The
Masdar Institute of Science and Technology of Abu Dhabi has become the inaugural
founding public member of the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Energy Initiative,
MIT announced yesterday.
The Masdar Institute, a research oriented graduate school scheduled to open this fall that has been developed in cooperation with MIT, is part of the nonprofit operation of the
Masdar Initiative, the parent company of the zero-waste, zero-carbon
Masdar City being built outside of Abu Dhabi.
The partnership between the Masdar Institute and the MIT Energy Initiative solidifies a longstanding relationship between Masdar and MIT, which also have been research partners. MIT University President Susan Hockfield was a plenary speaker at the
World Future Energy Summit, the clean energy conference that opened this weekend in Abu Dhabi with Masdar's sponsorship.
MIT's announcement of the Masdar Institute came after the university's Energy Futures Week of highlighting its efficiency efforts.
For example, the university estimates that it will save $800,000 annually as a result of testing steam traps in the campus' heating system and replacing the ones that had failed.
The university also says it could save $500,000 a year as a result of installing automated building monitoring systems in its Dreyfus Chemistry building and its Besieger Sports and Fitness Center.
In addition, the university projects that an upgrade of lighting systems throughout the campus could bring $323,000 in annual savings; improvements in three area have already yielded savings of $45,000 a year.
