Egypt’s Almaza City Center mall and leisure center is a new complex that offers retail outlets, restaurants, state-of-the-art IMAX cinemas, indoor skiing and other sports facilities. It is the size of 18 football fields. In a hot climate the mall requires reliable and efficient air conditioning to ensure that those visiting and working in the mall are comfortable.
The 130,000 square meter Cairo mall features 200 ABB ACH580 ultra-low harmonics drives to ensure reliable air conditioning at the complex. Almaza is the first building in the region to install these drives.
Quasi Energy Systems & Control Solutions, an ABB authorized partner, has played a key role in implementing the HVACR system at the complex during the final stages of construction. “I am extremely pleased with the delivery time and punctuality,” says Mohamed Salah, Quasi chairman and managing director. “ABB's ultra-low harmonics drives have all the same features in one device that competitors can only offer with multiple devices. The ACH580 is also small, so it saves space and costs.”
“Our strong partnership with Quasi Systems has secured a focus on new technologies in the HVAC industry in Egypt,” says Frank Taaning Grundholm, vice president, Global HVACR Sales, Drives, ABB. “Our partner network is extremely important for ABB. Partners like Quasi Systems add substantial value with their proximity to the local markets and understanding of end user requirements.”
ACH580 easily integrated and energy efficient
Salah was impressed by the combination of low harmonic drives and HVAC functionality. The ACH580 drives provide complete heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) functionality. They ensure applications operate reliably and without costly unplanned outages.
The drives are energy efficient and are able to connect with existing building automation and control systems. They are wall-mounted or cabinet-built and can be integrated with most motors. Fan speeds automatically adjust to the needs of each specific application, which creates energy savings. With an IP55 enclosure rating, these drives are the most compact harmonics mitigation solution on the market.
Projects like Almaza would typically use a combination of a drive and either a passive or active filter, requiring additional installation and maintenance work over their life span. ABB’s ACH580 has complete HVAC functionality in the drive, which makes commissioning of the drives easier and faster.
The low harmonics also reduce the amount of reactive power needed. Harmonics pollute the electrical network and make equipment connected to it behave erratically. Components with lower harmonics will experience fewer interruptions and less interference. ABB’s ultra-low harmonics drives produce 97 percent less harmonics than conventional models.
