UAE’s massive solar-plus-storage project set to redefine baseload power, says Wood Mackenzie
Wood Mackenzie highlights a groundbreaking 5.2 GW solar-plus-storage project in the UAE capable of delivering 1 GW of continuous baseload power, signaling a potential shift in renewable energy deployment despite high costs. The report also forecasts strong global solar growth through 2030, including the rise of residential “balcony solar” in the U.S. and expanded solar shares in Asia Pacific and the U.S.
New software identifies optimal rooftops for C&I solar
United Arab Emirates software specialist Planno has launched software to automate prospecting for roof surface sites with potential for solar PV generation.
Green bonds totaling $870 million issued for 2 GW solar project in UAE
Joint owners of the 2 GW Al Dhafra solar power plant Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, EDF Power Solutions and Jinko Power, alongside offtaker Emirates Water and Electricity Company, have issued the green bonds to refinance the plant’s existing debt obligations and support its continued operation.
Strengthening food and energy resilience with agri-PV
A first-of-its-kind agrivoltaic pilot in Fujairah, developed as part of a joint research project between the Fujairah Research Center and AE Solar, shows how solar panels above native plants can improve soil health, boost crop resilience, and optimize land use – demonstrating a scalable approach to tackling a desert region’s energy, food, and water challenges.
Sensorless approach for PV panel temperature monitoring
Researchers in United Arab Emirates have developed a novel model that relies on either the open-circuit voltage or the maximum power point voltage to estimate PV module operating temperature without using sensors.
Dubai expands storage in seventh phase of world’s largest solar park
Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) says the seventh phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will pair 2 GW of solar with 1.4 GW of storage, up from 1 GW, after receiving 49 expressions of interest under its 2050 clean energy plan.
Masdar, EWEC break ground on 1 GW baseload solar-plus-storage project
Abu Dhabi Future Energy Co. (Masdar) and Emirates Water and Electricity Co. (EWEC) have started building a solar-plus-storage project in Abu Dhabi that will deliver 1 GW of continuous baseload energy from a 5.2 GW solar plant paired with a 19 GWh battery system.
Machine learning-based fault detection technique for bifacial PV
A UAE research team developed a hybrid 1D-CNN and random forest model to detect multiple faults in bifacial PV systems, including dust, shading, aging, and cracks. Using simulated I-V curves and a 180-day synthetic dataset, the model achieved up to 100% accuracy in general state detection and 97.6% in specific fault classification.
Engie, Masdar win 1.5 GW solar project in UAE
A consortium of France’s Engie and the UAE’s Masdar has been selected to develop the 1.5 GW Khazna solar PV project located near Abu Dhabi. The project is expected to reach financial close before the end of the year.
Building-integrated concentrating photovoltaics for vertical applications
An Indian-British research team has developed a building-integrated linear concentrating PV facade by sandwiching an asymmetric compound parabolic concentrator, PERC cells, and encapsulation layers between two sheets of glass. The system was tested under both indoor and outdoor conditions and its payback period was found to be of up to 11 years.
