Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) | DEWA hosts Emirates Green Building Council Seminar at its Sustainable Building

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) recently hosted a seminar titled ‘The Impact of Interiors on Air Quality’ organised by the Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), at DEWA’s Sustainable Building in Al Quoz.

Hosting the event supports DEWA’s strategy to share its expertise and experiences with government and private organisations in Dubai and the UAE. 33 green-building specialists, who are all members of the EmiratesGBC, attended the seminar. The Council selected DEWA’s Sustainable Building to host the seminar, as a successful example of green buildings, while also giving its members an opportunity to conduct a scientific tour of the green building’s features.

“We are pleased to welcome the delegation from the Emirates Green Building Council to DEWA’s Sustainable Building, and share our expertise in the area of sustainability with its members. DEWA’s Sustainable Building enhances Dubai’s position as a role model for adopting the best international practices in sustainable development, to achieve the Dubai Plan 2021, and also support DEWA’s vision to become a sustainable innovative world-class utility. The building is a model for green buildings, and increasing dependence on clean and renewable energy resources. This supports our efforts to protect the environment and our long-term goal to achieve the sustainable development of Dubai by protecting our natural resources, and rationalising their use, for generations to come,” said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.

“We are thankful to DEWA for their support in hosting this seminar that looked at improving air quality inside buildings. The initiatives adopted by DEWA in its Sustainable Building are a model for other organisations seeking to promote built environment sustainability,” said Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman of Emirates Green Building Council.

“Improving indoor air quality is a key facet of sustainable buildings impacting the wellness of residents and productivity of employees in the long-run. Through simple, actionable steps, such as the usage of the right products and proper ventilation systems, the indoor air quality can be improved contributing to a ‘greener’ and ‘cleaner’ building,” added Al Abbar.

A team from DEWA gave a presentation on the Sustainable Building to members of EmiratesGBC, which is an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by promoting green building practices. The DEWA team accompanied participants on a tour and introduced the different technologies used in the building, which is the first sustainable government building in the UAE and the largest government building in the world to receive a Platinum Rating for green buildings from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). It achieved 98 out of 110 points as per the rating criteria for the design set by the US Green Building Council institute. The building uses 66% less energy thanks to the additional insulation in its walls and roof and special glass to reduce heat transfer into the building, which helps reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment. Highly efficient water-cooled chillers cut down energy use.

The building uses low powered LED lights and automatic lighting control systems with occupancy sensors. In addition, renewable energy is available through an on-site 660 kilowatt (kW) solar power plant, thereby reducing the building’s carbon footprint even further. It features a storm-water management plan that ensures recycling of water for irrigation. Special regulators, sensor taps, low flow fixtures and waterless urinals help reduce water consumption by as much as 48%. All sewage water is treated by a grey water treatment and sewage treatment plant.

The session, organised by the Emirates Green Building Council at DEWA’s Sustainable Building, addressed a number of issues related to indoor air quality. It highlighted the importance of abiding with the regulations of Dubai Municipality and Dubai Central Lab, for paints and solvents, based on their low Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) content. This protects people’s health, and the quality of air inside the buildings. The session also addressed the importance of raising awareness on selecting the right equipment and paints that maintain the quality of air, as well as regularly cleaning and maintaining ventilation systems.

The indoor air quality of DEWA’s Sustainable Building is constantly monitored by carbon dioxide sensors with alarms, in all densely-occupied areas like meeting rooms. Outdoor air is treated and supplied throughout the building to provide better ventilation.

At the end of the visit, the EmiratesGBC delegation commended DEWA’s efforts to enhance the sustainable development of the UAE, and thanked DEWA for its hospitality.