Energy efficiency requirements drive up demand for AC systems in Romania

Newsroom 12/06/2014 | 17:41

As office developers and tenants start to pay more attention to reducing utility costs and energy efficiency, sales of air conditioning (AC), ventilation and heating systems are expected to go up, said Florin Radulescu, founder of AVI Compact, this Wednesday. By contrast, on the residential market, which is split between premium solutions and the cheap “made in China” products, sales continue to stagnate, he added.

The company saw its turnover grow by 10 percent in the first semester, after reporting sales of EUR 4.3 million last year. About 90 percent of its business is generated by the corporate segment where the average value of a project is EUR 50,000 – EUR 100,000. This is lower than a year ago, but the firm now has more projects.

Demand for new AC systems has also been driven by the coming into force last year of EU directive 2009/125 on eco design requirements for energy-related products, under which the sale of non-inverter AC systems is no longer permitted.

With the exception of office projects delivered over the past three years, most office buildings need to upgrade their AC/heating systems, which in turn can reduce energy costs by up to 30 percent, said Radulescu. One example, added company representatives, is the BCR headquarters on Victoriei Road. The building’s 15-year-old AC/heating system consumed 700 Kw/hour. After a new system was installed, consumption dropped to 530 Kw/hour while the chilling capacity increased by 5 percent, said Marian Pandele, AVI Compact’s executive director. Maintenance costs also weigh in the decision to invest in a new AC/heating system. “If such an investment is not recoverable in five years, few buyers will do it,” he said.

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