The greenest office building of UAE was inaugurated last month in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The completion of the 32,000-square-metre complex, named ?the greenest office building in the UAE?, was originally announced in January during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week and it was inaugurated in June 2015. The UAE beat Germany and Austria to the hosting rights for the organisation?s headquarters in June 2009.

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) global HQ located in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi is an exceptional large-scale mixed-use building and a global hub for renewable energy  cooperation  and  information  exchange,  with  32,000sqm  of  commercial  office space.

The HQ aims at promoting widespread adoption and sustainable use of all forms  of renewable energy. Through its innovative design, IRENA HQ is an efficient, flexible and environmentally sustainable building.

The new building is a multi-use complex, comprised of three, buildings connected by a common atrium. The complex conserves energy and water and creates shared space. The atrium connects offices to open spaces where people will be able to shop and dine.

The 1,000m2 solar PV rooftop system generates more than 305,000 kWh of electricity  per year and the solar water heater system produces heat equivalent to 27,850kWh of electricity per year. 75% of the heat energy in the exhaust air is recovered by the air conditioning system.

Fitted with sun-shielding fins, the outer skin of the buildings reduces solar heat gain without obstructing the view from inside. High-performance tinted glass and high-efficiency insulation are also used to optimize energy savings. Materials used during construction include locally sourced, low-carbon cement as well as recycled steel.

IRENA HQ, is the first international organisation to be headquartered in the Middle East and will be home to anchor tenants from large global corporations to small and medium enterprise