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| Masdar City-A city of the future |
I first read about Masdar city,
built in the UAE, in
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| Photovoltaic Power Grid |
2008 when construction was already underway. A city
being built out of scratch with a capacity of 50,000 people, in the challenging
climate of the desert initially drew skepticism and criticism. There were
concerns about the project being another showcase of wealth for the rich with
little relevance to sustainability in their daily habits of life. But the
project soon gained global recognition owing to its zero carbon, zero emission target.
And today, it is endorsed by the most prominent environmental agencies in the
world.The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is building its head
quarters in Masdar city. My personal reaction to the article I had read about
the city, which was only on a quarter of a page, was absolute admiration. This
ambitious initiative towards sustainability is
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| Renewable Energy distribution in the city |
commendable coming from a
country who is a world leader in energy production from finite natural
resources.
Per capita the UAE has the second
highest carbon footprint in the world. In the past 30 years alone their CO2
emissions have doubled. But Abu Dhabi has taken initiative to reduce their
carbon foot print and preserve their environment from the impacts of future
climate change in the region. Their vision 2030 encompasses a series of green
projects to restructure their built environment energy efficiently with low
environmental stress. A revolutionary development to achieve sustainability.
And Masdar City, the 22 billion dollar planned city which has a
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| The orientation exploits the cooling night breezes |
zero
carbon-zero waste ecology, being built by the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company,
Madhubala Development Company, is a valuable part of this
development. Masdar
initiative built a pilot programme of photovoltaic system and solar beam down
project to exploit the harsh sun rays from the deserts, to produce electricity
with zero emissions. And this plant currently produces in excess of its
requirements for the city and this surplus energy will be channeled to Abu
Dhabi. This is one of the highlights of the project.
Masdar city is being designed by
foster & partners, a London based architectural firm. The city is an ultra
modern city designed for the future. However, the features of traditional
Arabian cities have been incorporated in the design to function as passive
methods to reduce energy consumption. The traditional Arabian cities had narrow
streets,
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| Narrow streets of Masdar city |
courtyards, exterior walls, thick walled buildings, wind towers,
perimeter walls around the cities, vegetation etc. These features served
different cultural purposes during the past. But now it serves an imperative
purpose towards sustainability.
Masdar city is being built 17km
east south east of Abu Dhabi. The city is oriented 45 degrees from the north to
take advantage of cooling night breezes and to minimize the exposure to the hot
desert sun. The microchip-like configuration of the city with the
closely-set rectilinear structures with their ground floors step back on
colonnades, in the short and narrow streets which turn and change
directions,
helps accelerate the air flow. The elimination of cars and their emissions
allow the air to be cleaner, streets to be narrower, buildings to be closer
thus providing more shade while allowing maximum day light. While the
photovoltaic panels on the roofs forming canopies filter the harsh
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The Masdar Institute of Science
and Technology is a one of its kind graduate research facility built in Masdar
City. It will be the first university which specializes in sustainability and
renewable technologies. The campus was built during the first phase of the
project and was completed in 2010. The sustainability of this Institute begins
with its design. All the building materials used are recyclable with low
embodied energy properties, with low emissions. A lot of emphasis was given to
the sustainability of the building materials. Locally manufactured green
concrete has been used in construction. The harsh sun rays are buffered by the
PTFE screens, and glass fiber reinforced concrete exterior walls in the form of
latticework; a contemporary take on the region’s vernacular features,
while allowing natural light through the double glazed windows in the buildings
and on to the streets through reflections from the PTFE screens. Thick
envelopes of the buildings with high thermal mass reduce the energy demand to
cool the interiors. The transitional zones or “climate lobbies” in Masdar Institute
limit and control the thermal shock experienced when transitioning from a
higher outdoor temperature to the lower indoor temperatures. These spaces are
retrofitted with folding doors which are kept open during cooler winters and
closed in hot summers to trap heat and cool the air, respectively. The
residential buildings are retrofitted with sky lights which allow only filtered
light into the atrium, and grills are located at the base of the buildings to
ventilate the spaces at night to cool the high thermal mass walls. These grills
are closed during the day.
The elimination of cars from the
city has brought a new technology of Transportation into the city, which is
such that of a sci-fi movie. These electric powered, computer operated
driver-less PRTs (Personal Rapid Transport) for its residents are subjected to
a lot of cynicism, owing to their high costs. And recently it was announced
that electric buses would be used for transportation around the city along with
the PRTs. Cycling and walking remain the most encouraged mode of transportation
around the city. Abu Dhabi's Light Rail Transport system will pass through
Masdar city connecting it to Abdu Dhabi central and the airport adjacent to it.
The city also has been configured in such a way that nobody will be further
than 200m from essential facilities.
Energy consumption in the city is
significantly reduced by 55% through design and retrofitted monitors and
sensors which regulate the consumption of energy. And desalinated water
consumption is reduced by 80% compared to conventional cities by capturing
storm water, reusing grey water and using this for irrigation and in urinals.
And for productive vegetation by-products of recycled wood chipping is to
enrich the soils. All the building waste is sent to the recycling facility in
the city where they are put back into their life cycle. Not only is building
waste recycled but household waste will be transferred here instead of dumping
it into landfills.
Masdar city is a small condensed lump of the future
and would be a bench mark for the rest of the world towards embracing
sustainability. When people visit Masdar city they would perhaps realize that
living comfortably does not have to be at the cost of environmental stress. The
Masdar city is to be opened in 2025.
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