Dear Solarthermalworld.org Reader,
Demand
for solar thermal solutions has been on the rise in Dubai in the United
Arab Emirates. The reasons: Since March 2012, mandatory solar
regulations have stipulated that new single-owner buildings, such as
hotels, workers’ dwellings, private villas and shopping malls must cover
at least 75 % of their annual hot water by solar resources. Increasing
energy prices over the past years have also prompted a number of hotels
to upgrade their hot water systems to more efficient versions running on
solar, heat pumps or a combination of both technologies. In addition,
newbuilds in many areas of Dubai have been supplied with 20 to 30 %
lower electricity capacities by the Dubai Electricity & Water
Authority (DEWA), which has had building designers look for alternative
sources of energy. The photo shows the installation at the Four Seasons
Resort Dubai, a system which was set up by local solar hot water
specialist Ecoval Trading in 2014. According to Ecoval´s Managing
Director, Jim Sebastian Parambil, payback periods for PV are much longer
than for solar thermal installations.
Have a good read
The Editorial Team