KAPSARC LEED Riyadh building bevelopment, Saudi Arabian architecture, ZHA Middle East
KAPSARC King Abdullah Petroleum Studies & Research Centre Riyadh
post updated 6 July 2023
• KAPSARC receives ‘OPEC Best Energy Research Institute Award 2023’ by the OPEC Secretariat, recognizing the Center’s role in conducting academic research with real-world impact and advancing the public discourse on critical energy issues.
• Axel Pierru, KAPSARC’s Acting Vice President of Knowledge and Analysis, receives ‘OPEC Award for the Best Energy Research Paper 2023’ on behalf of his co-authors Hossa Almutairi and James Smith for their novel research on oil market stability.
• Issued for the first time, these awards represent OPEC’s recognition of KAPSARC’s academic excellence.
Design: Zaha Hadid Architects
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
KAPSARC Receives Two OPEC Awards for Research Accomplishments News
• KAPSARC obtained five of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (EBOM) Platinum certificates awarded in Saudi Arabia.
• KAPSARC’s five buildings are the first in Saudi Arabia to have obtained the highest level of LEED-EBOM certification.
• The certificates reflect KAPSARC’s vigorous focus on sustainability across planning, design, construction, and operations.
Photos by Hufton+Crow
Vienna, 5 July 2023: The King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), a Riyadh-based advisory think tank, was honored with two awards during the 8th OPEC International Seminar held in Vienna on 5-6 July 2023. At the event, the Center received the ‘Best Energy Research Institute Award’ recognizing its influential role in producing impactful research that shapes public discourse on critical energy-related issues. Furthermore, Axel Pierru, Acting Vice President of Knowledge and Analysis, accepted the ‘OPEC Award for the Best Energy Research Paper’ on behalf of his co-authors Hossa Almutairi and James Smith, for their novel research on oil market stability. These awards mark the first time that OPEC has bestowed such honors.
OPEC Secretary General, HE Haitham Al Ghais said on KAPSARC’s awards: “The Center and the research paper’s authors are fully deserving of these two awards against some extremely stiff competition. KAPSARC is today a globally renowned center of research excellence for energy and sustainability issues, and a partner for many other research institutes and policy organizations worldwide. It is the embodiment of high quality, innovative, collaborative and objective analysis aimed at finding solutions to our global energy challenges.”
The ‘Best Energy Research Institute Award’ acknowledges KAPSARC’s research impact on the energy industry. “We are honored to receive these two awards and express our gratitude to OPEC for recognizing our research achievements,” said KAPSARC President Fahad Alajlan. “These accolades highlight our position as an advisory think tank that provides evidence-based research to the international community and policy advice for Saudi decision makers. KAPSARC combines industry and academic expertise with a Middle Eastern perspective to tackle global energy and sustainability challenges.”
The OPEC Award for the Best Energy Research Paper recognizes researchers who have made exceptional contributions to advancing knowledge in the energy industry. Axel Pierru and his co-authors were granted this award in recognition of their research insights on market stability and the role of OPEC. These findings are published in four journal papers: “OPEC’s impact on oil price volatility: the role of spare capacity” (2018), “OPEC’s pursuit of market stability” (2020), “The value of OPEC’s spare capacity to the oil market and global economy” (2021), and “Oil market stabilization: the performance of OPEC and its Allies” (2023). Using market data and economic modeling, the authors show that the spare capacity policy pursued by OPEC has substantially reduced the volatility of the oil price.
Pierru emphasized that their research highlights KAPSARC’s commitment to producing innovative research that informs policymaking. He expressed deep gratitude on behalf of himself, Hossa Almutairi, and James Smith for receiving this prestigious award.
The awards, chosen by a panel of energy professionals from within and outside OPEC Member Countries, are conferred by the President of the OPEC Conference during the OPEC International Seminar.
23 August 2022
KAPSARC Sets New Record in Saudi Arabia With Five LEED EBOM Platinum Certifications
Design: Zaha Hadid Architects – ZHA
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
KAPSARC LEED News
Photos by Hufton+Crow
KAPSARC – KAPSARC King Abdullah Petroleum Studies & Research Centre, Saudi Arabia
Riyadh, August 2022: The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) awarded King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) in Saudi Arabia five Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certificates under the Existing Building: Operation and Maintenance (EBOM) rating system with a rating of over 80 points. KAPSARC’s facilities are the only buildings in the Kingdom to have achieved LEED-EBOM Platinum certification.
Platinum LEED-EBOM certifications were awarded to five of KAPSARC’s community buildings, which together total 52,284 square meters. The certificates were awarded for achieving the highest international sustainability standards across KAPSARC’s facility design, construction, operations, and maintenance procedures.
All five certificates were obtained in 2021 and 2022 as a testament to KAPSARC’s commitment to environmental and sustainability stewardship.
In 2021, KAPSARC’s waste management program diverted 94% of solid waste from landfill through rigorous waste stream audits that eliminated single-use goods and developed an effective waste segregation strategy across multiple stages. During the same period, the Center reduced the compound’s water consumption by 30% by utilizing advanced tools and techniques for indoor and outdoor water use, such as a weather-based irrigation system in conjunction with a micro-irrigation system, mulching, native plant planting, and efficient faucets. The Center’s energy usage was also reduced by 35% due to its yearly energy audits, which regularly identified and implemented low-cost energy conservation measures.
KAPSARC President Fahad Alajlan highlighted that, “This has been a remarkable building since its inception. And of course, behind every great facility is a great team. We realize these significant achievements would not be possible without the hard work of our Facilities Management team. This milestone reflects the Center’s dedication to climate conscious development and highlights the progress KAPSARC has achieved in working toward its sustainability goals.”
KAPSARC was certified by the U.S. Green Building Council as the largest LEED Neighborhood Development project in the Middle East in 2017. In 2014 and 2016, KAPSARC was awarded Platinum LEED New Design and Construction certifications. In 2012, KAPSARC was certified LEED Gold for Homes, making it the first and largest project outside North America to have received such an accolade.
KAPSARC’s modular hexagonal buildings were designed to have low carbon footprints during the Saudi summer season, which requires intensive air cooling.
King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC)
King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) is an advisory think tank within global energy economics and sustainability providing consulting services to the Saudi energy sector. The Center aims to advance Saudi Arabia’s energy sector and inform global policies through evidence-based advice and applied research. KAPSARC is chaired by the Saudi Minister of Energy, His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz Al Saud.
Twitter: @KAPSARC
Website: www.kapsarc.org
KAPSARC King Abdullah Petroleum Studies & Research Centre, Saudi Arabia images / information received 230822
Previously on e-architect:
5 Dec 2020
KAPSARC, Saudi Arabia
Design: Zaha Hadid Architects – ZHA
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
KAPSARC (King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Centre) is a non-profit institution for independent research into policies that contribute to the most effective use of energy to provide social wellbeing across the globe.
Photographs by Hufton+Crow
King Abdullah Petroleum Studies & Research Centre
ALL Photography: Hufton+Crow
Zaha Hadid Architects, London, UK
KAPSARC King Abdullah Petroleum Studies & Research Centre, Saudi Arabia images / information received 051220 from Zaha Hadid Architects, London, England
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the Middle East
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