Harry Varehaar, Head Global Public and Government Affairs, Signify

Dubai, UAE, 28 October 2018: With reference to energy efficiency, Harry Varehaar, Head Global Public and Government Affairs, Signify, said that retrofit projects in the Middle East will play a key role in mitigating CO₂ emissions in the region. Varehaar, who was a speaker at the Seventh Annual EmiratesGBC Congress, held earlier this month, elaborated on how building renovation and retrofits are often viewed as a complicated task. “The thought that carrying out retrofits are complicated is a common misconception,” he said. Pointing to a learning from the Architecture 2030 initiative, he said that building retrofits are economical, if the payback period ranges from one to two years.

Varehaar said, “New buildings account for about one per cent of the total number of buildings per year and the current retrofit rate in existing buildings is also around one per cent per year.” Technology today, he said, has simplified the process of retrofitting HVAC equipment and LED lighting in buildings and continues to contribute to the overall goal of energy efficiency.

Elaborating, Varehaar said the retrofit pay-back periods that are most attractive are the ones that look at financial savings in one to two years. “The good news is that today there are a number of business models that can help in retrofit projects,” he said. He added that the increase in best practice and case studies will encourage architects, designers, technicians and even MEP industry to push for retrofit projects. Pointing to smart buildings and the integration of IoT and smart controls in building systems as giving a push to retrofit projects, he said, “I imagine the building retrofit market will grow and develop in the near future.”