Farnek Showcases Smart Solutions at Retrofit Tech to Support MENA Net Zero Ambitions

Leading UAE-based smart and green facilities management (FM) company Farnek, is currently showcasing its HITEK smart solutions at the Retrofit Tech MENA Summit, which is taking place at the Movenpick Grand Al Bustan in Dubai. The series of events provides an inclusive platform for key players in the energy efficiency, sustainability and retrofitting sectors, to support the region’s sustainability goals.

L-R: Nadia Ibrahim, Associate Director - Consultancy and Sustainability at Farnek with Javeria Aijaz, Managing Director - HITEK, at the Retrofit MENA Tech Summit

Four countries in the GCC region have already committed to Net Zero targets, the UAE and Oman by 2050, while Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have targeted a date of 2060. Qatar and Iraq have also announced plans to reduce their carbon emissions, with Egypt and the UAE hosting COP 27 and COP 28 in 2022 and 2023 respectively.

“In partnership with the private sector, strategic plans will need to be put in place to initiate large-scale retrofitting and energy efficiency projects, for which sustainable design and energy efficient performance will be of paramount importance,” said Markus Oberlin, CEO, Farnek.

“Integrating with Building Management Systems (BMS), the HITEK digital solution is fully equipped to identify, design, deliver and finance energy reduction for and on behalf of building owners, which creates not only more cost-effective buildings but a cleaner environment,” he added.

Farnek has been a member of the Energy Services Company (ESCO) accreditation scheme since March 2017. The scheme was primarily set up to give building owners, and managers added confidence, that the accredited companies had the experience, capabilities, financial strength, HSE and related equipment, to retrofit buildings to international standards.

Under the ESCO programme there are two different business models, catering for the most popular approaches to energy performance contracting. The shared savings model refers to ESCO investment into the equipment and materials to generate energy efficiency and is remunerated from a predetermined percentage of the savings generated.

The guaranteed savings is a more traditional model, whereby an ESCO would recommend implementing energy-saving solutions (ring-fenced by contractual key performance indicators) and the building owner provides the financing. Either way both contracts are intended to be fair and balanced and allocate risk proportionately between the ESCO and the building owner.

HITEK can also connect assets from multiple sites so they can be centrally monitored and managed by utilising the Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud, Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) based technologies.

“By linking smart buildings with a digitally connected workforce, the system affords operational efficiencies and supports staff welfare. Customers can save up to 17% of their manpower costs by transferring from traditional FM operational management to HITEK’s smart management, which also reduces carbon emissions still further,” said Oberlin.

Farnek has a dedicated sustainability area on its stand, providing a comprehensive bouquet of green products and services. Farnek can help building owners with Net Zero strategic planning, from concept to implementation and management. It has consultants on hand to explain the benefits of energy audits and advise on waste management, Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) as well as LEED certification.

For hotel and leisure properties, Farnek is the preferred partner of Green Globe Certification and can measure and benchmark energy and water consumption, using an online tool called Hotel Optimizer, as well as calculating carbon emissions.