Green Building Magazine for Middle East Countries

Doha to host Middle East power, water conference next month

On February 6-8 Doha will host the 2012 Middle East Electricity and the Water World conference with the participation of more than 135 members from 20 countries. The conference will present papers and discuss opportunities and challenges of energy supply and water and sanitation in the Middle East. The conference will also discuss emerging trends in the GCC and Arab market, financing investment, information technology to promote operational flexibility, in addition to topics such as water desalination, facilities management, tariffs, measurement systems and water reuse. The conference will be accompanied by an exhibition on energy which will display the latest solutions and innovative designs for technologies in the electrical and water industry. Source:
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Two new products for largest solar panel producer

The world’s largest producer of solar panels has announced the launch of two new products it believes will make a vast difference to advancing future energy and clean technologies. Suntech say it is capable of providing a consistent power load over 24 hours while saving more than 60% of the fuel costs of a diesel generator - and is advantageous for powering off-grid areas such as telecom BTS, farmhouses, villas, rural schools or small villages. Suntech Power Holdings Co. used Abu Dhabi’s recent World Future Energy Summit (WFES) to announce the launch of the Superpoly 290 STP-24/Vd module and ‘Hybrid-in-a-Box’. The SuperPoly 290 STP-24/Vd features cells made from cast mono technology and offers an “industry leading” efficiency of 14.9%, positive power tolerance of 0/+5% and has been described by Suntech as “ideal
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QGBC hosts Swiss team

The Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) recently hosted a delegation headed by the Swiss Secretary of State for Energy, Walter Steinmann, three of his senior aides, in addition to executives from 22 leading energy companies based in Switzerland Treasurer, Board of Directors, QGBC Eng. Jassim Telefat , received the guests at QGBC Headquarters, where he presented the visiting delegation with the main cornerstones and scope of the non-profit organization supported by Qatar Foundation and Her Highness Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser. A multimedia presentation on local green building design and development was followed by an interactive session that detailed the path of the organization since its inception in 2009 by official decree. The presentation also included a showcase of the progress achieved in several flagship projects in the country, such as Msheireb –
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GCC’s water sector to see investment of $100bn

A study by Booz & Company highlights the seriousness of excess water consumption in the GCC region. GCC countries are likely to invest more than $100bn in their water sector up to 2016 even as the region faces water over-consumption with per capita higher than the global average. On a per capita basis, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates consume 91% and 83% more water than the global average, and about six times more water than the UK. Qatar and Oman are also above the global average for water consumption, despite their desert climates, the study shows. GCC countries will likely invest more than $100bn in their water sectors between 2011 and 2016. Some of these investments will be in improved desalination technologies, which could involve solar energy or new ways of filtering
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Riyadh to host Renewable Energy Exhibition 2012 in March

Participating in the exhibition is open to all companies and organizations specialized in the provision of energy, and display products of rationalization of electricity and water. On the occasion of World Water Day which marks on March 22 each year, and under the sponsorship of HE Deputy Minister for Electricity Dr. Saleh Bin Hussein Al Awaji, Anwar Alsana'a Co. will organize the Saudi exhibition and forum for water, electricity and renewable energy under the slogan 'Consume right to be partners' in Riyadh - Intercontinental Hotel - Buraidah Hall. Mr. Saleem Gharaibeh, Marketing Manager in the company, reported, "This is one of the biggest events taking place in Riyadh. It will be held for two days, on 26 - 27 March, under the sponsorship of Ministry of Electricity and Water and with the
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Masdar and Siemens Team Up to Develop Sand-Resistant Solar Panels

Solar panels at the Kuraymat CSP planet in Egypt require precious water resources to stay clean but Masdar & Siemens aim to change that. A researcher from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Dr. Patt explained at a Desertec conference in Cairo last year that CSP projects in North Africa using current technology could use up 20 percent of the total water supply. Instead of abandoning solar altogether as a result, Masdar’s Institute of Technology and Siemens AG have jointly committed to developing a new generation of sand-resistant solar panels better suited to our desert region. When coated with layers of dust, solar panels lose their energy-absorbing efficiency and require a regular cleaning schedule. But spending this precious natural resource (water) on energy when many people in the Middle East don’t have
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Masdar JV announces plans for $5bn solar projects

A joint venture between Abu Dhabi’s Masdar and Spain’s Sener plans to invest up to $5bn to construct concentrated solar power plants (CSP) in Spain, the United States and the Middle East. Torresol Energy president Enrique Sendagorta said the company was aiming to add about 6,000 megawatts (MW) of capacity over the next three years and that one of the plants could be built in Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates. Torresol Energy president Enrique Sendagorta at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi said: "We are developing a pipeline of projects in Spain, the U.S. and in the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region," "The investment would range between $3.5bn to $5bn," he said. Torresol Energy, a 60/40 joint venture between Sener and Abu Dhabi government owned green energy firm
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Hundreds to join two-day desert cleanup drive in UAE

Dubai: Hundreds of volunteers and organizations in the UAE will participate in a two-day desert cleaning campaign initiated by UAE Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The cleanup campaign will take place in several areas across the country, including Al Warqa in Dubai, Al Faya, Al Thaid, the Al Badayer areas in Sharjah, Al Kharran Areas in Ras Al Kaimah, on Emirates Road in Umm Al Quwain, Dibba in Fujairah, Al Khatem, Zayed City in Abu Dhabi and in Al Ain. Schedule: Friday (2pm to 5:30pm) Dubai: Al Warqa - In front of the open area at Al Warqa 4. Contact person: Amina Al Maamari (0566851872) Sharjah: Al Fayaa Area Contact person: Reem Al Tayer (0506760999) Al Faya Area Sharjah: Al Thaid, Al Badayer, next to Jabal Arafat supermarket Contact person: Reem Al Tayer (0506760999) Ras Al Khaimah: Awafi Area,
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UAE steps up conservation effort with world water conference

Abu Dhabi has put water at the top of its agenda ahead of the International Water Summit, a new initiative launched yesterday, which will be held alongside the World Future Energy Summit in January 2013. The initiative was launched by General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. It comes as the scarcity of pure drinking water and water for irrigation and agriculture threatens the ecological balance in some parts of the world, including the Gulf. Dr Rashid Ahmad Bin Fahd, UAE Minister of Environment and Water, said at a press conference that the motivating factor behind holding the International Water Summit was the importance the UAE government gives to water. Dr Sultan Ahmad Al Jaber, CEO of Masdar, said: "The
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Tips: Ways to clean up the desert

You can do your part in protecting the desert in your own ways 1. Take reusable water jugs instead of boxes of small water bottles Every year, each person in the UAE consumes around 350 to 450 bottles of water—the highest per capita record in the world—according to Worldwatch Institute. A number of these bottles get dumped in the desert at will by offroaders. By bringing a reusable water jug, you are doing your share in helping solve this problem in your own little way. "With a water jug, they have enough healthy water and they can just refill it and put ice anytime. They can take it with them when they go home," says Habiba Al Marashi, chairperson of Emirates Environmental Group. 2. Bring reusable, recyclable utensils instead of ceramics or anything breakable. Many
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QGBC forms group to foster green growth

The Qatar Green Building Council (QGBC) has launched a new interest group The Green Infrastructure Interest Group - that will help encourage the appreciation of Qatar’s natural systems and their role in the landscape architecture profession. The Green Infrastructure Interest Group (GIIG) is also aimed at fostering the development of green infrastructure as a national resource capable of delivering a wide range of environmental, economic and social benefits. The scope of green infrastructure includes: Storm water management, carbon sequestration, urban heat island mitigation, improved air quality, wildlife habitat creation, improved health and well-being, enhanced community ownership, climate change adaptation, utilization of renewable energy sources and sustainable waste water treatment. GIIG will perform a vital role in discussing a wide range of challenges faced in shaping Qatar’s built environment and moving the country towards Qatar National
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Siemens, Masdar in key solar research

Siemens Energy and Masdar Institute of Science and Technology in the UAE have signed a one-year agreement for cooperation in solar energy technology research and development in the Middle East region. Joint testing and research activities will focus on investigating and enhancing the use of photovoltaic (PV) panels. The surfaces of solar panels at PV plants are regularly exposed to sand, dust and other forms of soiling. Under the R&D agreement, Siemens and Masdar Institute, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, are focusing on developing coatings and soiling models for these modules that require less water for cleaning than current high performance modules. Another target of these joint R&D efforts is to identify commercial applications for solar technology in the Middle East region. The collaboration agreement takes advantage of
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Kuwait to build first-ever solar power station

The move to establish a solar power station in Kuwait comes as part of a GCC-wide shift towards solar energy, led by Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, three of the largest adopters of the technology so far. Work is to begin on designing Kuwait’s first-ever solar energy station, the Public Authority for Applied Sciences and Training (PAAST) has announced. The project is aimed at reinforcing the principles of clean energy and alternative power sources, PAAET said. In addition, the engineering consultancy said it would look to utilize the roofs of several colleges and learning facilities to provide maximum exposure for the station’s solar cells, so as to allow them to absorb as much energy as possible, and convert it to electricity. Developed in cooperation with Kuwaiti firm Pan Arab Consulting Engineers (PACE), the
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Middle East law firm joins solar association

According to a 2011 UN Development Programme report, the Middle East has almost three times the global rate of investment in renewable energy, with indications pointing towards the region becoming a growing hub of ‘green activity’. Taylor Wessing Middle East, the regional arm of the international law firm, will join the Emirates Solar Industry Association, a non-profit, non-governmental association that promotes solar power in the Middle East. By joining the association, the firm will be able to gain an insight into the latest trends and developments in the sector, benefiting its clients that are active in sustainability. A legal advisor to companies in the sustainability sector, Taylor Wessing is heavily involved in supporting its ‘green clients’ in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The majority of its clients are involved in renewable energy,
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World 'heading towards green energy'

The world is heading towards science and technologies that invest in green energy such as solar, nuclear and wind power as an alternative for electric power, remarked Mohamed Omran, Chairman of leading telecom operator Etisalat. Omran was delivering his lecture entitled, "The Green Energy Today Is the Energy of Tomorrow," at the annual 'World Future Energy Summit' in Abu Dhabi. According to him, companies were nowadays inventing applications and models to make the most of green energy and put future plans to rely on this energy steadily besides the ways of its dissemination. Highlighting the experience of Etisalat in the adoption of green energy in the UAE and its operations in 18 countries round the globe, Omran said,"The environmental safety and deployment of green energy-friendly environment are the most important fundamentals that we
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