Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City Launches Solar-Powered Eco-Villas

Abu Dhabi-based clean energy firm Masdar has announced the launch of new sustainable villas that will generate solar energy to power themselves throughout the year.

The eco-villas, located within Masdar City, are designed to accommodate future population growth and meet a growing demand for sustainable family homes, the company said in a statement.

The four-bedroom villa concept includes an array of solar panels that will generate approximately 40,000 KWh per year.

“Careful orientation of the home, optimised natural lighting, a high-performance envelope, low-energy LED lighting” and other design techniques will reduce the home’s annual energy demand to an estimated 39,000 KWh each year, slightly less energy than the panels are expected to generate.

The eco-villa design will divert an estimated 63 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions from the atmosphere while reducing demand on the national electrical grid.

The homes are also expected to use 35 per cent less water than standard villas, thanks to low-flow toilets, faucets and showers, and other water conservation measures, the company said.

“With nearly eight million people expected to live in the UAE’s urban centres by 2020, this rising population increases the imperative to design high-quality sustainable homes that use fewer natural resources than existing homes,” said Ahmad Belhoul, CEO of Masdar.

“The eco-villas are central to Masdar City’s goals to meet the lifestyle needs of a growing urban population, while reducing these buildings’ consumption of water, energy and waste.”

Masdar also announced on Wednesday that it is launching a new solar hub in collaboration with the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, to expedite the development of solar technologies.

Masdar Solar Hub, the first independent solar testing and R&D facility in the UAE, aims to facilitate new product development, enable more co-operation with local and international companies and create new solar companies in Abu Dhabi.

The hub will provide research, development, testing, evaluation and certification of solar technologies and systems and consulting and information services.

Solar energy deployment is increasing across the Middle East, and a report released by the Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA) in January found that solar projects worth a combined $2.7 billion are set to be launched in the MENA region this year.

The report also stated that projects having capacity to produce up to 1,800 megawatts(MW) of power are to be awarded or tendered over the next 12 months in the region.