The Abu Dhabi Education Council has been awarded a three pearl rating by the Urban Planning Council for 10 new public schools that are being built to high sustainability standards. These schools are being designed and constructed to reduce energy and water consumption through techniques like solar power, recycled water, and shading. The Education Council aims to design 100 additional public schools over the next 10 years using sustainable practices to provide students with healthier learning environments.

1. UAE | Education
Education Council scores green points
• By Dina El Shammaa, Abu Dhabi Deputy Editor
• Published: 00:00 July 28, 2011
• Image Credit: Ahmed Kutty/Gulf News
• Dr Mugheer Al Khaili
Abu Dhabi: Urban Planning Council awards Estidama three pearl rating to the Abu Dhabi
Education Council today at a press conference.
The Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC) has been awarded a three pearls rating for
complying with the Urban Planning Council's Estidama (sustainability) requirements which has
an equivalent between Gold and Platinum in the LEED grading system. These 10 public

2. schools, due to be ready next year, are the first ever buildings in Abu Dhabi to achieve such a
high rating.
Five of the schools are located in the Abu Dhabi suburbs of Al Bateen, Al Shawamekh, Al
Shamkha, Baniyas and the other five in the Al Ain suburbs of Al Yahar, Al Foah and Zakheer.
These schools have been designed using sustainable techniques and materials that will help
reduce energy and water consumption, improve indoor air quality conditions and incorporate
better waste management practices.
In addition, each school has been designed to use renewable energy technologies such as
photovoltaic systems to generate electricity, and solar collectors for hot water supply which will
be monitored through a building management system. Water will be recycled, and air-cooled air
conditioning systems will help to reduce the consumption of water. Detail orientation studies
have been conduced, and shades have been placed in almost every window to protect the
building and the students, improving outdoor thermal conditions.
Alternative energy
"Nine per cent of the energy consumption in these schools will rely on alternative energy. We are
focusing on the conservation of energy, water consumption and recycling of waste, and are
working with the UPC to allocate more schools with energy sustainable measures," said Hamad
Al Daheri, ADEC's Infrastructure and Facilities Division Manager.
Since 2009, and before the Estidama pearl rating system was introduced by the UPC, ADEC
took the initiative of building 23 new school buildings, each designed with energy-efficient
features that were pioneer at that time.
Despite sustainable infrastructure being a costly process, ADEC remains committed to providing
its students with a healthier learning environment, according to Dr Mugheer Al Khaili, ADEC’s
Director General.
Sustainability focus
"Students are the nucleus of a society, and introducing sustainable initiatives in schools will
result in better student and teacher achievement. This initiative is a benchmark example to be
followed by the communities where schools are located. Estidama will touch multiple facets in
people's daily lives and in school curriculums," said Dr Al Khaili.
As per ADEC's Future Schools Programme — Alberto Treves, Educational Facilities Design
Section Manager at ADEC told Gulf News that ADEC is in the process of designing 100 public
schools using high levels of sustainability to be built in the next ten years. In the beginning of
2012, ADEC, UPC, and other institutions will also work in an awareness campaign with students
and teachers in efforts to promote the concept of sustainability and to prolong the life span of the
school buildings.

3. Rating system
Abu Dhabi's Plan 2030 establishes a clear vision for sustainability as the foundation of any new
development occurring in the emirate.
Estidama promotes a new mindset for building a forward-thinking global capital. To establish a
distinctive overarching framework for measuring sustainability performance beyond the usual
planning and construction phases, UPC has worked with the team guiding Estidama to assure
that sustainability is continually addressed through four pre-defined angles: environmental,
economic, social and cultural.