Klima-Therm, the growing chiller and air conditioning specialist, has been appointed UK distributor for Chinese manufacturer Gree’s range of centrifugal chillers.

It has also signed an exclusive UK distribution agreement with World Energy, a leader in absorption chillers.

The agreement with Gree enables Klima-Therm to offer high efficiency, cost-competitive centrifugal chiller solutions for the largest buildings and estates, requiring several megawatts of cooling capacity.

Key products in the Gree range are its variable speed centrifugal chiller and photovoltaic (PV) powered inverter chiller. In addition to producing renewable electricity to drive the cooling system, the PV chiller can feed power directly into the grid, enabling the end user to benefit from electricity feed-in tariff.

Gree has nine manufacturing plants (see photo right), seven in China as well as facilities in Brazil and Pakistan. It produces some 55m residential air conditioners and 4.5m commercial systems a year, and manufactures all key components such as compressors and motors.

Managing director of Klima-Therm, Roberto Mallozzi, said: “We are delighted to have secured the distribution agreement with Gree.

“After two decades of rapid growth, one in three residential air conditioning units in the world is now manufactured by Gree, an astonishing feat. Our goal is to make them as famous in the UK’s commercial sector.”

Klima-Therm is backing the launch of Gree centrifugal chillers with a five-year warranty, believed to be an industry first in UK chiller market.

Korean manufacturer World Energy produces some of the most advanced and efficient absorption chillers in the world. The technology captures waste heat from buildings or industrial processes and converts it into high efficiency cooling for application in air conditioning and process use, or into different grades of heat.

A characteristic of World Energy absorption systems is very high efficiency, and the ability to operate across the widest range of waste heat types and temperatures. To ensure performance and efficiency are fully optimised, World Energy absorption machines are designed for each specific project and application.

In addition to reduced running costs, Klima-Therm believes there is a major opportunity for absorption systems in the UK as a result of the mandatory requirement to deliver a component of a building’s energy needs from renewable sources.

Roberto Mallozzi says: “The agreement with World Energy is the latest exciting step in our strategy to offer proven solutions for all technology platforms across the chillers field. The absorption machines join our range alongside the ultra-efficient Turbocor-based chillers and established conventional screw and scroll chillers.

“There are other exciting developments in the pipeline which will complete the offering, and we hope to be able to make an announcement in the near future.”