With what must be one of the biggest air-conditioning bills in the emirate, the company behind Dubai’s indoor ski slope is going green.
Majid Al Futtaim (MAF), the conglomerate that built Mall of the Emirates, aims to produce 5 per cent of its total energy in the next two years using solar photovoltaic technology.
The group runs 19 shopping malls in the region including Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates, which has the region’s largest ski slope and indoor snow park.
MAF expects to save Dh3 million by installing LED lighting at all its malls. It says it has reduced energy consumption by 9 per cent across the 12 hotels in its portfolio.
“The business case for investing in renewable energy is strong, but the environmental case is equally as strong,” said aid Ibrahim Al-Zu’bi, head of sustainability at MAF Properties. “United Nations officials have warned the populations of 22 Arab countries could hit 600 million by 2050 and that energy demand will place increasing pressure on existing infrastructure. However, renewable energy sources have the potential to meet 80 per cent of global demand by the same year.”
MAF’s target is for solar technology at existing developments to reduce its carbon footprint by 27,000 absolute tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
A white paper on renewable energy published by the company suggests this emissions saving could be achieved for an investment of Dh152 million, with returns delivered within nine years.
[ ascott@thenational.ae ]
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