Solar heaters in Dubai a must

In an effort to save energy, Dubai has made it mandatory for all new buildings to have solar heaters from March.

Dubai Municipality will not approve any building license after March 4, 2012, unless the building plan has provision for solar water heaters.

According to a news report, Dubai Municipality has set certain conditions for the new buildings.

An engineering consultant will be responsible for providing all designs and plans in drawings submitted for licensing, the Arabic daily Al Bayan report said.

According to the conditions and standards of Dubai Municipality, the solar heating system should obtain a certification from the Dubai Central Laboratory.

"The conditions for installation of water heaters that run by solar energy should comply with standards and technical specifications set by the municipality," the report said quoting Khalid Al Mulla, director, Buildings Department at Dubai Municipality.

The solar heating system should also come equipped with a backup system.

The conditions include that the solar system should provide "at least 75 per cent of the overall needs of the hot water in the building".

He added that in case of swimming pools, the water heating system should be with a capacity of not less than 50 per cent of the total capacity required.

"The operation and maintenance of the solar heating system should be installed by a company registered and licensed with the Department of Economic Development and approved by the Municipality of Dubai, with the need to clean and maintain the equipment periodically to ensure the continuity of operating efficiently," Al Mulla was quoted as saying.

According to a statement issued by Dubai Global Energy Forum (DGEF) 2011, the UAE is the highest energy exporter per capita, and has a vision to become the lowest-carbon economy in the region by creating an environmental-friendly and sustainable energy policy.