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Energy Efficiency

Energy Efficiency Retrofit of an Iconic Multi-Use Building in DIFC

Our technical team’s services mitigated approximately 3 million AED in penalties, resulting in an annual saving of the same amount

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Background Story​
The building is recognized as one of the most iconic structures in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). It is an 80-story skyscraper located in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and is a mixed-use building designed for offices, residential, and retail purposes. Given the condition and capacity of the tower at the time, there was an opportunity for significant improvements through the integration of advanced, contemporary technologies and upgrades to the existing equipment and systems.

With the goal of reducing overall energy consumption, the client engaged Ark Energy to implement an Energy Efficiency Retrofit Program, along with Delta-T Rehabilitation. The objective of this program is to optimize energy use, lower operational costs, eliminate Delta-T surcharges, and digitize energy management through our platform, arkEMIS.


Problems
From our investigations, several inefficiencies contributing to high energy consumption were identified. Firstly, the building’s chilled water network required key enhancements. These modifications involved optimizing pump speed control, improving the fresh air exchange rate of the existing Fresh Air Handling Units, and replacing the current direct expansion air conditioning system (DX Units) with more efficient alternatives.

Additionally, the tower’s Building Management System (BMS) was found to be misaligned and in need of upgrades. These included improved monitoring and control of energy-consuming equipment, as well as enabling override command access for building personnel. Furthermore, the existing electrical meters were not integrated into a comprehensive energy management system, as they failed to meet the minimum threshold requirements.


Main Objective
As previously stated, the overarching goal of the program is to reduce energy consumption, lower operational costs, eliminate Delta-T surcharges, and digitize energy management through arkEMIS. Data collected and analyzed over the past 12 months revealed key insights into the primary sources of excessive energy consumption. As shown in the figures below, the total energy cost in 2018 amounted to 15.1 million AED, with annual Delta-T surcharges reaching 2.63 million AED.


Figure 1 Tower's Monthly Energy Cost Distribution (in '000 AED)

Source: Ark Energy Analysis

Figure 2 Distribution of Energy Cost

Source: Ark Energy Analysis

Approach
As the client’s consultant, Ark Energy implemented the following measures to achieve the project’s main objectives and address specific sources of energy consumption:
  • An Energy Control & Management System (ECMS) was integrated to complement the tower’s BMS. This system utilizes pre-defined algorithms and artificial intelligence to optimize HVAC equipment control, ensuring optimal indoor thermal comfort for occupants.
  •  New meters were installed to enhance energy performance monitoring by providing real-time energy consumption data and historical trend analysis.
  • The tower’s chilled water network has undergone upgrades which include the following:
  1. The installation of new DPT sensors
  2. The replacement of faulty valves with smart energy valves on main branches and coils
  3. Re-programing pumps to operate based on the information received from the smart valves.

 

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