​Ras Al Khaimah Government's first energy performance agreement underlines RAK Municipality's commitment to the RAK Energy Strategy 2040 goals and Enova's leadership in public-sector energy management

Ras Al Khaimah,​ ​United Arab Emirates, October 9, 2018: Ras Al Khaimah Municipality has selected Enova, one of the Middle East's leading Energy and Facilities Ma​nagement specialist, for a retrofit project covering four municipality buildings as part of its RAK Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Strategy 2040.

The five-year agreement is the first energy performance contract RAK Municipality has signed in the emirate and will see energy and water usage cut by 31.3%.

His Excellency Munther Mohammed bin Shekar, Director General of RAK Municipality, said: “Ras Al Khaimah government is engaged in a long-term strategy for sustainability. We welcome the collaboration with Enova and the launch of this first retrofit project for the government to support adoption of new technologies and practices that will reduce energy intensity in several RAK Municipality buildings."

He added: “This is an important first step for the government to achieve the goals set forth in the RAK Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Strategy 2040."

Enova has been entrusted with th​e retrofit of the Municipality's main headquarters, two Health Department buildings, and a slaughterhouse. In total, the structures occupy an area exceeding 10,000 m².

Through the planned retrofit, the project will provide guaranteed total savings of more than 4 gigawatt-hours of electricity over the contract duration, which has an impact on carbon emissions comparable to that of taking nearly 700 cars off the roads. Additionally, over 8 million imperial gallons of water will be saved during the period, enough to fill 14 Olympic-sized swimming pools.

The project's retrofitting measures focus on the air-conditioning and ventilation system and the 'building envelope' – the physical division between the conditioned and the unconditioned environment of a building that enable the building services to maintain acceptable indoor environmental conditions.

Based on findings from a detailed audit, Enova will implement a series of energy and water conservation measures, such as the optimization of AC units, roof thermal coating and a combined water-saving solution. For each building, Enova has also proposed a total retrofit of the current cooling apparatus and the implementation of new building management systems. Lighting will be retrofitted with energy-efficient LED bulbs and optimized, which will cut the energy consumption of this system in half.

“We are proud to help Ras Al Khaimah Municipality achieve its ambitious sustainability objectives, in accordance with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Through this partnership, we are supporting the authority in making substantial cost savings, while reducing its carbon footprint at the same time," said Enova's Chief Executive Officer, Anne Le Guennec.

“The emirate's strategy towards more sustainable and energy-efficient practices is part of a shift we are witnessing from more and more public and private entities in the region. We are excited to contribute to the success of this development and are confident that we can expand our role even further in the future."

Ras Al Khaimah Municipality was established in 1959 by an Emiri decree issued by His Highness Sheikh Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi and since then works on providing a comfortable environment in which people can live and work. The Energy Efficiency and Renewables Office (Reem)​ at Ras Al Khaimah Municipality coordi​​nates the implementation of the RAK Energy Efficiency and Renewables Strategy 2040, established under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah. The Strategy targets 30% energy savings, 20% water savings, and 20% generation from renewable energy sources by 2040.​​