18 December 2013
RIYADH - As economies around the world are reeling from the damage caused by the global recession, two very important words have become pillars of progress across the globe: efficiency and sustainability. It seems every international organization have now, ingrained in their work ethic, a consciousness towards doing business efficiently and sustainably. Some call this the "green movement," and its teachings have become symbiotically fused to almost every major industry and field.
Carrier, a corporation known as leaders in heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration solutions, along with Otis, a global innovator in the field of elevator, escalator and walkway manufacturing, have shown interest in working with Saudi companies to promote green building, a move that some might believe can't come any sooner.
"During difficult economic times in the US, while overall construction has gone down, green building construction is accelerating," said John Mandyck, Chief Sustainability Officer at UTC Building and Industrial Systems, during a visit in Riyadh.
"Green buildings are very good business decisions; in an economically constrained time, developers are placing their bets more wisely, and they're placing them on green buildings as a long term economic solution," he added.
Green buildings are constructed with great awareness and emphasis on sustainability and efficiency, in terms of energy consumption mainly, but also in terms of accessibility, facilities, and the general comfort and safety of its occupants. In Germany, this phenomenon is called "Passivhaus," (literally, "Passive House") which takes into consideration factors such as the buildings orientation in relation to the sun, both to provide the building with natural sunlight and heat, as well as borrowing techniques from traditional houses here in the Kingdom, which used components such as mud for insulation, keeping its occupants cool in the harsh summers.
Taking these elements and more into account greatly reduces a building's carbon footprint by promoting lower energy consumption. But these green buildings also take into account the mood and comfort of the building's occupants, with studies suggesting that natural lighting is both a much healthier and much cheaper alternative - providing a good amount of Vitamin D while remaining virtually costless - to fluorescent or tungsten lighting.
"We have data that shows green building activity is doubling at the rate of every three years," said Rick Fedrizzi, President and CEO of the US Green Building Council (USGBC).
Here in the Kingdom, with the expansion of major cities and the development of urban areas, the construction market has increased by 147 percent and grown from a 17 billion dollar industry in 2012 to a 42 billion dollar industry throughout 2013. Presently, a larger chunk of that construction is allocated in the field of green building, with projects in economic cities and financial districts across the Kingdom seeking out the most efficient and sustainable solutions for their projects.
While organizations such as King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE) work towards generating energy through sustainable means, as opposed to burning crude oil, an industry has emerged for a sustainable market in building and construction. Quoting a study, Fedrizzi said: "If the society here continues to develop on its rapid economic curve the same way it has in the past, Saudi Arabia could consume as much oil as it exports by 2030.
"Energy may be low cost now, and the reality is that it comes from a natural resource that is finite, so I think energy efficiency and green buildings are very essential strategies to help diversify the Saudi economy and to stretch the reserves even farther and using them efficiently."
While energy efficiency and sustainable development may not be the subject of much debate here in the Kingdom on a social level, due in part to the affordability of energy, it is clear that Saudi Arabia is gearing towards a more sustainable economy, in line with King Abdullah's 2020 vision of a diversified Knowledge Economy, and at the cornerstone of this economy are the same pillars that every business has realized it must follow to compete in any market: sustainable and efficient progress.
RIYADH - As economies around the world are reeling from the damage caused by the global recession, two very important words have become pillars of progress across the globe: efficiency and sustainability. It seems every international organization have now, ingrained in their work ethic, a consciousness towards doing business efficiently and sustainably. Some call this the "green movement," and its teachings have become symbiotically fused to almost every major industry and field.
Carrier, a corporation known as leaders in heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration solutions, along with Otis, a global innovator in the field of elevator, escalator and walkway manufacturing, have shown interest in working with Saudi companies to promote green building, a move that some might believe can't come any sooner.
"During difficult economic times in the US, while overall construction has gone down, green building construction is accelerating," said John Mandyck, Chief Sustainability Officer at UTC Building and Industrial Systems, during a visit in Riyadh.
"Green buildings are very good business decisions; in an economically constrained time, developers are placing their bets more wisely, and they're placing them on green buildings as a long term economic solution," he added.
Green buildings are constructed with great awareness and emphasis on sustainability and efficiency, in terms of energy consumption mainly, but also in terms of accessibility, facilities, and the general comfort and safety of its occupants. In Germany, this phenomenon is called "Passivhaus," (literally, "Passive House") which takes into consideration factors such as the buildings orientation in relation to the sun, both to provide the building with natural sunlight and heat, as well as borrowing techniques from traditional houses here in the Kingdom, which used components such as mud for insulation, keeping its occupants cool in the harsh summers.
Taking these elements and more into account greatly reduces a building's carbon footprint by promoting lower energy consumption. But these green buildings also take into account the mood and comfort of the building's occupants, with studies suggesting that natural lighting is both a much healthier and much cheaper alternative - providing a good amount of Vitamin D while remaining virtually costless - to fluorescent or tungsten lighting.
"We have data that shows green building activity is doubling at the rate of every three years," said Rick Fedrizzi, President and CEO of the US Green Building Council (USGBC).
Here in the Kingdom, with the expansion of major cities and the development of urban areas, the construction market has increased by 147 percent and grown from a 17 billion dollar industry in 2012 to a 42 billion dollar industry throughout 2013. Presently, a larger chunk of that construction is allocated in the field of green building, with projects in economic cities and financial districts across the Kingdom seeking out the most efficient and sustainable solutions for their projects.
While organizations such as King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE) work towards generating energy through sustainable means, as opposed to burning crude oil, an industry has emerged for a sustainable market in building and construction. Quoting a study, Fedrizzi said: "If the society here continues to develop on its rapid economic curve the same way it has in the past, Saudi Arabia could consume as much oil as it exports by 2030.
"Energy may be low cost now, and the reality is that it comes from a natural resource that is finite, so I think energy efficiency and green buildings are very essential strategies to help diversify the Saudi economy and to stretch the reserves even farther and using them efficiently."
While energy efficiency and sustainable development may not be the subject of much debate here in the Kingdom on a social level, due in part to the affordability of energy, it is clear that Saudi Arabia is gearing towards a more sustainable economy, in line with King Abdullah's 2020 vision of a diversified Knowledge Economy, and at the cornerstone of this economy are the same pillars that every business has realized it must follow to compete in any market: sustainable and efficient progress.
© The Saudi Gazette 2013
