| 23 Aug 2010 |
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Dubai Chamber's Green Building achievement impresses Sri Lankans
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Chamber's innovative approach to the greening of an existing building, its energy, water and cost saving initiatives amaze the delegation at the Vidulka Energy Week held in Colombo
Dubai, UAE: The Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry'sDubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry's
achieving of the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification for 1st existing commercial building in the region, impressed the delegation at the National Energy Symposium 2010 held in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo recently.Dubai ChamberDubai Chamber's presentation "Greening an Existing Building" was much liked by the over 70-member local Sri Lankan and global delegation from Japan attending the Vidulka Energy Week organized by Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority in the presence of HE Patali Champika Ranawaka, Minister of Power & Energy, and HE Basil Rajapakshe, Minister of Economic Development.
Jagath Gunawardena, Manager, Projects & Building Development, Dubai ChamberDubai Chamber, informed that though Sri Lanka too shares the honour of having one of the four existing green buildings outside Canada and US but it was the Chamber's example that appealed to them a lot as their green initiative is more out of a requirement while for Dubai ChamberDubai Chamber it's more of a passion.
"The enthusiasm from the delegation in knowing more about Dubai ChamberDubai Chamber
's sustainability programme was very encouraging as most of the delegates kept asking questions about the innovative approach to the greening of an existing building, the energy and water saving initiatives as well as the cost of carrying out such a project in an old structure. What impressed them the most was the Chamber's example of enhancing the 'green business' message to all its stakeholders including members of the business community and suppliers of green products and services," said Jagath.Jagath added that the delegates were informed about the prevailing misperception that it costs a fortune to go green, highlighting that Dubai ChamberDubai Chamber did not require any special budgets and has actually substantially reduced costs by enhancing its environmental performance. The Chamber's presentation also highlighted how greening existing older buildings provides benefits for the environment, building occupants, operators, and the broader community.
Jagath further stressed that Dubai ChamberDubai Chamber
's efforts to go green started more than 10 years ago during a time when environmental responsibility was not fashionable or expected, led by the Chamber's green building team which worked on a number of pioneering energy and water saving initiatives in the region.Dubai ChamberDubai Chamber has succeeded in reducing water and energy consumption by approximately 77% and 47% respectively between 1998 and 2008, leading to significant carbon emission reductions and accumulated power savings of around AED 7.1 million.
He highlighted many of the steps Dubai ChamberDubai Chamber has taken to green its building which he said have been pioneering, such as capturing the humidity through the air-conditioning systems as condensate water to use in the fountain and toilet systems saving 0.85 million litres of water a year, adjusting lift weighting loads to decrease energy consumption by 20%, reusing grey water for landscaping and toilet systems, and providing VIP parking for staff and free valet parking for visitors using fuel efficient vehicles.
The Chamber's dynamic 18-storeyed building joined the ranks of 204 buildings in Canada and the US, as well as three other buildings in India and Sri Lanka, in achieving the LEED existing building certification, an internationally recognised green building standard set by the US Green Building Council. It is the first in the region to demonstrate that even existing older buildings can be significantly improved for the benefit of the environment, building users, operators, and the broader community.
Earlier last year, Dubai ChamberDubai Chamber was awarded the gold prize in the Green Buildings Category of the Dubai Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) award from Trakhees-Ports, Customs & Free Zone Corporation (PCFC). It also received two certificates of appreciation from DEWA for energy and water conservation efforts.
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Established in 1965, the Dubai ChamberDubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry is a non-profit public entity, whose mission is to represent, support and protect the interests of the business community in Dubai by creating a favorable business environment, supporting the development of business, and by promoting Dubai as an international business hub.
© Press Release 2010
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