DEWA’s New Head Quarters Building: Alsheraa – “The Sail”

Why Alsheraa?

Alsheraa or ‘the Sail’ is a cultural symbol since this nation has been a sea fairing community. Pearl diving, fishing, and trading have all depended on wind powered vessels. Alsheraa is also a symbol of sustainability and renewable energy. This building is both a symbol of this nation’s prowess as well as an icon of sustainability.

The Net Zero Energy Alsheraa Building was launched at the WETEX 2016, demonstrating DEWA’s commitment to sustainability and renewable energy. The 140,000 Sq. Meter Building will be powered by a 26,500 Sq. meter solar PV array designed to generate in excess of 7,000 MWh annually. The building will also adopt the latest in energy and smart technologies which will result in a EUI of less than 70 kWh/m2/year.

The Design is based on a competition entry won by Skid more Owings & Merrill (SOM) with the detailed design and construction documents now being implemented by Obermeyer GmbH, one of Germany’s largest independent building consultancies. Green Technologies FZCO has been serving as DEWA’s Project Innovation and Development Consultants since August 2015, and congratulates DEWA on their efforts in pushing the built environment into the next generation of smart buildings.

Physical Features of the Building:

• The area of the new DEWA Headquarters Alsheraa Building located in Al Jadaf, Dubai, will be over one million-square-foot, the largest and tallest net Zero Energy Building (ZEB) in the world.
• The building will have over 16,500 square meters of Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels producing over 3,500 kWp.
• There will be over 10,000 square meter of Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) producing over 1,100 kWp.
• Total renewable energy generated by the building will be over 7,000 MWh annually. The building will also be designed to have an Energy Utilization Intensity (EUI) of 70 kWh/m2 per year.
• The building will also feature an Auditorium, a Nursery, a Library, and a Jogging Track.

How environmentally friendly will Alsheraa Building be?

• Alsheraa Building is targeted to be a Zero Energy Building (ZEB), where the total energy used in the building during a year is equal to or less than the energy produced on site during that year.
• DEWA’s new headquarters, “Alsheraa Building”, targets LEED Platinum (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Platinum is the highest attainable certification in LEED.
• Landscaping will integrate green spaces within the building and the surrounding area. The ratio of green spaces will be almost 50% and close to 1000 indigenous trees will be used.
• To be a ZEB every employee will have an energy budget managed through a smart app. This will help them be aware of their energy consumption and assist them in improving energy budget management.
• Alsheraa building will have a state of the art building management and control center. The system will allow necessary systems to function and shutdown systems that are not required to run. These systems include air conditioning, lighting, etc.
• DEWA’s new headquarters will be directly linked to Dubai Metro through a 150 meter covered bridge. This link between Al Jadaf metro station and Alsheraa building will promote the use of public transportation, reduce traffic, and carbon foot print.