When it comes to using technology for energy management, the challenge lies with application rather than availability, explains Sarfraz Dairkee, General Manager, M.A.H.Y. Khoory Group, one of the leading providers of creative solutions for sustainable resource management, particularly energy and water.

“Rather than generating so-called ‘renewable energy’, what we need to do is use existing energy more efficiently. Technology with the potential to improve the efficient use of resources has been available for the last decades at declining prices and improved performance. Creatively customised to the specific application, it could unleash huge energy and financial savings by reducing the energy and carbon footprint. What is important is the application of technology and how effectively we can get to use it to the specific requirements today,” he says. 

One of the main challenges with energy conservation currently has to do with the design and integration of systems, equipment, and technologies in the buildings. The tools and technology for harmonising specifics occupant needs, and the transient nature are available; however, its potential is yet to be tapped. Often the system design is focused on the maximum demand conditions, further cushioning with safety factors, resulting in oversizing rather than optimised to the specific need. This phenomenon is prevalent in industrial, residential, or commercial buildings. “As a commissioning authority, I look into a lot of designs and during my reviews, I found that often the designs are influenced by western architecture that may not be in harmony with the local conditions and culture. Such designs end up with higher energy costs for thermal comfort, lighting, and ventilation.

To have a more result-oriented approach. It is important to consider energy efficiency during the early stages of design. “We need to address the issue right from the very beginning. Particularly now, the current availability of affordable technologies opens up numerous possibilities to cut down on energy use,” he says. 

For existing buildings, retrofitting is a great option to make them more energy efficient. “We can make a big difference by spreading out the available technology in a large number of buildings which are already existing. Technologies such as IoT and AI systems are now customisable and extremely affordable ” says Dairkee. 

He also feels there is a need to educate developers and facility managers on the need to adopt energy efficiency technologies and to consider them early on during the design phase and continual monitoring and upgrades for improving the efficiency and reducing the operating expenses.

He compares the process of achieving energy savings to driving a car with the help of a rear-view mirror. “The most crucial thing, which one has to appreciate, is that energy saving is a very subtle subject. It’s not something you can measure physically. As with a rearview mirror, one can anticipate, however it often may not be similar. You're assuming lots of things and requires careful prioritise anticipations along with analysed past, that’s how clear your rearview mirror is and how well you drive. Similarly, to navigate the process of achieving energy efficiency, one has to have an exceptionally good knowledge of the road ahead and behind,” he says. 

Due to these reasons, the question of how much money can be saved through energy efficiency measures is often blurred and a matter of debate.

“So, when someone asks, how much money I'm going to save? There is no simple and clear answer. You have to do lots of diagnostics before you reach the precise answer. And again, there are a number of factors, stakeholders' concerns, and independent variables that demand attention to visualise and forecast a reliable projected outcome. This is what it makes it so challenging and demands careful study of the past records, analysing, seeking, and devising solutions specific to the site and its projected requirements. This is why the actual results are in variance with the projections. The uncertainty of this can often be unappealing to clients, deterring them from taking on energy efficiency measures,” he explains. 

There should be more focus on optimising energy use. HVAC systems in particular often account for up to 40% of a commercial building's energy usage. “We can only optimise the way we use energy. There is no best result. What is optimum for each place will be different. It’s just like medicine. There is no best medicine. There is only one that is more appropriate. So, unless you do your proper diagnostics on what exactly is needed or where is the gap, only then you can offer the technology,” he says. 

“All over the world, the maximum energy requirement is for our thermal comfort. Transportation is a close second. Basically, when we talk of thermal comfort, we are talking about cooling, which uses a lot of electricity. This is also the area that gets the least amount of attention.” 

Dairkee is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified professional. After the United States, UAE had the highest number of LEED-rated buildings in the world. “When it comes to adopting green practices in the built environment, we are pretty advanced. Jafza was amongst the very first areas in the UAE to regulate the buildings according to the green building requirements.” 

However, when it comes to conducting energy audits, he says the uptake is slow. More concerning though is the reason companies decide to undertake an energy audit. “Unfortunately, most of the companies are just seeking a rubber stamp certificate. So, while there are a good number of green buildings, as well as even Platinum LEED buildings, they haven’t achieved their maximum efficiency. They could have done more with far less amount of investment.” 

The reason for this, nevertheless, is easy to understand. “Everyone in the building’s construction cycle is responsible for this. For instance, the consultants work under tremendous pressure. They would like to go with tried and tested methods of energy savings. Plus, the budget is squeezed, and they do not want to take creative decisions and then regret them. To take decisions that are out of the box, you have to have a thorough knowledge of the subject and you have to learn by trial and error. Taking a detour from the known course that could be more expensive and not give the expected results. This is what I call the weak link in our entire system. And if we are able to address that, then there are huge possibilities for greater energy consumption,” he says.