1ST. EDITION Dubai 2014
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How has the response been towards existing regulatory frameworks, such as the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030, within the public sector? Ali bin Abdullah Al Owais: The development of the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030 has created a platform around which the whole energy sector in Dubai can rally, and has come to be seen as something of a model for others looking to transform their own energy use. I see a real thirst to be involved, often at a very practical level in terms of improving energy use in public sector buildings.
In the case Dubai is the successful bidder to host Expo2020, an influx of residents and tourists is expected in the lead up to the event, placing an added strain on the emirate’s energy and water demands. What role do you foresee the RSB playing in supporting and regulating this demand? Ali bin Abdullah Al Owais: Of course, we’re all eagerly awaiting the November announcement of the successful bidder. I’m particularly pleased that one of the themes of the Dubai bid is sustainability – lasting sources of energy and water. This provides a great opportunity to make the Expo itself and the way Dubai caters for the demand of the many visitors sustainable. Expo 2020 is naturally an important staging post on the way to achievement of the 2030 strategy, so by then I’d expect that there would be clear evidence of our regulatory approach to improving energy use and a strong role for renewable energy in meeting new demand.
As the emirate sees a focused interest in demand-side management, what is the RSB’s strategy in building markets for energy sector services?
What is the RSB’s position on providing incentives for large-scale solar photovoltaic installations for industrial, commercial and domestic use?
Ali bin Abdullah Al Owais: The important word in your question is ’markets.’ We want qualified energy service companies and clients to feel confident in doing business with each other in a well-regulated market that doesn’t stifle innovation and choice and also builds trust. There is a range of potential incentives that we can consider. One area is in making the energy efficiency of buildings more transparent through energy audits whose results can be made known to potential tenants or owners. Another area is sub-metering, ensuring people know how much energy they use and that they can influence how much they pay by being energyconscious. These sorts of measures can support the underlying incentives that there are plenty of cost-effective measures that building owners can undertake that have an excellent payback: whether it’s air-conditioning improvements, lighting upgrades or more efficient appliances.
Ali bin Abdullah Al Owais: Solar panels aren’t yet competitive with large-scale conventional generation, so some regulations will probably be needed to kick-start the market in Dubai. But we need to proceed cautiously; some other countries have ended up with an unaffordable subsidy regime through overestimating solar costs and underestimating the growth of solar that would be produced by generous feed-in tariffs. So we think there’s merit in proceeding cautiously; getting better data on the costs of solar in Dubai. In principle, there’s no reason why there can’t be a mixture of larger installations at commercial and industrial premises and panels on the roofs of many of Dubai’s villas. The added benefit of getting the domestic sector involved is that it creates a stronger link with energy issues and the conservation message.