Abu Dhabi: Solar energy is the way to go for the UAE, an expert on renewable energy has advised.
Ray Noble, Director of BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaics) and a former UK government advisor on renewable energy, was addressing developers and members from the construction industry at a seminar titled "Global warming and its solutions".
"The planet is a very clever thing. It can repair itself, provided you don't go too far," he said, pointing out the critical need to act now against global warming. Many people believe that the burning of fossil fuels causes global warming. Analysing this, together with the fact that over two billion people worldwide have no access to electricity, leads to the conclusion that fuel needs are in some way related to global warming, Noble explained, adding that the future is for renewable energy and gases, predominantly hydrogen.
While wind and marine energy are not the right answer for the UAE, solar energy is the ideal option, he said. "The UAE gets some of the highest amounts of light from the sun compared to anywhere in the world."
There are two ways of tapping into solar energy. By using Photovoltaic (PV) or solar cells to directly convert sunlight into electricity or by using solar energy to heat water and then to use the steam to generate electricity.
