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Money > Business Headlines > Report November 18, 2002 | 1243 IST |
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Voltas likely to bring in piped air-conditioning
Reeba Zachariah & Arijit De in Mumbai You have heard about piped gas for cooking. Now households and corporates in upmarket Mumbai are likely to get cool air through pipes. Voltas, a Tata group firm, is likely bring in "district cooling", a new concept in which cool air is supplied through pipe system. The new concept may change the dynamics of the country's air-conditioning market. Ashok Soni, managing director of Voltas, said: "We are in talks with National Cooling Company, a Dubai-based firm, for entering into a joint venture to bring in the technology." National Cooling is the first company to introduce the technology. Under this new technique, the utility company sets up a chilled-water plant among a cluster of consumers or in a area, and the cool air is supplied through pipes. Another feature of this concept is: 'cool air during summer' and 'warm air during winter'. Currently, institutions/corporates use centralised air-conditioning, while room air-conditioners are used by households. The new concept may fill the gap. Soni said, "In a place like Cuffe Parade or Nariman Point (both in Mumbai), a plant would be set up and cool air would be supplied through pipes to corporates / households / hotels in and around the area." The service would be charged based on meter reading (as per usage). The new technology also allows to regulate the flow of cool or warm air. Through the new system corporates could save on maintenance and capital costs, while households need not buy an air-conditioner for each room. Despite these many advantages, a major hindrance for this new concept would be tariff system. In the Middle East, power is cheaper compared with that in India, where it is significantly higher. "The tremendous potential of this concept depends on the level of government co-operation," Soni said. The air-conditioning market in the country is estimated to be around Rs 2, 800 crore (Rs 28 billion). Of this, 60 per cent is the market of room air-conditioners, which is growing at 12-13 per cent per annum. ALSO READ:
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