Farnek Avireal LEEDs by example

Farnek Avireal LEEDs by example

Leading UAE facilities management company implements latest energy and cost saving measures at its new Dubai headquarters
Farnek Avireal, one of the top UAE facilities management (FM) companies, has taken the ‘LEED’ quite literally with the design and fit out of its new Dubai headquarters.
The new office complex which is located in Al Quoz, Dubai, and which was officially opened this week, has been designed to be cost effective, environmentally sustainable and energy efficient meeting stringent international ‘green’ building standards.
The new building complies with the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for environmentally sustainable construction and is awaiting formal certification; uses Energy Saving Modules ECO3 green technology to optimise the use of air conditioning and refrigeration compressors; and has LED lighting installed to cut lighting costs by up to 70%.
“Just by optimising our compressors, we’ll be using about 20 per cent less power than normal without adversely affecting air conditioned temperatures in the building. On average Energy Saving Modules already in operation throughout the UAE have delivered a return on investment within two years,” said Markus Oberlin, General Manager of Farnek Avireal Middle East.
Oberlin went on to add that LED light bulbs last up to 10 times as long as compact fluorescents, far longer than typical incandescent lights. In addition they do not cause heat build-up, are Mercury-free and can use as little as 2-10 watts of electricity – less than a third of the power needed for incandescent bulbs.
“With these optimisation measures, plus our use of cost-saving LED lighting and the compliance with LEED Green design criteria, we can demonstrate how new buildings can be designed to reduce electrical output and managed cost effectively throughout their life-cycle, whilst reducing their carbon footprint.”
In addition to its leadership role in designing its new offices, Farnek Avireal is aiming to take pole position in facilities management in the region by implementing state-of-the-art computer aided FM (CAFM) software, integrated enterprise and customer management systems (ERP/CRM), call centre and email systems.
“Farnek has upgraded technology to the highest level to deliver better service through greater automation,” said SH Ramakrishnan, of CEM Business Solutions, the systems integrator which is implementing the new computer system.
“The ERP forms the foundation of IT and ensures easy, accurate and timely information generation, while the CRM will ensure Farnek communicates more effectively with its customers,” he added.
The CAFM from FIS, acknowledged as a leader in FM software solutions, is web-enabled and delivers vital information to FM professionals and colleagues responsible for the provision of a wide variety of building services. It provides complete control of all facilities and maintenance activities within one system.
The operating system, database, MS Dynamics GP (the ERP), MS Dynamics CRM, and the associated Microsoft-based software run on Sun Blade computer servers, which are designed for energy efficiency and space saving . The Cisco network also handles telephony.
Said Oberlin: “We needed an IT system which could do the necessary complex computations and business analysis to be able to retain our position as a leader in this market. We evaluated various technologies and products and finally chose a range of integrated solutions that will afford us a competitive edge over our competition.”