RAKEZ partners with Smart4Power to reduce energy, water consumption by 38%

RAS AL KHAIMAH - Ras Al Khaimah Economic Zone, RAKEZ, is planning to reduce water and electricity consumption by 38.5 percent over the next five years.

RAKEZ has signed a contract with Smart4Power, an energy efficiency solutions provider, for a retrofit project covering nine buildings, including a district cooling plant.

The agreement, which is part of RAKEZ contribution towards the targets of RAK Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Strategy 2040, will extend over five years and will provide guaranteed energy and water savings of 38.5 percent versus usual consumption patterns.

"RAKEZ is taking significant initiatives in support of the sustainability strategy of Ras Al Khaimah. For new buildings, we have already started adopting Barjeel standards that have been recently introduced by the Ras Al Khaimah municipality. The retrofit project shows that we are also focused on improving the energy efficiency of existing buildings. We hope that this project will encourage other entities to undergo similar efforts" said Ramy Jallad, CEO of RAKEZ.

Eyad Ismail, Director of Engineering of RAKEZ, said, "Smart4Power has been entrusted with the retrofit of RAKEZ’s eight office buildings, and one district cooling plant. In total, the structures occupy an area exceeding 73,000 m2. The project’s retrofitting measures focus on the improvement of HVAC, lighting, water and controls systems." Ismail added, "This project aims to save 38.5 percent of energy and water, which amounts to AED 2.3 million in savings every year with a payback time of less than four years." Through the planned retrofit, the project will provide guaranteed total savings of more than 25 gigawatt-hours of electricity over the contract duration, with an impact on carbon emissions comparable to that of taking nearly 2,000 cars off the roads. Additionally, over 14 million imperial gallons of water will be saved during the period, enough to fill 25 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

Jes?s Gutiérrez, Co-Founder and CEO of Smart4Power, said, "Smart4Power will implement a series of energy and water conservation measures, such as improvement of cooling systems, the addition of adiabatic cooling for chillers, LED light replacements and installation of water-saving devices. Additionally, advanced HVAC automation and controls will be installed, which will have a major impact on the savings generated by the project. The installation will be completed by early 2020 and operations, maintenance and verification services will continue for at least five years."