China has the world’s biggest heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) market. In 2015 the predicted size of the market will be RMB 110.7 billion (over 13 billion euros), with an annual growth rate of 20 %. Cleantech Finland, Jokerit Ice Hockey Club and City of Helsinki arranged a business seminar where Dr Mikkanen of TM Systems was invited to present as an expert on industrial air systems.
The scale of systems TM Systems delivers is thousands of times that of a typical room ventilation unit. Simultaneously in large projects the energy saved compares to that needed to heat more than 1000 single houses in a Beijing winter. The climate conditions can be quite extreme with outside temperatures of -40◦C to +35◦C, humidity 100%, high wind loads and other extreme conditions and yet the conditions require careful regulation of the temperature, humidity, air flows, noise and draft.
Dr Mikkanen also reviewed scientific studies on occupational health. For example these studies show that lowering the temperature from 40°C to 22°C increases working efficiency by 30% and increasing ventilation to recommended level improves efficiency by 4%. For a typical mill with 500 people the savings of labor hours can be more than 250 000 hours per year.
The business seminar agenda was extensive and among the speakers were the Deputy Minister Jari Gustafsson, Major of Helsinki Jussi Pajunen as well as the hockey legend Jari Kurri.