The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) has said it has trained 127 technical staff of electrical and solar PV consultants and contractors. The training covered Dewa’s requirements for installing PV panels on rooftops as part of its Shams Dubai initiative.

Shams Dubai is Dewa’s first smart initiative to connect solar energy to buildings and is part of the Distributed Renewable Resources Generation programme.

The successful trainees received certificates qualifying them for solar PV work.
“Dewa seeks to adopt the highest levels of quality and safety in its internal processes and external operations,” said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, managing director and chief executive of Dewa.

“We call upon all manufacturers of solar power equipment and tools to register their products as eligible for Dewa,” he added.

The installation process starts with the customer contacting one of the consultants or contractors accredited by Dewa to suggest the best solution and obtain the necessary approvals from the company.

Dewa will charge a one-off connection fee. For most installations, it will simply equal the fixed amount charged by Dewa for each renewable generator connected to the grid. This amount is currently set at Dh1,500 ($408.40) and covers mainly the cost incurred by Dewa for procuring and installing the solar PV generation check meter. For large installations (above 400 kW) some dedicated equipment might be needed in which case the cost of such equipment is charged as part of the connection fees.

Meanwhile, Dewa took part in a recent workshop in Mumbai, India, on PV module reliability in hot climates.

Its delegation was headed by Dr Hassan Qasem.