Fraunhofer’s Institute for Building Physics IBP and Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE will provide planning and supervision services for the facade test centre (FTC) build in close collaboration with Masdar City.
Fraunhofer , a key player in Germany’s renewable energy sector, already operates a facade test centre for research and development in Germany.
The FTC at Masdar City is intended to assist designers and contractors in the selection of building materials to help reduce energy wastage in the UAE and the wider MENA region. It is part of Masdar’s endeavor to reduce energy demand by testing and quantifying the energy performance of integrated building facades, especially through strategic international partnerships and collaborations in renewable energy and sustainability.
The project will also widen the scope of Masdar City’s service offering, enabling partners and clients within the MENA region to take advantage of services delivered out of the FTC. The FTC is aimed to position Masdar City as a key service provider in consultancy services and generate revenue.
“It is important for Abu Dhabi to host a dedicated facility of this stature, given its relevance to the integrated facades that need to be constructed in line with the emirate’s Estidama guidelines,” said Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar.
“Offering ratings on the material selection for buildings in Abu Dhabi assumes enormous significance and we are pleased to provide such a service in partnership with a world-renowned organisation,” AL Jaber cotinued. “Sustainable building materials’ testing is a leading item on the Masdar City technology roadmap as we believe this is an area where we can provide technology leadership to the region. Partnering with Fraunhofer to design and operate the FTC will add technical credibility and third party endorsement. The FTC will provide a significant impetus to making Abu Dhabi the world’s benchmark for sustainable development.”
The FTC will be based on the design and operation of Fraunhofer IBP’s full-scale facade test centre at its site close to Munich in Germany which boasts over 10 years of field experience and on Fraunhofer ISE’s know-how on development and optimisation of building facades including facade integration of solar energy systems.
“With this unique cooperation, we bring together Masdar’s experiences in building construction under their specific climate and Fraunhofer’s knowledge in testing and design at the technological edges,” said professor Klaus Sedlbauer, Director of Fraunhofer IBP.
“We are looking forward to support latest sustainable building solutions for the application in Masdar and the UAE,” he said.
Professor Eicke Weber, Director of Fraunhofer ISE, stated: “This is Fraunhofer’s first big step to facilitate the application of latest renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies at Masdar in the UAE and the GCC region. We are looking forward to further support the exemplary establishment of a sustainable energy system in the near future through our cooperation with Masdar.”
Construction is expected to start by the first quarter of 2012.
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