Sharaf DG Energy installs solar panels at 500 Dubai villas

Dubai - Sharaf DG Energy, part of UAE business conglomerate Sharaf Group and a major solar energy solution provider, said it has successfully completed the installation of solar PV panels in 500 villas across Dubai within 45 days.

With the current Covid-19 pandemic affecting businesses and consumers across the globe, it is now more important than ever to protect from utility tariff increases and the volatility of oil, said a statement from Sharaf DG Energy. 

Although Dubai Electricity and Water Authority's (DEWA) grid is majorly powered by natural gas, not petrochemicals, the oil industry affects all spheres of life and it is important to think long term. Dewa had launched a project to install solar PV panels on the homes of UAE nationals in Dubai. DEWA entrusted Etihad ESCO to oversee the project, including Sharaf DG Energy, 500 villas each in Dubai.  

Sharaf DG Energy said it had executed the project from mechanical erection, to the completion and energisation in just 45 days. Around 12 teams were deployed that worked on around eight villas per day and successfully completed the installations within the stipulated time period, said the company in a statement. 

 Dewa had earlier launched a project to install solar PV panels on the homes of UAE nationals in Dubai. It had entrusted Etihad Esco to oversee the project. Sharaf DG Energy said over 6,500 solar PV panels had been installed as part of the project. Each villa will now produce 6,220 kilowatt-hours of electricity in one year,  equivalent to CO2 emissions from consuming 1880 litres of gasoline or growing 70 trees for 10 years.

Vice President Sanjay Dabur said Sharaf DG Energy wants to empower communities to achieve higher levels of sustainability. "It was an important project for us to complete, not only to show our commitment to the growth of sustainable energy in the UAE, but to prove that we will always deliver on any promise we make."

On the key hurdles faced by the team, Dabur said: "A major challenge on the engineering front, was the orientation and the size of the buildings, each villa had different positioning with respect to the sun and different roof size."

"Our engineers designed custom solar PV panel layouts for these roofs in order to receive maximum sunlight and thereby produce maximum energy," he stated.  Another challenge was helping the families involved to understand more about solar energy and how it works – there was a need to create awareness and inform the families about leading an alternate lifestyle based on using clean energy, he added.