DEWA CEO Discusses Sharing Expertise in Green Buildings with US Delegation

MD & CEO of DEWA and senior US delegation discuss sharing expertise in green buildings HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), welcomed a senior delegation from the US, headed by Osama Younan, Chief of the Green Building and Mechanical Engineering Section of the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, to share expertise in green buildings. Also present were David Wallace, President and Chief Executive Officer at PKG Technologies, Ravi Shah, CBO Director of Development Services of the City of Carrollton, Texas, as well as representatives from the US Consulate General in Dubai. The meeting was also attended by Waleed Salman, Executive Vice President of Strategy & Business Development at DEWA, and Stephane Le Gentil, CEO of Etihad Energy Services Company (Etihad ESCO). The two sides exchanged best practices and lessons in applying green codes and understanding the needs and challenges in adopting green and sustainable codes as well as applying them in Dubai. Welcoming the delegation, Al Tayer stressed the importance of sharing expertise between specialised US institutions and DEWA in energy and sustainability. Al Tayer said that DEWA has made significant progress in energy efficiency, green buildings, and retrofitting of existing buildings. DEWA has established Etihad ESCO to make Dubai’s buildings a leading example of energy efficiency for the region and the world. The company is developing energy efficiency projects for over 30,000 buildings, contributing to achieving energy reduction targets by 2030. Etihad ESCO is currently implementing and facilitating this vital programme. Al Tayer also explained DEWA's strategy and major projects to support the Dubai Plan 2021’s goals to make Dubai sustainable. Al Tayer explained that DEWA also works in accordance with the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030 to diversify the energy mix to include 71% from natural gas, 15% from solar energy, 7% from clean coal, 7% from nuclear power, and reduce energy demand by 30% by 2030. Currently, DEWA provides over 725,000 customers with electricity and water in Dubai. DEWA’s electricity peak load amounts to 7,696 MW, recording an increase by 6.4% compared to last year. The water peak load amounted to 340 million gallons of desalinated water daily, an increase by 7.7% compared to last year. The installed production capacity of DEWA is 9,700 MW of electricity, and 470 million gallons of desalinated water per day. Al Tayer highlighted DEWA’s Sustainable Building in Al Quoz in Dubai, a green building in Dubai that is the largest public sector building of its kind in the world, with a Platinum rating for green buildings from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the US Green Building Council institute. Al Tayer explained the building’s components and specifications, the use of solar panels with capacity of 660kW of electricity, its contribution to energy saving of about 66% and water conservation by 48%. Al Tayer also spoke about the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which is managed and operated by DEWA, and is one of the world’s largest new projects in renewable energy, based on the Independent Power Producer model. The first phase was launched with a 13MW capacity in October 2013. The second phase will have a capacity of 200MW and will be operational by 2017. The third phase will have a capacity of 800MW, with the park having a planned total capacity of 3,000MW by 2030. Al Tayer also reviewed Mai Dubai, which is part of DEWA's plans to diversify revenue streams by investing in new ventures. The plant uses the latest technologies and quality standards in sterilisation and purification in producing and bottling drinking water. The plant produces drinking water that has low sodium levels and a balanced range of minerals. It has already become a popular brand in the UAE within a short time, producing around 465 million units per year. The US delegation praised the efforts of Dubai to be a global role model in the field of sustainability and renewable energy. They welcome the opportunity to exchange best practices in green buildings.