Abu Dhabi: Recently installed solar panels on 11 buildings in Abu Dhabi will prevent around 3,220 tonnes of carbondioxide per year from being released to the environment, apart from generating 4.025 GWh (Gigawatt Hour) per year of electricity.
The renewable energy company Masdar, together with Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority (ADWEA), yesterday announced they have jointly installed photovoltaic (PV) solar rooftop installations on 11 government and private buildings in Abu Dhabi, said a press release issued by Masdar yesterday.
Pilot project
The 2.3MW (megawatt) of PV panels installed on the rooftops of various buildings will generate 4.025 GWh per year of electricity, saving around 3,220 tonnes of carbondioxide per year.
The objective of the pilot project is to support renewable energy efforts within the UAE, investigate and prove the potential for building integrated PV installations to help meet the Abu Dhabi's future electricity demands.
An official spokesperson of Masdar told Gulf News the power generated will flow through to the public grid.
Asked any estimate on the money saved by the buildings by generating their own power, the spokesperson said: "The systems were paid for by the government in a pilot program to gain experience, the building owners do not financially gain from the produced power."
The spokesperson did not disclose the cost of the pilot project.
Mandate
Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Chief Executive Officer, Masdar, said: "We are very pleased to collaborate with government entities to widen the reach of renewable energy to the Abu Dhabi population. Our participation in this project is part of Masdar's mandate to spearhead further the development and implementation of renewable energy within Abu Dhabi. Solar rooftop PV installations have the potential to be a significant contributor to Abu Dhabi's renewable energy efforts."
Director-General of ADWEA Abdulla Al Nuaimi said: "ADWEA is proud to be a part of the government's initiative in renewable energy and its strategies support the introduction of renewable energy in the emirate of Abu Dhabi."
The chosen ones
The power generation capacity of the panels on various buildings varies.
The buildings include the Shaikh Sultan Bin Zayed Mosque [55 kW-(kilowatt) ], Crown Prince Court (300 kW), Al Mamoura (210 kW), Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (1MW), Abu Dhabi Municipality (100 kW), Abu Dhabi Distribution Company (125 kW), Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (100 kW), Armed Officer's Club (100 kW), Al Ameen School (50 kW), Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technology (300 kW), and a private villa (15kW).
