Intersolar, the world's leading solar event, has officially launched the "Young Leaders' Innovation Challenge" taking place this September in Dubai at Intersolar Middle East event. The contest aims to encourage students across the MENA region to contribute to commitments made through the Paris Agreement at COP21. "The Young Leaders' Innovation Challenge is intended to create links between academic research and applied science at a time when the United Arab Emirates seeks to make good on its goal to increase its share of renewable energy to 24 percent by 2021," said Hadi Tahboub, Vice President at MESIA. Under the patronage Eng. Suhail Mohamed Faraj Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy, the nationwide competition attracted academic teams from across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Egypt and Qatar. Intersolar Middle East will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre on Sept. 19 – 21, 2016. The teams will demonstrate how 25 percent reduction in energy consumption can be achieved by retrofitting renewable energy technologies to a government building of their choice. Over 13 universities have joined the contest including Masdar Institute, Khalifa University and Petroleum Institute from UAE, Sultan Qaboos University from Oman, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology from KSA, and many more. The winning entries will be selected by a prestigious panel of jury members, including officials from Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA), DWTC, Dubai Municipality, First Solar, Green Technologies, Masdar, and Clean Energy Business Council, amongst others respectful entities. Teams have until July 31, 2016 to submit their entries. At Intersolar Middle East in September, the winner team will receive a prestigious reward which includes a cash prize and an opportunity to exhibit their project and represent the Middle East in front of global leaders at the 2017 edition of Intersolar Europe in Munich, Germany. "The physical environment and attitudes toward sustainability in the United Arab Emirates make it an ideal hotbed for creating a world-class renewable energy sector, and we see great value in taking that message to the world through the Young Leaders' Innovation Challenge," said Hadi Tahboub, Vice President at MESIA.
