Dubai International Academic City and Dubai Outsource City, part of the TECOM Group, have jointly announced the completion of two solar carports in Dubai.
According to a statement, the solar PV (photovoltaic) systems from Enova will generate 4.25 GWh of clean electricity annually — enough to power 350 homes.
“They are the first solar PV carports commissioned for the business communities and fall within the purview of a sustainability partnership between the Group and Enova, a regional leader in integrated energy and multi-technical services. While reinforcing Dubai’s ongoing commitment to developing state-of-the-art, sustainable infrastructure, the projects will boost energy efficiency and provide renewable electricity to the Group’s business communities,” explained the statement.
The two projects boast more than 7,000 solar panels in total across a total area of over 14,000 square metres (the equivalent of two and a half football pitches).
The 4,170 PV panels of the 1.6 MWp solar carport in Dubai Outsource City is expected to provide 98% of the community’s energy requirements and cut 1,250 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.
Dubai International Academic City’s 1.1 MWp solar carport will meet up to a fifth of the campus’ in the area demand: “Completed in eight weeks, it will provide solar power to 12 university buildings across the largest academic ecosystem in the world.”
Mohammed Abdullah, Managing Director of Dubai International Academic City, added: “This achievement is part of the wider Group’s commitment towards sustainability. In 2019, we implemented several energy-saving initiatives across our 10 communities that reduced energy consumption by more than 10 per cent compared to 2018. The solar carport is one such initiative that has helped us continue to deliver on our sustainability vision, while shaping Dubai’s innovation-driven economy.”
“The completion of our first solar carport in Dubai Outsource City falls in line with the UAE’s vision to emerge as a world leader in renewable energy consumption and generation,” said Ammar Al Malik, managing director, Dubai Outsource City.
“We are proud of this partnership and strive to minimise the environmental footprint of our sector-focused ecosystems by providing world-class, sustainable infrastructure for our business partners to support their environmental efforts.”
Renaud Capris, CEO of Enova, said the new solar carports will deliver several key benefits including enhanced energy efficiency for both TECOM Group and its business communities, “all the while reducing the UAE’s overall carbon footprint. We are proud of our part in aiding the country to not only advance its efforts to realise a sustainable future powered by renewable energy, but also support their aspirations to become a global leader within the field.”
