Dubai: Building systems and facilities in 11 towers in the Business Bay District have been upgraded to become energy efficient which will result in estimated annual savings of Dh1.5 million in energy bills and offsetting 1,450 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
Dubai Properties, a member of Dubai Holding, has completed the installation of energy-saving systems. The master developer enlisted Honeywell and Signify (formerly known as Phillips Lighting) to carry out energy-efficiency upgrades at its Business Bay Executive Towers development as it continues its drive towards enhancing the sustainability of its communities.
The enhancements will lead to annual energy savings of 3.3 million kilowatt hours. The resulting carbon dioxide emissions offset is equivalent to removing 310 cars from the road for one year or planting 336 trees.
Raed Al Nuaimi, group CEO at Dubai Properties, said the move is part of their committed efforts to create sustainable and energy-efficient communities.
“Our aim is to contribute to national efforts towards making Dubai an environmentally friendly city and support initiatives that further encourage building energy efficiency in line with the goals of the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy,” he said.
In keeping with Dubai’s efforts to double energy efficiency by 2030, Dubai Properties collaborated with Signify to retrofit the existing lighting in 11 residential buildings and corresponding parking areas to LED lights, a total of 16,000 light points, ultimately resulting in improved comfort levels for residents and visitors to the community.
Goktug Gur, president and CEO of Signify in the Middle East, Turkey and Pakistan, said: “Retrofitting buildings to make them more energy efficient can have a huge beneficial impact on the environment; additionally, the financial impact can also be vast.”
In collaboration with Honeywell, an upgraded and fully digital building management system (BMS) has been implemented to monitor and control mechanical and electrical utilities across building systems and facilities.
Integrating fan coil units (FCUs) into the BMS helps provide visibility into electricity consumption, and thereby achieves a reduction in electricity bills. As part of this priority, Honeywell used the control logic software to operate the FCUs on a set time programme that regulated cooling and indoor temperatures based on outside air temperature. A complete analysis of the programme was also carried out to identify likely challenges and improve building systems.
Paolo Cervini, president for Honeywell Building Solutions, Middle East, Russia, Turkey and Africa, said the company is “blending physical products with software solutions to enable smarter, more connected buildings that are greener, safer and more productive, and we are proud to partner with Dubai Properties as they work to create more sustainable and energy-efficient communities.”
