May 14, 2017

Dubai, United Arab Emirates 

The Sustainable Energy Programme Section team at the Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) participated in the International Passive House Conference in Vienna. Among the team members present at the conference were Engineer Abdulla Ahli, Manager of the Sustainable Energy Programme Section at MBRSC and Khalifa Majid Al Falasi, senior engineer at the section.

The team gave a presentation on MBRSC's Sustainable Autonomous House, which is certified by the Passive House Institute in Germany as the first of its kind Passive House for a hot and humid climate. 

The presentation provided information on the engineering practices and technology deployed in the house, including insulation techniques in both directions, a cooling system based on chilled water, mechanical air filtration, as well as a smart management and control system. They also stressed that the aim of the project is to decrease energy consumption, reduce carbon emissions and meet people's physiological and psychological needs who live in hot and humid temperature.

On the side lines of the conference, the team took part in various workshops discussing the field of passive houses, as well as lectures presenting the latest and most prominent technologies in that field. 

Commenting on MBRSC's participation in the conference, Engineer Abdulla Ahli, Manager of the Sustainable Energy Programme Section at MBRSC said: 'The goal of MBRSC's participation in the International Passive House Conference in Vienna is to shed light on the advantages of its Sustainable Autonomous House in one of the most important conferences in the world”. 

“Furthermore, by participating in this conference we aim to increase our scientific and technical knowledge in the field of passive houses and learn more about advanced scientific discoveries in order to build a sustainable knowledge-based economy and ensure a prosperous future for our next generations,' he added.
'This Sustainable Autonomous House reflects the UAE’s comprehensive forward-looking vision, which aims to preserve and protect the environment, as well as using smart technology to make people's lives easier and happier,' Ahli concluded.

MBRSC launched the Sustainable Autonomous House project as part of its research efforts in sustainability and green buildings. The house uses energy production and storing technology similar to that used when building satellites and space shuttles.