Energy Efficiency in UAE
Potential for energy efficiency projects in UAE
The United Arab Emirates is known for its shimmering skyscrapers, gigantic shopping malls, and uber-luxurious hotels. With smart city planning and strategic investments in infrastructure, the UAE has managed to elevate itself as a global hub for trade and transportation. Visitors are presented with an ultra-modern landscape that boasts luxury and comfort. This development, however, comes at a great cost when it comes to energy. Glass-clad buildings are majestic when viewed from afar but consume tremendous sums in energy costs. The UAE is a desert and hence it comes as no surprise that the major share of energy consumption is due to air conditioning systems in the region. HVAC systems account for over 75% of a building’s energy usage on average. Summer temperatures often cross 50 degrees in the emirates leading to massive cooling loads. Even though UAE is a relatively small country, its oil-based economy and focus on infrastructural development have resulted in per-capita emissions of nearly 24 tonnes of CO2e annually. This ridiculously high figure shows that there’s great scope for improving energy efficiency in the region. Thankfully, the leaders of the nation have realized this as well and are taking action to fix the issue. Policy goals such as Vision 2030 and Vision 2050 are part of UAE’s agenda to increase energy efficiency in the UAE and help fight climate change.
Energy retrofits-Deep vs Shallow
While it is important to focus on constructing new green buildings, more emphasis must be laid on improving energy efficiency in existing buildings in UAE. Only by decreasing energy demand in the existing building pool can we significantly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Energy retrofits are the way to go for any built structure looking to reduce its carbon footprint. Energy retrofits are projects that cut down the energy demands of buildings. These may range from simple additions such as BMS software optimization to complete revamping of outer facia to insulate against the harsh environment.
Energy retrofits can broadly be classified as deep or shallow. A retrofit project that cuts down on energy requirements by over 50% is called a deep energy retrofit. Shortsighted thinking may warrant sticking to shallow retrofits (usually projects that have payback periods of less than a year) to save money upfront. Over the long term, however, this approach leads to increased lifecycle costs as well as emissions. While carrying out energy retrofits, it’s crucial to assign the right ESCO or energy service company to perform energy efficiency projects. With integrative planning, buildings in the region on average can reduce electricity consumption by over 50%. This is in turn leads to a reduction in operational costs thereby increasing profits.
ESCO Services
ESCOs such as Stout Energy are companies that provide energy efficiency services. ESCOs conduct energy audits and suggest the right set of measures that must be taken to save energy in buildings. Projects may be fully financed by clients themselves or may even run using the shared-savings approach in which the ESCO shares the performance risk of the projects in return for a percentage of the savings. Some companies also provide Energy Efficiency as a Service (EEaaS) in which clients pay a monthly subscription fee in return for improving energy efficiency.
UAE Energy Strategy 2050
UAE’s energy strategy was launched in 2017 which is the first unified energy strategy of the nation. The strategy is aimed at increasing the use of renewables and reducing the carbon impact of power generation sectors. It also aims to improve consumer consumption efficiency by 40%. Implementation of retrofits is a major method by which the country aims to increase efficiency in its building operations sector.
How to improve your building’s energy efficiency?
The first step is to conduct an energy audit of the premises. An energy service company can get this done easily and suggest a solution curated to your requirements. A set of measures such as HVAC optimization, BMS optimization, building envelope insulation, cool roofing, green roofing, lighting retrofit, solar PV installation, wind power installation, etc., can be taken to reduce a building’s carbon footprint. Using the latest technology available today, it is possible to reduce emissions and save money in the process. The earlier it’s done, the more you save.