The global march towards sustainable urban development is virtually all-pervasive. With more and more governments climbing on the sustainability bandwagon, energy efficiency has become the buzzword like never before, especially when viewed against the context of urban skyscraper development. Energy efficient high-rises and green buildings have become the principal requirement of urban planners, architects, builders and government regulators the world over, more so in the Middle East countries, with their plans for large-scale sustainable development. The critical importance of energy efficiency will be highlighted during sessions at the 2015 edition of the Smart Skyscrapers Summit, to be held on May 11-12, 2015 at Sofitel The Palm Resort and Spa, Dubai, UAE. The summit is held under the patronage of the Dubai Municipality and is produced by global conference organizers, Expotrade.

Energy use in the Middle East is high, with the climate being a major factor. Ventilation, cooling and heating, vertical transportation and lighting are the major contributors towards energy consumption in tall buildings. No wonder it is then, that energy consumption in buildings accounts for a major percentage in global energy consumption and energy-related carbon-dioxide emissions. Compounding matters further are increasing energy costs and stringent energy emission regulations. Thus, the Middle East and Dubai in particular, with their large number of tall buildings, are prime locations for smart skyscraper solutions aimed at enhancing energy efficiency and promoting green buildings. These solutions and the technology that powers them will be discussed during the session on ‘Building Energy Efficient Skyscrapers for the Middle East Region’ at the Smart Skyscrapers Summit in May this year.

The universe of technology and solutions aimed at specifically improving energy efficiency levels is vast, and can be broken down into solutions for specific areas. For example, solutions revolving around glass facades are among the major drivers of energy efficiency in terms of high rise development. High performance glass facades, rainscreen systems and solar thermal array systems are some elements that can enhance energy efficiency of facades. Dynamic glass solutions incorporating dynamic glazing are other options being developed by solutions providers, with many more interesting technologies being researched to form the mainstay of future energy efficient solutions. Find out all there is to know about this exciting new area of development during the session on ‘Energy Efficiency with Glass Facades,’ to be presented by Gabor Andrasi, Sales and Marketing Director - Africa & Middle East, Guardian, at the Smart Skyscrapers Summit 2015.

For more details on the summit, visit www.smartskyscrapers.com