DUBAI, UAE, 19 January 2022: Abu Dhabi-headquartered real estate company, Aldar Properties has awarded an energy-performance contract to Johnson Controls (JCI). Making the announcement through a Press release, JCI said the deal will the Milwaukee, Wisconsin-headquartered company deploying its comprehensive OpenBlue digital energy efficiency program across Aldar’s network of schools to help achieve at least 20% savings combined on their utility expenditures.

According to JCI, the scope of work indicated in the contract includes the replacement and retrofit of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, lighting and other energy-consuming assets. In addition, the company will roll out its OpenBlue digital technologies to be integrated into the schools’ infrastructure to help rationalise their energy and water consumption.

Rolando Furlong, Vice President and General Manager, Building Solutions MEA, Johnson Controls, said: “We will use our expertise as an innovation pioneer and technology leader for over 135 years to assist Aldar in its sustainability and digital transformation journey. We thank Aldar for its confidence and trust in our capabilities to help transform the operations of its schools across Abu Dhabi and achieve sustainability objectives. At the national level, this project will be contributing to the UAE Government’s vision to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.”

Nermeen Hammouda, General Manager, Applied and ESCO Solutions, GCC, JCI, said: “Once implemented, our energy-efficiency strategy, will provide support to Aldar and Johnson Controls ongoing initiatives to rationalize the energy and water usage of its schools. The deployment will be strategic and is in sync with Aldar’s overall energy-savings goals and sustainability targets. Our cooperation with Aldar will also make a remarkable difference in its efforts of reducing its carbon footprint and building an environment, where its stakeholders, including students and faculty members, can flourish and promote the significance of environmental sustainability, especially in this day and age.”

JCI said it has committed to achieve net zero scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions before 2040, 10 years ahead of the Paris Climate Agreement goal. This commitment is even more crucial today with the findings of a recent report issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report (https://www.ipcc.ch/), the company said.

JCI said it will specifically help lead the decarbonisation of buildings through its high energy efficient OpenBlue digitalisation and ESCO capabilities. Building efficiency is vital to establishing a sustainable and inclusive future, given that buildings are responsible for about 40% of global C02 emissions.

JCI said it leverages next-generation technologies, such as its OpenBlue Net Zero Buildings portfolio, which enables customers to achieve their sustainability strategy and goals that can drive 50% and more in improvement in energy efficiency and corresponding carbon emissions. The new contract from Aldar, JCI said, will allow it to contribute to the sustainability goals of Abu Dhabi’s leading company so they can better plan, execute, track and achieve their sustainability goals.