Dubai: Rooftop solar panels powering some villas in Dubai could catch on once new energy rules are in place.
Dubai is planning to regulate how homes and businesses can install solar panels to generate their own electricity and feed extra power into the main grid.
The regulations are expected to take into account whether some kind of financial incentive could be given to solar energy users.
Currently, solar home installations are fairly rare and dependent on the capacity of batteries to hold the charge instead of being connected to the main power network, industry experts said.
Solar power is attractive because it uses clean energy and can be cheaper in the long run for homes.
Domestic solar power systems can cost roughly Dh20,000-Dh40,000 depending on the size of the panels, batteries and inverters among other factors. They can help cut power bills by 20-30 per cent, according to various estimates.
Gundeep Singh, CEO of Change Initiative, uses solar power at his Dubai villa to run lights in all eight rooms.
He said the current cost of using solar power and lack of regulation has held back some people from making the switch.
“But I think more people will be interested once the feed-in tariffs and the value is there. Mostly people do it right now for environment reasons because solar power is clean,” Singh said.
Another solar power user, Prabissh Thomas, the group managing director of PTL Solar, said that once the incentives and legislation become clear, there will be a “phenomenal” rise in demand for solar power.
“That will bring forward the ‘payback’ time of installation by years. There are other possibilities, like a green code for new villas to be powered in part by solar… You could charge your hybrid car on a dedicated solar system… complement the air-conditioning, which normally runs on regular power,” said Thomas.
He currently uses solar-powered bulbs to light his garden.
The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) is finalising how solar power should be regulated, with renewable energy featuring significantly in its future energy supply mix.
“The Dewa solar rooftop programme is part of Dubai’s energy sustainability strategy. The aim is to empower home owners to be more independent with their energy needs,” said Vahid Fotuhi, president of Middle East Solar Industry Association.
“The new regulations will allow them to install solar PV [photo voltaic] systems on their roofs and cut back on their electricity bills. The programme will target not just home owners but also business owners and those with access to industrial warehouses.”
He added: “For the time-being, the financial incentive scheme is not yet in place. As such it does not make sense yet to be installing systems on the roof. It would be better to wait a few months for this programme to be formally launched so that solar enthusiasts could avail of both the energy sustainability benefits as well as the financial returns.”
