The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) will host its second Solar Decathlon Middle East (SDME) for universities to design, build and operate sustainable solar-powered houses.
DEWA has allocated more than 60,000 square metres at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park for the event, to be held in November in conjunction with Expo 2020 Dubai.
Hosting the SDME Village at the Solar Park offers several advantages, including powering the facilities of the village with clean energy.
SDME encourages the younger generation to innovate and unleash their creativity to support global efforts to mitigate climate change and become future energy leaders. University students work on their projects focusing on delivering smart and efficient housing solutions while taking into consideration the environment and climatic conditions of the region.
The SDME Village comprises recreational areas for workshops, seminars, and key events for students and visitors. It includes a clinic, restaurants and cafés with Emirati and international cuisine.
The SDME is being held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, as part of a partnership between the DEWA, the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE), and the United States (US) Department of Energy.
Participating teams at SDME compete in 10 contests – architecture, engineering and building, energy management, energy efficiency, comfort conditions, house functioning, sustainable transport, sustainability, communications and innovation.
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO, said that DEWA strives to enhance the success achieved at the first SDME in November 2018 and consolidate Dubai’s position as the capital of the green economy.
Students and visitors will also be able to visit DEWA’s R&D Centre and the Innovation Centre at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the largest single-site solar park in the world using the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model, besides visiting the sustainable and smart houses that are participating in SDME.
The R&D Centre includes various laboratories and workshops such as solar-radiation simulation laboratories, and electronic, mechanical and chemical labs. It has outdoor testing facilities to study the performance and reliability of solar panels and includes a 3D printed lab, the first building in the UAE to be fully printed onsite, and the first such building in the world.
