Dubai: Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) organised the third international workshop of the second Solar Decathlon Middle East (SDME) virtually. HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA and Manal Al Bayat, Chief Engagement Officer of Expo 2020 Dubai, attended the event. DEWA is organising the SDME in conjunction with Expo 2020 Dubai at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.

“I am pleased to welcome you to the third international workshop of the second Solar Decathlon Middle East (SDME) for university students to design solar-powered homes. The SDME is organised by DEWA under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, as part of a partnership with the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) and the US Department of Energy. The SDME will be held at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park to encourage youth on innovating smart solar-powered home designs that fit the cultural, social and climate conditions of the Middle East region. The second SDME is especially important this year. It is held in conjunction with the Expo 2020 Dubai amid Dubai’s efforts to host an exceptional and historic edition of this world-class event. During this event, Dubai will host delegations from 192 countries. This event also coincides with Year of the 50th where our efforts will increase for more achievements in support of the wise leadership’s vision for the next 50 years. "

This SDME builds on the great success of the first round, which DEWA organised for the first time in the Middle East and Africa in November 2018. The first SDME attracted more than 600 students and academics from 54 nationalities who competed in 15 teams representing 28 universities in 11 countries worldwide. DEWA allocated 60,000 square metres at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park to host this event because it is the largest single-site solar park in the world. The Solar Park also supports our efforts to achieve the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to provide 75% of Dubai’s total power capacity from clean energy sources by 2050. In accordance with the directives of His Highness, DEWA works to provide opportunities for youth to unleash their potential and encourage them to innovate solutions that support Dubai’s position as a city of the future that adopts sustainable solutions and contributes to global efforts to mitigate global warming and counter the adverse effects of climate change,” said Al Tayer in his welcome speech.

“DEWA attaches great importance to the SDME, the most competitive competition among international universities. This is part of our efforts to enhance the UAE’s position as a platform for creativity and an incubator for creative minds as well as a destination for innovators around the world. It also enhances the Emirate’s position as a global capital for a green economy. In line with our vision to become a globally leading sustainable innovative corporation, and our realisation that youth are the driving force of building a brighter future, we pledge to provide all requirements to make the second SDME an opportunity to exchange ideas, experiences and develop knowledge. This shows that the UAE has become a key contributor to global efforts in ensuring a brighter future for human beings anywhere in the world. In conclusion, I wish all participating teams the best of luck in this world-class pioneering competition to provide state-of-the-art designs. This event highlights the important role of youth in achieving sustainable development,” added Al Tayer.

“DEWA provides all capabilities to host the best edition of SDME and provide all support to unleash the youth’s potential for creativity. This helps them become effective contributors to achieving sustainable development by designing, building, and operating sustainable and smart solar-powered homes. These homes stand out for their efficiency in terms of cost and energy consumption whilst protecting the environment and considering the climatic conditions of the region,” said Waleed Salman, Executive Vice President of Business Development and Excellence at DEWA.

The three-day international workshop highlighted several key pillars related to the SDME. These include Site Operation, Health & Safety, Instrumentation & Monitoring, Structure & Architecture, Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing systems, Shams Dubai & Smart Grid Integration, Public tours, Rules & Competition, and Juried Contests.

Experts in the field of architecture, sustainability, innovation, and teams participating in the second edition of SDME attended the workshop. This includes Team KU of Khalifa University, UAE; Team Sharjah of University of Sharjah, UAE; Team Desert Phoenix of University of Louisville (USA), Higher Colleges of Technology (UAE), American University in Dubai, and American University in Sharjah; Team HARMONY of The British University in Dubai; Team ESTEEM of Heriot-Watt University, UK; Team TAWAZUN of Manipal Academy of Higher Education Dubai Campus; Team UOB of University of Bahrain; Team Solarution of Moulay Ismail University, Morocco; Team of South China University of Technology; Team American University in Cairo, Egypt; and Team Infinity House from University of Ontario in Canada.

The participating teams compete in 10 contests: architecture; engineering and building; energy management; energy efficiency; comfort conditions; house functioning; sustainable transport; sustainability; communications, and innovation.

-Ends-

For more information, please contact:
Khuloud Al Ali / Shaikha Almheiri / Mohammad Almheiri 
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority
Media@dewa.gov.ae  / Shaikha.almheiri@dewa.gov.ae  / Mohammad.almheiri@dewa.gov.ae   

Susan Saidi / Mohammed Meshal
Hattlan Media
susan@hattlan.com  / mohammed@hattlan.com 

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