March 28, 2024
Global Renewable News

DUBAI ELECTRICITY AND WATER AUTHORITY
DEWA invites customers to take up Shams Dubai to generate onsite solar power

August 28, 2017

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has again invited Dubai's citizens and residents to benefit from the Shams Dubai smart initiative, following the outstanding success and the great adoption rate the initiative has achieved since its launch. Shams Dubai encourages DEWA customers to install solar photovoltaic panels on the roofs of their premises to generate electricity from solar power and export any excess to the power grid. This is part of DEWA's effort to promote Dubai's sustainable and comprehensive development, and support national efforts to increase reliance on clean energy, protect the environment and our natural resources sustainably, and support further transformation towards a green economy.

"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. Through this initiative, community members will promote sustainable development in Dubai and transform the Emirate into a global hub for clean energy and green economy, and support the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, launched by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to generate 7% of Dubai's total power output from clean energy by 2020, 25% by 2030 and 75% by 2050. This will also support the Smart Dubai initiative launched by His Highness to make Dubai the smartest and happiest city in the world," said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA.

"Shams Dubai allows customers to avoid using very expensive power storage systems by connecting the photovoltaic panels to the network. Furthermore, the surplus power will be exported to DEWA's grid, which will be deducted from the customers' future bill. Apart from providing those direct benefits to electricity customers, and increasing the value of buildings where solar photovoltaic systems are installed. Shams Dubai has been instrumental to the development of the flourishing solar industry in Dubai, and supports the long-term Green Economy for Sustainable Development initiative, to build a green economy in the UAE. Moreover, Shams Dubai contributes to the UAE Vision 2021, to make the UAE one of the best countries in the world by 2021, and namely to its sustainable environment and infrastructure objectives, through the improvement of air quality and increasing the share of clean energy," added Al Tayer.

Al Tayer praised the efforts of institutions and individuals who have participated in the Shams Dubai initiative and have already installed photovoltaic panels on 435 buildings with a total capacity of 15.6 megawatts (MW). This will increase in the future to eventually cover all buildings in the Emirate by 2030.

"The customers' solar photovoltaic systems connected to DEWA's grid so far include, among others, the rooftop of the employees' building at Dubai World Central - Al Maktoum International Airport, which was the first Shams Dubai project with a capacity of 30 kilowatts at peak load (kWp), the 1 megawatt at peak load (MWp) carport installation at Emirates Engine Maintenance Centre in Warsan, a number of Dubai Municipality buildings, including the 260kWp carport at Al Qusais Park, the 1,210kWp installation at the Engineer's Office's water pumping station at Al Qudra, the 126kWp canopy at ENOC petrol station near Dubai Internet City, and a number of villas at the Sustainable City," said Al Tayer.

DEWA also connected a number of distributed solar projects at its own premises, including the 1.5 MWp at 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. DEWA partnered with 19 government organisations in Dubai, sponsoring 37 projects under the Shams Dubai initiative, with a total capacity of 258kWp. These projects include schools, mosques, and villas under the umbrella of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Housing Establishment.

"DEWA has outlined easy steps to install photovoltaic systems on buildings to generate solar power as part of the Shams Dubai initiative. The installation process starts with the customer contacting one of the solar consultants or contractors accredited by DEWA to study the possibility of installing the solar power system and suggesting the best solution. The consultant or contractor then obtains the necessary approvals from DEWA. These include an NOC for installing solar power and connecting it to the power network, and approval that its design meets all requirements. After obtaining the necessary approvals, site works are undertaken, and once the installation is complete the contractor or consultant submits a notification to DEWA to conduct the technical inspection of the site and install the required smart meters to complete the connection process," noted Al Tayer.

"In addition, DEWA's Shams Dubai Calculator was launched on DEWA's website to support customers who want to install solar panels on rooftops, by providing detailed comparisons and additional information with ease, using innovative tools. The Shams Dubai Calculator is an innovative service provided by DEWA to customers who wish to produce electricity using photovoltaic panels under the Shams Dubai initiative. Once customers have entered their registered account numbers, they can identify the location of the building and determine its surface through an interactive map. They can also determine the number of solar panels absorbed by this area, and the capacity of these panels on a monthly or annual basis, using innovative interactive tools. The client can draw the space that he or she wants to benefit from, subject to the total actual surface area of the building. The interactive map allows the client to know other information as well, such as the locations of the Green Charger stations, solar panel sites installed by DEWA's operators under the Shams Dubai initiative, and the possibility of sharing results through social media," added Al Tayer.

To date, DEWA has certified over 300 solar photovoltaic experts, and a total of 63 companies are currently enrolled with DEWA for Shams Dubai: 54 contractors and 9 consultants. The equipment eligibility scheme has attracted interest from 85 manufacturers who have registered so far, and 700 pieces of equipment have been made eligible for use by Shams Dubai, such as panels, inverters, and interface protections. DEWA has made available lots of information about Shams Dubai, including the Shams Dubai Calculator, in the smart initiatives section of DEWA's website. It includes all the conditions and requirements for Shams Dubai, as well as lists of enrolled consultants and contractors, and eligible equipment.

For more information, please visit: www.dewa.gov.ae/shamsdubai

For more information

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority

www.dewa.gov.ae/default.aspx


From the same organization :
41 Press releases