Nationwide project to cut power use in buildings

Abu Dhabi - UAE, December 7, 2011: Etisalat in partnership with a private IT solution company on Tuesday launched a pilot project connecting all buildings in the country through a technology that will reduce carbon footprint by up to 30 per cent.

The project called Emirates Energy Star with a revolving budget of Dh300 million was jointly launched by etisalat and Pacific Controls in the Capital, with the support and patronage of the Ministry of Environment and Water.

“The UAE has a significant carbon footprint due to unabated energy consumption that is creating immense ecological, social and environmental pressure. The Emirates Energy Star programme will leverage on machine-to-machine (M2M)-based technologies to effectively help reduce the carbon footprint of the country through efficient energy consumption management,” said Abdullah Ebrahim Al Ahmed, Business Solutions senior vice-president at etisalat.

Under the project, devices linked with Etisalat networks and Pacific Controls Command Control Center will be installed in buildings that will control the power consumption of electrical appliances. The system will also evaluate and measure power consumption by each building.

According to Al Ahmed, the first phase of the project has already witnessed a large number of government entities signing up for the initiative. Over 15,000 buildings across the country have been connected to the system.

Pacific Controls executive chairman Dilip Rahulan told Khaleej Times that the target was to connect 350,000 buildings to the system within five years.

He said: “Many government establishments, including ministries, have shown interest in the project and have already signed up. The Ministry of Public Works has signed up to link 9,000 buildings across the country. The target is to connect almost all 350,000 buildings and infrastructure to the system in five years.”

Rahulan further added that buildings consume 60 per cent of the energy produced in the country. “On average, a building consumes energy worth Dh1 million to Dh2 million annually and a single big hotel in Dubai consumes energy worth $40 million annually. With the full implementation of this project, these will be dramatically reduced. This will also help save energy and reduce carbon footprint of the country,” he said.

Abu Dhabi alone has to allocate $1.3 billion for energy every year, and to set up a power plant, it takes four years with huge investments.

Al Ahmed said all Etisalat clients that are building owners, contractors, real estate companies, government entities and infrastructure owners like utilities and airports will be signed up to collaborate and leverage the resources of the Emirates Energy Star offering.

“The initiative will optimise their operations, reduce their utilities’ consumption and service costs, increase the running efficiency of their assets and have the capability to remotely manage them in real time,” he explained.

The project will give a star rating for building owners to encourage them reduce power consumption. “It comprises five successive levels based on the energy efficiency improvements achieved through the programme, beginning with one star for a minimum of 10 per cent and ending with five star for 30 per cent and above reduction in carbon footprint,” he said.

Khaleej Times
United Arab Emirates

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