The UAE Organising Committee of the 24th World Energy Congress has announced the signing of a sponsorship agreement between The Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI), a design competition aimed at highlighting renewable energy infrastructure, and Masdar (Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company), a leader in renewable energy and sustainable urban development.
Eng. Fatima Al Foora Al Shamsi, Chief Executive Officer, UAE Organising Committee for the 24th World Energy Congress, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer, Masdar, and Elizabeth Monoian, founding co-director, The Land Art Generator Initiative, signed the agreement on the third day of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week’s (ADSW) World Future Energy Summit (WFES), the global industry platform enabling investment and innovation in energy, clean technology and sustainability.
Dr. Matar Al Neyadi, Undersecretary at the UAE Ministry of Energy and Industry and Chairman of the UAE Organising Committee for the 24th World Energy Congress, said: “The United Arab Emirates is proud of its strong history in art and design. We have seen Abu Dhabi transformed through architectural design and, in terms of designing our future cities, big players in the sustainability space provide us with a wealth of opportunity. Partnering with LAGI and Masdar will highlight the importance of incorporating human culture in future energy design projects. The partnership will also ensure exciting and insightful discussion around the future of ambitious sustainability projects at the 24th World Energy Congress.”
According to Elizabeth Monoian and Robert Ferry, founding co-directors of LAGI: “The design site at Masdar City is the perfect canvas to inspire architects, landscape architects, artists, engineers, and renewable energy consultants to propose innovative expressions of clean energy technology. The results of LAGI 2019 will provide an inspirational glimpse into the beauty of our renewable energy landscapes—demonstrating Abu Dhabi’s leadership in the cultural aspects of the energy transition, and inspiring the world to take swift action on the decarbonisation of our energy grids.”
During ADSW, LAGI also announced the launch of its 2019 competition, titled ‘Return to the Source’, which will be sponsored by Masdar for the second time following its sponsorship of the inaugural competition in 2010. Designs from previous LAGI competitions will be on display at the 24th World Energy Congress exhibition’s stand at ADSW 2019.
The ‘Return to the Source’ international design competition, in which the winner will receive US$40,000, will invite participants to create iconic works of art for installation in open spaces within Masdar City, Abu Dhabi’s sustainable city. The competition requires that the design employs renewable energy technology as a medium of creative expression and contributes to on-site energy production. Currently, roughly a third of Masdar City’s power needs are generated on site, from a 10MW solar array and rooftop panels with a combined capacity of 1MW.
The 25 shortlisted projects will be displayed at the 24th World Energy Congress, which is being held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre from September 9-12, 2019. The winning design will be permanently installed at Masdar City, which is pioneering a ‘greenprint’ for sustainable urban development focused on sustainable transportation initiatives, optimising waste management, reducing energy use, water consumption and carbon emissions.
“Masdar is proud to partner with the World Energy Congress and The Land Art Generator Initiative in sponsoring the ‘Return to the Source’ competition. The installation of the winning design at Masdar City will demonstrate how to combine creative cultural artwork and renewable energy to further sustainable urban development. It also emphasises Masdar City as a leader in sustainability and highlights the city’s evolution, which has been guided by Estidama’s four core principles – social, economic, environmental and cultural sustainability,” said Yousef Baselaib, Executive Director, Sustainable Real Estate, Masdar.
A capital cost restriction has been imposed on the entrants’ designs, setting a limit matching the approximate cost per watt of installed solar photovoltaic panels. The cost restriction ensures that design proposals are constructible and in line with the goal of the 24th World Energy Congress to drive real change and shape the future of the energy industry.