Masdar headquarters to generate more energy then it uses

Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City will be the world’s first zero-carbon, zero-waste city fully powered by renewable energy. And a few days ago it was announced that Masdar headquarters will be the world’s first large-scale, mixed-use “positive energy” building, producing more energy than it consumes. The building will also eliminate carbon emissions and reduce liquid and solid waste. Its complex will utilise sustainable materials and feature integrated wind turbines, outdoor air quality monitors and one of the world’s largest building-integrated solar energy arrays. Compared with typical mixed-use buildings of the same size, the Headquarters will consume 70 percent less water.

In addition to being the first mixed-use net positive energy building in the world, Masdar Headquarters will:

• Be the lowest energy consumer per square meter for a modern class A office building in an extremely hot and humid climate
• Feature one of the world’s largest building-integrated photovoltaic arrays
• Employ the largest solar thermal driven cooling and dehumidification system
• Be the first building in history to generate power for its own assembly, through development of its solar roof pier before the underlying complex

Construction of Masdar City itself commenced with a formal ground-breaking ceremony on February 9, 2008. The the six square kilometer city will be constructed over seven phases and is due to be completed by 2016. It will cost $22bn to build and be home to 50,000 people and 1,500 businesses. The city will be mostly powered by solar energy and residents will move in travel pods running on magnetic tracks. Masdar’s headquarters is part of phase one and will be completed by the end of 2010.

Masdar City’s electricity will be generated by photovoltaic panels, while cooling will be provided via concentrated solar power. Water will be provided through a solar-powered desalination plant. Landscaping within the city and crops grown outside the city will be irrigated with grey water and treated waste water produced by the city’s water treatment plant.

The Coffee House reports that “the city forms part of an ambitious plan to develop clean energy technologies. The money is being channelled through the Masdar Initiative, a company established to develop and commercialise clean energy technologies, and Abu Dhabi hopes it will lead to international joint ventures involving much more money”.

Masdar City aims to WWF International’s One Planet Living guidelines (highlighted in bold):

1. ZERO CARBON: 100 per cent of energy supplied by renewable energy – Photovoltaics, concentrated solar power, wind, waste to energy and other technologies
2. ZERO WASTE: 99 per cent diversion of waste from landfill (includes waste reduction measures, re-use of waste wherever possible, recycling, composting, waste to energy)
3. SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT: Zero carbon emissions from transport within the city; implementation of measures to reduce the carbon cost of journeys to the city boundaries (through facilitating and encouraging the use of public transport, vehicle sharing, supporting low emissions vehicle initiatives)
4. SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS: Specifying high recycled materials content within building products; tracking and encouraging the reduction of embodied energy within materials and throughout the construction process; specifying the use of sustainable materials such as Forest Stewardship Council certified timber, bamboo and other products
5. SUSTAINABLE FOOD: Retail outlets to meet targets for supplying organic food and sustainable and or fair trade products
6. SUSTAINABLE WATER: Per capita water consumption to be at least 50 per cent less than the national average; all waste water to be re-used
7. HABITATS AND WILDLIFE: All valuable species to be conserved or relocated with positive mitigation targets
8. CULTURE AND HERITAGE: Architecture to integrate local values.
9. EQUITY AND FAIR TRADE: Fair wages and working conditions for all workers (including construction) as defined by international labour standards (which hopefully won’t be limited to Masdar City but also address Abu Dhabi’s appaling slave labour record)
   
10. HEALTH AND HAPPINESS: Facilities and events for every demographic group

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