< Previous20 MEP Middle East | January 2021 www.mepmiddleeast.com MEP HEROES Many developments are now reaching the 15-year period of their lifecycle. QTM enjoyed one of its best ever years in 2020, and predicts a busy time in the next 36 months as the retrofi tting market continues to swell. CFO Andy Merris told MEP Middle East that 2020 was a “phenomenal” 12 months at home and abroad. He said: “We’ve launched in Australia, we’ve launched in Eastern Europe, and Australia in particular is a really interesting place for us. “It has the opportunity to move away from residential and hospitality into the lei- sure sector, but also more importantly, into the agricultural sector. “We are seeing a lot more energy being used in the agricultural sector, see- ing a lot more tech and robotics being used, and therefore a lot more requirement for energy conservation at the micro grid level.” QTM Energy Services Company Al Salem Johnson Controls (YORK) marked 2020 by developing a new Air Purifi cation Unit to fi lter air and further improve indoor air quality. Driven by the demands of the pandemic, the YORK airIQ Unit uses four fi ltration phases; treating air safely in a hygienic and environmentally friendly way by eliminating all pollutants, viruses, harmful bacteria and airborne compounds by 99.99%. The unit, developed and manufactured in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is in line with the Vision 2030, which focuses on localizing manufacturing and improving local content, in addition to developing the necessary skills to achieve that. The air purifi ers use ultraviolet light to treat air by eliminating airborne pathogens and microorganisms; such as viruses, bac- teria and volatile contaminants. YORK airIQ can help protect from airborne and infectious diseases. Al Salem Johnson Controls (YORK)January 2021 | MEP Middle East 21 www.mepmiddleeast.com MEP HEROES Bee’ah LG Electronics The environmental services company has helped keep the UAE moving through pandemic. Bee’ah set the standard for hygiene and safety as the UAE adapted to the realities of living with Covid. So much so that ITP Media Group an- nounced a strategic partnership with the fi rm to ensure the highest calibre of health and safety protocols at all its events once venues were able to welcome back guests – including at the 2020 MEP Middle East Awards. Rafael Sanjurjo Lopez, CEO of Public Cleansing & Waste Collection – Tandeef at Bee’ah, said: “Bee’ah is doing everything we can to prevent, limit and contain the spread of Covid-19 throughout the UAE, through our specialised disinfection ser- vices. “We had also launched Disinfection Pods earlier in April, which enables businesses and entities to safeguard their own work- force, guests and even customers.” LG Electronics underlined its com- mitment to the region with plans to expand its presence in the Middle East and Africa HVAC industry. The company has a far reaching pres- ence in the MENA region, but has set its sights even further. At a virtual conference, the head of LG’s Air Solution business division explained LG’s brand philosophy to become a trust- ed partner in the region based on the values of integration, expertise, and com- mitment as well as a new portfolio of air purifi cation solution products for residen- tial, offi ce and commercial environments. “Most people may think of LG as a washing machine and refrigerator brand but we provide solutions in many sectors that consumers don’t see,” said Dr Lee Kam-Gyu, head of LG’s Air Solution busi- ness unit. LG is focusing on its three core values of integration, expertise and commitment. 22 MEP Middle East | January 2021 www.mepmiddleeast.com MEP HEROES JLW’s Ramy Boufarhat has helped oversee a change in business focus. JLW has excelled this year by shifting its market focus into data centres and utility projects. COO Ramy Boufarhat says JLW has been able to ride the wave of disruption over the past year by hedging its bets. Simply put, the company has not relied too heavily on one partner or another to fi ll its logbook. He explained: “If we were doing a sub con- tracting job we wanted to work with an array of main contractors. “Since you don’t know which main con- tractor will be in what position next year, we wanted a good split. “If we had 10 projects we’d want to work with fi ve different main contractors, prefer- ably two for each. As subcontractors we are currently working on projects with ISG, Zublin/Strabag, Khansaheb, Roberts, Sixco, AFC, McLaren and MSSJV – all Tier 1 com- panies working with clients who still believe and require that ‘value add’ touch.” Ramy Boufarhat: JLW Voltas’ international and national projects revenue in 2019-20 was $442million, while the order book for projects in the region grew by 43% YoY. A notable project for 2020 was the work completed at the Tecom District Cooling Plant, a feat which earned the company a Highly Commended distinc- tion in the Mechanical Project of the Year category at this year’s MEP Middle East Awards. Guided by the steering hand of Vice President and Head IOBG, AR Suresh Ku- mar, the company reacted quickly and posi- tively to the challenges brought on by the global health pandemic. He said: “The company did well in cash collections too and continued to ensure that employees and the supply chain were paid regularly and on time.” Voltas’ Vice President and Head IOBG, AR Suresh Kumar. AR Suresh Kumar: VoltasJanuary 2021 | MEP Middle East 23 www.mepmiddleeast.com MEP HEROES Cathy Christer: AECOM Richard Stratton: Cundall AECOM’s MEP Director Cathy Christer. AECOM took the number three slot in MEP Middle East’s Top Consult- ants list for 2020, and has spent much of the past 12 months over- hauling its digital processes. The team is primarily located in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with key staff based across the GCC. Although it has been an extremely busy year, the team focus has been retained on the application of a comprehensive QAQC system to each and every project. MEP Director Cathy Christer said: “MEP designers are strategically placed to ensure that the sustainable goals set for a project are actually delivered into reality, and that these goals are met not only at handover, but through the lifetime of the building. “The key to delivering sustainable pro- jects is a close and co-ordinated design from the outset; AECOM MEP is well placed to deliver this with our in-house architectural and structural teams.” Richard Stratton enjoyed an unprec- edented 2020, revelling in multiple personal accolades as Cundall’s stature in the region continued to grow. Throughout his work in the region, the global business has seen diversifi cation to new sectors including rail, masterplanning and entertainment growing a multi-discipli- nary team on the ground. And under Stratton’s leadership, the Middle East business has evolved into 20% of the global turnover with 70% growth of regional business in the last year. Richard is a forward-looking leader and believes the future is dependent on digital engineering, therefore he supports and in- vests in talent and R&D for engineers to ex- pand their knowledge and practical skills in BIM, parametric modelling and other plat- forms that are currently helping to advance their work. Cundall Managing Director Richard Stratton.24 MEP Middle East | January 2021 www.mepmiddleeast.com HEATING & COOLINGJanuary 2021 | MEP Middle East 25 www.mepmiddleeast.com HEATING & COOLING The transition to cleaner, more sus- tainable heating and cooling solu- tions can attract investment, create millions of new jobs and help to drive a durable economic recovery in the wake of the global Covid-19 crisis, says a new study published by noted energy organisations. The joint report by the International Re- newable Energy Agency (IRENA), the In- ternational Energy Agency (IEA), and the Renewable Energy Network for the 21st Century (REN21), highlights the benefi ts, identifi es investment barriers, as well as the policies to drive faster uptake of renewable heating and cooling worldwide. Renewable Energy Policies in a Time of Transition: Heating and Cooling describes fi ve possible transformation pathways, en- compassing renewables-based electrifi ca- tion, renewable gases, sustainable biomass, and direct uses of solar thermal and geo- thermal heat. “Energy effi cient heating and cooling based on renewable sources has emerged as an urgent priority for countries striving to meet climate commitments under the Paris Agreement and to build resilient, sus- tainable economies,” said IRENA Director- General, Francesco La Camera. “The transition to cleaner, more effi cient and sustainable heating and cooling solu- tions can attract investments, create mil- lions of new jobs and help to drive a durable economic recovery in the wake of the global Covid-19 crisis. “It will make much needed heating and cooling services available to everyone, in- cluding to remote islands and least-devel- oped countries of Africa and Asia.” Heating and cooling demand accounts for around half of global fi nal energy con- sumption, mostly for industrial processes, followed by residential and agricultural ap- plications. Most of this energy now comes either from fossil fuels or ineffi cient, unsustain- able uses of biomass. Heating and cooling, consequently, is a major source of air pollution and accounts for over 40% of global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. At the same time, around 2.8 billion peo- ple currently rely on wood fuel, charcoal, animal dung and other ineffi cient and pol- luting fuels for cooking. The demand for heating and cooling is set to keep growing. Cooling demand has already tripled globally since 1990, and as climate change increases the number and severity of heat waves, so does the urgency for supplying air conditioning and refrigera- tion to billions of people. According to IRENA, policy makers have so far given limited atten- tion to the heating and cooling transition. By the end of 2019, only 49 countries – mostly within the European Union – had national targets for renewable heating and cooling, in contrast with 166 having targets for renewable power generation. To decarbonise the energy used for heat- ing and cooling, aggressive and compre- hensive policy packages that phase out the use of fossil fuels and prioritise renewable energy and effi ciency are even more urgent amid the Covid-19 pandemic, which has cut demand for renewables-based heating and cooling services, including in households and small businesses. The health and economic crisis has also worsened conditions for energy access in many developing countries. IRENA says that transitioning to renew- able sources will help to increase access to clean, affordable and reliable heating and cooling services, even on remote islands and in some of the least-developed countries of Africa and Asia. At the same time, renewable heating and cooling can create new jobs, stimulate local economies, and improve people’s livelihoods, while strengthening countries’ energy security and independence, the report notes. IRENA CALLS FOR URGENT ACTION Heating and cooling based on renewable energy has emerged as an urgent priority for countries striving to meet climate goals and build resilient, sustainable economies28 MEP Middle East | January 2021 www.mepmiddleeast.com DEEP RETROFITTING The UAE’s commitment to promoting sustainable development is under- pinned by the nation’s concerted ef- forts in implementing green building practices in the construction sector. Globally, buildings and the construction sector account for the largest share of ener- gy-related CO2 emissions at nearly 40%. In the UAE, CO2 emissions, attributed to the construction sector, are speculated to be much higher due to the large demand for air-conditioning, with buildings accounting for up to 70% of the nation’s total electricity consumption. This underlines the need to implement energy effi ciency measures, which are to- day increasingly being adopted across the nation in newly constructed buildings. In fact, as per the EmiratesGBC UAE Green Building Market Brief 2020, the na- tion has around 64 million square metres of built-up areas that have deployed local green building regulations or certifi cation programmes. The UAE government has also launched retrofi t programmes to enhance the energy performance of existing building stocks. Dubai leads the way and has completed ret- rofi tting of 1,241 buildings and 6,658 villas. To support the industry further, Emir- atesGBC conducted a Deep Retrofi t Study to understand the awareness and capabili- ties – as well as the challenges and oppor- tunities – related to deep retrofi t projects in the UAE. The results were highlighted in the ‘Advancing Deep Retrofi ts in the UAE report’ published in October 2020. WHAT IS A DEEP BUILDING RETROFIT? According to the International Energy Agency and the Rocky Mountain Institute, a deep retrofi t is defi ned as project analysis and construction process by which energy use intensity on-site is reduced by at least 50%, using energy effi ciency measures compared to the baseline site energy use intensity. Instead of focusing on single stand-alone systems such as lighting, HVAC, and build- ing operations, a deep building retrofi t fo- cuses on the project as one integrated sys- tem to maximise energy savings. And, despite the apprehensions relating to making existing buildings more energy- effi cient, deep retrofi ts are achievable in the UAE. In our survey on deep retrofi ts, 84% of the respondents, including consultants, sup- pliers, manufacturers and ESCO experts, agree that over 50% energy savings are pos- sible in the UAE through deep retrofi t. Sixty per cent of the respondents said they believe that the highest energy savings in UAE building projects is now between 21% and 40%, and over one-third agreed that savings can reach 31%-40%. However, based on our interactions with Energy Savings Companies (ESCOs) in the UAE, the highest achieved energy sav- ings in their projects are between 45% and 50%, if only Energy Effi ciency Measures (EEMs) and Energy Conservation Meas- ures (ECMs) are considered. Therefore, it is only logical to conclude that reaching up to 50% energy savings is possible even without the use of renewable energy. This is a realistic target specifi cally for poor performing projects, a fact highlighted by EmiratesGBC Benchmarking Reports, where there is considerable difference be- tween the best and worst performers, up to two to three times. For instance, the best performers in ho- tels consume 58% less energy per area than worst performers. Similar results were re- ported for malls, schools, and other build- ing typologies. SHOULD GOVERNMENT MANDATE RETROFIT PROGRAMMES? The UAE retrofi t programmes are volun- tary in nature and many experts believe that they should be mandated by the UAE government to accelerate retrofi tting mar- IN AT THE DEEP END Majd Fayyad, Technical Manager at Emirates Green Building Council, explains why deep retrofi ts are key to strengthening sustainable built environments EmiratesGBC Technical Manager Majd Fayyad.January 2021 | MEP Middle East 29 www.mepmiddleeast.com DEEP RETROFITTING Collaboration among the public and private sectors is touted as being crucial for the success of retrofitting initiatives. ket growth. Nearly 90% of ESCOs, consult- ants, suppliers and manufacturers involved in the survey called for building retrofi ts to be made mandatory. Nearly half (45%) of the developers be- lieve that the retrofi t market can be acceler- ated by making energy and/or water perfor- mance certifi cates mandatory for existing buildings. Over one-third (35%) prefer that retrofi ts be kept voluntary, with more incentives provided. HOW CAN WE ACCELERATE THE RETROFIT MARKET? With the support of regulations and incen- tives, a decarbonisation roadmap can be realised. Deep building retrofi ts can help to meet the global targets set by the World Green Building Council of net zero carbon by 2050 – a commitment that the UAE also upholds. Considerable effort is needed to achieve this with collaboration among the public and private sectors being crucial for the suc- cess of retrofi tting initiatives. Since 2013, EmiratesGBC has been focus- ing on the energy effi ciency of buildings through its Energy Effi ciency Programme, a market-infl uencing and capacity-building platform to facilitate the reduction of the UAE’s carbon footprint through retrofi ts of existing buildings. EmiratesGBC offers Building Retrofi t Training in partnership with Dubai Su- preme Council of Energy and Masdar, with the Introductory course launched in 2017 and the two-day Advanced course launched in 2018, to strengthen understanding of the fundamentals and to provide in-depth tech- nical knowledge of retrofi ts specifi c to the MENA region. Two benchmarking studies, the 2016 Hotel Benchmarking Report and the 2019 Building Effi ciency Accelerator Benchmarking (BEA) Project Report, were also published by EmiratesGBC to support the buildings retrofi t market in the UAE. The 2016 report, for the fi rst time, es- tablished energy and water performance benchmarks for hotels in the UAE, while the 2019 BEA report further refi ned the results for hotels in Dubai as well as pre- sented energy and water benchmarks for schools and malls. The focused efforts to promote deep retrofi ts highlight how the nation can leap- frog towards achieving the commitment to net zero carbon buildings by 2050 and thereby build a cleaner and greener future for all. Next >