Anoop K. Menon
At the recent Water Days conference in Abu Dhabi, one of the highlights was an update on the Pearls Rating System, the green building rating system developed by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) under its ESTIDAMA initiative. In his presentation, the UPC spokesperson pointed out that the Pearl Rating System was developed to suit the hot climate and environment (extremely summer temperatures and high humidity levels) of Abu Dhabi, and most importantly, the cultural and social sensibilities of the emirate.
The foundations for sustainability, in Abu Dhabi’s case, lies in reducing water consumption and conserving electricity; hence, 50% of the points system in the Pearls is weighed in favour of water (Precious Water) and energy (Resourceful energy). The emphasis on water is understandable, given that the per capita consumption of fresh water in the emirate is among the highest in the world and new water supplies are expensive. While the rating system was initially designed to be voluntary, the Executive Council of Abu Dhabi has made the ‘One Pearl’ level as mandatory. This is expected to reduce water consumption by 21% in multi-use residential buildings, 40% in commercial offices and 16% in communities, the spokesperson claimed.
In his comparison of the Pearls Rating System vis-a-vis LEED and BREEAM in this issue, Karim Elgendy pointed out that the Pearls system, while incorporating the best elements from both LEED and BREEAM, is distinctly local. It stands out for its greater emphasis on water and energy, and on post-occupancy assessment. Interestingly, an apple-to-apple comparison of the Pearls system with LEED, on baseline requirements for water-efficiency, presented by a green building consultant at the same conference, showed that both ratings talk similar numbers. For example, LEED indicates 4.88 Litres per Flush (LPF) for a commercial toilet, while the Pearls Rating System indicates a Dual Flush Toilet with six LPF (full) and four LPF (low). In other words, if you have complied with LEED, you have already satisfied the Pearls requirement. However, an area that has been left un-addressed by the Pearls is on-site grey water treatment and recycling in buildings, which under existing regulations in Abu Dhabi, involve a cumbersome licensing process. There is also the question of whether LEED, BREEAM or Pearls certification is an inseparable part of making a building water-efficient. The story on how Dubai Chamber achieved the LEED certification for existing building, featured in this issue, answers this question in more ways than one. Jeff Willis, Chairman, Emirates Green Building Council, told me in a recent conversation that putting in low water consumption fittings during the design stage has become a ‘Best Practice’ or ‘Accepted Practice,’ in the West today, and increasingly, in our region too. Building rating systems like LEED have contributed to this trend, by improving what constitutes ‘Best Practice.’ But what is also helping build the momentum here is the growing availability of internationally and locally-certified water-efficient fixtures, which was not the case four to five years ago.
On a different note, I am pleased to inform you that H20 has its own website. We soft-launched www. h2ome.net in late June. A work-in-progress, the website will be endowed with its own identity, distinct from the print and digital editions. As always, your feedback will be highly appreciated.
Anoop K Menon
