‘Nobody wants to retrofit for IAQ and most buildings are non-code compliant’

Charles Blashke, MD, Taka Solutions

Dubai, UAE, 5 November 2018: The biggest challenge in handling retrofit projects is navigating a customer through the start and sign-off period, said Charles Blashke, MD, Taka Solutions, while giving an overview of retrofitting from an ESCO perspective. Blashke also highlighted that retrofitting for Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) is something that is often ignored. He said, “Nobody wants to retrofit for IAQ and the situation is horrible, as most buildings are non-code compliant.”

Krishna Murthy, Deputy Director, Environmental Solutions and Consultancy

Echoing Blashke is Krishna Murthy, Deputy Director, Environmental Solutions and Consultancy. He said, “In the GCC region, IAQ has an important role to play, as people are indoors for the most amount of time.” He added that there is a need for ESCOs to have innovative solutions in dealing with retrofit projects, especially considering that every ESCO does a similar kind of work.

Holley Chant, Executive Director, KEO Consultants

Adding to the thought is Holley Chant, Executive Director, KEO Consultants. Giving an example of retrofitting for IAQ, she said that a firm like Google has invested massively in their physical environment, where there is a culture of awareness for retrofits. Chant said, “If you attend conferences, you will hear people talking about Dubai, since there is a tremendous focus on retrofit projects in the region.”