Dubai’s DEWA urges customers to install solar panels at home

The Dubai Water and Electricity Authority (DEWA) says solar panels have already been installed on 435 buildings under the Shams Dubai initiative.

The authority is calling for more customers to take up the clean power programme that launched in 2015, with a goal to have solar panels installed on every roof in Dubai by 2030.

“Shams Dubai gives Dubai’s residents the opportunity to transform their buildings into sustainable ones, reduce the emirate’s carbon footprint, and increase the proportion of solar power in Dubai’s environmentally-friendly energy mix,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and CEO of DEWA.

Al Tayer said the initiative allowed customers to avoid using expensive power storage systems by connecting the photovoltaic panels to the network.

Any surplus power would be exported to DEWA’s grid, and would then be deducted from the customer’s future bill.

Read: Dubai residents can soon install solar power panels at home – DEWA CEO

Participating customers so far include the employees’ building at Dubai World Central – Al Maktoum International Airport, the carport installation at Emirates Engine Maintenance Centre in Warsan, a number of Dubai Municipality buildings and a number of villas in Sustainable City.

DEWA also connected a number of distributed solar projects at its own premises, including the Jebel Ali Power Station. This installation covers the roof of Jebel Ali’s M Station, which is one of the largest rooftop projects in the Middle East and North Africa.

Read: Dubai says work begins on region’s largest solar rooftop project

In addition, DEWA has partnered with 19 government organisations in Dubai to sponsor 37 projects under the initiative, including schools, mosques, and villas under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Housing Establishment.

Al Tayer said the total power capacity across the 435 buildings has reached 15.6 megawatts (MW).

To date, DEWA has certified more than 300 solar photovoltaic experts, and a total of 63 companies are currently enrolled with DEWA for Shams Dubai, including 54 contractors and nine consultants.

Shams Dubai falls under the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and ruler of Dubai.

The aim of the strategy is to generate 7 per cent of Dubai’s total power output from clean energy by 2020, 25 per cent by 2030 and 75 per cent by 2050.