In his address to delegates at The Annual Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning Conference 2004, Mario Senevirante, Engineering Director of UAE-based Green Technologies, Inc called for more emphas…
In his address to delegates at The Annual Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning Conference 2004, Mario Senevirante, Engineering Director of UAE-based Green Technologies, Inc called for more emphasis on “green building“ in the Middle East. The conference was held alongside the Big 5 exhibition at Dubai“s Emirates Towers Hotel until 24 November 2004. Senevirante said: “To many people green buildings are something that only scientists and environmentalists talk about, but this is no longer true.” “A green building must show sustainability, use of environmentally-friendly materials, be energy-saving and utilise water harvesting/ saving devices. Some 47% of energy saving measures in a green building are related to heating, ventilation and air conditioning,” Senevirante said. With the current building boom across the middle east, the engineer advocated a move towards greener building, the use of energy modelling software and a shift towards government-level regulation to ensure the environmental integrity of new buildings. “In the US, every building larger than 5,000 square feet must comply with energy modelling,” he said. In the UAE, Senevirante cited the new American Embassy in Abu Dhabi: “This building is a good example of the way forward, and is the first truly “green building“ in the UAE,” Senevirante added. According to the website of the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the new building uses energy efficient glazing and the windows are located mainly on the north and south facades in order to avoid exposure to the sun during the hottest time of the day. Senevirante joined 17 expert speakers at the conference, which ended on 24 November 2004.