Dubai, UAE, 18 April 2019: Empower and ASHRAE launched the Owner’s Guide for Buildings Served by District Cooling at an ASHRAE workshop, yesterday in Dubai. The two organisations also unveiled an updated version of the District Cooling Guide. The first edition of the District Cooling Guide came out in 2013.

Speaking on the occasion, Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO, Empower, said that Empower will continue its pioneering role in the District Cooling sector and its efforts to transform Dubai into a global hub for clean energy and green economy. Dubai, he stressed, has been named as the ‘Champion City’ for District Cooling, globally. The workshop, organised by ASHRAE and sponsored by Empower,  saw specialised and researchers in the cooling sector from around the world review the two guides. Bin Shafar; Dr Ahmed Alaa, Director & Chairman, Region-At-Large, ASHRAE (Board Directors) and Steve Comstock, ASHRAE’s Business Development Manager for EMEA attended the workshop.

The launch of the Owner’s Guide for Buildings Served by District Cooling at an ASHRAE workshop

Empower described the Owner’s Guide for Buildings Served by District Cooling as a useful reference for building owners and designers, providing them with basic information on the advantages of District Cooling services and the installation and operation of cooling systems in a simple manner. The guide, Empower said, addresses owners’ concerns, such as selection of the design consultant, responsibilities for the maintenance of equipment within buildings, and the specific structures for District Cooling pricing, in addition to service linkage, networks, meters and maintenance. The guide also reviews design flaws and other system constraints on existing buildings and includes various supplements with case studies on performance issues, Empower said.

The updated edition of the District Cooling Guide provides guidance and includes a chapter dedicated to the design process, Empower said. The guide offers additional information on how to improve cooling systems and incorporate the concept of thermal storage into a District Cooling system, the utility company added. The manual also offers guidance on operational and maintenance processes, through case studies, to help operators ensure that systems work as intended. The District Cooling Guide contains a wide range of references to the sources of information and publications that have been used, which can help those who wish to conduct an in-depth analysis for additional details, Empower said.

The guide, Empower said, will also be a valuable reference for designers who do not have experience in District Cooling, as well as those involved in the sector, such as specialist consultants, utility engineers, cooling system engineers, central plant design engineers and cooling water system designer.

Bin Shafar said: “We are very happy and proud that Dubai was selected to launch the Owner’s Guide for Buildings Served by District Cooling and the updated edition of the District Cooling Guide by ASHRAE. This allows us to renew our commitment to the role we play in consolidating Dubai’s global position in the field of District Cooling, and the energy sector, in general.”

Bin Shafar highlighted that Empower is the first organisation in the world to sponsor the launch of the updated edition of the District Cooling Guide and of the Owner’s Guide for Buildings Served by District Cooling. This initiative, Bin Shafar said, is in line with Empower’s ongoing development strategy, which is mainly based on Research & Development (R&D), and supports the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to build a knowledge-based economy and join efforts to make Dubai the most sustainable city in the world.