‘Smart’ thermostat helps mosque achieve energy savings

Dubai / Emirates Business

Honeywell (NYSE: HON) on Monday announced the results of a first of a kind thermostat pilot program in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, that indicates mosques in the Middle East have the potential to cut their energy consumption by more than one-third through the use of “smart” thermostats.
Honeywell’s VisionPRO 8000 thermostat for mosques, designed with an auto-azan feature that uses location coordinates to calculate prayer times and automatically adjust temperatures, was piloted at the Al Tawba Mosque, Sharjah, over a period of six months between August 2015 and January 2016. The results demonstrated year-over-year energy savings of 37%, equating to 778 kilowatts in reduced energy consumption. The findings have been endorsed by the Sharjah government’s Department of Islamic Affairs, which oversees mosques in the emirate.
Honeywell’s smart VisionPRO 8000 thermostat was launched in August 2015 and supports the UAE’s Green Economy for Sustainable Development initiative, which aims to position the country as a hub for the export and re-export of green products and technologies. The national initiative also calls for the implementation of plans that promote the conservation of electricity, water and natural resources.
Mosques often have large open spaces and with prayers taking place five times a day, the ability to provide a comfortable, yet energy efficient environment has distinct energy saving implications. With more than 5,000 mosques in the UAE and tens of thousands more in the Gulf region, Honeywell’s technology has the potential to significantly reduce energy consumption while maintaining optimal comfort for worshippers during prayer times.
“In line with our commitment to making the region’s buildings smarter, greener, safer and more productive, we’re very pleased to see energy savings being achieved as a result of our trial in the UAE,” said Norm Gilsdorf, president for Honeywell’s Middle East, Russia and Central Asia regions. “The mosque thermostat is a clear result of our ongoing commitment to provide our customers in the Middle East with energy-efficient and locally relevant solutions. With this unique product, mosques in the region can be made more comfortable when required, while also providing an intuitive and sustainable solution for mosque caretakers during off-peak times.”
Dilip Sinha, general manager for Honeywell Environmental and Energy Solutions in the Middle East, Turkey and Africa (META), said: “This product is an example of how Honeywell works to develop and adapt technology to serve the needs of its customers. In this case we designed the auto-azan feature to enhance existing Honeywell programmable thermostat technology to meet the cultural needs of the region and to help support the UAE’s sustainable development plans.”
Following the encouraging results of the Sharjah pilot program, Honeywell is conducting other pilot studies at various mosques in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, with more being planned in other Middle Eastern countries. The results of those studies will be announced in due course.