Etihad Energy Services Company (Etihad Esco), a company owned by Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), has started a project to retrofit 243 buildings for Wasl Properties in different parts of Dubai, UAE.

The project will increase energy efficiency of the building, achieving annual savings of over Dh15 million ($4.08 million) as a result of upgrading the air conditioning and lighting systems, said a statement from the company.

The project, worth Dh69 million ($18.8 million), was awarded to Smart Automation Energy (SmartAE), which specialises in retrofitting and upgrading of buildings. It is scheduled to be completed within one year, it stated.

The project includes installing photovoltaic solar systems on the roofs of buildings with a capacity of 4.5 MW, as well as retrofitting the existing systems in the buildings.

This includes the replacement of eight compressor units for central cooling units, adding condensers to the central units, replacing 796 old air-conditioning units, and upgrading 618 units.

The project will also improve the central air conditioning systems in 230 buildings, using the latest smart technologies. Approximately 71,000 units will be also replaced by high efficiency LED lamps, said the statement.

According to Dewa, all its initiatives and projects are aimed at make Dubai a global role model for clean energy and green economy, ensuring energy supply and efficiency.

"This project supports the Dubai Side Management Strategy 2030 to reduce electricity and water demand by 30 per cent by 2030 through programmes," remarked Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, the managing director and chief executive of Dewa.

"These are green-building regulations, retrofitting of existing buildings, district cooling, wastewater reuse, laws and standards to raise efficiency, energy-efficient street-lighting, and the Shams Dubai initiative to enable building owners to install photovoltaic panels on rooftops to generate electricity from solar power," he noted.

Etihad Esco, stated Al Tayer, provides investment opportunities to companies that specialise in energy efficiency, in addition to financial institutions, and green technology and equipment suppliers.

"We are currently retrofitting over 30,000 buildings in the emirate in the first phase of the project, to ensure energy efficiency and manage energy demand," said the top official.

"The project is worth a total Dh30 billion ($8.12 billion). We expect to achieve financial savings of Dh82 billion ($22.32 billion), with expected savings of Dh52 billion ($14.15 billion)," he added.-TradeArabia News Service