The discussion at the Workshop

Ras Al Khaimah, UAE: The American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) has announced hosting the Ras Al Khaimah Zero-Energy Villa Kick-off Workshop on September 7, 2016, which will see the university produce a completely sustainable residential unit, named ‘Al Bayt Al Kamel’ or ‘the Perfect House’.

According to the announcement, the workshop, which took place on AURAK’s campus, focused on generating awareness for the upcoming project, bringing together potential investors, industrial partners and governmental departments. Partners, the announcement revealed, who have already committed to the ‘Perfect House’ project include the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Federal Electricity and Water Authority (FEWA), Guardian Glass, AIC Steel, and RAK Precast, among others.

The initiative, the announcement informed, originates as part of the university’s participation in the first edition of the Solar Decathlon Middle East competition, with the 2018 edition being organised by DEWA, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy.

The project, AURAK said, will see collaboration between the university and its research centre, the Ras Al Khaimah Research and Innovation Center (RAKRIC), and aims to construct a residential unit which relies solely on renewable energy for the likes of lighting, cooling and water desalination. Other factors, such as innovations in the building’s architectural design, will also play a role in the project’s success, it added.

Commenting on AURAK’s participation in the initiative, Professor Hassan Hamdan Al Alkim, President of AURAK, said: ‘Essentially, the purpose of education is to give us the knowledge and technical skills to improve our quality of life. I feel very satisfied when I see AURAK participating in this type of project, especially because it will have a positive impact on the environment and the preservation of our planet.”

Professor Mousa Mohsen, Dean of the School of Engineering at AURAK, the university said, welcomed the forward-thinking nature of the competition, and expressed his desire for students get involved in the process.