Dubai Electricity & Water Authority | DEWA’s Sustainable Building parking receives Parksmart Pioneer Certification

The parking structure of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s (DEWA’s) Sustainable Building in Al Quoz received the Parksmart certificate from the Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) of the US Green Building Council (USGBC). DEWA’s Sustainable Building is the first building in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to receive this certification in the Pioneer category, the highest class within this certificate. Parksmart is the world’s only certification system designed to assess smart and sustainable parking facilities, supervised by the GBCI, an independent organisation that recognises excellence in green business industry performance and practices globally, working in 160 countries.

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, was pleased with this environmental sustainability and smart transformation achievement. “We are committed to the highest standards of sustainability and efficiency in all our projects and initiatives. Obtaining the Parksmart Pioneer certification for the Sustainable Building parking affirms our efforts in sustainability, carbon reduction, and environmental protection. It is also a testament to encouraging creativity and innovation in line with the Smart Dubai initiative, which aims to make Dubai the smartest and happiest city in the world; the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to make Dubai the city with the least carbon footprint by 2050; and DEWA’s vision to become globally leading, sustainable, innovative corporation,” said Al Tayer.

Abdullah Obaidullah, Executive Vice President of Water & Civil at DEWA, noted that the Parksmart certification is awarded following the evaluation of a parking facility in certain areas including design, operation, innovation in the use of technologies, energy efficiency, reducing environmental impact, operational efficiency, and programme quality. The Sustainable Building’s parking received 102 points, to qualify for pioneer category certification which requires achieving a minimum of 90 points.

DEWA’s Sustainable Building 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. Recycled materials comprise 36% of the construction material used. 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. The Sustainable Building’s systems help reduce water consumption by 48%. All sewage water is treated by a grey water treatment and sewage treatment plant. DEWA is also building its new headquarters, named Al-Shera’a, which is Arabic for ‘sail.’ The new building will be the tallest, largest, and smartest Zero Energy Building in the world.