Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (EMPOWER), the world’s largest provider of district cooling services, has called on the construction sector to focus its efforts on integrating sustainable practices in order to help create more sustainable buildings.
This came on the sidelines of the “Big 5” exhibition, which was recently held at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Ahmed Bin Shafar, CEO of “Empower,” that the implementation of district cooling solutions would help companies achieve high levels of energy efficiency in district cooling consumption and contribute to the region’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions resulting from energy consumption, given that district cooling is one of the energy efficiency accelerators previously announced by the United Nations.
With rising global warming rates, the UAE and other Middle Eastern countries face a major challenge in cooling buildings, a process that accounts for 60 to 70% of energy consumption in facilities, and the heavy use of energy generated from traditional sources contributes to rising carbon emissions in the atmosphere, with researchers indicating that these emissions could rise by 21% this year.
Empower noted that governments and institutions worldwide are working vigorously to regulate the use of materials in the global construction sector in order to limit their impact on the environment.
Ben Shafar said: “The new growth trajectory being followed by cities in the region must be carefully considered in order to arrive at a more sustainable approach consistent with global efforts to achieve sustainable development. The call to adopt more sustainable practices and technologies in the construction sector is gaining increasing traction with the launch of ambitious projects to build smart cities. A ”green revolution“ within the construction sector can only be achieved through concerted efforts, commitment, and ongoing dialogue within the sector regarding mechanisms and methods for integrating energy-saving technologies into construction projects, particularly district cooling technologies.”
As explained by Bin Shafar, who was appointed Special Advisor on District Cooling for the United Nations Environment Programme’s “Developing District Cooling in Modern Cities“ initiative, that the UAE is one of the countries in the region institutionalizing energy efficiency and implementing smarter resource management practices to support its vision of contributing to a green economy in line with UAE Vision 2021.
District cooling, which is considered one of the UN’s energy efficiency accelerators, has been implemented in many major real estate development projects in the UAE, reflecting the progress made in this sector. District cooling services offer numerous benefits compared to traditional cooling technologies, particularly in densely populated areas with high demand for air conditioning, including a reduced environmental impact and efficient management of cooling resources at the district level.
Bin Shafar added: ”As urban development projects continue in the region, it has become essential for cities to invest heavily in infrastructure development. It is also important for the district cooling sector to address these concerns at high-impact events such as the ”Big 5“ exhibition, and we are confident in our ability to create a more sustainable future through collaboration among all stakeholders.”
Empower provides eco-friendly district cooling services to major real estate development projects such as Jumeirah Group, Business Bay, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai International Financial Centre, Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Ibn Battuta Mall, Discovery Gardens, Dubai Medical City, Dubai World Trade Centre Residences, Dubai Design District, and others.
