Dewa will shift base to zero-energy headquarters in 2019

A scale model of the Alsheraa building (The Sail) is displayed at the 18th Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (Wetex) in Dubai on Tuesday.

dubai - The building in Al Jadaf is expected to operate on solar panels

Sherouk Zakaria

Published: Tue 4 Oct 2016, 6:53 PM

Last updated: Tue 4 Oct 2016, 8:57 PM

The Dubai Energy and Water Authority (Dewa) is set to inaugurate a new smart headquarters that will consume zero energy, a top official said on Tuesday.

dewa Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of Dewa, said Alsheraa building (The Sail) is expected to operate by mid 2019 on solar panels, enabling the structure to generate power by itself using renewable energy.

The net zero energy building (ZEB), located in Al Jadaf, will distribute light to offices through a special opening without providing associated heat. The 16,500 square metres of inclined photovoltaic (PV) solar panels will produce over 3,500 kWp.

"The building is designed to enable the structure to distribute required energy to each office. It will also consume 50 per cent less water than normal buildings through recycling and operating specialised lines for water for different uses," said Al Tayer.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the 18th Water, Energy, Technology and Environment Exhibition (Wetex) 2016 that opened on Tuesday and will continue until October 6.

The new Dewa headquarters will take up over 1.5 million square feet. Total renewable energy generated by the building will be over 7,000 Mwh annually. It is to have an energy utilisation intensity to use 70KWh per square metre annually if without solar energy.

"Normal green buildings consume up to 150-200 Kwh per square metre, while old traditional buildings across the country consume more than 400Kwh per square metre. So you can imagine how energy-efficient this building would be," noted Al Tayer.

Abdullah Obaidullah, executive vice-president in the water and civil division at Dewa, said the construction will not cost more than a typical class A office building. However, there will be a premium of 15 to 20 per cent due to various efficient systems to be deployed.

The smart building will accommodate 5,000 employees and will be linked to the Al Jadaf Metro station through a 150-metre bridge.

"We called it Sail because it is connected to the cultural symbol of the nation as a sea-faring community. Sail is also a symbol of sustainability and renewable energy," said Obaidullah.
- sherouk@khaleejtimes.com