Issue 37 | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013
Light
Sustainable
Energy-efficient lighting offers a quick win route to cutting carbon emissions
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BGreen-EGBC Round table
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lebanon’s clean energy project
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EDITOR’S PAGE 3
Publisher Dominic De Sousa COO Nadeem Hood Founder Liam Williams liam.williams@cpimediagroup.com Editorial Contributing Editor Anoop K Menon anoop.menon@cpimediagroup.com Reporter Lorraine Bangera lorraine.bangera@cpimediagroup.com Advertising Director Harry Norman harry.norman@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9131 Manager Junaid Rafique junaid.rafique@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9134 Marketing Manager Jasmine Kyriakou jasmine.kyriakou@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9128 Design & Photography Senior Designer Marlou Delaben marlou.delaben@cpimediagroup.com Designer Cris Malapitan cris.malapitan@cpimediagroup.com Web Development Troy Maagma Maher Waseem Shahzad Administration Cesar Ypil cesar.ypil@cpimediagroup.com +971 4 440 9100 Production and Circulation James P. Tharian Rochelle Almeida Printed by Printwell Printing Press LLC Published by
Head Office PO Box 13700 Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 440 9100 Fax: +971 4 447 2409 Web: www.buildgreen.ae __________ © Copyright 2013 CPI. All rights reserved. While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.
A
high priority E
nergy efficiency is a high priority in the Middle East - if you thought otherwise, the articles inside should eliminate those doubts. Without really intending to, we ended up putting together an issue that delves into the significance of energy efficiency in the region and its role in enabling sustainable development of the region’s energy intensive economies. The Dubai Supreme Council of Energy has targeted energy efficient lighting as a focus area for rationalising the use of energy. Moreover, Dubai Municipality is all set to extend its green building regulations, which has energy efficiency as a corner stone, to the private sector from the start of next year. Even in our co-organised round table with Emirates Green Building Council (EGBC) on sustainability trends in the hospitality industry, bulk of the discussion centred on energy efficiency. With more than half of the world’s population already living in cities and growing, energy consumption for transport in cities is expected to double. This issue highlights a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), which points out that policies that improve the energy efficiency of urban transport systems could help save as much as $70 trillion in spending on vehicles, fuel and transportation infrastructure between now and 2050. The report’s findings hold tremendous significance for the Middle East which is diversifying its transport strategy away from an overwhelmingly roadbased approach to incorporating more efficient modes like rail. Of interest to the readers would be the pioneering step undertaken by Tandeef, the waste collection and city-wide street-cleaning division of Bee’ah, to introduce a new range of electric-powered vehicles that can collect 600,000 tonnes of waste a day. This not only marks a first for Sharjah and the UAE, but also for the whole of Middle East. Even Lebanon, despite its divided polity and troubled economic growth, managed to launch its first land fill gas-to-energy project which is expected to spur similar projects elsewhere in the country which is struggling to overcome energy shortage. These announcements point to a growing seriousness about energy efficiency and conservation in the region. We intend to be equally proactive in discussing new announcements and developments in this area in our future editions and events.
Anoop Menon
anoop.menon@cpimediagroup.com
Contributing Editor
August/September 2013
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CONTENTS
CONTENTS August/september 2013
ENERGY AND WATER
55
16 Catching the wave BGreen discusses the possibility of introducing a hydrokinetic ocean wave energy system in the Middle East 19 High price for transport BGreen examines IEA’s recommendations to boost energy-efficiency for urban transport systems
CONSTRUCTION 28 Green extrusions Gulf Extrusions speaks with BGreen about its sustainable practices and X-ECO alloys 32 Materialistically Green Frost and Sullivan explains the role and progress of green materials in the construction industry 38 Passive savings Siemens Tech to help reduce power and water use in MENA region’s first Passivhaus experiment
News 8 UAE 10 WORLD 12 Really?
Comments 22 The time is now Samuel Merkli explains why the Middle East should embrace energy-efficiency 26 LEEDing us astray? Roderick Wiles criticises LEED’s disregard for wood products
August/September 2013
19 27
CONTENTS
33
42
SPECIAL FEATURE 42 Sustainable light BGreen looks at alternatives to traditional lighting to reduce overall demand of electricity and reduce energy consumption
TECHNOLOGY 50 Lebanon’s clean energy project Landfill gas-to-energy project helps to meet the country’s growing demand for electricity 53 Zero emissions Bee’ah launches new street cleaning fleet which features solar powered boats and eco-friendly equipment
BUsiness 58 Being a corporate hero Paola Ferreira comments on EWS-WWF’s Heroes of the UAE programme and its impact on climate change 62 Sustainability in hospitality BGreen and Emirates Green Building Council (EGBC) chaired a round table discussion on sustainability trends in the hospitality sector
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75
LEISURE 68 Back to wood Alex de Rijke’s series of interlocking timber staircases called ‘Endless Stair’ will be showcasing for in London this year
OIL & GAS 72 Middle East’s first solar EOR project Enclosed trough system from GlassPoint uses the sun’s energy to produce steam for thermal EOR, thereby reducing the need to burn natural gas.
SOCIETY 75 Green Personality Marina Silva, former Senator of the National Assembly, has developmental ideas that could take her country further 76 Diary dates 78 Sustainable past Historic aquaculture
August/September 2013
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6
Expert Panel
His Highness Sheikh Abdul Aziz bin Ali Al Nuaimi
Saeed Alabbar
Thomas Bohlen
LEED AP, Estidama PQP Vice Chairman Emirates Green Building Council Director Alabaar Energy and Sustainability Group
NCARB,LEED AP, BD +C, ESTIDAMA PQP Chief Technical Officer Middle East Centre for Sustainable Development
Dr Michael Krämer
DR Mutasim Nour
IVANO IANNELLI
Senior Associate Taylor Wessing (Middle East) LLP Legal Counsel Emirates Solar Industry Association
Director of MSc Energy Heriot Watt University, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Dubai Carbon Centre of Excellence
William Whistler
Roderick Wiles
TANZEED ALAM
Director - Africa, Middle East, India and Oceania American Hardwood Export Council
POLICY DIRECTOR EWS-WWF
Abdulrahman Jawahery President Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company Chairman GPCA Responsible Care Initiative
Environmental Advisor Ajman Government Chief Executive Officer Al Ihsan Charity Centre Chairman International Steering Committee Global Initiative Towards a Sustainable Iraq, UAE
The concept behind the BGreen Expert Panel is to provide a platform for those who are active in encouraging sustainable practices and solutions across industries—the real experts— who can share their views, analyses, and research with our informed readers. We will also be organising quarterly events for the panellists to meet and mingle, while discussing the latest in news, strategies and solutions on focussed topics related to sustainability. Panellists are encouraged to pen their comments, opinions and analyses that can be published in our magazine, as well as on our website in a portfolio format documenting their contributions. The Panel is constantly growing as we strive to form the ultimate taskforce of decision makers, academicians, consultants and engineers that can encourage a sustainable watershed across industries.
Managing Director Green Building Solutions International
If you would like to nominate an expert to join our panel, please email our Editorial team at bgreeneditor@cpidubai.com.
STRATEGIC ICT PARTNER
Alan Millin LEED AP, Chartered Engineer consultant/trainer Middle East Facility Management Association
August/September 2013
JosE Alberich PARTNER AT Kearney
8
NEWS | UAE
Impact of climate change on local business Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s Centre for Responsible Business recently conducted a session for its Sustainability Network members to raise their awareness about the impact of climate change on business in the UAE. The session was arranged in association with the Emirates Wildlife Society/World Wildlife Fund (EWS-WWF). Outlining the UAE’s vision and strategy for energy and climate change, the seminar gave participants the opportunity to discuss environmental challenges impacting their businesses. Some key speakers included Tanzeed Alam, Director of Policy, EWSWWF; Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Director, Energy & Climate Change, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Ibrahim Al Zubi, Head of CSR, Majid Al Futtaim Properties. Dr Zeyoudi highlighted major advancements in clean energy and climate protection, such as zero carbon power, investing in clean energy projects locally and internationally, pioneering new technologies to cut emissions, and improving energy and water efficiency. Dr Belaid Rettab, Senior Director of Economic Research and Sustainable Business Development Sector at Dubai Chamber, said the seminar was part of Dubai Chamber’s efforts to encourage a responsible and sustainable business culture in the emirate.
Dubai’s first hydrogeology report Dubai’s first hydrogeology report is on track for delivery. Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) had appointed an international consultant to work on Dubai’s first hydrogeology report as part of an overall water network plan and to increase the strategic reserve of water in the emirate. The report will examine the possibility of storing drinking water in naturally
August/September 2013
occurring underground spaces and also determine existing ground water aquifers through an integrated scientific study. By injecting water into the aquifers, the supply could be used at a later date to meet increased demand within the network. “The first phase of this report includes gathering information from various geological studies of the wells in Dubai,
as well as collecting samples from wells. In order to move to the second phase, we are currently working with consultants who have outstanding experience in groundwater in the region and internationally. The first phase is expected to be accomplished by the end of this year,” said His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.
P il st l a r s of Su
a
in
ab
ility
Sustainability is also about social responsibility and the global community Operations
Creating a cleaner, healthier future for all the world begins at our own doorstep. At Diversey, we have made a public commitment to challenging, measurable reductions in our environmental impact. We know that the kind of innovative thinking that drives success is what will also drive continuous improvement in our operational profile, for profits, for people and for the environment.
OPERATIONS
Customers
We help our customers examine and reduce the environmental and operational impact of their businesses. With our expertise in cleaning and hygiene and our superior products, we help customers save water and energy and reduce labor costs while making their facilities safer, cleaner and more hygienic. Our innovations in product packaging, dispensing and dosing reduce waste, protect workers and improve the efficiency of product transport. We’ve reformulated products to remove chemicals that harm aquatic life or damage the environment and to provide solutions that contribute to better indoor air quality than conventional products.
CUSTOMERS
Partners
We collaborate with other industry and thought leaders around the globe to promote a sustainability mindset within our industry and to advocate for a cleaner, healthier future. Around the globe, we’ve established vital partnerships with government agencies, non governmental organizations and industry groups. We share our expertise and draw on the value that results when creative, passionate people unite their talents toward common goals.
PARTNERS
Workforce
It is through our employees’ talent, creativity and passion that Diversey is creating a cleaner, healthier future. We invest in our employees’ safety, well-being, training and career development. And we engage them actively in continuously improving our operational effectiveness and reducing our environmental impact. They are our company’s greatest asset.
WORKFORCE
Communities
We believe every place in the world that we do business should be better because we are there. Our emphasis on volunteerism and our employees’ generosity with their time and talent are helping Diversey create a cleaner, healthier future for the people whom we are privileged to serve as our customers’ customers. We encourage volunteerism through our Global Children’s Initiative to help children who live in poverty and through a host of regional and local efforts organized and implemented by employees who want to improve lives in their communities.
COMMUNITIES
Governance
At Diversey, we hold ourselves to the highest standard of ethical and legal behavior in everything we do - because we believe the right way is the only way to do business. We follow our detailed Code of Ethics and Business Conduct. The governing principle and theme of all our ethics training and compliance programs, "Ethics is Good Business," expresses our view of the fundamental role those high standards play in everything we do. We audit all our business practices regularly and rigorously, and engage a practice of continuous improvement.
GOVERNANCE
For more information please contact: Diversey Gulf FZE • P. O. Box: 61485, Jebel Ali Free Zone, Dubai, United Arab Emirates • Tel: +971 4 8819470 • Fax: +971 4 8819488 customerservice.uae@sealedair.com • www.sealedair.com
10
NEWS | world
Earth Overshoot Day
Russia stops Greenpeace ship While over 400 vessels have been granted access to the Northern Sea Route this year, Greenpeace ship Artic Sunrise was denied access to the Northern Sea Route by the Russian government. According to Greenpeace, the refusal is in violation of international law which includes the right to freedom of navigation. Greenpeace also claims to have fulfilled all the requirements for entry as the ship is an icebreaker which is classed far more superior than the other ships who have previously accessed the route.
August/September 2013
The Arctic Sunrise would have been on an expedition to expose and protest oil exploration in the Arctic over a period of one month. Greenpeace also emphasised how important this protest is as oil exploration in a region like the Artic poses serious environmental risks. The decision by Russia is said to be an attempt to thwart the NGO’s efforts to expose the activities of state-owned oil company Rosneft which is working with its US partner ExxonMobil to conduct seismic testing and geological work by releasing multiple vessels in the Kara Sea in preparation for offshore Arctic drilling.
Humanity hit its first Earth Overshoot Day on August 20 described by environmental economists as the day when human population consumed as much renewable natural resources as the planet can regenerate in one year. According to Global Footprint’s calculations, humanity’s demands exceeded earth’s carrying capacity on the overshoot day and marked us red for the rest of 2013. Human demand for renewable ecological resources and the services they provide is now equivalent to that of more than 1.5 earths, and this is expected to double by midcentury; for comparison, in 1961, human demand was met by the resources of just 0.7 planets. Ecological Footprint data have made the necessary calculations of the Earth Overshoot Day, which measures how much nature there is, how much humans use, and who uses what. In terms of Ecological Footprint, the world’s largest consumer is China as it is the world’s most populous nation, according to the 2013 Global Footprint report. However, China’s per capita footprint is smaller than countries in Europe or North America, but for the past seven years it has exceeded what is available per person worldwide. Other countries’ per capita demands on the planet’s ecosystems are even higher; for example in Qatar, the typical resident requires the resources of six and a half earths.
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12
NEWS | Really?
Eco-mobile city of the year
T
he world’s first EcoMobility Festival was organised in Suwon, Republic of Korea to promote travelling with integrated and environmentally friendly transport options like cycling and walking. The festival will run for the entire month of September this year and is backed by EUR 9 million in funds, made available as public investment to regenerate the inner city of Suwon. ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, the world network of cities for sustainability, is organising the festival together with the City of Suwon and UN-Habitat. Part of the Suwon
August/September 2013
Mayor Yeom Tae-young’s programme to rejuvenate Suwon, the festival tries to transform the neighbourhood into one that prioritises sustainability and accessibility. Low-income residents with limited access to employment
and services will particularly benefit from the programme. Suwon city is located 30-km away from the capital Seoul. The festival will launch a unique experiment where the residents and visitors to Suwon can enjoy
14
NEWS | WORLD
a safe, healthy, low emission and resource-efficient lifestyle. More than 4,000 residents in the city will exchange their 1,500 petrol-powered cars for ecomobile vehicles for the duration of the festival. The aim is to prove that an ecomobile city can exist. The project is taking place in the populous neighbourhood of Haenggung-dong, which will be designated as a car-free zone. The neighbourhood will also feature multiple cultural and art performances to entertain and motivate residents and visitors. The eco-mobile city of the future would be a platform where innovations and technologies combine with people’s livelihoods and optimises the use of urban and natural resources. “With this festival, we will work together to show what an eco-mobile city looks like and deliver the message that this new urban lifestyle is possible,” said Mayor Yeom. “We aim to lead and inspire other cities around the world to follow suit.” The festival will also feature the world’s largest green mobility showroom with manufactures of bicycles, scooters, tricycles, Segways, Velo-taxis, cargo-bikes, light electric vehicles, from all around the world showcasing their latest innovations. It will welcome over 5,000 international visitors, led by mayors, policy makers,
August/September 2013
CEOs and concerned citizens. Visitors have the opportunity to partake as well as witness the transformation of the Haenggungdong neighbourhood. They can test drive human-powered and electric vehicles offered by some 40 manufacturers from eight countries, including the United States, Germany, Taiwan and South Korea. “Being able to commute in an affordable and environmentally friendly way, while at the same time feeling healthy, enjoying urban public space and being more socially included – this is what eco-mobility means and this is what the festival will showcase,” said Joan Clos, UN Habitat Director. The newest line up of ecomobile vehicles are: Yikebike, the smallest foldable bike; Trimobile, a tricycle that can carry three people at a time but only requires one to pedal; Nordic Cab’s multipurpose bike trailer made out of eco-friendly aluminium and hardened plastic; Gobax, a customized ambulance bike; Egretta, a bike that
consolidates both sophistication and practicability; MoVi, a safe and robust light electric vehicle, and many more. A grand opening parade through the converted eco-mobility streets of Jeongjo road will mark the start of the festival and the Ecomobility 2013 Suwon congress, second of the EcoMobility congress series. Alongside month-long exhibitions and vehicle test tracks, visitors and residents can take part in concerts, movie festivals, singing contests using pedal-powered karaoke, art fairs, street tours, conferences and workshops – all celebrating the ecomobile lifestyle. “If we can’t build a truly ecomobile city, why not assemble a temporary one for a month?” said Konrad Otto-Zimmermann, creative director of the festival. “The EcoMobility World Festival will help visualise this future with a showcase neighbourhood demonstrating what a car-free, ecomobile future will look like,” he said, “a mise-en-scène in a real city, by real citizens, in real time.”
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16
ENERGY & WATER
Catching
thewave A hydrokinetic ocean wave energy system for the Middle East? Anoop K Menon reports
T
he big question is how long the Middle East will be able to maintain its status as a low cost energy consumer and major energy exporter,” says Terence L Bolden, CEO of SebaiCMET, a cleanenergy technology group which is seeking to introduce its wave energy technology in the region. “With the region firmly set on the path of economic and energy diversification, what we are offering is an alternative
August/September 2013
that sits well with other forms of renewable energy.” SebaiCMET’s Marine Hydrodynamic Kinetic (MHK) system is a wave power device which harnesses the power of the ocean’s waves to produce clean electricity. Given the UAE’s pioneering role in highlighting the region’s renewable energy potential especially in the realm of solar energy, Bolden feels that the country can set a regional
benchmark with wave power as well, competing with the likes of the UK, which is currently leading the wave power technology marketplace. With seven years of testing and four years of development behind it, the MHK system is ready for a full scale commercial pilot. Bolden continues, “I feel the Middle East is the perfect place to test the complete system, either on an island or isolated community so that we
ENERGY & WATER
can see the total benefit. Moreover, most of the components can be manufactured locally while assembly and development will definitely be done locally.” The MHK system basically harnesses energy from the motion of swell waves nine to 18 metres deep; its wings convert the elliptical motion of the waves into linear mechanical motion to drive a magnetic generator which is connected by cable to onshore power grid. “The temperature and viscosity of the water doesn’t really affect the kinetic energy that is produced,” says Lee Marcum, Chief Research & Development Officer at SebaiCMET. “The magnetic generator is housed inside an enclosure custom-made to local
conditions. We don’t use any form of hydraulics or moving parts that would create problems for marine life or the ocean environment.” “Since these are mainly composite based systems, we don’t have corrosion and bio-fouling issues that you have with metals,” adds Bolden. The MHK system can be scaled up by coupling the units together to make a complete system or farm depending on the space,
the characteristics of the ocean floor where the system is to be installed and the appetite of the local authorities. A standard size unit is approximately 2.5 x 2.5 x 4.5 metres in size and can generate anywhere between 0.25 MW to 1 MW of energy. These systems are located two to five kilometres from the shore on the sea floor. “Wave energy is not intermittent like wind and solar because it is the moon that causes the force to move the waves back and forth underneath,” said Marcum. “The movement of our wings is much consistent, frequent, determinable and efficient.” Over the past seven years, the company has invested time and money into incorporating safety and risk mitigation features into system design to deal with natural disasters like storms or hurricanes. Bolden said that future generations of the MHK system will be selfanchoring and robotic in terms of how they are operated and deployed on the ocean floor. He was at pains to assure that the technology is environmentally safe and compatible with marine environment. “Marine life tends to congregate near a system that doesn’t threaten life,” he explains. “Our systems don’t have blades or turbines; the interval in the back and forth movement of wings allow fish to move around; we are advised by some of the best coating consultants in the US; we also have no visible pollution as everything including the cabling is below the surface.” What could make SebaiCMET’s wave power technology attractive for countries in the region is its desalination component. Marcum elaborates: “For desalination, the mechanical linkage brings in the sea water, compresses it, sends it through filters and takes the water to the shore. The same kinetic energy is able to produce enough force and pressure to send the filtered water through RO system or to a storage tank from where it can be passed through a filtration system if needed.” “The other option is to micro-grid this technology which can lower the overall cost tremendously,” says Bolden. “We can make isolated communities independently powered and sustainable.
August/September 2013
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ENERGY & WATER
High cost of transport As transport authorities in the region get set to building a sustainable and efficient urban transport infrastructure in their countries, BGreen highlights the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) recommendations to boost energy-efficiency of urban transport systems and save the world US$70 trillion in spending on vehicles, fuel and transportation infrastructure between now and 2050
M
ost of the world’s population live in urban areas which are cramped with traffic congestion and overcrowded roads. Billions are invested regularly in fuels that helps degrade air quality and the overall environment. Urban roadway congestion now acts like a barrier
for cities all over the world to move towards a sustainable economy. Transportation is responsible for more than half of the global oil consumption and 20% of the world’s energy use. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), the energy consumption of transport systems in urban areas is said to
double by 2050. Imperative decisions regarding energy-efficiency policy are in order, to moderate negative noise, air pollution, congestion, climate and economic impacts, all of which can cost countries billions of dollars per year. “As the share of the world’s population living in cities grows
August/September 2013
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ENERGY & WATER
transport systems with regard to the policies. For example, Belgrade tripled passenger levels in the first six months of renovating its urban rail system. While Seoul pushed through reforms that no longer rewarded bus operators for carrying more people, which resulted in ridership, speed and safety all increasing. And New York City shaved 11 minutes off travel times and attracted more passengers within a year of introducing express bus services.
A Tale of Renewed Cities to nearly 70% by 2050 and energy consumption for transport in cities is expected to double, the need for efficient, affordable, safe and high-capacity transport solutions will become more acute,” says IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven as she presented the report. “Urgent steps to improve the efficiency of urban transport systems are needed not only for energy security reasons, but also to mitigate the numerous negative climate, noise, air pollution, congestion and economic impacts of rising urban transport volumes.” The International Energy Agency is an independent organisation working to develop affordable and clean energy for its 28 member countries. Recently launched report by the IEA, A Tale of Renewed Cities state that policies made to improve the energy consumption of urban transport system could save up to US$ 70 trillion from now to 2050. The savings will be made in
August/September 2013
vehicles, fuel, and transportation infrastructure of the system, other benefits include lower greenhousegas emissions and higher quality of life. The report chooses over 30 cities from around the world as examples to display the efficient changes made after adopting better urban planning and travel demand management. The report is supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which outlines crucial stages for policy development and implementation to improve urban transport systems. Urging policy makers to foresee challenges, Hoeven says, “Governments must think beyond individual technologies and electoral cycles, and consider how to build – and how to renew – cities that will accommodate and transport nearly 6.3 billion people by 2050. We must plan infrastructure, logistics and energy systems now that make sense today and over the coming decade.” Three major policies are commended in the report include some with travel to be avoided, some that shift travel to more efficient modes, and others that improve the efficiency of vehicle and fuel technologies. This “avoid, shift and improve” approach could save up to trillions of dollars in terms of lower spending on oil, roadway infrastructure and vehicles. Examining Belgrade, Seoul and New York City as three case studies, the report notes major changes made in all the cities’
The policy pathway established by the IEA improving energyefficiency in the urban transport system includes four stages – plan, implement, monitor and evaluate – with ten critical steps. This pathway is divided into four sections: •
An introduction on why improving the energyefficiency of urban transport systems is important.
•
An illustration of “reallife” case studies of urban transport policies implemented in Belgrade, New York City and Seoul.
•
An analysis of the barriers to improving urban transport energy-efficiency and the key policies (including interventions and measures) to overcome them. These barriers will include policy and market failures; lack of access to financing; and other challenges, such as political resistance and institutional capacity.
•
Ten detailed steps for supporting the development, financing, implementation and evaluation of policies to improve the energy efficiency of urban transport systems. These steps follow the plan, implement, monitor and evaluate approach applied in all the IEA Energy Efficiency Policy Pathways series.
ENERGY & WATER
IEA solutions for various cities Developing cities With an exceptional opportunity to direct land use, these cities can plan a new infrastructure that encompasses an energyefficient transport system before any urban form and transport network development is established. Cities that are rapidly developing experience a growing demand for transportation services as well as private motorisation. Compared to others, these cities usually have low density with inadequate travel infrastructure, with no subpar non-motorised transport modes (like walking and bicycling) and weak public transit services (like unregulated and poor quality bus operators). Some target policies made include regulations that promote developing the infrastructure of the transport systems can help to with the growth in travel demand toward more energy-efficient modes while improving access to destinations and travel choice. These infrastructure development and land-use policies should be paired with travel demand management policies to ensure that improvements are available, affordable and attractive to the people.
Sprawled cities Sprawled cities are often not defined well with commercial and business hubs spread sporadically throughout the metropolitan areas. Public transit and non-motorised transport tend to be low, while private motorised transport are usually the principal means of travel. Most of the time the trouble arises because of time the trouble arises because of the long distances between destinations. This could disrupt any plans to make more efficient and cost-effective public transit service. With low densities, urban sprawl and heavy traffic, these cities need a more strategic, comprehensive planning and policy actions. To transform into a denser urban environment with efficient transport requires years of planning and development. For this reason, it is crucial to have medium- and long-term development goals in hand as they are critical in addressing travel demand. Landuse policies can help discourage continued sprawl and increase urban core development by addressing denser development. Congested cities Travel demand management is extremely useful in cities with
heavy roadway traffic, especially during peak travel hours. Policies assigned with regards to travel demand management are useful tools to improve and facilitate shifts to more energy-efficient travel while improving existing travel movements. Policies that discourage vehicle ownership (e.g. vehicle quotas and vehicle registration taxes) and private motorised travel (e.g. road pricing and parking fees) could help to reduce or stabilise increasing traffic levels. Improved travel-management technologies, such as advance traffic signalisation and real-time travel information, could help to improve mobility and system flow, while incentives (e.g. rideshare incentives) can encourage additional shifts to more efficient travel. Multi-modal cities More developed than the above cities, multi-modal cities generally have well established interconnected travel networks which facilitate and encourage more efficient travel. With strong public transit systems and dense urban cores, they are rightly positioned to maximise efficiency. However, there is always room for further improvement. Policies that improve traffic flows and travel options could encourage bigger shifts to more efficient modes and increase efficiency of the entire transport system. These efforts include development of dedicated facilities for energy-efficient modes (e.g. bus and cycling lanes) and investments in vehicle technology improvements for both public and private vehicle fleets (e.g. CNG buses and “green� taxi programmes). Travel demand management policies are particularly useful in multi-modal cities to maintain or improve travel shares by more efficient transport modes.
August/September 2013
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COMMENT | MERKLI
timeis
now The
Samuel Merkli Business Development Manager ABB
The Arabian Gulf countries’ economic success is undeniably founded on oil & gas exports, energy intensive industries and lifestyles. Yet, the time is right to take a closer look at energy-efficiency. Many decision makers are now seriously embracing efficiency improvements – for good reasons, explains Samuel Merkli Take for example, Abu Dhabi, where an estimated US$4 billion was spent last year alone to support low energy prices. The direct subsidy makes up for more than 50% of true electricity costs of end consumers. Next to subsidies, the necessary high investments in generation capacity and grid extensions in order to meet demand are taking their toll. To escape this Catch-22 situation, governments are looking into price increases for commercial and residential users. Dubai, for example, introduced a slab tariff with surcharges, while Abu Dhabi is piloting a peak-demand pricing scheme. Similarly, energy intensive industrial facilities are exposed to increasing feedstock, electricity and fuel charge mark-ups.
A
s the summer heat kicks off in the Middle East, cooling loads in buildings reach their annual peak levels once again. As 70% of energy demand in GCC countries typically comes from commercial and residential sectors, this puts a heavy burden on utilities, grid infrastructure and government budgets. The reality is that the whole region needs to implement energy-efficiency
improvements now. Here are five main reasons, which explain how energy efficiency is gaining market acceptance in the Middle East: 1. Energy price increases are inevitable The Gulf countries’ heavily subsidised energy prices are starting to impact government budgets, while record-high energy intensity threatens economic competitiveness.
2. Decision makers recognise energyefficiency benefits As supply constraints and price incentives turn into reality, productivity improvements become attractive. Apart from reducing their operational costs and enhancing asset life, major players in many sectors embrace efficiency measures because of reputational benefits: Energy efficiency is ‘en vogue’ in the Middle East. Leaders are keen to rebrand their cities as modern commercial hubs with the focus on tourism, trade, transportation and
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COMMENT | MERKLI
real estate. Not least since megaevents such as the Qatar FIFA World Cup in 2022 and the Dubai World Expo 2020 are attracting international spotlights in order to observe the progress on the green agenda. Aside from operational excellence and green marketing, energyefficiency is a bare necessity for the region’s less hydrocarbon-rich countries like Jordan, Lebanon, Pakistan and Egypt. These countries are examples where high energy costs and supply shortages are major drivers. Here, efficiency enhancements are an imperative to avoid power cuts during peak hours due to over-stressed grids. 3. The policy framework is changing The tendency for early policy roadmaps and pledges to be more vivid on glossy paper than in reality is changing. Research institutes, energy councils and associations are increasingly following through on policy development: Saudi Arabia implemented a national competence centre to revise regulations and market mechanisms, Dubai is looking into demand-side programmes and energy performance contracts (ESCO) for buildings, while Abu Dhabi has an integrated energy-efficiency strategy under development. Green building codes have become mandatory for new constructions in various Gulf markets, while efficiency regulations are also tightened for existing buildings. Minimum efficiency performance standards (MEPS) are being discussed for electrical equipment and are already in place for household air conditioning units. Also, we should not forget that the UAE already ranks third worldwide (behind the US and China) with more than 800 registered or certified buildings under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) benchmark. 4. Massive efficiency potential Since Gulf economies experience some of the world’s highest energy and carbon intensity ratios, saving potentials
are evidently substantial. Calculations claim possible reductions of almost 30% in total primary energy consumption compared to the baseline for Gulf countries by 2030 – and this is a scenario where only moderate policies and efficiency measures are adopted. Even though the macroeconomic rationale for energy-efficiency is inherent to enhance competitiveness and free up hydrocarbon exports, various barriers preventing a quick adoption still persist. As long as regulation and price incentives are not implemented on all levels, purchasing managers might refrain from opting in on efficient products and systems, as long as there is an alternative with lower upfront costs.
Calculations claim possible reductions of almost 30% in total primary energy consumption compared to the baseline for Gulf countries by 2030 – and this is a scenario where only moderate policies and efficiency measures are adopted.”
5. Energy-efficiency becomes a purchasing criterion Times have changed in the design and purchasing departments of Middle Eastern utilities, industrials and developers. As operational cost savings gain importance, customers are developing a deeper understanding of efficiency best practices and are doing their homework on benchmarking. Progressively, system efficiency turns out to be an important criterion in tender evaluations. Customers also require more advanced commercial terms, such as energy performance contracting with guaranteed savings and shared risks. Energy management systems are being applied gradually and early adopters have already certified some of their operations with the new ISO 50001 standard. Increasing investments are seen in efficient district cooling, waste heat recovery, flaring reduction, gas turbine and boiler optimisation. Efficient variablespeed drive power for pumping applications, fans and compressors is now a standard upgrade with attractive payback times. There is no doubt that the Middle East has started to move up the efficiency curve.
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COMMENT | WILES
LEEDing us
astray?
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system does not favour wood products, which require low amounts of energy to produce, which are renewable and which sequester huge amounts of carbon, emphasises Roderick Wiles
A
ccording to the US Green Building Council (USGBC), the group responsible for LEED oversight, 44,270 projects in the United States were registered or certified under voluntary LEED standards as of May this year. This number amounts to approximately 1.5 million square feet (c. 140,000 square metres) of newly certified LEED construction on a daily basis. At the same time, there were 1,297 LEED registered and certified projects in the MENA region, with the UAE fourth in the top ten ranking for the number of LEED projects, 808 in total. One of these, The Change Initiative in Dubai, has just been proclaimed as the highest scoring LEED for Commercial Interiors Platinum project in the world. As the green movement has taken hold over the past decade, terms such as ‘environmentallyfriendly’ and ‘energy-efficient’ have become increasingly familiar across all aspects of the consumer marketplace. Paving the way for green building, the LEED programme has developed into the industry standard for environmentally-friendly and energy-efficiency construction. Unfortunately, it is a safe bet to say that few of these projects earned LEED credit for incorporating wood. Under its current guidelines, LEED only recognises wood
August/September 2013
certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or a ‘USGBCapproved equivalent.’ Certified timber is worth one point on the 110-point LEED scale, and locally grown wood is also worth one point. The number of points required for LEED certification differs per building project, ranging from 40-49 points for certification and extending to upwards of 80-90 points for platinum status. However, because the USGBC has not deemed any alternative to
Roderick Wiles AHEC Director for Africa, Middle East, India and Oceania
FSC to be an ‘approved equivalent,’ the current LEED system excludes timber and wood products certified by alternative standards, such as the Programme for Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC). At the same time, LEED excludes timber and wood products, which derive from sources with a proven and documented record of sustainable forest management, yet which remain uncertified for various reasons, such as private ownership or prohibitive cost etc. The truth is that the current version of LEED does not provide any incentives for the use of wood in construction, when wood has been often recognised as one of the most environmentally-beneficial building materials. Moreover, it
COMMENT | WILES
discriminates against products that are manufactured more than 500 miles from where they are used; favours short rotation products over well-managed forests; and gives no recognition to truly renewable products, preferring products that are simply recycled. In other words, LEED makes it hard for wood to be used in a project at all. For the timber industry, the price of the USGBC’s success is a rating system with an inherent bias against wood products and, in turn, wood products in construction. The developers of LEED have chosen to penalise wood, despite repeated scientific studies, which clearly demonstrate it to be a superior environmental product. This is a clear disservice to ‘green’ builders, architects and the environment in general. Wood products are a vital component of sound architectural design and facilitate ease of quality design and construction. Wood is among the most environmentally benign of all building materials,
because among other things it is a renewable resource that sequesters huge amounts of carbon. In a recent article, USA Today’s Thomas Frank lays out a clear criticism of LEED, demonstrating that certification doesn’t necessarily result in lower environmental impact. The timber industry should welcome increased market focus on environmental issues, but it has been very disheartening to see the marketplace overwhelmed with ‘green washing’ and dubious environmental claims, usually based on only one specific attribute such as ‘rapid renewability’ for bamboo, or ‘recyclability’ for steel or plastics. The true environmental impacts of materials cannot be summed
up by one single attribute, and it is time that consumers and policy makers had the ability to truly compare the environmental footprint of the different products and materials they source. Reliance on science is long overdue and if green building systems and ‘green procurement’ policies are to have any credibility, they must be based on science, and all materials producers must play by the same rules. We now need to encourage the next logical step, which is to show that Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of materials, as well as energy usage are the only ways to truly assess the environmental impact of a building. In short, we should question the validity of LEED altogether.
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Green extrusions Lorraine Bangera speaks to Ihab Mouallem from Gulf Extrusions to understand how the region’s construction industry is developing sustainable products exemplified by the company’s new X-ECO alloys BGreen: What role does aluminium extrusions play in the construction sector? Aluminium basically replaces the steel in construction because it is easier to shape and extrude. Moreover, aluminium requires less energy than steel. It doesn’t corrode, is effortlessly surface treated and
August/September 2013
convenient to protect. Aluminium extrusions are widely used in façades of buildings. Apart from the construction sector, aluminium is widely used in industrial sector. In the case of Gulf Extrusions, the architectural or building sector accounts for 65% of our production while the remaining 35% is targeted at industrial sector comprising
traders, automotive, machinery and street lighting. BGreen: How is X-ECO alloys different from aluminium in primary form? The difference lies mainly in CO2 emissions. For every kilogram of primary aluminium produced, 11
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kilograms of CO2 is released into the atmosphere. With X-ECO, CO2 emissions per kilogram produced is 5.7 kilograms, which is nearly 50% reduction in CO2 emissions. This is why X-ECO is considered to be a green product. BGreen: How is are these alloys produced? Our green alloy is made from three kinds of aluminium - post-consumer scrap, pre-consumer scrap, and primary aluminium. The postconsumer scrap is scrap collected from products that have reached the end of their lifecycle. These could be aluminium windows from demolished buildings, aluminium parts of automobiles or beverage cans. Pre-consumer scrap is mostly industrial products or material that were discarded or ended their lifecycle before reaching the consumer. To produce any shape we have to generate some scrap. It could also be extra aluminium left over from production. Primary aluminium is basic aluminium. The primary ingot is used to stabilise the chemical composition of the post- consumer and the preconsumer aluminium. Then we get an alloy similar to the chemical composition and performance of the primary alloy. The quantitative percentages of post-, pre- and primary aluminium can vary on depending on the preferences of the individual customers. The scrap that emits the least amount of carbon is the post-consumer scrap, but is also the most expensive as their collection requires the most investment in terms of manpower and vehicles. Preconsumer, on the other hand, is found in factories and is easier to collect. BGreen: How has the market responded to these green alloys? The demand for X-ECO is definitely increasing. But cost of collection of scrap is very high. Availability of scrap and cost of processing affects the price. The good news is that customers are not averse to paying a higher price because they see the long-term green benefits. Also, the leaders of UAE have given a lot of importance to sustainability and issued guidelines for the construction industry and
Ihab Mouallem Director of Sales & Marketing at Gulf Extrusions
With X-ECO, CO2 emissions per kilogram produced is 5.7 kilograms, which is nearly 50% reduction in CO2 emissions. This is why X-ECO is considered to be a green product.�
specifications for the architects and consultants. BGreen: From a sustainable construction perspective, how have other countries in the Middle East fared? We always have ongoing projects in the UAE as the sustainabilityled development envisioned by
the country’s leaders have led to growing demand of green products. The increase in demand for green products is now seen in other countries as well. For example, in Qatar we have three projects that are using our green products, one of them being the Heart of Doha. Saudi Arabia is one of our biggest markets. They are very welcoming towards green products as they are serious about protecting the environment. Saudi Arabia has also been inventing new products and technologies that help the environment. BGreen: How is Gulf Extrusions spreading the sustainability message among customers? We have always reached out to architects in most of the GCC countries. Now we are starting to see architects reaching out to us with inquiries about our green products. We are also engaged in dialogue with consultants and architects to specify directly and emphasise the importance of green aluminium in construction. We assure them that they can get what they specify without sacrificing the sustainability aspect. In fact, consultants are thrilled that they can have the final product while also safeguarding the environment.
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green
Materialistically
Vishnu Sankaran speaks to Lorraine Bangera about the progress of green materials used in the construction industry around the GCC region, their sustainable features and also the criteria for their evaluation.
Vishnu Sankaran Associate Director and Head Chemicals Practice - MENA Frost & Sullivan
E
ven though the demand for green buildings and materials remained standard during the global recession, the market seems to be showing potential growth in the upcoming years. The need for green materials will be driven by a combination of policies and regulations that prioritise energy
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considered sustainable when the raw materials are obtained locally so that companies are able to save money, create local green jobs and improve their overall environmental footprint. The pricing of green construction materials should also be at par with traditional materials so that consumers are able to reap economic benefits of using green materials within a short and defined time frame.” efficiency and green design, the expansion of voluntary certification programmes, cost reductions, and consumer demand. Vishnu Sankaran, Associate Director and Head, Chemicals Practice, Middle East and North Africa, Frost & Sullivan says, “Construction materials could be
Green growth in GCC markets “The GCC is the fastest developing region in terms of infrastructure and the rising emphasis on sustainable construction practices, lower carbon footprint, and reduced wastage has fuelled the use of green construction
Construction
materials,” says Sankaran. “Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have already established green building councils to address sustainability issues.” He adds, “Within the GCC, more than 75% of the total construction investments are made by the regional government bodies. Their increasing appetite to shift away from being an oil-driven economy and diversify their non-oil sectors (such as tourism), followed by industrial expansion have been the main driver for green materials.”
Currently the green material market in the GCC is experiencing a massive growth, with a number of government initiatives marking a change in the field. Despite the fact suppliers have developed a healthy relationship with government entities, a large portion of the private and SMEs in the construction arena remain untapped. This gives way to extensive prospects which could help market players and offer greater opportunities for revenue generation. “The economic, social and environmental benefits of using
key features of green materials •
Interior decorative paints
They can be considered green if their Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) level fall within a minimum emissions range. Different green building councils and organisations have established different permissible levels of VOC emissions. Within the GCC, with the exception of Abu Dhabi which follows ESTIDAMA (PEARL) rating, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is the general standard followed within the paints industry. •
Exterior decorative paints
Greater emphasis is laid on their heat shielding and weatherproofing capabilities. Since the GCC is a tropical desert, it is important to maintain liveable indoor temperatures by reducing the flow of heat through walls and ceilings. Hence, heat reflecting exterior paints are considered green, as they reduce the energy required to maintain room temperature. •
Concrete
A material which contains secondary cementitious materials, such as groundgranulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS) and/or fly ash as substitutes to Portland cement, can be categorised as green concrete. Addition of such secondary cementitious materials not only results in lowering the embodied energy of concrete but also imparts advantageous features such as higher ultimate compressive strength, reduced bleeding and reduced water to cement ratio. •
The economic, social and environmental benefits of using green materials are expected to be realised by consumers in the next five years.”
green materials are expected to be realised by consumers in the next five years,” notes Sankaran. Still recovering from the recession which decreased foreign investments in construction sector and restricted the adoption of green materials, the GCC economy is gradually creating a competitive environment to supersede the market with green initiatives. Consumer awareness on environment and health has
Green insulation materials
They should not use binders and adhesives which result in “off-gassing” after installation. All green insulation materials in the GCC have to adhere to ISO and OHSAS 18001 certifications, for design and performance. The manufacturers of insulation products are required to follow the mandate of the Clean Air Act to ensure Zero Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) and Zero Global Warming Potential (GWP). •
Green flooring materials
The said materials should be made of either natural components such as bamboo, wood, stone etc. or reusable materials such as recycled plastic. Green flooring should have minimal VOC emissions, be recyclable and have low embodied energy.
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which is highly essential in the whole of GCC. In the near future, making it mandatory for the government funded construction projects to achieve a minimum LEED or ESTIDAMA credit rating should be one of the necessary steps in ensuring the growth of sustainable construction practices in the region.”
also been addressed resulting in business opportunities for green material suppliers. Sankaran states, “Total market size of green materials (paints, concrete, insulation and flooring) in the GCC in 2012 was estimated at US$17.9 billion and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.4% by 2016. Green concrete accounted for around 85% of the green materials market, in terms of revenue.” According to Frost & Sullivan’s Strategic Analysis of Green Materials in the GCC Construction Sector, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE remain top countries for investment in green construction given their thriving population and colossal expansions in terms of infrastructure. Emphasising on green materials like concrete, insulation, paints and flooring, the report also states that the green material market revenue would reach an estimated $22.97 billion in 2016. Picking up momentum Suppliers of green material can increase market share by distinguishing themselves in terms of quality and pricing, mainly in less competitive segments such as flooring and insulation. “Companies must look to comply with the requirements of local green body councils and design products specific to the rating system for
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maximum sustainability points,” advises Sankaran. “Since regional governments are the largest investors in construction, producing solutions suited to their needs will ensure profitability.” Market growth can be sustained for a longer period of time by continuous initiatives to help improve consumer awareness on the economic, social and environmental benefits of green materials. Some leading paint, ceramic companies in the region are also creating awareness among end-users regarding the benefits of green materials, thereby driving demand. Sankaran points out that most GCC countries have set up green building councils which overlook the issue of sustainability in the region. While most of the council bodies follow LEED rating system, Abu Dhabi follows ESTIDAMA (PEARL) Rating system that ensures effective planning, design, construction and operation of sustainable development projects. “ESTIDAMA and its PEARL rating system take into account the unique cultural, climatic and economic development needs of Abu Dhabi,” explains Sankaran. “One of the key features of ESTIDAMA rating system is the high emphasis on water conservation when compared to LEED and BREEAM (followed in UK),
criteria against which the green materials should be evaluated: • Local availability of raw materials, thereby minimising the energy spent in the transportation of materials. • Usage of materials that have lower embodied energy which implies that lesser energy has been exhausted in extracting the raw materials, their transportation and conversion to final product. • Usage of renewable resources resulting in reduction in need of virgin, non-renewable resources hence saving energy and cost along with protecting the environment. • The recyclability of the materials that can be judged from the quantity of materials recovered for re-use after the useful life of materials/products or after the demolition of a building. • Durability of materials ensures that little or no maintenance is required. Material replacement puts a strain on the earth, its resources and inhabitants. • Materials should not harm the environment; they must also be non-toxic and contribute to good indoor air quality. Pollution caused through the excavation, manufacturing, usage or disposal of a product can have far reaching consequences on the earth’s ecosystem.
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Nominations are now open! To submit your nominations online, please visit:
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CELEBRATING KEY ACHIEVEMENTS in THE SUSTAINABILITY INDUSTRY Our BGreen Awards, to be held in November 2013, will be a region wide celebration of green living and sustainability, awarding a large number of categories at a scintillating ceremony in Dubai, UAE. The ceremony not only marks the achievements of those leading innovation and development, it also provides an essential networking platform for those who attend. The nomination process is to commence in July 2013 and will be shortlisted by an expert panel jury and will be finalised by our proficient board of judges. The judging panel is a comprised expertise from both the construction and sustainability arenas, with different judges responsible for different categories. THE BGREEN AWARDS 2013 WILL BE PRESENTED TO OUTSTANDING NOMINATIONS IN THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES: • Sustainable Large Corporate
• Contractor of the Year
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Construction
savings Passive
Siemens tech to help cut power and water use in MENA region’s first Passivhaus experiment in Qatar By Anoop K Menon
S
iemens has supplied cuttingedge technologies to Qatar’s first Passivhaus experiment, which seeks to enhance energy-efficiency at residential units with the aim of creating more sustainable housing. The overall project, known as BAYTNA, targets a 50% reduction in energy and water consumption and CO2 emissions in the Passivhaus villa during the project’s implementation period. Passivhaus directly translates into ‘Passive’ house which essentially means the house doesn’t require energy from outside in contrast to ‘Active’. Of course, doing away with energy or water completely is impossible, but what is possible is reducing energy and water consumption to the minimum. The experiment, which started on April 22, 2013, is based on using two identical villas, one built conventionally and the other using green design and technologies, known as the Passivhaus villa. Both villas, located in Barwa City in Qatar’s capital city of Doha, will be occupied by the same number of residents who will move in after the completion of a sixmonth testing and commissioning period. “Siemens is proud to be a key supplier of innovative technology to Qatar’s first Passivhaus, which aims to reduce energy use and increase awareness of efficient technologies and solutions to create a cleaner and greener environment,” says Joerg Scheifler, CEO of Siemens Infrastructure and Cities, Middle East.
August/September 2013
Residents will live in the villas for a period of one year and the difference in their water and power consumption will be measured. During the first six months, the families’ energy and water usage habits will be observed. This will be
followed by data analysis, training and education of the Passivhaus residents in using the available technology more efficiently to conserve energy and water. “I think that 30% savings would be through technology with the rest
Delivering Saudi Arabia’s mega infrastructure projects, expanding capacity and creating jobs in the Kingdom’s construction sector
SAUDI MEGA
OPENiNg KEyNOTE ADDRESS:
TRA NSP OR T & INFR ASTRUCTURE 15-17 Sep tember 2013
RIYADH MARRIOTT HO T EL, S AU D I AR AB I A
16-18 SePTeMBer 2013 | rIyAdH MArrIoTT HoTel, SAudI ArABIA
H.E. Dr Muhammad al-Jasser Minister of Economy and Planning, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
SPEAKERS Eng. Tariq Teheni Generation Engineering and Projects Executive Director Saudi Electricity Company
Dr. Fareed Al Yagout
Adnan Alnfaiai
Mohammed Fayez
Project Business Manager, King Abdullah North Promise Industrial City
Senior Vice President
President
National Power Company
Dr. Fahad Alturki Senior Economist
Jadwa Investment Christopher Nixon
Zuhair Fayez Partnership
Assistant General Manager, Corporate Finance
Board Member
Samba Capital
Ma’aden
Jeddah Governorate
Ayed Awadh Alqahtani
Shamim Syed
Ivan Hopkins
Vice President, Powerplant Development
Head of Project and Structured Finance, Corporate Bank
Programme Director, King Fahad Medical City
Ministry of Health
Samsung C&T
Arab National Bank
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SilvEr SponSor:
ExHibitorS:
• National Power Company, Samsung C&T and Zuhair Fayez Partnership share best practice strategies to optimise project value at the lowest lifecycle cost without compromising quality • Pre-conference masterclass will dissect and examine the components of Nitaqat and related government regulations so you can mitigate and balance your risk matrix
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Construction
from behavioural change,” notes Scheifler. “If you have installed energy efficient lighting but keep the lights on 24 hours you haven’t
The idea is to gain experience so that by the end of the test period, this experience can be incorporated into the housing standards of Qatar.”
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changed anything.” At the end of the experiment, compiled data will be used to help introduce viable, cost effective energy and water efficient technologies and standards in new homes and offices throughout Qatar. Scheifler believes that the Passivehaus is a much stronger standard compared to existing building standards in the region. “The idea is to gain experience so that by the end of the test period, this experience can be incorporated into the housing standards of
Qatar,” he continues. “A few years down the road, houses will have to be built to a certain extent according to these standards.” The project is led by Barwa Real Estate Group, Qatar General Electricity & Water Corporation (Kahramaa), and Qatar Green Building Council, which is a member of Qatar Foundation. Scheifler points out that in some European countries, Passivhaus has legal status, and enjoys subsidies in Austria and Germany. He explains, “The only difference is that here you want to conserve energy from a cooling perspective while in Germany, it is from a heating perspective. The standard defines a certain amount low amount of kW per m2, which you can achieve by applying certain technologies. What makes Siemens stand out is our bouquet of technologies that make it interesting for such a building.” Siemens has supplied the monitoring and metering equipment for this research project as well as fire detection systems and Building Management Systems (BMS). Osram, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Siemens, provided energy-efficient lighting solutions and Bosch equipped the villa with energy efficient white goods. “The most important part of such a building is the BMS which constitutes its brains,” says Scheifler. “All the data collected throughout the building is going to this BMS, where they are computed, monitored and at the same time, commands go out to adjust parameters that ensure the energy savings are maintained.” The Siemens honcho is very proud of the fact that Siemens was chosen to be the scientific partner for this experiment. He says: “It is meant to improve the existing legislation. The experiment supports Qatar’s National Vision 2030 and will help educate the public about energy-efficiency, and subsequently assist them in reducing costs associated with power and water consumption.”
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Special Feature
Sustainable
light
Lighting consumes 19% of global electricity production; for the Middle East, it is 22%. Policymakers and governments need to mandate sustainable alternatives to traditional energy inefficient lighting to reduce overall demand for electricity and curb CO2 emissions By Lorraine Bangera
August/September 2013
Special Feature
I
n recent years, the two topics that have attracted the attention of the general public and authorities worldwide are energy-efficiency and climate change. There are three drivers behind this trend: the climate crisis, the global economic crisis and the energy crisis. Climate change is the biggest challenge and threat to the planet requiring drastic measures to curb CO2 emissions. In the Gulf region, the primary source of CO2 emission is electricity production sector. The average kilogramme of CO2 produced per kilowatt hour in the Gulf is among the highest in the world due to the fuel mix used to generate electricity. Adbo Rouhana, Head of Philips Lighting University believes that energy-efficient lighting can play a crucial role in helping Gulf countries address the challenge of curbing carbon emissions because, “Lighting plays a crucial role in our lives and the impact is all around us from energy consumption to well-being and the environment.” Rouhana explained that the sun emits three kinds of light - ultraviolet (UV), infrared (or heat) and daylight. Ultraviolet comprises of short and long waves of which the latter is very harmful causing and causes skin cancer. The ozone layer that envelops the earth reflects back most of the short wave UV rays allowing only a small portion to enter the earth, which is, however, very important as they kill germs and provide vitamin E to our body. In the case of infrared, again, only a small part of the total emission reaches the earth with the rest reflected back. However, with CO2 forming a kind of isolation
Lighting plays a crucial role in our lives and the impact is all around us from energy consumption to well-being and the environment.”
outside the earth, more and more of infrared is being reflected back to the earth leading to temperature increase. The effect of melting ice is being felt all over the world from the North Pole to Jeddah in the form of extreme weather events. As a result, climate change is being regarded more seriously than ever at all levels - political, economic and social. Managing electricity consumption is key to reducing carbon emissions, especially in the Gulf region. Climate change apart, rising electricity costs have helped people become more aware of energyefficiency. Thirty years ago, average electricity cost was 3.5-fils per kWh. Consumers today pay far more for their electricity, and interestingly,
lighting accounts for a significant chunk of their power bills. Rouhana says, “The Middle East enjoys bright days. To avoid imbalance, people like to have heavy lighting in the evenings as well. We have more light bulbs in our houses compared to the houses in Europe. In fact, we are guilty of excessive use of chandeliers that trend to use up to 20 light bulbs and even more.” Rouhana also underlined the rapidly growing demand for electricity which is leading to demand-supply shortfalls. “Communities are rapidly growing without proper planning or infrastructure,” he says. “In Saudi Arabia, you have power cuts lasting for two hours in residential areas due to insufficient electricity supply.”
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Special Feature
The high oil prices globally means the Gulf countries can ill afford to divert their valuable oil production to meet growing domestic demand at subsidised rates and lose export revenue or even value addition opportunities locally. In fact, energy saving initiatives in the region have a strong economic underpinning as well apart from sustainability. Energy saving in the context of
August/September 2013
The formula of lumen per watt is the amount of consumed electricity, also called efficacy.
halogen lamps can significantly reduce ceiling insulation levels, which in turn, can reduce the thermal performance of the building. Externally mounted fixtures can overcome this issue to a certain extent. Rouhana says, “In Incandescent and halogen lamps, only five percent of what is produced is light; the rest 95% is heat. In this region, we are heavily reliant on air-conditioning. As a result, we are losing on both fronts using a lamp that produces less light and a lot of heat, which increases the load on the AC. While these lamps are cheap, they have short lifespans. Due to voltage fluctuations, that lifespan is cut by half. “
Traditional lamps Incandescent lamps are the least efficient means of lighting a space. “Halogen is widely used in the UAE and is liked by interior designers,” says Rouhana. While halogen lamps are more efficient than the conventional incandescent lamps, there are other considerations that should be taken into account when selecting a fixture. If recessed,
Fluorescent lamps Fluorescent lamps are currently the most cost and energy-efficient lighting choice, particularly when taking into consideration light output depreciation and the eye’s spectral response. But all fluorescent lamps are not equal. It is important to ensure that the specifications are compared at the operational temperature of the fixture and the
lighting doesn’t imply compromising on comfort. End-users must receive the same comfort they get with conventional lamps while using lamps that are more energy-efficient. All energy saving lamps aim to improve the lumen per watt (the amount of light emitted from a light source is measured by lumen). Thus, a: • 100 Watt incandescent lamp equals 1,200 lumen • 18 Watt fluorescent lamp equals 1,350 lumen • 20 Watt compact fluorescent lamp equals 1,200 lumen
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starting mechanism is suitable to needs. In general, an electronic ballast is preferable to a mechanical ballast as it has lower losses and can enable dimming. Some fluorescent lamps can be dimmed in response to available natural light. Depending on the model, this may reduce lamp lifetime slightly, but often this is more than compensated for by the cost savings that result from increased energy-efficiency. On the negative side, fluorescent lamps use mercury which is very harmful
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for the environment. Rouhana feels that manufacturers must take upon the responsibility to try and minimise mercury consumption. In a fluorescent lamp, the amount of light emitted depends on the phosphor coating around the lamp. “People usually go for cheaper products and fluorescent lamps are no exception,” explaines Rouhana. “This has two major disadvantages, one, the lamp durability is not very long and two, the phosphor used in the lamps are very thin and of low quality. The quality of the phosphor coating is critical because poor quality coating disintegrates and falls away from the glass which leads to certain amount of UV short waves going out. This could be extremely harmful to people’s health. This is another reason why governments are getting serious about sustainable lighting.” LED lighting LED or light-emitting diode is a semiconductor light source. Though visibly more expensive, LED lamps
have a longer life compared to incandescent lamps and some fluorescent lamps. Some LED lamps are made to replace incandescent or fluorescent lamps directly. Efficacy of LED devices continues to improve with some being able to emit more than 100 lumens per watt. LEDs do not emit light in all directions, and their directional characteristics affect the design of lamps. But LED lamps emit more light than incandescent lamps due to their higher efficacy. When it comes to sustainability, LED based lighting solutions represent the best step forward thanks to their low energy consumption. Other contributing factors include waste reduction, recyclability, use of materials and resources and the effect on building and design practices. LED lighting supports sustainable design in several ways. It uses less energy than most other types of lamp, lasts longer (which means less frequent replacement and therefore reduced waste), is mercury-free, and can be housed in special luminaires designed
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Some countries in the EU banned the use of incandescent and halogen lamps from 2013 onwards, which means these lamps cannot be produced, marketed or sold for home use.
August/September 2013
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for easier disassembly and recycling. Rouhana cautions that while LED is light of the future, it is not the solution for everything yet. He continues: “People deal with LED lamps in their construction projects without being informed first, which leads to failure and loss of money. Training, lectures and seminars on LED technology is required to spread knowledge. With thousands of manufacturers in the fray today, you have to be very careful.” Cost of Ownership The true cost of ownership is often confused with initial purchase cost. People do not consider maintenance and replacement costs as well as energy costs, which amounts to usually a lot more than the initial cost. These running costs, once considered, give end-users the actual cost of the lamp and value for money. Generally, systems with the lowest initial price have the highest ‘full life’ cost of ownership. For example, incandescent and halogen lamps usually take the most energy cost and do not run for as long as sustainable lamps. When end-users consider all factors, they realise that energy-efficient lamps are actually more economical than traditional lamps. Policy action, the EU way In 2006, the European Union took drastic measures calling for 20%
reduction in energy consumption by 2020. Even though this seems to be an ambitious target, they have drafted strategic measures to obtain them: Legislative strategy The first step was to make proper regulations and legislations that set limits in terms of energy consumption. Initially, instead of setting hard and fast rules, they eased people into the process through incentives. For example, in Germany, a rebate was given to those whose energy bills reflected low electricity consumption and high energy savings. The government also provided price discounts to encourage people to choose energy saving equipment. Some countries in the EU banned the use of incandescent and halogen lamps from 2013 onwards, which means these lamps cannot be produced, marketed or sold for home use. High penalties are inflicted on those selling incandescent lamps from January 2013 onwards. The same applies to North America, but the regulations will be imparted from the end of 2013. However, the first country in the world to ban incandescent lamps was Cuba way back in 2005. Following the footsteps of the European Union, many other nations are looking into banning incandescent and halogen lamps. The UAE too needs to follow
the example of the EU in banning these lamps. Solution creating strategy This strategy aims to provide users with solutions so that energy savings can be achieved. This is possible when markets can provide products and tools that could be applied instead of ones banned by legislation. An energy-efficiency label is a good way to communicate effectively to the end-users. Philips uses label categories that are placed on the product’s packaging - lamps are labelled in categories A, A+, or A++ with A++ being the most energy-efficient. Explaining benefits of energy One of the major challenges for lighting manufacturers is to communicate benefits of energyefficient lighting to end users in the right way. The end-user has to be convinced about cost benefit of buying an AED100 lamp. Seminars on lighting efficiency must target and educate people right from the level of school and university students to lighting professionals.
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clean energyproject Lebanon’s
Lebanon’s new landfill gas-to-energy project near Beirut taps clean energy to meet the country’s growing demand for electricity
T
he landfill gas-toenergy project uses GE’s ecomagination qualified Jenbacher gas engine technology, the Jenbacher J312, which can potentially generate 637 kilowatts of renewable electricity. The project will be eliminating the
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equivalent of about 12,400 tonnes of CO2, the amount of emissions produced by 6,100 cars annually. The project is operated by averda International, an environmental solutions provider in the MENA region, specialising in integrated resources management.
Massive growth in Lebanon’s energy and water sector has attracted investments worth US$20 billion.”
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International Conference and Exhibition: 28 – 30 October 2013 Awards Ceremony: 30 October 2013
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A Sustainable Middle East Green Middle East 2013 is proud to present its third annual Forum for Environmental Change. The Forum is taking place during the Green Middle East Exhibition, a true barometer of the robust health of the green sector in the country and the region, presenting insights, prospects and business leads to participants under a single roof.
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August/September 2013
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the gas that is currently being flared for conversion to electricity.
The landfill gas-to-energy (LFGTE) project in Naameh, near Beirut will begin operating during the last quarter of 2013. By using the landfill gas in the Jenbacher gas engine to produce electricity instead of letting the gas escape into the atmosphere, the project will reduce the landfill’s emissions and contribute to the country’s environmental sustainability. This pilot project could be expanded to utilise the land fill facility’s full capacity. Landfill gas typically comprises approximately 55% methane and 45% CO2 which are both greenhouse gases that contribute to environmental degradation. GE’s Jenbacher gas engines utilise captured methane gas as a fuel to produce electricity and have widespread applications in the Middle East. Naameh is the biggest sanitary controlled landfill in Lebanon,
serving the Greater Beirut and Mount Lebanon area since it was established in 1997. Hani Wazzan, Supply Chain Director at averda, says, “The twin challenges of landfill management— promoting environmental sustainability and tapping the site’s renewable energy potential—are being addressed through averda’s collaboration with GE, with averda providing the quality engineered setting and GE supplying its advanced Jenbacher gas engine. This collaboration creates an opportunity for strengthening the cooperation between GE and averda to apply similar technologies in other sites operated by averda in Lebanon and the region.” The Naameh project will be a noteworthy initiative in which the waste will be converted to useful energy. The potential benefit of the LFGTE project is that it could encourage other landfill sites to use
Investing in Lebanon Massive growth in Lebanon’s energy and water sector has attracted investments worth US$20 billion. Natural gas reserves have also been discovered in Lebanese territorial waters off the country’s southern coast. The European Investment Bank (EIB) recently announced the signing of two loans with Lebanon, acting through the Council for Development and Reconstruction. A EUR 50 million ‘Lebanon Energy Efficiency & Renewables Global Loan’ will support private sector investments in energy-efficiency and renewable energy. This project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and diversify by reducing consumption of conventional generated electricity and heat. The EIB funds will be managed by Lebanon’s Central Bank, Banque du Liban and will financially aid the small scale investments by the private sector in the energyefficiency and renewable energy throughout Lebanon. An upcoming power project will boost the country’s power generation capacity from 1,500 MW to 4,000 MW utilising natural gas instead of fuel oil. The Lebanese government has approved $4.87 billion for the electricity plan. This plan also includes the construction of an infrastructure for handling the gas and this will include a liquefied natural gas pipeline along the Lebanese coast. In the long run, the plan calls for investing another $ 1.65 billion so that Lebanon can produce 5,000 MW of electricity. The Lebanese Center for Energy Conservation (LCEC) has been formed as a part of the plan within the Lebanese Ministry of Energy and Water (MEW) to supervise energy-efficiency and renewable energy in Lebanon and oversee the implementation of the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP) covering more than 10 national initiatives in the fields of energy-efficiency, renewable energy and green buildings.
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MeNA Rail and Metro summit 2013 is the definitive meeting place, knowledge exchange and business network for the region’s key stakeholders - the transport Ministry’s and Departments of transport, the state railways, the rail operators, consultants, engineers, rail contractors, rolling stock suppliers and rail experts who are involved in what is now one of the World’s fastest growing rail markets! Critical market intelligence, project opportunities and future developmental plans under the spot light as discussed by regional Transport Ministries and an unprecedented number of the region’s State railways and operators!
REGIONAL OPERATORS TO SPEAK AT THE EVENT Eng. Ramadan Abdullah Mohammed Director of Rail Operations Department – Rail Agency, Roads and transport Authority (RtA) (UAe)
Eng. Ali Abdelfattah Chief Technical Officer, Makkah Mass Rail transit (MMRt) (KsA)
Eng. Ibrahim K. Kutubkhanah Chief Executive Officer, Metro Jeddah Company (KsA)
Eng. Gassim S. Al-Gassim Deputy CEO, Projects, saudi Railway Company (sAR) (KsA)
Abdulrahman Al Janahi Senior Development Manager,etihad Rail (UAe)
Eng. Abdurahman Bin Salim ALhatmi Oman Railway Project Manager, oman National Railway Company (oMAN)
Nino Cingolani Co-Chairman ENR Transformation and Restructuring Program, egyptian National Railways (eNR) (egYPt)
Abderrahmène Gamha President and Chief Executive Officer, société Nationale des Chemins de fer tunisiens (sNCft) (tUNisiA)
beNefits of AtteNDiNg:
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• foCUs DAY - operator Case study series dedicated to
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Technology
Zero emission In collaboration with Sharjah Municipality, Bee’ah launches its new street cleaning fleet that features solar powered vehicles and eco-friendly equipment
T
andeef, the waste collection and citywide street cleaning division of Bee’ah, has recently introduced a new range of electric-powered vehicles that can collect 600,000 tonnes of waste a day. His Excellency Salim Al Owais, Chairman of Bee’ah, said, “This is yet another first for Sharjah, the Green Emirate. With our new ‘zero emission’ fleet and region’s first solar boat, we are working to keep the environment safe and pure for residents in Sharjah. Bee’ah will continue to lead the way towards sustainability and waste management in the UAE. Keeping us on-track to achieve our aim of zero-waste to landfill by 2015, this new environmentally-friendly range of equipment will help reduce carbon emissions, noise and pollution while keeping Sharjah clean.” Bee’ah was formed in 2007 as a public private partnership (PPP) with the Sharjah Municipality through an Emiri decree by His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi. Since its inception, Bee’ah has scaled up to become one of the leading waste management companies in the region. Tandeef’s new range will have zero emission mobile equipment like new waste compacters, urban vacuum cleaners, automated sweepers, street vacuums and
solar-powered boats. The boats are designed to collect up to two hundred kilograms of waste from Sharjah’s lagoons and floating debris. The cleaning boats are created in appropriate proportions to easily maneuver around the Mamzar and Khaled Lagoons in Sharjah. Equipped with a solar roof, it supplies the energy required to run the two electrical pod-propulsion placed under its body. While routing in an area, the boats can collect floating waste such as plastics, polystyrene and wood and stores them on board in a dedicated container which has a capacity of 200 kilograms. The waste is eventually taken to the Bee’ah Waste Management Centre for processing and recycling.
The fleet includes five hundred vehicles, of which all are fitted with GPS vehicle tracking and computerised route-optimisation systems. This helps maximise vehicle service productivity and develop more efficient routes for waste collection, in turn reducing emissions from excess fuel consumption. “We have set out continuously to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions of our company’s equipment and vehicles and this is yet another step on that path,” says Bee’ah Group CEO Khaled Al Huraimel. “While the new fleet will be working on the streets and lagoons, we will be continuing to research other technologies that can further assist us to attain our sustainability objectives.”
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Advertorial | DELTA FAUCet
Delta Faucet’s ‘Sustainable Bathroom in the UAE’ design competition inspires AUD students Twenty-two students from the American University in Dubai participated in a competition endorsed by the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, and in partnership with Alabbar Energy & Sustainability Group
D
elta Faucet Company, a worldwide leader in residential and commercial faucets that believes there is a better way to live with water, earlier this year launched the ‘Sustainable Bathroom in the UAE’ Design Competition to promote future sustainability of water resources in the region. The competition, through partnerships and endorsements, raised awareness of sustainability and water resources in the UAE and recognizes American University in Dubai (AUD) students for their innovative and practical designs
August/September 2013
that may one day influence the way people think about and use water in the UAE. The overall winner of the design challenge was Anne Wagdi El Meri, a fourth year student from AUD, who designed an eco-friendly public washroom which incorporated plants to clean the air by removing toxins using Bel Air Technology and reusing water using a ‘Reed Bed’ system. The runner up was Mahy Hussein, whose design “Webbing into nature” was based on organic filtration and focused
on addressing the issue of water wastage in public washrooms. Third prize winner Erum Kamal, was recognised for her innovative design titled “Sustainable Growth” of a sustainable bathroom concept to promote a green space. Anne El Meri, overall winner of the design challenge, said: “I enjoyed working on this challenge and have learnt that incorporating simple, yet effective design solutions into everyday household products can have a lasting impact on the planet that we call home. I also believe that the use of modern
Advertorial | DELTA FAUCet
About Delta Faucet Company Founded by Masco Corporation in 1954 with the introduction of the single-handle faucet, Delta Faucet Company is proud to be America’s faucet innovation leader, featuring Delta®, Brizo® and Peerless® products. A WaterSense® partner of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Delta Faucet is a global organization that offers kitchen faucets, bath faucets, shower heads, shower systems, toilets and related accessories, selling products in more than 53 countries. For more information, visit www.deltafaucet.com.
About Masco Masco Corporation (NYSE: MAS), parent company of Delta Faucet Company, is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of brand-name consumer products for the home and family, including Behr® paint; Delta® and Hansgrohe® kitchen and bath faucets and shower fixtures; KraftMaid® and Merillat® cabinets; and Milgard® windows and doors. Masco is also a leading provider of services that include the installation of insulation and other building products through Masco Contractor Services. Visit www.masco.com for more information on the Masco family of brands.
technology for the betterment of the environment is essential in order to promote sustainable living for future generations.” In March, Delta Faucet Company, in partnership with the AUD and Alabbar Energy & Sustainability Group (AESG), issued a challenge to architecture and interior design students to design a sustainable bathroom of the future. The students were tasked to use mandatory design elements that addressed water conservation, energy efficiency, water quality, and product durability in compliance with government design requirements. The winner received a 15-inch Mac Book Pro and the runner-up and the winner of the third place took home a Wacom Intuos5 L and Intuos5 S respectively. Commenting at the award ceremony, Ross Jackson, General Manager Delta Faucet Company, Middle East, said “The future of the planet lies in the hands of the next generation, and from the innovative designs we were presented with today by students from AUD, I can safely say that it is in good hands. The design solutions that were produced to alleviate everyday challenges, such as the high level of water use in the bathroom, were inspiring. Very soon these students will be entering the work place and influencing the industry, setting both the tone and criteria for design in the region. We are delighted to witness that they understand the significance of sustainable design in everyday products and have provided
About AUD The American University in Dubai (AUD) is a private, non-sectarian institution of higher learning founded in 1995. It serves UAE nationals and international students who seek world-class career-oriented education. AUD, as an international institution of higher education, encourages global understanding by providing an atmosphere of cultural diversity and opportunities for an international education.
solutions to tackle the issue.” Ross added, “Delta Faucet Company is a pioneer in the advancement of performance standards for water-saving products and has developed numerous groundbreaking technologies helping to promote water conservation. We were delighted by the high standard of the design submissions we received, which made deliberating on the winner tough for the team.”
For more information please contact Marketing Communications Department American University in Dubai T. +971 4 3183 108 E. sghoul@aud.edu
•
AUD is officially licensed by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the United Arab Emirates. The Ministry has accredited the university’s programs in International Studies, Business Administration (both undergraduate and graduate), Communication and Information Studies, Engineering, Computer and Information Technology, Architecture, Visual Communication and Interior Design, Education (graduate), and Construction Management (graduate), in addition to a Certificate program in Middle Eastern Studies.
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AUD is accredited by the Commission on Colleges (COC) of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to award Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.
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AUD is approved to operate by the State of Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission (NPEC).
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AUD has received specialized accreditation for its Bachelor’s of Business Administration (B.B.A.), and Master’s of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree programs in business through the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE).
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The university’s undergraduate majors in Marketing Communications and Advertising have been accredited by the International Advertising Association (IAA) in New York.
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The Civil, Computer, and Electrical Engineering Programs of AUD’s School of Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET. The Bachelor of Science in Computer and Information Technology (B.S.C.I.T.) program is accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET.
About AESG •
AESG specialises in providing cost effective solutions in reducing the ecological footprint of the built environment. AESG is committed to driving sustainability in the UAE and the Middle East and takes personal pride in delivering the highest levels of sustainability on our projects
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BUSINESS
Being a corporate hero With the UAE ranked among countries with the highest ecological footprints per capita since 1998, it has a greater responsibility to try reducing its imapct on climate change. EWS-WWF suggests long-term strategies to move the country’s private sector companies towards managing their carbon footprints
H
eroes of the UAE, popular campaign established by the Emirates Wildlife Society in association with the Worldwide Fund for Nature (EWSWWF) and The Environment Agency-Abu Dhabi gives the private sector a reality check about the increasing impact of climate change and how immediate measures must be taken to curb energy consumption
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and choose energy-efficient solutions across the region. Carbon footprint management More than 70% of ecological footprint caused in the UAE and most regions
is due to CO2 emissions, while the remaining 30% is caused through business and industry activities. However, simply reducing carbon emissions caused by electricity and water consumption in the office environment is not enough. EWS-
BUSINESS
According to the WWF Living Planet Report 2012, the majority (71%) of the country’s footprint comes from CO2 emissions. Of the overall UAE footprint, the private sector is responsible for a significant 30%; and one way companies can help to tackle this issue is by putting in place long-term strategies aimed at carbon footprint reduction. “
WWF suggests in its report to develop a comprehensive long-term strategy which reduces carbon emissions beyond a 12 month period. The highest contributors to carbon emissions in 2009 include construction sector, engineering industries, public administration, defence, manufacturing of chemical and petroleum products, apparel and textile, food & beverages, and the tobacco industry. The long-term strategy expects companies following the Heroes of the UAE programme to maintain the savings achieved during the 12 continuous months and expand efforts to include all company operations in the UAE, as well as emissions beyond electricity and water consumption. It also expects the participants to introduce carbon footprint savings as part of strategic business operations and develop a long-term strategy for year-on-year carbon footprint reduction. The programme encourages long-term plans and motivates businesses to address the issues by managing their carbon footprint as a business imperative. The programme not only motivates participants within the UAE, but globally as well. Understanding carbon footprint management is essential, as one of its main drivers include realising climate change creates risks for business such as: physical, regulatory, reputational, legal, shareholder value and reduced competitiveness, so companies should be proactive in tackling the issue. Sustainability: A business model With the growing economic and environment crisis, an increasing number of investors are taking a keen interest in learning how companies must deal with climate change. Several initiatives have been launched in this regard, of which the Carbon Disclosure Project is perhaps most well known. The project helps investors protect their assets by reducing the impact of long-term strategic risks while providing companies the tools to measure, report and manage their carbon footprint more effectively.
Paola Ferreira Paola speaks with BGreen on the role of the private sector in mitigating climate change solution. Ferreira is a Policy Advisor at EWS-WWF, where she oversees and supports EWS-WWF’s policy analysis and development. With climate change as the pressing issue in the international arena, many businesses have realised the urgency to act and achieve transformative change. Increasing numbers of private sector companies are now taking matters into their own hands, and acting as leading forces in sustainable and solution-oriented actions towards reducing the adverse effects of climate change. According to the WWF Living Planet Report 2012, the majority (71%) of the country’s footprint comes from CO2 emissions. Of the overall UAE footprint, the private sector is responsible for a significant 30%; and one way companies can help to tackle this issue is by putting in place long-term strategies aimed at carbon footprint reduction. Companies that were awarded the Verified Corporate Hero status as part of the EWS-WWF Heroes of the UAE Private Sector Programme, are spearheading the way for more sustainable business practices in the UAE by proving that environmental benefits can be coupled with benefitting the bottom line. Companies often start their sustainability journeys by opting for quick-win solutions related to energy and water to lower their operating costs. . Even though energy and water tariffs are currently subsidised by the UAE government, this situation could change. Therefore, by managing their corporate carbon footprint, companies will be able to better prepare for future policy changes and limit the potential impacts of tariff increases. Climate change can pose further risks for businesses; but by proactively developing a strategy for carbon footprint reduction, companies can take advantage of the opportunity to reduce the physical, regulatory, reputational, legal, value and competitiveness risks that can arise from it. Additional reasons for striving towards increased sustainability range from addressing customers’ preferences, legislative pressure to optimising scarce resources and gaining investor confidence. There are a growing number of investors interested in how companies deal with climate change, seeking information from programmes such as the Carbon Disclosure Project to decide on sound investments. Whatever the reason, the benefits not only appear in financial savings, but help build a positive sustainable profile of a company. Embarking on a sustainable future is surprisingly worthwhile: environmentally, economically and for the reputation of your company. It is clear that companies in the UAE should take this opportunity to be leading, transformative agents towards finding solutions to climate change.
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CASE STUDY TECOM Investments Established in 2005 to build, manage and develop the business parks vertical under Dubai Holding. TECOM is has more than 4500 companies functioning in its properties, and one of TECOM Investments’ largest portfolio companies is TECOM Business Parks. The business parks includes 10 business parks under five industry clusters across the information and communication technology (ICT), media, education, sciences and manufacturing and logistics sectors. One year after its launch, TECOM adopted sustainable development as a policy, the move was done to push energy and water conservation by building “green.” The decision also wanted to prove to be more profitable, financially, socially and environmentally. As part of this decision, the company established the Sustainable Energy and Environment Division (SEED) to drive change across the organisation, focussing on energy and water consumption, education initiatives and pushing LEED certification in existing and new buildings. Carbon reduction TECOM faced several challenges when establishing a baseline to
define energy and water usage. These were mainly due to the setup of the business parks where utility consumption is part of the rent in some spaces while in others, either some or all of the responsibility for utility consumption belongs to the tenant. There is also the huge variety of electricity and water systems in TECOM’s properties such as HVAC systems (district cooling, central chillers or split DX systems); wastewater facilities (on-site treatment or municipal connection); space planning (open / closed plan); leasing (single-tenant / multi-tenant) and utility metering strategies. In addition, there is a variety of facilities owned and operated by them, including office spaces, purpose built biotech laboratories, media facilities, educational campuses, warehouses and accommodation. TECOM undertook preliminary audits of existing facilities to assess equipment and operating practices in facilities owned and operated by them. Under its Sustainable Development Policy, it found that its energy bill would cross AED 150 million per year by 2015 and with it, increased negative environmental impacts. It was estimated that building operations management alone could reduce energy consumption by 10% immediately. Initially, TECOM prioritised measures avoiding additional investment and focussed on setting up short and long-term targets; starting with quick-win policies. TECOM also focused on fostering
strong relations with the campus management team; which was vital to successfully implement efficiency initiatives and generate new ideas. Lessons Learned Galvanising management and colleague buy-in was vital to securing the resources and co-operation needed to deploy a sustainability programme. Sharing success was key, as every achievement earned stronger support from management and its energy and water conservation programme is continuing to make steady progress, growing both in scale and scope.
Establishing a clear approach is key to successful energy and water conservation and TECOM’s programme focussed on the following principles: •
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Implement a steady engagement approach: grow the scope and scale of the programme to encompass the entire portfolio of properties and systems over a period of time Use the Pareto principle: focus on cooling systems, starting from the larger chiller yards Select and implement low-hanging fruit policies: implement quick-wins such as Building Management Systems Scheduling Select and implement lowcost measures: these are more easily adjusted into corporate budgets and subsequent success builds momentum for larger projects Identify quick payback projects: the stronger the financial case and the issues the project resolves, the more likely the project will gain management approval Prepare and document financial data: measureable results on the financial impacts of the programme helped enhance management support Foster teamwork: a friendly atmosphere is key in ensuring all departments are successfully engaged.
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BUSINESS
Sustainability in hospitality Worldwide, the energy and environmental impact of the hospitality sector is huge as it relies heavily on built assets, is a major consumer of energy and water and generates considerable volumes of waste. The sector is thus greatly vulnerable to sustainability issues. BGreen and Emirates Green Building Council (EGBC) chaired a round table discussion on sustainability trends in the hospitality sector in the Middle East, the sixth in our collaborative series Sustainable Solutions
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he round table participants were Philippe Torrin, Vice President Technical Services Hospitality, Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) Group; Ashroff Shakoor, Director of Engineering, Grand Hyatt Dubai; Srilal Palihakkara, Director of Engineering, Mövenpick Hotel Ibn Battuta Gate Dubai & Technical Coordinator – Middle East, India and Sri Lanka with Dubai Tourism’s Said Ishaq Abugharbieh as observer. The discussion was moderated by Anoop K Menon, Contributing Editor, BGreen.
August/September 2013
BGREEN: How would each one of you relate sustainability to the hospitality sector? Philippe: I feel that even today sustainability is neither well understood nor well presented. You have a lot of public relations and marketing with the need to look good superseding everything else. So you have expensive propositions presented as sustainable actions. When it comes to sustainability in the hospitality sector, I feel that we need to concentrate on low hanging fruits, make a credible success out
of them and see where we can go from there. Ashroff: Around 15 years ago, we started collecting condensed water from the AC coils at the Hyatt Regency. Today, we collect over 10,000 gallons of water, and on a hot humid day, it goes up to 15,000 gallons. At that time, the objective as quite simple - reduce the bills. Sustainability, on its own, became an important driver for us seven years ago when we invested nearly AED 3.5 million to put up a solar water heater system on the Grand Hyatt. In fact, I have come
across older hotels implementing simple energy-efficiency measures, carrying out energy audits, operational reviews compared to new properties. I went to a recently opened five star hotel in Dubai and was shocked to not find even a single LED lamp. Sustainability in the region’s hotel sector is really a mixed bag. Srilal: In my opinion, sustainability has a wider perspective beyond technical gains. At Movenpick, we started our sustainability journey in 2009 with energy monitoring programme in 12 hotels. Today, 98% of our properties in the Middle East are implementing this programme. In fact, all our Middle East hotels have Green Globe Certification (GGC), which is a worldwide sustainability system. GGC has over 337 action points all the way from energy and water conservation to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). For example, we buy fair trade coffee which guarantees that the product is produced in a sustainable manner and doesn’t involve child labour – this is a sustainable way of doing business. BGREEN: Why isn’t sustainability a widespread trend in the region’s hotel sector despite its obvious importance? What are the challenges in its way? Philippe: We are living in a society
Ashroff Shakoor Director of Engineering, Grand Hyatt Dubai
driven by revenue. Before taking up high cost steps like food waste composting and the like, we should start with actions that have a huge impact on costs with minimum investment. These are no-brainers that are often side-lined for public relations gimmicks despite proven results. In fact, we should go in for more subjective actions only after harvesting the low hanging fruits. The need of the hour is sharing best practices, and developing a proper, independent tool to measure the results and prove that a particular action gives a particular set of results. This would be useful to engineers who want to convince their management. Today, there is little or no dissemination of sustainability actions taken and results achieved. Moreover, Return on Investments (ROI) promised by vendors are based on inflated or incorrect values that don’t consider ground reality. Ashroff: There is a lot of value if you go to someone who has experience in implementing sustainability initiatives. As a 30-year old group operating different properties, we have that experience. We started installing LED lamps three to four years ago and achieved ROI in five months despite the fact that we didn’t consider heat dissipation from the halogen lamps. Buoyed by that success, we started implementing
LED lighting in other properties. Philippe: What we need now is a platform to share such success stories. Ashroff: In fact, there should be networking events where hotel engineers can gather and share their knowledge and experiences. BGREEN: How important is water and waste from a sustainability standpoint? Ashroff: At the Hyatt Regency, we took Treated Sewage effluent (TSE) supplied for irrigation, treated it in a reverse osmosis (RO) plant installed at a cost of AED 1.3 million and used this water in our cooling towers. I had calculated 12 months as the payoff period but it took only nine months. We replicated that success in the Park Hyatt and two months ago, we installed a similar system in the Grand Hyatt as well. Water conservation can play an important role in your sustainability plan. Srilal: The energy monitoring programme that we launched in 2009 motivated our hotels to save on water and other utilities. We have saved 78,000 cubic metres of water in the 12 hotels which equates to 31 Olympic sized swimming pools or 52 million 1.5 litre-bottles. We achieved these savings through small actions like installation of water savers, water bottles in the toilet tanks and also guest education. We only spent money on water savers which paid off in six to nine months. While we started with 12 hotels, other hotels too have been implementing these measures. When you talk about waste in this part of the world, it is enormous. There are five countries in the Middle East that figure among the top 10 in the world when it comes to waste generation. Apart from food waste, hotels also generate general waste. We have been segregating waste and recycling it for the past one and a half years but I started measuring it only recently. In just 15 days, we diverted six percent of our waste which was going to landfill to recycling. Our target is eight percent by the end of the year. Philippe: Even with water, we need an independent tool to measure the savings. We need to go with Genuine Performance. At MAF, we are audited by an internationally recognised third party, which verifies that the numbers in our annual reports and the method of calculation is correct.
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outside contractors to do things? Even otherwise, if you are clear about what you want and how to get it, you can get the contractor or supplier to do it for you.
In three years, we saved 24% in electricity and 18% in water and diverted 30% of waste from landfill through recycling. In fact, we are receiving money for the recycled waste while earlier, we had to pay money for waste to be taken away. BGREEN: Clearly, lack of awareness about sustainability isn’t a significant challenge… Ashroff: I agree that things are changing but slowly. Earlier, people were turned back by the costs, but with prices coming down, they are keen to invest. Today, you can buy branded LED bulbs for AED40 which used to be AED60. I feel things are moving in the right direction. Philippe: In my opinion, this change was induced by the economic crisis. Before the crisis, business was so good that hotels were not hard-pressed to cut costs. Post-crisis, the focus on bottom line pushed them to cut their energy and water costs. We made investments worth over millions in heat pumps, LED bulbs and recycling in our properties with positive results. We were doing it for the first time so there were risks. We had to prepare a proper case study and sent that to our business analyst, make IRR and NPV of 10 years which also included increase in maintenance costs to prove that the investment is worthwhile. But how many are really willing to do all that or even bear the risk? At the same time, most of the suppliers here are not really capable
Philippe Torrin Vice President - Technical Services Hospitality, Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) Group
of helping you on the implementation side. The bigger five star hotels will have good chief engineers but the same may not be the case for smaller hotels. If you do not have good local resources, things can get very complicated. In fact, procurement and support for implementation is very important. I feel there is opportunity for specialised companies in these areas. Srilal: Product evaluation is also an issue. For example, while there are many LED products in the market, sometimes they will not last the years stated in the guarantee. There are a lot of technicalities involved in selecting products. Ashroff: You must study the technologies and calculate the ROI. Shorter the duration of ROI, the better. Also, our engineering team carries out most of the implementations. Why invest so much money and then rely on
BGREEN: How do you get your customers to buy into sustainability? Srilal: Corporates who are passionate about sustainability prefer to do business with suppliers who share that ethos, and this applies to their choice of hotels too. In this case, sustainability becomes an important driver of business. Business apart, sustainability is also a moral obligation to save the world for the future. I believe that it is easier to take sustainable measures today because there is so much of waste. Most of the actions we have implemented so far required little by way of investment. But now we are ready to go to the next stage of investing money and getting returns. BGREEN: How do you ensure that the workforce don’t lose sight of the sustainability agenda? Philippe: We have linked bonus to performance to make the workforce accountable. We have given our engineers tools to measure performance. We are also pushing this accountability further down to other departments as well. Ashroff: We have appointed a company to prepare reports on consumption figures which we get at the end of every month.
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The tourism industry is the second highest employer in the Middle East. We have 3,000 operational hotels with 300,000 rooms in the UAE. If every hotel launches an environmental training programme for their staff, 1.7 million people could be trained in a single year in the UAE alone.”
These reports tells us how we have performed compared to the previous months. In 2006, we were given a target to achieve reductions of 25% in electricity and 20% in water consumption by 2015. With this system and past records and looking at the other properties, we are doing very well. I agree that it is important to give people targets and tools to measure the progress. EGBC representative: Hospitality is one of the sectors that we are
focussing on as part of our sector-based sustainability programme. I would like to know how EGBC can be platform for collaboration between the government and hotel sector. Philippe: EGBC should develop a proper tool and establish a common platform to share success stories, data or results so that the entire sector benefits. Competition between hotels is determined by service and not by how green they
Srilal Palihakkara Director of Engineering, Mövenpick Hotel Ibn Battuta Gate Dubai & Technical Coordinator – Middle East
are. However, a ‘greener’ Dubai will certainly attract more people and everybody benefits. Ashroff: Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) has carried out many awareness drives. In fact, DTCM should encourage all hotels to carry out energy audits as these audits will tell the management where the ‘leaking buckets’ are. There are so many simple measures that hotels can take provided the management knows about it. EGBC can play a co-ordinating role here. Srilal: I would like to share a few statistics from the World Travel & Tourism Council. The tourism industry is the second highest employer in the Middle East. We have 3,000 operational hotels with 300,000 rooms in the UAE. If every hotel launches an environmental training programme for their staff, 1.7 million people could be trained in a single year in the UAE alone. This could boost the sustainability awareness within the country. In fact, in Movenpick, staff training is an integral part of our sustainability agenda. BGREEN: What would be your wish list for making sustainability an integral part of decision-making in the hospitality industry? Philippe: I feel that authorities should make it mandatory for all hotels to incorporate solar energy in their operations and recycle grey water. They could also lay down a minimum percentage of lighting to be LEDs. Property owners who invest in sustainability should be recognised. Most of the time, the spotlight is on the hotel operators. Srilal: My wish list would include regulations that encourages sustainability and a platform for sharing of knowledge, experiences and success stories. Investors should be forced to factor sustainability into their projects during the design stage itself. For example, you can incorporate condensate recovery and re-use at the design stage rather than as a retrofit. Ashroff: A platform where hotel engineers can meet and exchange their experiences and knowledge can create greater awareness. We should also get the consultants to listen more to the end-users.
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LEISURE
Back Wood to
Alex de Rijke’s Escher-like series of interlocking timber staircases called ‘Endless Stair’ will be showcasing for the first time in London this year
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very year construction projects seek green building certification which strive for exemplary environmental performance. According to a report by Navigant Research, the building industry has started to go back and use more of traditional materials and methods and thus avoid using the inexpensive fossil fuels and petrochemicals. “Innovation in green materials is driving, in a sense, a regression, in which materials made from bio-based or quickly regenerating resources that are low in embodied energy and carbon, are re-emerging,” says Eric Bloom, senior research analyst with Navigant Research. “Examples include timber structures and cladding, straw-bale construction, lime renders and mortars,
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LEISURE
cellulose insulation, bamboo flooring, and natural mineral and fiber floor coverings.” This year, Alex de Rijke’s ‘Endless Stair’ is said to be the highlight of the London Design Festival (LDF) which will run this September. The architect who is also the Founder of architects dRMM and Dean of Architecture at the Royal College of Art, has designed this series of interlocking timber staircases rising to a height of several storeys outside St Paul’s Cathedral, overlooking the Millennium Bridge. The
project was commissioned by the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), in collaboration with dRMM Architects and Arup. One of the major purposes of this project includes showcasing the potential of cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels made from American tulipwood. Popular in the US, American tulipwood is a versatile timber that is easy to machine, plane, turn, glue and bore. CLT is a procedure of using the structural properties of timber to make panels that can form buildings, quickly, efficiently and sustainably. The technology is also used on projects in east London, like the Bridport House in Hackney. A notable innovation for the sustainable building industry, this new technology is currently changing perceptions on how to build with wood. The building material itself is highly pre-fabricated, the panel is essentially made of wood planks that are fastened together using dovetail connections which is a kind of interlocking method. The interlocking is done instead of using glue or fasteners, and could be used for long spans like roofs, floors, and walls. The product is engineered entirely of wood, holding environment characteristics that are common to all wood products. CLT have numerous sustainable charateristics which include robust structural capabilities, inherent fire resistance, renewable and sustainable production, simple, straightforward assembly, as well as a highly effective and efficient built environment
“Up until now all CLT has been made from softwood, however, using a hardwood such as tulipwood, which is widely available, has great advantages. As a result of its superior structural properties, CLT panels made from tulipwood could potentially be much thinner than softwood panels of similar strength and stiffness. This leads to a saving in materials and to the possibility of more slender solutions. The elegance of the steps in the ‘Endless Stair’ is only possible as a result of these superior structural properties,” said Roderick Wiles, AHEC Director for Africa, Middle East, India and Oceania. “Since discovering the unique properties of tulipwood from a testing programme at BRE in 2005, AHEC has been determined to market its use for structural applications and this installation will throw the spotlight on the potential of this versatile and readily available hardwood.” The Endless Stair will demonstrate the versatility of the technology, constructed from a series of repeating components. According to the AHEC American hardwood is not usually considered, however it is not only sustainable and competitively priced, but they can also provide a significantly greater inherent strength. In construction softwood is the most dominant building material as it is cheap and readily available. As the sector expands and looks at alternatives like timber, it has the advantage to use less materials to achieve the same result.
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Advertorial | HEMPEL
reflective High solar
paints Hempel’s Contex Thermoguard has reasonably excellent solar reflectivity and prevents heat transfer through the coating with as much as 90%of solar infra-red and 85% of ultraviolet rays being radiated back into the atmosphere
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he growing heat in the MENA region could be the right reason to push solar reflective paints. The surface is uniquely designed and artificially altered to deliver high solar reflectance. Reflecting the sunrays which include visible daylight, infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths would help reduce heat transfer to the surface. This concept which is also a form of geoengineering is most wellknown as the cool roof. Cool roof is often associated with white roof which is a concept that focuses on the colour white as a reflective device for solar radiations. Cool roofs on the other hand, comes in various colours and has nothing to do with the colour as a property. Some cool roof pigments allow dark colours like even black to function as a reflective body. Dark colours however, are not as efficient as whites or light colours, but can still save energy over other paints. These paint products
August/September 2013
Advertorial | HEMPEL
are most effective when using light colours, as light colours can reflect up to 50% of solar radiation. Dark colours traditionally absorb solar radiation more than light colours. However, sunlight is made up of 51% infrared light. By replacing conventional black pigments with special cool colour technology black pigments which reflect infrared radiation, it is possible to reduce heat absorption by the substrate, without altering the colour. This results in the coating become a heat-reflective coating, even in dark colours. The paint coatings can help significantly improve a buildings’ insulation properties, thereby leading to reduced energy costs and wastage. These products should be considered by specifiers for their ability to lower greenhouse emissions.
Hempel, one of the world’s largest, independent suppliers of decorative, marine and protective coatings, offers high solar reflective paints in one of its prime ranges. The Contex Thermoguard is an exterior coating with high solar reflectivity that effectively reduces energy for cooling of buildings thus reducing electrical consumption and carbon footprint. When applied to exterior walls it provides with an excellent thermal insulation and reduces the rate of heat transfer into indoor areas. The Contex Thermoguard blocks the extreme heat of the sun due to its high solar reflectance (the ability to reflect the visible, infrared and
ultraviolet wavelengths of the sun) and high thermal emittance (the ability to release a large percentage of absorbed or nonreflected solar energy). Heat flows naturally from warmer to cooler spaces through walls, ceilings, and floors and wherever there is a difference in temperature. When the sun shines on exterior surfaces of commercial and residential buildings, solar load can peak to very high levels in the summertime and necessitates the usage of excessive air conditioning in the interior rooms to obtain comfortable conditions. An efficient heat insulation system can also contribute positively towards providing uniform air temperature pattern throughout the building that can in turn be translated into thermal comfort for building users who live or work in the building space. When a building is subjected to sunlight, the infrared or the ‘hot’ end of the light spectrum can cause increase in the heat on exposed surfaces. If the exterior paints or coatings have reasonably good solar reflectivity then the solar load being absorbed by the building would be reduced and the air conditioning required would also decrease, thereby conserving energy and cost of maintenance. Hempel’s Contex Thermoguard is based upon our exclusive blend of insulating hollow vacuum microspheres to form a tight interlocking matrix, which reduces radiated, conductive and convective heat through the painted surface. The high reflectivity of the coating reflects almost entire amounts of sunlight during summer days, drastically reducing the cost required for cooling a home, steel structure, or commercial building. Laurence Brown, Country Manager of Hempel UAE, said “The positive feedback we have received demonstrates the great value that Hempel’s products and services deliver to our customers. Hempel’s aggressive investments in R&D have been crucial in our continuing success to satisfy the evolving needs of our customers, particularly here in the Middle East. Moreover, we have introduced new ecofriendly solutions that complement the growing focus on sustainable growth and development within the business community and the society in general.”
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Oil & Gas
Solar
MiddleEast’s
first
EOR project
Enclosed trough system from GlassPoint uses the sun’s energy to produce steam for thermal EOR, thereby reducing the need to burn natural gas. Anoop K Menon writes,
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etroleum Development Oman (PDO), the largest producer of oil and gas in Oman, and GlassPoint Solar, a global leader in solar enhanced oil recovery, have successfully commissioned the Middle East’s first solar enhanced oil recovery (EOR) project. By harnessing the sun’s energy with GlassPoint’s Enclosed Trough technology, the solar EOR project produces a daily average of 50 tonnes of emissionsfree steam that feeds directly into existing thermal EOR operations at PDO’s Amal West field in Southern Oman. The 7MW system is in regular operation and recently passed its first performance acceptance test since coming online, exceeding contracted steam output by 10%.
August/September 2103
Oil & Gas
“PDO has successfully extended the life of its heavy oil assets by deploying innovative EOR technologies over the past few decades,” says Raoul Restucci, Managing Director of PDO. “The GlassPoint system is proving it can reliably fuel thermal EOR with solar power while reducing the need to burn natural gas. This solar EOR solution provides for an economically viable and environmentally sustainable long term resource to develop Oman’s heavy oil portfolio, while saving valuable natural gas resources for use in other gasdependent industries.” Today, EOR applications account for a significant portion of Oman’s annual natural gas consumption. By incorporating solar steam, PDO can significantly reduce the amount of natural gas it burns to produce steam for EOR. GlassPoint’s solution can cut natural gas used for EOR by up to 80%, helping Oman release its natural gas resources for higher value applications such as power generation, desalination, industrial development or export as LNG. “PDO is widely recognised as the EOR pioneer throughout the Middle East,” says Rod MacGregor, GlassPoint CEO. “Deploying the region’s first solar EOR project further underscores its leadership and commitment to advancing new technologies that will economically expand production of existing reserves.”
The system can potentially reduce natural gas used for EOR by up to 80%
“Preliminary results from this project demonstrate that solar steam generated with GlassPoint’s Enclosed Trough architecture is equally effective as natural gas for thermal EOR,” says Dr Syham Bentouati, Head of New Technology Implementation at PDO. “This unit serves as a performance and operational baseline for future solar steam generation projects in Oman, providing us with valuable information for planning potential future large-scale solar steam projects.” GlassPoint’s unique Enclosed Trough design encloses parabolic mirrors inside a glasshouse structure, protecting the solar collectors from harsh conditions of high wind, dust,
More than 40% of the solar installation was fabricated and constructed with the help of Omani companies, and we plan to increase the percentage of local content significantly as we grow throughout the country and region
dirt, sand and humidity common to Middle East oilfields. The glasshouse enclosure enables the use of ultralight, low-cost reflective materials and proven automated washing equipment, further reducing costs. GlassPoint steam generators are designed to use the same low-quality boiler water as once-through steam generators, the industry’s current standard, eliminating the need for costly water pretreatment. “GlassPoint is committed to generating in-country value by partnering with local contractors and manufacturers,” adds MacGregor. “More than 40% of the solar installation was fabricated and constructed with the help of Omani companies, and we plan to increase the percentage of local content significantly as we grow throughout the country and region.” Construction on the project began in January 2012 and finished in December 2012. The project was completed on time, on budget and with no Lost Time Injuries in accordance with GlassPoint and PDO’s shared commitment to sound engineering execution and health, safety, security and environment leadership. The Amal project is 27 times larger than GlassPoint’s solar EOR system, installed at Berry Petroleum’s 21Z oilfield in Kern County, California, USA, which has been in daily operation for two years.
August/September 2103
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Personality
Brazil’s green icon Marina Silva, former Senator of the National Assembly in Brazil, made a significant difference during her period as Minister of Environment. Her views on green development could take her country further in the mission against environmental degradation as she contemplates standing for the upcoming presidential elections in 2014
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orn in 1958, Marina Silva was the first rubber tapper ever elected to Brazil’s Federal State, serving the National Assembly since 1994. She became the Minister of Environment from 2003 to 2008. Before relocating to Rio Branco to treat Hepatitis when she was 16 years old, Silva grew up with 11 siblings in a lower income family. With a dream of studying and becoming a nun, Silva who was illiterate then was hired as a maid. She eventually learnt how to read and enrolled at a public school, with a keen interest in studying history. She was also inspired by liberation theology and the ideas of the environmental activist Chico Mendes. She soon became politically active, and stood for non-violence, and innovative solutions. Being a native Amazonian pushed her, as a Senator, to take initiatives for the environmental protection of the reserves as well as for social justice and sustainable development in the Amazon region. Once elected Minister of Environment, Silva implemented major steps to protect the Amazon forest, clamping down on illegal activity, and managed to reduce deforestation by almost 60% from 2004 to 2007. She also established the Amazon Fund to prevent greenhouse gas emissions through rainforest conservation. The fund is financed by not only by national means but through international contributions as well. In May 2008, Silva was replaced by Carlos Minc as she gave up her position due to growing resistance to her views on hydroelectric dams,
Marina Silva
biofuels, and genetically modified crops. She was also excluded from sustainable projects like the ‘Amazon sustainable development initiative,’ when President Lula da Silva designated Roberto Mangabeira Unger, the minister for strategic affairs, to coordinate the initiative instead of her. In a year, Silva switched from the Workers’ Party to the Green Party, predominantly in protest against
the environmental policies. She soon launched her candidacy to the 2010 election under the Green Party ticket saying she wanted to be the first African-Brazilian woman of poor origin to become president of Brazil. Early this year, ‘Rede Sustentabilidade’ (Sustainability Network), a new party was officially launched in Brasilia. Silva has not ruled out running for President again in the 2014 presidential elections.
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DIARY | DATES
Save the date
BGreen highlights events and conferences taking place in the coming months
Saudi Mega Transport & Infrastructure Projects 2013 16-17 September, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia The conference is a unique opportunity to gain unprecedented insight and access into the biggest projects market in the Middle East. The event will be useful for those seeking opportunities in Saudi Arabia’s transportation, construction, housing and social infrastructure project markets. ESIA Women in Solar Networking 17 September, Dubai, UAE Focussing on women in solar and renewable energy sectors, the event organised by Emirates Solar Industry Association (ESIA) welcomes all women from the said sectors to join them for a presentation followed by networking.
August/September 2013
BGreen - EmiratesGBC Roundtable 18 September, Dubai, UAE BGreen magazine and EmiratesGBC come together to launch its sixth edition of sustainable solutions, a series of roundtable sessions. The roundtable understands sustainability trends in different sectors of the UAE economy, progress achieved, challenges overcome and opportunities for cross-sector collaboration. Power + Water Middle East 2013 23 - 25 September, Abu Dhabi, UAE The event showcases power and water related products and services. It also provides an unrivalled platform in the region for manufacturers, developers, buyers and service providers to meet, discuss and invest in current products and developments.
Green Middle East 2013 28-30 October, Sharjah, UAE The environment management and technology exhibition and conference will introduce solutions to environmental problems, energy savings, green business and green buildings. Kuwait Green Building Forum 30 - 31 October, Kuwait The second Kuwait Green Building Forum aims to educate, inform, network and unite forces for spreading the green building movement. It provides a platform for latest trends in green building and showcase green building products, equipments, services and technologies. The forum will focus on all aspects of green design, construction, and maintenance.
UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF
HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Maktoum Bin Juma Al Maktoum Produced By
Official Partners
23-25 September 2013 | The Address Dubai Marina | UAE
OPTIMISING ENERGY SUPPLY & MANAGING WATER & POWER DEMAND ACROSS ARABIA Distinguished Speakers Include
H.E. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer MD & CEO Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)
H.E. Ahmed Al Muhairbi Secretary General Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE)
H.E. Omar Al-Wahaibi CEO, Electricity Holding Company & Board Member PAEW
Gold Sponsor
H.E. Dr Saleh Alawaji Chairman of the Board of Directors Saudi Electricity Company & Deputy Minister for Electricity Saudi Ministry of Electricity & Water
H.E. Dr Madani Alaqi Chairman SHUQAIQ Water and Electricity Company
Suhaila Marafi Director of Studies & Research Kuwait Ministry of Electricity & Water
Taher Diab Director- Strategy & Planning Dubai Supreme Energy Council (DSCE)
Knowledge Partner
Supporters
For More Information Contact Kyle on +44 20 7978 0336 or kwetselaar@thecwcgroup.com
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sustainable past
Historic aquaculture Through historical documentation, we learn how aquaculture could help us adapt to growing populations, changing climate and cultural diffusion, in sustainable ways
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n recent times, the ocean ecosystem has been widely affected because of the increasing harvesting pressure from all over the world. According to the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) of the UN, three percent of the monitored marine fish stocks are depleted and 53% are fully exploited. Sustainable aquaculture is believed to be one of the most efficient solutions to the global food crisis we suffer today. It has expanded to most parts of the world, helping various
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regions meet the growing demand for edible seafood. The origination of aquaculture dates back to Ancient China, where silkworm faeces and nymphs were fed to carp raised in ponds on silkworm farms. Aquaculture was embraced in other parts of the world as well – for example, Hawaiians farmed numerous species such as milkfish, mullet, prawns, and crab while Egyptians farmed tilapia as part of their elaborate irrigation technology. We can use these
examples from the past to help shape a better infrastructure around the current aquaculture community. Looking into the early civilisations not only encourages the use of an environmentally friendly approach to harvesting but also discourages the use of antibiotics and the destruction of wild sea populations. The irrigation technology used by the Ancient Egyptians was one of the most notable innovations of the past and can still be very productive. They devised a land-reclamation method reclaiming over 50,000ha of saline soils and supporting over 10,000 families. Work would begin during spring when large ponds were constructed in saline soils and flooded with fresh water for two weeks. After this, the water was drained, flooded again, and finally drained out. After the second flooding is discarded, the ponds were filled with 30 centimetres of water and stocked with mullet fingerlings caught in the sea. The farmers would then regulate the salinity of the ponds by adding more water throughout the season. The entire process did not require any kind of fertiliser whatsoever, but resulted in 300500kg of fish per ha every single year. These were harvested from the end of the year through to April. Diffusion takes place where the low salinity standing water forces the higher salinity groundwater downward. Every year, after the spring harvest, soil was checked if it was reclaimed and ready to support crops. This aquaculture method reclaims soil in a three to four year period, compared to 10-year periods required by other practices used in the region.