Gulf Construction Online - Knowledge Village gets UAE’s first solar tracker

Environment Protection

At site ... company officials in front of the solar power tracker.

Knowledge Village gets UAE’s first solar tracker

01 December 2007

The UAE’s first solar power tracking device has been installed at the Dubai Knowledge Village by Energy and Environment Park (Enpark), a comprehensive eco-friendly community and a member of Tecom Investments, in partnership with Switchpower, a leading renewable energy company in Sweden.

The initiative is in line with the priorities on sustainable development set out in the Dubai Strategy 2015 and is also linked to Tecom’s recently-announced ‘green building’ initiative, while confirming Enpark’s proactive and continuous commitment towards sustainability, energy management and water conservation.
The Knowledge Village solar tracker is an advanced photovoltaic (PV) power system that utilises sensors to follow the sun during the day.
Ali bin Towaih, director of Enpark says: “Green energy is central to sustainable development, especially in a fast-growing economy such as the UAE. Solar power provides significant environmental benefits when compared to more conventional energy sources. As a practical and cost-effective option to save energy, this initiative will be linked to other facilities at Tecom Investments.”
The Knowledge Village solar tracker has a 3.3-m-high pole, featuring elements of galvanised steel, aluminium profiles for the mounting of solar modules, two electric motors, a sun-tracking control unit consisting of two tetraeder-irradiation sensors and a wind guard sensor.
At its current location, the Knowledge Village solar tracker will produce approximately 10 MWh/year. According to industry estimates, a solar tracker can prevent more than 125 tonnes of CO2 pollution during its lifespan, while providing green and high quality electricity.
Dr Ayoub Kazim, executive director for Dubai Knowledge Village (KV) and Dubai International Academic City (DIAC), says: “The solar tracking device installed within our premises will help raise awareness in the community about the benefits of green energy and the dangers of global warming and fossil fuel depletion. More importantly, it will educate young people on the need to preserve the environment and contribute to sustainable development efforts.”
A pioneer in the region, Tecom Investments has implemented a Sustainable Development Policy since August 2006, creating the Sustainable Energy and Environ-ment Division (SEED) as one of its key initiatives. The entity has since then put into place sustainable development measures across all brands of Tecom Investments, and assisted in developing Enpark. In its drive to promote environment-friendly practices within its free zone clusters, Tecom Investments has implemented several energy management and water conservation initiatives that have generated tangible results.
Tecom Investments recently announced its position as the region’s foremost green building developer with the largest number of projects undergoing Leadership in Energy and Energy Design (LEED) certification. The cluster currently hosts 12 buildings that are registered as green building projects under the LEED standards with a silver certification.
A total of almost 70 buildings in Dubai are designed in accordance with the LEED rating system.