How To Go Solar In Dubai? Here Is Your Complete Guide

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by Ashas Bukhari

How To Go Solar In Dubai? Here Is Your Complete Guide

24 Jun 2024

Summer is officially here, and oh boy, is it here with a vengeance. June 21 is the official start of the hot season in the UAE, but for those of us who call this sandbox home, it started a month or two ago, with temperatures reaching up to a sweltering forty-nine degrees. But when life gives you lemons, as they say, you make lemonade. And since the sun is oh so abundant in the UAE, why not make solar energy?

It may seem unexpected in a region known for its dependence on oil exports, but the UAE is leading the charge towards making green energy a reality. In fact, Dubai has set ambitious goals, among which is the aim to be carbon neutral by 2050. But Dubai is not the only Emirate going green. The UAE as a whole, and especially Ras Al Khaimah, has some remarkable sustainability initiatives.

To help achieve this goal, the Shams Dubai initiative encourages households to install solar panels on their homes and use the generated electricity for their own consumption, with any excess being exported to DEWA's grid network to power other homes in the area. To get started harnessing your own supply of solar energy, The Sandy Times has put together a simple guide for you.

What is solar power?

Solar power is the process of using solar photovoltaic (PV) panels to capture the sun's energy and convert it into electricity without emitting any carbon. This makes it an eco-friendly alternative to traditional methods that rely on burning fuels. Typically, a single solar panel can generate between 250 and 270 watts of electricity. The number of panels installed in a home can vary, but they have the potential to power various household items such as refrigerators, televisions, phone chargers, and even recessed lighting.

Why do you need to go solar?

The sun is a free source of energy, and it is always available, as we are sure you have noticed. This should be the biggest incentive for Dubai residents to go solar, well, this and the hefty bundle of savings you can make in the long run. Think of investing in solar energy as investing in the future, quite literally. Solar energy is, after all, an integral part of eco-living.

As time goes on, the initial cost of installing solar panels starts to pay for itself: while getting electricity from the utility grid incurs expenses, harnessing energy from the sun is completely free! This is especially beneficial in a desert environment like ours.

The total cost for a solar power system is approximately AED 35K, and it can be expected to provide a return on investment within eight years. In addition to financial benefits, using solar power also has positive environmental effects by producing no pollution or greenhouse gas emissions. Installing a PV system may even increase the value of your property, according to DEWA; if you decide to sell or rent out your home, potential buyers or tenants will be attracted by the lower electricity bills they can expect thanks to the solar energy generated on-site.

Photo: Nathan Anderson

How you can go solar in Dubai

Signing up is completely free and you could have a small system generating 10kW or 20kW of power within just a week. For larger, commercial or industrial systems, it may take four to eight weeks. DEWA outlines a four-stage process for enrolling in the Shams Dubai program:

— The No Objection Certificate (NOC) stage.

— The Design Approval stage.

— The Inspection and Connection stage.

— The Generation stage.

Instagram: @dewaofficial

Calculating the costs of solar energy in Dubai

With advancements in technology and a surge in demand, solar costs have seen a significant decrease worldwide in recent years. However, determining the exact cost of installing solar panels on homes in Dubai can be difficult as it depends on factors such as the size of the house and energy usage. Luckily, DEWA offers a helpful calculator to estimate the cost for individual homes and also see if others in the neighbourhood are utilising solar power.

Here is a rough estimate of the cost, and an example to help you understand

For a three-bedroom villa, a 5kW system with twenty panels would cover approximately 20% of its energy needs. As mentioned previously, the total cost for this system would be around AED 35,000 and it will take approximately eight years to see a return on investment.

In other words, if your monthly electricity bill falls between 1,500 AED and 2,000 AED, this system could save you anywhere from 250 AED to 300 AED per month. With more providers entering the market, the costs associated with operating solar panels in households will likely decrease over time.

Other costs you should take into consideration are:

— Cleaning cost: Due to the build-up of dust, it is essential to clean solar panels every two weeks. This can be done through automated machines or by hiring specialised cleaning services for manual cleaning. But remember that in most cases, the slant of the panels means that the dust will mostly take care of itself. So, depending on who you ask, as long as you clean your panels twice or thrice a year, they should not lose too much generation capacity. Just be sure to dust them off after a particularly nasty sandstorm.

— Steel brackets to install the panels on your roof. This is another unavoidable cost associated with solar panels.

— The PV system's electricity generation will be measured by the installation of a meter from DEWA, which is included in the one-time connection fee of 1,500 AED.

by Ashas Bukhari