EmiratesGBC, training programme in progress

Dubai, UAE, 19 November 2018: The Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC) has announced it will deliver its Advanced Course for industry professionals, under the Building Retrofit Training Programme, on December 12 and 13, 2018, in Dubai, through a Press communiqué.

Conducted in partnership with the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) and Masdar (Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company), the Advanced Course is a two-day training, instructing industry professionals on the key elements of retrofit for existing buildings and supports the streamlining of their technical capacity, for more effective post-retrofit maintenance and preventive care, the communiqué said. Upon completion of the course, participants who pass the post-course examination will become an EmiratesGBC certified Building Retrofit Specialist, the communiqué further said. A pilot of the Advanced Course was attended by employees from the Civil Projects and Engineering team at the Dubai Energy and Water Authority (DEWA), in September, the communiqué added.

Saeed Al Abbar, Chairman, EmiratesGBC, said: “Retrofitting existing buildings is fundamental to driving sustainable built-environments and achieving the United Arab Emirates’ energy goals. Tackling the existing building stock is crucial in managing global carbon emissions and achieving the global target of net zero carbon buildings by 2050, in line with the Paris Climate Change Agreement. EmiratesGBC’s Advanced Building Retrofit course is specifically designed for professionals in the building sector to equip them with the skills to achieve highly efficient, sustainable buildings. Working collectively, we can significantly reduce the carbon footprint of buildings.”

According to EmiratesGBC, the Building Retrofit Training Advanced Course is designed for industry professionals with prior knowledge and experience of sustainability and retrofit methods. Participants are recommended to meet at least one of the following criteria to participate: a degree in Engineering or Architecture, in addition to one year of relevant industry experience; a degree in Engineering or Architecture plus LEED AP, Sa’fat certified or Estidama PQP; relevant industry accreditation (CEM, CEA, CMPV); or a degree plus at least three years relevant industry experience, the communiqué said.

The communiqué said the Advanced Course aims to deliver in-depth knowledge of building retrofit principles that are relevant to the MENA region and present holistic techniques for improving the environmental performance of existing buildings. The communiqué further said that the course provides participants with an organised list of economically viable retrofit solutions for different building typologies, supported by the necessary technical information and financial metrics required to evaluate retrofit projects and energy-efficiency measures. The communiqué added that the course covers the limitations, financial implications, risks and benefits of the retrofit measures.

According to EmiratesGBC, the Building Retrofit Training programme is based on the EmiratesGBC Technical Guidelines for Retrofitting Existing Buildings that is available in Arabic and English and serves as a valuable handbook for all industry stakeholders to achieve higher levels of energy and water efficiency, by retrofitting existing buildings.