Masdar City showcases sustainability
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Energy Quarterly
Masdar City showcases sustainability By Prachi Patel Feature Editor Steve Griffiths
T
hanks to oil riches buried deep under its desert sand and in the waters off its shores, citizens in many parts of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) can afford comparatively luxurious lifestyles. Such lifestyles can come at a cost: the country’s greenhouse gas emissions per person are some of the highest in the world. But 17 kilometers from the skyscrapers and SUV traffic of downtown Abu Dhabi sits the futuristic environmentfriendly oasis of Masdar City. Here, solar power meets residents’ energy needs. Buildings are extremely energy efficient. And people either walk or zip around in small electric pods that run on tracks. Masdar’s masterminds hope to make it among the most sustainable cities in the world, by lowering carbon emissions and becoming waste neutral. The city is part of the multibillion dollar Masdar (Arabic for “source”) Initiative founded in 2006 by the Abu Dhabi government to incubate a renewable energy economy in Abu Dhabi. The visionaries behind the initiative want Masdar City to become a research hub and test-bed for clean energy technologies.
The hope is that technology solutions developed and tested here could be used in the Gulf region and beyond to achieve sustainability targets. The original plan was for the city to be a functional home to 40,000 people by 2016. But the global financial crisis has delayed the schedule. So far, the few hundred residents of the city are those living and working at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, the graduate-level research university that is the heart of the city. Meeting Masdar’s ambitious goals will take many more years. However, the city already provides novel examples of material use for energy savings. And Masdar Institute, whose curriculum and faculty have been forged in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is attracting talented minds that are generating innovative research on sustainable technologies, including biofuels, desalination, and energy storage. The design for Masdar City’s buildings is the work of British architecture firm Foster + Partners. The buildings use 54% less water than similar-sized conventional buildings through efficient appliances and fixtures; sensors that spot leakages; and smart meters that tell people how much water they’re using. The buildings also reduce energy use by 56%. Active energy management technologies include sensors that measure carbon dioxide, humidity, and temperature levels inside buildings to minimize air conditioning. But much of the energy efficiency comes from passive technologies such as low-energy lighting and appliances, and smart materials. “A very large part of the city’s sustainability approach has to do with the unique, locally sourced materials used,” said Masara Al Ameri, director of industry, government, and academic operations at Masdar Institute. The building exteriors, for instance, utilize materials that combat harsh heat. Laboratory buildings have an envelo
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