Masdar Institute of Science and Technology and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), together with other stakeholders, have announced the official launch of the UAE’s ‘Solar Atlas’. Following a beta version release in April, data on solar energy will be available without cost online from early 2013 so that government bodies and private companies can assess the technical feasibility of solar projects through the UAE.
“The official launch of the UAE Solar Atlas comes at a time when investment in solar energy is witnessing an uptrend. This multi-stakeholder initiative will immensely help investors to assess risks and commercial viability before implementing new solar energy projects. Masdar is proud to be part of this project that will provide further momentum to greater adoption of clean energy sources,” said Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and Masdar CEO.
The Solar Atlas has been created with satellite-based solar mapping to produce solar irradiance maps of the UAE which can help in the assessment of the location and technology of a solar project.
“The commissioning of the Solar Atlas ensures renewable energy markets regularly receive reliable and stable data on the annual solar irradiance. Such data can prove extremely valuable for deploying various technologies including roof or land area for photovoltaic cells. The MENA region offers abundant potential for tapping solar energy and we believe the UAE Solar Atlas, supported by the country’s leadership, will encourage other countries in the region to implement renewable energy projects in this part of the world,” said Masdar Institute President Dr Fred Moavenzadeh.
The Solar Atlas is part of Masdar Institute’s Global Atlas for Solar and Wind Energy project, which has seen a team of researchers and engineers working to build profiles of solar and wind resource quality. International partners to the IRENA Global Atlas scheme include the UK’s Energy Research Centre and the Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme of the World Bank.
