Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is organizing the first Dubai Solar Show, in conjunction with the 18th Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition (WETEX 2016), which is organized under the directives of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and President of DEWA, on Oct. 4- 6 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Dubai Solar Show will cover approximately 13,000 square metres and will attract exhibitors from around the world. Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA made the announcement at a press conference by at Grand Hyatt hotel in Dubai. The conference was attended by Dr Yousef Ibrahim Al Akraf, Chairman of the sales & logistical support committee for WETEX, Khawla Al Mehairi, Chairman of the marketing and media committee for WETEX, and Jamal Hammadi, VP- Special Projects-Strategy & Business Development, and many representatives from the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority and media outlets. Al Tayer pointed out that analysts expect that by 2030, the solar market will increase 10-fold, and solar will become the dominant electricity source around the world. Solar energy is forecasted to generate $5 trillion in revenue over the next 15 years, displacing large amounts of fossil fuels. "The significant development of solar photovoltaic technologies, combined with 75% drop in cost over the past 10 years, have made it a popular option in various parts of the world to increasingly rely on solar energy. The cumulative capacity of solar energy now stands at about 185GW. Solar power additions in 2015 alone are estimated at about 50GW, up from 37 in 2014. This is clearly reflected in the Middle East. According to the Middle East Solar Industry Association, only 70MW of solar PV projects were awarded between 2006 and 2013 across the region, while projects of 294MW were awarded in 2014 alone. This is a four-fold increase in demand for solar energy in one year compared to the seven previous years combined," added Al Tayer. "Earlier this year, DEWA signed an Independent Power Producer agreement to generate 200MW at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, to be operational by April 2017. Last month, HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, inaugurated the second project of the Solar Park, the largest single-site project of its kind in the world, based on the IPP model. It will generate 1,000MW by 2020, and 5,000MW by 2030, with total investments of AED 50 billion. His Highness also launched the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, to make Dubai a global centre of clean energy and green economy, and provide 7% of Dubai's energy from clean energy sources by 2020, 25% by 2030 and 75% by 2050. Dubai also aims to install solar panels on the roofs of all buildings in Dubai by 2030. DEWA has already launched Shams Dubai initiative to encourage building owners to install photovoltaic panels to generate electricity and connect it to DEWA's grid," he pointed out. Moreover, he said "DEWA Innovation Centre will oversee research and development projects with a total investment of AED 500 million. We will also host the Solar Decathlon Middle East, which was created through an agreement between the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, and the United States Department of Energy. Participants will be university students from all over the world. Dubai will host the first two rounds of the Solar Decathlon, which is held for the first time in the Middle East and Africa. Dubai will host the first decathlon in 2018 and again in 2020 to coincide with World Expo in Dubai, whose theme 'Connecting Minds, Creating the Future' fits well with this distinguished international competition."
