Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), the world’s largest district cooling services provider emphasized the importance of promoting innovation in the present world, especially in sustainable urban developments. On the occasion of UAE Innovation Month, which is observed in February every year with the slogan ‘Innovation starts with you’, under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Empower states that the company is committed to promoting the development of innovative ideas and capabilities, and spreading a culture of innovation among its employees and community members. Empower continues its strives to adopt innovation in all its vital sectors, operational and service, and to strengthen its efforts to support the UAE National Innovation Strategy, which establishes the UAE as a global hub for innovation.
The world’s first unmanned and fully automated district cooling plant
As part of company’s strategy to utilise innovative technologies and AI, Empower plans to construct the world’s first unmanned and fully automated district cooling plant this year, worth AED 250 million in Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC), with a total capacity of 50,000 RT. The plant uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to monitor and automatically adjust inflow and outflow of the chilled water, as well as Advanced SCADA system with the capacity to read 2 million data related to cooling towers, chillers, transformers, water supply etc. It also uses the award-winning Treated Sewage Effluent (TSE) and Thermal Energy Storage (TES) technologies to serve chilled water.
Innovative customer services
The company has developed a clear strategy that offers e-services to its customers which helps them to save their time and effort and allow them to complete their transactions without visiting Empower’s branches. These include bill payment, accessing past invoices, registering in Empower’s services, registering and tracking requests, and viewing consumption rates online. This also enables customers to carefully plan their consumption, which in turn benefits them to save in their bill and reduce energy consumption. In addition, Empower has recently developed a new e-settlement system that makes customers to place request for their final bill, pay dues, and obtain a clearance certificate through the website and avoid visiting Empower offices.
In 2018, Empower strengthened its partnerships with financial and banking organisations to enable customers to view and pay their bills through the smart services offered by these entities. Following a successful partnership with Emirates NBD and Al Ansari Exchange, Empower has signed a new contract with Noor Bank to enable Empower customers who have accounts or credit cards with Noor Bank to easily pay their bills without visiting Empower’s branches, through Noor Bank’s website or smart application, with no additional charge.
Outstanding Awards
Empower has been developing its technologies and inventing solutions to promote green practices and has led the company’s ambitious strategy in this regard. Empower has received four International awards in 2018 and two of them are for its innovations. IDEA Innovation Awards for the ‘360 Solution for Metering Artificial Intelligence, AIMS 360’, IDEA Innovation Awards for the ‘Energy Transfer Solution Flow Control Optimisation Using Statistical Process Control’, Gold Award for Total Number of Buildings Committed and Gold Award for Total Building Area Committed. This was part of the 109th International District Energy Association, IDEA, Annual Conference and Tradeshow 2018, held in Vancouver, Canada, from 11th to 14th June.
Support for District Cooling Guide for Building Owners
Empower has recently announced its support to the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) in the publication of the District Cooling Guide for Building Owners. Empower also supports the updated edition of the District Cooling Guide, which was released in 2013, by ASHRAE Research with the sole supplemental funding from Empower.
“We have a clear strategy based on continuous development of various sectors, through supporting innovation and scientific research, as they are the key pillars in development of the district cooling sector, locally and globally. This supports the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to build an economy based on knowledge and innovation, as well as the UAE National Innovation Strategy, launched by His Highness, to make the UAE one of the most innovative countries in the world,” said Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower.
Bin Shafar stressed that Empower gives priority to innovation, in line with the UAE National Innovation Strategy and the Dubai Innovation Strategy, and in support of the directives of the UAE’s wise leadership, to make the UAE one of the most innovative countries in the world. Empower also supports the UAE Centennial 2071, which aims to make the UAE one of the best countries in the world in all fields. Innovation, along with its contribution to energy efficiency, supports the comprehensive and sustainable development process, introduced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, who aims to transform Dubai to the most sustainable city in the world.
Bin Shafar highlighted that district cooling achieves significant savings in operation and maintenance costs and conserves environmental and natural resources. It saves approximately 50% of energy, hence, implementing the Demand Side Management Strategy, which aims to reduce energy consumption by 30% by 2030 and the UAE Energy Strategy 2050, to increase consumption efficiency by 40% and reduce carbon footprint of power generation by 70% by 2050.
Empower has more than 1,090 buildings that are using district cooling services, catering to around 100,000 customers. The company operates more than 1.43 Million Refrigeration Tonnes (RT), providing environmentally friendly district cooling services to large-scale real estate developments, such as Bluewaters, Jumeirah Group, Business Bay, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai International Financial Centre, Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Ibn Battuta Mall, Discovery Gardens, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai World Trade Centre Residences and Dubai Design District, amongst others.