Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, May 24, 2018: Ras Al Khaimah Municipality and Masdar (Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company) are collaborating on a plan to retrofit residential villas to improve their environmental efficiency. The initiative follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the ‘Model Villa Initiative’ earlier this month.
Masdar already owns and operates the Eco-Villa prototype in Masdar City, which demonstrates practical and affordable solutions in energy- and water-efficient residential building design.
Ras Al Khaimah and Masdar will study the energy and water efficiency of existing villas in Ras Al Khaimah. The results will then be analysed and made public to raise awareness of the potential energy savings that can be achieved by other villa owners attempting similar retrofits.
Masdar will support Ras Al Khaimah Municipality in an advisory capacity. The initiative will be launched later this year with the retrofit of one villa, due for completion in 2019.
His Excellency Munther Mohammed bin Shekar, Director General of Ras Al Khaimah Municipality, said: “The Ras Al Khaimah government is engaged in a long-term strategy for sustainability. We welcome the collaboration with Masdar to support the adoption of new technologies and practices that will reduce the energy intensity of our economy and increase the share of renewable energy. The Model Villa initiative will be the first, concrete example of our collaboration.”
Yousef Baselaib, Executive Director of Sustainable Real Estate at Masdar, said: “We welcome this latest partnership with Ras Al Khaimah Municipality, which aims to demonstrate the economic feasibility and commercial benefits of retrofitting homes with the latest sustainable technology. Our expertise in energy, waste and water conservation will be a valuable addition to this project, which will ultimately offer substantial savings to customers.”
“This is an important addition to our existing portfolio of projects currently being undertaken by Masdar with other UAE emirates, and it will help drive sustainable development projects across the UAE and the wider Middle East,” Baselaib added.
The MoU signing follows discussions between the Municipality’s Energy Efficiency and Renewables Administration and Masdar at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week in January.
The selection of the villa to be retrofitted will be through an open-call for applications in Ras Al Khaimah. Masdar will then audit and retrofit the selected villa at no cost to its owner. The aim is to roll out further villa retrofits in the emirate in the future.
The Government of Ras Al Khaimah has initiated the ‘Ras Al Khaimah Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Strategy 2040’ based on nine pillars: green building regulations, building retrofits, energy management, efficient appliances, efficient outdoor lighting, water reuse and efficient irrigation, solar programmes, waste to energy, and efficient vehicles.
The non-binding agreement builds upon Masdar’s current ties with Ras Al Khaimah. In 2015, Masdar installed a 543 KWp photovoltaic (PV) solar power project that delivers renewable energy to the Rashid Abdullah Omran Hospital in the emirate.
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About Ras Al Khaimah Municipality and Reem
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 coordinates 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.About Masdar
Masdar is Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company, which works to advance the development, commercialisation and deployment of clean energy technologies and solutions. The company serves as a link between today’s fossil fuel economy and the energy economy of the future. Wholly owned by the Mubadala Investment Company, the strategic investment company of the Government of Abu Dhabi, Masdar is dedicated to the United Arab Emirates’ long-term vision for the future of energy and water.
Contacts:
E-mail: press@masdar.ae
Tel enquiries in Arabic: +971 2 653 3333
Tel enquiries in English: +971 2 653 6014
For more information please visit: http://www.masdar.ae and connect: facebook.com/masdar.ae and twitter.com/masdar
