Qatari scientist Dr. Yousef Alhorr receives global recognition for his energy innovation

Dr. Yousef Alhorr, Qatar’s leading scientist and founding chairman of the Gulf Organisation for Research & Development (GORD), has received a global recognition for his energy innovation aimed at providing eco-friendly cooling solutions. He was awarded with the international title of the Energy Innovator of the Year 2022 at the Association of Energy Engineer’s AEE World Conference held at Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, United States of America. He led the research and development of Synergia7n1 – a hybrid ultra-efficient, patented cooling system for indoor and outdoor spaces. The system is patented from the UK Intellectual Property Office and registered with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Dr. Alhorr said, “Synergia7n1 was born out of the critical need to address climate change by tackling our energy footprint, especially in the context of MENA region’s arid and hot climate. By consolidating seven distinct solutions, Synergia provides an ecofriendly alternative to conventional fresh air-conditioning units for indoor and outdoor spaces within projects of all sizes. It can save up to 50 percent of energy consumption compared to the conventional compressor-based fresh air-handling units.”

Dr. Alhorr added that his efforts in the field of environmental sustainability are in line with the climate goals outlined in Qatar National Environment and Climate Change Strategy (QNE) launched recently in response to the State’s obligations towards the Paris Agreement to limit the rise of temperature to less than 1.5  ̊C.  In countries like Qatar, where hot and humid climate prevails for a great part of the year, the energy demand for cooling is paramount, making sustainable cooling technologies one of the core strategies towards energy transition and climate action. 

Dr. Alhorr was also leading the delegation of GORD that participated in the Association of Energy Engineer’s AEE World Conference held at Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, USA. The organization’s founding chairman participated in a panel discussion with leading international experts on the current state of the energy industry and the transition towards net-zero energy, among GORD’s activities at AEE World.

During the two-day exhibition organised in conjunction with AEE World Conference, sustainability experts from GORD provided live demonstrations of innovative solutions offered by GORD as part of its energy efficiency ecosystem. The 3D model for Synergia7n1 attracted energy experts’ interest in learning more about the innovative ultra-efficient, multi-mode fresh air-handling unit developed by GORD. 

The model provided a visual representation of how the three well-known technologies for cooling, including the desiccant dehumidification, indirect evaporative cooling and the vapor compression cycle, in addition to various energy harvesting techniques were integrated in a synergetic manner to outperform the conventional cooling systems available in the market in terms of efficiency and energy saving up to 50 percent.  Various contractors, consulting firms and manufacturers indicated their interest in adopting the technology as manufacturers, integrators or implementers. 

GORD’s presence at AEE World was motivated by the need to explore multisectoral synergies to catalyze green transformation. To this end, the organization’s participation resulted in attracting interests of various international organizations in GORD’s energy innovations. Since 2021, GORD is also leading the official AEE Qatar Chapter.