Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) | SDME jury praise the innovative, world-class house designs by participating teams

The jury at Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA)’s second Solar Decathlon Middle East (SDME) for university students to design solar-powered homes, praised the exceptional efforts and world-class innovative designs submitted by the students. The jury said that the competition this year, has attracted outstanding models for smart and sustainable homes that achieve a high level of efficiency and economic value.

DEWA organised the SDME under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council, as part of a partnership between DEWA, the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE), and the US Department of Energy. SDME encourages the participating teams to design, build, and operate sustainable models of cost-effective and energy efficient solar-powered homes, with a focus on protecting the environment, taking into consideration the climate of the region. The participating teams competed in 10 contests: architecture; engineering and building; energy management; energy efficiency; comfort conditions; house functioning; sustainable transport; sustainability; communications, and innovation.

The jury members at SDME 2021 included: Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, CEO of Alliances for Global Sustainability; Dr Sergio Vega, Professor and Researcher at the School of Architecture in the Technical University of Madrid, Founder and Director of the Solar Decathlon Europe; Dr Eesa Mohamed Albastaki, University of Dubai President; Dr. Nesreen K. Ghaddar, Director of the Munib and Angela Masri Institute of Energy and Natural Resources at the American University of Beirut; Maryam BinFahad, Managing Director at Media Brain; Hajar Alketbi, Marketing & Communications Expert of Dubai Municipality; Dr. Moncef Krarti, Professor and Coordinator, Building Systems Program, Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering Department at the University of Colorado; Dr. Sulaiman Al-Hattlan, CEO, Hattlan Media; Dr. Nasser Abulhasan, Principal & Founding Partner, Agi architects; Michel Abi Saab, Manager, Energy Management at Masdar (Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company); Stuart Clarke, ARUP - Associate Director, Middle East Façade Engineering Leader; Benjamin Piper, Principal and Associate Partner with Killa Design; Richard Fenne, Principal / Regional Executive Chair Woods Bagot; Dr. Mehdi Sabet, Professor at Zayed University; Dr. Marco Sosa, Associate Professor at the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises, Zayed University; Dr. Francesco Frontini, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland; Dr Kheira Anissa Tabet Aoul, Professor at UAEU; Dr. Hussain Shareef, Professor in UAEU; and Dr. Pablo Izquierdo Lopez, Head of Energy Efficiency Section, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office, Ras Al Khaimah Municipality.

“We were impressed with some of the teams, especially considering the time constraints, and having to work remotely over the last two years, considering the pandemic. In general, I am very happy to see the teams and their final products at the SDME. I am very impressed with some of the ideas including  passive cooling systems to maintain thermo-comfort in the houses. They did a very good job in terms of communicating with each other as a team, as well as being on site here. In general good efforts over all,” said Dr. Moncef Krarti.

“We have assessed the work of 8 teams and the energy efficiency of their houses. Many of the teams have done a very good job and the proof can be seen in their houses. I would recommend them to follow the methodology that they have outlined to reduce the energy use first, optimise energy efficiency and then use solar energy so they reach net zero energy for the house. So use the process that you have come through as learning for your professional career and eventually make the most of the experience today,” said Dr. Pablo Izquierdo Lopez.

“I was really impressed with some of new ideas that have been aligned with the local climate and conditions of the UAE. Any house I go to, I find a group of students who are excited to explain their concepts, implementation and achievements. I was also pleasantly surprised to find teams that had a majority of females, showing that women are engaged in the design of the house, making sure that it is sustainable in every single aspect. This is really fantastic,” said Dr. Nesreen K. Ghaddar.

“I am very proud to be here as I participated in the 2005 edition in Washington as a student and I know how difficult it is to compete. It has been a very interesting experience with solar energy now rated as the building envelope, and how renewable energy can be integrated as part of the energy balance of the house, combined with passive energy. Also interesting is how the students use colours and textures for the competition,” said Dr. Cristina Polo López.

 “Today buildings account for more than 40% of worldwide energy consumption. Therefore we need a new way for our living and building new houses,  just like the ones we are visiting at SDME. I believe that creating new trends, new opportunities for our lifestyles in a more sustainable way is a must for us and for future generations. Here at SDME, we saw how students envisioned this by creating really great houses where people can live without consuming too much energy. In fact, they are also producing renewable energy for the house grid and also to power their cars,” said Dr. Francesco Frontini.

“The teams have tried to solve very challenging problems to live in efficient houses suitable for the UAE environment. We see the use of recyclable materials, materials used in the solar photovoltaic systems and different methods the students use to cool down the house. Despite the tough requirements, including having to complete the house in very short period of time, the modular designs were important and the students and the teams have done a very good job,” said Dr. Hussain Shareef.

“I’m very pleased to be back at the second SDME as jury member for the sustainability track. The first impression that I would like to share is about the fact that there are national and international teams present. This is an achievement in itself and should be celebrated showing the resilience and learning it delivers in this post-Covid world. The teams have got very good exposure and I can see that innovative strategies have been  incorporated including adaptability to the context and integration of systems. The most important learning from this is how much this is going to contribute to the future of sustainability, the education of the youth and to their employability in the future. All in all, this is a great initiative that has been led by DEWA again and I hope to see another edition soon,” said Dr Kheira Anissa Tabet Aoul.

“We’ve seen some very dedicated teams working very hard trying to make sure they produce the best they can and there’s been a lot of thought behind the science. A lot of thought has gone into how the houses respond to the local climatic conditions and they have also incorporated the local culture in the innovative details,” said  Dr. Marco Sosa.

“It has been very rewarding and enriching for us to judge the work at SDME. The competitors have shown work that is exciting, amazing and meaningful, considering the short time-frame. It has been an absolute privilege to be a judge,” said Dr. Mehdi Sabet.