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The Rise in Clean Energy
According to a recent press release by Etihad Energy Services Company (Etihad ESCO), the company has started installing photovoltaic (PV) solar panels over the roofs of 5,000 UAE nationals’ homes in Dubai. They will install 65,000 PV panels, 295,000 LED lights and 50,000 water savers at Emirati villas. The installation of solar PVs alone is set to save 31,102,500 kWh of energy. This move has come in the light of bringing Dubai closer to the achievement of its sustainability goals.
The UAE aims to achieve a sustainable infrastructure for generating power through renewable energy. Solar Power is currently viewed as the most attractive renewable technology for the UAE, as the country is blessed with abundant sunshine. Costs have also decreased substantially in recent years. Infact, the UAE was ranked third in the world in the production of concentrated solar power (CSP) in 2013. In 2014, roughly 140 MW of solar power was being generated in the UAE. The government estimated that savings between USD 1 billion and 3.7 billion could be achieved by hitting its renewables' target and now believes that the savings could be even greater with the changed outlook for fossil fuels and renewable energy prices.
Since then a number of solar energy facilities have been planned in the UAE, with some of them already operating. These include the Shams 1 Abu Dhabi, Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, and more recently the bid for the Floating Panels that have opened up. In accordance with the Dubai Vision 2050 plan for energy diversification, the government has set a goal to diversify energy in the Emirate to meet rising demands – and to cement Dubai’s position as a global energy power. According to the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, 7% of Dubai’s energy would come from ‘clean’ energy sources by 2020; 25% by 2030 and 75% by 2050 which will make Dubai the city with the least carbon footprint in the world.
This vision has certainly pushed many companies to keep Solar Energy on top of their priorities It can be concluded that the Solar Energy does contribute to the efficiency of the building. And this change in the regulatory context came from the price of the technology. With the significant drop in price in Solar Panels and technology has given that added push to people to implement it on the roof-tops and car parks.
