Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, DEWA, has organised a workshop for university teams who have qualified for the final stage of the 2nd Solar Decathlon Middle East, SDME 2020.

The three-day workshop discussed the competition’s rules and next steps, which is organised under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council.

The qualifying universities include United Arab Emirates University; the University of Sharjah; Ajman University; Khalifa University; Al Ghurair University; Manipal Academy of Higher Education – Dubai Campus; New York University Abu Dhabi; the American University of Ras Al Khaimah; and the British University in Dubai from the UAE.

In his keynote speech at the workshop, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA, noted that hosting the first and second regional competitions of this global initiative with prizes totalling over AED20 million, emphasises Dubai’s position as a futuristic city that adopts sustainable solutions and provides opportunities for youth from around the world to be creative and innovative.

"One of the Eight Principles of Dubai, announced by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, state that, 'The Emirate’s prominence, sustainability and competitiveness depend on its capacity to continue attracting skilled and talented people, and nurturing the brightest minds to generate innovative ideas.' The Solar Decathlon Middle East, the largest and most competitive and challenging competition among international universities, aims to involve young people in the sustainable development process, and encourage them to innovate. It gives them the opportunity to unleash their creativity by developing innovative solutions that support global efforts to address the impact of climate change. This is achieved by designing, building, and operating smart and sustainable solar-powered homes that are efficient in terms of cost and energy consumption, while focusing on environmental conservation and the region’s climate," said Al Tayer.

Al Tayer noted that the first Solar Decathlon Middle East, which DEWA organised for the first time in the Middle East and Africa, achieved remarkable success. It attracted over 600 students and academics from 54 nationalities. 15 teams from 28 universities in 11 countries around the world took part in the competition. Over 60,000 square metres were allocated at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park to host this event. The solar park was chosen as it is the largest single-site solar park in the world, and supports DEWA’s efforts to achieve the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, to provide 75 percent of Dubai’s total power output from clean energy by 2050, and by 2050 make Dubai’s carbon footprint the lowest in the world.

Dubai hosted the first Solar Decathlon Middle East in November 2018, and the second will be organised next year in conjunction with Expo 2020 Dubai.