Diagnoses for Potential Enaction of Water–Energy Nexus in Green Building Rating Systems: Case Study of the Pearl Rating System of United Arab Emirates

The green building rating system within the sustainability framework of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Pearl Rating System (PRS), similar to most international rating systems such as LEED, considers several strategies, regulations, and policies to improve the energy and water performance in bui...

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Main Authors: Reshna Raveendran, Ahmed Hassan, Kheira Anissa Tabet Aoul
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2020-10-01
Series:Energies
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/20/5284
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spelling doaj-b8ca0a31220f444aaf7772afe623ec082020-11-25T03:58:58ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732020-10-01135284528410.3390/en13205284Diagnoses for Potential Enaction of Water–Energy Nexus in Green Building Rating Systems: Case Study of the Pearl Rating System of United Arab EmiratesReshna Raveendran0Ahmed Hassan1Kheira Anissa Tabet Aoul2Architectural Engineering Department, College of Engineering, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAEArchitectural Engineering Department, College of Engineering, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAEArchitectural Engineering Department, College of Engineering, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, UAEThe green building rating system within the sustainability framework of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Pearl Rating System (PRS), similar to most international rating systems such as LEED, considers several strategies, regulations, and policies to improve the energy and water performance in buildings. However, the applicability of considering water as part of energy or the fact that the utilization of energy mandates the usage of water seems unexplored and is not yet included in any of the existing building rating systems. A unified approach of water and energy resources is thus vital for future considerations in energy policy, planning, and the inclusion of the same in the sustainability rating systems. This paper investigated, as a case study, the prospects of water–energy nexus in the prevailing UAE green building rating system—PRS—to uncover whether any water conservation strategy has an adverse effect on energy and vice versa. The review revealed that the major shortcomings of the PRS in terms of water–energy nexus strategy are the usage of reference codes that are not suitable for the UAE’s climate and geographical conditions, inexistent synergy between some credit categories, the oversight of rebound effects, and a need for credit reassessment. The paper also recommends that any proposed strategy to realign credit categories in terms of the water–energy nexus with the potential risk to also have a hidden negative rebound effect that researchers and practitioners should identify lest the water–energy tradeoff brings unprecedented repercussions. The theoretical analysis establishes that the bifurcating management of water and energy in the sustainability rating system and energy policy needs to be revisited in order to reap more sustainable and optimum results that are environmentally, ecologically, and financially consistent.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/20/5284water–energy nexusgreen buildings rating systemsPearl Rating SystemEstidamasustainabilitybuilt environment
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Reshna Raveendran
Ahmed Hassan
Kheira Anissa Tabet Aoul
spellingShingle Reshna Raveendran
Ahmed Hassan
Kheira Anissa Tabet Aoul
Diagnoses for Potential Enaction of Water–Energy Nexus in Green Building Rating Systems: Case Study of the Pearl Rating System of United Arab Emirates
Energies
water–energy nexus
green buildings rating systems
Pearl Rating System
Estidama
sustainability
built environment
author_facet Reshna Raveendran
Ahmed Hassan
Kheira Anissa Tabet Aoul
author_sort Reshna Raveendran
title Diagnoses for Potential Enaction of Water–Energy Nexus in Green Building Rating Systems: Case Study of the Pearl Rating System of United Arab Emirates
title_short Diagnoses for Potential Enaction of Water–Energy Nexus in Green Building Rating Systems: Case Study of the Pearl Rating System of United Arab Emirates
title_full Diagnoses for Potential Enaction of Water–Energy Nexus in Green Building Rating Systems: Case Study of the Pearl Rating System of United Arab Emirates
title_fullStr Diagnoses for Potential Enaction of Water–Energy Nexus in Green Building Rating Systems: Case Study of the Pearl Rating System of United Arab Emirates
title_full_unstemmed Diagnoses for Potential Enaction of Water–Energy Nexus in Green Building Rating Systems: Case Study of the Pearl Rating System of United Arab Emirates
title_sort diagnoses for potential enaction of water–energy nexus in green building rating systems: case study of the pearl rating system of united arab emirates
publisher MDPI AG
series Energies
issn 1996-1073
publishDate 2020-10-01
description The green building rating system within the sustainability framework of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Pearl Rating System (PRS), similar to most international rating systems such as LEED, considers several strategies, regulations, and policies to improve the energy and water performance in buildings. However, the applicability of considering water as part of energy or the fact that the utilization of energy mandates the usage of water seems unexplored and is not yet included in any of the existing building rating systems. A unified approach of water and energy resources is thus vital for future considerations in energy policy, planning, and the inclusion of the same in the sustainability rating systems. This paper investigated, as a case study, the prospects of water–energy nexus in the prevailing UAE green building rating system—PRS—to uncover whether any water conservation strategy has an adverse effect on energy and vice versa. The review revealed that the major shortcomings of the PRS in terms of water–energy nexus strategy are the usage of reference codes that are not suitable for the UAE’s climate and geographical conditions, inexistent synergy between some credit categories, the oversight of rebound effects, and a need for credit reassessment. The paper also recommends that any proposed strategy to realign credit categories in terms of the water–energy nexus with the potential risk to also have a hidden negative rebound effect that researchers and practitioners should identify lest the water–energy tradeoff brings unprecedented repercussions. The theoretical analysis establishes that the bifurcating management of water and energy in the sustainability rating system and energy policy needs to be revisited in order to reap more sustainable and optimum results that are environmentally, ecologically, and financially consistent.
topic water–energy nexus
green buildings rating systems
Pearl Rating System
Estidama
sustainability
built environment
url https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/20/5284
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