Jeremy Crane

DUBAI, UAE, 18 October 2020: Yellow Door Energy has successfully commissioned a 3.1 megawatt-peak (MWp) solar carport and rooftop solar plant for Al Nabooda Automobiles, the company said while speaking to Climate Control Middle East. The solar carport and rooftop solar plant are expected to generate 4,620 megawatt-hours (MWh) of clean energy in the first year of operation, equivalent to reducing 2,000 tonnes of carbon emissions per year. With this achievement, Jeremy Crane, CEO and Co-Founder, Yellow Door Energy, said that solar power is now responsible for 90% of Al Nabooda’s total energy consumption needs.

Although the company is not able to disclose consumption in relation to air conditioning systems, with Crane pointing out this would vary based on seasonality and other factors, he emphasised that generally in the UAE, approximately 60% of the end-energy use goes towards the cooling system, as such, making a case for feasibility of cooling requirement being addressed by solar power. “Solar power now can comfortably compete on price with traditional means of generating energy,” Crane said, sharing that Yellow Door Energy provides a solar lease to Al Nabooda Automobiles. “The benefits of a solar lease include lower electricity costs, a locked-in electricity price over the term of the lease, guaranteed performance of the solar plant and, of course, clean energy,” he said, adding that paying less for electricity and generating clean energy contribute to sustainability targets and the UAE Energy Strategy 2050.

Discussing how COVID-19 impacted the project, Crane said that in the case of Al Nabooda Automobiles facility, there were fewer people in the office, but there were still activities, such as car testing and modifications taking place in the body shop. “Energy consumption remained constant through the summer, so there has not yet been a surge in requirements for solar power specific to this facility,” he said.

Speaking on broader trends in relation to solar energy, Crane said that Yellow Door has received an increase in enquiries from businesses in the UAE, Jordan and Pakistan, wanting to reduce electricity costs and switch to clean energy, all without any upfront investment.

In the UAE, he said, the company has received an increase in the number of calls and emails from businesses inquiring about our solar lease. Times are tough post-COVID, and these businesses are keen to reduce electricity costs and see that solar leasing is a great way to both lower cost and reduce carbon emissions, he said. Specific to Dubai, he said, we are able to offer businesses up to 50% savings off their electricity bills. In view of this, he said, we encourage businesses to consider solar leasing to significantly reduce their energy costs and simultaneously achieve their sustainability targets.

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