The Future Rehabilitation Centre, in Mohammed bin Zayed City, is dedicated to the empowerment of special needs children through specialised therapy and education and is now benefitting from energy reductions of over a third and water savings of nearly 30% as a direct result of the retrofit
Funds from a special co-branded, biodegradable credit card were used to finance the retrofit, which followed an extensive audit of the Future Rehabilitation Centre by Masdar?s energy services team and contractor Smart4Power. A percentage of the spending on the joint credit card, launched at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2013, goes toward a dedicated green fund for environmental projects selected by First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB).
The extensive energy conservation project included the installation of an on-grid rooftop solar photovoltaic system providing 30 kWp capacity, an advanced ventilation and air-conditioning control system, various water-saving devices, special soil additives, LED lights, and thermal coatings on the school?s roof to reduce heat gain. A monitoring system has also been installed to verify the achieved savings.
Yousif Al Ali, executive director of Clean Energy at Masdar, said, ?The United Arab Emirates and Abu Dhabi are committed to tackling the significant challenge of reducing building-related carbon emissions, which account for nearly 40% of total emissions globally. Masdar is proud to be supporting the UAE government?s mandate by leveraging its expertise in retrofitting to deliver important energy and water-savings for the Future Rehabilitation Centre.?
The conservation measures identified as part of the retrofit project were installed on the 5,500-square-metre purpose-built facility, which was donated by the executive council of Abu Dhabi in 2011, by contractor Smart4Power, who played an important role in the delivery of the project and are responsible for monitoring the facility?s ongoing operations.
?We were delighted to be awarded this landmark energy-saving project for our centre,? said Mowfaq Mustafa, director of the Future Rehabilitation Centre, ?As we anticipated, this project provides our students and staff a better environment with improved air quality and visual acuity, making a positive impact. The project delivers meaningful savings on our utility bills and allows us to redirect funding toward new technology and expansion of our educational program for the students. I extend my thanks to Masdar and FAB for the successful implementation and completion of this project.?
The retrofit is advancing the school-wide energy conservation program in support of the UAE Vision 2021 and Energy Strategy 2050, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
