
The GCC construction industry has been cautious
in 2020 regarding new project announcements
following a volatile and uncertain market and
has contracted in terms of project awards as
compared to the past year due to cashflow issues
inflicted by the ongoing financial crisis coupled
with a massive slump in oil prices in the initial
half of the year due to the price war between
Saudi Arabia and Russia and a falling demand of
oil across the globe. However, the GCC countries
were focused in driving the projects which are
already under execution to completion and have
fared better than the previous year in terms of
the total value of completions in the first three
quarters of the year.
New projects worth USD 52.4 billion were
announced in the first three quarters of 2020, a
65% decrease as compared to the same period
last year, while projects worth USD 81.1 billion
were awarded in 2020 till Q3, a 35% contraction as
compared to the total value of awards in the first
three quarters in 2019.
Continued major project announcements and
early stage work supports the findings of a
recent survey conducted by Industry Networks
with stakeholders from different segments of
construction. The survey revealed that 52% of the
respondents believe that the market will recover
by H2 2021 while 25% believe that the market will
make a comeback by early 2022.
As you debate an answer to the multi-billion dollar
question on a construction market recovery, we
hope that these market statistics and sentiment
surveys help with your decision making process.
Industry Networks offers the construction industry stateof-the-art
sales automation systems deeply integrated with
constantly updated project information.
BNC intelligence, our project intelligence service, is the
largest construction database in the MEA region, with 28,500+
live construction projects estimated at US$ 11.1 trillion (AED
40.8 trillion). The BNC intelligence database spans the urban
construction, oil & gas, transportation, utilities, and industrial
sectors.
BNC intelligence is used by thousands of business leaders
and construction industry professionals every day, to track
developments, gain insight on projects, and do business in the
MEA construction industry.
www.eurovent.me
NOVEMBER 2020 VOL. 02

NEWSLETTER
INTERVIEW
‘We are all in the same boat
and we have to keep steering
in the right direction’
In this candid interview, Brian Suggitt, formerly of Systemair Middle East, now
General Manager for Al Bunyaan Trading LLC, a major trading and solutions
provider based in Oman, and former President of Eurovent Middle East, reflects
on the progress the Association has made since its inception and calls for
members to stand together in order to weather the storms facing the HVACR
industry.
You have been with Eurovent
Middle East from its very
inception, taking on the role as
Chairman and then President.
Could you speak on the progress
it has made over the years?
There was a lot of skepticism
at first surrounding how an
association would work and if it
would work, when other industry
associations had failed in the
Middle East. Overall, people were
waiting to see what would happen,
but very quickly we found footing
and that’s how we could do what
we did. The inroads we made
with ministries and governmental
bodies, such as the Emirates
Authority for Standardization and
Metrology (ESMA) and Abu Dhabi
Quality and Conformity Council
(ADQCC), were quite substantial
and expedited rapidly. Over a
period of time, people could see
the benefit of what we offered and
how we offered it to the market.
The educational seminars serve
as an example of this. When
we started, we were attracting
around 80 people and it grew to
around 160 attendees. The people
and the market recognised the
importance of these educational
seminars, and the spin-offs were
invaluable to the members and to
the industry.
We made excellent progress and
I was extremely satisfied with the
effort made by all and the results
we achieved with that effort.
Could you give us insight into the
early days? What prompted the
establishment of the Association
and in what ways did you feel it
would contribute to the goals of
HVACR companies operating in
the region?
I think, first of all, Markus was the
driver of that. He saw, through
his knowledge of associating with
people and Eurovent, that this was
an opportunity for companies in
the region and he moved forward
quickly. I’ll credit him for being
the one who initiated and moved
forward with this idea and I believe
the results are evident today,
because there was nothing there
previously. It’s as if the pages
were floating in the wind and
there was no glue sticking them
together. Someone needed to get
it together and make a book out of
it. So, that’s what we did.
It was exciting to see what we
could do, and we got a response,
not just from the industry itself,
but from external bodies and
associations and then it spread
out from UAE to other countries
and we developed members from
other countries. It was a dynamic
event welcomed throughout the
region.
Aside from that, this is a very
diverse group of people coming
together. When you think about
it, they are all competitors. And
that was the challenge, half of the
time, bringing together diverse
people, competitors, to get a
uniform view of what they could do
together and raise the bar in the
industry – that was the challenge,
which became a very satisfying
achievement.
Could you speak about the
contribution of Eurovent Middle
East in the context of your former
Brian Suggitt
role as the MD of Systemair?
Being part of Eurovent Middle
East allowed independent
companies to have a major
voice. There are instances
where a lot of companies may
be internationally or regionallyrecognised,
but governmental
bodies would not necessarily
entertain them because they are
seen as a commercial enterprise.
In this case, Eurovent Middle
East could speak on behalf of
those members and go forward
in a non-commercial aspect and
you can go the technical, noncommercial
route. Being part of
a globally accepted body gave
companies more strength.
From a Systemair point of view,
it showed we cared for the
HVAC industry, and we were not
just there to supply products.
We were there to support the
industry and uphold the key
pillars we stood for, which is IAQ
and energy efficiency. And we
knew the best way to do it, not
just because we are following
European standards but for
Systemair that was there inbuilt
as a company culture
even without the regulation.
It was a huge benefit for us to
have this globally-recognised
body that stood for the correct
principles to improve standards
for everybody and to level out
the playing field for European
standards, as much as American
standards. We didn’t want to
replace those standards; we
wanted an equal footing and we
were able to work on that.
Overall, could you share some
insight on the progress and
positive changes that come as
a direct result of the initiatives
set out by Eurovent Middle
East?
I think that having ADQCC
reaching out to ensure they got
the correct regulative standards
for air handling units is a good
example, because there wasn’t
one and now there is -- that is
a major step forward. ADQCC
and ESMA wanted to ensure
they had the most energy
efficient products, and we went
as a uniform body to put that
forward and lay a format for a
standard that can be used as
a regulation, which helped the
market. For sure, that would
go on to improve the products
that should be supplied to that
market, thereby improving
energy efficiency and we
were instrumental in putting
that together. That was a key
achievement that had a definitive
and major impact.
Another achievement is working
with GSO and SASO when they
initially brought in the G-Mark
regulation. The HS code for all
products was used as the basis
to categorise products, which
means that the HS code in fans
covered everything from desk
fans to large industrial fans,
which can’t be tested or certified
in the same way. We were able
to talk to GSO and ESMA and
explain that the industry couldn’t
meet G marking requirements
because of incompatible testing
requirements, and it was
changed-- that was us.
We have been able to work with
various bodies throughout the
GCC region and look at what’s
happening with refrigeration
standards and cooling standards
and what the manufacturers
can do to make sure they are
www.eurovent.me
NOVEMBER 2020 VOL. 02

NEWSLETTER
INTERVIEW
compliant. We also presented papers talking
about education and the need for maintenance –
all of which are vitally important.
It’s an educative process really. And that’s the
exciting part when people act, you know you did
something right.
Truthfully, I’ve been in that industry for such
a long time, and I have personally gained
substantial knowledge from it. It gave me a lot
of satisfaction to give something back. Everyone
gets to a point where you would like to be
philanthropic; we should all do that. That point
came at the right time. I’m happy to put in my
time and effort to something that will benefit
everybody.
Could you share some of the highlights and
memorable moments from your time as
Chairman and President of Eurovent Middle
East?
In all honesty, it’s the people, it’s all about the
people. I think the most memorable parts include
meeting such a diverse group of professionals
and blending them together. That, to me, is
memorable. The best part is just being able to
work with colleagues and friends. We worked
hard together to achieve our objectives and
relaxed together socially as friends.
I also enjoyed the seminars; I got a lot of
satisfaction from being able to meet so many
interested and interesting people. It was
enjoyable. It was great to see how differing
viewpoints were brought together to a singular
cause and thereby gaining greater knowledge.
It just gives you pride to know that your peers
and colleagues trust you to represent them
in the correct fashion -- that’s the most
memorable and enjoyable part.
Could you give us some insight on how the
Association has been dealing with the changes
in the industry and the region in view of
COVID-19?
This year has brought about unforeseen
challenges to us all, as individuals, families
and in business. Eurovent Middle East, through
its excellent global network, has been able to
assimilate and bring together a substantial
amount of valuable information regarding
improvements in ventilation that everyone can
benefit from.
By drawing on the expertise and knowledge
of its member companies, the Association
organised and disseminated reliable technical
information with the aim of helping everyone
improve their ventilation requirements. The
Association also proactively supported and
encouraged all stakeholders to ensure projects
and developments are equipped with the best
possible air quality that will help in fighting off
the dreadful virus that has caused so much
personal and economic damage to us all.
The distribution of this information through
various platforms, media agencies and
virtual events was an important initiative
from the Association and we, as an industry,
need to be able to follow the guidelines and
recommendations. As ventilation design and
standards change in the ensuing years, the
HVAC industry, through Associations such as
Eurovent Middle East, needs to drive that change.
You are in the middle of a transition period as
well, correct? Could you talk to us about your
new role and the company? What are you excited
about in this next chapter?
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time with Systemair
and particularly with Eurovent Middle East.
But now I move on to another phase of my life,
my career. I have recently joined AL Bunyaan
Trading LLC in Oman, a leading supplier and
solutions provider in the fields of BMS, home
automation, Acoustics, Smart Building Systems
and, of course, HVAC. The company is extremely
well-established and respected in Oman, with
a diverse quality product range representing
internationally-recognised manufacturers. The
objective is to grow and develop this excellent
company
I feel very sad at having to leave Eurovent
Middle East, but I know that at some time I will,
hopefully, be able to assist Eurovent Middle East
here in Oman, and that I will be very happy to do
so.
What are your hopes for the organisation in the
coming years, especially as we are undergoing
such an unprecedented time, as an industry?
I think the hope is that people stick together and
that what has been achieved is merely a starting
point. To achieve and establish the longevity we
have to keep building on what’s there, look at
the opportunities to develop the educational and
training side of things; look more in detail at
refrigeration and cold storage and try to improve
the standards of installations and maintenance.
Those are all major issues that need to be
addressed and I think Eurovent Middle East
can do that in the right fashion. They have the
people to do it. They have the companies to do
it but everyone has to keep working together
-- do not start cutting corners or cost. Don’t
do things that have a detrimental effect on
Eurovent Middle East. The Association has to
remain and be strong and be stable and only
it’s members can do that -- they have to work
together to make sure they develop what the
industry needs, especially considering how far
we have gone in a short span of time.
Everyone in the industry is facing difficulty in
many different ways – we are all in the same
boat, we have to make sure we are all steering
in the same direction.
Any message to the members as the
association face such as unprecedented time,
on how to overcome challenging times ahead
as a unit and as a cohesive body?
Be strong and be together. Keep enjoying
yourselves and make sure Eurovent Middle East
grows, develops and strengthens.
www.eurovent.me
NOVEMBER 2020 VOL. 02

NEWSLETTER
POSITION PAPER
Pandemic:
The need for government
incentivised retrofitting
Improvement of ventilation and air filtration in
existing buildings
In a nutshell
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) to the health and
welfare of building inhabitants. Insufficient air filtration and ventilation has proven to increase the
risk of airborne viral transmission in closed spaces. While the need to improve IAQ has always been
a public health priority, it is now an urgent necessity with far reaching economic and employment
impacts. To ensure the safe operation of buildings, improvements to ventilation and air filtration
systems need to be put in focus.
Background
The possibility of airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2, especially in badly ventilated indoor
settings, has been acknowledged by all relevant organisations , from the World Health
Organisation (WHO) to the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and others.
While retrofitting gained traction in the past for energy conservation reasons, its ability to
include upgrading building ventilation and the provision of safe, clean air should now become a
key focus.
Research proves that IAQ is an essential element of work-place safety. As established by the
World Health Organization (WHO), people in industrialised countries spend up to 90% of their
time indoors, so exposure to airborne pathogens such as bacteria, moulds, spores, Volatile
Organic Compounds (VOCs) and viral particles should be a key strategic priority.
buildings and to provide incentives for retrofits in the private sector. The energy savings achieved
with better Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning (HVAC) installations will enable a return on
investment within a short period of time, while improvements in ventilation could also have an
immediate effect on transmission numbers in affected buildings.
Germany recently provided funds of 500 Million Euro to upgrade ventilation systems in all stateowned
buildings, from offices to schools and hospitals and this measure is expected to lead to
significant improvements of IAQ while stimulating the economy by providing jobs and projects to
the building and ventilation industry.
A safe and healthy building environment is the foundation of every society and requires our joint
efforts to work towards achieving targets of a safer environment for all.
This Position Paper reflects the joint opinion of Eurovent Middle East, its members and affiliated
organisations. It was written in good faith and expresses opportunities and potentials to the
advantage of the region.
Tariq Al Ghussein
President, Eurovent Middle East
Markus Lattner,
Managing Director, Eurovent Middle East
Eurovent Middle East is the region's Industry Association for Energy Efficiency, Indoor Air Quality
and Cold Chain Solutions. Its participants constitute leading manufacturers of Indoor Climate
(HVAC), Process Cooling, Food Cold Chain, Industrial Ventilation, and Building Automation
Technologies, as well as sector associations and industry initiatives active in these fields. By
thinking ‘Beyond HVACR', contributing manufacturers fulfil the highest requirements in terms of
product quality and sustainability. For more information, visit www.eurovent.me.
Introducing robust, incentivised retrofitting initiatives is of fundamental importance to move
towards better preparedness for future airborne threats and we believe would yield significant
benefits for governments, the economy and society:
- Reduced transmission of airborne diseases
- Increased public health and productivity through better IAQ
- Improved energy efficiency in retrofitted buildings
- Stimulus to the economy by support of the building industry
- Provision of a significant amount of jobs at all skill levels
Call for Action
The HVACR industry is calling on Governments to initiate retrofitting measures for public
www.eurovent.me
NOVEMBER 2020 VOL. 02

NEWSLETTER
TECHNICAL PAPER
A Perspective on
Air Filtration
By Dr. Iyad Al-Attar
The importance of clean air to the well-being of people
and for the protection of industrial equipment has
highlighted the critical role of air filter performance.
Accurate filter performance prediction plays a significant
role in estimating the lifetime of filters by means of
investigating particle loading and predicting filter
clogging. Filter performance prediction enables would
enable facility managers to engineer their maintenance
schedule to replace filters on time to reduce energy and
operating costs.
The assessment of air filter performance is influenced by
several parameters such as face velocity, filter medium
properties, filter design, aerosol characteristics, ambient
conditions, contaminants types, and their loading
conditions. The complexity of air filter performance
evaluation lies in the simultaneous interplay of these
parameters. Furthermore, some parameters are timedependent
such as mass loading, dust cake thickness,
the overall fiber shape, and the filter porosity. Such
variations lead to alteration in the filter medium
geometry and reduces the filter’s permeability due to
particle deposition in the interstitial spaces of the filter
medium. As a result, the pressure drop of the filter rises
and restrains the airflow until its performance relative to
its energy usage is no longer viable.
To ensure the appropriate filter selection has been made
for various applications, their performance must be
verified to correspond to the manufacturer’s test report.
Therefore, comprehending the parameters affecting
filter loading is essential and starts with physical and
chemical characterization of the airborne pollutants.
Characterizing the outdoor air quality through
continuous monitoring will prove invaluable to filtration
-experts who will use such data to appropriately select
air filter types and stages. This would, in turn, provide
the required air treatment to render the outdoor air
safely inhalable by our respiratory systems.
The air we breathe
Figure 2: Illustration of various particle shapes captured by air filters.
The air we breathe is full of microscopic particles
which can be hazardous to our respiratory systems and
are, thus, considered a specific type of air pollution.
Particles come in many different forms such as grit,
dust, smoke, fumes, or mist, and we should not forget
smog and fog. The types of dust are numerous: mineral
dusts, such as those containing free crystalline silica
for example quartz, coal and cement dusts; metallic
dusts, such as lead, cadmium, nickel, and beryllium
dusts; other chemical dusts, e.g. many bulk chemicals
and pesticides; organic and vegetable dusts, such as
flour, wood, cotton and tea dusts, pollens; biohazard
dusts, such as viable particles, molds and spores, as
shown in Figure 1.
Coarse particles are more heterogeneous compared to
fine particles in terms of their spatial distribution and
chemical composition [1,2]. The size of these particles
is in the order of several nanometers to several
micrometers. Epidemiological studies have shown
beyond a doubt an association between increased urban
air pollution and adverse health effects on susceptible
sectors of the population, particularly the elderly who
may have pre-existing respiratory or cardiovascular
disease [3,4]. Urban air contains particles whose size
may be classed as coarse through to ultrafine (

NEWSLETTER
TECHNICAL PAPER
Figure 5: Scanning electron micrograph of dendrite
formation [11].
Figure 6: Illustration of surface deposition of particles on
filter media.
represents a large quantity of the contaminant entering
the human body by inhalation. Everyday billions of
particles are inhaled with the ambient air by every
human being. Many of these particles are deposited in
the respiratory tract; the deposition depends on the size,
density, shape, charge, and surface properties of the
particles and the breathing pattern of the individual.
COVID-19 has added another challenge to our indoor air
and HVAC systems. In the past, the paradigm shift of
HVAC system design was based on responses to the past
thermal comfort and energy requirements. Energy has
always been the favorite subject when operating HVAC
systems. Today, air quality stands tall as a top priority
in any equation addressed. However, many challenges
remain, as the variation of several parameters at the
same time may be tricky to control. Reducing infection
risks entails engineering several parameters which
both directly and indirectly influence the existing HVAC
systems and air filter performance. Ultimately, air
filtration has become increasingly important as a main
provider for cleaner air.
Common filtration mechanisms
The performance characteristics of a filter are
concerned with the efficiency it can provide at the
expense of pressure drop. The overall efficiency of
a filter is based on the combination of the dominant
collection mechanisms for a given particle size range.
Therefore, the particle size is of paramount importance
in determining the overall filter efficiency.
Figure 4: Common filtration mechanism in air filtration.
Particle Size
The characteristics of aerosols that most affect the
performance for an air filter includes particle size,
particle shape, mass, concentration and electrical
properties. Particle size is considered to be a
fundamental parameter for characterizing the dynamics
of aerosol. A particle is generally imagined to be
spherical and its diameter is usually used to describe
its size. However, there are several ways of defining
particle size, particularly for those of irregular shapes
as shown in Figure 3, which provides a guidance on the
understanding of the several ways of defining particle
size particularly for those of irregular shapes.
Straining occurs when the filter pores strain the
particles due to particle size, leaving the particles lying
predominantly on the surface of the filter medium. This
mechanism does not play a major role in depth filtration.
The impaction mechanism occurs when a particle
cannot navigate through the inhomogeneous filter
structure and does not follow the gas streamlines due
to its inertia (size and mass) and hence, impacts the
filter fiber and leaves the air stream. The impaction
mechanism depends on the particle size, density of the
dust, depth of the filter and the velocity of the airflow.
This mechanism is predominant for particles that have a
high density a diameter greater than 1 µm. Its influence
increases with the size of the particle.
Interception occurs when a particle intercepted by the
fiber and adheres to it due to Van der Waals forces.
Particles captured by interception do not have enough
inertia to travel in a straight line to be filtered by
impaction. Several studies have suggested the relative
independence of the interception mechanism of the
gas velocity [6; 7]. However, Dorman [8] states that
interception mechanism is independent of the gas
velocity, except in so far as the flow pattern changes
with velocity. Jaroszczjk et al [9], on the other hand,
highlight the role of particle size and its velocity in
the filtration processes and suggest that it may be
determined experimentally by using actual filter media
with careful selection of test sample and contaminants.
Diffusion occurs when ultra-fine particles (particles
with a diameter, d p
, ,

NEWSLETTER
Figure 8: Pressure drop versus mass challenge per filter face area with point of filter cake formation
while fibrous and granular filters fall into the depth
filtration category.
Surface filtration
In surface filtration, large particles are expected to
be deposited on the surface of the filter medium by a
sieving (straining) mechanism so as to form the socalled
dust cake (Figure 6). Thus, most of the filtration
action takes place on the filter surface by means of
dust-cake formation. In surface straining, any particle
that is larger in size than the pores of the medium is
deposited on the on the surface and stays there until
it is removed by a regeneration technique such as
pulsing system. Although the aim is to have surface
deposition of particles, some particles, smaller in size
than the pores, can penetrate the filter medium.
Depth filtration
Depth filtration relies on capturing the particles within
the filter medium. This method of non-cake filtration
requires an understanding of the media properties
where most of the filtration action occurs. The depth
filtration process causes fibrous filters to have the
same or better degree of purification and minimal
resistance as that of surface filters. In this process,
glass fiber media is used extensively due to its
low-pressure drop and better performance at high
temperatures. The structure of glass fiber media
is delicate and may not be regenerated either by air
and/or water. Attempting to regenerate a fibrous
filter by ejecting the particles out of it will lead to the
destruction of the pore structure of the media, and
the dust particles may not be removed completely.
The structure of fibrous filters is illustrated in Figure
7 in its stationary stage, which is defined as the
stage the filter experiences a negligible pressure
drop rise due to particle deposition. On the other
hand, Figure 8 illustrates the progression of particle
loading challenging fibrous media from stationary
phase to non-stationary phase and eventually to dust
cake formation. The non-stationary filtration occurs
when particles deposited around the filter fibers alter
the pore structure of the filter media and causes a
pronounced rise in the
resistance to air flow through the filter, and hence in
the filter’s pressure drop.
The Pressure Drop of Air Filters
Parameters such as particle concentration and
particle size distribution (compared to the pore size
distribution) can lead to their surface deposition.
Eventually, the filter porosity undergoes a substantial
change leading to premature filter clogging and
shorter service life. Surface deposition occurrence
on a depth filter does not warrant the full utilization of
filter depth/thickness as shown in Figure 9. It could
also reduce the permeability of the filter and force it to
depart from the depth deposition stage much earlier
than predicted causing a steep rise in pressure drop.
The pressure drop of an air filter is influenced by the
particle size distribution of the dust loaded. Figure 10
illustrates the difference in dust-loading of the similar
V-bank filters (Figure 11) by SAE fine and coarse dusts
[11,12]. The pressure drop of the filter loaded with SAE
fine dust is higher than loaded with SAE Coarse dust.
Figure 9: Illustration of surface
deposition of particles on filter media.
Figure 10: Effect of particle size on the increase of
pressure drop on similar V-shaped filters [11, 12]
This is because finer particles are more penetrating and
are capable of occupying interstitial spaces inside the filter
medium, which is responsible for the rise in the pressure
drop of the filter. The filter structure may be changed
internally if particles deposit within the media, or externally
if deposited on its surface to form a new layer of dust.
However, when considering the sustainable performance of
an air filter, one must emphasize the balance between filter
efficiency and pressure drop as well as its lifetime.
Closing statement
COVID-19 has demonstrated that air quality is the main
foundation of our global economy. The spread of SARS-
CoV-2 placed more emphasis on advanced filtration
technologies to remove bioaerosol contaminants,
particularly those that are infectious. Therefore, extensive
air filtration research and development is required to
advance filter media and cartridge design to cope with
the increasing concentrations of air pollutants. In past
decades, our favorite subject has been “energy” and
we overlooked other parameters that hang in the same
balance, such as air quality and the well-being of human
occupants. COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of
appropriate air filter selection and the utilization of highefficiency
filtration as well as the employment of other
technologies that combat the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
However, regenerating a disposal filter and returning it to
air handling units for re-use is one practice that must be
unlearnt. Ultimately, the current pandemic is an opportunity
to realign the performance of HVAC and filtration systems
through professional maintenance practices to protect
the well-being of human occupants and not just to simply
provide thermal comfort. It is time to change the narrative
and ensure that our facility managers are following the
air quality regulations since we understand that their
maintenance teams follow their lead. We need to realize
that enhancing indoor air quality through appropriate air
filter selection remains the order of the day.
Figure 11: V-bank filter cartridge used in
the experimental work with dimensions
592x592x400mm [12]
References:
[1] J. Thornburg, C.E. Rodesa, P.A. Lawless, R. Williams
Spatial and temporal variability of outdoor coarse
particulate matter mass concentrations measured with a
new coarse particle sampler during the Detroit exposure
and aerosol research study Atmospheric Environment, 43
(2009), pp. 4251-4258 +
[2] Hinds W.C., 1998. Aerosol Technology, Wiley, New
York.
[3] Chen, C., Zhao, B., 2011. Review of relationship
between indoor and outdoor particles: I/O ratio,
infiltration factor and penetration factor. Atmos. Environ.
45, 275e288.
[4] EPA, 2005. Review of the national ambient air quality
standards for particulate matter: policy as-sessment of
scientific and technical information. OAQPS Staff Paper.
[5] Kathleen H.K., 2019. Indoor Air Quality: The Latest
Sampling and Analytical Methods. Third Edition. ISBN
9780367656775, CRC Press.
[6] Brown R. C., Wake D. 1999. Loading filters with
monodisperse aerosols: macroscopic treatment. J.
Aerosol Sci., 30(2), 227-234.
[7] Lee K.W. and Mukund R., 2001. “Filter collection”, in
“Aerosol Measurement: Principles, Tech-niques, and
Applications” 2nd edition, Ed. P.A.Baron and K.Wileke,
197-228.
[8] Dorman R. G. 1964. “Theory of fibrous filtration”, in
High efficiency air filtration”, Ed. White P.A.F. and Smith
S.E., Butter Worths, London.
[9] Jaroszczjk T., Fallon S.L. and B.A. Pardue, 2002.
“Analysis of engine air cleaner efficiency for differ-ent
size dust distributions”, Fluid/Particle Separation, 14(2).
75-88.
[10] Tarleton E.S. and Wakeman R.J. 2008. “Dictionary of
Filtration and Separation” Filtration Solu-tions, Exeter.
[11] Al-Attar I.S., 2011. “The effect of pleating density and
dust type on performance of absolute fi-brous filters”,
doctoral diss., Loughborough University Institutional
Repository.
[12] Al-Attar I.S., Wakeman, R.J., Tarleton, E.S., and
Husain A., 2009. The effect of pleat count and air velocity
on the initial pressure drop and fractional efficiency of
HEPA filters, Filtration Journal, 10 (3), 200-206.
Remarks:
Images are copyright of the author
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ABOUT US
Eurovent Middle East is the region's only industry association
representing leading manufacturers of Indoor Climate (HVAC),
Process Cooling, Food Cold Chain, Industrial Ventilation, and
Building Automation Technologies, as well as sector associations
and industry initiatives active in these fields. By thinking
‘Beyond HVACR', contributing manufacturers fulfil the highest
requirements in terms of product quality and sustainability.
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