DUBAI NEEDS NEW ENERGY

Here is what Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director/CEO, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and chairman, Dubai Infrastructure, the man in charge of managing Dubai’s energy, believes about New Energy: “There are many technologies in the renewable energy like wind energy, the solar panel and there are many other things, but then we also have to be practical. Maybe you can use it at the consumer end, rather than the power plant. If you tell me to use it, for example, in a power plant, I will tell you that I cannot…Because, first of all it cannot generate the output — it’s very, very small. Secondly, and I do not have the space. Now, in 40 metres by one kilometre that I have, I can generate 10,000KW... or should I generate 50MW.”

Dubai’s biggest energy consumption goes into its air conditioning and Al Tayer does not believe New Energy, especially solar energy, is an answer for that consumption.

Al Tayer, on using solar energy to meet the demand from Dubai’s high use of air conditioning: “In Europe, they don’t have air-conditioning. Heater is okay, it’s easy. But to run an AC in the whole house, you cannot (with solar power). You must compare apple with apple. We have to understand our environment. We should encourage and follow the market and the development. But I think it will take some time…In the Gulf, I don’t see that [solar energy] would be able to take care of the AC demand. I don’t think even 10 per cent (of demand). People are not aware of the extent of efficiency and output of the solar panel. But a time will come when solar energy will become more efficient…The focus is to encourage the utilisation of solar energy in certain things. I cannot encourage people to use it for the AC. They will go to the market and they will not find it. It’s 3KW and 4KW.”

Because of this attitude, Al Tayer disdains the flamboyant Masdar initiative (see Masdar Initiative - World's First... and ZERO CARBON CITY IN ABU DHABI) as well as the International Energy Agency (IEA)’s admonitions to develop New Energy. Instead, Al Tayer insists on efficiency. He has brought Dubai’s transmission system up to European standards and is implementing consumer education programs.

Al-Tayer: “We are the lowest in line loss worldwide. This is based on 2007 Mackenzie Database…Here we can improve the reliability and improve the efficiency where the cable can carry more current. This system means hundreds of millions being saved. In this, we benchmark against Europe. We used to benchmark against the Gulf, but we are much better than others in the Gulf.”

Al Tayer also plans to benefit from the innovations developed by the hugely ambitious and expensive Masdar initiative. It’s a practical but not very generous attitude. It will be interesting to see which plan pays off in the long run.

Dubai's Main Street, 1990 (click to enlarge)

Dubai Needs Renewable Energy
Zoe Sinclair, 5 October 2008 (Khaleej Times)

WHO
Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director/CEO, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) and chairman, Dubai Infrastructure; the International Energy Agency (IEA)

WHAT
Population growth and growth in the population;s sophistication is causing Dubai’s energy demand to threaten its supply capacity. There is a growing call for the city to fill the gap by developing New Energy capacity. Dubai’s energy manager is skeptical and has focused his efforts on efficiency measures.

The same street, 2007. Even Persian Gulf sun isn't up to this. (click to enlarge)

WHEN
Based on the 2007 Mackenzie database, Dubai has raised its transmission efficiency and reliability to the European standards.

WHERE
- Dubai has the highest per capita energy consumption in the world (20,000 kilowatt-hours/year per peson.
- The IEA suggests the world would profit from studying Europe’s development of New Energy capacity.
- Neighbor Abu Dhabi’s Masdar initiative is one of the most ambitious projects in the world.

WHY
- Deploying Renewables, a recent IEA report, advocates New Energy development and cites solar as one of the most underdeveloped types of New Energy.
- The single most significant cause of Dubai’s high per capita energy consumption is the use of air-conditioning in the residential and commercial sectors.
- Dubai has no plans to replicate Abu Dhabi’s solar-powered, carbon neutral Masdar initiative.
- Dubai’s energy manager believes Masdar has an unlimited budget. He also expects Dubai to profit from the innovation that comes out of the Masdar initiative.
Instead of developing New Energy, Dubai’s energy manager has implemented an efficiency plan that won the Emirates Energy Award and was recognised as the world’s most efficient energy system.
- Dubai is conserving water by using treated water instead of potable water for utility cooling purposes and is planning for its use in irrigation.
- Dubai is also implementing consumer awareness plans to improve energy efficiency and water conservation.

The madness continues. One report says Dubai is using 15-to-25% of the world's cranes. (click to enlarge)

QUOTES
- Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, chief executive, DEWA and Dubai Infrastructure: “We have the highest growth worldwide, we have many tourists, many people are comfortable, cheap energy, cheap water, so consumption is high, but I’m against wastage…We are number one in terms of growth — electricity is 15 per cent and water is 12 per cent (per person per year) growth over 2007. Dubai growth is 15 per cent. This growth is based on the master plan of developers and each year there will be an increase of residential and commercial units.”
- Al Tayer, on the state of New Energy in Dubai: “We are following the technology. But when you are talking of the production level, I require more my growth is very high, growth will be from 15 to 20 per cent and solar power will not give me this output and it requires space and high cost. Of course, this is part of the green initiative. We have to encourage this programme, especially in the new specifications there is room for the solar energy, for example, water heater and lighting…When we put in more effort to educate the public about the use of solar energy, maybe they see it as expensive in the initial stages, but when you look at the result, the planning cost and the emission are reduced…”