Beirut's sun drenched days and high-rise sunsets paint beautiful skylines and shoreline horizons unmatched by any city in Lebanon's vicinity this summer. Yet Lebanon is notorious for its archaic and ailing power supply grid made worse by high levels of humidity that grip the country well beyond the summer months.
LG is turning up the heat a few more degrees, on the competition that is, with a high tech cooling device known as the 3rd generation MULTI V III VRF (Multi V3), revolutionizing the AC concept and breaking international threshold standards for energy savings and functionality. The device is a breath of fresh air for tower dwellers and builders of stratosphere reaching skyscrapers, which so far have had to make do with less efficient, more expensive devices to condition their living and working spaces.
Representing 15% of the company's overall business, LG Electronic's Air conditioning and Energy solutions is one of four business units, catapulting the company to international recognition as a global leader and innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, employing more than 93,000 people working in over 120 operations around the world and generating 2010 worldwide sales of $48.2 billion. "Energy solutions imply savings on energy and cost using high technology for end users and businesses," said Hae Nam Ahn, Director of LG Electronics, for the Levant and Iraq territories.
The question asked by LG and competitors in the Lebanese market is how to make people comfortable under these conditions? "LG uses a highly advanced tropical and inverter compressor leading to savings of up to 60% on energy, substantial savings on space - crucial for tall superstructures - and very low maintenance costs compared to other systems," Ahn said. This is not surprising considering that LG invests anywhere from 5-7% of its turnover on R&D out of not only eco-friendliness but to also pass the savings on to the consumer.
LG's global market share in ACs stands at 10% and ranks third worldwide in Energy Solutions, with a repertoire of projects implemented in all corners of the world and ongoing testing of new solar energy techniques in the Levant starting three years ago. "Climate change is a big environmental issue and we don't take it lightly, thus our green marketing efforts are geared towards reducing CO2 usage, decreasing operating cost, and diminishing energy consumption," Ahn added.
The Multi V technology is based on the pioneering variable speed inverter compressor LG uses in both its retail business; where LG is number one in Lebanon with 30% market share; and its commercial market, where LG is number two in the country behind Hitachi, having launched earlier versions of the Multi V only two years ago. "The Multi V3 has no direct competition. Usually the compressor has a constant speed and when you turn on the AC, the speed and consumption are also constant. With the inverter AC, we can have variable speeds from 10-100% with 60%-70% in energy savings," said Rabih Dawaliby, Regional Manager, LG Electronics Levant. The Multi V3 can function in the heating mode with outside conditions reaching -15ºC, while regular ACs used for heat, usually stop working in sub-zero degree temperatures. Additionally, the inverter technology is resistant to power fluctuations Lebanon is famed for.
The Multi V3 is a system of outdoor units which can be connected to 16-20 indoor units/system best suited for high rise buildings. "Anytime you have more than 50 meters in building height, you need a special AC. The multi V3 can cover elevations up to 110 meters," added Dawaliby. What this means is that one system on the roof can supply cold air to indoor units from 40 floors up all the way down to the ground floor using one piping network. "110 meters is only reached through LG's Multi V3. No other competitor has it. Another unique feature this year is that we can go up to 1000 meters in piping. This translates into great savings in space and when you have a tower, one square meter equals huge sums of money," Dawaliby explained.
The Multi V3 is a breakthrough development having the highest coefficient of performance ever with a 4.58 rating, chief among all competition.
The commercial air conditioner targets zero ODP (Ozone Depletion Potential) by using R410A refrigerant instead of conventional R22. Its extended pipe length and difference in elevation technology is one of the world's best. In addition, the Multi V3 reduces installation space by 30%, and a fault prediction function lets you check the current status of the sensors and the EEV, the major components for system control, through a test run. The Multi V3 is calculated based on tonnage, with an average of $2500 per refrigeration ton. Most projects are around 400-800 tons, thus project installation costs range between $600,000 and $1 million. Several projects in Lebanon are being undertaken in collaboration with project designers, architects, Grade A consultants and developers. "We don't sell and run. The most important aspect of these projects before any sale of the product takes place is developing trust thanks to strong technical support by LG. We conduct technical seminars and do trips to Korea, and the operation is backed by technical teams, sales, service and backup personnel," Dawaliby indicated. This type of collaboration has earned LG global AC sales of $4 billion. With end to end monitoring of service lead time through LG's regional call center, the company keeps close watch of its distributors, a channel network that the company continuously trains trying to increase sales this year by up to 25%. With Multi V3 the sky is the limit... but is it?
© Capital ME 2012
