The Abu Dhabi Department of Energy (DoE) has hosted the activities of the fifth "Retrofit Tech Abu Dhabi 2025" Summit, held on June 17-18 at the Dusit Thani Hotel, Abu Dhabi. The summit brought together a distinguished gathering of officials, experts, and specialists from the energy efficiency and sustainability domains, along with a number of pioneering companies in green solutions and technologies.
The summit is regarded as a significant forum for addressing key challenges and prospects associated with energy efficiency, the influence of buildings on carbon emissions, and the function of innovation and technology in advancing the transition to a more sustainable built environment.
In this regard, His Excellency Eng. Ahmed Al Falasi, Executive Director of the Energy Efficiency Sector at the DoE, commented: "The Retrofit Tech Abu Dhabi Summit provides a vital strategic platform that convenes local and global expertise within the domains of energy efficiency and sustainable construction. It offers a tangible chance to strengthen cooperation and deploy innovative solutions that support our national pursuit of sustainability."
"Our participation showcases the DoE’s sustained efforts to create policies and regulations that promote efficiency in energy and water consumption, as well as to strengthen partnerships and coordination with various entities in the sector, aligning with the UAE Net Zero by 2050 Strategic Initiative," he added.
Al Falasi affirmed that DoE’s involvement underscored the advancements made within the Abu Dhabi Demand Side Management and Energy Rationalization Strategy 2030. It concentrated on ambitious programs targeting the reduction of electricity and water use in the Emirate's government and commercial buildings by implementing effective measures in their facilities. He also referenced the DoE's initiation of the Energy Efficiency Assessment project in the industrial sector as one of the significant drivers for efficiency in that domain.
Khalid Mohamed Al Qubaisi, Chief Executive Officer, TAQA Energy Services, said: “Our participation at the RetrofitTech and Sustainable Buildings Summit Abu Dhabi 2025 reflects our ongoing commitment to driving energy efficiency and sustainability across the emirate. We are actively developing more projects across strategic sectors: industrial, educational, healthcare, and government - reinforcing our role in advancing Abu Dhabi’s vision for a more efficient, future-ready built environment”.
Eng. Mohamed Al-Hadrami, Energy & Water Performance Efficiency Director at DoE, commented: "Retrofitting buildings in the Emirate is a foundational element of our endeavors to enhance energy efficiency and environmental sustainability." He indicated that "these projects are set to achieve total electricity savings estimated at about 220 gigawatt-hours throughout 2025, accompanied by an increase in the number of buildings undergoing retrofitting from 200 in 2025 to 300 by 2026."
Al-Hadrami also stated: "One of the most notable achievements was the approximately 185 gigawatt-hours in energy savings delivered in 2024 by 'TAQA Energy Services,' part of the 'TAQA' group, and other private energy service companies. This represents a saving of about 37 million dirhams in direct costs for commercial and governmental entities." He indicated that "the momentum is being maintained with commercial sector projects aiming to achieve savings of over 100 GWh. This will be accomplished by concentrating on building retrofitting operations, for example, the replacement of large-scale air conditioning systems, with these projects expected to commence generating significant savings by 2026."
Al-Hadrami detailed: "The Abu Dhabi Demand Side Management and Energy Rationalization Strategy 2030 embraces an ambitious outlook, with the goal of achieving a tenfold increase in the number of retrofitted buildings by 2030. This aligns with the Emirate's commitment to sustainability and to elevating the efficiency of power and water usage across all sectors." He further explained, "Retrofitting buildings is instrumental in lessening the environmental footprint, supporting the flexibility of the local economy, and advancing the quality of life for society."
Throughout the summit, the DoE highlighted several of its leading initiatives. These featured: the Government Buildings Retrofit Program, carried out by TAQA Energy Services in the past year, targeting annual savings of 25 megawatt-hours; the Cooling Load Guide, which is poised to improve the processes for measuring loads in buildings responsible for over 70% of electricity consumption; and the "Cooling-as-a-Service" project. This project offers an innovative model for supplying cooling services, eliminating the need for equipment purchase or maintenance, and directly resulting in lower energy use and greater efficiency.
Additionally, the DoE contributed to numerous expert panel discussions addressing fundamental themes, including engineering strategies for elevating building efficiency, the role of the digital shift in building retrofitting projects, and private sector opportunities and financing solutions. This involvement strengthens the integration of efforts between policies and technologies, while also helping to establish a more efficient framework that is adaptable to the requirements of future sustainability.