Hara could save $3B with Abu Dhabi energy management contract
Note to my civil engineer brother who lives over in the middle east: Your electric utility is about to get a whole lot more efficient. That's because enterprise energy and environmental software developer Hara has signed a multi-million-dollar, multi-year contract with the biggest government-run utility in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), that Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA).
ADWEA provides electricty and water for more than 1.4 million in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and the western region of the emirate. That's about 39 percent of the UAE's total consumption.
According to Hara, the massive contract will cover consumption monitoring and modeling for more than 200,000 commercial and residential buildings and is projected to save up to $3 billion for the utility over the next decade, primarily in the form of peak demand reductions of more than 4 gigawatts. The reductions mean that Abu Dhabi Water and Electric can defer construction of additional natural gas power plants, according to Hara.
The utility views the software, which is cloud-based, as a foundation for its overall sustainability strategy, according to a statement by the chairman of the utility, Sheikh Diab Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
"The Emirate of Abu Dhabi plans to set new standards for water and electricity services in the region over the next five years through the application of innovative technologies. The Abu Dhabi economy is achieving rapid growth, which makes it vital for us to make the best use of our natural resources. Our new environment and energy management solution from Hara will facilitate and accelerate the implementation of alternative strategies for energy efficiency and natural resources using optimal sustainable methods, as well as reduce the Emirate's carbon footprint and energy consumption for the benefit of present and future generations."
Definitely important in a place where temperatures of 118 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer months are pretty routine. Gee, if a country that owns about 9 percent of the world's proven oil reserves and 5 percent of the natural gas is worried about energy efficiency, do you suppose it should claim a higher priority for governments worldwide?