Dubai saves Dh1.2bn in water and electricity consumption over the past decade

The commercial sector generated the biggest electricity savings between 2008 and 2018

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - March 3 2019.

Dubai skyline as seen from Atlantis, The Palm.

(Photo by Reem Mohammed/The National)

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Dubai has achieved total savings of about Dh1.2 billion over the past decade due to its efforts to conserve electricity and water, according to the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority.

Cumulative savings of around 2 Terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity and 7.4 billion gallons of water were achieved between 2008 and 2018, the emirate's utilities regulator said on Saturday.

"This supports the UAE's efforts to protect the environment, preserve its natural resources, and reduce its carbon footprint to achieve the goals of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050," said Saeed Al Tayer, Dewa's managing director and chief executive.

Energy efficiency has become an integral part of clean energy strategies in the region, with the UAE one of the first countries to have targets in place to achieve electricity and water savings.

Dubai plans to reduce carbon emissions by 16 per cent by 2021 as well as energy and water use by 30 per cent by 2030, according to Dewa. Meanwhile, regulator Etihad Esco told The National last year that it was looking to generate Dh500 million worth of energy savings from retrofitting and solar rooftop installments by 2030.

The biggest savings in electricity was by Dubai's commercial sector, amounting to 1.2TWh – a 10 per cent saving in consumption between 2008 to 2018 –with a 28 per cent reduction on water usage, according to the latest Dewa data. The industrial sector achieved the second highest reduction for electricity usage in the emirate with around 15 per cent for power and 29 per cent for water.

Meanwhile, educational institutions achieved the biggest savings on water consumption at 1.3 billion gallons – a 24 per cent saving over the 10-year period – as well as 10 per cent for electricity. The residential sector registered an 18 per cent reduction in electricity usage and 27 per cent for water. Government and semi-government organisations accounted for a 12 and 21 per cent reduction in electricity and water usage, respectively, over the past decade.

The decade-long savings achieved in Dubai could power approximately 305,000 apartments for a year and meet the water requirements of 241,000 residential units annually, too.