DUBAI INVESTMENTS

Smart4Power conducted an energy audit at Dubai Investments headquarters and identified savings in the amount of 654,000 AED/year through initiatives that are paid back in less than a year.

Challenge

Dubai Investments is one of the largest real estate and industrial groups in Dubai. Its headquarters are located in the heart of Dubai Investment Park, which belongs to the same group.

The headquarters building is a 6-story concrete building with approximately 80% of its façade covered by windows (double glazed). The cooling demand is primarily supplied by a district cooling plant. Electricity consumption is primarily associated with the operation of the HVAC system and lighting. Its annual electricity and cooling load consumption are respectively 5.5 million kWh and 1.2 million TR.

The management of the company contacted Smart4Power to undertake a thorough assessment of the energy and water consumption profile in order to identify potential opportunities for energy savings.

Solution

Smart4Power’s team measured the energy and water consumption of the building over a period of 3 weeks. The analysis was done combining company’s installed BMS and BTU, electricity and water meters as well as consultants’ smart meter that were temporarily installed in key consumption areas. The measurement and data collection was done 24/7 on an hourly basis. The energy auditors analyzed the information in combination with a detail analysis of the existing air conditioning and lighting systems.

One of the striking outcomes of the analysis was the fact that 62% of the total electricity consumption took place in non-working hours. After assessing the consumption patterns, the S4P team was able to identify a number of initiatives that could significantly reduce the electricity and load consumption. From initiatives as simple as turning off the lights after 6pm in office areas to solutions that involved the AC operations rescheduling, resetting the room temperature at night or the replacement of CFL lights for LED in corridors and common areas. Another major finding from the audit was the continuous water consumption and water pump operation even during non-working hours, which was a clear indication of water leakage, which was estimated at 1.5 million imperial gallons a year.

S4P provided a detailed description of each of the energy saving initiatives and ranked them according to the total savings and investment requirements. The total energy savings was 654,000 AED/year for initiatives with a payback of less than a year). The total annual savings that the company could gain represented more than 20 times the cost of the energy audit.