Dubai Airports has said it is working towards making Concourse D - which will become the new home of more than 100 international airlines that fly to Dubai International when it opens in 2015 - as energy efficient and sustainable as possible.
This is in line with the aviation industry's long-term aim of carbon neutral growth.
Under the supervision of Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects (DAEP), the new building will implement several green initiatives that will reduce the environmental impact of the new facility. These include adopting recycling programmes during construction, the use of renewable energy as well as utilising locally sourced and recycled building materials. For Dubai Airports and Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects the intention is to promote healthy, durable, affordable and environmentally sound practices in design, construction and eventual operation.
Among the initiatives aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of Concourse D is an array of 192 solar panels measuring 450m2 to be erected on the roof of the building. This will have the dual benefit of generating power while keeping the building cool by reflecting sunlight. The solar array is expected to generate about 1.8 per cent of the total power requirement of Concourse D, according to Dubai Airports.
The use of improved insulation in the construction of the building will help better regulate temperature within the concourse while thermal technology will be used to absorb the sunlight in the day and radiate it during the night time hours. The overall volume of the building has been significantly reduced and so removes the requirement to cool larger public spaces while providing a fully functional facility. The glass facade also allows for more effective use of daylight.
Construction of the new facility currently includes onsite recycling, thereby reducing the amount of waste being disposed of in landfills. Easily accessible areas have been provided for the collection and storage of non-hazardous materials including paper, corrugated cardboard, glass, plastic and metal.
Recycled materials will also be used in the construction of the facility as well as regionally harvested or manufactured materials. DAEP will source at least 10 per cent of its building material from within 800km of Dubai International and 20 per cent from recycled materials.
In addition, the new building will make use of at least 50% (based on cost) of wood based materials and products that are certified in accordance to Forest Stewardship Councils' principles and criteria. This will contribute in reducing the negative environmental impacts of irresponsible forest practices.
The design requires the use of more efficient lighting systems, which include daylight sensors and less heat-intensive lighting which not only reduces the energy consumption of the building but cuts the amount of energy needed to cool Concourse D.
"For Dubai Airports, and our construction partner Dubai Aviation Engineering Projects, designing environmentally friendly terminals is key to limiting our energy consumption and carbon footprint over time and fits in with our broader environmental policy. It also supports our industry's target of carbon neutral growth by 2020," said Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths. "With Concourse D we are taking another significant step towards providing our passengers with a more sustainable way to travel."
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