01 September 2017

The Big 5 Solar event, scheduled to be held in Dubai, UAE, in November, will shed light on the future of solar energy in the region and the need for new regulations for building-integrated photovoltaics (BiPV).

The event, from November 26 to 29 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, will feature a day-long Global Solar Leaders’ Summit, as well as solar talks throughout the event. The expo is being held under the patronage of UAE’s Ministry of Energy.

With the success of ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) solutions such as those in the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, local governments are looking to diversify their energy mix. Currently however, projects like the launch of Dewa’s Shams Dubai initiative to connect solar energy to buildings, inclusive of their online solar calculator, are coming hand in hand with the limitations of current policy and regulations surrounding new solar technologies, said the organiser dmg events Middle East, Asia & Africa.

Although BiPV solutions are not yet at the forefront of building design in the region, upcoming projects in the retail, transport and building sectors will see a wealth of opportunities for façade-based technologies to take centre stage, it added.

According to the Architectural Solar Association (ASA), tailoring global regulations for this specific landscape is the key to encouraging a mass adoption of BiPV in the region. However, locally focused safety regulations are perhaps the biggest hurdle faced by the industry, it said.

According to Anoop Babu, Mena regional manager ASA, preparing for the future should be at the core of building concept design.

He describes the transition towards BiPV as removing “facades that would otherwise be idle for the next 20 years, and replacing them with active building elements”.

The ASA is an official supporting association of The Big 5 Solar event. The Big 5 Solar is set to become a premier platform for solar industry professionals to network and do business in the Middle East.

The event will also offer a series of high level free-to-attend  Continuing Professional Development (CPD)-certified solar talks covering topics such as the connection between solar and construction, the impact of VAT on the solar industry, the role of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in driving the solar industry in the region, as well as many more.

The Big 5 Solar will be co-located with The Big 5 Dubai, the largest construction industry event in the Middle East.

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