UAE | Environment

Dubai buildings to be fully green in 5-10 years

All buildings in Dubai could be environmentally friendly and energy efficient in five to 10 years as construction of green buildings will become the norm due to market demands, said a senior planning official from Dubai Municipality.

  • By Emmanuelle Landais, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 23:33 October 25, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Image Credit: Gulf News Archive
  • The construction of green buildings will become the norm due to market demands, an official said.

Dubai: All buildings in Dubai could be environmentally friendly and energy efficient in five to 10 years as construction of green buildings will become the norm due to market demands, said a senior planning official from Dubai Municipality.

The recent announcement for the Middle East's largest solar panel manufacturing plant to be built in Dubai will help to create that market, said Eisa Al Maidour, assistant director general of Dubai Municipality for planning and engineering sector, and chairman of the Green Building Committee.

Regulations for green buildings in Dubai should be completed by the end of the year, he said. "Solar energy will feature strongly on the ratings and minimum standards that buildings should adhere to," he added.

Solar panels will be more readily available for sustainable development throughout the region with the largest photo-voltaic manufacturing plant to be set up in the UAE, it was announced at the Green Dubai World Forum 2008.

The new facility, Solar Technologies FZE will be based in Dubai's Technopark. A 130 megawatt manufacturing plant will be set up, as part of the first phase of the project.

The plant will go into production in the last quarter of 2010. The solar panels will be 5.7 square metres, the largest in the world.

"Due to the magnitude of the projects planned, green buildings will emerge faster," he told Gulf News.

New look: 'Cool' buildings

A 'green' building is designed to conserve resources and reduce negative impacts on the environment - whether it is energy, water, building materials or land.

Such buildings consume less energy. During all phases, the building saves resources and places fewer burdens on the environment, protects workers and minimises health exposures.

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