Abu Dhabi University

College of Engineering
M.Sc. in Sustainable Architecture
Winter 2019

Retrofitting Existing Building in the UAE towards NZEB

Final Submission

Yara Mazen Anbar 1028794

Huda Masalmeh 1066466
Bethan Welling 1065695

Under supervision of: Dr. Mohamed Elkaftanji

13th FEB 2019

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Abstract
Energy consumption increased dramatically over the years resulting in various environmental issues
that contribute to climate change. This worldwide issue will continue to grow if certain actions are not
implied, especially towards one of the largest contributor to this problem, the building sector. As a
result, governmental entities issued environmental guidelines for new construction that apply energy
conservation strategies. Existing buildings, however; consume a massive amount of energy that could
also be reduced by introducing retrofitting measures.
The United Arab Emirates, being one of the countries that applied this concept, introduced retrofitting
programs to its existing buildings as well as environmental policies to its new construction. This paper
will discuss the current retrofitting situation in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the tools and guide-
lines used for the retrofitting process, the preliminary movement towards Zero Energy Buildings (ZEB)
retrofits and the challenges facing this effort in the UAE. To support this study, local and international
case studies were used to validate the possible retrofitting movement towards ZEB and its feasibility in
the UAE.

Key Words:
Retrofitting, Existing Buildings, Zero Energy Buildings (ZEB), Energy Consumption

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Content
1. Introduction and Background Information
1.1 Defining Retrofitting
1.2 Advantages of Retrofitting
1.3 Steps and Tools of Retrofitting
1.4 Actors in the Retrofitting Process
1.5 Retrofitting Technologies
1.6 Retrofitting Existing Buildings towards (NZEB)
1.6.1 Defining Zero Energy Building (ZEB)
1.6.2 Concepts of Zero Energy Buildings (ZEB)
1.6.3 Steps of Retrofitting into Zero Energy Buildings (ZEB)

2. Retrofitting in the United Arab Emirates

2.1 Current Building Situation in the UAE
2.1.1 Dubai Situation
2.1.2 Building Retrofit Program in Dubai
2.1.3 Abu Dhabi and Other Emirates
2.2 Retrofitting Models & Strategies in the UAE
2.3 Retrofit Process & Applied Tools/ Guidelines
2.3.1 Retrofit Process
2.3.2 Tools and Guidelines
2.4 UAE’s Movement towards Zero-Energy Buildings
2.4.1 Nearly Zero Energy Building Definition in the UAE
2.4.2 Zero Energy Building Application in the UAE
2.4.3 Challenges of NZEB in the UAE

3. Local and International Case Studies

3.1 Local Case Studies
3.1.1 Existing Buildings Retrofitting to Energy Efficiency
3.1.2 NZEB in New Construction
3.2 International Case Studies
3.2.1 Existing Buildings Retrofitting into NZEB

4. Reflection
4.1 Case Study Reflection & Analysis
4.2 Future Retrofitting Projects in the UAE
4.3 Expectations of UAE towards NZEB Retrofits
4.4 Guideline Proposal
4.5 Recommendations

5. Conclusion

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1. Introduction and Background Information

1.1 Defining Retrofitting

The total number of buildings in the world is enormous and these buildings remain in the built envi-
ronment for a long time. Retrofitting is providing a building or a home with a feature/component that
was not installed and fitted during its initial stages of construction or occupation. It is a process which
undertaken in the built environment not only to make buildings look more appealing but also to ad-
here to new standards and legislations following the rise in environmental awareness. Retrofitting co-
vers different areas of a building such as installation of new systems such as HVAC or heating sys-
tems but can also relate to the fabric of the building in regards to adding or improving insulation and
installing double glazing (Retrofit, 2017).

One of the principal driving forces behind retrofitting is the impact it will have on energy consump-
tion either by improving the energy efficiency or decreasing energy demands helping the building be-
come sustainable (Fernando Pacheco-Torgal, 2017).

1.2 Advantages of Retrofitting

There are various advantages to retrofitting, they are summarized in the list below:

• Retrofitted buildings have less of an impact on the environment then demolition which can
usually end up in waste meaning that landfills are not being impacted massively by this pro-
cess.
• Newer buildings improve business opportunities and usually generate new income, the newer
the building the higher the rent. Commercial space below this can add to the revenue and the
attraction of the building.
• Increased well-being and occupant satisfaction is an advantage that is beneficial as it will im-
prove workers output in commercial buildings or will mean that residents will stay long term
thanks to the improved comfort levels.
• Retrofitting means long term cost savings due to the reduction in energy and water consump-
tion by introducing new technologies over the lifetime of the building, therefore making it
cheaper to run annually (Five benefits of retrofitting buildings for a sustainable future, n.d.).
This is supported by the fact that renovated buildings can reduce energy consumption by be-
tween 20-50% (Graham).
• Retrofitting a building means that it is easy to preserve buildings and heritage significance as
the building can be altered without changing building facades or the building envelopes in cit-
ies that have a certain cityscape.

1.3 Steps and Tools of Retrofitting

Before deciding whether to retrofit or demolish it is important that you evaluate your building first.
Whether it’s structurally sound, it wouldn’t be worth retrofitting a building that has structural issues.
Additionally, any presence of chemical materials such as asbestos, Buildings with asbestos or any
life-threatening substances should automatically be deemed unsafe and closed. Finally, it is important
to take current standards and national requirements into consideration, how much improvement does
the building need to be classed as acceptable?

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 Figure 1. Building Condition Chart (P. Graham, n.d)

Figure 1 above shows the different levels of building conditions, the higher the level goes the more
problems the building has. The lower the levels the less that needs retrofitting, however, levels 2-4
would suggests the buildings retrofitting process would be quite lengthy and costly. After which you
must undergo the six steps to survival:

1. Determining your baseline – Carrying out surveys and investigations to establish your current
situation in terms of quality grade, energy, water, waste, facilities and occupant satisfaction.
2. Set your targets and goals - Setting targets means thinking what you want for your building,
creating your expectations, involving stakeholders to join the process and choose
a rating tool for your building such as Leeds and Estidama.
3. Review your maintenance and housekeeping - Making changes and repairs to fabric, control,
ventilation, heating, motors and drives that may have been efficient in the construction and
delivery of the building when it opened but may have errors at the present day.
4. Retrofit or demolish? – It is then that based off all the assessments previously done you must
decide what to retrofit, if the building is deemed highly unsuccessful or too costly to retrofit
owners may decide that they wish to demolish the building or sell it on.
5. Selecting the optimal upgrade initiatives – Choosing the upgrades will follow on from the
building assessment, then accordingly upgrades will be chosen across a variety of areas such
as: Energy (HVAC, lighting), materials, transportation and water.
6. Undertake the retrofit works – After receiving building permits with the plans arranged by all
the actors it is then time to begin work on the building.
7. Complete works – After completing all the upgrades it is important then to re-assess your build-
ing and carry out energy analysis’ or track the differences in your bills, continuing to monitor
your building regularly to make sure it is still performing efficiently.

1.4 Actors in the Retrofitting Process

There are multiple actors in the retrofitting process who are all interconnected and must work as a
team to provide coherent decisions. The first actor is the owner who initiates the process of retrofit-
ting, deciding that the building is due upgrades and begins the process. The owner will track the
budget and interacts with architect and contractors.
The architect develops schematic designs upon completion of energy analysis that make decisions
about cost, scale, etc which will then be delivered to the engineer. The engineer then assists architect

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with the basis of the design document, construction/contract requirements, modelling, space require-
ments, cost estimates, and code requirements. Contractors provide estimations, value engineering,
life-cycle costs via interaction with owners, the architects, the engineers and consultants. If these ac-
tors do not work together then the retrofitting process then issues may arise that may delay the retro-
fitting process.

1.5 Retrofitting Technologies

Retrofitting is not limited to improving the energy efficiency of a building, it could also decrease its
energy demand. Many considerations should be taken into account before retrofitting such as; the cur-
rent condition of the building, the structure, air tightness of envelope, energy bills and other factors
need to be revised to determine the options of improvement. After this, some strategies could be con-
sidered as shown in the following figure and list (R. Paradis, 2016):

• Determining if natural ventilation is a feasible solution to reduce the cooling loads

• Addressing available renewable energy options that can substitute the current energy
source
• Integration of solar shading systems to benefit from producing renewable energy on site
while shading the windows
• Including sensors for lighting in appropriate areas to lighting demand
• Consideration of high-performance windows or different types of glazing
• Consideration of site renovation around the building to reduce heat island effect
• Integrate energy efficient appliances that have green rating

Figure 2. Retrofitting Technologies (Ma, 2012)

1.6 Retrofitting Existing Buildings towards Zero Energy Building

No matter how old the existing building may be, there is always room for improvement towards the
best sustainable measures. As mentioned earlier, retrofitting focuses on improving energy efficiency,
however in the case of ZEB, retrofitting focuses on energy consumption and generation. The idea of

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retrofitting an old building to becoming a Net-Zero Energy Building has been applied in many cases
around the world, which will be discussed in chapter 3 of this report.
1.6.1 Defining Zero Energy Building ZEB
A Zero Energy Building (ZEB) or a Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) has different definitions
depending on the countries perception of it. Generally, a ZEB produces energy that is equally
consumed over a period of time, preferably a year. This is usually done by integrating efficient
design strategies that minimize the consumption of energy; using renewable sources while still
meeting the demand of the building. Some countries apply ZEB to focus on energy and cost
efficiency, while others apply it to reduce carbon emissions (Sartori, I & A. Napolitano & k.
Voss, 2012).

1.6.2 Concepts of Zero Energy Buildings (ZEB)

There are three main concepts of Zero Energy Buildings: Nearly-Zero Energy Building, Net-
Zero Energy Building and Net-Plus Energy Building. They are summarized and explained in
the diagram below (Emirates GBC, 2017):

Figure 3. Zero Energy Building Concepts (Emirates GBC, 2017)

1.6.3 Steps of Retrofitting into Zero Energy Buildings (ZEB)

Earlier in this chapter, we looked at steps of general retrofitting. When considering a NZEB
retrofit, more advanced steps should be carried out. Deeper retrofitting is required, which in-
volves a whole building analysis that evaluates the major improvements needed as a baseline
cost. These deeper retrofits includes refinancing the building, deep efficiency measures at low
cost, envelope improvement and total energy planning. (facilitiesnet, 2017). Other steps need
to be added to deep retrofitting in order to get a Net Zero Energy outcome, this is summarized
in the list and figure below (C.Carmichael, K. Managan, 2013).

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 Figure
Step 4. Typical
1: Planning Retrofitting
& goal setting Comparison to NZEB (C.Carmichael, K. Managan, 2013)
This step involves planning ahead for replacing equipment with new ones that reduce energy
consumption, such as type of glazing, lighting and HVAC systems. The right data needs to be
collected by a team regarding cost, performance, life expectancy about these material.
Step 2: Choosing the right definition of ZEB
As mentioned, the term Zero Energy has different definitions in terms of the goals the owner
or engineer is trying to achieve. The main difference within these definitions mainly relies on
the generation and integration of renewable energy in the building design. The generation could
be on the building itself, on-site or at energy source (off-site). The options can vary in cost and
environmental impacts.
Step 3: Setting a baseline
This step is similar to regular retrofitting process, the team needs to note down the current
performance, costs and energy usage of the building as a starting point. Afterwards, the team
evaluates two different scenarios, first being the regular operation cost of the building in the
future including maintenance, second being the retrofitted building life-cycle costs.

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 Step 4: Technical potential
This step includes identifying a list of the lowest energy usage that can be abstracted from
energy efficient measures. These measure could reach up to 70 different technical measures
that could be selected from with the cost effectiveness being the main decision maker.
Step 5: Modelling and design
Designing an energy model for the building is needed to be able to perform energy analysis and
comparative studies. Each measure selected could be modelled to see its effect on the building
and evaluate its cost effectiveness. This step also includes comparing between applying energy
efficient strategies or including on-site renewables in terms of life -cycle cost. Another im-
portant consideration includes the availability of net metering, which allows utilities to buy
back whatever excess electricity that is generated from the building to help the economics of
the net zero building.
Step 6: Phasing and implementation
The retrofitting implementation of a zero energy building can be done in phases or at once, the
important aspect is to follow a plan and an integrated process of when each measure should be
completed. The energy efficient measures need to be taken into account first before installing
renewable sources in order to fit it towards the demands of the efficient strategies.
Step 7: Publicity
This step encourages building owners and tenants to show off their building’s new statues for
improved occupant behaviours that meets the zero energy building objectives
Step 8: On-going commissioning and occupant behaviour
Once the building is completely retrofitted, there has to be a strategy set to operate the new
retrofit. Monitoring systems need to be placed and occupants need to be trained and their be-
haviour needs to be tracked.

2. Retrofitting in the United Arab Emirates

The UAE has witnessed rapid population growth and economic developments in the last few decades,
due to the sharp increases in oil takings. As a result, it has led to excess growing of urbanization and
industrialization, which also has resulted a heavy rise in the energy demand of the country (Energy
Efficiency Perspectives for UAE, n.d.). Buildings in the UAE from various sectors (governmental, com-
mercial and residential) are considered the major energy consumers with a percentage of an 80% of the
overall energy consumption (BPIE, 2011). Approximately 74% of the UAE’s ecological footprint is a
result of carbon emissions brought about by the generation of energy, the burning of fossil fuels, and
the operation of its existing inefficient buildings (Energy Efficiency Perspectives for UAE, n.d.).

Figure 5. Electricity Consumption by Sector in the UAE Source: Data adapted from Regu- 9
lation and Supervision Bureau (2007)
 All the above facts and statistics has led the UAE government to take serious actions and show com-
mitment to reduce CO2 emissions by providing a serious series of regulations and manuals regarding
energy consumption issues, as well as replacing fossil fuels with clean energy resources. As the building
sector is considered as the major consumer of energy so, it is also considered as the largest contributor
to the increase in the atmospheric CO2 hence, the UAE government has focused on this sector and
recognized the important role that efficiency policies could play in reducing the amount of energy con-
sumption, especially that of the HVAC systems (Radhi, 2010). The newer buildings are constructed
with strict green policies and regulations such as Estidama in Abu Dhabi, and Dubai Green regulations
and they are required to meet the minimum standards in energy efficiency to take the building permit
in order to moderate the impact of the environment (E. Alkhateeb, 2016). However, existing buildings
are still responsible for a big portion of electrical energy consumption which drives the attention to
tackle this situation and find solutions for the existing structures which consumes excessive amount of
energy and that’s where the retrofitting process is required to be applied on existing buildings because
it is the most practical and fastest way to reduce the CO2 emission.

Figure 6. UAE Footprint by Demand Sector, Source: Available at: https://www.footprint-

network.org/2015/11/18/united-arab-emirates/
2.1 Current Building Situation in the UAE
2.1.1 Dubai Situation
Dubai is a strongly growing economy, and this is becoming a challenge to ensure that this acute
growth is made in a sustainable manner. In line with the UAE Vision 2021 and the Green
Growth Strategy, Dubai is obliged to achieve a goal of becoming one of the most energy effi-
cient cities in the world. Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) has established in 2011
the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy (DIES) 2030. The Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030
sets the strategic direction towards secure and sustainable energy supply and demand which
comprise an ambitious target of achieving 25% Clean Energy by 2030 and further accomplish
the 2050 targets of 75% Clean Energy by 2050 as shown in figure 8 . The primary goals of
DIES 2030 are to assure persistent energy supply and moderate the growing water and energy
demand of Dubai, and to promote sustainability and enhance the competitiveness of its econ-
omy (Taqati, 2016).

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 Figure 7. The Dubai Integrated Strategy 2030 topics, Source: Etihad Energy Services: A
guide to Energy Services Companies (ESCOs) on how to participate in the Dubai Buildings
Retrofit Program,Pg.04

Figure 8. The goals of the Dubai Integrated Strategy, Source: Emirates GBC
From the above it was noted that energy efficiency and demand reduction are important ele-
ments of the DIES 2030. To address this particular domain, the DSCE has then developed a
comprehensive strategy which is The Demand Side Management (DSM) Strategy as part of the
Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy (DIES) 2030, (DSM) strategy is one of the leading programs
of DIES 2030 and it aims to reduce Dubai's electricity and water consumption by 30% by 2030
(Taqati, 2016). A unique mechanism that has been adopted in the DSM strategy by applying
the principle of "governing by example", where the government entities and bodies are the first
enterprising to apply the new initiatives, where they can influence private sector in subsequent
phases to apply the strategy. The DSM strategy consists of eight distinct programs which con-
tributes and work together to achieve the target savings of about 19 TWh of power and 46 BIG
of water compared of the current situation (Taqati, 2016). For the scope of this report we will
be listing the eight programs, but we will focus only on the retrofit program which is the focal
point of our research. According to Taqati management office the eight programs are:
1. Building Regulations
2. Building Retrofits
3. District Cooling
4. Standards & Labels for Appliances & Equipment
5. Water Reuse & Efficient Irrigation
6. Outdoor Lighting
7. Power & Water Tariff Rates
8. Shams Dubai

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 Figure 9. Summary of the DSM strategy, Source: DSM Annual Report, 2017, Dubai Supreme
Council of Energy, TAQATI.

Figure 10. Targeted Electricity & Water Savings from DSM Programs, Source: DSM Annual
Report, 2016, Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, TAQATI, pg.25

2.1.2 Building Retrofit Program in Dubai

This program is responsible to carry out a building retrofit scheme which targets the main com-
ponents of a building in an integrated manner which can be subject into retrofitting such as
cooling, lighting, water, industrial processes, building envelope and other retrofits. The pro-
gram was issued in 2015 the instructions for walkthrough energy audits in Dubai Government
buildings which has an area over 1000 sqm and the creation of a building retrofit plan for each
government entity. The focus was on buildings permitted prior to 2003, with an aim to retrofit

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and reduce the energy and water consumption for about 30,000 buildings by 2030 in Dubai
(Building Retrofits, 2016).

Figure 11. DSM Building Retrofit Targets by 2030, Source: (Building Retrofits, 2016)

The building retrofit program is owned and administered by Etihad Energy Services Company
or Etihad ESCO. Etihad ESCO is a DEWA enterprise which was established in 2013 under the
leadership of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE), to regulate a proper framework
for its ESCO market and works for achieving the DSM and DIES 2030 goals (Etihad Energy
Services, 2014). Etihad Super ESCO it is a company that is specialized in providing energy
services and particularly energy savings measures. The function of an ESCO worldwide is to
assess the targeted buildings and other facilities in order to conduct audits and identify the is-
sues of those structures (where the energy is wasted), then proposing a new retrofitting schemes
and calculate the expected savings that will be generated after the retrofit process. More im-
portantly, the ESCO will then commit to and guarantee the expected savings. They would be
also be involved in the application of the proposed scheme and then the maintenance over sev-
eral years (Gentil).

Figure 12. Illustrative description of Business Model, Source: DSM Annual Report, 2017,
Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, TAQATI, pg.41

Etihad ESCO has established an aspirant business plan in order to achieve the 2030 targets set
by DIES. The focus of ESCO retrofitting plans was on inefficient existing buildings and ini-
tially on the ones owned by government entities. In order to make those plans into reality the
Etihad ESCO has established a business model is to act as the mediator between the facility
owners, ESCOs and the financial institutions which will be described later in this report (Etihad
Energy Services, 2014). The Retrofit criteria of Etihad ESCO is to tackle mainly the following
five elements:

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• Cooling retrofits
• Lighting retrofits
• Water fixtures retrofits
• Solar Retrofit
• Building envelop
Etihad ESCO has established a clear set of goals and objectives to achieve by 2030, the figure
10 summarizes ESCO targets.

1.7GWh of 30 000 Buildings

Electricity to be Estimated
saved by 2030 Potentioal in Dubai

1 million tons of
CO2 to be abated
annually by 2030

5.6Billion of
Imperial Gallons
(IG) of Water can
be saved annually
by 2030

Figure 13. Summary of Etihad ESCO 2030 Goals, Source: Extracted from: Etihad Energy
Services: A guide to Energy Services Companies (ESCOs) on how to participate in the Dubai
Buildings Retrofit Program, Pg.06.

Etihad ESCO has completed two phases for one of the largest retrofitting program process for
157 buildings in the Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority by replacing air condition system , water
and lighting fixtures (Building Retrofits, 2016). The Jafza (Jebel Ali Free Zone) Retrofit project
is the largest retrofit project in the middle east. The 6 years project main goals are to achieve
an average consumption savings of 28% of energy, 36% of water while reducing carbon foot-
print by 75,000 tons. the first phase of the project started with an energy retrofit of 157 staff
accommodation buildings in Jafza which includes a replacement process of 5000 old air-con-
ditioners with highly efficient split units, in addition to replacing 85,000 old light fixtures with
highly efficient LED lighting fixtures and 31,000 old water fixtures with new efficient water
units. The second phase was completed in 2018 compromises the retrofit for 28 office buildings
with a target to save 25% of energy consumption (EZW and Etihad ESCO initiate largest En-
ergy Retrofit project in the Middle East, 2015).

Figure 14. Jafza Phase I retrofit project, Source: https://www.hvacrexpodu-

bai.com/media/1676/pradeep-singh.pdf

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As per to the 2017 annual report for the DSM strategy the building retrofit program has achieved posi-
tive results towards for achieving the goals of 2030. Figure 15-A & 15-B shows the annual electricity
& water savings achieved by DSM programme in 2017 versus targets and 2016. Focusing on the
building retrofit program savings in the electricity sector, the increase in savings mainly results from a
300% increase in savings from private ESCO (non-Etihad ES) projects (TAQATI, 2017 ).

Figure 15-A. Figure 14-A: Annual Electricity Savings by DSM programme in 2017 ver-
sus targets and 2016, Source: DSM Annual Report, 2017, Dubai Supreme Council of
Energy, TAQATI, pg.28

Figure 15-B. Annual Water Savings by DSM programme in 2017 versus targets and
2016, Source: DSM Annual Report, 2017, Dubai Supreme Council of Energy,
TAQATI, pg.29

From Figure 15-B results it was noted that there was a Decrease in savings from last year is due to de-
scoping water measures in a major retrofit project (TAQATI, 2017 ).
As discussed earlier in this report an important impact of savings on electricity and water consump-
tion is the reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions resulting from avoided electricity and water

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generation, which today relies in large part on non-renewable sources. Figure 16 shows the Cumula-
tive carbon dioxide emission abatement from DSM programmes, from 2011 to 2017

Figure 16. Cumulative carbon dioxide emission abatement from DSM programmes,
from 2011 to 2017, Source: DSM Annual Report, 2017, Dubai Supreme Council of En-
ergy, TAQATI, pg.30

2.1.3 Abu Dhabi and Other Emirates

Unfortunately, unlike the case of Dubai in their retrofitting journey the rest of the emirates have
limited efforts towards investments in retrofitting scheme. However, some initiatives started to
rise and see the light in some emirates like Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.
In 2017 Abu Dhabi emirate under its Tarsheed programme, the Abu Dhabi Water and Electric-
ity Authority (Adwea), with the emirate’s Department of Economic Development (DED) and
the Ministry of Economy, the emirate has started registering energy services companies
(ESCO’s) to retrofit buildings. Although the Estidama programme sets out efficiency standards
for new building’s structures, this is the first-time existing structures have been targeted. Clus-
ters of buildings from different sectors (governmental, private, commercial, institutional ) will
be tendered starting in the second quarter of 2019 (Razgova, 2017).
This initiative could save 445,000 megawatt hours per year, the equivalent of the output of a
medium-sized power plant, contributing to help achieving the Abu Dhabi’s target to reduce
water and electricity consumption by 20% by 2030. The projects will be tendered on a perfor-
mance contract basis, meaning that building owners will not pay any expenses for the retrofit
upgrade. The ESCO instead is responsible for design and construction work and provides the
fund required for the improvements. This investment will then be retrieved over the life of the
performance contract, typically four or five years, through the difference in the utility costs
(Razgova, 2017).
Abu Dhabi governments has recently started accelerating towards retrofitting ADWEA has
launched the Tarsheed program in 2016 to promote the efficient use of energy and launched the

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 Kafa’ati program in March 2017 a program dedicated to improving the efficiency of existing
buildings

Figure 17. Kafa’ati Building Retrofits Cumulative Annual Energy Savings, Source:
http://eregistration.addc.ae/eRegistration/docs/ADWEA%20ESCO%20Kickoff%20Meet-
ing%20030917.pdf, Tarsheed, pg.12
One of the first retrofit programme to be undertaken by Etihad ESCO in Abu Dhabi is an agree-
ment between Jamal Al Ghurair Group and Etihad ESCO to retrofit two of its industrial facili-
ties located in Abu Dhabi (Gypsemna and Porcellan). The project is set to pave the way for
increased adoption of retrofit measures in the capital (Bhatia, 2018).
Moving to Sharjah and the rest of the emirates there is a huge lack in the availability of data
and information provided towards their retrofitting journey. Currently it has been announced
that only two healthcare facilities are undergoing retrofitting program which are Sharjah Teach-
ing hospital and Issat Omran hospital in RAK but, unlike the case of Dubai there are no further
information provided .
2.2 Retrofitting Models & Strategies in the UAE
In Dubai a business model was established by Etihad ESCO to be followed in order to complete a ret-
rofit project. The business model is set to act as the mediator between the facility owners and the Fi-
nancial Institutions and ESCO’s. The business Model role is to make sure that the retrofit process
works effectively and to remove the market barriers which can obstacle the retrofit processes (Etihad
Energy Services, 2014, p. 06).

Figure 18. Etihad ESCO business Model, Source: Extracted from Etihad En-
17
ergy Services: Extracted from A guide to Energy Services Companies (ES-
COs) on how to participate in the Dubai Buildings Retrofit Program, Pg.07
As shown in figure 18 the Etihad ESCO business model works to tie up the work between various
entities which are the building owners, financial institutions and the ESCO companies. Initially the
building owners goes to Etihad ESCO and make agreements to make a retrofit strategy for a specific
project after completing a set of auditing and consulting sessions done with Etihad ESCO. Therewith,
Etihad ESCO looks for financial resources to take loans and then Etihad ESCO takes the investment
and pays the ESCO’s companies to supply the retrofit work to the building and makes sure the guaran-
tee of savings so the savings can pay the loan back without letting the building owners to pay for any
expenses.
This contractual model was adapted from the “Energy Performance Contracting” (EPC) model. The
EPC model was created in the 80’s and has now been operated in North America for more than 30 years
and, in some European countries such as Germany, Austria or Sweden (Etihad Energy Services, 2014,
p. 07). The EPC model is a form of ‘creative financing’ for funds improvement which allows funding
loans for energy optimization upgrades under an EPC arrangement and external organization (ESCO).

Figure 19. Energy Performance Contracting Model working mechanism, Source: extracted from:
https://www.interenergo.com/eng/sales-and-services-6111.html

The basic rule of EPC is that the investment which will be made in a building to generate energy savings
will be self-financed through the generated savings over the duration of the contract. A loan will initially
be contracted between a financial institution and Etihad ESCO to finance the retrofit process. An ESCO
company will then use that investment to implement Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) into the
building. The savings generated by these ECMs will then be used to iterate the loan over a certain
number of years. During the agreed repayment period, the building owner will have no share of the
savings or only a small share so that the rest of the savings are used to pay back the loan. At the end of
the repayment period, the owner will start to benefit from all the savings that are generated from the
retrofit process. The EPC model works successfully because the ESCO that will perform the work is
guaranteeing the energy savings before doing the investment (Etihad Energy Services, 2014, p. 08).

Figure 20. Public Sector Barriers. Source: A. Sarkar S. Moin 2018

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2.3 Retrofit Process & Applied Tools/ Guidelines
Based on the business model a series of procedures must be completed during the agreement period
between Etihad ESCO and the building owners. This section will highlight the retrofitting process ap-
plied by Etihad ESCO for each project and then will introduce the guidelines and instruction set up by
the emirates green building council to assist existing building owners in the UAE with the necessary
tools to improve the sustainability levels of their building.
2.3.1 Retrofit Process
The Retrofitting Process applied by (ESCO) in UAE starts with prequalifying buildings form
owners’ portfolio which comprise a set of data analysis & benchmarking, site survey ,and es-
tablishing project feasibility. Next to the prequalifying process the tendering stage is the next
step to be completed by Etihad ESCO which involves managing the tender process as per ap-
plicable regulations/rules and negotiate with the ESCO companies and finally selecting the
best offer and grant the project. Thereafter, a secure funding is achieved after carrying out ne-
gotiations with financial institutions and take the credit risk. Then a follow up on the project
execution is completed through ease relation with Owners and verifying commissioning. Fi-
nally, the last stage in Etihad ESCO role is following-up during the guarantee phase to verify
savings provided by ESCOs ,coordinate with owners in case of any issues occurred ,and man-
aging contracts (Etihad Energy Services, 2014, p. 07)

•Data analysis & benchmarking

Prequalify •Site survey
buildings from • Establish project feasibility
Owners’
portfolio

•Manage the tender process as per applicable regulations/rules

•Negotiate with ESCOs
Organize the
tendering on •Select the best offer and Award the project
behalf of
Owners

•Negotiations with Financial Institutions

•Credit risk
Secure
financing

•Ease relation with Owners

•Verify commissioning
Follow-up
project
execution

•Verify savings provided by ESCOs

Follow-up
•Liaise with Owners in case of issues
during the •Manage Contracts
guarantee
phase

Figure 21. Illustrative Summary of Etihad Super ESCO Role, Source: Author

19
 2.3.2 Tools and Guidelines
Emirates GBC (Emirates Green Building Council) has established a guideline manual to as-
sist existing building owners and ESCOs in the UAE with the necessary tools to improve the
sustainability levels of their building. The Technical guideline has a comprehensive set of in-
structions, retrofit techniques and methods that can be implemented on existing buildings for
improved operational efficiency and subsequent short and long-term savings (EmiratesGBC
Technical Guidelines for Retrofitting Existing Buildings, 2015).
Unfortunately, the guideline is not available for public so we couldn’t analyze it in a detailed
manner however, we had access to the table of content for the technical guideline and we will
be showing a summary of what dimensions of retrofitting techniques are being introduced to
be used in the United Arab Emirates. The guideline is structured on five different elements as
shown in figure 16.

Technical Guideline for

Retrofitting Existing
Buildings

Water Innovation &

Energy Air Quality Materials & Waste
Management Management

Figure 22. Structure of the EBC Technical Guideline for Retrofitting Exist-
ing Buildings, Source: Author

As shown in figure 16 the categories of this technical handout thus, each category contains a
set of initiatives which can be implemented in the retrofit process which we will be listing very
briefly on this report.
Energy
Starting with the energy sector of the possible optimization methods which could be introduced
to complete the retrofit scheme a set of dimensions can be explored and investigated to be
applied such as:
• No-Cost and Low-Cost Energy saving tips
• Energy Audits
• Building Re-Commissioning
• Preventive Maintenance
• Building Automation System
• Lighting Retrofit
• Lighting Controls
• Air Conditioning Systems
• Thermal Insulation
• Building Air Tightness
• Electrical Network Optimization
• Sub-Metering for Chilled Water

20
 • Solar Hot Water Systems
Water Management
Moving to the next section which emphases on the water consumption reduction methods and
explore various dimensions which could be tackled in the retrofit process such as:
• Water Auditing
• Water Efficient Fixtures
• Greywater Systems
• Landscaping & Irrigation
• Water Quality
• Condensate Recovery from Air-Conditioning Systems
Air Quality
• Indoor Air Quality and Fresh Air Supply
• Energy Recovery Ventilation Systems
• Indoor Air Quality Testing
• Interior Materials and chemicals
• Demand-Controlled Ventilation
• Outdoor Air Quality
Materials & Waste
• Operational Waste Management
• Green Purchasing Policy
Innovation & management
• Tenant Education & Awareness
• FM Staff Training
• Safety- Hazardous Building Materials

2.4 UAE’s Movement towards Zero-Energy Buildings

Zero Energy Buildings concept in the UAE has been highlighted recently as plays a potential role in the
UAE’s sustainability approach towards its built environment. The current building codes, rating sys-
tems and strategies include some strategies that can help achieve the Zero Energy Concept. Implement-
ing such concept can enhance the adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency around the coun-
try. For that reason, many high performance building concepts appeared such as nearly zero energy
buildings (nZEBs), passive buildings and low energy buildings (Emirates GBC, 2017).
2.4.1 Nearly Zero Energy Building Definition in the UAE
The Paris Agreement to fight against climate change encouraged the introduction of Zero En-
ergy Buildings in the market. For such new concept to be released in UAE’s market, the first
step would be to reach Nearly-Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB) that was explained in chapter 1
of this report. The UAE established its own definition for the nZEB, and it states the following
(Emirates GBC, 2017):
“Nearly Zero Energy Building (nZEB) in the UAE can be defined as a highly energy efficient
building with a site EUI less than 90 kWh/m2 /year and covers a significant portion of its annual
energy use by renewable energy sources produced on-site or offsite”

21
2.4.2 Zero Energy Building Application in the UAE
The UAE launched many projects over the past few years that follow the concepts of Zero
Energy Buildings. And to drive this movement further, Emirates GBC, the UAE’s green build-
ing council, is currently developing the nZEB Centre of Excellence that is used to guide the
advancement of ZEB in the emirates by 2050. The goal as mentioned before is to operate all
buildings towards net zero by that year meaning all new construction need to follow sustainable
guidelines and all existing buildings need to be deeply retrofitted. This initiative is supported
by many governmental entities such as Abu Dhabi’s Tarsheed Program by Abu Dhabi Water
and Electricity Authority (ADWEA) and Dubai Demand Side Management Strategy (DSM)
(Gulf News, 2018).
There are a few living examples of NZEB in the UAE that will be discussed in the following
chapter. These examples are a proof that it is possible to integrate Zero Energy Buildings in the
UAE as new construction, leaving it a potential possibility to retrofit towards that goal as well.
To further this study, Emirates Green Building Council (EGBC) delivered a report to highlight
the benefits of Zero Energy Buildings and the potential of implementing NZEB in the United
Arab Emirates. The study identified factors that define NZEB and issued recommendations to
the stakeholders and policy makers to help them implement such concept in the climate of the
UAE. The report concluded that (World Green Building Council, 2017):

• The introduction of NZEB should first be implemented in the public sector then to
the private to serve as a model.
• Cost effectiveness needs to be considered in the action plan
• Strategies applied need to be adopted from EU strategies that can fit the UAE cli-
mate since current guidelines don’t include them.
• Renewable energy is not necessary to be applied in the boundary of the building
itself but from other sources that should be certified.
• UAE benchmarks should be established to evaluate the energy features of the
buildings to guide stakeholders and serve as a reference.
To evaluate the condition of NZEB in the UAE, the EGBC studied the current Zero Energy
Building (office and residential) in the UAE, most of them located in Dubai and have their own
on-site renewable energy source. They obtained data that summarized the projects information,
design, energy costs and cost savings to verify its feasibility in the country.

2.4.3 Challenges of NZEB in the UAE

As much as the concept of Zero Energy Buildings seems appealing and much needed in the
UAE, there are several challenges that got in the way of having this system in the current mar-
ket. There are misconceptions that such concepts are hard to build and cost a lot of money.
Other factors include the lack of governmental policies regarding NZEB. The following list
summarizes the challenges facing the concept of establishing zero energy buildings in the UAE,
whether by new constriction or deep retrofits:

• Climate Factor: The main problem effecting the UAE’s movement towards Zero En-
ergy Buildings is the hot and humid climate. Due to this climate, certain material and
measures need to be used that cost a lot as an investment fee but would have a low
operational cost in relation to conventional buildings.
• Lack of Awareness: Not many investors understand the benefits of the NZEB concept
and its potential savings when retrofitting to one.

22
 • Occupant Behaviour: Occupants engagement in the building contributes to one quarter
of the energy use of the building, from keeping lights on to using unnecessary equip-
ment.
• The Market: The current UAE market isn’t completely diverted towards energy effi-
ciency when it comes to NZEB as it’s still a new concept.
• The Current Electricity and Water Fares: The UAE has cheap tariffs towards electricity
and water, making it a competitive measure towards the cost-effectiveness of energy
efficient and renewable energy systems. To encourage the attention to energy effi-
ciency, the government started increasing these tariffs.
• No Standard NZEB Retrofitting Guidelines: The current green building rating systems
in the UAE don’t have a strict guideline for deep retrofitting or renovating to a NZEB.
• Space Availability for Renewable Sources: The difference in the space for installations
for a residential villa and office high-rise limits the generation on site.
• Lack of Retrofitting Companies: Not enough companies are preent in the UAE for this
initiative.
• Cost Misperception: The investment costs can sometimes be high for energy efficient
measure rather than conventional one. However, in our current days, we are able to
save up to 90% of energy on heating/cooling in buildings that are constructed in a cost
effective manner. (C. Moore, J. Klostermann , 2012).
• Cost Effectiveness of Energy efficient Measures over Renewable Energy: People prefer
reducing their energy consumption before including renewable energy sources. This
effects the move towards NZEB as renewable energy integration plays an important
role.

More challenges related to adopting NZEB in the UAE can be shown in the figure below:

Figure 23. Survey in the UAE regarding the challenges facing adopting
NZEB in the country. Source: EmiratesGBC, 2017

3. Local and International Case Studies

The following chapter demonstrates case studies that showcase the feasibility of deep retrofitting and
NZEB retrofits internationally and in the UAE. As mentioned earlier, there are many retrofitting efforts
implemented locally that focuses on energy efficiency outcome rather than NZEB. However, the con-
cept of Net Zero Energy Buildings itself already exist and is currently functional in the UAE, making the
concept of retrofitting an existing building into NZEB more possible.

23
3.1 Local Case Studies

3.1.1 Existing Buildings Retrofitting to Energy Efficiency

This section discusses some of the efforts by Dubai in applying the retrofitting program. The
governmental buildings were first targeted in this program by ESCO which aimed at retrofitting
all Dubai Electricity and Water Authority buildings (DEWA). 55 different energy efficient
measure were taken for the retrofitting process which included:

• Replacement of old chiller plants, motors and pumps with Variable Frequency Drives
(VFDs)
• Instalment of evaporative cooler on chillers
• Instalment of CO2 sensors and variable fresh air flow system
• Addition of solar films on windows
• Timers and controllers
• Occupancy sensors for lighting system
• Various water efficient fixtures

With these simple measure, the building was able to reduce 31% of its energy consumption,
avoided 2,245 tons of CO2 emission while reaching a saving of 2.6 Million AED annually. The
investment cost of this retrofitting program cost 16 Million that will be paid by through savings
within 6 years (ESCO, 2018).
In the residential sector, the 20-year-old Palace Apartments in Dubai was retrofitted using few
energy efficient measures. A Variant Refrigerant Flow system (VRF) system along with Fan
Coil Units by TAQEEF Retrofit was integrated in the building resulting with a 66% reduction
in energy consumption within the first year of installation, saving around 400,000 AED. The
usual chiller consumption costs around 600,000 AED that was reduced to around 200,000 AED
due to the VRF system. (TAQEEF, n.d)

Figure 24. DEWA Building Retrofit & VRF System (ESCO, 2018)

24
3.1.2 NZEB in New Construction
The UAE has some living examples of Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB), in this section, two
of the popular ones will be discussed, Masdar’s Eco-Villa and Dubai’s Passive Autonomous
House.
Masdar Eco Villa, Abu Dhabi
Masdar showed off a prototype that is one of a kind in its region, a Net-Zero Energy Building
that meets all its demand through active and passive solutions while still generating more than
it consumes. It’s a 4 bedroom villa with 405 sqm gross floor area that is designed to reduce the
usual housing demands on water, energy and waste. (Masdar, 2018)
The Eco Villa consumes 97kWH sqm per year when a traditional villa usually consumes 250
kwh, which means the Eco Villa consumes less than a quarter of energy compared to a conven-
tional villa. Most of the energy is provided by the 89 solar panels mounted on the roof of the
villa, supplying 40,000 kWh per year. The actual energy demand for the villa reaches 39,285
kWh pwe year, which means the villa actually produces more energy than needed and resulting
in a 32,500 AED worth of annual savings and 36 tonnes of CO2 emission reduction. (Masdar,
2018)

Figure 25. Floor Plans of the Eco Villa

Figure 26 & 27. Facades of the Eco Villa

25
The concept behind the design was to show that NZEB buildings can be designed to look like
an ordinary villas and not something to be reinvented. The building achieved the highest rating
for a Villa in Abu Dhabi’s green rating system, Estidama, with 4 pearls. The active and passive
strategies used in this villa is summarized in the following table and figure below:
Passive Strategies Active Strategies

Orientation : The longer sides of the build- Lighting: LED lighting was used to reduce en-
ing is oriented towards the North South ergy consumption
Axis
Shading Devices: East and west facades Energy Efficient AC: Variable Refrigerant Vol-
are provided with appropriate shading ume (VRV) air conditioning systems were in-
stalled to provide more flexibility and increase
Glazing: Triple Glazing and reduced glaz- energy efficiency.
ing percentage
Insulation: The walls are built with Insu- Automated Lighting Control System:
lated Concrete Form (ICF), thermally mas- Motion detecting, and daylight sensing was
sive walls with an External U – value of used to control lighting with in the interiors.
0.16W/m2k. . Air Tight building envelope
& High albedo roof.
Mashrabiya and Courtyard: Traditional Solar PV: 89 Solar Panels integrated on the
features used for shading purposes and roof that contribute to 40,000 kWh per year.
ventilation purposes.

Table 1. Eco Villa Passive and Active Strategies

Figure 28. Eco Villa Passive and Active Strategies (Source: Masdar) 26
Passive Autonomous House.
Certified as “Passivhaus” (international energy performance standard in Germany), this house
is built to ensure healthy and comfortable living under the UAE’s harsh climate and has area of
580 m2. It uses off-grid renewable energy, meaning it meets its energy demands by solar panels
mounted on the roof and is independent from the grid. The house was built in 2016 under Sus-
tainable Energy Program (SEP) as an office space by the Mohammad Bin Rashid Space Centre
(MBRSC), a government-based research entity. (MBRSC, 2018)
It was designed to explore the results of designing in hot and humid climates to improve future
solutions towards NZEB. The house is able to save up to 75% of energy in comparison to tra-
ditional houses. The active and passive strategies used in the building is summarize in the table
below. (MBRSC, 2018)

Figure 29 & 30. Passive Autonomous House. Source: MBRSC

Passive Strategies Active Strategies

Thermal Insulation: High efficient insula- Sensors: To monitor MEP systems 24/7, light
tion in walls, floors and pipes from pro- sensing, maintain indoor temperature, control
cessed wood and other insulation materials shading devices and alarms for maintaining in-
that is water, moisture, and fire resistant. door temperature and quality
Windows: Only places in North and shaded Smart AC: Three types are used in the building
on the south. East and west avoided. for research purposes and to ensure indoor temp.
humidity levels and quality are maintained:
1- The air cooling and dehumidifying
2- Floor cooling
3- Recirculated air cooling

Frames: PVC is used for window frames to Automated Shading Devices: Venetian blinds
avoid conduction with smart technology that moves according to
the sun movement.

Air Tightness: Avoids uncontrolled heat Dehumidification: cooling water through the
gain to the building and avoids the loss of heat pumps for the use of cooling systems. It
cooled air from the building uses the outside air and pumps it into MEPs that
cools and dehumidifies it.
Thermal Bridge: Continued insulation Solar PV system on roof
Wall Thickness: 61 cm thick for more ef- Chilled Flooring: Cold water pumped through
fective thermal and sound insulation floors then to fan coils to cool the air

Glazing: Triple glazed with Krypton gas

Courtyard: For light and ventilation
Shading: Projected roof to shade courtyard
and venetian blinds for the windows

Table 2. Passive Autonomous House Passive and Active Strategies. Source MBRSC
27
3.2 International Case Studies

3.2.1Existing Buildings Retrofitting into NZEB

In order to understand how to retrofit existing building into NZEB, international case studies
need to be analyzed. Two cases are used in this analysis from two different climates, with one
similar to the UAE’s.
50/60 - Year Old Residential Homes, Netherlands
In the Netherlands, an intuitive done by a government team called Energiesprong and a group
of innovators who figures out a way of transforming an old compound of houses to achieve
NZEB in a week with a cost effective manner. The process included the following (A. Peters,
2015):

• Cover the energy supply with renewable energy such as Solar PVs on the roof.
• New facades were added to cover the old walls without the need to demolish
• A cube-shaped energy module is plugged in house to hold what is needed for heat,
power and ventilation and placed in the backyards.
The retrofitting process didn’t require any disturbance for the occupants as they didn’t have to
move out and no demolishing occurred. The yearly cost of operating these houses were reach-
ing $2,200, however with this retrofitting, that same cost goes to the company to cover the
retrofit ending with a renovated home without any additional cost. (A. Peters, 2015):
The retrofitting process is now becoming cheaper with the advancement of technologies. The
cost of a single house to be retrofitted went down from $144,000 to $88,000 in a fraction of
two years and now aiming for 45,000$. Due to this program, the Netherlands aim to retrofit
111,000 houses in order to reduce its carbon emissions. (A. Peters, 2015):

Figure 31, 32, 33 & 34. Netherlands Housing. Source: A. Peters, 2015

28
Harvard HouseZero, USA
Harvard Center for Green Buildings (CGBC) underwent a retrofit on a building to show its
response to the climate change problems at the Harvard University. They highlighted that old
existing buildings are still big contributes to carbon emissions and should be treated towards
the maximum energy efficiency. The center retrofitted its 1940s headquarters in the US with a
goal of creating one of the world’s most ambitious sustainable buildings (Archdaily, 2017).
The targets of the retrofitting is to reach 100% daylight dependence, natural ventilation and
nearly zero energy requirements for heating/cooling and zero carbon emissions. The result of
this prototype created comfortable indoor environment with energy efficient technology inte-
gration and is continuously being monitored with 300 sensors for future research and develop-
ment benefits. The retrofit process added the following strategies (more details in the following
figure) (Archdaily, 2017):
- Additional insulation
- Skylight & green roof integration
- Enlarged shaded windows
- Sensors to control air quality and windows operation for ventilation purposes
- Solar vents to direct the air through the building
- Geothermal system as a renewable source to naturally heat/cool water through
radiant floor slabs depending on the season.
- Acoustic insulated material
- Interior materials that enhance comfortable and indoor air quality such as clay,
wood and ultra-high slag concrete.
- PV panels on the roof that supply the electrical energy needed for the building
- Sensors to monitor its energy performance

Figure 35. Harvard HouseZero. Source: Archdaily, 2017 29

4. Reflection
4.1 Case Study Reflection & Analysis
The case studies revealed that retrofitting an existing building towards a NZEB is a possible option,
even if it doesn’t result in a fully net zero result. This means that building define what “zero” means
whether by zero emissions, or achieving the balance between energy consumption and production.
The first two local cases show that there are various energy efficient measures that can be integrated
into the existing buildings, whether 55 measures or 2 measures. A difference was noted and energy
consumption was reduced while still leaving a possibility for improvement.
In the next two local case studies, it was shown that real life cases of NZEB exist in the UAE. Both
cases cover their energy demand and is also able to produce more. For example, the actual energy
demand for the villa reaches 39,285 kWh per year, which means the villa actually produces more energy
than needed which is a prerequisite for NZEB.
The international case studies show the advancement in retrofitting towards NZEB. Governmental ini-
tiatives were the back bone of these cases to encourage the retrofit. It was also shown that demolishing
is not needed when retrofitting, fixtures can be integrated within the buildings without disturbance.
It was concluded from these case studies that to reach energy efficiency or Net Zero Energy Buildings
doesn’t depend on the amount of measures taken or renewable energy sources only. Analyzing the
building itself with the climate date is a first step to finding the needed measures. These measures should
be a combination between passive and active strategies, with passive dominating. After these strategies
are determined, a renewable energy source needs to be determined in order to cover up the rest of the
energy demand and to reduce the demand on national grid, helping it reach NZEB. A proposed guideline
is shown in section 4.4 to demonstrate the steps towards NZEB.
The case studies showed what is possible to be built and how can be replicated almost anywhere to
solve one of the world’s biggest energy problems, inefficient existing buildings. The example of House
Zero in Harvard can easily be done in the UAE as the building is located in a humid continental climate
that faces the same problems of high humidity and hot summers.
The main challenge of retrofitting to NZEB in the UAE would be the investment cost. The case studies
showed that in the Netherlands, the tenants didn’t need to pay anything other than their usual bill to
cover up the retrofitting costs. A similar concept could be applied in the UAE. In the current market
situation, developing an NZEB would get its pay back in 5-10 years.

DEWA & Passive Masdar City Eco- Netherlands Mid-

The Palace in Villa, century Harvard
Governmental Autonomous
Deira, Dubai HouseZero, USA
Buildings, Dubai House, Dubai Abu Dhabi Rental House

Retrofitting to Retrofitting to Designed as a Designed as a Retrofitting Retrofitting

an Energy an Energy Net Zero Net Zero towards Net towards Net
Efficient Efficient Energy Energy Zero Energy Zero Energy
Building Building Building Building Building Building
(NZEB) (NZEB) (NZEB) (NZEB)

Figure 36. Case Studies Comparison. Source: Author

30
4.2 Future Retrofitting Projects in the UAE
Complying with the sustainability trend, more entities are joining the retrofitting programs and are
working on their own sustainable frameworks making the idea more known to the market. Examples
include the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) that is currently finalizing their
framework of guidelines to mandatory retrofit hotels around Dubai. Also, the UAE ministry of Energy
developed a database that tracks the production and consumption of retrofitted governmental buildings
for future development benefits. Another example is Shams Dubai program that encourages homeown-
ers to install PV systems on their buildings and connect them to the grid under a net metering application
that allows them to sell back their energy generation. This initiative can help facilitate the adoption of
NZEB.
Various projects around the UAE are set to be retrofitted in the upcoming years in Dubai, with Abu
Dhabi just starting to follow. Dubai on its own was able to save more than 40.25 mAED by retrofitting
1845 facilities and is aiming over the upcoming few years to reach 101 mAED worth of saving by
retrofitting 2,685 facilities. The future projects are shown in the figure below (Etihad ESCO, 2018).

Figure.37 Future Projects Under Implementation. Source: Etihad ESCO, 2018

4.3 Expectations of UAE towards NZEB retrofits

The Emirates Green Building Council programs support retrofitting in UAE’s market and is aiming to
combine governmental policies to drive the retrofitting transition into NZEB. As an initial step, a bench-
mark has already been launched by DSCE and EGBC that monitors the building performance in the
UAE, in order to identify target performances that aims to retrofit and develop the NZEB concept.
(EmiratesGBC, 2017)

31
4.4 Guideline Proposal
As mentioned in this report, some initiatives by governmental and private companies, such as Etihad
ESCO under Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) projects, Abu Dhabi’s Tarsheed Program
by Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA) and Emirates Green Building Council initi-
atives have been introduced with the aim of retrofitting existing buildings to efficiency. These programs
aim at retrofitting buildings to be more efficient and possibly transition them into NZEB.
Even though these programs exist, there are no standard guidelines or framework to retrofit into Zero
Energy Buildings in the UAE. After analysing case studies and the literature in this paper, combining
both the retrofitting approach and NZEB approach, the following framework was proposed to guide the
retrofitting process into a NZEB outcome:

Passive
Climate Systems Reaching
Data Choosing Ret- Cost Analysis & Net Zero
Data Anal-
rofitting Effectiveness + Energy
ysis Energy Efficient
Technology Monitoring Sys- Building
Building Systems (Active)
tem (NZEB)
Data
Renewable En-
ergy Systems

Figure 38. Proposed Retrofitting Guideline in the UAE. Source: Author

4.5 Recommendations
Since the UAE has a continuous drive for innovation and sustainability, there is always room for im-
provement. Current retrofits around the UAE does not target to create “zero energy”, but targets more
the energy efficiency of buildings. In order to promote the NZEB retrofit idea, many actions could be
taken such as implementing NZEB certification programs, spreading awareness about the benefits and
cost-effectiveness of NZEB, training building professionals, increased governmental support and fi-
nally introducing a strategy that includes assessment, monitoring and reporting policies with goals of
transitioning into ZEB. This strategy needs to be reviewed periodically due to advancement of energy
efficient technologies.
Reducing energy demand is important across all sectors of the built environment and therefore recom-
mendations should be also tailored to each individual building subcategory as follows (CEBC, 2018):

• Building owners both governmental and business orientated are encouraged to primarily define
their goals, this allows the buildings to establish their sustainability and energy-saving goals
for a successful implementation of savings programs. Once these goals are established then
they must identify the methods to achieve these savings and reduction in energy efficiency, for
example using the Emirates Green Building Council’s Technical Guidelines to understand what
must be carried out to achieve these energy goals. Energy service companies may then carry
out and perform basic energy audits to understand current consumption patterns to further es-
tablish where they need to go from there. Once the goals, the methods and the energy audits are
understood then business owners will then hire quality service providers to support and deliver
these energy efficiency services based on the needs of the business. After these changes have
been implemented in the building then the building must continue to monitor their progress and
achievements to ensure that these continue to save energy throughout the building.

32
 • Incentives provided by the government can promote retrofitting as a means to reduce energy
consumption and save long term whilst also gaining benefits from the process. The first incen-
tive would be to reduce tariffs on buildings that have undertaken this process for example 10%
off the total bill. However, for buildings who were classified as 'over-consumption' would be
penalised and charged more on their bill. Those who were considered energy savings can sub-
sequently benefit from energy reporting where public marketing would place these buildings in
the spotlight to promote their development to the public, also enhancing public awareness of
retrofitting and its benefits. Besides the public; owners, operators and developers can develop
a deeper understanding for energy reduction by training and education programs on how to
make changes and develop energy efficiency.
• Recommendations for individuals seek to inform consumers that their environmental impact
and footprint goes beyond their wallets. Although the retrofitting process may be costly initially
but reducing energy consumption means a reduction in energy demand, less expenditure spent
by the government to meet supplies which also, in turn, reduce utility rates.
• Policymakers such as governments also need to understand that energy efficiency is a cheaper
option than constantly searching for alternative solutions to provide the energy as demands
increase such as new nuclear power plants. Clean energy unlike nuclear power plants and fossil
fuels will create numerous benefits in the long run. Therefore, governments should implement
region-wide policies to reduce carbon footprint through excessive energy consumption.
• As we know, the industrial sector is a high consumer of energy consuming more primary energy
than any other building sector; the industrial sector accounts for more than 50 percent of the
Worlds total energy consumption. In the UAE the industrial sector that covers aluminum, ce-
ment, and petroleum refining industries consumes a high amount of electricity that exerts a
negative effect on the environment. The growing development of the industrial sector in the
UAE means that there must be industrial energy management policies. Industrial businesses
should be convinced by energy audits through a number of incentives, one incentive to do this
would be to provide free energy audits to help promote energy management programs across
the UAE. Hiring and training an industrial energy management workforce such as new students
providing free assessments to these industrial companies where they learn the concept of energy
efficiency and energy efficiency audits whilst providing first-hand experience to fresh univer-
sity graduates seeking to launch their career in sustainability.
• Besides the following energy consumers mentioned above, transportation also is among the top
energy consumers by using a total of 29% of the region’s total final energy consumption hence
why the UAE decided to adopt the Dubai’s Green Mobility Initiative which was launched to
accelerate the adoption of hybrid and electric vehicles in order to replace the demand on fuel-
driven cars. One way to reduce the impact the transportation sector has on energy is through
energy fleet assessments that can reduce costs, save energy, and reduce GHG emissions. In
order to promote electricity orientated transportation methods governments must strategically
plan for electric vehicle adaptation by placing EV charging stations along regular and popular
routes. These electric vehicles will also become a lot more popular amongst nationals through
awareness programs.
It is essential to address all different sectors since they all contribute massively to energy consumption
and the rising demand for energy generation. Addressed were all the strategies the UAE as a country
could adopt to strive towards their goal of sustainability in the near future. It is essential this goal is
targeted across all areas and through the use of public awareness to drive the countries goals.
5. Conclusion
Following the trend of sustainability, the United Arab Emirates started to implement various sustainable
strategies in order to become one of the global leaders in this field. The UAE issued targets such as Abu

33
Dhabi Plan 2030, Dubai Plan 2021 and UAE Vision 2021 to assure its commitment to controlling cli-
mate change. The country is known to have one of the highest energy consumption rates worldwide that
is mainly reflected from the building sector. This sector itself accounts to 40% of the world’s energy
consumption and a third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions (UNEP, 2009).
To tackle this issue, the UAE started implementing retrofitting standards, mainly in Dubai, which was
described in chapter 2 of this paper. Additional to that, the government integrated new sustainable de-
sign guidelines for upcoming developments and encouraging new design strategies, Net Zero Energy
design being one of them. Zero – Energy design ideas recently emerged in the UAE and was applied on
some projects around the country. However, this concept was not applied by retrofitting just yet as it
faces many challenges and lacks sufficient guidelines.
The aim of retrofitting into Zero Energy is to reduce the high energy consumption to the maximum, by
integrating energy efficient systems with passive strategies to reach an improved building performance.
The goal is to not focus on implementing NZEB on new construction in the UAE only, but to apply it
to existing building as they currently consume a massive amount of energy. The outcome of this report
proposed that an NZEB action plan should integrated in a cost effective manner by focusing mainly on
aggressive passive measures before considering renewable energy implementation.

To encourage this move, the benefits of retrofitting should be highlighted as it provide the construction
industry with business during economic downturns, creates jobs by employing a wide range of workers
in the sustainability field, removed the dependence on the grid systems, improve the indoor health,
productivity and comfort of occupants while reducing carbon emissions and saving energy to the max-
imum.

34
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