It’s not easy being green

Construction companies under pressure to think more about sustainability when they are designing their developments. But given the harsh desert climates, can the Middle East’s buildings really go green?

“Sustainability is going to become more and more central to very single thing we do”
-Stephen Oehme, Hyder Consulting Middle East

The UAE is one of the least energy efficient nations in the world, and the rest of the region is not far behind. The long summers, a desert environment, low rainfall levels and temperatures regularly reaching the mid to late-40s or more mean there is a high reliance on energy-burning applications such as air conditioning. The tough terrain has resulted in a preponderance of petrol-guzzling 4x4s. And the fact that all water must be desalinated makes it easy to see why the region has such a poor energy rating. Of course, it doesn’t help that the region loves its lush, green, water-hungry golf courses, either.

Nonetheless, there is now a growing movement towards greener, more sustainable ways of living – and the building industry is positioning itself right at the forefront of this development. Dubai’s impending Green Building Regulations, the Abu Dhabi 2030 plan and a noticeable shift towards holistic sustainability from designers and developers reflect the growing importance placed on achieving environmental sustainability.

“In these days of increased environmental awareness and global financial crises, sustainability makes great business sense,” explains Stephen Oehme, head of sustainability at international advisory and design firm Hyder Consulting Middle East. “The financial, social and environmental outcomes of sustainability are not only desirable, but also essential from a business perspective.”

Oehme feels that developments that do not pay proper attention to sustainability risk exposing themselves to dire financial consequences. “Such developments not only result in unnecessary costs and lesser quality, but also lose out in terms of value when compared with sustainable buildings,” he says. “Sustainability is the best approach to access real quality and value, reduce appropriate costs and provide a hedge against the effects of the global financial crisis.”

And there is growing evidence that others in the region agree with him. Last year, engineering consultant Mott MacDonald and the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi (EAD) launched a sustainable buildings and communities programme for the emirate, the first of its kind in the Middle East. Called Estidama (which means sustainability in Arabic), the scheme aims to help Abu Dhabi reduce its high consumption rates of energy and materials and encourage world-class practices for sustainable development. Most importantly, the tool takes into account local factors affecting the development of green buildings in the emirate – such as high temperatures, lack of groundwater resources, high solar radiation and humidity – and suggests simple measures that can make a big difference to the build.

“Considering the aspect, elevation and use of materials at the design stage makes comfortable temperatures achievable within a building without the need for air conditioning, even in the Middle East,” explains Gordon Hudson, Mott MacDonald’s technical team leader. “At the same time, solar collectors can be included in designs to meet the buildings’ energy requirements and power any ancillary cooling systems.”

Putting in such measures – and gaining the all-important LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) green building rating – doesn’t have to be expensive, either. Installing more efficient air conditioning units or better quality glass will go a long way to making a building more sustainable. Equally, thinking about the orientation or ensuring that grey water (from washing machines, showers and so on) can be recycled and used to water gardens will help.

Among those buildings that are touted as being particularly green are the new Bahrain World Trade Centre and the planned Lighthouse building in the financial district in Dubai. The Bahrain development includes three wind turbines that will generate 15 percent of the building’s energy needs, while the Dubai Lighthouse is considered even more energy efficient, having attained Platinum LEED status for its plans to use glass panels with integrated photovoltaic cells.

In addition to harnessing renewable energy technologies, conserving resources is a cornerstone of green building techniques. There are many ways to conserve resources during the building process. For example, selecting materials that have at least some recycled content can conserve natural resources and virgin materials. Minimising construction waste can ease the impact on landfills and resources. Installing water and energy-efficient products can conserve resources while reducing operating costs. And choosing a green (plant-covered) roof can reduce energy use, cool urban heat islands and prevent stormwater runoff, as well as contributing to wildlife habitat and air quality.

And while a green building may cost more upfront, it saves through lower operating costs over the life of the building. The green building approach applies a project lifecycle cost analysis for determining the appropriate upfront expenditure. The Middle East Centre for Sustainable Development defines this approach as an analytical method that calculates costs over the useful life of the asset. These and other cost savings can only be fully realised when they are incorporated at the project’s conceptual design phase with the assistance of an integrated team of professionals. The integrated systems approach ensures that the building is designed as one system rather than a collection of standalone systems.

Mott MacDonald has years of experience in designing and building greener projects. “As much as possible, we try to build sustainability into our designs from the beginning,” continues Mike Barker, Managing Director of the firm’s Buildings and Structures division. “It’s much easier to do this from the beginning than it is to try and add sustainable features or greener practices halfway through the build. You’ve got to have them in right from the outset, because they affect the whole aspect of the building and the way it’s put together.”

It’s an area that has increasingly moved up the corporate agenda for everyone involved in the infrastructure sector over the last few years, but Barker sees it as much more than just a fashionable buzzword. “In a couple of years’ time I think that we’ll start to see less of a focus on sustainability and environmental issues – not because they’ll become any less important, but because they’ll become so ingrained into everything we do,” he says. “Sustainability is going to become second nature, because it has to do. It’s going to become more and more and more central to every single thing we do, and is going to be totally embedded in the very fabric of our culture as an industry.”

Middle East sustainable development projects

Dubai: Finalising a tiered green building certification system. The emirate is also building the Burj al-Taqa tower, which will generate all of its electricity from a solar photovoltaic shell and wind turbines.

Abu Dhabi: Building Masdar City, a walled enclave that will draw its power from renewable resources and produce zero net CO2 emissions. The emirate and the United Kingdom recently created a $350 million low-carbon investment fund.

Saudi Arabia: Building King Abdullah Economic City, a Red Sea port that would get its energy from renewable resources and create approximately one million jobs.
Israel: Planning to build the Ashalim energy project in the Negev Desert. The project will include two solar thermal power plants, each with the capacity to generate up to 110 megawatts.

Egypt: El-Sewedy Cables is planning to sell wind turbine parts in Africa in the Middle East after buying a 30 percent stake in the Spanish company M. Torres Olvega.

Jordan: The Al-Husseini Group, an Amman-based real estate and trading conglomerate, is partnering with New Jersey-based Amelio Solar to build a 1GW solar power plant in Jordan.

Qatar: Doha Bank is planning to launch a Middle East greenhouse gas exchange. The governments of the United Kingdom and Qatar recently pledged to create a $400 million fund to invest in clean-energy companies.

Oman: Considering the construction of a 750MW wind farm and solar thermal power plants.