< Previous COVER STORY www.fm-middleeast.com 20 February 2021 operations in the region. He says: “This helped us retain talent already in the UAE and ensured people remained employed even if their current employer no longer needed their services.” The Hadaf Foods Industries factory is the first of its kind in the UAE, and presented a challenge of requiring the adaption of current skillsets to new technologies. The firm ensured that its new personnel worked with machinery suppliers at all stages of setup, including installation, commissioning and testing of the machines and utilities. This helped guarantee that while being a greenfield site, the new factory performed smoothly and efficiently from the beginning. MAINTENANCE PRACTICES The factory manages the maintenance of the facility with its own team and has separate contracts in place with service providers, including Atlas Copco, Adearest, Value Addition, and Al Rashidia. Tokbas says: “We have implemented a system of autonomous maintenance where our operators continuously monitor and perform minor maintenance to the equipment, and have full ownership over the process and lines they operate. “Performing periodic preventive maintenance is key to ensuring we avoid failures and major breakdowns in the production system. We have a building monitoring system and online A stack of cheese The factory produces 30,000 tonnes of cheese per year with plans to double production to more than 60,000 tonnes. COVER STORYCOVER STORY www.fm-middleeast.comFebruary 2021 21 tracking for real-time monitoring of utilities and process lines, helping us detect issues quickly and assisting in identifying their root causes.” Talking about the health and safety practices, Tokbas says that the factory is certified by Abu Dhabi Occupational Safety and Health Center (OSHAD) and implement and adhere to all safety standards accordingly. OSHAD SF is a management tool developed by the government of Abu Dhabi that integrates occupational health and safety management components of a business into one coherent system. He says: “The integration of these components allows the business to achieve its objectives efficiently by managing the impacts of various activities and minimising workplace risks. OSHAD SF is based on international standards relevant to occupational health and safety. In addition, it is a standalone system with many distinctive features, enabling us to improve performance across the management aspects of occupational health and safety and enhance communication and consultation between management and employees.” In addition, the factory received the Food Safety System Certification (FSSC 22000 Ver 5) certified by Bureau Veritas with a validity of three years. The Food Safety System Certification (FSSC) 22000 is an internationally accepted certification scheme based on a combination of ISO 22000 sector-specific PRP and FSSC additional requirements. FSSC 22000 has been developed in response to customer demand for a recognisable standard against a food safety management system that can be audited and certified. FSSC 22000 was given the global recognition by the GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative), as well as other food safety schemes such as BRC and IFS. The certification scheme is owned by the Foundation for Food Safety Certification. Tokbas says: “The health, safety & environment (HSE) standards in our factory are already very high, so obtaining the certification was not difficult. Since we set up the factory, we have had the highest standards for quality and food safety. Our traceability system, chemical and microbiological analysis and process tracking requirements all comply with FSSC 22000.” With respect to hygiene and tech implementations at the factory, Tokbas says that the factory’s lines are highly automated with no humans touching the products. “We use smart automation across the factory. All our tanks and lines are made with the highest grade of stainless steel and designed according to Clean Design manuals and General Manufacturing and Hygiene practices. Our factory floor is covered with hygienic tiles to reduce the risk of contamination. “A key part of UAE Vision 2021 is to support economic development while protecting the environment, which has been a central focus in the development of the Hadaf Foods Industries factory. Some of the key initiatives at the new Hadaf Foods Industries facility include treating 100% of the wastewater, recycling all product packaging and planning to create solar energy that will provide up to 20% of the plant’s energy. In addition, there are fully insulated walls and ceilings that contribute to saving cooling energy. Pinar takes its environmental footprint very seriously and is committed to the United Nations Global Compact to implement universal sustainability principles in all of our practices.” The firm applies lean principles and fosters a culture of continuous improvement, which empowers the team to look for opportunities for improvement everywhere in the factory, and to monitor and anticipate issues before they happen. This applies to health & safety, quality & food safety, and maintenance & operations, says Tokbas. He concludes: “The opening of our manufacturing facility has brought production closer to our GCC customers, which reduces costs and further strengthens our production and distribution capabilities. It also fits with the UAE’s national strategy to achieve greater food security, one aspect of which is the production of more foodstuffs in the country. Establishing us as regional exporters of FMCG products globally has also been incredibly beneficial as we expand our footprint to new markets.” www.fm-middleeast.comwww.fm-middleeast.com 22 February 2021 COMMENT “PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE IS THE SOLUTION” Long gone are the days when businesses had to repair or replace parts of a machine after it had broken down. Back then, a continuous examination was required to determine the condition of the different assets. Manufacturers and factory managers could only react when it became apparent that a breakdown took place. Reactive maintenance has always been linked with abrupt activity disruption, increased maintenance cost, shorter assets lifespan, lower safety, and inefficient maintenance labour practices resulting from reacting to the breakdown, only when it happens. Meanwhile, preventative main- tenance is another model whereby machine and other asset repairs could consume unnecessary resources, eat into operational costs, and effectively cripple smooth-running operations. The two most used maintenance methods are preventative and predictive maintenance. While the former is scheduled regularly, the latter is scheduled based on the asset’s condition. Predictive maintenance is the ideal solution to the challenges associated with reactive and preventive maintenance. The benefits of predictive maintenance include maximising equipment lifespan, reducing equipment or process downtime, cost reduction for parts and labour, optimising employee productivity, increasing revenue, enhancing service quality, and saving energy. The technology used for predictive maintenance is infrared thermography, which analyses all individual components of the concerned asset and can be extended to plant systems, roofs, and even entire buildings. A thermal imaging camera can identify and detect problems early on, preventing costly repairs associated with malfunctions like hot spots, leaks, electrical faults, and many more. Other technologies utilised in predictive maintenance include vibration analysis, ultrasonic analysis, oil analysis, laser alignment, and motor circuit analysis. Facilities management companies may find it difficult to adopt predictive maintenance as it requires significant financial, human resources, and training investments. While these initial investments might seem chal- lenging to an organisation, predictive maintenance’s return on investment (ROI) often far outweighs any upfront costs. It is a more significant invest- ment in the long run. There have been many efforts from facilities management companies to educate clients on the value of Maher Al-Aghbar, executive director at Khidmah, says that predictive maintenance is estimated to save up to 30% of the cost of over functional programmes, spare parts, and consumables while positively impacting worker morale and environmental safety THE BENEFITS OF PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE INCLUDE MAXIMISING EQUIPMENT LIFESPAN, REDUCING EQUIPMENT OR PROCESS DOWNTIME, COST REDUCTION FOR PARTS AND LABOUR, OPTIMISING EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY, INCREASING REVENUE, ENHANCING SERVICE QUALITY, AND SAVING ENERGY. predictive maintenance. However, many outdated Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are still linked to the preventive and corrective approach. Unless the asset owners absorb the cost of predictive maintenance, we will see no adequate understanding of the concept. Contrary to popular belief, predictive maintenance decreases cost due to the equipment’s enhanced operational life, reduction in overtime costs and downtime, decreased inventory over- load, and elimination of breakdowns by 75%. Furthermore, predictive maintenance is estimated to save up to 30% of the cost of over functional programmes, spare parts, and consum- ables while positively impacting worker morale and environmental safety. The technology and the data associated with predictive maintenance are still in their early stages within the region. There is still a lot of work to be done in that regard; however, the growth potential associ- ated with the decreased disruption is a clear indication of how technologies around predictive and preventative maintenance will see considerable growth in the coming decade. Maher Al-Aghbar, executive director at Khidmah.How buildings should conserve energy the right way? SYMBIOTIC The FM industry can contribute to a greener tomorrow by playing a key role in energy management p28 plus A SPECIAL REPORT FROM FACILITIES MANAGEMENT MIDDLE EAST ENERGY MANAGEMENT With the consequences of COVID-19 still affecting the construction industry amongst many others, Construction Week's Dispute Resolution Question Time will explore how technology is being utilised for late payment resolution, contract claims, arbitration options and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms as we enter a more digitally driven world. Find out more: www.itp.events/DRQT-Dubai WEDNESDAY 17th FEBRUARY, 5PM - 8PM FOR SPONSORSHIP ENQUIRIES: SARASWATI AGARWAL Commercial Director T: +971 4 444 3352 E: Saraswati.Agarwal@itp.com FOR EVENT ENQUIRIES SHERDIL BABAR Conference Producer T: +971 4 444 3223 E: Sherdil.Babar@itp.com le royal Meridien beach resort & spa dubaiwww.fm-middleeast.com COMMENT February 2021 25 nergy ma nage m e n t is not exactly rocket science. One only needs to be consious of the environment and have the genuine willingness to act on conserving energy. Energy should be considered as a business cost, just like labour. Firms can achieve reduction in energy bills by implementing simple housekeeping measures. Most recently, there is public awareness of the damaging effects of climate change, and governments have introduced several legislations to drive energy efficiency forward. As a knowledge partner for this special report in energy management, FM firm Farnek emphasises on energy management and energy conservation without the need of compromising on occupant comfort. Nadia Ibrahim, head of consultancy, Farnek, elaborates: “In June 2020, we carried out a study on hotels in Dubai to understand the correlation between occupancy and energy consumption in the light of the lean occupancy period Want to enter the debate? If you have any comments to make on these issues, email the editor at rajiv.pillai@itp.com. VIEWP INT FM fi rms need to come together and make a conscious and concerted eff ort in conserving energy for the sake of our planet. RAJIV RAVINDRAN PILLAI Consciously conserving E About the author Rajiv Ravindran Pillai is the editor of Facilities Management Middle East. during the pandemic lockdown. We found that if these hotels had put an effective energy management strategy into practice, they could have reduced their consumption by an additional 17%. Buildings need an expert energy consultant to identify ways of reducing demand and providing the right advice to make significant financial savings.” According to the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC), buildings (and construction) are responsible for 39% of all carbon emissions in the world, of which operational emissions (energy used to heat, cool and light buildings) are responsible for 28%. As facilities management is a vital link in the energy consumption chain, the FM industry is, naturally, one of the largest stakeholders that have a direct and indirect influence on the energy management of buildings, says Matthew Smith, associate head of the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society at Heriot- Watt University Dubai. FM firms need to come together and make a conscious and concerted effort in conserving energy for the sake of our planet. KNOWLEDGE PARTNER 26 February 2021www.fm-middleeast.com FM fi rm Farnek emphasises the importance of implementing modern innovative methods such as IoT and AI to ensure effi cient energy management services, says Nadia Ibrahim, head of consultancy A ccording to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 30% of energy used in a commercial building is wasted. Bringing this to the fore is UAE-based FM firm Farnek which focuses on energy management and energy conservation without compromising on the comfort of the occupants. Nadia Ibrahim, head of consultancy, elaborates: “In June 2020, we carried out a study on hotels in Dubai to understand the correlation between occupancy and energy consumption in the light of the lean occupancy period during the pandemic lockdown. We found that if these hotels had put an TIME TO SAVE effective energy management strategy into practice, they could have reduced their consumption by an additional 17%. Buildings need an expert energy consultant to identify ways of reducing demand and providing the right advice to make significant financial savings.” Farnek recommends the following basic methods for conserving energy in a building: (1) Measure, monitor and control: This is based on Peter Drucker's quote, “you can’t manage, what you can’t measure”. Measuring and monitoring energy consumption is essential to identifying wasted energy. ASHRAE Level-1 or Level-2 audits are required for understanding energy balance in a facility and developing energy baselines; (2) Continuous monitoring: Continuous monitoring of energy consumption in a facility can help in the immediate identification of energy deviations from baselines. Immediate corrective action can help to arrest further energy waste. A centralised energy command centre can help continuous monitoring; (3) Automation of equipment/system controls: Automation helps to proactively control the facility’s energy consumption when any deviation in the system is required; (4) Benchmarking: Buildings need to be benchmarked against similar facilities in the region to fully understand any shortcomings in its ongoing energy performance; (5) Target setting: A facility should set targets for KNOWLEDGE PARTNER February 2021 27 www.fm-middleeast.com its continual improvement in energy efficiency. Farnek as a firm is offering energy management services for more than 40 years in the UAE market. Ibrahim says: “Being a Swiss-owned and managed FM company, sustainability is in our DNA – we provide smart and green FM. For many years, we have been carrying out successful energy management for iconic landmarks including Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, Musanada, Dubai Fountains and ADMM-Yas Marina Circuit. Over the last four years, Farnek was able to reduce total energy consumption for those facilities by 17%, which is 31,000 tonnes of CO2, representing AED22m in cost savings. Having a good energy management system not only reduces utility consumption but also potentially provides huge savings.” Ibrahim highlights some of the best practices in energy management: a. System controls based on the facility’s requirements can avoid any equipment downtime b. Periodic adjustments to systems with seasonal climatic variations c. Optimisation of utility equipment based on the hours and occupancy of the facility d. Suitable energy retrofits to reduce the facility’s energy consumption e. Continuous monitoring of critical and energy intensive systems f. Periodic training of the facility operations team on energy and systems optimisation g. Conduct awareness drives to unearth the best energy-saving tips. Farnek not only places a great deal of emphasis on implementing modern innovative methods like IoT and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to ensure efficient energy management services, but also strongly relies on the basics of energy standards be it ASHRAE, LEED or other best energy practices. Farnek has a team of sustainability specialists who are certified energy managers and measurement verification experts who evaluate the systems and processes of facilities. In addition, Farnek uses Hotel Optimizer, which is an online cloud-based tool that evaluates, benchmarks and reports energy and water consumption, waste generation, costs and carbon emissions for various hotels in the MENA region. This tool helps to improve sustainability and environmental performance of hotels. Ibrahim adds: “Last year, we introduced a new concept into our existing energy audit portfolio called remote or virtual energy auditing, which has become very important due to the social distancing required due to the pandemic. Remote audits are a relatively inexpensive way for building owners and managers to understand utility management issues and consult with energy experts to target efficiency programmes for their buildings. In addition, since this does not require onsite visits, these audits can be conducted relatively quickly and cost-effectively, compared to physical audits." THE UAE REGION REPORT CARD The UAE Government’s alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, UAE Vision 2021, Abu Dhabi Vision 2030 etc., are all converging with the need for a push towards a cleaner and greener economy. Despite many areas of development and improvement for the energy sector, the UAE is leading the Middle East in terms of energy management - 25% carbon emission reduction by 2030 for example. The UAE was also the first among almost 200 countries to commit to the Paris Agreement five years ago. DEWA achieved a world record bid of $1.70¢/ KWh for the 900MW fifth phase of the Solar Park through a partnership with a consortium. The plant is planned to become operational in stages starting in the second quarter of 2021. The achievement by DEWA in solar operations is incredible as it aims to add 5,255MW of power capacity into the grid, which will be one-third of the power capacity available. Dubai has achieved savings of 321 GWh of electrical energy in 2019 and 257MIG (Million Imperial Gallon) of water in 2019, through RSB’s ESCO retrofit projects. Meanwhile, in Abu Dhabi, TAQA has set ambitious targets that by 2030 more than 20% of TAQA’s power generation capacity will be derived from solar power, and more than 50% of its water desalination capacities will be produced through highly efficient reverse osmosis technology. Ambitious energy programmes from Etihad ESCO, Abu Dhabi Energy Service Company, and RAK – Barjeel demonstrate a positive outlook for the energy management sector in the UAE. . According to Ibrahim, Farnek aims to align its policies toward government entities like DEWA, TAQA and the municipalities of Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and RAK, for energy transition and to create awareness about energy management. Nadia Ibrahim, head of consultancy, Farnek. BEING A SWISS-OWNED AND MANAGED FM COMPANY, SUSTAINABILITY IS IN OUR DNA. INSIGHT 28 February 2021www.fm-middleeast.com Matthew Smith, associate head of the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society at Heriot-Watt University Dubai discusses how the FM industry can contribute to a greener tomorrow by playing a key role in energy management I n recent years, sustainability has slowly but steadily reshaped the way commercial and institutional buildings are constructed and operated. It is no longer an issue for tomorrow, but a major consideration for today. As FMs pave the way back into safe workspaces, it is extremely important that the FM professionals of today remember their role and impact on energy management while also being guided by the principles of sustainability. UNDERSTANDING THE RELATIONSHIP OF FM WITH ENERGY MANAGEMENT According to the World Green Building SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FM AND ENERGY MANAGEMENT Council (WorldGBC), buildings (and construction) are responsible for 39% of all carbon emissions in the world, of which operational emissions (energy used to heat, cool and light buildings) are responsible for 28%. As facilities management is a vital link in the energy consumption chain, the FM industry is, naturally, one of the largest stakeholders that have a direct and indirect influence on the energy management of buildings. This is corroborated by WorldGBC in a major report that proved FM professionals possess a wealth of data that can be used to help them integrate more green design features in their buildings and facilities so that the occupants can lead healthier and more productive lives. Sustainability is now an essential part of the facilities management discipline, incorporating not just the lifecycle of the building, but the quality of life of its inhabitants. However, sustainable FM goes beyond managing the tangible services, such as cooling, ventilation and lighting. Offering more sustainable ways of working can significantly lower costs, enhance workplace productivity, and help create an organisation with long-term value. INCORPORATING FMS AT THE START OF A PROJECT In Dubai, the Green Building Regulations and Specifications INSIGHT February 2021 29 www.fm-middleeast.com (GBRS) is promoting the integration of sustainable principles into various phases of construction and encouraging more investment in green building projects across the emirate. Leading developers in Dubai have already begun to take a more rigorous approach on improving the energy performance of their buildings through energy benchmarking of their properties, identifying best practices and developing strategies to increase the efficiency of the built environment. Integrating FM expertise during the design phase can lessen the environmental impact of buildings through reduced energy consumption, efficient utilisation of resources, and lowered life cycle cost -- resulting in a more sustainable facility in the post occupancy stage. ACTIVE ENERGY MANAGEMENT FM’s sustainability initiatives are usually centred on hard measures such as lighting retrofits, glass and insulation upgrades, or enhanced HVAC systems. Although such initiatives do play some role towards sustainability, the impact is mostly marginal. Legacy solutions are often faced with information silos, as well as cost, time and labour-intensive models. Hence, the solution lies in active energy management with the help of smart technologies such as IoT that can consolidate critical information in real-time which in turn can help FMs gain actionable insights needed for anticipating, troubleshooting and managing issues. Automation and IoT systems offer a great opportunity for FMs to lessen the capacity for waste, removing the need for office employees to turn off obsolete equipment. This could involve activating in-built ‘sleep’ settings, which turn off electronics after a period of inactivity, or lighting which is controlled by motion capture technology. Additionally, solar monitors fitted on windows can track levels of natural light and disable unnecessary electronic fixtures, while sensors fitted to windows can be programmed to pause air conditioning when opened in order to avoid wasteful energy consumption. Besides the advantage of energy efficiency, active energy management ensures accuracy in billing and a lower overall cost of energy. RETRO-COMMISSIONING EXISTING BUILDINGS FMs can play a significant role even in retrofitting older, existing buildings with energy efficient measures. FMs are often expected to participate in several stages of the retrofitting process, which includes determining retrofit opportunities via onsite audits, liaising with procurement on equipment standards and specs, the retrofitting itself, management and maintenance. To begin with, FMs can audit an existing building which helps determine what systems might be leaking energy, or what assets adding the most to the environmental burden. It is then easier to monitor energy consumption across seasons, usage, and occupancy situations. Using data from the audit, the next step is to fix energy leaks, investing in repairs and substitutions, and focusing on assets that will make these facilities more environmentally neutral. INVOLVING STAKEHOLDERS Integrating sustainability into daily building operations needs buy-in from all stakeholders which leaves a huge impact on enabling continuous sustainability. An enterprise wide platform with AI and IoT capabilities can boost stakeholder engagement by utilising technology that enables sharing of relevant data, metrics and progress assessed against established targets, as well as keep all stakeholders informed and motivated to contribute toward common sustainability goals. Incorporating sustainability in buildings is no longer just a regulatory obligation, but has now become key to being considered as progressive, modern and environmentally responsible. Covid-19 has undoubtedly accelerated cost-leadership to the top of the business agenda once again, and for many facility managers, improving energy management can realise substantial cost and energy savings in the immediate future. While it is natural to assume tight budgets during times of uncertainty, the installation of new software systems and technology, in addition to simple lighting and cooling features can be incredibly effective to enable waste reduction, improve operational efficiency and drive substantial cost-savings. By strengthening their sustainability agenda businesses can pass on these cost savings into other areas such as research and development, employee engagement, talent development and recruitment. Matt hew Smith, associate head of the School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society, Heriot-Watt University Dubai. SUSTAINABILITY IS NOW AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT DISCIPLINE, INCORPORATING NOT JUST THE LIFECYCLE OF THE BUILDING, BUT THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF ITS INHABITANTS.Next >