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The lack of a sub-metering culture in Dubai is hampering the implementation of energy efficiency in existing building stock. This is particularly important when one considers the two-year deadline for all existing buildings to be energy-efficient in terms of the latest green guidelines from the Dubai Municipality.
One of the biggest challenges facing energy efficiency in the construction industry at the moment is that sub-metering is not stipulated in the building code. This means that, in terms of building-performance ratings, it is impossible to benchmark energy efficiency in an existing building, as the actual consumption pattern of existing buildings is completely unquantifiable. The lack of a sub-metering culture also means it is cumbersome and not cost-effective to integrate FM across multiple buildings at present.
A critical aspect of energy management is how to get all the different technologies that exist and are deployed to ‘talk’ to each other. This is vital for landlords or owners with multiple facilities, especially as they need to monitor energy usage 24/7.
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An added advantage of remote monitoring and control is that it reduces the human element, which can be unreliable and inefficient. Perhaps the biggest benefit is that this approach prolongs the life of equipment such as chillers, as you will no longer have partial loads affecting performance.
Energy efficiency is still being hampered by outdated building design in the construction industry. The scope of cost and resource savings achievable in terms of water, for example, is limited by the fact that common drainage systems for both grey and black water are still prevalent.
If you can separate the grey water from the black, you can filter and treat the former to use as cooling tower make-up water, or for irrigation and toilet flushing. Energy efficiency has to be incorporated at the design stage in order to achieve the greatest benefits.
The most important element in terms of energy management is the commitment of the owners and management to save energy. A convenient starting point is a preliminary energy audit, which involves a quick walk through the building by the energy manager. This ‘rough-and-tough’ approach can yield an immediate 10% to 15% energy saving.
The preliminary energy audit forms the basis for the energy manager to make ‘sound’ recommendations, which can involve measuring major energy-consuming equipment like chillers for a certain period of time to take into account factors such as time of use and weather conditions, for example.
At the end of such a monitoring period, you will be in the position of understanding the in and out flow of energy, and where it is being consumed and not delivering a service. In this way, energy-efficiency opportunities can be identified and analysed for viability, and a business case compiled for each measure. This allows interaction with suppliers and contractors for the best solution possible.
There are various levels of payback: low/no cost involves simple measures such as switching things off; medium-term payback is two to five years; long-term payback is invariably seven to ten years. The typical payback period is two to three years. This total payback period can be reduced by selecting which energy-saving measures are applicable.
Implementation can proceed once the feasibility and practicality of the selected energy-saving measures have been determined. It is important to note, however, that 24/7 monitoring following equipment implementation is critical. This is particularly important for landlords and owners with multiple facilities, which is a particular trend in densely built-up areas such as Dubai, for example.
Khaled Bushnaq is CEO of Energy Management Services (EMS), an integrated energy-services company.
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