ZEMCH 2015 - International Conference Proceedings | Page 655

International Conference | Bari - Lecce, Italy Session IX RETROFITTING EXISTING BUILDINGS IN UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: BARRIERS, OPPORTUNITIES, AND RECOMMENDATIONS Enas Alkhateeb1 & Hasim Altan1 1 Sustainable Design of the Built Environment, Faculty of Engineering & IT, British University in Dubai, UAE [email protected] / [email protected] Abstract In 2010, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been identified with the highest ecological footprint in the world. Moreover, 80% of this footprint is because of the consumption of carbon concentrated goods and services, such as water and energy. The UAE government took the initiative to provide serious steps to mitigate the impact of the built environment, all of which generally focus on the new constructed buildings. Although Etihad Super Energy Services Company (ESCO) initiated some major retrofit projects, commercial and residential existing buildings have been neglected. These two sectors in Abu Dhabi and Dubai form a large portion of the built environment in the country, which account for 43% and 40% of the UAE’s energy consumption. Even though many disjointed small ESCOs are entering the UAE market, they are faced with many obstacles and challenges. This paper will discuss the barriers that the refurbishment industry in the UAE is facing today. Moreover, the paper will also shed light on some successful methods have been applied in the United States and the Europe Union as well as will demonstrate ways of justifying them to suite the unique case of the UAE. Eventually, the environmental, economical and social benefits of retrofitting the existing buildings in the UAE will be highlighted. Keywords Building Sustainability, Existing Buildings, Refurbishment and Retrofitting, United Arab Emirates, Sustainable Development. 653