Cool Solutions

 

District Cooling is a viable, sustainable solution, particularly considering that we are living in a region where temperatures remain high for most part of the year says Adib Moubadder, Managing Director of Emicool in an interview with

 

 
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Cool Solutions
 

Swaliha Shanavas

Emirates District Cooling (Emicool) is a joint venture of Dubai Investments PJSC and UAE property investment developer Union Properties PJSC. Established in 2003 and headquartered in Dubai Investments Park (DIP), the company provides district cooling services to the Green Communities in Dubai Investment Park (DIP), Dubai Motor City (MC), Dubai Sports City and Uptown Mirdiff. At present, Emicool has 9 district cooling plants where the majority is equipped with thermal storage systems across the districts it is servicing, with a current capacity of 330,000 refrigeration tons (RT). Emicool’s managing director Adib Moubadder says the company uses the latest technologies with comprehensive high energy efficient practices, and has a qualified technical force enabling it to deliver quality customer service.

 “First, we need to understand that district cooling is a reliable and sustainable solution. It is a part of the mega infrastructure projects that are now being incorporated at the design stage of the project,” he says. District cooling leads to centralised distribution as chilled water is transmitted through pipelines to cool the buildings within a district. The traditional cooling system which is now common in the UAE is subject to high energy consumption and difficult operating environs. Cooling plants are being installed to feed miles of underground piping across major developments, to effectively cool the buildings, consuming about 35-40% less power than regular air-conditioning systems. For instance, at DIP the pipelines extend over an 8 - 9 kilometer stretch.
 
“Right now people are skeptical about this technology as they are not really aware of the benefits in the long term. They do not work out the lifecycle of their normal A/C unit. If they calculate the expenses over an extended period, they will realise that district cooling is a much more efficient and reliable solution,” the MD states. The initial investment in this technology may be high, but the difference begins to show beyond the initial period, when the traditional A/C systems need maintenance, capital refurbishment, replacement, and so on. A significant factor is the positive environmental impact.
 
“In the Middle East district cooling is currently in an embryonic stage, but there is a strategic move by various governments to consider this as the most suitable solution. Of course, some of the GCC countries have been quick to understand and adopt these technologies across various sectors. Further, they have the necessary funds for infrastructure developments,” he continues.

Looking at the whole Gulf region, Moubadder says one can easily see that the UAE are pioneers in the area of sustainability, and the highest penetration of district cooling in the region is in the UAE, which is also one of the largest in the world, with an installed capacity of about 2.2 million refrigeration tons (RT), which is considered the highest in the entire gulf region.

“At present, the Saudi Arabian government is working on regulations to make it mandatory for projects above certain megawatt to install district cooling. I believe, in the next ten years this solution would have penetrated deeply in the Gulf region, and other countries across the Middle East will also work towards this goal. Going by the fast increasing energy requirements in the region as well as the rising energy costs, there will be no other alternative.”
 
 
He goes on to enumerate the benefits of this technology. A district cooling plant uses up to 0.95kW of electricity per ton as compared to a standalone system that takes up to 1.6 kW per ton, indicating the former is an energy saver, which also minimises carbon footprint. Moreover, standalone split units can lead to the growth and spread of microorganisms that could result in various health issues. With the use of water instead of gas in district cooling, there is no danger of gas leaks inside facilities. The main saving is the grid network of DEWA with savings up to 33%.
 
Having joined Emicool in 2010, Moubadder’s mission has been to streamline the processes to improve the operations, which includes not just the financial aspect, but also environmental issues, CSR, and so on. “When I came in, there were issues regarding cost allocation of air-conditioning as there were many entities involved, with Emicool somewhere in the middle. “Being the district cooling service provider, the challenge was to come closer to the customer, so we developed a suitable model.” Previously, the company charged the master developer, who in turn charged the building owners; and the owners charged the residents “Earlier, the relationship was between the master developer and the property owner. We moved this to the end user. Instead of having a single meter for each building, we installed meters for individual clients making it totally transparent. So each person clearly knows the amount he is being charged against the energy consumed. Our bill indicates each and every detail including a graph showing the energy consumption trend over a specific month/ period,” he elaborates.

Apart from the direct payment method, Emicool has introduced other modes where customers can pay their bills through the internet and e-kiosks installed at specific points in DIP and Motor City. He says they will soon stop issuing paper bills and everything will be done online making their operations more eco-friendly.

“We are the first district cooling company in the world to set up the e-kiosk payment system for district cooling services. We have a very strong Research & Development (R&D) at Emicool which is one of the main reasons for our success,” says the MD, adding that once a person signs up with their company, they need not be concerned about any issue, and they are charged as per the reading of their BTU meter.
 
Stressing on their focus on sustainability, Moubadder says Emicool’s processes have been compliant with Executive Order 27, which encourages the use of polished water (desalinated water). “We are now using Treated Sewage Effluent (TSE) from Dubai Municipality or DIP Network to obtain water for our cooling towers, which is a huge step forward in water conservation.” In the Middle East region, cooling is essential almost through the year, and this move aids in saving water intensivel so future generations can gain from it. They are now placing solar panels in the car parking area so they can use the power to operate a portion of their plants.
 
The company has won many awards recently including the CSR Award from Dubai Chamber, and the Gold Award for the ‘greatest number of buildings committed to district energy beyond North America’ at the International District Energy Association (IDEA) Annual Conference and Trade Show in Miami, Florida, US. Emicool’s third consecutive win of the prestigious award reflects its commitment to promoting environmental sustainability in the UAE, says the managing director. “Since its entry into the district cooling sector in 2003, Emicool has rapidly gained market share as a top tier district cooling service provider in the region. This award will motivate us to increasingly develop efficient technologies for delivering clean and reliable energy services in the future.”
 
The ultimate challenge for district cooling according to him “is to get special rates from authorities and try to reduce the cost on the end user. Considering the capital intensive initial investments and the ongoing operational costs, a challenge I foresee is that of having sufficient funds in the long run.” So how can the company ensure sustained operations? “If you manage to operate your plants with sustainable and renewable energy, get special tariffs from DEWA, and you recycle the water right it should help. And district cooling is definitely the optimal solution for air conditioning. The traditional systems will be discontinued in the long run and the region will move on to the local district cooling concept – not only for major developments, but for all types of buildings and facilities.”

At present, air-conditioning takes over 60% of the total power consumption. The MD believes district cooling will soon be mandatory for new buildings, but adds it is also important to get better tariffs from the concerned authorities.
Emicool is keen to expand its operations throughout the Gulf region and beyond such as KSA, Qatar and India.