sustainability that saves: we’ll show you how · sustainability that saves 4 masdar city has...

Sustainability that Saves: We’ll Show You How

Sustainability that Saves

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Three Lessons of Sustainable Urban Development

Masdar City is one of the most sustainable, visually stunning and liveable developments on earth; it’s the global centre of future energy and an ongoing centre of innovation across a range of cleantech technologies.

In building this city, we have developed valuable knowledge and know-how in sustainable urban development, including three core lessons:

• When done right, sustainability brings cost and quality advantages, as well as ecological ones

• Well designed and implemented systems integration is the secret to achieving greater environmental and cost benefits, especially in inherently complex urban environments.

• Some of the most effective sustainability strategies have little or no additional cost at all.

Let us guide you to the future of sustainable urban development.


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Cities for SustainabilitySuccessfully incorporating sustainable urban planning and development into how cities and towns around the world operate is a crucial part of the global response to climate change and to improving energy security.

That’s because more than half the world’s population now lives in cities, a percentage that is expected to rise to 70% by 2030, and because cities today are responsible for over 70% of global CO2 emissions.

But, only if sustainability is economically affordable will enough communities implement the necessary technologies and systems, and do so on a large enough scale to achieve meaningful progress globally.

We’ve Done It: Sustainability that SavesThat’s why Masdar City is not only committed to building one of the most sustainable cities in the world, and one that is an attractive place to live, but also to achieving this in a commercially viable manner.

From our experience planning, designing, developing and operating a sustainable city, can be achieved by deploying the latest commercially viable technologies, and integrating

them in systems that deliver further cost and resource savings – we know how to deliver sustainability in a way that makes sense financially.

To any scaleWe are developing an entire city, but we are doing so one neighbourhood and one building at a time. This means our experience scales from the level of the building to that of a campus, a neighbourhood and eventually an entire city.

It’s in Our DNALong before other world leaders recognised the urgency of climate change, the visionary late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder and first president of the United Arab Emirates, championed conservation – by planting millions of trees, preserving indigenous wildlife and curbing gas flaring – earning him awards from the WWF and the United Nations Environment Programme.

Today, Abu Dhabi’s leadership continues this vision with their bold support of renewable energy, cleantech technology and sustainable development through Masdar, the parent company of Masdar City.

Masdar: The Reality of Future EnergyMasdar is a new kind of energy company that takes a holistic approach to renewable energy efficiency and clean technology. A commercial enterprise, Masdar operates through five integrated units, including an independent, research-driven graduate university, and seeks to make clean and renewable energy a real, viable business and transform Abu Dhabi into a global hub for clean technology and alternative energy.

Masdar integrates education, research and innovation with investment, project development and thought leadership, and extends Abu Dhabi’s leadership in the energy sector into the future. It is wholly owned by the Mubadala Development Company, an investment company that is a catalyst for the emirate’s economic diversification.

Welcome to Our CityIntroduction


3Proposed Masterplan of Masdar City


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Masdar City has unmatched experience planning, designing, developing and operating one of the world’s leading green developments – a project that already comprises the first six buildings of the Masdar Institute campus in the city.

More than 34,000m2 of gross floor area have been developed, including residential buildings, state-of-the art lab buildings, world-class clean-room research facilities, an architecturally stunning Knowledge Centre for study, as well as an inviting and activated public realm that includes streets and public squares. As well, a pilot clean transportation system, the Personal Rapid Transit (PRT), has been built and is in operation.

The campus’ second phase is already under construction, providing another 45,000m2 of gross floor area and comprised of seven buildings, including three lab and three residential buildings, a swimming pool and a large multiuse conference and cultural events hall.

Other projects under way include a 10,000m2 commercial building and the 100,000m2 Masdar headquarters, the world’s first large-scale positive-energy building.

A Quick Tour

The city’s public realm gets as much design attention as the buildings, thereby enhancing sustainability and liveability

Six completed buildings


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More and more companies, organisations and governments around the world are committing to the idea of operating sustainably, but they are unsure how to pursue this in a way that does not negatively affect their income statements and balance sheets. This provides Masdar City an enormous opportunity to share its expertise in finding that delicate balance between sustainability, quality and affordability.

More specifically, we can help you identify and select from a range of strategies, some with no cost and with environmental benefits, other with capital costs but big or small operational paybacks, and still others, with capital costs and either large or small environmental benefits.

Some examples:

Urban planning: Big impact, zero costAt Masdar City, the biggest environmental gains have been achieved through strategies that have no increment cost – such as orienting the streets and buildings to minimise flow of solar heat gain on external walls and maximise cool breezes. Narrow streets that increase shading and reduce building cooling loads and heat islands are another.

MEP: Cut capital expensesSome steps may seem at first glance to incur a capital cost, but actually cut capital costs. For example, while more efficient building facades and other structural efficiencies may cost more than business as usual, the reduced demand for air conditioning means significant savings can be achieved because the mechanical/electrical systems can be as much as 40-50% smaller, offsetting the marginal cost increase due to building efficiency costs.

Materials: Low-carbon, but no added costThere are a number of recently developed building materials and products that are higher performing and more sustainable, and don’t cost more than conventional equivalents. But because they are conventional equivalents, yet they are not widely used. This is because the conservative and risk-averse construction industry tends not to select new materials or products until they have been proven in the marketplace. This is all the more the case when their implementation requires a change in construction techniques, operating procedures, etc.

What’s more, building sustainably is less about new products than about new ways of integrating systems. As with a new product, contractors must be fully convinced of the reliability of a new way of system integration. Even with successful pilots and real-world examples, widespread adoption can take years.

Lower Costs, Higher Quality, Smaller Footprint

Strategies

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Planning, engineeringand architecture

Sustainablebuilding materials

Waste management

Energy generationand management

Transportation planningand management

Water generationand management

Processes: Greener = cheaperBy reviewing an organisation’s supply chain, manufacturing processes and other operations, such as transportation, sustainability assessments can show how companies can reduce not only a their environmental footprint but overall costs as well – through reduced materials use in manufacturing and packaging, reuse of waste materials and lower transportation fuel costs.

Utilities: Vast savings during operationsBeyond this, there are the more widely recognised attributes of sustainable building design and systems that may cost marginally more to implement but over the life of the asset, result in substantial savings in power and water consumption charges, as well as maintenance, repair and replacement.

Wellbeing: Other intangible savingsBy using sustainable materials that don’t use volatile organic compounds that can emit vapours into rooms and offices for years and have been linked to diseases such as asthma, designing buildings with more precise temperature and humidity control, better ventilation and natural lighting, emphasising stairs over elevators, the overall result is a better, healthier and more productive work or living environment. The cost savings from reduced instances of illness and sick days, and improved morale and productivity in offices often are not quantified, but are substantial.


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Diagram explaining the water strategy of a sustainable development

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Masdar City can help you to:

• Cut construction, and building operation and maintenance costs

• Minimise waste to landfill and maximise reuse of wastewater

• Lower power and water demand while maintaining a high-quality living and working environment

• Create vibrant, liveable and attractive public spaces

• Shrink your carbon footprint

• Improve the health and quality of indoor spaces

• Implement high-efficiency, low-carbon cooling systems

• Integrate renewable power generation in projects

• Build a sustainable supply chain

• Speed your cleantech product or service to commercialisation

• Demonstrate your product’s performance and endurance in a dusty, sunny and humid climate

• Identify green building materials to help achieve your environmental goals


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In building one of the greenest cities in the world, Masdar City is creating a unique environment ideal for product and materials development and testing. As the city grows, we also continue to develop new insights and innovations in the areas of green building materials and supply chain, sustainable systems integration and building optimisation.

So let Masdar City help your organisation more quickly achieve its sustainability goals – whether hard or soft infrastructure – in a way that not only benefits employees, communities and the planet, but your bottom line as well.

Test-bedCleantech Product Co-Development

As a greenfield development, Masdar City offers Cleantech companies opportunities to develop, test and validate their products in a large-scale, real-world environment that isn’t available anywhere else.

Through product co-development partnerships, Masdar City offers a unique platform for companies to pursue commercialisation in six cleantech technology areas that have strong global

market demand, are needed in Masdar City, and benefit from the city’s built environment, geography and climate. They are: Smart grid building automation, sustainable transportation, sustainability software applications, energy-efficient lighting and advanced cooling solutions.

Source green materialsAssessment Tools & Databases

One of the biggest challenges to greater adoption of sustainable construction is the difficulty architects, engineers and contractors have in identifying and sourcing certifiably “green” materials and products. Having faced this challenge in building the city, Masdar City has developed a database of sustainable products on a soon to be launched online web portal.

The first such portal to originate in the region, the online directory lists products that have been assessed and selected according to standards and criteria set by Masdar City to understand the full cradle-to-cradle lifecycle of the products and materials that go into its buildings. Masdar City also assists suppliers to the construction industry by offering product lifecycle assessment through a partner.

Demonstrate performanceTesting & Certification

With experience running its own testing facility for photovoltaic panels, Masdar City has the experience and infrastructure to work with leading global testing providers to offer a range of best-in-class testing and certification services to cleantech product and green building material manufacturers, software developers and solar energy technology developers. By testing at Masdar City, companies can accelerate commercialisation and demonstrate performance in hot, dusty and humid climate conditions. Building façade performance testing, construction material and PV panels are three examples of testing opportunities.

Improve operationsTraining & Education

Sustainable supply chains are an increasing priority for companies, governments and other organisations around the world, not only because it’s better for the planet, and customers are increasingly making purchasing decisions with sustainability in mind, but because they help organisations enhance performance and cut costs.

Drawing on its experience building a world-class sustainable supply chain and its work helping local and international suppliers make their products more sustainable, Masdar City has developed training and educational programmes in the areas of sustainable supply chain and applied sustainable development.

Sustainable developmentConsulting

There is no expertise like experience. Crucially, we know both sustainability and real estate – and how to combine them in a way that’s commercially viable and high quality. This puts Masdar City in a unique position to offer a range of consulting services on sustainable urban development and master planning to property developers, municipalities, real estate authorities and other entities around the world.

We consult to companies on ways to make their operations and their products more sustainable, and also offer a range of other services, such as energy audits.

Our Experience at Your ServiceServices


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Product and Service Co-Development

Assessment Tools & DatabasesConsulting

Training & Education Testing & Certification


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Some of the biggest sustainability advances aren’t from individual technologies or products; they happen when discrete technologies are brought together –through integration – in new ways and new systems that perform better, more cost effectively and with a higher environmental benefit.

Many of our most important pilot projects involve systems integration.

Advanced cooling• One project – the first

of its kind in the Gulf – integrates several existing technologies in one system. It links concentrating solar thermal collectors to a double-effect absorption chiller, whose technology uses a chemical reaction and heat (rather than an electricity-powered compressor as in conventional air conditioning units) to create chilled water for air conditioning.

• Then, the chilled water is used in another pilot project that also is an integration of the chilled water-based air conditioning system with a highly efficient air handling chilled beams.

Geothermal• Masdar City is pioneering

deep geothermal energy in the Middle East and demonstrating another innovative system integration. While geothermal resources are commonly used for district heating and power generation, using geothermal heat to power absorption chillers for cooling is a novel approach. Masdar City is looking to create a single integrated system that begins 2.5km below ground and continues right to the cool air blowing in your office.

Smart grids and smart buildingsIntegrated smart systems offer an opportunity for enormous energy and cost savings, and Masdar City, in partnership with global cleantech leaders, is developing smart grids on several levels, including a one-of-a-kind integrated grid that tracks and influences energy consumption all the way from the utility down to the consumer. Smart appliances, metres, sensors, dashboards, building management systems (BMS) and distribution management systems (DMS) are all part of the integrated network.

The Power of IntegrationThe Key

Diagram explaining the range of energy production methods for a sustainable city.

Waste to energy

Excess power returnedto the national grid

Hot water

Geothermal

Evacuatedtube collectors

Photovoltaic panels

Concentratingsolar power

Cooling anddehumidification

Excess heat is diverted to an absorbtion chillerto provide site cooling

Transport

Site wide powerdistribution

Diagram explaining the range of energy production methods planned at Masdar City


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Toolkit

The first six buildings and associated infrastructure of the Masdar Institute Campus at Masdar City provide a living example of important areas of sustainable urban development put into practice. In the following pages are some of the techniques we have employed in the city.

Our Experience, Our Examples

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Master PlanningPassive pays

• Orientation: By adjusting the city’s orientation to sun and prevailing wind patterns, we’ve minimised solar heat gain on buildings and maximised the flow of cooling breezes.

• Narrow streets: This enables buildings to shade each other, thereby reducing cooling demand and keeping streets more shaded. The layout of the city’s utility infrastructure was reconfigured to facilitate this.

• Pedestrian focus: By integrating work, living and leisure components, residents and commuters find everything they need close at hand.

• Vibrant public spaces: As much effort has gone into designing the city’s streets, plazas and parks as the building themselves. Water features, landscaping and architecture make these areas inviting and interesting.

• Passively cooled streets: This includes fully shaded colonnades along the streets and concrete archways, ceilings and walls, also on the street level, that never get direct sunlight; cooled by night breezes, they provide free radiant cooling during the day.

HistoryTap tradition

In developing the city’s master plan, we began by looking at the region’s traditional architecture and urban planning with the assumption that we could learn a lot this way about how to achieve the city’s sustainability goals.

We were right, and as a result, our development is a modern Arabian city that, like its forerunners, is in tune with its surroundings. It successfully integrates a range of traditional planning and architecture features with modern-day cleantech to achieve the optimal level of power and water demand reduction.

TransportationConvenient and clean-energy

The city has been designed so that when walking is not feasible, there is easy and convenient access to public transportation – meaning that private cars are not necessary to move around the city.

Clean transportation will include electric buses, while electric vehicles may also play a role. Masdar City is already beginning pilot projects involving electric vehicles and expects to further develop their role within the city’s transportation strategy.

In later phases, Abu Dhabi’s metro and light rail lines will pass through the city, providing transportation within Masdar City and connecting Masdar City to the rest of the Abu Dhabi metropolitan area.

Energy efficiencyDesign it right

The Masdar City Energy Design Guidelines for buildings have enabled higher energy efficiency at a minimal construction cost premium. Both passive and active systems and strategies help reduce power demand. This includes a high-performance building envelope, a low ratio of windows to walls and a design requirement that no direct sunlight enters windows. Smart systems and sensors, low-energy lighting, daylighting and advanced lighting controls cut energy demand for lights, while smart building management systems monitor and control mechanical and electrical equipment. Energy efficient cooling systems such as district cooling and chilled beams contribute further to power demand reduction. Results:

The residential building at the Masdar Institute campus has been designed to achieve:

• 55% reduction in cooling demand compared to UAE baseline.

• 54% reduction in potable water consumption compared to UAE baseline.

• 51% reduction in electrical demand over UAE baseline.


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Renewable energyGenerating power where it’s needed

Both roof-mounted and ground-mounted photovoltaic power generation are being used at Masdar City.

A 1MW solar PV array that produces in excess of 1,500 MWh of electricity a year is located on the rooftops of the six buildings. It will provide 30% of the campus’ current peak power demand. Masdar City also is home to the Middle East’s largest grid-connected PV array, a 10MW plant whose excess production is fed into the Abu Dhabi grid.

As well, through 225m2 of roof-mounted evacuated-tube solar thermal collectors, the buildings enjoy an 75% reduction in domestic hot water energy consumption compared to business as usual.

Supply chainSlashing embodied carbon

Closely monitoring its supply chain helps Masdar City reduce the embodied carbon of the built environment. A materials assessment process developed in-house determines what materials can be used, while the supply chain team works with local and international suppliers to develop materials that are more sustainable and better performing.

Results:

• 100% FSC- or PEFC-certified timber that came from sustainably managed forests or other sources.

• 90% recycled-content aluminium used for the inner facade.

• Green concrete that used ground granulated blasted slag to replace cement, resulting in reduction of the campus’ carbon footprint by 50,000 tonnes of CO2.

• Water-based paints that have no volatile organic compounds, chemicals that can harm human health.

• Reinforcing bars (rebars) made from 100% recycled steel.

WaterSystems that sip, not gulp

In a region where water is particularly precious, the focus is on demand reduction. The residential buildings at the Masdar Institute are designed to achieve 54% reduction in per capita water consumption over business as usual, through best-in-class fittings and fixtures, and high-efficiency appliances. As well, there is a considerable reduction in the amount of water irrigation used per square metre, through highly efficient micro-irrigation, landscaping design that minimises plant evapotranspiration, and low-water-use and indigenous plants and trees. A 100% reuse of processed wastewater for irrigation also helps reduce overall potable water consumption on campus.

Storm water issues have been addressed through the landscaping that includes perimeter swales and groundwater lenses to capture major rain events.

WasteReduce, reuse, recycle

Approximately 60% of waste generated on campus is reused, recycled or composed, with waste separation at source incorporated into building design. Compose is used to nourish the city landscaping, while information campaigns minimise waste generation in the first place and maximise the amount of waste going into the recyclable waste streams.

As well, 96% of the construction waste generated in building the city is being diverted from landfill through an onsite Waste Recycling Centre that separates waste for reuse in the construction process or transfer to nearby recycling facilities. Concrete waste is ground down and used as infill on site, while one innovative use of wood scraps was to chip it for use in landscaping groundcover at Masdar’s temporary office site.

We’ve got a city full of strategies, technologies, systems and solutions to meet your specific sustainability needs – from as small a single building or production line to as large as an entire city or companywide supply chain.

Let us show you how to implement sustainability in a way that lowers your costs, raises your quality and shrinks your footprint.

Masdar CityPO Box 54115, Abu Dhabi, UAET +971 2 653 3333 E [email protected]

www.masdarcity.ae

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sustainability that saves: we’ll show you how · sustainability that saves 4 masdar city has...

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