In the last few years, Dubai has stayed at the forefront of promoting sustainability through various initiatives. It is in line with the ambitious Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 which envisions the share of clean energy increasing to 75% by 2050. Real estate, specially built areas, is one of the largest contributors to environmental damage. Consequently, the UAE government aims to ensure that 50% of buildings are sustainable by 2030.
OAMs must move proactively to meet the government’s clean energy targets. While sustainable architecture and construction have a vital role, OAMs can have a more long-term impact in determining a community’s carbon footprint.
Challenges in establishing green living practices
Lack of awareness: The first hurdle lies in convincing people to start at home. Even where residents are willing to lead a green lifestyle, they may not know where to start.
Infrastructure limitations: Many green standards are adopted at the time of construction. Consequently, sustainable architecture has seen increasing adoption. However, older buildings lack embedded technology or the space to include sustainable solutions.
Lack of resources: Enacting green policies requires focus and specialised equipment. These may not be available to community managers. Lack of adequate funding can also impact their functioning.
Building sustainability
Despite these challenges, OAMs have the responsibility to look for alternative solutions. ANACITY can play a crucial role in overcoming these gaps.
Raising awareness
Green living has to be a conscious and sustainable effort that must start with every individual. Yet, there is still a lack of awareness on how each resident can do his/her bit to reduce their carbon footprint. OAMs can raise awareness by holding educational events and sending communications on green initiatives or practices which residents can undertake. ANACITY’s communication module can be leveraged to share information and send notices on sustainability initiatives.
Monitoring energy consumption
In the soaring temperatures of the Middle East, high HVAC usage remains one of the biggest hurdles in reducing energy consumption. ANACITY can help in tracking power consumption in a building. This data helps promote a more sustainability-conscious behaviour among residents.
Preventive maintenance
Reducing wear and tear and ensuring the longevity of assets promotes the sustainable use of resources. Apart from long life, well-maintained equipment is also more energy efficient. ANACITY’s asset management module facilitates preventive maintenance by enabling community managers to set up an upkeep schedule with timely reminders. Read more about preventive and predictive maintenance in our article Centralise & Optimise with Digital Facility Management.
Partnerships with sustainable solution providers
Technologies like solar panels, geothermal systems, and smart energy management systems can help in overcoming infrastructural or constructional inadequacies. OAMs have the onus of adopting these technologies and ensure their wide adoption.
Drive green initiatives
The success of any initiative depends on its adoption. The biggest challenge here is people’s general reluctance toward change. Lethargy, laziness, or lack of drive can lead to backsliding after a while even when the community is willing to change for the better. Hence, OAMs have to drive a sustained and focused effort to ensure that these initiatives do not peter off after an initial period of excitement. ANACITY can help OAMs drive these changes through communication drives, setting penalties for violations and ensuring that these are collected.
These initiatives can not only help reduce the environmental impact of our built spaces, but they also help in resource optimisation. Thus, ANACITY offers OAMs the digital power to build sustainability in multi-family properties.