5 Benefits of Lowering Your Home Temperature For Energy Savings

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Everybody loves coming home to a comfortable temperature. Your personal definition of the perfect “room temperature” depends more than anything else on your personal preferences. Be aware, though, that that comfort can cost. Heating and cooling typically account for a full half of your home’s energy costs – they consume more electricity than lighting, appliances, and electronics all put together. This is why monitoring your temperature is important according to Temperaturesensei

lowering-home-temperature

Wouldn’t you like to cut that expense without compromising on comfort? It’s easier than you think! Surveys show that over half of us use inefficient thermostat settings that waste power (and money!) without making our homes any more comfortable.

Learn to strike a better balance between comfort and economy in the cooler months! You can maintain ideal room temperature throughout the winter without wasting money or choosing to set your thermostat to “arctic igloo” for months on end!

Now, we have to be honest: When we talk about reducing your heating costs in the winter, we are talking about setting your thermostat to a lower temperature. You’d be surprised by how much of a positive impact a minor change can make, though! But the good news is, a lower energy bill is just one of the benefits you get from turning your thermostat down.

You don’t even need to commit to cooler temperatures 24/7 to enjoy the benefits outlined below. Simply dropping your home temperature at night or during working hours (when the house is empty) can make a difference.

Based on scientific research, as long as you can drop temperatures for at least four hours every day, you’ll enjoy these five key benefits of lowering your home temperature for energy savings:

1. Houseplants Live Longer (Under 75 °F)

You’ll find that your houseplants thrive if you keep your thermostat set below 75°F. This might look counter-intuitive at first glance, but it’s backed by science: Keeping them cool cuts down on plants’ water requirements. That makes a lower thermostat setting ideal for your plants if you’re leaving them unattended for a while, for instance, when you take an out-of-town trip. Note that this tip is not universal – some tropical plants absolutely demand higher temperatures.

herb-garden

2. You Burn More Calories (Under 70 °F)

While it can’t completely replace eating healthy and exercising regularly, a low environmental temperature is surprisingly helpful when you’re trying to lose weight. Keeping your thermostat under 70 degrees will increase the amount of energy your body uses.

You can expect to burn about 100 more calories every day when you keep your house cool. Every 3,500 calories you burn translates into a pound of weight lost. You don’t need to keep your house cold enough to cause shivers in order to unlock this benefit; as long as it feels like light sweater weather in your house, you’ll be burning more calories.

3. Your Fridge Lasts Longer (Under 65 °F)

The job of your refrigerator and freezer is to keep your food fresh at near or sub-freezing temperatures. Obviously, this job is harder for them to do when your home is very warm. Turning your thermostat down by just one degree can reduce your monthly energy usage by one to three percent. If you can commit to turning the temp down by five to ten degrees when you sleep every night, you could discover savings of up to 15 percent on your next heating bill!

Another way to save energy cost is to get a new provider. We recommend to do an energy comparison online to see what deal you can get. Although it might seem complex and overwhelming, it is surprisingly easy to compare electricity suppliers thanks to online comparison sites like Electricityrates.

Once again, when you’re leaving your home empty for a span of several days, try dropping the temperatures further than you normally would. The lower bound here should be 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Pushing your thermostat any lower than that risks causing damage to your plumbing system. 

4. You Sleep Better (Under 65 °F)

Taking the temperature of your home down by roughly five degrees can translate into a better night’s sleep. This is a matter of simple biology – you fall asleep faster and more peacefully when your body and brain reach a low temperature. The cooler the room around you is, the easier it is to reach this “set point.”

eco friendly sleep

5. Your Energy Bills Are Lower

Turning your thermostat down by just one degree can reduce your monthly energy usage by one to three percent. If you can commit to turning the temp down by five to ten degrees when you sleep every night, you could discover savings of up to 15 percent on your next heating bill!

Understanding Qatar’s Ecological Footprint

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qatar-wildlifeQatar’s environmental impact remains worryingly high. The country’s per capita ecological footprint is now the second highest in the world, as another Gulf state, Kuwait, has overtaken it to become the worst offender of the 152 countries that were measured, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Living Planet Report 2014. The third country in the list is the UAE, with Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil producer, in 33rd position.

By comparing the total footprint with the planet’s biocapacity – its capacity to generate an ongoing supply of renewable resources and to absorb waste -the report, based on 2010 data, concludes that the average human’s per capita footprint exceeds the planet’s capacity by 1.5. Most MENA countries’ ecological footprints also exceed their biocapacity in terms of their global rankings.

Qatar’s footprint, measured in global hectares (gha), is 8.5 – the second highest in the world, but down from 11.6 in the 2012 report. Only Kuwait fared worse, with a footprint of over 10gha. According to the WWF report, if all people on the planet had the footprint of the average resident of Qatar, we would need 4.8 planets. If we lived the lifestyle of a typical resident of the USA, we would need 3.9 planets. The figure for a typical resident of South Africa or Argentina would be 1.4 or 1.5 planets respectively. The world’s average footprint per person was 2.6gha, but the global average biocapacity per person was 1.7gha in 2010. This is based on the Earth’s total biocapacity of approximately 12 billion gha, which has to support all humans and the 10 million or more wild species.

Salman Zafar, founder of EcoMENA, a voluntary organisation that promotes sustainable development in the Arab world, attributes the Qatari situation on lack of environmental awareness among the local population, lavish lifestyles and a strong dependence on fossil fuels. “The huge influx of workers from across the world has put tremendous strain on already stressed natural resources. Migrant workers, who make up a huge chunk of the population, remain in the country for a limited period of time and are not motivated enough to conserve natural resources and protect the environment,” he adds.

As for Kuwait, he says the growing ecological footprint may be attributed to its flourishing oil and gas industry, an increase in desalination plants, the presence of hundreds of landfills, excessive use of water, energy and goods, a huge expatriate population and the absence of concrete environmental conservation initiatives.

Of the 25 countries with the largest per capita ecological footprint, most were high-income nations. For virtually all of these, carbon was the biggest component, in Qatar’s case 70%. Carbon, specifically the burning of fossil fuels, has been the dominant component of humanity’s footprint for more than half a century, says the WWF report – in 1961, carbon had been 36% of the total footprint, but by 2010 it had increased to 53%.

In 2013, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere above Mauna Loa, Hawaii – the site of the oldest continuous carbon dioxide measurement station in the world – reached 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time since measurements began in 1958. This is higher than they have been for more than a million years, and climate science shows major risks of unacceptable change at such concentrations. Furthermore, 2014 has globally been the hottest year since measurements started, and the World Meteorological Organisation predicts that this upward trend will continue.

The world’s total population today is already in excess of 7.2 billion, and growing at a faster rate than previously estimated. The dual effect of a growing human population and high per capita footprint will multiply the pressure humans place on ecological resources, the report states. As agriculture accounts for 92% of the global water footprint, humanity’s growing water needs, combined with climate change, are aggravating water scarcity.

The authors also make it clear that in the long term water cannot be sustainably taken from lakes and groundwater reservoirs faster than they are recharged. Desalination of seawater also leads to brine (with a very high concentration of salt and leftover chemicals and metals), which is discharged into the sea where it poses a danger to marine life.  In terms of biodiversity, the report shows an overall decline of 52 percent between 1970 and 2010. Falling by 76 percent, population of freshwater species declined more rapidly than marine and terrestrial (both 39 percent) population.

With regards to Qatar’s biocapacity, its fishing grounds make up 92% of the total, while the country ranks 66th globally in terms of its biocapacity per capita. Like other Gulf states, it can operate with an ecological deficit by importing products, and thus using the biocapacity of other nations; and/or by using the global commons, for instance, by releasing carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel burning into the atmosphere, says the report.

Although Qatar has initiated plans to reduce its footprint and live less unsustainably, the latest electricity demand figures from Qatar General Electricity and Water Company (Kahramaa) show a 12% rise in demand for power over the previous year. This is in line with the country’s population growth, meaning that there has been no reduction in the per capita consumption, which is still under the top 15 countries in the world. Its water consumption per capita is also one of the highest in the world.

Qatar’s heavy reliance on gas and oil, its subsidised water and electricity, and the huge amount of energy needed for water desalination and air-conditioning make it unlikely that the country’s per capita standing in terms of the ecological footprint will improve anytime soon, but given the country’s small size its total impact is still relatively small.

Salman Shaban from the metal recycling company Lucky Star Alloys, regards the report as only highlighting Qatar’s current rapid development. “It is not fair to come to any conclusions at this stage when the construction, transport system and population boom is taking place. Any place that will go through such a fast development will initially have its impact on the ecological systems.” He foresees a gradual carbon footprint reduction once the construction and development phase is completed.“ Having said that, it is still every resident and citizen moral responsibility to conserve energy and protect the environment,” he adds. “Recycling should be a standard part of every household culture.”

According to Salman Zafar, grass-root level environmental education, removal of subsidies on water and energy, sustainable waste management practices, effective laws, environmental education and mandatory stakeholder participation are some of the measures that may improve the environmental scenario in Qatar.

Although it makes for some disturbing reading, the report makes it clear that many individuals, communities, businesses, cities and governments are making better choices to protect natural capital and reduce their footprint, with environmental, social and economic benefits. But given that these exhaustive reports are based on data that is four years old, any current changes for better and worse will only become clear in the near future.

Biomass Energy and its Promise

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Biomass is the material derived from plants that use sunlight to grow which include plant and animal material such as wood from forests, material left over from agricultural and forestry processes, and organic industrial, human and animal wastes. Biomass comes from a variety of sources including wood from natural forests, agricultural residues, agro-industrial wastes, animal manure, organic industrial wastes, municipal solid wastes, sewage sludge etc. When biomass is left lying around on the ground it breaks down over a long period of time, releasing carbon dioxide and its store of energy slowly. By burning biomass its store of energy is released quickly and often in a useful way.

why use biomass for sustainability

Technology Options

Biomass resources can be transformed into clean energy and/or fuels by a variety of technologies, including thermal and biochemical. Besides recovery of energy, these technologies can lead to a substantial reduction in the overall waste quantities requiring final disposal.

As far as thermal technologies are concerned, biomass can be converted into energy by simple combustion, by co-firing with other fuels or through some intermediate process such as gasification and pyrolysis. The energy produced can be high calorific value gases, electrical power, heat or both (combined heat and power). The advantage of utilizing heat as well as or instead of electrical power is the marked improvement of conversion efficiency – electrical generation has a typical efficiency of around 30%, but if heat is used efficiencies can rise to more than 85%.

Biochemical processes, like anaerobic digestion, can also produce clean energy in the form of biogas which can be converted to power and heat. In addition, biomass can also yield liquid fuels, such as bioethanol or biodiesel, which can be used to replace petroleum-based fuels. Algal biomass is also emerging as a good source of energy because it can serve as natural source of oil, which conventional refineries can transform into jet fuel or diesel fuel.

Applications of Biomass Energy

Biomass energy technology is quite flexible and can be applied at a small, localized scale primarily for heat, or it can be used in much larger base-load power generation capacity whilst also producing heat. Biomass generation can thus be tailored to rural or urban environments, and utilized in domestic, commercial or industrial applications.

Biomass conversion reduces greenhouse gas emissions in two ways.  Heat and electrical energy is generated which reduces the dependence on power plants based on fossil fuels. GHG emissions are significantly reduced by preventing methane emissions from landfills.  Moreover, biomass energy plants are highly efficient in harnessing the untapped sources of energy from biomass wastes.

biomass resources

Key Benefits of Biomass Energy

Biomass energy systems offer significant possibilities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions due to their immense potential to replace fossil fuels in energy production. Biomass reduces emissions and enhances carbon sequestration since short-rotation crops or forests established on abandoned agricultural land accumulate carbon in the soil.

Biomass energy usually provides an irreversible mitigation effect by reducing carbon dioxide at source, but it may emit more carbon per unit of energy than fossil fuels unless biomass fuels are produced unsustainably. Biomass can play a major role in reducing the reliance on fossil fuels. In addition, the increased utilization of biomass-based fuels will be instrumental in safeguarding the environment, generation of new job opportunities, sustainable development and health improvements in rural areas. Biomass energy could also aid in modernizing the agricultural economy.

When compared with wind and solar energy, biomass plants are able to provide crucial, reliable baseload generation. Biomass plants provide fuel diversity, which protects communities from volatile fossil fuels. Since biomass energy uses domestically-produced fuels, biomass power greatly reduces our dependence on foreign energy sources and increases national energy security.

schematic of anaerobic digestion technology

Global Trends

Biomass energy has rapidly become a vital part of the global renewable energy mix and account for an ever-growing share of electric capacity added worldwide. As per a recent UNEP report, total renewable power capacity worldwide exceeded 3870 GW in 2023. Renewable energy supplies around one-fifth of the final energy consumption worldwide, counting traditional biomass, large hydropower, and “new” renewables (small hydro, modern biomass, wind, solar, geothermal, and biofuels).

Traditional biomass, primarily for cooking and heating, represents about 13 percent and is growing slowly or even declining in some regions as biomass is used more efficiently or replaced by more modern energy forms. Some of the recent predictions suggest that biomass energy is likely to make up one third of the total world energy mix by 2050. Infact, biofuel provides more than 3% of the world’s fuel for transport.

4 Common Misconceptions About Climate Change

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From an individual level, climate change can seem as a difficult issue to connect with, often leaving people with emotions of helplessness as they struggle to understand this phenomenon. While most people can identify practices to reduce their carbon footprint, very few of them actually engage in such activities. One of the main reasons for such inertia from the public may lie in the image of climate change, portrayed by media as being distant, remote and affecting future generations. Here are some of the most common myths and misconceptions about climate change:

climate-change in GCC

1. There is still no global scientific consensus on climate change

Media often portrays climate debates between climate scientists and climate deniers as two equal sides of the argument. The reality is of course quite different with over 97 percent of active research scientists agreeing that human activities have influenced climate change. As such, for the sake of having a “balanced” argument, media pairs arguments of the significant climate majority with the minority 3 percent sceptics that share the same light.

Such a false portrayal of the climate change debate may be one of the many reasons of climate scepticism among the general public. A recent survey conducted by the YouGov-Cambridge Globalism Project revealed the US leading the ranks of having the highest proportion of public doubtful of man-made climate change in the West.

2. Climate change is a natural and normal phenomenon of the planetary cycle

The current phenomenon of climate change is a myriad of complex systems working together: the El Nino effect, variations in global wind systems, and the increased warming caused by excess levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere; with the latter caused most exclusively by human activities.

In fact, in recognition of the fact that human activities have made such a significant impact on the planet’s climate and ecological cycles, scientists have suggested naming the current geological period as the Anthropocene. This suggests that the human activities have left impacts and changes on the earth that are equivalent to those previously left by geological forces such as volcanic eruptions, floods and meteorite crashes.

3. The weather is going to get warmer with climate change

Studies have shown how members of the public associate hotter extreme events to climate change as opposed to colder weather phenomenon, based on the literal translation of global warming. While climate change will increase the overall temperature of the earth’s surface, not all impacts of this change will be represented through warmer summers, droughts and heatwaves.

climate-change-arabic

Increased temperatures in the Arctic as a result of global warming, for instance, have been found to alter the patterns of the jet stream flow, a global set of wind patterns that influence our current weather patterns. As such, the weakening of these jet streams have been known to lead to more extreme and longer winters especially in the northern hemisphere.

And it’s not just the temperatures that are affected by global warming. Indirect effects of such rising average temperatures can lead to changes in the topography of the planet as already seen through melting ice sheets. The warming temperature of the planet also impacts oceans, causing them to expand and result in sea level rise. This is expected to result in the submergence of vulnerable coastal and island nations such as Bangladesh and the Maldives affecting both the entire nations and their neighbouring countries.

4. Individual actions don’t matter; it’s a problem for governments and businesses to solve

Consumer demand is necessary to push the climate agenda and send important messages to the retail and supplier markets. While it is important for large stakeholders in the supply chain to accelerate efforts towards climate change, there is so much that we, as individuals, can do to live sustainably and reduce our carbon footprint.

A recent example of the rise in individual actions can be seen through the global climate movement by school children entitled Fridays for Future, where students from across the world protest for their local governments to take climate change seriously. The battle against climate change is a collective one, that will require both institutions and individuals to change their attitudes and actions.

Bottom Line

As individuals, let’s start this battle by reducing our carbon footprint by eating and purchasing sustainably, lowering our flight and vehicular emissions, and spreading awareness about climate change!

الإسلام و البيئة

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تقدم المعتقدات، العادات، و القيم الإسلامية حلّا شاملا و فعالا  للتحديات البيئية الراهنة التي تواجه الجنس البشري. يمتلك الإسلام تقاليدا غنية تسلط الضوء على أهمية حماية البيئة والحفاظ على الموارد الطبيعية. وفقا للشريعة الإسلامية، فإن العناصر الأساسية للطبيعة – الأرض، المياه، النار، الغابات، والضوء –  هي حق لكافة الكائنات الحية، و ليست حكرا على البشر فقط.

 إن القرآن الكريم والسنة النبوية الشريفة عي بمثابة نور يوجه تعزيز التنمية المستدامة في البلدان الإسلامية و في جميع أنحاء العالم. و قد أمر الله سبحانه و تعالى البشر بالابتعاد عن سوء استخدام و هدر الموارد، لأن مثل هذه الأفعال قد تسهم في تدهور البيئة. وقد منحت البشرية امتياز استغلال الموارد الطبيعية على أساس مبدأ الوصاية،  مما يعني الحق في استخدام ممتلكات شخص آخر بناء على وعد بعدم التسبب في تلفها أو تدميرها.

islam and nature

القرآن الكريم و البيئة

 يشير القرآن الكريم في مواضع عدة  إلى البيئة، ويحتوي أيضا على بعض المبادئ الهامة في الحفاظ عليها. أما المبدأ الأول الذي يعكس التوجه الإسلامي في موضوع الاستدامة البيئية فهو مفهوم الوصاية، فيتوجب على الشخص الذي يملك منصب الخليفة أو الوصي اتخاذ جميع الخطوات اللازمة لضمان نقل الملكية إلى الجيل التالي في أكثر صورة نقية ممكنة. و وفقا للإسلام،  إن كل شخص هو حارس للطبيعة، ويجب عليه أن يعيش بانسجام مع المخلوقات الأخرى فيها. ومن واجب جميع المسلمين احترام البيئة و الحفاظ عليها.

إن الفساد بجميع أنواعه، بما في ذلك الفساد البيئي، الذي يشمل التلوث الصناعي، الضرر البيئي، الاستغلال الطائش وسوء إدارة الموارد الطبيعية مكروه عند الله سبحانه و تعالى.

يقول الله سبحانه و تعالى في كتابه الكريم:

 ” وَيَسْعَوْنَ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَسَادًا وَاللَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُفْسِدِينَ﴿٦٤﴾” – الأعراف

“وَلَا تُفْسِدُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ بَعْدَ إِصْلَاحِهَا ذَٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌلَكُمْ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ ﴿٨٥﴾” – المائدة

“وَأَحْسِنْ كَمَا أَحْسَنَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ ۖ وَلَا تَبْغِالْفَسَادَ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُفْسِدِينَ ﴿٧٧﴾” – القصص

“يَا بَنِي آدَمَ خُذُوا زِينَتَكُمْ عِنْدَ كُلِّ مَسْجِدٍ وَكُلُوا وَاشْرَبُوا وَلَا تُسْرِفُوا إِنَّهُ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفِينَ ﴿٣١﴾” – الأعراف

وفقا للقرآن الكريم، إن الحفاظ على البيئة واجب ديني و التزام اجتماعي، و هو ليس مسألة اختيارية. ويرتبط استغلال مورد طبيعي معين مباشرة بالمساءلة عنه و الالتزام بالحفاظ عليه و التأكد من ديمومته أيضا.

 الحديث الشريف و البيئة

يتعامل الحديث النبوي الشريف أيضا على نطاق واسع مع مختلف الجوانب البيئية، بما في ذلك الحفاظ على الموارد، استصلاح الأراضي، والنظافة البيئية. كان الرسول محمد – صلى الله عليه و سلم –  يذم الإسراف والترف،  ويشجع على الاعتدال في جميع مناحي الحياة. ويعتبر أكثر الأحاديث النبوية شهرة في مجال البيئة يذلك الذي يقول “إن الدنيا حلوة خَضِرة، وإن الله مستخلفكم فيها “، و هو  يؤكد من جديد على تعاليم القرآن التي جاء فيها أن البشرية قد أعطيت مسؤولية الوصاية على البيئة الطبيعية.

 نهى رسول الله محمد – صلى الله عليه و سلم – بوضوح عن تدمير الأشجار والمحاصيل الزراعية حتى خلال أوقات الحرب، ما دام وجودها لا يزال مفيدا للعدو. و منح  أهمية كبيرة للزراعة المستدامة للأرض، والمعاملة الإنسانية للحيوانات، والحفاظ على الموارد الطبيعية، وحماية الحياة البرية. و من بعض أقوال النبي- صلى الله عليه وسلم- في الحث على الاستدامة البيئية:

‏((إنَّ الدُّنيا حلوةٌ خَضِرة، وإنَّ الله مُستخلفكم فيها، فينظر كيف تعملُون.)) – رواهُ مُسلم

((مَا مِن مُسلم يَغرِسُ غَرْسًا أو يَزرَعُ زَرْعًا فيأكُلُ مِنه طَيرٌ أو إنسَانٌ أو بهيْمَةٌ إلا كان لهُ بهِ صَدقَةٌ.)) – رواه النسائي

((من نصب شجرة فصبر على حِفْظها والقيام عليها حتى تُثمر كان له في كل شيء يُصاب من ثمرها صدقة عند الله.)) – رواه مسلم

أدرك الرسول – صلى الله عليه و سلم – أنه لا ينبغي استغلال الموارد الطبيعية بشكل مفرط و لا ينبغي إساءة معاملتها. و من أجل حماية الأراضي والغابات والحياة البرية، أنشأ مناطق لا يمكن انتهاكها، تعرف باسم “الحرام” أو “الحمى”، حيث تترك الموارد فيها دون أي مساس. تم وضع مناطق الحرام حول الآبار ومصادر المياه لحماية المياه الجوفية من فرط ضخ المياه منها. أما الحمى فقد طبقت على الحياة البرية والغابات، وحددت مساحة من الأراضي حيث كان الرعي وتقطيع الأخشاب فيها مقيدا ، أو  كانت بعض أنواع الحيوانات (مثل الجمال) محمية.

قام رسول الله محمد- صلى الله عليه و سلم – بإنشاء حمى في جنوب المدينة المنورة وحظر الصيد داخل دائرة نصف قطرها أربعة أميال، و منع تدمير الأشجار أو النباتات داخل دائرة نصف قطرها اثنا عشر ميلا. ويظهر إنشاء المناطق المحرمة الأهمية التي وضعها – صلى الله عليه و سلم –  للاستخدام المستدام للموارد الطبيعية وحماية الحياة البرية والأراضي الزراعية.

ترجمة: ندى مناع

تدرس الهندسة الصناعية في جامعة العلوم والتكنولوجيا الأردنية وهي رئيسة فرع المرأة في الهندسة وممثلة الأفرع الطلابية في IEEE الأردن، مهتمة بإثراء المحتوى العربي على شبكة الإنترنت، وبمجالات الطاقة النظيفة والذكاء الاصطناعي. تحمل دبلوم في إدارة موارد بشرية وتقضي وقتها في التطوع في المجالات المختلفة.

The Potential of Green Hydrogen in the MENA Region

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The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) offer impeccable weather conditions to develop renewable energy continuously all year round. There are currently over 1500 wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in the area with a producing capacity of over 20GW[1] and these numbers are expected to grow exponentially in the forthcoming years[2]. Recently, hydrogen has received an unprecedented attention in the global energy scenery. Over 30 countries have revealed their hydrogen strategies, and more are expected to follow. Just in the MENA region, 10 countries have ambitions in developing the technology and are prepared to invest in related projects, in which three have already started operations (Morocco, Saudi Arabia and the UAE).[3]

Green Hydrogen In The MENA Region

What is Green Hydrogen

Renewable or “Green” hydrogen is produced by a process called water electrolysis which consists in the decomposition of water (H2O) into its basic components, hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2), through passing electric current that is generated from renewables. With this process, electrical energy can be stored as chemical energy of the resulting hydrogen.

Water is an ideal source for producing hydrogen because it only releases oxygen as a by-product during processing, making the produced hydrogen climate neutral with zero GHG emissions. We use an electrolyser to conduct the water electrolysis and there are currently three types: The polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM), which is the most commonly used nowadays, the Alkaline electrolyser and finally the Solid Oxide (SOEC) which is less mature and still under development but promises a better efficiency[4].

The Promise of Green Hydrogen

Green hydrogen can be considered as a real interconnector of all renewable energy technologies as it combines Solar PV and wind energy and therefore accelerate the energy transition. According to the IRENA report Geopolitics of the Energy Transformation: The Hydrogen Factor published in January 2022, North Africa, the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan countries have the highest potential in producing the highest volumes of Green Hydrogen but also the cheapest, just under 1.5 dollars a kilogram which competes with fossil fuels.

These regions, according to the report, could be major exporters of green hydrogen to the rest of the world and attract major investments from Europe[5]. The high scale production of clean hydrogen could potentially bring geopolitical shifts in the world, making the regions which are more prone in producing it, leaders and big players in the energy global scene.

Green Hydrogen Prospects in MENA

The exiting gas infrastructure in the MENA region is ideally positioned for a fast exchange and export of green hydrogen[6]. Indeed, gas pipelines could be used to export renewable hydrogen to Europe and therefore reduce the overall costs that would be involved if new infrastructures needed to be constructed.

hydrogen economy

With green hydrogen being imported from the MENA region, Europe and MENA could both realize a sustainable energy system and meet the obligations of the Paris Agreement for 2050. Furthermore, it could generate social stability in Middle Eastern and Northern-African countries, potentially reducing the number of economic migrants from the region to Europe and creating local sustainable jobs.

All and all, green hydrogen in the MENA region has great potential but its development is still at a very early stage. Even if more giant countries like Algeria and Egypt are expected to plan a hydrogen roadmap, it is still very uncertain at this time whether the technology will kick-off as experts are expecting. Conflicts, natural disasters, and pandemics could slow it down.

One thing can be sure, the ongoing innovations in electrolysis technology will undoubtedly accelerate the development of renewable hydrogen in the MENA region and open new paths for partnerships and collaborations.

References

[1] Is MENA Ready for Hydrogen? ‘Toward Emission Free Energy for itself and the World’ IMPACT Hydrogen Session, October 18th, 2021 Paul Van Son, President Dii Desert Energy

[2] Leaders Associate 2022

[3] Leaders Associate “Green Hydrogen in MENA Development with great potential” 2022

[4] World Hydrogen Leaders Electrolyser Case studies 2022

[5] IRENA Geopolitics of the Energy Transformation: The Hydrogen Factor, January 2022 p45

[6] Is MENA Ready for Hydrogen? ‘Toward Emission Free Energy for itself and the World’ IMPACT Hydrogen Session, October 18th, 2021 Paul Van Son, President Dii Desert Energy, slide 8

Green Building Sector in the UAE: Perspectives

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The focus on sustainability is one of the biggest trends in the GCC’s building sector. This is underpinned by Dubai being ranked third in the list of global cities with the highest number of green certified buildings in the ‘Sustainability and Wellness in Dubai’ report by Core Savills with over 550 projects under LEED certification and the implementation of the Estidama framework in Abu Dhabi.

Paving the Way

In the UAE, the directives by the Federal and Local Government entities to establish a sustainable economy that advocates demand side-energy management, and water & energy use efficiency has encouraged real estate developers to streamline their services to support these goals. This has translated to commendable contributions in the field of energy efficiency, sustainable construction building materials, renewable energy and indoor air quality.

green building sector in UAE

There are clearly specified targets that support sustainable development including the reduction of energy and water consumption in Dubai by 30 per cent and increase the share of solar in the energy mix to 25 per cent – both by 2030. Dubai has also announced its Clean Energy Strategy to achieve 75 per cent clean energy by 2050. Across the UAE, green targets include 50 per cent clean energy in the total energy mix by 2050, and treatment of 75 per cent waste by 2021.

With such clear guidelines in place, the UAE’s real estate industry has increased its focus on sustainable buildings to comply with the current green building regulations in the UAE such as Abu Dhabi’s Estidama Pearl Rating System and the Dubai Green Building Regulations. The main developers have placed a concerted focus on the energy performance of their buildings through energy benchmarking of their properties, identifying best practices and developing strategies to increase efficiency of the built environment.

For example, Majid Al Futtaim, a corporate member of Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), was awarded the ‘Developer of the year’ at the MENA Green Building Awards for their strong commitment toward sustainable asset management by monitoring of energy, water and waste benchmarks of their existing developments. There is also considerable innovation in green buildings as was highlighted at the 2017 MENA Green Building Awards to recognise innovation, creativity and excellence in promoting sustainability best practices. We saw a remarkable number of submissions from across the region reflecting the keen interest of public and private sectors as well as academia to drive green buildings.

In addition to green building best practices being applied right from design to construction stage, the region is also witnessing significant interest in retrofitting buildings – not just residential but also commercial – with the goal of improving the efficiency of existing buildings and reducing the carbon footprint of built environment. We see this keen interest in building efficiency as a game-changing trend for the Middle East’s real estate sector.

Role of EmiratesGBC

EmiratesGBC is an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, and ever since our inception in 2006, we have focused on promoting dialogue and positive action in promoting green buildings. As an independent entity, our role is to provide the inputs that support decision making and influence policy-making, The Council also encourages the private sector and the community at large to become active participants in driving sustainable built environments.

Emirates Green Building Council is playing a vital role in facilitating dialogue between the public and private sectors

Over the years, we have played a pivotal role in facilitating a dialogue between the public and private sectors, to support green building initiatives in the region, aiming to make the UAE a leader in sustainable development. We have served as a catalyst in Energy Efficiency in existing building stock through introducing technical programmes. We facilitate the growth of the energy efficiency market, and work to increase awareness and capacity building. We function as a common platform for all stakeholders in the building industry supply chain, whereby they can meet, discuss, interact, and exchange groundbreaking ideas and help promote a sustainable built environment.

Rapid Progress of Green Building Sector

The UAE has been among the first movers in embracing green building design and implementation. In fact, as early as 2007, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President & Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, announced a decree that mandated all new urban structures to conform to environment-friendly green building standards.

Over the years, the UAE has consistently revisited its sustainable development goals such as the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy, A Green Economy for Sustainable Development in line with the UAE Vision 2021, the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the UAE Energy Plan for 2050. All these are drivers for the public and private sector, as well as the community, to embrace green practices.

The UAE has introduced a slew of initiatives to ensure sustainable built environments including buildings codes such as the Estidama Pearl Rating System in Abu Dhabi, which mandates that all new buildings must achieve a minimum Pearl 1 certification and all government buildings must have a minimum of 2 Pearls. Dubai Municipality has issued the Green Building Regulations and Specifications (GBR&S) for all new buildings in the emirate since March 2014, and much progress has been achieved in this regard. This has further been strengthened with the launch of Al Sa’fat, the new building rating system introduced by the Dubai Municipality.

The new system energises the ongoing initiatives to promote sustainable buildings, a key area of EmiratesGBC. In other initiatives, Dubai is the only city in the MENA region to join the Building Efficiency Accelerator (BEA) programme, to double the rate of energy efficiency by 2030. BEA is a programme under the ‘Sustainable Energy for All’ (SE4All) initiative led by the United Nations Secretary-General and funded by the Global Environment Facility.

The strong commitment of the government acts as a catalyst that drives green buildings in the UAE, which encourages de-carbonised diversification by setting targets in demand side management, and renewable energy generation. In addition to the regulations mentioned above, retrofitting initiatives such as Etihad ESCO in Dubai and the Tarsheed programme in Abu Dhabi also drive green building development.

The Way Forward

The UAE experience is a great model for the region to implement effective, efficient and tangible green building practices. There are several areas that should be prioritised – starting with a strong governmental resolve that reflects in its vision and strategy. With governmental support, the private sector is further energised to embrace green building practices. Also of critical value is the need to promote awareness.

DEWA Headquarters in Dubai is the world’s largest LEED-certified building

When EmiratesGBC was launched, dialogue on green buildings and sustainable built environments was limited. There was apprehension on the cost associated and the need for such a tactical move towards ‘green buildings.’ Over the years, through our interaction with industry stakeholders and their commendable action to make a positive change, the need for green buildings is now widely recognised for the long-term value they bring and their role in securing a greener future for the coming generations.

It is also important to undertake benchmarking projects to assess energy and water use efficiency – as we did for the hospitality sector in the UAE – so that we understand the true challenge at hand and can take corrective actions.

Similarly, we need to promote innovation and investment in the green space. We see several clean-tech start-ups in the region, who can play an important role in driving the sustainable development narrative. It is important to understand that there is no one-size-fits-all formula to promote green buildings.

Further, the green building best practices by different stakeholders such as developers, contractors, and product specialists within the built environment must be recognised and rewarded. Additionally, research and development is key in creating a market for sustainable alternatives in energy efficiency, water management, waste, and indoor environmental quality.

Each country has its own challenges and the key is to ensure a broad understanding of the need for sustainable built environments and facilitating an environment that helps accomplish it. Through awareness, education and capacity building, and promoting public-private partnerships and collaborations, we can further drive sustainable built environments in the region.

What Will Power the Future of Trains – Hydrogen or Batteries?

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Trains may seem outdated to some, but they’re one of the most eco-friendly modes of transportation. Even diesel trains produce fewer emissions per passenger per kilometer than cars and planes. Electric trains are also gaining popularity, with both battery-powered and hydrogen options available.

Given current climate concerns, the move to electric trains is inevitable. It’s not a question of whether railroads will go electric, but rather how they’ll do so. Both hydrogen and batteries show significant promise, but which technology will become the standard for future locomotives?

The hydrogen-versus-batteries debate isn’t a new one, and it likely won’t go away anytime soon. Here’s a closer look at these technologies and what they offer.

Hydrogen-Powered Trains

Hydrogen trains aren’t standard yet, but they’re becoming more prevalent. There are already hydrogen train lines in Europe, and California plans to implement one by 2022. Hydrogen power has seen applications in other areas, like space travel, but it has potential for railways, too.

hydrogen-train-netherlands

These technologies generate electricity through the chemical reaction of combining hydrogen and oxygen. Since they rely on these readily available resources, hydrogen fuel cells’ environmental impact is minimal. The only emission from this process is water, often in the form of steam, making them even more eco-friendly.

Despite these advantages, modern hydrogen-powered trains are far from perfect. Fuel cells require expensive materials, and extracting hydrogen for fuel is not an emissions-free process. Until companies find ways around these issues, hydrogen power may be inaccessible and less sustainable than it seems.

Battery-Powered Trains

Battery trains are more common than hydrogen options but are still relatively new. Batteries have been the go-to technology for other electric vehicles like cars, so implementing larger versions in trains is reasonably straightforward. Battery trains might be even more efficient than electric cars, too, since they can charge on an electrified track.

Like hydrogen fuel cells, batteries are quiet and release no emissions. Batteries, while not cheap, are typically more affordable than hydrogen fuel cells, making them more accessible. If these trains use renewably generated electricity to charge, their operation leads to fewer emissions than hydrogen alternatives.

battery-train-UK

Still, these trains have their fair share of downsides. Improper storage conditions can cause lithium-ion batteries to overheat, making their shipping more of a challenge. These batteries also take longer to recharge than hydrogen trains take to refuel, and don’t offer as much range.

Which Technology Is Superior?

With all these factors in mind, batteries and hydrogen fuel cells are more balanced than some would think. At the moment, batteries are a more accessible and viable option, but fuel cell technology will catch up before long. Railroads in the future will likely use a combination of both, not one or the other.

Just as vehicles today use both diesel and gasoline, transportation tomorrow will use both batteries and fuel cells. Some might even feature a hybrid of the two technologies. Both offer unique advantages, so different areas will implement them according to their needs.

Railways with longer commutes or more demanding schedules will likely prefer hydrogen trains. Systems that need faster and more affordable implementation will lean toward batteries. Climate change is a pressing and multi-dimensional issue, so it will take various approaches to combat it.

Building the Emission-Free Train of Tomorrow

Railways could play an essential role in lowering transportation emissions, and electric trains make them even more promising. In the immediate future, most electric trains will likely use batteries, but that technology won’t reign supreme forever. Hydrogen fuel cells or renewable hydrogen will see more implementation as they improve.

The future of railroads won’t rely on either batteries or hydrogen, but both. Together, these technologies will help various train systems meet their unique clean energy needs.

How to Start Your Dream Greenhouse

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Gardening is one of the most interesting hobbies, especially for those who have some time to get their hands dirty every once in a while. As a matter of fact, gardening doubles up as an activity that can both be a primary source of income and a side hassle, especially when done from a greenhouse. Additionally, it also provides you with the opportunity to grow your own food in your backyard or plot near your home. From veggies to citrus fruits and ornamental plants, there’s a wide variety of crops you can grow in your greenhouse or backyard garden despite the season or time of the year. This is not to mention that a garden in your backyard will also increase the financial and aesthetic value of your property if done right.

Now, you’ve always dreamt of setting up a greenhouse, but you’ve never managed to do so, perhaps due to challenges such as lack of enough time or money to embark on the project. Maybe you’ve always had these, but you just didn’t know where to start. Perhaps the thought had just crossed your mind a couple of times. but you are now certain that you’re ready. Well, starting with the benefits of gardening in a greenhouse, here are some crucial pointers you want to read on how to start your dream greenhouse.

Why Garden in a Greenhouse?

Compared to open or conventional gardening, the benefits of greenhouse gardening are more than just a few. Regardless of the type, size, and structure of your greenhouse, one of the major perks is that you will always have a longer growing season. Additionally, you can garden in any weather, given that your garden will be covered and isolated from the rest of the environment.

Also, a greenhouse grants you the ability to control the temperatures to which your plants are subjected to, which gives you flexibility in that you can grow a wide variety of plants within the structure.

Moreover, you can easily protect your plants from pests and predators while avoiding the use of dangerous pesticides and keeping (or introducing) beneficial insects such as bees and butterflies to promote pollination and maximize your yield.

As mentioned earlier, a greenhouse is an asset that can also tremendously increase the value of your property in case you choose to start one in your backyard. In a nutshell, the list of reasons to start a greenhouse is endless!

Factors to Consider When Starting Your Greenhouse

1. Space

The space you have will dictate the size, design, and type of greenhouse you can start. It will also determine the types of plants you can grow in there and the maximum amount of yield you can expect. On this note, some common types of greenhouses include lean-to, detached, and ridge/furrow structures.

For gardening hobbyists who are looking to grow a small greenhouse gardening on their backyards, the lean-to type can be ideal due to space and size limitations. For commercial crop production, detached and ridge/furrow types are more favorable.

2. Decide What to Grow

By the time you’re thinking of starting a greenhouse, higher chances are that you have an idea in mind on the kinds of crops to cultivate. However, your decision will largely be based on whether you’re a hobbyist or you intend to be a commercial gardener. As for the latter, we’re looking at mass production and in this case, you’ll want to grow something that you’ll find a ready market for. Again, the best plants to grow in your greenhouse will be determined by the prospective size of your greenhouse as well as the structure, along with other factors such as soil type.

As for the latter, though, the good thing about greenhouses is that soil can always be imported into the facility as long as you know where to source it. From veggies such as cabbages, onions, spinach, kale, cucumbers, tomatoes, and carrots; to citrus fruits, grapes, strawberries, and even ornamental plants, there’s literally nothing that you can’t cultivate in a greenhouse. If you’re targeting variety, you just have to familiarize with crop combination, crop rotation, and you’re good to go. Of course, you’ll learn some of these things as you gain experience in greenhouse gardening.

3. Think Finances

It may sound like a simple venture to some, but starting a greenhouse will require a substantial amount of cash. From preparing (plus acquiring) the land to gathering supplies, buying seeds, constructing the greenhouse structure, and maintaining the greenhouse, there’s a considerable amount of costs to be incurred before you get the first and consecutive yields.

Other than saving up until you can get enough to start one, you can also borrow a personal loan or a home improvement loan to start greenhouse gardening. Remortgaging is also another popular option, especially for homeowners who’d like to start one on their property. Ted MacDonald from 1st UK Mortgaging explains that people often choose to remortgage their home rather than take out a loan because mortgages have lower interest rates. Even for those with bad credit, remortgage loans are also available, but mostly at a higher interest rate than for people with a good credit rating. For those above the age of 55, Equity release can also be a great source of financing for your greenhouse project.

4. Get Professional Help

You’ve determined your space, have an idea of what to grow; and have secured the funds (or have an idea of where to get financing) for your project. You’ve even gone ahead and done research on where to get your supplies and materials. What remains is to get professional help in preparing the land and constructing your greenhouse to get things going.

While there’s nothing wrong with using professional DIY greenhouse gardening 101 guides from the internet, the good thing with working with a professional is that they can always provide you with further advice on gardening, especially in areas such as pest control, fertilizers, the best crops to grow, and overall greenhouse maintenance, just to name a few. You may also want to take up a course in greenhouse gardening to make the most out of your new gardening hobby or venture.

In a nutshell, greenhouse gardening is an interesting hobby-cum-commercial activity. To start one, however, there are a couple of things you need to think about and put in place before embarking on the project. Luckily, the above few pointers are there to act as a simple guide you can use to see your greenhouse dream come true.

The Need for Effective Environmental Education

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Children are the Future Generation and their engagement in environmental conservation is an absolute must. Education is the key to fostering this engagement and hence, all efforts must be made in this regard. One of the main reasons for the current state of environmental degradation is the general apathy of civil society and the only way to address this issue is through intrinsic involvement of all stakeholders, in particular, children, since it is their future that is at stake.

Involvement of children in environmental conservation initiatives will also ensure that the movement becomes “bottom-up” rather than something that is mandated by legislation — this “bottom-up” approach has always been seen to be more effective in terms of implementation.

environmental education

The Need for Effective Environmental Education

In order to be effective, environmental education needs to be both formally and informally imparted. Otherwise, it ceases to be attractive and loses its effect. It becomes just another textbook one has to read and answer questions on.

Children are inherently creative and the environmental education curriculum must try to build on this creativity. Rather than prescribing solutions, it must seek to obtain the answers from the children. After all, it is their future that is being decided upon.

Once this fundamental truth is understood, children will come forward with their views and actions to mitigate the environmental challenges. To be effective, environmental education needs to be imparted outside the four walls of the classroom. However, the weather in the Middle East, for most part of the year, is hardly conducive to outdoor activities and this should to be taken into account.

Green Hope – A Shining Example

My youth organisation, Green Hope, engages and educates young people through our “Environment Academies” which are tailor-made workshops on environmental issues. Till date, we have interacted with several hundred school and university students following all curriculum — our attendees are from all nationalities including native students.

beach-cleanup-greenhope

A beach cleanup campaign by Green Hope

I have found them to be immensely concerned and motivated on environmental issues. Being from the region, they also have a lot of traditional knowledge about adapting to the natural environment which is a learning for those who have recently moved here.

Air Quality in Arab Countries: An Overview

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Air quality in the Arab countries has deteriorated over the past few decades. Emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) have nearly doubled. Changes in the power sector were driven by strategies that have been successfully implemented in many countries in the region to improve energy access, leading to more fossil fuels being burnt in the thermal power plants to meet the increase in power demand.

Electricity consumption has increased by 75.5 percent, leading to a total amount of 766.5 million tons of CO2 being emitted in 2015, compared to 436.6 in 2006. Emissions from the transport sector have increased due to the substantial growth in the sector, with no effective mitigation measures and weak public transport in most countries.

A study conducted in major cities in the region claims that the unrest in some countries has led to a drop in emissions. This might hold for some gases due to the slowing of industries and personal transport, but dust and other pollutants resulting from conflicts have obviously increased.

The Arab region was among the worst performers in air quality, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Recorded levels of air pollution often exceeded 5 to 10 times the WHO limits, and several Arab cities are among the 20 most polluted cities in the world. Excessive emissions include carbon monoxide that results from the transport sector, oxides of sulfur and oxides of nitrogen, leading to the formation of acid rain, ozone, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Reduction of sulfur content in diesel fuel in most Arab countries has been achieved by tightening the standards, which resulted in a drop from levels as high as 1000 ppm to around 50 ppm. Also, a shift to unleaded gasoline has been achieved by implementing cost differentials, followed by a complete ban on the use of leaded fuel.

Arab region is among the worst performers in air quality

Mitigation measures that could be implemented to further reduce emissions from the power sector include enhancements of fuel quality and deployment of renewable technologies and energy efficient devices. Most Arab countries are developing a viable market for renewable energy investments. Between 2012 and 2015, total renewable installed capacity witnessed a 150 percent increase, exceeding 3GW, excluding hydropower, compared to 1.2GW in 2012.

Most sustainable transportation strategies fall into one of three categories: vehicle/fuel technology enhancement, road/vehicle operations improvements and demand management. A formal, mass transport system is yet to be implemented on a wide scale in the region. Gasoline engines generally produce less harmful emissions compared to diesel, thus tightening the standards related to petrol quality will lead to a substantial reduction in emissions.

The successful introduction of hybrid and electrical cars in Jordan over the past eight years is a shining example of how targeted fiscal policies can influence the market. Within a few years a package of tax exemptions on cleaner cars, and greater levies on those with higher emissions, helped boost the number of hybrid and electrical cars in Jordan to half of those newly registered.

For more information, please download the full AFED report from this link

Energy Efficiency in Residential Sector in Saudi Arabia

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The energy demand in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has increased steadily with an average annual increase close to 5% since 2010[1]. Such rise is driven mainly by the economic prosperity of the region, the rapid industrial development of the Kingdom, and the population growth. However, the per capita energy consumption of KSA is almost three times higher than the world average[2], explained by the presence of energy-intensive industries, harsh climate conditions, and a high energy demanding lifestyle encouraged by historical low energy prices.

saudi-arabia-environment

Link between Economic Growth and Energy Consumption

Although the link between economic growth and energy consumption is universally evident; when the growth in energy consumption is higher that the economic growth of a country, it suggests an inefficient usage of resources. This situation is widely prevalent in all Middle East nations, including Saudi Arabia.

The annual GDP growth of KSA averaged 2% during the past five years[3]. For a country which sources its energy from oil and gas, and those too happen to be the main products for exports, such inefficiency translates in less product available for trading and therefore a reduction on monetary benefits.

Energy Consumption by Building Sector

Electricity is one form of energy, perhaps the easiest form available for the building sector. The Saudi Energy Efficiency Center estimates that more than half of the electricity available in the KSA is used by the residential sector[4] (see also Figure below). About 143,000 GWh of electricity where consumed in 2017 by the residential sector, 70% out of it was used for cooling.

The building sector becomes even more relevant when looking at the role of construction within the Saudi Vision of 2030. The Saudi plan attempts to drive the demand for construction projects in the country in order to move away from oil profits, with housing as the most significant area of expenditure under the plan.

Average electricity consumption per sector in Saudi Arabia

The current scenario of the residential sector in Saudi Arabia is one of very high and continuously increasing energy demand. Inexpensive electricity charges limited the motivation for the users to invest in energy efficient features in new buildings or improvements of old ones.

Moreover, the lack of enforcement of building regulations and the availability of poor energy performing materials is reflected in the inefficient designs (i.e more than 60% of the residential buildings in the KSA are not thermally insulated). It is therefore imperative for the KSA to adopt a strategy to reduce the excessive use of energy in residential buildings.

Significance of Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is the most cost-effective mean to reduce the energy intensity of an economy. An appropriated implementation of energy efficient practices can save millions to the government and private sector in generation, operation and maintenance cost. Savings in energy translate directly in reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, supports the global efforts towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and reduces the risk of an economy vulnerable to oil price fluctuations.

Moreover, as the residential electricity consumption is strongly dependent on seasonal and daily temperature profiles; without energy saving measures the country will require additional capital investments to increase the generation capacity to be able to supply the maximum demand at peak times.

Benefits of Energy Efficiency

A study conducted by the KAPSARC[6] has found that energy efficiency programs for the existing residential building stock of the KSA can reduce 27% of the electricity consumption, which translates into 10,000 GWh/year and 7.6 million tons of carbon emissions avoided.

Additional benefits include the saving of up to 28 billion USD in capital expenditure for new power generation capacity, an avoided energy consumption equivalent to 17 USD Billion/year, resources which then will be available for trading. It is expected that the rise in the electricity bills introduced in January 2018[7] will make many energy efficiency and retrofit projects more attractive to investors and users.

References

  1. World Energy Balances 2018. Total final consumption by Source – Saudi Arabia – Available at https://webstore.iea.org/world-energy-balances-2018
  2. The World Bank. 2014. Energy use (kg of oil equivalent per capita)
  3. The World Bank. Annual GDP Growth – Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/country/saudi-arabia
  4. King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center. Energy data portal. Available at https://datasource.kapsarc.org
  5. King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC). 2016. Evaluating Building Energy Efficiency Investment Options for Saudi Arabia
  6. From 5 Halalas for <= 2000 kwh/month to 18 Halalas for <=6000 kwh/month. Sourced from https://goo.gl/fDdduS