Dubai Properties, a member of Dubai Holding, has announced the completion of energy saving systems in its communities, which will offset an estimated 1,450 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually.
As it continues its drive towards enhancing the sustainability of its communities, the master developer has enlisted Honeywell, the software-industrial company, and Signify – formerly known as Phillips Lighting – to carry out energy efficiency upgrades at its Business Bay Executive Towers development.
The enhancements include the upgrade of building systems and facilities in 11 towers, which will lead to 3.3 million KW/hr of energy savings annually, resulting in savings of approximately $408,367 in energy bills. The resulting CO2 emissions offset is equivalent to removing 310 cars from the roads for one year, or planting 336 trees, the developer added.
“We are deeply committed to creating sustainable and energy efficient communities, and this is yet another step in the right direction. In addition to facility upgrades such as this, we continue to develop large areas of greenery in our communities, as highlighted recently by the Middle East’s largest living Green Wall at Dubai Wharf,” said Raed Al Nuaimi, group chief executive officer at Dubai Properties.
“Our aim is to contribute to national efforts towards making Dubai an environmentally-friendly city and support initiatives that further encourage building energy efficiency in line with the goals of the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy,” he added.
Keeping in mind Dubai’s efforts to double energy efficiency by 2030 Dubai Properties has collaborated with Signify to retro-fit the existing lighting in 11 residential buildings and corresponding parking areas to LED lights – a total of 16,000 light points.
“Retrofitting buildings to make them more energy efficient can have a huge beneficial impact on the environment, additionally the financial impact can also be vast. We are very pleased to partner with Dubai Properties on this project. We share many of the same values, including reducing our impact on the environment and our alignment on the UAE leadership vision of 2030. Encouraging a shift to LED lighting underscores our commitment to sustainability,” said Goktug Gur, president and CEO of Signify in the Middle East, Turkey and Pakistan.
Furthermore, an upgraded and fully-digital building management system (BMS) has been implemented to monitor and control mechanical and electrical utilities across building systems and facilities. This was done in collaboration with Honeywell, the statement added.
Integrating fan coil units (FCUs) into the BMS will help to provide visibility into electricity consumption, thereby achieving a reduction in electricity bills, the developer explained. As part of this priority, Honeywell also implemented control logic software to operate the FCUs on a set time programme that regulated cooling and indoor temperatures based on outside air temperature. A complete analysis of the programme was also carried out to identify likely challenges and improve building systems.
“Honeywell is focused on building a smarter, safer, and more sustainable world, and we are committed to helping our customers in Dubai and across the UAE achieve better energy efficiency, cut costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Paolo Cervini, president for Honeywell Building Solutions, Middle East, Russia, Turkey and Africa.
“We’re blending physical products with software solutions to enable smarter, more connected buildings that are greener, safer and more productive, and we are proud to partner with Dubai Properties as they work to create more sustainable and energy efficient communities.”
Earlier this year, Dubai Properties revealed the region’s largest Green Wall at Dubai Wharf. The vertical garden spans 1,260sqm, and features over 80,000 plants forming a leaf canopy area equivalent to around 200 trees. It is capable of offsetting an estimated 4.4 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) annually.