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Solar energy is the wave of the future, a cool idea that makes a lot of economic and environmental sense given that it is limitless, renewable and 100 per cent pure.
In a region blessed with sunshine all round the year, it makes even more sense, especially during the merciless summers when demand for power surges and air-conditioning accounts for almost 80 per cent of all the electricity consumed.
In fact, even the Pentagon in Washington has solar powered air-conditioning and in Australia, Archicentre, the building advisory service of the Royal Australian Institute of Architects, has called on the federal government to make air-conditioners which run on solar energy a compulsory part of the country’s residential and commercial building projects.
While many governments and agencies around the world are still groping in the dark on the advantages of solar technology, the UAE is working on tapping the latest in solar technology to arrest the explosion of power-hungry air-conditioners that can threaten the stability of the electrical grid during peak power demands.
Dubai, where the demand for power is growing exponentially with the building boom, the government has recognised the value of exploiting solar power and has picked the Dubai Techno Park to promote it in a big way.
The city already boasts of UAE’s first platinum certified Green Building which is powered solely by solar energy. The five-storey Green Building, where solar-thermal air-conditioning units have been installed by Royal Gulf, a Dubai-based firm, is a first for UAE and it is only the 15th such building in the world.
The Dubai government has recognised the value of exploiting solar energy with the Dubai Techno Park promoting solar energy in a big way. They are now promoting a project to develop high technology solar energy products and solutions. The proposed clustre of facilities will be spread over 400,000 sq ft and will cost Dh50 million. The facilities will include the region’s first-of-its-kind R&D centre for designing and building solar thermal air-conditioning solutions, solar power plants and other large scale solar thermal solutions for medium and large projects. Construction is expected to begin by September.
Each year, air-conditioning accounts for almost 80 per cent of all electricity consumed between April and October in the country. This huge cost can be reduced significantly with the efficient use of solar energy.
Under adequate climactic conditions (such as are prevalent in the UAE), solar and solar-assisted air-conditioning systems can be reasonable alternatives to conventional air-conditioning systems. The solar-thermal air-conditioning units use water as a refrigerant and a 65 per cent salt solution as an absorbent — totally clean and non-pollution, they are 100 per cent environment friendly.
Not only do solar-thermal systems avoid the use of CFCs, they also help prevent the incidental CO2 emissions.
Solar power
PROS
· Solar power is pollution free during use.
· Facilities can operate with little maintenance or intervention after initial setup.
· Solar power is becoming more economical as costs associated with production decreases.
CONS
· It is not available at night and is reduced when there is cloud cover.
· For power grids to stay functional at all times, backup power plants must be kept 'hot', to replace solar power stations as they stop producing.
· Solar cell technologies produce DC power which must be converted to the AC power when used in currently existing distribution grids.
· Patrick Michael
