DUBAI: The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) is installing solar panels on roofs of villas of Emiratis in Hatta, free of charge. This initiative is part of Dewa’s effort to contribute to the enhancement of environmental sustainability and make Dubai one of the most sustainable cities in the world. It also supports the Shams Dubai initiative and the Hatta Comprehensive Development Plan. The project aims to transform Hatta residents from energy consumers to green consumers and producers of clean energy. It also seeks to contribute to the protection of the environment for generations to come.
The authority has conducted field visits to homes of the UAE nationals in Hatta to explain the process of installing solar panels. The Dewa representatives briefed about the project and its objectives, and introduced Dewa’s Etihad Esco as the company responsible for project management and technical supervision. The project is expected to be completed by February 2018. “Dewa is a strategic partner in the implementation of the Hatta Comprehensive Development Plan launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. We are keen to encourage Hatta’s residents to participate in Shams Dubai, a key pillar of the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to transform Dubai into a global hub for clean energy and green economy, and to provide 75 per cent of Dubai’s energy through clean sources by 2050. The initiative also supports the Demand Side Energy Management Strategy, which seeks to reduce energy and water demand by 30 per cent by 2030, driving the country’s sustainable development and making Dubai one of the most sustainable cities in the world,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of Dewa. “Shams Dubai aims to establish a sustainable model of energy conservation that can be exported to the whole world by supporting the long-term initiative launched by Sheikh Mohammed under the slogan ‘Green Economy for Sustainable Development’, to create a green economy in the UAE, and achieve the UAE Vision 2021,” he added.
