Khaled Bushnaq remembers clearly the moment during his student days in the UK that triggered his interest in energy efficiency.
"There was an efficiency programme that taught us how to have a shower and wash our car with a cup of water," said the CEO of Energy Management Services (EMS).
"Now that was one extreme and we were living our life at another extreme. If only we could find a happy medium in between."
That insight prompted Bushnaq to co-found EMS, an energy and conservation consultancy, 17 years ago.
"It made sense to introduce this concept to protect the environment at that time. But we could not promote it as an environmental service and so we associated it with monetary savings to assure clients they would benefit."
EMS's first client was Emirates airline and today the roster includes Environmental Health and Safety (EHS), the regulatory arm of Dubai World, Emaar, Dubai World Trade Centre, Sama Dubai's Yiti Resort in Oman, Waterfront Dubai, Dubai Lagoon, Qatar Energy City and Al Mushattaha Industrial City.
Bushnaq told Emirates Business why energy efficiency counts and what measures can be taken to achieve it in a building.
—What common misconceptions exist about energy-saving measures?
—One of the major barriers to energy-efficiency awareness is that people have the impression that they have to suffer by switching off lights and raising the temperatures. Energy efficiency means optimising the use of energy without adversely affecting the working conditions and environments in buildings.
—How long does it take to obtain a return on investment from energy-saving measures?
—Wastage of energy can be in terms of electricity, water, oil and gas. In terms of electricity consumption, we look at air-conditioning, lighting and power. In a typical building the AC consumption is 70 per cent of the total bill, lighting will consist of 15 to 20 per cent and the balance is power used in sockets, lifts and so on. In air-conditioning, waste can be in different forms. A system can be over-designed, which makes the equipment that will be installed very inefficient since it will work on partial loads. Some solutions include heat recovery technology, designing appropriate type of lighting and using sensors to switch off lights when occupants leave the room. If you look at facilities, energy savings measures can pay for themselves in around 18 months, water-saving measures in weeks, lighting from 18 to 20 months but air-conditioning can be 10 months. Overall the whole package can pay back for itself in around 18 months. So it makes sense for people to save energy.
—How does EMS address resistance to energy-saving issues in occupied buildings in terms of retrofitting as opposed
to working with new buildings right from the design stage?
—EMS recognised this fact when we set up nearly 17 years ago. We started by providing services for existing buildings because the market needed assurances. This was the best way to do it since the building would have a track record and historical consumption data. The client wanted to see it to believe it. The consumer would have to write off a portion of their investment and pay for the retrofit and equipment in less than two years. Since people were doubtful, we adopted a programme called performance contracting. We starting financing our clients and told our clients that the savings generated would pay us back. Those clients gave us new business and EMS worked on the electromechanical designs in their new buildings. So they saved on their construction costs and produced energy-efficient buildings.
—How long does it take to retrofit an occupied building?
—Retrofitting a building after working hours takes four to seven weeks. However, most work will be done on the roof with the chillers, the mechanical rooms and the back offices. We get inquiries asking us for retrofits and it is expensive. But what I consider a very important part of retrofit is establishing the proper monitoring and verification methods.
—How has the business grown over the past few years?
—Two years ago we had worked on 400 projects. Today the figure has jumped to above 800 projects. We have currently 57 ongoing projects. The interest from Emaar, Nakheel and Union Properties grew out of the realisation that tenants had become mature and expected energy efficiency in their investments. Again the term, green building is a label which assures buyers that their property is healthy and energy-efficient.
—What is your current role in the market?
—Our role is developing the existing energy-efficiency design guidelines for each developer. At times we create a single framework within a development, regardless of which consultant does the design. This will make life easier for the facilities management companies once people start living in the project. Qatar Energy City and Nakheel are two such developers who ask their consultants to comply with certain mandatory points.
—What about your contract with EHS?
—EHS is looking at a Silver Leed ratings with a minimum of 32 points for their projects. They have started the process of pre-qualifying four consultants so far to provide such services to their tenants.
—What about EMS and the Emirates Green Building Council and the UAE?
—The council reviewed the Leed standards and found that not everything was applicable to the UAE. So the technical committee refocused the weight into water and energy savings and minimised other areas. The UAE is currently going though various initiatives to establish its own rating system derived from different international systems. Meetings have been held between the EGBC, federal authorities, Abu Dhabi's Estidama sustainability initiative and Dubai Municipality. We need to wait and watch.
Khaled Bushnaq
CEO of Energy Management Services
Bushnaq is CEO and a co-founder of Energy Management Services, the first company to provide energy management solutions in the Middle East.
EMS was founded in Jordan in 1991 and since then has expanded to cover the GCC. Prior to founding EMS, he established Bushnaq Engineering and, as a Managing Director, was involved in rural projects supplying electricity to more than 130 villages.
He holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from UK's University of Salford and is a professional engineer certified by the Association of Energy Engineers in the US.
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