HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has inaugurated Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s (DEWA’s) Research and Development (R&D) Centre at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum visited the sections and labs of the R&D Centre, which covers 4,400 square metres. It is one of the key projects at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model.
The R&D Centre contributes to building and localising knowledge and expertise. Around 70% of the Centre’s staff are Emiratis. The Centre’s areas of work include solar power; the integration of smart grids; energy efficiency, and water, in addition to Fourth Industrial Revolution applications such as ‘3-D Printing and Additive Manufacturing’ as one of the innovative solutions to produce spare parts for electricity generation, transmission, and distribution divisions.
HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy; HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Media Council; and HE Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State, attended the event. HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, and senior officials from both the public and private sectors were also present.
DEWA’s R&D Centre is the only centre in the UAE that focuses on renewable energy, smart grid technologies and energy efficiency. It has the largest and most comprehensive solar testing and certification facility in the UAE. It operates the longest continuous testing of photovoltaic panels in the UAE in desert climate conditions.
HH Sheikh Mohammed was briefed by HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer about the R&D Centre’s areas of work. The centre has various internal labs and outdoor labs to study the performance and reliability of PV panels. Key internal labs include the Electrical Characterisation Lab, the Mechanical Characterisation Lab, the Materials Characterisation Lab, the Solar Simulator Lab, and the Accelerated Aging Lab. The outdoor labs include testing different solar panel technologies and performance, as well as a safe zone for drone testing.
HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum also met a number of the R&D Centre’s researchers and experts. The Centre has 37 male and female researchers, 20 of whom (54%) are PhD and MSc holders. The team has published over 40 papers in international conferences and magazines. The R&D Centre was granted one patent, with five more under process.
“The wise leadership attaches great importance to research and development. At DEWA, we work in line with the vision and directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, who once observed, “We are seeking to make the UAE an efficient and influential part of the international academic and research community.” We are committed to anticipating and shaping the future of energy and water. We include innovation in all our strategies and initiatives, to support the UAE Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which aims to strengthen the UAE’s position as a global hub for the Fourth Industrial Revolution and to increase its contribution to the national economy by means of advancing innovation and future technologies; the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031, to develop an integrated system that employs AI in vital areas of the UAE, as well as the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to generate 75% of Dubai’s total power output from clean energy sources by 2050,” said Al Tayer.
The R&D Centre received a Platinum Rating for green buildings from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) by the US Green Building Council. The Centre has PV panels installed on its roof and car parking as well as Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) in its walls. The building reduces energy consumption by over 25% and saves more than 50% water. The percentage of recycled materials is more than 30%.