Improving energy efficiency does not have to come at the cost of tenant comfort, the CEO of Sentient Buildings. A Sentient University Square team recently replaced fossil fuel-based heating with electric heat pumps and individually operated thermostats for improved temperature regulation and combined it with the central gas-fired hot water facility, a 442-unit multifamily building in Philadelphia. The impact of integrating these alternatives to traditional systems, studies have confirmed, has unlocked unparalleled efficiencies in the building's HVAC operations. Off Plan Properties in Dubai equipped with a cloud-based management platform for central monitoring of all interconnected systems, enables local set-point control for tenants. Despite the individual heating and cooling control of the building in each residential unit, the boilers produce heat at pre-set ambient temperatures, eliminating redundant consumption of energy. Individual valves ensure that any residential unit continues to be monitored to a pre-set stage, and real-time monitoring, based on a decrease in efficiency levels and increased energy usage, helps to detect any irregularities. Building owners will reduce energy consumption by 20-30 percent once built and operational at maximum capacity, while giving tenants direct control over their own comfort. Because of the positive results of the case study, many high-rise buildings in New York are set to use Sentiment’s services, especially in the wake of new strict carbon emissions legislation. Energy and sustainability analyst Marine Sanchez claims that the cost of heating a building can be decreased by 90 percent by improved insulation and the correct balance between air-tight spaces and ventilation with heat recovery. What makes this drastic decrease in operating costs even more appealing is that the steps proposed by Sanchez only add a comparatively small 5 to 10 percent to the initial construction expense.
A World Wildlife Fund report in 2006 issued a scathing verdict that the UAE had the highest per capita ecological footprint. As a guide to action, Sheikh Mohammed has taken swift steps to encourage sustainable development and transform Dubai into a centre for renewable energy and to achieve energy stability. In 2015, His Highness announced the Dubai Clean Energy Plan, allocating an initial investment of AED600 billion for energy diversification and 75% of clean energy production by 2050.The Municipality of Dubai, the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) and the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) are actively working to make the vision of Sheikh Mohammed a reality. DEWA has introduced renewable energy R&D, while DSCE has mandated the installation of solar panels on high-rise buildings by 2030 and launched a retrofit programmed where buildings are upgraded or made more effective by installing components that are carbon-free. Dubai land’s 46 hectare property development, The Sustainable City, has the distinction of becoming Dubai's first net zero energy projects. To highlight state-of-the-art facilities and luxury experiences without sacrificing energy targets, solar roofing, unique residential spacing to prevent direct sunlight, waste water recycling and smaller but optimal HVAC systems are some of the attributes it has implemented. Dubai land’s 46 hectare property development, The Sustainable City, has the distinction of becoming Dubai's first net zero energy projects. To highlight state-of-the-art facilities and luxury experiences without sacrificing energy targets, solar roofing, unique residential spacing to prevent direct sunlight, waste water recycling and smaller but optimal HVAC systems are some of the attributes it has implemented. Understanding the necessities of our time Dubai Developers are weighing up potential net zero developments that bridge energy consumption with in-house output of renewable energy without sacrificing tenant comfort. And for its part, the government still has beneficial, sustainable long-term policies and a conducive legal climate in place.