“Go Solar”

Tips from Dubai Carbon CEO to Homeowners

Solar energy is the future, especially here in the region. Today, equipping your home to generate solar power is a great option if you are eager to lower your carbon footprint, and save on energy bills The climate we live in makes solar energy one of the best alternative sources for low-cost power generation. 

In simple terms, solar power is generated by thin silicon panels, divided into photovoltaic cells, which act as semiconductors. When sunlight hits the cells, it excites the electrons and produces a direct electrical current. The majority of solar users are still hooked into the power grid. Their panels generate most of their energy, but the electricity provided by the utility supplier stays to power the home when the sun goes down. To generate power for your home, the panels are either installed on your rooftop or angle mounted on your property. However, there are several things to consider in the quest to go green. 

Dubai Carbon in its path to facilitate the transition to a low carbon economy has actively invested towards making such transition easier. The Green Deal Dubai as an example is a platform that will leverage crowdsourcing to provide end users with cost effective and value proposition towards installing solar rooftops as early as October during the World Green Economy Summit on October 4-6 2016. Green Deal has also managed to reduce end user cost of capital by providing through its partner Emirates Islamic Bank 24 months interest-free loans on specific products and services.

The first and foremost requirement once you decide to adopt solar energy for your home is to research solar powered systems and have a brief but clear idea of the different options so that you are an informed customer. An energy load inventory should be carried out and there are numerous home energy auditing apps that can be used to assess where and how much power is used and identify ways to reduce consumption where its due. Balancing the solar rooftop with the home demand is a key requirement under the Shams Dubai initiative. The Shams Dubai website clearly highlights four different stages involved in the process right from obtaining a ‘No Objection Certificate' from the building till the actual power generation.

Dubai Carbon is a Shams Dubai registered consultant, customers should make sure they contract the work to one of the registered consultants under Shams Dubai (full list is available online). 

It is also important to understand the energy demand of the household and also be aware that not the entire demand can be necessarily met by the solar power supply. Air conditioning and water heating usually use much more energy than any other appliances, the surplus energy demand can be acquired from the grid connected supply, and you will be charged by DEWA for only that surplus amount. 

Tips:

1)    Trust only Shams Dubai registered consultants and contractors, as they have received specific training relevant to the challenges faced in this climate & the opportunities of better payback. 
2)    Get a few quotes from different contractors and consultants so you have a better understanding of the market price and then make a decision based on what is best for you. Don't worry, your contractor will help you out there.
3)    Ask your contractor for a clearly defined estimate of how much energy your system will generate. The contract should include an estimate of the average daily output of your system in kilowatt-hours based on where you live and the size and position of your system.
4)    In addition to the solar panel type and efficiency, carefully choose the inverter efficiency before purchasing a system. The more efficient the inverter the less electricity will be wasted as heat during conversion from DC electricity from solar panels to AC which is suitable for your home. 
5)    If you have a surplus energy supply from your system, it can be carried forward to the next month. There are various other ways Shams Dubai makes a home solar installation worthwhile, and even win awards! More Info

Finally, remember, that conservation of energy is just as important as using renewable energy resources, so be more thoughtful on your use of appliances and the energy efficiency of them as well.
“The UAE's solar power market is bound to grow in leaps in the coming few years, offering homeowners lower electric bills and clean power in the Emirates,” Ivano Iannelli said.  “However, as with any new technology, people who are interested in installing solar power for their homes may not know where to start.  We need to inform homeowners so that they become more savvy consumers backed with full knowledge on home solar electric systems and important criteria they should consider before signing up with a contractor,” added Ivano Iannelli.