The Sharjah Research, Technology and Innovation Park (SRTI Park) has announced the launch of i-kWh in the local market for providing clean energy hybrid power systems at zero upfront cost to end-consumers.

I-kWh, which operates out of SRTI Park, has a team of engineers with expertise in all forms of power generation and energy storage placing the company in an exceptional position to target the growing hybrid power market.

The company is also providing intelligent energy solutions and consultancy to developers and engineering. procurement and construction (EPC) contractors that are looking to diversify their services but do not necessarily have the resource or capability.

SRTI Park CEO Hussain Al Mahmoudi said: "The i-kWh has proven itself as a trusted partner to the global clean energy industry."

By providing financing, i-kWh will support local utilities to clean their energy mix and provide a lower cost of energy to end-users, he noted.

Welcoming i-kWh to SRTI Park, Al Mahmoudi said: "This is proof that Sharjah’s international scientific position represented by the Park is pivotal in supporting, encouraging and developing the innovation culture in the region."

On the selection of SRTI Park as its UAE base, Aaron Astley, Managing Director of i-kWh, said: "SRTI Park was a no-brainer for our company formation. When I first met with the team, they were forward-thinking, they were accommodating and keen on accomplishing great things, not just as a free-zone, but fostering start-ups through their ecosystem."

Astley pointed out the team was exceptionally supportive and took extra effort to help the group set up the business in less than a day during a 24-hour lockdown.

"Our target market, for now, is Sharjah and the Northern Emirates. We will support local utilities to clean their energy mix and provide a lower cost of energy to end clients. By 2021, we will look to explore the GCC region through strategic partnerships."

Astley also explained how i-kWh aims to power those areas that have no electrical infrastructure by setting up facilities on a build, own, operate and transfer (boot) basis.

"A lot of the areas are not connected to the national grid. Often grid connectivity can be expensive and consumers have found themselves reliant on diesel generators. We approach clients in these situations and offer them energy savings at no-upfront cost," he explained.

"We will pay for the client to have cheaper electricity, and in turn, they will pay us out of their energy savings. Often this saving can be as much as 50 percent, especially as you move into more rural areas where the cost of transporting the fuel plays a large factor," he added.-TradeArabia News Service