Growing concerns about the need to conserve resources and limit the wasteful use of energy in our consumption-driven world, has led to increasing interest in innovative methods that promote optimal use of resources. Building and home automation systems which drastically bring down high energy bills without affecting overall efficiency are among the increasingly popular developments that have been taking the world by storm recently. According to recent research, the world market for home automation is expected to be worth a stunning $2.8 billion by 2015. A recent market research revealed that home automation systems can save 70 percent from the Saudi Arabia energy bills. Energy consumption in Saudi Arabia swelled to around three million ebpd from 2.92 million ebpd, a report by the 10-nation Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) said recently. The Kingdom remained the top energy consumer in the region while Egypt receded to the third position after it was overtaken by the UAE, the second largest Arab economy, the report said. Saudi Arabia is planning an investment of at least $100 billion into clean energy resources over the next decade, including a target to achieve 5 gigawatts of solar-generated power, naseba, a business information company, the organizer of the upcoming Solar Arabia summit in Riyadh on Sept. 27 and 28 at the Four Seasons Hotel. "Currently, the relatively affluent societies of the Middle East are one of the highest energy consumers in the world" for climate reasons, said Ahmed Pauwels, chief executive officer of Epoc Messe Frankfurt, the organizer of the upcoming Light Middle East 2011 which will run on Sept. 12-14, 2011 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center. "Climate control and cooling s ystems are the heaviest users of energy regionally. However the drive to attain green building standards and environmentally responsible development that has been put in place by government authorities, is expected to spur demand for home and building automation systems," he added. The event will focus interest on energy-efficient and environmentally friendly lighting solutions and design, highlighting the latest trends and developments in the industry and reflects the increasing concern over green issues that are impacting the world of lighting internationally. The drive to implement green building standards is ongoing in the GCC countries which can be seen in cities such as Abu Dhabi who recently introduced the Estidama Pearl Rating System to assure sustainability is continually addressed within the city. Governments around the region are spearheading the drive to increase the use of automation and smart technology in their ongoing efforts to conserve energy and promote responsible development. While North America and Europe lead the world in installing home automation systems, ongoing developments in offices and homes regionally has also driven demand for these systems in the Middle East. ? SG/QJM __
