Emirates: Abu Dhabi Distribution Company (ADDC) will invest Dh20 million in an energy efficiency initiative to reduce 20 per cent of electricity consumption in mosques.

During the ongoing Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, top officials from ADDC and the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowments (AWQAF) inked an agreement to optimise air conditioning equipment in 850 mosques in the Abu Dhabi and Al Dhafra regions.

Humaid Al Shamsi, Revenue Management Division Manager, ADDC, noted that smart thermostats will replace existing ones in the mosques to ensure optimal energy savings.

“This initiative is mainly targeting 850 large mosques. (It) will cover 65 per cent of mosques in the Abu Dhabi and Al Dhafra regions. We have chosen larger mosques, which will make a difference in consumption of electricity. In future, we will come up with a solution for smaller mosques also,” Al Shamsi told Khaleej Times.

The existing thermostats in these mosques will be replaced by smart and programmable ones that can be monitored and controlled remotely to maintain optimal temperatures while keeping power consumption low and prolonging the life of the air-conditioning equipment.

“We are targeting to reduce 20 per cent of electricity consumption in these mosques by monitoring the temperature levels,” he said.

The initiative will contribute to Abu Dhabi’s Demand Side Management and Energy Rationalisation Strategy, which aims to reduce overall electricity consumption by 22 per cent and water consumption by 32 per cent in the emirate by 2030.

The initiative will save 26 gigawatt-hours of electricity and approximately 4,600 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, which is equivalent to taking more than 900 vehicles off the road for a year.

Saeed Mohammad Al Suwaidi, managing director, ADDC, underlined that with the right mix of expertise and innovation, ADDC will continue to develop initiatives to facilitate a more sustainable future.

“Aligned with Abu Dhabi’s sustainability goals and the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative, our collaboration with AWQAF encompasses a comprehensive approach to use energy more efficiently in Abu Dhabi mosques. It is a testament to the potential that these types of projects can have in dramatically increasing energy efficiency and reducing overall carbon footprint.”

These mosques across the two regions serve over half a million worshipers.

Mohammed Saeed Al Neyadi, Director General, AWQAF, affirmed the authority's eagerness to upgrade mosques in accordance with the commandments of Islam. This includes providing a clean and comfortable environment for worshippers, utilising the latest technology available to improve services, and instituting regulations that ensure the effective management of mosques.

Lauding the UAE leadership, Al Neyadi noted the signing of this agreement falls in line with the authority’s strategy and plans for rationalising electricity consumption in mosques, stemming from the leadership’s interest in achieving a balance between economic and energy conservation requirements to reduce the operating costs of mosques and their associated institutions in Abu Dhabi.

Also, the control system will be able to perform predictive maintenance activities of the ACs. It will utilise performance metrics to forecast maintenance needs, minimising major equipment failure and saving energy.

“The system will increase the lifespan of these air conditioning units across all of these mosques,” Al Shamsi noted.

A control room featuring advanced technology with live control and monitoring will be established at an AWQAF facility to keep track of equipment performance in all participating mosques while maintaining targeted consumption for long-term sustainability.

ADDC’s long-standing partnership with AWQAF has already helped reduce the volume of water used for ablution in more than 600 mosques That partnership led to annual savings of approximately 700,000 cubic metres of water.