Ed Garrod

Dubai, UAE, 7 October 2018: The notion that each building needs to be zero-carbon within its own footprint is a misconception that has emerged with the increase in the demand for energy efficiency, said Edward Garrod, Principal, Integral Group. He further said, “Today, achieving the net-zero-emission goal means being consistent across individual buildings and district lifecycles.” And the challenge, he added, is to first fix existing buildings and then focus on new projects.

Garrod will be speaking on the topic, ‘Policies and framework approaches for zero-carbon cities and buildings’, at a session during the 7th Annual EmiratesGBC Congress, to be held on October 9, 2018, in Dubai. Elaborating on this subject, he said, “Retrofitting is crucial to achieving the net-zero target and it is important for the consultant, contractor and even the end-user to feel positive about moving towards the concept of net zero.”

Everything is interconnected and it is important to identify these connections to make energy-efficient decisions, Garrod said. However, highlighting the roadblocks to achieving the net-zero goal, he pointed to the lack of transparency in building operations as a major challenge. “When buildings are not commissioned and well-maintained, owners are not keen on sharing any information related to the performance of the building.” This lack of transparency, he said, comes in the way of setting clear targets.