Two award-winning companies – Aldar Properties and Enviromena – team up to solar power an Abu Dhabi school.
ALDAR Properties is one of the largest real estate development, management and investment companies headquartered in Abu Dhabi. Their development portfolio includes hotels, marinas, schools, gulf courses, estates management, and theme parks.
They are the people behind the Ferrari theme park on Yas Island, and the Abu Dhabi Cleveland Clinic Hospital, as well as a handful of schools, mosques, and leisure facilities. They also recently commissioned Enviromena Power Systems to install photovoltaic systems on the roof of their newest school, Al Bateen.
The 192 kV roof-mounted PV system is expected to save 275 tonnes of carbon emissions each year. Providing 326 megawatt hours of electricity each year, it will be feed in directly to the school’s power distribution network, as well as Abu Dhabi’s municipal grid.
The solar paneling will be installed on the school’s sporting facility, which is being developed by Aldar Academies.
Both Aldar and Enviromena have won several accolades for their commitment to sustainability. The developer works closely with the Emirates Environmental Group and United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) to ensure that recreational facilities on Yas Island do not interfere with the area’s ecology and water quality.
The developers also replanted mangroves, installed a recycling system, and has created a solid waste and waste water treatment system that ensures a more hygienic living environment.
Enviromena, meanwhile, responsible for building the MENA region’s largest solar power plant, has received a variety of awards for their solar power plants and energy efficiency.
It is fitting then that this pair should team up to solar power schools, a deeply constructive move that not only produces clean energy but also educates the Abu Dhabi youth.
“We are delighted to be working with Aldar on this landmark project. School rooftops are an ideal platform for distributed solar power production. Al Bateen School sets the example for the development of future schools, particularly given Abu Dhabi’s investment into state-of-the-art school campuses alongside the established 7% renewable energy target,” Enviromena CEO, Sami Khoreibi said in a press release.
It is for these pupils, and all future generations of Abu Dhabi citizens that we strive to preserve the ecology and resources of Abu Dhabi…We thank Enviromena for their support in making this possible,” Mohammed Al Mubarak, Aldar’s Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial Officer added.
More on solar power throughout the MENA region:
Iran Inaugurates First CSP Solar Plant
ZenithSolar Makes Solar Power Affordable For Everyone
Solar Power From Sahara Desert Could Power Europe
image via U.S. Army Environmental Command
Author: Tafline Laylin
As a tour leader who led “eco-friendly” camping trips throughout North America, Tafline soon realized that she was instead leaving behind a trail of gas fumes, plastic bottles and Pringles. In fact, wherever she traveled – whether it was Viet Nam or South Africa or England – it became clear how inefficiently the mandate to re-think our consumer culture is reaching the general public. Born in Iran, raised in South Africa and the United States, she currently splits her time between Africa and the Middle East. Tafline can be reached at tafline (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
