DEWA Advances Sustainability with Cutting-Edge Solar Technology

DEWA Advances Sustainability with Cutting-Edge Solar Technology

To address both current and future sustainability challenges through innovation, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has integrated cutting-edge technologies from the Fourth Industrial Revolution. These efforts aim to boost operational efficiency and enhance projects focused on clean and renewable energy, aligning with the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050. The goal is to achieve 100% clean energy production capacity by 2050.

At the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, DEWA has significantly improved photovoltaic solar panel efficiency, increasing from 11% in the initial thin-film technology generation to 22% today. This enhancement is due to innovations such as waterless cleaning robots for photovoltaic panels and advanced bifacial solar technologies with Single Axis Tracking, maximizing electricity yield per area.

Moreover, DEWA harnesses Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technologies in the fourth phase of the Solar Park, integrating three hybrid systems for clean energy: 600MW from a parabolic basin complex comprising three 200MW units, 100MW from the world’s tallest solar power tower using Molten Salt technology, and 250MW from photovoltaic solar panels. The project utilizes 70,000 heliostat mirrors that track solar movements, with the Molten Salt Receiver (MSR) on the solar power tower converting solar radiation into thermal energy.

DEWA’s Research and Development (R&D) Centre at the Solar Park positions Dubai as a key global player in solar power, smart grids, and energy efficiency research. In 2023, the Centre published 71 peer-reviewed Scopus-indexed papers and filed 36 patent applications to safeguard DEWA’s intellectual property, covering areas like solar energy, water, and smart grid integration. The R&D Centre’s team consists of 29 PhD and master’s degree holders, boasting an Emiratisation rate of 73.5%.

The R&D Centre is equipped with extensive labs for diverse research areas, including solar panel performance testing, Building-Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) assessment, and robotic cleaning solutions. Additional labs focus on robotics and drones, 3D printing with over 20 materials, energy storage, smart grids, the Green Hydrogen initiative, IoT, and satellite communication for DEWA’s Space-D programme.

The DEWA R&D Center is committed to developing solutions that improve operational efficiency and reduce costs. These advancements include automated overhead line inspections, cost-effective IoT terminals for remote substation monitoring, early detection systems for water leaks, advanced grid analytics for asset management, and high-resolution solar irradiance forecasting to manage operational reserves effectively.