MENA Clean Energy Month in Review 
CEBC News
 
Roundup by the CEO
Dear Members and Colleagues,

I would like to take the opportunity to introduce myself to you. I have been working in the Clean Energy space for more than 10 years, initially in Europe and for the last 4 years in the UAE. I came to the UAE to create and develop for the Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA) their energy services subsidiary Etihad ESCO focusing on energy efficiency, retrofits and rooftop solar PV projects. Late last year I left Etihad ESCO to run my own consultancy company Wattaqa, and now join the CEBC with the objective to continue the great development that has been done already. These objectives will be to develop our activities in all the clean energy segments and also to expand our activities across the MENA region starting with Saudi Arabia where we see a great future for clean energy.
 
Next week we welcome our members to join us for Iftar, and during summer we will run two webinars, one on electric vehicles and another on solar dispachability. September will see the start of a series of workshops on clean energy financing and in October CEBC is delighted to again partner with DEWA to deliver the Dubai Solar Show Seminar Program in partnership with UNFCCC, EWS-WWF and The Sustainable City.
 
Last month Kuwait raised electricity prices for the first time in 50 years and is now joining other countries who believe that energy prices should reflect their true cost. By doing so they will progressively open-up huge business opportunities for renewables and energy efficiency. We will keep our members informed about these important changes in the MENA region.
 
The objective of the CEBC is also to grow and we are excited to welcome our new members and share details in our coming newsletters. I look forward to seeing you all at our upcoming events and please contact our team with any queries or feedback.

Wishing you a great month ahead and a Ramadan Kareem.

Stephane le Gentil
CEO

Making it "clean": a rapidly changing global mix
Originally published in Aspenia Issue n. 76, May 2017. The world is in for an energy revolution. Technological innovation and fear of climate change are sparking investment in clean energy solutions. A massive shift is taking place, away from fossil fuels to renewable sources, yet more still needs to be done to curb global warming. [Read More]





CEBC Schools Program Annual Competition Results
The CEBC schools program annual competition has concluded this week, with Universal American School taking home the Students' Choice prize and GEMS Our Own High School Al Warqa'a taking home the Grand Prize. You can view the winning submissions here.

New Members
DC Pro Engineering
DC PRO Engineering is a recognized world leader in the fields of District Energy, Co-generation and Tri-generation. The firm is also a renowned sustainability leader in Green Building MEP Designs. DC PRO's services include engineering design, consulting, and project management in District Cooling, Combined Heat & Power (CHP) Co-generation and Tri-generation, Green Building MEP Design and Renewable Energy. Other services include engineering reviews, feasibility studies, efficiency monitoring and recommendations for energy performance improvement. DC PRO was selected as Best District Cooling Consultancy Company for 2012 ,2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 by Climate Control Magazine/ CPI Industry. [ Read more]





Innogy International Middle East
Innogy International Middle East combines top strategy consulting with the operational and technical knowledge formed in 118 years of experience of the Germany-based innogy Group in the energy sector. They leverage the innogy Group's operational experts and their global innovation network to deliver cutting-edge strategies and solid implementation of their clients goals.  As part of the global  innogy Consulting Group , they leverage the expertise of the world's top talents of the industry. The energy industry is changing at a rapid pace, creating exciting opportunities for disruptive innovation, new products and smart services globally and in the Middle East & North Africa. innogy International Middle East is accelerating the smart and innovative energy future with business VENTURES and CONSULTING services. [Read more]



CEBC Events 

CEBC Member's Iftar 
Date:         14 June 2017
Time:        7:00pm
Location:  Dusit Thani Hotel, Dubai

The CEBC team wishes our members and their family a blessed and peaceful time during the holy month of Ramadan. On behalf of the CEBC Board of Directors we welcome you to join us for Iftar to celebrate this special time together. To register please contact amanda@cleanenergybusinesscouncil.com.
    
Webinar: Electric Vehicles
Date:         11 July 2017
Time:         2:00pm-3:30pm GST
Location:  Online Webinar 
 
Leading industry analysts believe that Electric Vehicles (EVs) with ranges from 200km to 500km on a charge will have the same up-front costs to buy in 2025 as combustion engine vehicles. This is a ga me changer for the automotive industry and the global economics of oil, merging this huge market into the electricity realm, slowly but surely.
 
This global shift represents a huge opportunity for the electricity market - and especially renewables, since it is important that clean energy fuel Electric Vehicles. But challenges remain to understand what is the size of the opportunity, how the market will develop and also as importantly, who will own the fleets of vehicles. 
 
In this webinar leading industry experts analyse in detail the challenges that creating and adapting infrastructure to this new reality will entail. It will focus on new business models arising, opportunities for distributed energy and the creating of a marketplace of buyers and sellers of energy.

This webinar is free to attend.    REGISTER HERE

EVENT PARTNERS 
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  Webinar: Dispatchable Solar (PV and CSP with energy storage) 
Date:         15 August 2017 
Time:         2:00pm-3:30pm GST
Location:  Online Webinar 
 
With more solar electricity entering the grid at record low prices, the future of energy is renewable. But as more peak load electricity enters the system, batteries and storage become essential for load shifting and to maintain the integrity of the grid.  But what are the most promising technologies developing that allow grids to manage energy loads? Will the solution be maximizing one of those technologies or building new technologies? 
 
This webinar analyses in depth thermal storage, cool storage and batteries among other technologies; different approaches to resolve the same challenge of shifting energy from when it is produced to when it is needed - at the lowest possible cost.
 
This webinar is free to attend.   REGISTER HERE 

EVENT PARTNERS 
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Clean Energy Finance Workshop: Green Bonds and Green Sukuk 
Date:         18 September 2017  
Location:   Dubai, UAE

Details to come.  
CEBC Member Updates
 
12,000 solar panels being added to Dubai malls
Enova, a joint venture between Dubai's Majid Al Futtaim and Veolia of France, will install 12,500 panels at four Majid Al Futtaim Malls in a deal signed this week coinciding with the World Environment Day. [Read More] 


SEWA receives Energy Management Insight Award
Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority (SEWA) is a recipient of an Energy Management Insight Award in recognition for contributing valuable insights on the diverse benefits of certifying energy management systems to the global ISO 50001 standard. An independent panel of international experts determined that your case study shows how an energy management system can be successfully integrated into existing business systems to better manage resources, sustain achieved savings, and continuously improve energy performance.  [Read More]


Dubai Carbon taps innogy for rooftop solar system design
The company, owned by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa), the Emirates National Oil Company, Dubal Holding and Empower, signed a memorandum of understanding with innogy yesterday to develop and implement rooftop solar.  [Read More] 

Schneider Electric exec outlines the future of smart cities in the Gulf
On April 11, 2017, Schneider Electric inaugurated its annual Innovation Summit at The Atlantis on Palm Jumeirah, bringing together more than 2,500 attendees for the two-day summit that focused on innovations and technologies that cater to the future of energy management, industrial efficiency and environmental sustainability. [Read More]

Power Markets Need a Redesign - Here's Why
"[Are] federal policy interventions and the changing nature of the electricity fuel mix... challenging the original policy assumptions that shaped the creation of [the wholesale electricity] markets?" Or put more simply, is the rise of subsidized clean energy causing power markets to misfire?
[Read More] 


Concentrated Solar Power: the missing link in the decarbonization of road transportation
Mass adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) could dramatically reduce carbon emissions in transportation. But unless EVs are charged with renewable electricity, having more EVs on the road will result in higher emissions. Especially if most users choose to charge at night, when variable renewables, such as PV, are unable to produce power. [Read More]

PV Component Standards Revised
With the rapid development of technology in the photovoltaic (PV) energy sector, changes in regulations, standards and certifications are to be expected. The trend is generally toward the creation of international standards that harmonize existing norms or fill a regulatory gap in order to promote safe, efficient and robust PV systems and components.
[Read More]


Taka Solutions awarded the "Retrofit Project of the Year"  
Emirates Green Building Council (EmiratesGBC), an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, today announced the winners of the 2017 MENA Green Building Awards that recognise innovation, creativity and excellence in promoting sustainability best practices. [Read More] 

IRENA: Increase in Renewable Energy Employment Could Offset Fossil Fuel Job Losses
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has released a report that indicates that over 9.8 million people were employed in the renewable energy sector in 2016. IRENA projects that the number of people working in the renewables sector could reach 24 million by 2030, more than offsetting fossil-fuel job losses. [Read More]


Bee'ah and Masdar to develop region's first waste-to-energy plant
Sharjah based environmental management company, Bee'ah, and Abu Dhabi's renewable energy company, Masdar, have created a joint venture (JV) that will develop the GCC's first waste-to-energy plant. [Read More] 


Dubai eases approval requirements to boost rooftop solar  
Approved contractors received an emailed notification from the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) on Thursday that certain requirements were no longer necessary for the no objection certificate (NOC) stage. [Read More] 

Etihad ESCO awards tender for residential PV arrays in Hatta
Etihad Energy Services Company (Etihad ESCO), a company launched by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), has awarded the tender for the development, engineering, procurement, construction, operation services, maintenance, and installation of solar photovoltaic systems, at 640 villas for UAE Nationals in Hatta. [Read More]

Saudi Electricity Company enters clean air deal with Al Safwa Cement 
Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) has signed a co-operation agreement with Al Safwa Cement Company for recycling carbon ash and use of oils and oil residues resulting from the burning of heavy fuel in power generation plants as an alternative source of energy instead of the previous method of landfilling. [Read More]

Residential solar to become reality in Oman 
According to a paper, 'Public Consultation on Residential PV in Oman', the AER is planning to install solar cells in up to 180,000 homes across the country, as part of a pilot project to test the long-term benefits of switching to solar energy. [Read More]
Reports, Publications & Tools
 
How much oil are electric vehicles displacing?  
EV's influence on global gasoline and diesel consumption is small but increasing quickly. This short presentation aims to show BNEF's assessment of the fossil fuel displacement caused directly by EVs sold globally from 2011 to 2016.   [Download Report]  

Renewable Energy and Jobs - Annual Review 2017 
Renewable energy employment worldwide has continued to grow since IRENA's first annual assessment in 2012, but the last two years have seen a more moderate rate of growth. The most consistent increase has come from jobs in the solar PV and wind categories, together more than doubling since 2012. In contrast, employment in solar heating and cooling and large hydropower has declined.  [Download Report] 

World Energy Outlook 2016
As a result of major transformations in the global energy system that take place over the next decades, renewables and natural gas are the big winners in the race to meet energy demand growth until 2040, according to the latest edition of the World Energy Outlook, the International Energy Agency's flagship publication. [Download Report] 

MENA Clean Energy News
 
Dubai set for world's cheapest night-time solar power     
World Environment Day featured record-low solar bids submitted for Dubai's upcoming project that will allow the sun to power thousands of homes at night. [Read More] 
 
Construction begins at Abu Dhabi's largest solar power project
The 1.17 gigawatt plant, which will produce enough electricity to power about 200,000 homes, will be built by Japan's Marubeni and JinkoSolar of China.  [Read More]

The UAE is well placed to take the lead in renewable energy storage 
Today's low-cost environment is opening up new options for electricity generation, just as energy storage technology is coming of age. [Read More]
 
Why solar is ideal for Saudi Arabia     
In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - where it isn't uncommon for summer temperatures to reach 50 degrees Celsius - this period tends to span the months of May and September  [Read More]

Dubai: Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), which aims to facilitate solutions to create a "smart" city, launched Dubai Smart City Accelerator at Dubai Technology Entrepreneur Centre (Dtec) on Wednesday. [Read More]

Steering energy conservation in UAE 
With the ongoing fast-paced development of the region, the demand for energy is growing at a rapid pace in comparison to its production capacity. [Read More]

Region a bright spot for renewables sector jobs
Job growth in renewables slowed globally last year, but Middle East companies are ramping up their search for workers as new projects are developed. [Read More] 
 
Saudi Arabia's Alfanar Energy signs PPA deal for 50MW solar plant in Egypt
The 50MW project recently reached financial closure giving way for the PPA deal to be signed. [Read More] 
 
The Arabia CSR Network announced it has extended the deadline of entries for the 2017 edition of the Arabia CSR Awards, the Arab region's premiere CSR and Sustainability accolade, to June 15, 2017. [Read More]
  
Great and growing potential in green finance 
Green finance has quickly become an effective tool in the global push to develop and fund clean energy solutions. [Read More]

Oman set to launch first ever large-scale wind power plant 
Oman's first large-scale commercial wind-based renewable energy project will start operations in 2020.
[Read More]

TUNISIA: The first solar and wind authorisation round for projects has just been launched
The Tunisian Ministry of Energy has launched the first authorisation round for projects in the renewable energy sector in line with the 'authorisation scheme' set out in the Tunisian Decree 2016-1123.  [Read More]
 
Saudi Arabian companies move ahead on Jordan solar projects
Saudi companies have started construction on another round of solar projects in Jordan as the country aims to reduce energy imports. [Read More]  
 
Groundbreaking Project in Syria Provides Solar Power for Hospitals and Saves Lives
UOSSM launches the 'Syria Solar' Initiative on May 29, 2017, after 10 weeks of installation and months of testing and monitoring. [Read More]

Tunisia to allocate 210 MW of wind and solar capacity  
Tunisia's Ministry of Energy, Mines and Renewable Energies has launched a tender for 210 megawatts (MW) of wind and solar capacity, with the auction including both small-scale and utility-scale solar power projects.    [Read More]

Industry Events and Conferences

Intersolar
26-27 September
Conrad Hotel
Dubai, UAE

Electric Vehicles UAE
26-27 September
Dubai, UAE

Dubai Solar Show
25-27 October
Dubai World Trade Centre
Dubai, UAE

Big 5 Solar Show
26-29 November
Dubai World Trade Centre
Dubai, UAE


Aspen Energy Forum
29 November- 2 December
Rome, Italy


Saudi Arabia Smart Grid
12-14 December
Hilton Hotel
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Join the CEBC Membership

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For information on our membership packages please  click here.  See our members directory or contact  amanda@cleanenergybusinesscouncil.com to find out how to join. 

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CEO
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Sarah Fitzgerald 
Communication & Events Director

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