ME district cooling market to top $12bn in 7 years

With smart technology shaping up the real estate and construction industry in the UAE, most developers have realised the importance of district cooling, especially with regard to the future of Smart Cities, said a leading industry player. Commercial and residential buildings in Dubai have district cooling and the demand is set to grow substantially, and district cooling is an integral part in the future of smart cities, according to Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower). As cooling demand surges worldwide, district cooling is increasingly recognised as a climate-resilient, resource-efficient, low-carbon and affordable solution, it stated. It has significant economic and environmental benefits and is the perfect solution for real estate advancements, said senior Empower officials on the sidelines of Cityscape Global. The cutting-edge technology not only significantly reduces the use of ozone-depleting refrigerants, but also lowers potable water usage, and uses energy more efficiently. It also improves energy security and community resiliency and offers reliability of service, it added. With district cooling services in big demand, the Middle East market for this sector is likely to exceed $12 billon by 2024, said the UAE firm, citing a report by US-based Global Market Insights. The increasing infrastructure development in the GCC countries and rising demand for cost-effective cooling systems are the main drivers for the growth of district cooling market. Hotels, supermarkets, shops, offices and hospitals will be the key areas for installation, it stated. On the growing demand, Empower CEO Ahmad Bin Shafar, said: "Once a building has been commissioned, there is a need to maintain its operating efficiency. District cooling represents a paradigm shift in the fundamental thinking behind the provision of comfortable indoor environments." "These community-cooling solutions offer significant new opportunities for energy-efficiency, paving way for major environmental benefits," he stated. With modern technology shaping the real estate industry, developers are fully convinced about the potential of the district cooling solutions, said Bin Shafar. While district cooling is environment-friendly and less energy consuming, it also ensures high quality of air conditioning for the end user.In recent years, district cooling has been used in residential and commercial units and hotels in the region, he added. Bin Shafar pointed out that district cooling was the way forward for architects and builders. "Removing the roof top chiller plant allows architects to have greater flexibility in designing the building," he stated.

"Since there is no need to accommodate the chiller, building roof can be designed with more artistic elements such as recreational facilities and sky gardens. This eventually helps to improve the city outlook and can generate room space when compared with conventional cooling plants,