Irvine, California: Saeed Mohammad Al Tayer, Vice-Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and MD and CEO of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) is heading a delegation to the United States after receiving an official invitation from the Department of Energy in US to participate in Solar Decathlon competition, organised by the US Department of Energy in Irvine, California, from 14-18 October, 2015.
The delegation includes Ahmed Buti Al Muhairbi, Secretary General of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy in Dubai, Saif Al Alili, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Museum of the Future Foundation, Waleed Salman, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at Dewa, Dr. Yousuf Al Akraf, Executive Vice President of Business Support and Human Resources at Dewa, Ahmad Abdullah, Senior Manager of External Communication, and Pedro Banda, Director of Research & Development in Dewa.
The delegation will participate in the Solar Decathlon events and will announce that Dubai will host the first and second Solar Decathlon competitions in 2018 and in 2020 in Dubai in conjunction with Expo 2020.
During the visit, the delegation will look at the latest practices and experiences in infrastructure projects on solar energy, renewable energy, clean coal, smart grids and carbon emission reductions.
“This visit supports the national Green Economy for Sustainable Development initiative launched by His Highness Shaikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and the Dubai Plan 2021 to develop projects and programmes, especially in renewable energy and energy efficiency,” said Al Tayer.
“The visit also reflects the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy’s continuing commitment to explore and adopt future opportunities and promising projects that promote green practices to strengthen Dubai’s global and leading role as the capital of green economy in energy efficiency, renewable energy, sustainability, innovation and creativity. Hosting this competition is a great achievement that reflects the UAE and Dubai’s global position in this field,” added Al Tayer.
“Hosting this competition for the first time in Dubai provides participating students with unique training to help fill jobs in our nation’s clean-energy economy. It shows the public the opportunities presented by affordable homes that combine energy-efficient construction and appliances with renewable energy systems that are available today,” added Al Tayer.
University teams from around the world will be invited to design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are cost-effective, energy-efficient, attractive, and focus on protecting the environment.
“Three volunteers from Dewa will participate in the competition to look at the latest practices in green buildings and sustainability, gain experience and learn new skills,” concluded Al Tayer.
This competition is a platform for coming generations to foster collaboration among students from different academic disciplines, including engineering and architecture, and pave the way for development, creativity and innovation.