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Convincing the customer
Despite the energy savings that can be made through the utilisation of systems such as CHP units, Bronkal said that many clients tend to focus on the immediate investment, rather than on the savings made on long-term operational costs.
"When they first consider the investment they can be slightly reluctant, so we have to convince them that with our systems they can save energy, reduce their costs and become more competitive," he remarked.
Bronkal said, however, that a growing number of clients want to find out about the possibilities of improving their energy efficiency in order to save money and reduce operational costs.
"These customers want to get the best solution not only for their pocket, but also for the environment," he said.
In the Middle East, Bosch has targeted major projects similar in size and scale to Abu Dhabi's Masdar City, which the firm has kept a close eye on due to the new systems and energy solutions being proactively tested at the development.
Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are among the key Gulf markets being targeted by the firm; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia due to the large number of retail developments being built in both countries, while Qatar's hosting of the FIFA World Cup in 2022 has energised those manufacturers offering innovative and efficient energy solutions such as Bosch.
"Shopping malls are looking for water-source heat pump systems as this is an excellent product for such developments," said Bosch Termoteknik Turkey commercial and project sales manager, Fatih ?ner.
"They will need cooling and maybe heating in the same building, but in different areas. We are in the process of preparing to launch a new range of next generation water-source heat pumps," he added. "The current generation we have are for the Kazakhstan and Turkish markets, but the next generation will be available in other markets such as those in the Gulf."
Egypt is another market, post-revolution, that Bronkal said the firm is targeting due to the huge potential for energy-efficient machinery.
Self-sufficient success
A system employed at Universit?tsklinikum Marburg, close to Bosch's production facilities in central Germany, has ignited the interest of similar institutions in the Middle East that are looking to become self-sufficient in energy.
In September 2010, Bosch Industriekessel provided the medical campus with two universal steam boilers UL-S and two Unimat heating boilers UT-L, providing it with a steam output of 3,000 kg per hour for supplying steam to kitchen, laundry, cleaning and disinfection facilities.
The medical centre required the technology to become self sufficient in its energy needs, while at the end of October 2010, a further two steam boilers and heating boilers each were commissioned.
Bosch describes the shell boiler UL-S as a "modern and efficient three-pass boiler" that ensures low-emission, environmentally-friendly combustion.
The Unimat boilers UT-L use low emission natural gas and have a heat output of 7.7MW each to heat the domestic and heating water on the facility.
The result of the boiler and modular technology from Bosch Industriekessel has enabled Universit?tsklinikum Marburg to become self-sufficient in energy, leading Bosch to claim that the investment in modern energy architecture can pay off within four years.
?ner, who has been responsible for the implementation of several energy efficient cooling and heating systems to retail facilities in Turkey, said that the future of the large industrial systems depends on whether companies such as Bosch convince market rivals to go in the same direction, as well as getting the message across the business through a range of training schemes and initiatives.
"Bosch is investing a lot in the gap for communication in training," he said. "Training is very important and if you train all the key players and partners in this segment they will all head in this direction."
