Muscat, NOV 21 - A Request for Proposals (RfP) leading to the award of a contract for retrofitting and enhancing the energy efficiency of an initial batch of government buildings in the Sultanate is proposed to be issued in the first quarter of 2019. The initiative is part of an ambitious national campaign being spearheaded by the Authority for Electricity Regulation Oman (AER) championing energy conservation and efficient electricity use through improvements in consumption behaviours, implementation of minimum standards in new building design and construction, energy audit and retrofit of existing buildings, introduction of energy standards for household electrical appliances, and better awareness.
In conjunction with this initiative, the regulator is also supporting the development of energy service companies (ESCOs) — a relatively nascent industry in Oman — primarily to assist owners of buildings — existing and new — in complying with building codes and energy efficiency standards.
Presently in its sights are government buildings which the Authority is committed to substantially retrofitting and upgrading — from the energy efficiency standpoint — within the next five years. As a first step, the Authority is currently in the process of hiring a consultant to drive this process.
This appointment stage, due to be completed during the current fourth quarter of 2018, represents Phase 1 of the Authority’s programme for the audit of government buildings.
In Phase 2, the regulator plans to issue an RfP inviting energy service companies (ESCOs) to bid for its contract for providing energy audit and retrofit services covering an initial batch of government buildings. Phase 2 is envisioned for implementation in Q1 of next year.
Building audits will commence during the second and third quarters of 2019, according to the Authority’s timeline. With hundreds — and potentially thousands — of government buildings slated to be retrofitted, the exercise is proposed to be carried out in multiple batches.
Based on what the energy audits have garnered, the task of retrofitting buildings to make them energy efficient will commence in the fourth quarter of 2019.
Retrofits will typical involve the upgrade of air-conditioning systems — which typically account for around 70 per cent of the total energy bill of any building — to more efficient equipment, installation of thermostats and sensors to cap cooling at a certain temperature, replacement of conventional high-consumption light fittings with energy-efficient LED lamps, use of external cladding systems to insulate buildings from external heat, and so on.
Ahead of the launch of the energy audit and retrofit programme, the Authority has also organised a number of workshops designed to encourage Omani entrepreneurs and SMEs to build their capacities with an eye on opportunities that will become available when the programme gets under way.
To this end, the Authority has also urged international ESCOs to tie up with local SMEs and firms and thereby support knowledge sharing, skills transfer and in-country value (ICV) development.
Conrad Prabhu
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