Clean energy initiatives will include one of the largest solar-roof developments in the region

In November of 2020, Agility announced solar projects in Dubai and Jordan that will eventually cut the company’s carbon footprint in the region by 5%.

At Agility’s regional headquarters in Dubai, the solar photovoltaic (PV) plant involves the installation of 17,500 panels at three sites with the capacity to generate nearly 8 megawatts of power at peak. The installation will include a 5.45 MW system at two sites in the Jebel Ali Free Zone (JAFZA), and a 2.6 MW system at the Dubai Investment Park. Once complete, Agility’s solar PV system will generate enough electricity to cover 60% of the energy requirements at the sites and save an estimated 8,838 tons of CO2 each year, roughly equivalent to the emissions generated by trucking 18,000 fully-loaded containers from Dubai to Abu Dhabi.

In Jordan, the solar photovoltaic plant will encompass 1,945 panels at Agility’s warehouse in Aqaba, with a capacity of 788 kilowatt peak. The solar plant will generate enough electricity to cover 100% of the energy requirements and save an estimated 900 tons of CO2 each year.

In both locations, the high-efficiency solar PV panels are designed to optimize energy generation in hot desert climates. The panel systems incorporate robotic cleaning and are waterproof.

“Globally, Agility’s goal is to reduce its carbon footprint by 25% by 2050. Our investment in solar is a huge step in the right direction and will cut the company’s global emissions by 3%. We are hopeful that it encourages other companies in the region to do the same. We know that greening operations is good for business and good for the planet,” says Elias Monem, CEO Middle East & Africa, Agility GIL.

The project is consistent with the goals of the UAE’s Shams Solar Policy, a local initiative for distributed solar plants in the United Arab Emirates. In both Dubai and Jordan, Clenergize Solar Consultants was appointed to handle the engineering specifications, tendering, contract management, design reviews, and project management.

Our increasingly warmer world has an impact on the safety and comfort of our employees, as well as our energy costs. Agility Hong Kong invested in four industrial High Volume, Low Speed (HVLS) fans that cool down the high temperature of the warehouses on hot summer days, keeping employees comfortable.

Six HVLS fans can do the work of 300 small space fans, using less than one tenth of the energy. Unlike a small, high-velocity fan that creates small, turbulent air streams that quickly disperses, the HVLS fans, with diameters of up to 7.3 meters, rely on size, not speed, to move a significant amount of air. Streamlined aerodynamic, air-foil blades move a large mass of air, producing silent, non-disruptive, even distribution of breezes over large spaces, fulfilling to the double functions of ventilation and cooling. In warehouse spaces, it’s a challenge for ventilation to reach the floor and corners of buildings where people and equipment are located. HVLS fan can solve this problem by sending a well-aligned wind in full space.

Based on positive feedback, Hong Kong plans to invest in fans for all of its warehouses in coming years.

In November 2019, Agility Singapore made the move to 100% renewable electricity by installing solar panels on the rooftops of all of our facilities. The total array will have more than 6 thousand panels and has a capacity of over 2 mega-watt peak. 100% renewable energy generated from the panels will cover all of Agility’s energy needs additional power will go back into Singapore’s energy grid. The solar PV installation is the largest for Agility Asia-Pacific so far.

This June, Agility Spain has committed to source 100% renewable energy for all facilities (offices and warehouses). The renewable sourcing guarantee comes in the form of renewable energy credits (RECs) from Nexus Energía, a renewable energy provider active in Spain, Portugal and Germany.

RECs come in units of kilowatt hours and offset electricity generated from non-renewable sources. They are different from carbon offsets, which are measured in tons of CO2 and offset emissions from any source. RECs are a finite asset, limited to the country’s total production of electricity from renewable sources in that year. Spain’s Guarantee of Origin system for RECs helps to ensure that corporate sustainability efforts contribute directly to driving the development of renewable energy generation in the Iberian Peninsula.

Transitioning to renewable energy, whether for electricity or fuel, is the most important action Agility operations can take to reduce our environmental impact. Where installing solar panels is not possible or economically viable, RECs offer a great alternative to reduce our carbon footprint and drive positive change in our communities.

National Aviation Services (NAS) has joined the Ugandan Civil Aviation Authority’s efforts to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by introducing electric forklifts and tractors into its operations in the country.

Twelve new electric vehicles replace traditional diesel-fueled equipment for baggage and cargo handling around the aircrafts, ensuring a quieter and cleaner working environment in the baggage sorting area. By switching from fuel to electric-powered equipment, there are several environmental benefits, including reduced petroleum and fuel consumption and improved air quality, particularly at indoor facilities. The equipment is also smaller in size, occupying lesser space and leaving more room for maneuvering. Investments like these are not just good for the environment, but lead to operational savings.

NAS, a signatory of the UN Global Compact, envisions future investments into electric and solar-powered equipment on the ramp and baggage sorting area. In Uganda NAS manages 25 flights daily, with 1.3 million passengers and 2.6 million bags handled annually. The operations are serviced by 810 employees.

From a story originally published here.

The Middle East, where we have our largest operational footprint, is a climate hotspot. Cheap, abundant fossil fuels means electricity consumed there typically generates more carbon-equivalent emissions per kilowatt hour than in other regions. Summer temperatures are projected to rise twice as fast as the global average, with temperatures above 46°C more than five times as likely by 2050.

Fortunately, Agility Dubai makes progress each year in greening our operations to cool our people and our customers’ cargo. New lighting solutions at one facility will achieve energy savings of up to 77%, while upgrades to the lighting system at a second facility will reduce usage by over 50%. These improvements stand to reduce Agility’s carbon footprint in the United Arab Emirates by more than 7%, and help the business achieve a target of 25% reduction of our carbon footprint.

Investments to reduce water usage, and further efforts to reduce electricity usage are coming in Dubai and other operating regions in the near future.

Since 2011, Agility has been working to reduce power consumption and CO2 emissions from our data centers/servers in Irvine, California and Leeds, UK. In Irvine, an original virtualization and consolidation project in 2011 reduced the server totals by over 60%. A second consolidation project reduced the number again by a further 60% in 2015. Today, our total average electricity usage has decreased to 69% of peak usage in 2011, saving over 45 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year. A similar exercise at our data center in Leeds reduced energy consumption to more than 83% less than peak usage in 2010, saving over 60 tons of CO2 emissions each year. A forthcoming hardware upgrade is expected to reduce energy consumption by a further 50%.

The Agility Management Building, which was finalized in January 2017, was built with state-of-the-art sustainability features that maximizes the use of natural light while improving overall cooling efficiency and energy use. The 834 sq.m. building is equipped with solar thermal panels, which provide the energy needed to operate the air-conditioning units. The building also includes triple-pane windows that are covered in electro chromic coating, to adjust tint in response to external conditions, allowing light to pass through while blocking heat and increasing energy efficiency. Tarek Sultan, Vice Chairman and CEO, Agility said, “Responsibility is ingrained in Agility’s corporate DNA, and we take carbon footprint reduction very seriously. Creating a better environment for our talent is an important component of our overall sustainability efforts.” At the time of writing in Kuwait, Agility is one of only four certified projects, and one of 38 registered LEED projects in the country. Incorporating green building practices in the construction industry is a critical way for Kuwaiti companies to help meet the country’s sustainability targets.