Green drive at The Galleries cuts chiller water consumption by 11 million litres
Limitless saved 11 million litres of water - enough to fill nearly four Olympic-sized swimming pools - in the first five months of 2012 as part of a new recycling and waste management drive at its flagship development, The Galleries.
Water consumption from January to May 2012 was down by 33% compared to the same period last year, after Limitless installed a system in The Galleries’ chiller that eliminates the need to use chemically-treated water.
Previously, cooling water contained chemicals to prevent corrosion and bacteria, but when the water was changed it could not be recycled or used for irrigation. It also needed special tankers for safe disposal. Now, the water goes further because it needs changing less often, and can be used to water The Galleries’ 20,000 square metre grounds. More than three million litres have been recycled for irrigation since its installation.
Bahaa Abouhatab, Limitless Head Projects, UAE, said, "We retrofitted this system to help us to meet our environmental sustainability targets. We have eliminated toxic waste, extended the lifecycle of the water and reduced tanker fuel bills."
Limitless is also recycling around 2.5 tonnes - the weight of an average family car - of paper each month after launching a campaign to encourage commercial tenants at The Galleries to think more about paper use. In addition, it has placed a number of 280-litre containers in which to collect cooking oil used by The Galleries’ growing number of restaurants and cafes. The oil is then recycled into biodiesel.
Bahaa Abouhatab said, "We are combining complex engineering systems with simple, day-to-day tactics to boost environmental sustainability at The Galleries. Our tenants share our belief in protecting the environment and reducing our carbon footprint, and it is great to see such an encouraging response to our latest recycling campaign. Our buildings are LEED-certified, meaning they already meet certain environmental criteria, but we continue to find new ways to make The Galleries even greener."
The Dubai Metro station is also helping Limitless reach its sustainability targets. Around half of the 2,500 tenants at The Galleries now use the Metro to travel to and from work. The Downtown Jebel Ali station, also serving Jafza, is connected to The Galleries office towers by a 200 metre, shaded pathway, constructed by Limitless as part of its green transport policy.
The Galleries is an eight-building mixed-use development set among landscaped, communal grounds the size of three international football pitches. Less than an hour by car from Abu Dhabi and directly accessed from Sheikh Zayed Road or by its own onsite Dubai Metro station, The Galleries has 2,500 parking spaces as well as onsite Facilities Management and Tenant Relations teams.
Emirate: Dubai
Date: Jun 22, 2012
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