Daikin Middle East, manufacturer of air conditioning equipment, recently set up its Middle East office and a distribution centre in the Jebel Ali Free Zone to market products developed specially for this region.

These include the ‘High Ambient’ VRV (variable refrigerant volume) developed specially for Middle East installation and the recently introduced water-cooled VRV, says Saidja Geirnaert - general manager, Daikin Middle East.
Commenting on the innovative features of the VRV system, Geirnaert says it is recognised throughout the world as the ‘benchmark’ for advanced air conditioning technology.
“The VRV is a sophisticated rapid response system in which multiple indoor fan coil units can be zoned with on a single refrigerant circuit. An inverter driven compressor modulates system output to match the precise cooling/heating requirements of the conditioned space,” he explained.
The special High Ambient VRVII has an operating temperature range of –5 degrees C to 50 degrees C (cooling only) and can support up to 32 indoor fan coil units on the same refrigerant circuit. Models are available from 92,100 to 276,300 Btu/h. The system is compact with lightweight modular outdoor units that require minimum installation space. The inverter controlled DC compressor generates high COP values and efficiency levels, reducing electricity consumption and running costs.
The water-cooled VRV is designed for use in new commercial projects where no roof or external space is available for outdoor condensing units or where stringent noise restrictions apply. It can, however, also be fitted to an existing chilled water/cooling tower circuit during refurbishment operations.
Cooling is achieved by means of a plate heat exchanger, located within the condensing unit casing and supplied with pre-cooled water at a temperature between 10  degrees C to 45 degrees C from a cooling tower.
Available in 10, 20 and 30 HP models, the water cooled VRVII operates on R-410A refrigerant with heat recovery on both refrigerant and water circuits as standard. The condensing unit is compact at 1,000 x 780 x 550 mm, lightweight (150 kg) and can be installed in space-saving ‘double- decker’ fashion in a plant room. As many as 13 different types of Daikin indoor units in 75 different models from 7,800 btu/h to 98,300 btu/h capacity are compatible with the new system and up to 32 can be connected to one condensing module.
The regional office will initially serve Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar and support a dealer network and the full Daikin product portfolio. A distribution centre, set up in Jebel Ali, will ensure ready availability of air conditioning units, the company said.