CAPTION: The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi; a landmark digital mosque

Abu Dhabi, UAE, July 4, 2016:   Smart building technology from Siemens will keep cool more than 9,000 worshippers in the main prayer hall of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi during Eid. A smart building management platform automatically monitors and controls the environment inside the UAE’s landmark mosque for maximum comfort and energy efficiency.

“The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is a perfect example of how smart building technology can balance the needs of people with those of the environment,” says Dietmar Siersdorfer, CEO, Siemens Middle East and UAE. “In a building like the Grand Mosque - which has fluctuating levels of occupancy throughout the day – we can use smart technology to ensure the building is always operating at its most efficient, without compromising the comfort of those using it.” 

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, which attracts more than three million visitors and worshippers per year, has an integrated building management platform from Siemens with 8,000 data points. Running problem-free for more than eight years, and carefully hidden from view, the platform uses sensors to measure the quality and temperature of the air in the main sanctuary. The system automatically senses when the occupancy is increasing – for instance during prayer times – and adjusts the amount of cooling and fresh air required for these peak periods. At quiet periods, when less cooling is required, the system automatically runs at a more energy efficient level.

“It’s not just about air temperature; the air quality is also very important,” says Koen Bogers, Senior Executive Vice President, Building Technology, Siemens Middle East. “When the sensors detect a reduction in the quality of air, the building management system automatically brings in fresh, cool air to maintain a consistently high quality, at a temperature appropriate to the occupancy.”

In addition to the cooling, the Siemens building management system also monitors information from the mosque‘s other systems including electrical, plumbing and fire protection to ensure the safety of occupants at all times. 

The same Siemens technology contributes to the record-breaking energy efficiency levels at the company’s regional headquarters in Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City, which saved 60 percent of energy in its first year compared to a standard office building. The Desigo platform is also installed at the recently inaugurated Siemens AG headquarters in Munich, where it contributes to an electricity saving of 90 percent over the previous building.