Farnek Avireal wins Emirates Energy Award for hotel benchmarking study
Unique research by a Dubai-based total facilities management company revealing five-star hotels in the city use up to 225% more energy than their counterparts in Europe has won an Emirates Energy Award.
Farnek Avireal's Dubai Hotel Energy Benchmarking project has received the education and research award in the first Emirates Energy Awards, held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai.
Announcing the introduction of the awards earlier this year, Sheikh Mohammed said energy usage in Dubai is not efficient. "Dubai's energy intensity - the amount of energy used per capita - is among the highest in the world," he declared. "Going forward, Dubai has to use energy more efficiently."
Farnek Avireal's research using internet based software www.hotel-optimizer.com and supported by Dubai's Department of Tourism and Conference Marketing, highlighted the major savings in both energy and costs potential in Dubai and throughout the region.
A total of 15 major five star hotels in Dubai took part in the project for more than a year. Farnek Avireal monitored and analysed the energy consumption of the hotels and compared it with that of similar hotels in Europe. The survey revealed that hotels in Dubai on average used between 650 and 1,250 litres of water and consumed 275 to 325 kilowatt hours of power per square metre per guest.
By contrast, similar hotels in Germany used only 350 litres of water and 100 kilowatt hours per square metre - a huge difference of 225%.
The research also found that the current annual utility costs of a major five star hotel in Dubai are about $2 million. "Achieving energy savings of only 5% through such measures and optimising air conditioning systems can trim around $100,000 from that bill," said Markus Oberlin, General Manager of Avireal Middle East, after receiving the award.
"This was the first benchmarking study in the United Arab Emirates for hotels and we are very proud to have been honoured in the first Emirates Energy Awards," he added.
"The figures provided by this system have great value in finding out the energy saving potential of buildings, not just hotels. The energy usage of offices, residential towers, hospitals can also be benchmarked in this way.
"Earlier this year His Highness Sheikh Mohammed said there was no doubt in anyone's mind that better energy conservation is a key initiative going forward for Dubai. We hope that our research and systems will help companies and organisations identify how they can contribute to energy conservation and, at the same time, favourably impact their bottomline."
With the use of the latest technology, energy consumption of air conditioning chillers in major buildings can be reduced by up to 20%. "This is a massive saving when one considers that a chiller alone is responsible for around 60% of the total electricity bill for most large buildings," said Oberlin.
The Emirates Energy Awards, organised by the Dubai Quality Group, were established for the first time this year to increase awareness among individuals, companies and policy makers on the importance of energy utilisation. The awards were presented at a ceremony in Dubai last night (Wednesday, 5 September 2007).
Award winners receive recognition of best practices in energy management and conservation and can use the award logo on their marketing material for three years.
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About Farnek Avireal
Farnek Avireal is joint venture between Zurich-based real estate and facilities management company Avireal AG, along with its local business partner Khalifa Juma Al Nabooda Group and Farnek, a leading local facilities management services provider. Farnek Avireal is one of only a handful of organisations in the region to offer total facilities management from cleaning to security and technical maintenance to energy management.
The new venture has formed one of the most comprehensive facilities management companies in the Middle East, with over 1,000 employees, with a wealth of experience working with quality IT systems, such as the luggage system at Zurich International Airport.
Farnek Avireal specialises in the consulting and operating of commercial and complex building infrastructures. It also has the expertise to offer a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach to the administration and maintenance of buildings and real estate throughout their entire life-cycle including technical, energy and environmental audits and benchmarking.
Farnek Avireal maintains over 500 buildings accommodating in excess of one million square metres. They clean more than 500,000 square metres of commercial and residential space. They protect over 100 properties in Dubai, keep 100 installations fully operational and can reduce buildings' energy costs by up to 25%.
For media information, please contact:
Chris Mullinger
Senior Consultant
Shamal Marketing Communications
PO Box 24459
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Tel.: +971 50 658 5843
Fax: +971 4 3124313
E-mail: chris@theshamalgroup.com
© Press Release 2007
