DEWA's Smart Grid Station Inaugurated by Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, has inaugurated Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s (DEWA’s) Smart Grid Station (SGS) in Al Ruwayyah, Dubai, attended by HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD & CEO of DEWA. This supports the vision of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, to make Dubai the smartest and happiest city in the world through the Smart Dubai Initiative. The SGS was built in partnership with the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) as a result of a fruitful exchange of best practices and experiences in the latest international smart city and smart grid standards.

The inauguration ceremony was also attended by HE Ahmed Butti Al Muhairbi, Secretary General of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy; Jonghwan Lee, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at KEPCO, a number of Executive Vice Presidents and Vice Presidents and senior staff at DEWA.

The construction of the SGS is part of DEWA’s efforts to implement technologies which link smart buildings for the exchange of information, improve energy and water efficiency, and optimise renewable energy in smart cities.

His Highness was briefed by Al Tayer on the various sections of the SGS, which uses a variety of smart grid technologies to generate power through renewable sources, such as solar and wind power, and maximise energy efficiency through real-time monitoring and control systems. The SGS also allows for the reduction of loads, especially at peak times; peak shift, and the reduction of water consumption.

His Highness was also briefed on the components of the SGS, which highlight the Smart City model through three concepts or systems: the smart office, smart building, and smart factory. The SGS concept is scalable and allows for the development of individual smart buildings, groups of smart buildings and smart areas, which ensures the efficient reduction of electricity and water consumption as well as carbon emissions, thereby becoming a smart city.

The SGS comprises a 200-kilowatt (kW) photovoltaic solar power production system; a 9-kilowatt (kW) wind turbine; and a 500-kilowatt hour (kWh) lithium-ion battery energy storage system, which stores energy for later use. The station also includes over 2,000 sensors based on the Internet of Things (IoT) technology, and smart meters distributed throughout the facility to monitor power and water demand data in real-time for the purpose of improved energy and water management, with the potential to reduce demand when required by eliminating non-critical loads through smart lighting, smart power outlets, and smart air conditioning system. The SGS is also integrated with a smart chiller system through a building management system, and a 100-tonne thermal energy storage system, which stores surplus cooling energy to be used when required, thereby reducing the demand on the smart chiller system.

Al Tayer thanked His Highness for his presence at the opening ceremony and his support for the energy sector in Dubai and the UAE. “We are working to achieve the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to make Dubai the smartest and happiest city in the world, as well as the objectives of UAE Centennial 2071, UAE Vision 2021, and the Dubai Plan 2021 to make Dubai a smart and sustainable city and for the Dubai Government to be a pioneering and excellent government. In line with our vision of being a leading sustainable innovative global corporation, we seek to shape the future of the energy sector locally, regionally, and globally through government innovation by keeping pace with the Fourth Industrial Revolution and adopting innovative, disruptive techniques, such as artificial intelligence, IoT, robotics, and 3D printing,” said Al Tayer.

DEWA signed a contract with KEPCO in November 2015 for the development of the SGS at DEWA’s green vehicle workshop in Ruwayyah. The contract was an outcome of the MoU signed between the two parties in 2014 to collaborate and exchange information on various topics, including smart grids, smart cities, demand side management, asset management, distribution automation, substation automation, advanced metering infrastructure, telecommunications, systems integration, IT infrastructure, renewable energy, electric vehicles, micro grids, energy sector databases, investment participation opportunities, performance benchmarking, and organising joint workshops to raise awareness.