DICC designer briefed on energy-saving Emirates Glass products

"Glass is the weakest link and the biggest potential source of heat gain into an air conditioned building," said Jerry Dowling, General Manager of Emirates Glass.

He said architects and construction companies and municipal services and water and electricity providers are faced with a major dilemma in the Gulf where summer temperatures are high.

"Daylight is the most efficient way to light up a building. But here in the typical Gulf summer conditions, light equals heat - and so large quantity of daylight are the least efficient way to maintain a cool comfortable intention," Dowling pointed out.

He said here energy consumption is the single largest overhead expense in running a large building. To control it, the choice of glass is critical. Various methods like thickness, tinting, reflective coatings and double-glazing are used to reduce heat gain.

Dowling said the EmiCool range of energy efficient glas is perhaps the best product in the market currently to significantly reduce electricity bills when used properly.

"It is the right glass, it has an aesthetic appearance, it provides a good night view by reducing indoor reflection and most importantly helps to save on electricity."

Ziad Yazbeck, Sales and Marketing Manager of Emirates Glass, said the company has launched a 'Strategic Partnership Programme' under which a series of technical workshops with clients and designers are being held.

"The Programme has begun and is ongoing. There are seven sessions planned in Dubai alone, at each of which we expect to have at least ten staff from our partners attending. This Programme will be extended UAE-wide and throughout the Middle East so that we can discuss the requirements of our clients and update them on Emirates Glass products to meet customer needs," Yazbeck said.

Just recently, Dubai-based Emirates Glass supplied close to 10,000 square metres of EmiCool High Performance Glass to a number of important projects in the UAE.

Emirates Glass supplied 4,000 square metres of EmiCool to Madinat Jumeirah. In the same time frame, it delivered 2,300 square metres to Al Qasr Hotel in Sharjah and an additional 3,500 square metres to Dubai Investments' Green Community Villas Phase 1.

Additionally, Emirates Glass supplied Hytec City in Hyderabad with 1,600 square metres, another 1,327 square metres to Wellington Mews Hotel in Mumbai and another 1,000 square metres to the Weil Cornell Medical College in Doha, Qatar. Other buyers include the Agricultural Bank project in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The company exports about 10 per cent of total production capacity of up to 60,000 square metres depending on the product mix, and is looking aggressively at Asia and Europe – especially the UK market.