Insights from the Eurovent PG-CT Chairperson

Laurent Petiot is the Chairperson of the Eurovent Product Group ‘Evaporative Cooling Equipment’ (PG-CT) and General Manager at Baltimore Aircoil Company. He gives us brief details on the activities of the PG-CT.

Could you tell us about yourself and how you got involved in the HVACR industry?

I originally worked for the oil and gas industry. I started working in the HVAC industry in 2003, for a manufacturer which specialised in package cooling towers. That market appeared to be segmented into consultants, contractors and investors. I realised at that moment the need for having a single voice in the industry in this market, including evaporative cooling, and also the benefits of the certification.

What are the main focus points of the Product Group ‘Evaporative Cooling Equipment’, and could you tell us the current challenges in the sector and how the product group is tackling them?

The overall mission of the Product Group is the promotion of evaporative cooling. This highlights the benefits of the technology in a more and more sustainability-demanding market. Furthermore, the importance of the design and operation for safe hygiene and performance. The current challenges are indeed oriented to the participation and adaptation to stringer regulations, to overall system performance in terms of power consumption. The demonstration of the industry skills and benefits is also closely linked to certification.

Could you elaborate on what the Eurovent Recommendation 9/11 – Application of the machinery safety regulation focuses on and who could benefit from it?

The Eurovent Recommendation 9/11 is a document concerning the application of the Machinery Safety Directive. This recommendation is to be used as a guideline by manufacturers of standard mechanical draught series cooling towers. In short, it states that the evaporative equipment is not a Machine, but enters the definition of a quasi-machine, as a partly completed machine, not able to operate on its own. Consequently, the equipment shall not be marked CE but be delivered with a Certificate of Incorporation. The company installing the evaporative equipment will integrate it into a global installation that will then be CE-compliant (evaporative, pumps, panels etc). The benefit is that all the components of a cooling system will be checked and integrated into a single certificate, including the risk analysis specific to every installation.

The Eurovent Recommendation 9/11 is available for download free of charge on the Eurovent website.