Coloured solar panels help supply 20% of energy needs in UAE buildings

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Coloured solar panels help supply 20% of energy needs in UAE buildings

Published: Thu 18 Jan 2018, 8:56 PM

Last updated: Thu 18 Jan 2018, 11:21 PM

Buildings and housing represent about half of the energy needs in the UAE - approximately 6 GWp (gigawatt power). Facades and roofs will supply at least 20 per cent of this, meaning above 1 GWp if coloured solar panels are installed, said Rafic Hanbali, managing partner of Emirates Insolaire, a joint venture of Dubai Investments and SwissINSO Holding Inc.
The coloured solar panels on facades and roofs could spare the same amount of CO2 (about 1 million tons) per year as 30 million trees would spare over 10 years. In terms of money saving, this is the equivalent to Dh600 million, Hanbali said, adding that the coloured solar panels promote the use of renewable energy sources that aims to make UAE a global centre of clean energy and green economy.
The average return on investments on installation of coloured solar panels is 4 to 8 years - depending on the building, its position, orientation, neighbouring topography and architecture. From sustainability perspective, the contribution to decrease the housing harmful gas emissions is considerable, Hanbali said.
Emirates Insolaire is currently participating in the Solar Expo at World Future Energy Summit [WFES] in Abu Dhabi, showcasing its KromatixTM coloured solar glass for Photovoltaic and Thermal installations, finished ready-to-install Photovoltaic solar panels.
"The company's mandate in the short-term is Building Integrated Photovoltaics [BIPV], which covers buildings with a beautiful, colourful dress. The solar sector is growing more than 50 per cent per year, but within this figure the BIPV growth is more than 100 per cent per year," he added.
The company is eyeing sustainable growth amidst surging demand of the solar energy sector in the UAE. The solar sector is expected to account for almost 8 per cent of the total power capacity in the country by 2026. The UAE, in general, and Dubai, in particular, is committed to a solar-powered future with Dubai targeted to source 7 per cent of its power supply from clean energy by 2020, and 75 per cent by 2050.
This offers unmatched opportunities for Emirates Insolaire - considering that the company's solar panels extend high efficiency. Dubai has already installed photovoltaic panels on 453 buildings with a total capacity of 18.7 megawatts [MW] and this shows the massive potential this sector offers in the coming years. - business@khaleejtimes.com