Al Salem Johnson Controls, the Saudi Arabian arm of Johnson Controls International, the global leader in delivering products, services and solutions that increase energy efficiency in buildings, presented a keynote speech during the conference.

It discussed energy auditing and benchmarking for facility Improvement management.

The conference focuses primarily on showcasing how contractors can implement sustainable building practices that reduce energy consumption throughout the lifecycle of a building.

This year’s conference focused on how contractors are leading the way to a sustainable future for Kingdom’s construction sector and discuss how energy efficiency is achieved in the sector.

With the recent royal decree by Custodian of Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has allocated a budget of $155 billion for the construction and infrastructure development of the country over the next 10 years.

This investment has initiated the upcoming boost in the construction sector and opportunities for sustainable developments.

“While rapid expansion in the construction sector is being driven by infrastructure growth, the question of sustainability is a vital issue for long run feasibility. The significance of sustainability has been increasingly recognized globally. Today sustainability is being seen as a mandatory business requirement. The reason why Johnson Controls strives, through events and conferences like the Building Sustainability, to identify and achieve a greener tomorrow,” said Basil Abdulaziz, managing director, Al Salem Johnson Controls.

Presented by Buddy Watters, Controls general manager, the highly-structured presentation focused on how to implement energy efficient solutions in the new and existing Facilities, and how to identify effective energy use in all kinds of facilities.

The presentation also focused on the need to constantly evaluate and audit energy consumption and elevate benchmark for eco-friendliness that would result in reduced energy consumption, increased machines’ lifespan, and savings.

Buddy Watters said: “Most facilities in the Middle Eastern regions are operating with oversized air conditioning and lighting equipment, therefore making energy efficient retrofits program mandatory for the region’s construction sector. By establishing Energy Modeling, we would assist in reducing overall operating cost and carbon emission, and consequently increasing equipments and facilities’ lifespan in the long run.”

“Since every project or property has its unique optimal operating requirements, property owner and project managers are urged to constantly monitor efficiency, so as to ensure that the right equipments are being implemented” Buddy added.

Basil Abdulaziz added: “With the recent royal decree in place, there will obviously be a tremendous growth in the construction sector throughout KSA, and we at Al Salem Johnson Controls, a market leader in the HVAC industry, find it to be our responsibility to guide the construction industry toward a sustainable future, that will benefit our society and future.