Abu Dhabi has issued six new licences to produce electricity using solar photovoltaic (PV) panels on the rooftops of buildings, bringing the total of such projects to 44 in the UAE capital, a media report said.

The six new self-regulatory licences have a total capacity of more than three megawatts, Saif Saeed Al Qubaisi, director-general of the Regulation and Supervision Bureau, Abu Dhabi was quoted as saying by Emirates news agency Wam.

He said that 81 licences were issued in 2017 by the bureau, including permanent, development, self-supplying and self-organisation licences, and one issued for the strategic project to store freshwater in Liwa, being the top priority among them.

He pointed out that the total capacity of the rooftop PV solar panels in Abu Dhabi has doubled to reach six megawatts, and the rate of the projects is expected to increase in the following period because of the low cost of solar panels and consumer awareness.

Al Qubaisi highlighted the fact the Energy and Water World Summits represent the largest gathering of policy-makers to discuss the developments of these two issues and compare the best systems and technologies to produce power from different sources as well as promoting renewable energy markets around the world.

He stressed that the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2018 coincides this year with the Year of Zayed as President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has declared that this year the UAE will commemorate the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan who laid the foundations of sustainability and established a clear approach to achieve the balance between the urban development and the protection of resources and the environment.

The wise leadership is following this approach to achieve his vision and make the UAE an international sustainability destination, he added.

Al Qubaisi said that the Regulation and Supervision Bureau - Abu Dhabi is participating in the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week as an authority contributing to support the process of sustainable development by emphasising its role as a regulatory authority in charge of drafting legislation, regulations and issuing licences for the electricity, water and sanitation sectors to ensure the provision of safe, credible and economic electricity and water services that guarantee the safety of consumers and protect their interests.