in HVAC - this is to take full responsibility for the entire process

 In the air conditioning, one must work from the analysis and the vacant expectation, to the delivery, installation, gap and post-gap clearance - the rest are half-hearted solutions and partial air conditioning, the expert claims. Guaranteeing the functional parameters of the working installations is the responsible and professional attitude towards the customer.

 For 33 years now, the company "Termosyst" has imposed its specific profile in the HVAC sector. The implemented projects of the company achieve a high level of energy efficiency and living comfort. This is especially important in the 21st century, when the construction segment must meet the challenge of climate change.

The company's portfolio ­includes the modernization of the "Telenor" office building in "Business Park Sofia", as well as large hotel properties such as "Grand Hotel Velingrad", "Aqua Tonica", Velingrad, "Diana Mar", Pavel Banya, "Knyaz Πavel" - Pavel Banya, the Big Complex in Starocel, "Helena Beach" and others. Among their reference projects are Double Tree by Hilton and Lime Tree business center in Plovdiv.

In 1997, Nikolay Konstantinov was accepted as a member of ASHRAE - American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc., where he continues to be a member until now. What is the complicated path that "Termosyst " experts went through all these years - we talk about the topic with engineer Nikolay Konstantinov, the founder of the innovative company.

 Eng. Konstantinov, your company "Termosyst " is known for its sites in the country and by the sea, but not so much in Plovdiv. However, you are currently working on two significant Plovdiv projects - PARKMAXX RETAIL PARK and Magnolia Forest residential complex. Let's go back 33 years in time to where it all started?

My entry into the business of air ­conditioning technology and installations is a continuation of my higher education. I graduated in 1981 as an "Industrial Heat Engineering" specialist at VMEI "Lenin" in Sofia. Moreover, with an excellent diploma, which ranked me in the top 10 of graduated engineers at the national level. In the following year, 1982, I also completed my postgraduate qualification "Engineer Specialist in Applied Mathematics".

I was lucky enough to be a graduate student of Prof. Stoichkov, which gave me an easy start in the direction I wanted to develop, namely energy efficiency and optimization of thermal processes.

Then I got into the scientific unit ­of an innovative enterprise - New Energy Sources - Plovdiv branch, where I was a designer and chief designer in the period 1982-1999. Entering the private business, in 1993 I successfully passed exams in front of DAIKIN specialists and so the company "Termosyst" received the rights to be an authorized DAIKIN dealer for Bulgaria.

Innovation is your trademark, what makes your company different?

I imposed the so-called "Systems ­engineering" - very few companies do it in the world.

This is to take responsibility for the entire process - from analysis and prospective acceptance, to delivery, assembly, clearance and pre-clearance inspection.

Guaranteeing the functional ­parameters of the working installations is the responsible and professional attitude towards the customer. The other is half-hearted solutions and partial air conditioning.

Yes, we have a very specific profile ­, because we are not builders or installers, but we take full responsibility for the project - we work on different ideas, we realize them almost as if they were a real project The investor can make an informed choice of what is necessary. The main goal is to perform highly efficient HVAC installations. We are responsible for the function of the installation and its operating parameters, not only for its technical elements.

On the Bulgarian market, especially in the HVAC sector, Western investors and companies are already looking for exactly this approach - for someone to take full responsibility for the functional parameters of the operating installations. Figuratively speaking - everyone wants to buy a car that was developed by the manufacturer himself.

In our country, the great irresponsibility continues to be the way of conducting the tenders in the investment process. A competition is held only for the architectural appearance of the site, but not for installation solutions. The lowest price criterion is a brake on innovative technologies. Comparable to many other criteria, they come out much more profitable and cheap even for a start-up investment.

We know that HVAC innovations start to enter from the 1980s at the beginning of the first energy and financial crises, when they began to make more sophisticated efforts in the area of energy efficiency. How did you get involved in these processes?

As far back as 1991, we were the first to introduce in our country the reception of foreign HVAC installations through the "analysis of the energy potential ­" - today this approach is now mandatory in the EU.

In 1992, we also introduced the "VRV" technology of DAIKIN and this happened in Plovdiv - in sites such as "Agrobusiness Bank" and the Customs ­Complex on Blvd. Kuklensko Shousse. Our pride as Bulgarians is that this happened only 8 years after it was patented on the world market. Here I will give as an example the cinema complexes "Arena", accepted and implemented by the nation.

For the first time in the world, this unique technology was applied to movie theaters!

A reference to our work ­was published in the central catalogue of DAIKIN, in Osaka. The catalogue that reviews the world's innovative achievements in the field of direct smoking systems and their application.

Then I thought about the fact that design work is very labor-intensive and many people are replaced ­in it. I asked myself the question: what should I change so that the creative beginning is not lost among the paperwork? And in 2007, for the first time, we introduced systems for automatic verification (incl. scanning, saving of brick walls, obtaining similar specifications of materials, etc. a necessary information for taking the answer sheet) and so we tried it in the past - from 4-5 years ago they became mandatory in the EU.

The innovative technology for building air duct networks patented by the LINDAB company, patented under the abbreviation "SAFE CLICK" and on the basis of 3D printing - we make the elements of the future installation with a print for the assembly.­

Thus, we deliver ready-made elements to the site with excellent technological discipline - our installers simply assemble them on site.

In this way, if we need to modify an object, we can easily extract ­its elements and calculate them. Advanced technologies mean easier assembly and less dependence on a large amount of labor. In this way, we imposed a new culture - a continuous introduction of the latest technologies on a global scale. Good know-how is the starting point.

We work following the motto: "We do it and we can prove it!".

Have you reacted to the situation surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and how? Aren't air conditioners the biggest enemy of people working in closed offices?

Incorrectly designed and unprofessionally built air ­conditioning installations can be a prerequisite for an unhealthy climate. Microclimate parameters are well-founded from a medical point of view and are embedded in the professional education of HVAC specialists. It is not by chance that the recommendations of colleagues on a ­global scale are aimed at increasing the frequency of air exchange in the premises based on qualitatively constructed and functioning ventilation systems. I.e. the recommendation was to cut the number of people in the offices in half. The idea is to provide the others with double the amount of fresh air.

Improper ventilation leads to stagnant air and its saturation with moisture, dust and other pollutants.

This affects people's health ­, and if you stay in such a room for a long time, you get headaches, fatigue, and reduced work capacity.

The solution in this case are the so-called balanced ventilations.

In our operation, the ­possibilities for air purification have improved a lot - this is done with built-in filters for the destruction of viruses, bacteria, mites, pollen allergens and other pollutants. DAIKIN is already applying ­the STREAMER technology developed and patented by them in the latest products for their online distribution.

This is how, by working for the public ­bath of the clean labor market, we will return the residents to the offices more quickly.

We implemented this type of technical ­air purification in a functioning office building at Site Ground in Sofia. Currently, the company's employees - IT specialists, enjoy a comfortable microclimate, teamwork and all the necessary conditions for the development of their office activities.

Today it is fashionable to talk about the "circular economy" - a model of production and consumption that minimizes waste and brings benefits to the environment. What happens to waste heat in buildings?

Yes, we are also working in this direction­. The modern HVAC systems generate significant amounts of waste heat energy, which manifests itself as a waste of hot water. We had the chance and again we were the first to introduce technologies using the waste heat between individual buildings in Bulgaria.

The example is unique and it is called Garіtаgе Раrk Ѕоfіа. The use of the waste heat so far was used until it reaches one floor, and now we used it for 120 thousand square meters - in 4 separate buildings, in an entire office suite.

In this way, we use the ­lost heat to heat the swimming pool, the gym, SPA, the Levski volleyball hall, under floor heating.

I can tell you another ­interesting fact: the new buildings - especially the bigger ones, which lead to central heating in the traditional way, with all the problems of energy distribution, consumption that of hot water, heat sinks, which is actually not necessary.

The advanced technologies provide a modular design with intelligent solutions for under floor heating, hot water and air conditioning for an apartment - with them, the vertical pipes of the central installation are not needed anymore.

The construction of modular ­installations for new residential complexes with many apartments is a challenge to the industry for the implementation of the highest technologies in terms of energy efficiency, noise in the environment, comfort in the inhabited premises, individual control and accounting of consumed energy.

How do you use alternative energy sources - are you working in this direction as well?

Our developments in the direction of geothermal waters - a large natural source in our country - are unique. In our facilities, we apply technology for the use ­of geothermal energy in deep waters over 1500 m underground.

What is interesting about my approach is that I have targeted water as a waste product, but I use it not at the entrance, but at the exit of the building.

Apply the contact pin ­zip - this is the water after using it for balneo and SPA procedures, i.e. use of waste heat energy. And today there are even attempts to use geothermal energy without contact. So the prospects are huge, as long as we know how to master them wisely.

One example - years ago, the founder of the "Grand Hotel Velingrad" invited us to implement an installation with the waste water from the SPA center for heating the entire complex, which works ­to this day. Our SPA capital, Velingrad, can safely heat mineral water, without carbon dioxide particles in the air from the rotting manure.

We are currently addressing projects related to the construction of large residential complexes of a closed type, where investors bet on the high-quality end product.

And they choose the participants in the ­investment process to be proven companies with a built-in philosophy for protecting their product.