UAE’s state-owned utility service provider Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s (DEWA) Distribution Power Division Complex in Al Ruwayyah has received Platinum Rating in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED v4) which is awarded by the US Green Building Council (USGBC).
DEWA has achieved 86 points in the world’s most widely used green building certification, which reflects the success of authority in implementing the highest standards of sustainability and efficiency in green buildings. Dubai is the first city in the Arab World and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region to receive this prestigious certification.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer MD & CEO – DEWA
“The rating supports the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, which outlines an integrated roadmap for urban development based on sustainable development, to make Dubai the world’s best place to live. It also supports the Dubai Demand Side Management Strategy, which aims to reduce 30 percent of electricity and water consumption by 2030, as well as DEWA’s vision to become a globally leading sustainable innovative corporation.”
Commenting on the achievement, Rashid Bin Humaidan, Executive Vice President of Distribution Power at DEWA, said that, “The Distribution Power Division Complex building provides a healthy work environment to enhance the happiness of employees through several features. These include maintaining the highest indoor air quality through a high-efficiency air filtering system, and periodic CO2 measurement and monitoring.”
The Complex adds to DEWA’s growing list of green buildings including Sustainable Building in Al Quoz which is the first sustainable government building in the UAE and the largest in the world to receive the Platinum Rating for green buildings by the USGBC, the Innovation Centre, the R&D Centre, the Smart Grid Station, and Data Hub Integrated Solutions (Moro), says Abdullah Obaidullah, Executive Vice President of Water and Civil at DEWA.
The Distribution Power Division Complex saves nearly 30 percent of energy, 51.46 percent of indoor water, and 60 percent of outdoor water compared to conventional buildings. 41 percent of the building materials have an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) and 26 percent of the building material have Cradle/Health Product Declaration certificates. The Complex features a 663KW solar photovoltaic system.
The building includes parking for 1,335 vehicles, three happiness lounges, a nursery, and a library. It also includes 36,754 square feet of green areas on its rooftop that are easily accessible by employees, in addition to facilities that support DEWA’s value-added services to its employees.
