Green Living Solutions

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Sustainable development Working with the stakeholders from across the industry, Emirates Green Building Council promotes and strengthens awareness on sustainable built environments

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mirates Green Building Council has been initiating discussions and taking a number of measures to promote the concept of a sustainable environment. Khaleej Times speaks with Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman, Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), to know about its ongoing drive and efforts made by the government in this sphere.

Excerpts: The UAE has been making remarkable strides in promoting a sustainability culture. What is the role of the EmiratesGBC in helping fulfill the sustainable vision of the UAE government?

Emirate Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) is an independent forum that encourages and promotes sustainable built environments across the whole supply chain in the UAE. We work with stakeholders from across the industry as well as academia to strengthen awareness on sustainable built environments that support the UAE’s ‘green economy for sustainable development’ initiative announced by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and

Ruler of Dubai.

We organise a wide range of activities throughout the year including monthly Focus Days and/or Networking Events that highlight an important aspect of promoting green buildings and sustainable development. In addition to taking part in conferences where we focus on strengthening awareness on the UAE’s sustainability agenda and our activities, we have also developed a suite of events such as technical workshops and training programmes that strengthen the skills of the participants.

One of our flagship initiatives is the EGBC Awards, the first of its kind in the region, which highlights best practices in green building management and development. The Awards honour individuals and organisations for their commitment to sustainable development, and also encourage the public to support the ‘green vision’ of the UAE. We also strengthen community awareness through our publications.

Our EmiratesGBC Annual Congress is another key event that brings together all stakeholders to work towards achieving our collective goal of promoting sustainable built environments in the UAE. EmiratesGBC also has a central role to play in promoting the

Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman, Emirates Green Building Council UAE’s sustainable built environment by liaising with governmental organisations to provide input and expertise on green buildings.

We serve as an effective, independent link between the public and private sectors to ensure that information relating to sustainable development reaches the stakeholders on time.

While almost all new buildings in the UAE adhere to sustainability principles, what are the challenges of upgrading/retrofitting older buildings? How will the green building regulations and specifications issued by the Dubai government lead to better sustainable building practices in the emirate?

The prime consideration now is not what the challenges are but why it is important to address them, and how we can implement best practices that will promote to

a greener future.

Needless to say, retrofitting of old buildings is a challenge as it involves a financial commitment by the building owner. The longterm value that retrofitting brings to the building and its residents is still not fully understood by several building owners, and we are striving to promote greater awareness on this aspect.

Retrofitting existing buildings to make them more efficient also brings great opportunities. We are working with various stakeholders on ways of delivering this. Today, an existing building can be retrofitted to become environmentfriendly by utilising low-cost and practical approach; it is very important as buildings consume a significant amount of energy.

There are a lot of measures that can be undertaken to reduce energy consumption and this is where the Council steps in. In our networking discussions and tech-

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nical workshops, we tackle different issues pertaining to energy conservation retrofits, which includes cooling systems, building automation and controls, lighting, building envelope performance or simply improved maintenance practices.

Technology systems used in retrofitting or constructing a building that increase initial operational costs are often misunderstood as ‘expensive.’ It has to be realised that these investments actually turn into a benefit in the long run as adapting sustainable practices enhance operational and economic efficiencies reducing operational expenditure. The green building regulations by the government authorities will no doubt promote retrofitting and sustainable practices.

With the peak demand for electricity in the UAE expected to increase by 40 per cent by 2020, what are your suggestions for improving energy-efficiency of existing buildings especially as they account for about 80 per cent of total power usage?

We see significant strides being taken by the UAE in promoting energy-efficiency in the built environment. Both Abu Dhabi and Dubai governments are taking initiatives to reach out to building owners to adopt measures that improve the rational use of energy and water. The introduction of building labelling based on energy consumption will result in greater transparency in the disclosure of energy usage information, and this will be made available to the public, which in turn encourages resi-

dents to adopt rational use of energy. Retrofit projects are also provided financing opportunities, which will also encourage building owners to adopt energy efficient measures.

EmiratesGBC had proposed last year the creation of an innovative financing scheme to promote the green retrofitting of existing buildings to make them more energy-efficient. How will this move strengthen the uptake of financially viable energy-efficient projects in the country?

A financing scheme for retrofitting will enable more building owners to focus on sustainability practices, and thus contribute to larger energy savings. We are in active discussions with key stakeholders relating to this. We have also conducted a Focus Day that brought together representatives from across the building industry supply chain to discuss financial strategies to promote energy-efficient building projects.

As Dubai prepares to host the World Expo 2020, how can the entire building industry supply chain help contribute to creating a smart and sustainable environment? Also, do you believe the Expo can set an environmental benchmark for future megaevents globally?

Sustainability is one of the subthemes of Expo 2020 in Dubai.

Several of our members are contributing to the sustainable development plans outlined by Dubai in

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GREEN LIVING SOLUTIONS

Protective coatings NanoPhos, distributed

by Nilgiris International FZCO, ensures substantial energy savings Based in Greece, Nilgiris International FZCO is a technologically advanced global company that produces easy to apply smart and environment-friendly materials that solve common problems. Besides protective sealants for stones, marbles, wood and gypsum boards, NanoPhos produces thermal paints under the brand name SurfaPaint ThermoDry® for roofs (concrete as well as metals), exterior and interior vertical and horizontal walls.

The salient features of the paint are: 1. Nano Technology and Micro Technology water-based paint that thermally insulates and repels water.

2. Triple Action of SurfaPaint ThermoDry®: -- Reflecting Thermal Radiation — 94.8 per cent of the heat carried by Infrared radiation -- Changing the thermal conductivity — reduces thermal conductivity by four times (0,1292 W/ (mK), EN 12667) -- Water-resistant 3. Extends paint life: Heat and humidity are responsible for reducing the paint life. Use of SurfaPaint ThermoDry deals with both and thus increases paint life.

4. Low VOC, green product.

NanoPhos is distributed in the UAE, Oman and India by Nilgiris International FZCO, located in Dubai Airport Free Zone, Dubai. Since the last couple of years, Nilgiris has interesting case studies conducted in the UAE to share. In one such case study, an air conditioned warehouse within DAFZA painted with SurfaPaint ThermoDry® more than a year ago noted substantial energy savings. This helps in reducing carbon footprint, adds comfort to living and pays back by saving on energy cost.

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Chemistry for a sustainable future BASF integrates innovative chemistry to improve resources, environment and climate, food and nutrition, and quality of life BASF, one of the world’s leading chemical companies, has a solid history of success in the area of environmental protection. Its corporate purpose states: “We create chemistry for a sustainable future”. Sustainable development to it means the ability to combine economic success, social responsibility, environmental protection, while offering intelligent solutions and high quality products for almost all industries.

BASF believes that the dual global challenge of a growing world population and limited resources offers scope to apply its power of innovative chemistry in four key areas: resources, environment and climate, food and nutrition, and quality of life. To maximise its potential in these areas, BASF fosters R&D and innovation in developing more sustainable products and solutions. The company believes in firmly integrating sustainability into its day-to-day activities, capitalising on its position as the world’s leading chemical company by opening up unique opportunities to contribute to a more sustainable future.

BASF has operated in the GCC, Levant, Iran and Egypt for several decades. Its growing investments in the region are aligned to BASF’s commitment to Middle East expansion and growth. It has offices in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Qatar, and Iran.

The BASF Plastics, Construction, Energy and Resources, Agro Food and Feed are four active business segments in the region.

BASF Middle East is thus able to cater to multiple key industries such as construction, oil and gas, utilities (water treatment) and agriculture sectors. BASF also offers convenient solutions for the consumer goods sector.

BASF has been present in the

Florian Krueckl Managing Director of BASF FZE & BASF Kanoo Gulf LLC, UAE Head of Business Center Platform Middle East

UAE since the 1970s, as a key market. It specialises in the construction and chemical divisions to cater to multiple businesses that include the country’s thriving industrial units and infrastructure development specialists.

One such opportunity for BASF is to contribute to the UAE’s strategic goal of becoming a sustainable city by 2020. The federal vision aims to create an improved lifestyle for citizens and residents, where luxury and comfort, health and sustainability complement each other. BASF, with its rich experience in sustainability, brings to the region its repertoire of revolutionary solutions that can enhance the concept of green living in the UAE. BASF’s green innovation at work Innovative chemistry at BASF has now made plastic more ecofriendly. In fact, BASF is one of the world’s leading suppliers of bio-based and biodegradable plastics. Its products Ecovio® and Ecoflex® are fully biodegradable under industrial composting conditions. Ecoflex® contains up to 75 per cent renewable raw material, and is found in shopping bags, organic waste bags, mulch films for agricultural applications, and food packaging.

BASF is also striving to make the construction sector more sustainable. For instance, one of its popular products is Green Sense

Sustainable development » Continued from previous page preparation to host the world’s best Expo ever. With reportedly over Dh31 billion being invested in infrastructure development to host the Expo, the importance of built environment sustainability is actively being considered by the projects under construction.

Adapting green practices will con-

tribute significantly to driving the sustainability goals enshrined in Dubai’s efforts to host the megaevent. Recently, we organised a networking event under the theme ‘Dubai Expo 2020: The way forward,’ which brought together key industry stakeholders who play a direct role in driving the city’s infrastructure development for hosting the Expo 2020.

Tell us about the EmiratesGBC Awards 2014.

EmiratesGBC is announcing the winners of the EGBC Awards 2014 on June 11 at a gala event to be held at Grosvenor House, Dubai.

The Awards have received a strong response from across the Middle East and North Africa region, and will be presented in six key categories: Green Building of the Year (for a building finalised between 2012 and 2014 in the MENA region that employed the highest sustainability standards and included innovation in design and processes in its construction and completion); Green Facility Management organisation of the Year (for a UAE-based FM organisation for its commitments towards sustainability); Green Building Material/Product Award (for the successful introduction to the MENA region of a construction material or product/component which addresses green building principles); Green Building System Award (for a building system that provides a more sustainable solution to green building construction than traditional construction methods); Green Building Research Award (for research that establishes dependable data, in an area not previously available, related to green building performance); and the Training Initiative of the Year (for the best sustainability training initiative in the MENA region).

Dr Sadek Owainati Award for Students, a special award, is sponsored by EmiratesGBC co-founder Dr Sadek Owainati and will also be awarded to a university student for exceptional research work on a subject related to green buildings in the Middle East. We have now commenced registration for the awards gala.

For more details, email: egbcawards@emiratesgbc.org

Concrete, an environmentally preferred, cost-effective concrete with optimised proportions that is used with special Master Builders Solutions and as a water-reducing admixture. In Majid Al Futtaim’s Pullman Hotel near Mall of the Emirates (UAE), BASF proposed the use of Senergy Exterior Insulation and Finishing System (EIFS), a state-of-the-art technology with advanced yet sustainable insulation capabilities. The basic components of the Senergy EIF System include expanded insulation board, adhesive, reinforced base coat and finish coat. It is used for exterior walls in new and retrofit constructions. The sustainable system slashed Dh3.9 million off material costs and saved Pullman’s up to three months in construction time.

BASF’s new T-Rack® 3.0 based on inge® ultrafiltration membrane technology for seawater desalination pretreatment is another innovation relevant to the region, enabling desalination processes to become more sustainable and cost-effective. This product filters out suspended solids, viruses and bacteria, making dirty water clean and healthy for human consumption. It also reduces the overall output of carbon dioxide and other pollutants.

BASF’s heat-insulating foam Basotect® is a major energy-saving solar thermal roof system that provides hot water. Exponents of green living can now reduce the usage of fossil fuels in winters and considerably more so in the summer months. Its polyurethane (PU) rigid foam systems are used in cold and heat insulators, facilitating energy and cost savings. One of BASF’s most popular innovations is the energy-efficient façade insulation Neopor® which has generated the largest savings in heating and energy, exhibiting high ecoefficiency and indoor climate comfort, even after years of use.

Its versatile range of ingredients for detergents and cleaners offers solutions to make daily lives and home environments greener. These include surfactants, polymers, chelating agents, UV filters, plasticisers, waxes and aqueous emulsions. Its sustainable active ingredients are used to

manufacture sanitary and household cleaners, detergents and dishwashing liquids as well as preservatives, wood coatings and galvanic surface modification, to help save energy.

BASF’s high performance, green chemicals and solutions are used in numerous industries, products and innovations to echo the importance of the environment, health and quality of life.