Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) said it has signed a deal with Dubai Airports as part of its efforts to achieve sustainable development, and support the Smart Dubai initiative launched by Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

The agreement seeks to unify energies and resources, exchange knowledge, innovation, ideas and effective communication to implement Dewa's three smart initiatives at Dubai Airports, to meet the needs of the community and to achieve the overall interests of the emirate, said a statement from Dewa.

The utility's smart initiatives include ‘Shams Dubai’ to encourage home and building owners to install photovoltaic (PV) solar panels on rooftops to produce energy and connect it to Dewa’s grid and ‘Smart Applications through Smart Meters and Grids’ designed to speed up service delivery and response, to ensure reconnection in case of unplanned service interruption, it stated.

The third initiative is the ‘Green Charger,’ which seeks to establish the infrastructure for electric vehicle charging stations. This works to achieve society’s happiness and to support the sustainability of resources, said the statement from Dewa.

Commenting on the deal, Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, the managing director and CEO, "We are committed to strengthening our co-operation and working together to integrate Dubai’s government institutions for the public good by implementing the three smart initiatives we launched, in 2014, to drive Dubai’s smart transformation, at Dubai Airports’ specified locations."

The three smart initiatives are part of Dewa’s efforts in the field of smart transformation, in accordance with a clear strategy that is in line with the latest technology and latest developments, noted Al Tayer.

"This ensures the management of Dubai’s services and facilities through connected and smart systems," he noted.

Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths said in line with the long-term goals of the aviation industry, Dubai Airports' vision is to ultimately attain carbon-neutral growth, and this co-operation represents an important step towards achieving that goal.

"Dubai Airports is constantly seeking innovative ideas and new technologies designed to limit our environmental impact through an integrated environmental strategy, while supporting the UAE Vision 2021, Dubai Plan, and the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy’s goal of achieving 20 percent reduction in utility bills for all government buildings by 2020," he added.-TradeArabia News Service