Early adoption of sustainability technologies in construction lessens cost impact of LEED credits

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Early adoption of sustainability technologies in construction lessens cost impact of LEED credits

Memon Investments stands firm in commitment to adhere to Dubai ‘green building code’ across future projects

May 26, 2009

The adoption of sustainability technologies early on in the construction process has proven to lessen the cost impact of achieving a holistically sustainable design and satisfactory Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating, according to recently conducted industry estimates. In line with this, Memon Investments, a leading Dubai-based property developer and part of the international business conglomerate, the Memon Group of Companies, revealed its firm commitment to adhere to Dubai’s ‘green building code’ from the primary stages of construction of its five new projects within Jumeirah Village (JV), which are collectively valued at over AED 1.3 billon.

According to the same analysis, the on-cost for the buildings to achieve ‘LEED Gold’ ranges from an additional 1 per cent to 3 per cent depending on the building type; however, if sustainable design is integrated into the project from the start, additional on-costs for sustainability can be lowered. Furthermore, the costs for achieving ‘LEED Gold’ for buildings that did not benefit from early integration would be between 9 and 19 per cent more than standard. In line with its aims to ensure the success of its environmental initiative, Memon Investments has recently partnered with the Middle East Centre for Sustainable Development (MECSD), who will be responsible for the implementation of sustainable development and ‘green technologies’ for its projects in Jumeirah Village.

“Our efforts to adopt and implement ‘green’ initiatives are part of our commitment to give back to our customers for their unwavering support for all our projects,” said Ahmed Shaikhani, Managing Director, Memon Investments. “By taking these steps, we are increasing the potential of our projects to yield higher investment returns while effectively reducing ecological footprint, which is one of the common offshoots of rapid advancement of developing economies such as Dubai.”

‘Gardenia I & II’, an AED 150 million project located in Jumeirah Village, is the latest project launched by Memon Investments, and among its five developments to undergo ‘green building’ processes to achieve LEED Gold rating. Marking the developer’s initial foray into Jumeirah Village, the luxurious residential development features a total of 170 residential apartments. Designed by Dimensions Engineering Consultants (DEC) to offer residents Mediterranean-inspired units, the project has an escrow account with the Commercial Bank of Dubai in compliance with the requirements of the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA) and the Dubai Land Department (DLD).

“During a period when merely designing and constructing sustainable designed buildings is not enough; we at Memon Investments believe that it is also vital to ensure that the operation of the facility after occupancy is done in line with ‘green building’ concepts. Consequently, we have strategic and outlined plans to implement water and energy efficiency initiatives across all our projects to gain actual results and sustain the success of our efforts for the benefit of both our customers and the environment,” concluded Shaikhani.

Farnek Avireal LEEDs by example

Farnek Avireal LEEDs by example

Leading UAE facilities management company implements latest energy and cost saving measures at its new Dubai headquarters
Farnek Avireal, one of the top UAE facilities management (FM) companies, has taken the ‘LEED’ quite literally with the design and fit out of its new Dubai headquarters.
The new office complex which is located in Al Quoz, Dubai, and which was officially opened this week, has been designed to be cost effective, environmentally sustainable and energy efficient meeting stringent international ‘green’ building standards.
The new building complies with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for environmentally sustainable construction and is awaiting formal certification; uses Energy Saving Modules ECO3 green technology to optimise the use of air conditioning and refrigeration compressors; and has LED lighting installed to cut lighting costs by up to 70%.
“Just by optimising our compressors, we’ll be using about 20 per cent less power than normal without adversely affecting air conditioned temperatures in the building. On average Energy Saving Modules already in operation throughout the UAE have delivered a return on investment within two years,” said Markus Oberlin, General Manager of Farnek Avireal Middle East.
Oberlin went on to add that LED light bulbs last up to 10 times as long as compact fluorescents, far longer than typical incandescent lights. In addition they do not cause heat build-up, are Mercury-free and can use as little as 2-10 watts of electricity – less than a third of the power needed for incandescent bulbs.
“With these optimisation measures, plus our use of cost-saving LED lighting and the compliance with LEED Green design criteria, we can demonstrate how new buildings can be designed to reduce electrical output and managed cost effectively throughout their life-cycle, whilst reducing their carbon footprint.”
In addition to its leadership role in designing its new offices, Farnek Avireal is aiming to take pole position in facilities management in the region by implementing state-of-the-art computer aided FM (CAFM) software, integrated enterprise and customer management systems (ERP/CRM), call centre and email systems.
“Farnek has upgraded technology to the highest level to deliver better service through greater automation,” said SH Ramakrishnan, of CEM Business Solutions, the systems integrator which is implementing the new computer system.
“The ERP forms the foundation of IT and ensures easy, accurate and timely information generation, while the CRM will ensure Farnek communicates more effectively with its customers,” he added.
The CAFM from FIS, acknowledged as a leader in FM software solutions, is web-enabled and delivers vital information to FM professionals and colleagues responsible for the provision of a wide variety of building services. It provides complete control of all facilities and maintenance activities within one system.
The operating system, database, MS Dynamics GP (the ERP), MS Dynamics CRM, and the associated Microsoft-based software run on Sun Blade computer servers, which are designed for energy efficiency and space saving . The Cisco network also handles telephony.
Said Oberlin: “We needed an IT system which could do the necessary complex computations and business analysis to be able to retain our position as a leader in this market. We evaluated various technologies and products and finally chose a range of integrated solutions that will afford us a competitive edge over our competition.”