1. RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN © 2012
www.PosterPresentations.com
The purpose of this case study is to provide awareness on the different types of renewable technologies, methods of
transportation and architectural design behind the world’s first low carbon city known as Masdar City.
With increased rate of global development and high levels of pollutant emissions and greenhouse gasses, the world
must turn to new, efficient and practical sustainable technologies to battle climate change and prepare the world for a
post fossil fuel era. Masdar has taken the initiative to create a future city to be a role model for a sustainable future.
INTRODUCTION
ABSTRACT RENEWABLE TECHNOLOGIES TRANSPORTATION
REFERENCES
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
British Columbia School of Construction and Environment
Aidan Wanamaker, Anna Premia, Ainie Gan, Mustaffa Hamad, Fahmi Aminuddin
MASDAR CITY: SOURCE OF SUSTAINABLE ENERGY
RENEWABLE TECHNOLOGIES (continued)
1. The Mastar Institute (www.masdar.ac.ae)
2. Foster+Partners, Sizing and Location http://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/masdar-development/
3. Foster+Partners, Description http://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/masdar-development/
4. Foster+Partners, Sustainablility http://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/masdar-institute/
5. Masdar (2015) Masdar City Solvar PV (www.masdar.ae)
6. Future Build: http://www.thefuturebuild.com/case-study/masdar-turns-to-suns-heat-to-cool-buildings
7. MarketWatch, Wall Street Journal (January 16, 2012). Masdar City Testing TVP Solar’s High-0Vacuum Flat Solar
Thermal Panels for Air-Conditionnghttp://www.tvpsolar.com/index.php?context=news-
home&liv2=news&id_news=14
8. Shahan, Zachary (2014). Largest Single-Unit Concentrated Solar Power Plan In the World- Shams 1 (CT Exclusive).
Clean Technic, January 18th, 2014. www.cleantechnica.com
9. Youtube video: Masdar: The City of the Future by Fully Charged
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIaz61zpLfs)
10. Norden, B. (ed.) Geothermal Energy Utilization in Low-Enthalpy Sedimentary Environments, Scientific Technical
Report STR11/06
11. GRID. (www.gridmag.org). UAE LOOKS TO GEOTHERMAL (May 2015)
12. Shekhar, Shashank (2010). Masdar drilling two geothermal energy wells. Emirates 24/7
13. Shamma, H. Direct-use of geothermal energy: an overlooked energy efficiency resource. RG Thermal Energy
Solutions, Cleanergy.net
14. Masdar, A Mubadala Company. Renewable Energy Water Desalination Programme. www.masdar.ae
15. Bnc.- United Arab Emirates (www.bncnetwork.net). Hydrogen Power Plant with Desalination Element- Masdar
City
16. Summary of YouTube video: Hydrogen Power Abu Dhabi (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU7ngSzoRr0)
17. Melzer, L (2012). Carbon Dioxide Enhanced Oil Recovery (CO2-EOR): Factors Involved in Adding Carbon Capture,
Utlization and Storage (CCUS) to Enhanced Oil Recovery
18. Summary of YouTube video: Hydrogen Power Abu Dhabi (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il0Dw3vfjZk)
19. Carvalho S (2011). Masdar delays $2.2 billion joint venture with BP. Reuters- Abu Dhabi (January 18, 2011)
20. Masdar, A Mubadala Company. Power Innovation- Sustainable Report 2013
This city is 640-hectare project features mixed-use, low-rise, high-density development, Masdar City includes the
headquarters for the International Renewable Energy Agency and the recently completed Masdar Institute as well as
a Global technology company, SEIMENS. [2]
The masterplan for this development is said to be designed to be highly flexible, to allow it to benefit from emergent
technologies and to respond to lessons learnt during the implementation of the initial phases. This development is an
experiment while setting out a goal for a better future. While, Masdar's design represents a specific response to its
location and climate, the underlying principles are applicable anywhere the world. [3]
Some of the Passive sustainable strategies implemented are:
The city grid is angled to minimise solar penetration of the streetscape. It also helps capture and funnel prevailing
winds, to cool the masterplan.
The orientation of the buildings was designed to optimise street shading and provide overshadowing to adjacent
buildings, which helps to keep them cool. The design of the façade means that, while buildings are in close
proximity to their neighbours, there is still a feeling of privacy, as they do not overlook each other.
Insulated facades to all buildings within the masterplan and balconies with solar screens in residential blocks
provide protection from direct solar access. In the atria, a thermal stack and exposed thermal mass help to provide
passive cooling.
Each building contains advance environmental systems to maximise comfort whilst minimising energy usage. These
include advanced fan coil units; active chilled beams with air sensing technology to reduce air change rates; low
energy lighting fittings; advanced frictionless chillers and full heat and coolth recovery from exhaust air.
A rooftop PV array helps provide the electricity requirements of the buildings whilst shading the roof to limit solar
heat gains.
Potable water usage was minimised, using low flow fixtures and fittings. Water was then recycled, including
condensate for non-potable water uses. Species used in landscaping were carefully chosen to minimise irrigation
requirements
Landscaping and ecology were used intelligently across the streetscape to provide both shade and cooling through
the natural process of evapotranspiration. To minimise the impact of the development, Masdar is an example of a
high-density, low-rise development.
Arabic geometry was used widely throughout the design of the buildings, including in the privacy and shading
screens on the balconies and in the detailing of the facades. A windtower in the courtyard draws upon historic
precedent, whilst using the latest technologies to help cool the external area. [4]
Low-Enthalpy Geothermal
In 2010, Masdar City started their geothermal development with their first couple low-enthalpy geothermal wells.
Situated at the sedimentary basins along the Arabian Gulf, studies have confirmed that the low-enthalpy geothermal
potential is quite significant and often overlooked. Geothermal resources are classified by the reservoir potential
alone, where a low-enthalpy reservoir temperature is between 90°C to 150°C and high-enthalpy reservoir would
correspond to the 150°C to 300°C. [10] With an average of fluid temperature of 95°C and considerably high flow
rates out of the well, the low-enthalpy resource at Masdar City is ideal to supplement the district cooling in the city’s
development. In addition, it was announced in 2013 that they are planning to build the first large-scale geothermal-
powered water desalination plant, which will be operational by 2020. [11] With UAE’s known high carbon footprint
per capita, where up to 60-70% is due to high demands for desalination and air conditioning, harnessing this
geothermal energy for these applications could make this one of the most attractive renewable and economically
viable energy sources in the Middle East.
District Cooling: A closed loop of 2 geothermal wells was installed with a flow rate of 100kg/sec and depths
reaching to 2,800m and 4,500m for the respective wells. The 95°C fluids are extracted from deep aquifers below the
ground which have been heated from the earth’s core. The useful heat energy is then transported to the central high-
efficient chiller plant where it would supply and distribute 4°C chilled water into the district cooling network for the
city. Masdar is looking to produce 5MW of power to power the air conditioning system at Masdar City.[12]
Reykjavik Geothermal, the project’s consultant company, calculated that there is a potential for one of the wells to
produce ~10MWth (with a flow rate of 100kg/sec at 100°C, and ∆T of 30°C. With an absorption chiller with a COP
of 0.7, this would equate to 1MW of electricity in savings. [13]
Desalination Plant: Currently, the desalination project is in the pilot phase of the development, where research is
being conducted to explore energy and cost efficient next generation desalination technologies that would be suitable
to be powered by low-enthalpy geothermal energy. Generally, desalination of seawater requires the use of large
amounts of energy but Masdar has set a target to consume less than 3.6kWh per 1 m3 of produced water. The water
will be produced through membrane-based seawater desalination. Currently the test plants are providing 1,500 m3 of
potable water per day, which is enough for 500 homes. [14] In an area where 40% of the world’s desalination water
is produced, a project of this size would be revolutionary for the region in terms of energy consumed.
Hydrogen Power Plant
One of the bigger projects that are currently in the planning stages is the first commercial-scale hydrogen fuelled
power plant. The hydrogen power plant, which is a joint venture with BP, will also incorporate carbon capture and
storage on top of producing clean energy to the city.
Around 100 million cubic feet of natural gas will be piped into the hydrogen power plant every day, where it will be
transformed into hydrogen and carbon dioxide components. [15] The first step of the process would be to remove
substances like sulphur from the gas; thereafter the gas will enter a reformer and combusted with steam at high
pressure to form synthesis gas. The syngas will go through a reaction and move on to the CO2 removal towers where
it will be split into a hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The hydrogen portion will then be burnt to produce 400MW of
clean energy, which is a considerable 5% of all Abu Dhabi’s power generation. The main emissions would be water
vapour. [16]
Captured CO2: After the removal of carbon dioxide from the syngas, the capture carbon dioxide will then be
transported by pipeline and sent to the oilfields in the region. The carbon dioxide gas will be injected into oil
production wells for pressure maintenance, where it will be permanently stored in the oilfield’s formation. Natural
gas, which would normally be used for this purpose, would then be free for domestic use or exports instead. The
potential for capturing carbon dioxide is significant and Masdar calculates that up to 1.7 million tonnes of CO2 would
be removed per year. This is equivalent to removing all of the cars form the road in Abu Dhabi.
Another advantage is the ability for CO2 injection to maximize oil recovery in the formation. The CO2 would be
injected into the exhausted oil fields where it would mix and release more oil from the formation.[17] Masdar
suggest that an additional of 100 million barrels of oil could be recovered in a typical oil field, which would increase
Abu Dhabi’s reserve to an additional two billion barrels.[18]
With some delays, the project is due to start in 2018 and is budgeted to cost about $2 billion. [19]
ARCHITECTURE
CONCLUSION
Masdar City is revolutionizing the transportation system by becoming the first ever ‘carbon neutral
city’. The city has completely eliminated vehicles that operate on fossil fuels by replacing them with
Personal Rapid Transit systems and other types of vehicles that operate entirely on alternative
energy. By doing this, the city reduces carbon emissions and produces a pedestrian-friendly
environment. [20]
The PRT systems are driverless vehicles that are controlled by navigation systems are powered by
lithium-phosphate batteries and use magnets mounted on the track pathways for identifying the
position and detecting obstacles. They move up to 60km on a 90-minute charge.
Mitsubishi Electric Vehicles: the EV is a piolet project that uses Mitsubishi motor electric vehicles
that are powered by a 16kWh lithium-ion battery. They use rapid charging stations that could
charge the vehicles from empty in approximately 40 minutes.
Solar Photovoltaic Plant
The Masdar City Solar Photovoltaic Plant consists of 87,780 multi-crystalline and thin film solar panels, making
it the largest of its kind in the Middle East. It generates 17,564 MWh of energy annually and offsets carbon
emission by 15,000 tonnes annually.[5] About 80% of the solar panels were supplied by First Solar, who
produces thin-film solar panels that are low in production costs. However, thin-film solar panels generate less
electricity than traditional silicon-based solar panels, hence why the remaining 20% of the plant is made of
multi-crystalline panels to achieve balance in material cost and efficiency. Suntech, a company in China
specializing in photovoltaic panels, is the supplier of the multi-crystalline solar panels in Masdar City. Any
excess power from this plant will also be used to power Abu Dhabi’s power grid.[6]
The photovoltaic (PV) plant has hit all performance targets in the first two years of its operations,
demonstrating that utility-scale PV plants in the region are viable. Masdar said today. Since operations began,
the plant has saved 24,000 tons in CO2 emissions, which is the equivalent of taking 3,300 cars off Abu Dhabi's
roads.
Solar Thermal Cooling Technology
Masdar city is also a pioneer in the technology of double-effect solar thermal cooling system. Typical “green”
solar thermal cooling system utilizes electricity generated from solar panels to run the compressors in
conventional air conditioning systems. Masdar City’s solar thermal cooling research utilizes the heat collected
from PV plants to activate a chemical process that involves a mixture of water and special salts (eg. lithium
chloride) to produce chilled water. The product of this thermochemical process is transported through active
chilled beams to provide a sustainable cooling system in buildings. Masdar has been working with TVP Solar, a
Swiss company providing its MT-Power high vacuum flat solar thermal panel for the plant, to harness energy to
run the thermo-chemical process. This technology is expected to provide 70% solar-to-cooling conversion
efficiency operating at 180°C to drive a double-effect absorption chiller.[7]
Concentrated Solar Power Plant- Shams 1
Another one of Masdar’s renewable energy project was the Shams 1 that was completed in 2013. The Shams 1
is the largest single-unit concentrated solar power (CSP) plant in the world. The 100MW grid-connected power
plant creates energy by using parabolic mirrors to track, capture and concentrate heat onto pipes carrying oil
with temperatures reaching up to 400°C. The oil goes on to heat the water which is turned into steam and
turns a turbine that creates the electricity for 2000 homes. The heat can also be stored and saved in a thermal
tank of oil that would retain the thermal energy. [8]
With relatively higher cost than solar photovoltaics, the CSP system has a less influence on short-term drop of
sunlight which would yield fewer fluctuations in electricity output. The system is also able to use natural gas as
booster heaters for production at night and on cloudy days. They allowable maximum is just 600,000 btu.
Rooftop Solar Panels
To capture additional energy, Masdar has installed rooftop solar panels on all of their buildings. In a region
with such high solar intensity, these panels are able to produce up to 1MW of extra power which is up to a
third of used electricity. These are also sufficient to support high energy labs at the Masdar City. [9]
Masdar continues to conduct research aiming to improve and optimizing their systems and to minimize decay
of these technologies with heat. Currently they have several pilot products that undergo testing and once an
optimize solution is achieved, will go on to commercialize it.
Masdar City is a planned city located 17 kilometers south-east of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Development
began in 2008 and is constructed by the Mubdala Development Company, which is owned by the Abu Dhabi
government. Currently in completion of the first phase of development, Masdar City is designed to be the world’s
first zero-carbon and zero waste city in the world, where it will entirely rely on renewable energy with solar power
energy being the main source. The city is planned to cover 6,000 square kilometers, hosting up to 45,000 to 50,000
residents and attracting 1,500 businesses upon completion between 2020 and 2025. The project is expected to cost
$15 billion.
One of the objectives of the project is to establish the city to be home to cutting- edge tech research and development
and be the base for clean energy tech companies worldwide. Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, created in
collaboration with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is the world’s first graduate –level university that would be
dedicating and focusing on advanced energy and sustainable technologies. [1] Masdar City will also be home to the
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), an intergovernmental organization to promote adoption and
sustainable use of renewable energy. These activities will position Masdar City to be an international hub and set
them as world leaders of sustainable energy in the future.
Figure 12: Geothermal Cooling District Schematic: Shamma, H. Direct-use of
geothermal energy: an overlooked energy efficiency resource. RG Thermal Energy
Solutions, Cleanergy.net
Figure 13 Geothermal Diagram: Shamma, H. Direct-use of geothermal energy: an
overlooked energy efficiency resource. RG Thermal Energy Solutions, Cleanergy.net
Figure 14 Proposed Hydrogen Plant Schematic:
Figure 6: Plan-View Photovoltaic Plant: www.environmena.com Figure 7: Masdar’s Photovoltaic Plant www.renewableenergymagazine.com
Figure 9: Masdar City CSP Plant from www.masdar.ae
Figure 8: CSP schematic Lewis, Aidan. Harnessing desert sun to power Europe. BBC
News, Ourzazate, Morocco (December 4, 2011)
Figure 10: Solar Panels on Masdar City buildings from www.masdar.ae Figure 10: Solar Panels on Masdar City buildings from www.masdar.ae
Figure 1: Masdar City Layout-Masdar, A Mubadala Company. Power Innovation- Sustainable Report 2013
We would like to extend special thanks to:
Andrea Linsky, Program Head, Sustainable Energy Management, BCIT
Olga Petrov, Instructor, Environmental Engineering Instructor, BCIT
Nardine Al-Yazdi, Promotional Director, Abu Dhabi, UAE
Laith Hussain , Abu Dhabi, UAE
Going into the second phase of development, the Masdar City project has already achieved so much in the world of
sustainable technology in such a small time frame, receiving applauds and recognition from the global community,
as well as setting important milestones in the field. There have been many skeptics questioning the realistic benefits
of such endeavors and the application of these ideas to existing cities, who financially and politically are unable to
support such projects and investments.
It is important to recognize that the main objective of Masdar City is to have a hub to transfer and market well-
crafted, and fully-tested new technologies around the globe. Hopefully, the success of Masdar City will show the
world the practicality and feasibility of a sustainable community, which would result to other cities to follow suit.
Figure 18: Masdar City Clean Energy Potential for the Future (Technologies Covered); over
530MW of energy from renewable sources
Figure 2: Residential Low-rise
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-
05hvV0B4Mu4/UPrhAq0o8KI/AAAAAAAAAOw/2QBif1a
Kbis/s1600/fdgdf.jpg
Figure 3.1: Masdar Headquarters,
http://www.carboun.com/sustainable-design/masdar-
headquarters-the-first-positive-energy-building-in-the-middle-east/
Figure 3.2: Masdar Headquarters Wind Predictions,
http://www.carboun.com/sustainable-design/masdar-
headquarters-the-first-positive-energy-building-in-the-middle-east/
Figure 3.3: Masdar’s Community Passive Cooling System
http://www.carboun.com/wp-
content/uploads/2011/09/Masdar-Institute-Wind-
Tower1.jpg