“Sustainable use of energy will be a driving factor”

DB-AIRE India Pvt Ltd is a 100-percent subsidiary of Dunham-Bush – one of the oldest global commercial heating and air conditioning unit manufacturers. In an interview with TCBU, DB-AIRE India’s southern region sales manager Mr Sai Sri Rengan talks about product offering, growth targets and expansion plans for Indian market. Excerpts:

What’s your take on the recent performance of HVAC industry in India and how do you see the demand for HVAC systems in the years to come?
Everyone is aware the entire country has suffered because of the COVID-19 pandemic. HVAC industry is no exemption to that and considerable slowdown was observed during the lockdown period. At the same time, we have seen a surge in demand for HVAC products post lockdown restrictions and feel that in the near future there will be considerable demand for energy-efficient and sustainable solutions.

The current pandemic situation has increased the need to focus on high-performance buildings that are energy efficient but also offer better Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) with efficient air filtration and ventilation with adequate fresh air changes.

How is your organisation able to address this growing demand for high performance buildings and what kind of products and solutions you can offer?
Dunham-Bush offers a wide range of products which have found global acceptance and have been time tested. We can offer some of the best efficient and reliable products which can also be customised for customer’s requirements thus offering greater flexibility in meeting their needs. With our diverse offerings in both screw chiller and centrifugal chiller segments, we are able to offer multiple choices to our customers helping them select an efficient system with the lowest operation cost at the same time keeping in view the sustainability factor and environment. Products with heat recovery and heat pump technology are able to save significant amounts of energy costs in healthcare, pharmaceutical, and hospitality segments instead of traditional boilers.

We have also introduced new technologies with the DB Air Cleaning System with a plasma filtration system in air handling unit systems which aids in maintaining better IAQ and safer occupied space.

Pharmaceutical segment has come under the focus during the pandemic period and how do you see opportunity arising for HVAC business.
This unprecedented crisis has offered Indian pharmaceuticals companies an opportunity to develop an effective vaccine and as well as newer preventive medicines.

We find that the pharma industry is more technology-driven with a greater focus on cost reduction and innovation. Products offered for the pharma industry must be both highly efficient and reliable. Our offering in chillers with screw compressors is with both inverter technology and multiple compressors providing the best of both worlds to the customers. We see a very important role in providing affordable products with the latest innovations and energy-efficient technology to this industry.

What are the top trends that will dominate HVAC industry post COVID-19?
Sustainable use of energy will be a driving factor. With the present emphasis on IAQ, increased fresh air changes and filtration can eat into the building owner’s budget. Hence HVAC products that can help owners identify and stave off the additional energy consumed to create comfort and safety will be given importance.

We have already set benchmarks in many landmark projects in India for meeting the highest specifications while offering a higher energy efficiency rating than the minimum criteria set as per the building codes and standards.

Can you elaborate more on the role of energy efficient products in new building constructions?
HVAC systems in commercial buildings account for more than 40 percent of the total energy utilised. Consequently, the building owner has the potential and choice in realising significant savings by considering the most energy-efficient product, which often comes at a steep premium. We help our customers in realising that goal by right equipment sizing, considering the part-load performance of the equipment, and provide affordable, accessible technology. The more we offer affordable, efficient, and accessible technologies; the better will be the results for the occupants in the buildings, as we believe in creating a work environment for better and efficient productivity.

You achieved double-digit growth during the past 2 years. Are you expecting similar growth this year?
We feel there could be overall demand contraction in the short term and this could have a minor setback in the current year growth. We have so far received a great response from our customers, with whom we share a strong connection with our products serving them for years now. We are also increasing our focus on growing segments such as pharma, healthcare, and the industrial segment where we can offer our fantastic range of both light commercial and applied products. We believe that our solution offering customisable products that are both efficient and reliable shall help in creating a strong customer base for years to come.

What are your plans in expansion of your presence in the Indian market?
We have now established our presence with our sales and service network across India and have independent service hubs in all major metro cities through our service partners. We are on channel expansion mode across the major cities as well as in sunrise cities, where there is substantial activity in both commercial and infrastructure projects. Through our channel partners, we are able to address our customer’s demands immediately and effectively.

HVAC products that can help owners identify and stave off the additional energy consumed to create comfort and safety will be given importance.
Sai Sri Rengan, Regional Sales Manager – South, DB-Aire India Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru