Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has connected more than 200 buildings with photovoltaic (PV) installations as part of its Shams Dubai initiative, which is aimed at boosting the use of PV panels on rooftops to generate electricity.

This includes both residential and commercial buildings across the UAE emirate, stated the Dubai utility.

Under the scheme, the electricity from the PV panels is used onsite and the surplus is exported to Dewa’s grid. An offset between exported and imported electricity units is conducted and the customer account is settled based on this offset.

“The number of projects completed and those in the pipeline show our commitment towards achieving the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, to make Dubai a global centre of clean energy and green economy. Our strategy aims to increase the emirate’s total power output from clean energy sources to 75 per cent by 2050,” remarked Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, the managing director and chief executive of Dewa.

“I would like to commend those who have installed PV panels to produce electricity locally. It is commendable that you are protecting the environment and reducing the carbon footprint by making use of solar energy,” he stated.

“I urge house and villa owners, and all members of society to take advantage of Shams Dubai, to be our partners in producing renewable energy, and achieving Dubai government’s objectives to diversify the energy mix. This supports a smart, sustainable, and happy city. It also contributes to reducing carbon emissions, in adherence with the Dubai Carbon Abatement Strategy 2021 to reduce carbon emissions by 16 per cent by 2021, ensuring a sustainable future for us, and for generations to come,” he added.

Dewa said it has enrolled 44 contracting and consultancy companies and a total of 247 engineers have been certified as enrolled electrical and solar photovoltaic consultants and contractors.

Seventy manufacturers of solar power equipment registered 578 products as eligible for Shams Dubai.

"Dewa is co-operating with 18 government organisations for installation of PV panels on 35 government buildings," said Al Tayer.

The utility had recently announced the launch of the largest projects under the Shams Dubai initiative.

"Construction of the biggest distributed solar rooftop project in the Middle East is under way after DP World commissioned the installation of 88,000 rooftop solar panels on its Dubai facilities in Jebel Ali Free Zone and Mina Rashid," he stated.

Work is progressig well on the project and the first phase is likely to be completed in 2017, he added.-TradeArabia News Service