The developers behind Dubai's major sustainability-based project Enpark say not only can they reduce the environmental impact of buildings but that they can also save millions. And they can prove it.

"When one hears about green development generally there is the assumption that it is more costly than conventional buildings. That one assumption is everything because cost is the one thing that probably matters to everyone," says Ali Bin Towaih, Executive Director of the Energy and Environment Park, a free zone project of TECOM that is known as Enpark.

"There is an expectation that a green building is, say, 5 to 10 per cent more costly. And for this part of the world, people assume the difference will be even greater - that it will cost even more to make a premises green. But we have proof for the first time in the region that green buildings are not necessarily more costly. In fact, from what we've seen, the cost difference is negligible," he told Gulf Business.

Enpark, which has been in development since June 2007, has now completed two of its major goals - tangible proof of concepts that show not only how affordable it is to refurbish and construct a structure to follow green building certification, but also how it saves in operation costs.

"What we're doing as a strategy for Enpark has been testing and proving certain things. TECOM has undertaken proof of concept projects that we are using to test and show the viability and benefits of certain systems and methods," Bin Towaih said. "We are already delivering energy and water savings in TECOM. We have shown some Dhs7 million in savings in TECOM's own offices."

The benefits of pursuing green standards in building will be presented to the UAE's real estate and business community through a TECOM report, which Bin Towaih says he hopes will convince others to seek ways to reduce their impact on the environment.

"When we went for green buildings we were assuming certain savings will happen, but now we have the proof. Our headquarters is LEED Platinum certified - the first in the region - and now we know the actual savings of having a commercial interior following that standard of green construction. The headquarters is one of our proof of concepts. It shows the results," he said.

In April this year Tecom's Sustainable Energy & Environment Division announced that TECOM Investments' Management Office had become the first commercial interior in the Middle East to receive the US Green Building Council's LEED Platinum certification.

Through intelligent renovation and refurbishment, the facility was able to save 40 per cent of water waste, which is expected to result in Dhs10,000 in savings each year, while use of energy saving light bulbs and natural lighting is expected to save Dhs20,000 per year. The savings, combined with TECOM's other refurbishments, add up to Dhs 4.7 million in energy costs, Dhs1.5 million in water costs and Dhs1.5 million in sewerage-handling costs.

Given those results, changes in the current global economy and smarter planning, Bin Towaih says TECOM has reworked its plans and estimations for Enpark to save Dhs100 to Dhs300 million.

"Enpark itself is not downsized at all. It is the same area and the same goals. What we have done is simply some infrastructure consolidation, some clustering, shifting of plots and a few things here and there that have added up to save us up to Dhs300 million," he explained.

The project is a free zone that will span some 8 million square feet for offices, research facilities, residences, schools and leisure facilities. It aims to attract environmentally friendly tenants who can appreciate the LEED Gold certified buildings that will be standard in Enpark, as well as the recycling infrastructure, solar-powered street lighting, and sustainable landscaping.

TECOM recently embarked on the final phase of planning for the project - completing its master plan and infrastructure planning.

"By the third quarter we will finish our studies and will be seeking tenders by the end of the year. We hope to break ground early next year. After that, it tends to take about 18 to 24 months to complete infrastructure," Bin Towaih revealed.

"It is a very challenging project... This is not about copying another project's master plan and altering it. We have to be the pioneers. There is a lot we must learn and understand - about technologies, methods, and operations in this part of the world."

© Gulf Business 2009

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