Estidama Pearl, from design credits to measured operation
Estidama is Abu Dhabi's sustainability program, and the Pearl Rating System rates buildings, villas and communities on water, energy, materials, livability and process. A minimum Pearl rating is mandatory for new buildings, with higher requirements for government buildings. Aqueduct supplies energy and water metering, monitoring and leak detection data that support metering credits and operational ratings.
What Estidama Pearl is and who it applies to
Estidama, Arabic for sustainability, is Abu Dhabi's program for sustainable development, run today by the Department of Municipalities and Transport. Its Pearl Rating System has versions for buildings, villas and communities. Credits are grouped into sections covering the integrated development process, natural systems, livable buildings, precious water, resourceful energy, stewarding materials and innovating practice. Some credits are required, and the rest earn points toward higher Pearl levels.
A minimum Pearl rating is mandatory for new developments in Abu Dhabi, and government funded buildings must reach a higher level. Ratings are issued at design and construction stages, and an operational rating addresses buildings in use. Water and energy carry heavy weight given the climate, and several credits ask for metering, monitoring and leak detection. Credit names, requirements and levels change between versions, so check the current Pearl manual for your project.
Pearl requirements and the evidence Aqueduct supplies
Aqueduct supplies measured data and monitoring. Your Pearl qualified professional and the authority manage the rating.
| Requirement | Evidence needed | How Aqueduct supplies it |
|---|---|---|
| Energy monitoring and reporting | Metering of major energy uses with a way to monitor and report them | Sub-metered HVAC, lighting, plug and process loads in EnergySmart, with dashboards and exports by period |
| Water monitoring and leak detection | Water meters on major uses and a way to find leaks | Main and sub-meters in WaterGuard with a live water balance and leak alerts by zone |
| Cooling energy | Understanding of chilled water or district cooling consumption | District cooling energy meters or chiller plant meters read over Modbus or M-Bus, trended against weather |
| Irrigation and exterior water | Exterior water use tracked separately | Irrigation sub-meters with night flow and schedule checks |
| Indoor environment | Ventilation and thermal comfort in occupied spaces | Temperature, humidity and CO2 per zone from AirSafe sensors or BMS points |
| Commissioning and handover | Systems verified as installed and working | aQ Atria tags each device to its site, floor and zone at install, and device health confirms data flow |
| Operational performance | Data for an operational rating or post-occupancy review | Weather-normalized energy and water baselines and year-on-year performance |
How to prepare Pearl metering evidence
Read the current manual
Identify the metering, monitoring and leak detection credits that apply to your building type and target Pearl level.
Specify meters with the data path
Specify meters together with how they connect, over Modbus, M-Bus, BACnet or LoRaWAN, so data reaches one platform from handover.
Commission with Atria
Install and validate each device against its zone, so the meter schedule and the live system match.
Prove it works
Show live dashboards, leak alerts and exports to your Pearl qualified professional before submission.
Keep it running
Use the same data in operation for the operational rating, tenant billing and leak response.
What stays with your consultant and the authority
Pearl ratings are issued by the authority. Aqueduct supplies working systems and data.
Credit submissions
Your Pearl qualified professional prepares documentation and submissions.
Design decisions
Envelope, systems and fixtures are decided by your design team.
The rating
The authority reviews and issues the Pearl rating. Aqueduct does not certify buildings.
Related programs
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of commercial real estate under Aqueduct.
FMCG manufacturing campus.
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Related
Common questions
It is Abu Dhabi's sustainability rating system for buildings, villas and communities, covering water, energy, materials, livability and process. Aqueduct supplies metering and monitoring data that support its energy and water credits.
A minimum Pearl rating is mandatory for new developments in Abu Dhabi, with a higher level required for government funded buildings. Check the current regulations for your project type.
Water metering and leak detection appear in the water section of the rating system. Aqueduct provides metering, a live water balance and leak alerts by zone.
Yes. Aqueduct reads district cooling energy meters over Modbus or M-Bus and trends cooling against weather and occupancy.
Yes. Existing buildings can add wireless metering and sensors without major works, and the same data supports operational reviews.
No. The authority issues ratings. Aqueduct supplies the systems and data your consultant documents.
Yes. The same sub-meters that support metering credits can feed Billing Management, so tenants see and pay for what they use. That keeps the meters maintained after handover because someone depends on them every month.
Meters specified for credits often go offline within a year because nobody watches them. Aqueduct shows device health per meter, connection rate and battery or capacitor voltage, so the facility team knows which device to fix.
See Aqueduct on your own facility.
Bring a site, a utility bill or a question. We will show you where the loss is.