With buildings consuming 40% of the energy produced in the world, retrofits are considered as a crucial solution to help achieve savings in energy costs. In this exclusive interview, Khaled Bushnaq, Vice Chair, Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) sheds light on the significance of retrofitting and the commitment of EmiratesGBC to support sustainable development through trainings for post-retrofit maintenance.

With the relentless construction projects in the UAE and Dubai in particular, how will the emirate attain its goal and become one of the world's most sustainable cities?

Development is very important to the UAE, in order to answer its growing population and cater to its dominant industries, such as tourism.

Since Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) was founded in 2006, the UAE has made significant efforts to improve its current building stock, with numerous ground-breaking frameworks and programs being implemented by the public sector.

The Dubai government, for example, has embarked on ambitious goals that will not only ensure that new buildings are constructed through more sustainable methods and materials, but that the existing buildings are also modified strategically in order to reduce their operational costs.

For existing buildings, the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy (DIES) 2030, which was initiated in 2010 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum's Royal Decree, provides a comprehensive policy framework that includes a robust Demand Side Management (DSM) strategy. As part of the strategy, an estimated 30,000 buildings in Dubai have been earmarked as ideal retrofit candidates and are required to reduce their energy consumption by 30 per cent before 2030.

What is the role that buildings play in creating a sustainable future?

It is widely acknowledged that buildings on average consume 40 percent of the energy produced in the world. In the UAE, this consumption rate is between 70-80 percent. Hence, buildings, as considerable energy users and carbon expenders have the greatest potential to bring measurable improvements in sustainability.

How do you expect the retrofit market to improve the current situation?

Dubai's retrofit market is a well-established market but has only recently got the much needed policy backing that is required to boost the industry.

As of 2013, Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) can be accredited by the Dubai Regulatory & Supervisory Bureau. This step builds important confidence and credibility in the retrofit market for all stakeholders who would like to improve their building's sustainability.

Retrofits are a proven method to bring in savings for building owners/users and most importantly, they help reduce the carbon footprint of a building. Retrofitting buildings help achieve savings of up to 20 percent of energy costs, just through upgrading air-conditioning and lighting systems.

The key benefits of a building retrofit that apply to all sectors are cost savings (typically within a few months), greater operational efficiency, improved occupant comfort & safety and increased building longevity. There are also specific benefits that apply to particular buildings such as improved productivity for commercial buildings and better health for residential buildings. 

Why is the presence of energy auditors crucial during a building retrofit process?

Energy auditors perform the most important task of establishing a baseline of a building's energy consumption. In fact, the design process of a retrofitting project starts with a Preliminary Energy Audit that will identify potential energy conservation measures (ECMs) and provide estimates of both energy and associated costs savings, allowing the project leaders to set goals and select the right team that will lead the process. The data provided by auditors is also essential for measuring and verifying progress.

What are EmiratesGBC's latest initiatives in promoting green building practices?

As an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, EmiratesGBC has identified a set of challenges that the multiple players involved in promoting the sustainability of existing buildings face when choosing the right partners and solutions for their projects.

To tackle these challenges, we have created the EmiratesGBC Energy Efficiency Programme (EEP) and the Technical Guidelines for Retrofitting Existing Buildings.

The Technical Guidelines highlights 31 retrofit methods which a building owner, operator, end-user can use to increase energy and water savings, improve occupant comfort and well-being and facilitate operational efficiency as well as the longevity of the existing building stock in the UAE.

The publication perfectly complements the EEP, a program that serves to defragment the retrofit market and bring together several important stakeholders such as ESCOs, vendors, consultants and also the facilities management companies, into a comprehensive publicly accessible online database.

EmiratesGBC also has a wide range of programs, which also address green building practices - these include facilitation of the global Green Key Certification Programme for improved efficiency in the hospitality sector.

Future programs include building benchmarking and retrofit training, which will provide much needed technical and knowledge-based capacity for the retrofit industry and market to make informed decisions about how entities can improve the existing building stock.

Can you share with us the main guidelines that help builders in making the UAE's structures more environmentally friendly?

For new buildings in Dubai, the Dubai Green Building Regulations & Specifications, also known as The Green Code, provide basic criteria of construction rules that ensure minimum levels of efficiency are met.

For existing buildings, EmiratesGBC has prepared the previously mentioned Technical Guidelines, a comprehensive guideline featuring 31 key region-specific retrofit methods that can make buildings more environmentally friendly. The EmiratesGBC Technical Guidelines have been officially endorsed by the Ministry of Public Works and the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy.

Abu Dhabi has implemented the Estidama Pearl Rating System, which ensures minimum sustainability criteria is met prior to receiving building permits. Buildings that exceed the minimum criteria can receive higher-level pearl ratings.

What other steps are needed in order to reduce energy demand by 30 percent by 2030?

Through education and awareness initiatives and by offering industry capacity-building, EmiratesGBC plays a strong supporting role to help the Dubai government implement its DIES 2030 strategy, which was initiated in 2010 through a royal decree by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and includes a set of goals for the Emirate.

In addition to the goals outlined which include a diversified energy market, improved building sustainability, and the procurement of sustainable materials (comprising part of a green economy), one of the most important steps that need to be taken is the enhancement of awareness and knowledge among all sectors in the market and demographics.

Without awareness, there is simply no demand. The action that needs to be taken in the Emirate and the country as a whole is essentially catalyzed by demand.

*Interview conducted by Jenny Kassis, Executive Editor

About Khaled Bushnaq
Khaled Bushnaq is the Vice Chair, Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC). He is also CEO of EMS Int., the first company to provide energy management solutions (ESCO) in the Middle East.

Khaled, with his extensive experience in the field of energy management, founded EMS in 1991 in Jordan.

Khaled was named the 2010 Legend in Energy by The Association of Energy Engineers (AEE), at their 33rd World Energy Engineering Congress. He was also the recipient of Special Recognition Award presented by Association of Energy Engineers, USA at the 16thWorld Energy Congress in Atlanta, Georgia, 1993.

He holds a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Salford in UK, and is a certified professional engineer by Association of Energy Engineers in the USA.

© Capital Business 2015