DEWA's Shams Dubai Distributed Solar Crosses 250 MW Threshold

Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) announced that the Shams Dubai distributed generation program has now connected over 250 MW of rooftop solar across more than 12,000 residential, commercial, and industrial properties in the emirate. The program, launched in 2014 as part of Dubai's Clean Energy Strategy 2050, provides net metering at the prevailing retail tariff for surplus generation injected into the grid. With Dubai targeting 75% clean energy by 2050 — and 25% by the end of 2030 — Shams Dubai is a foundational pillar alongside the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, which is on track to become the world's largest single-site solar facility. Residential adoption has accelerated significantly since 2024 following DEWA's introduction of a streamlined online application portal that reduces approval time to as little as 7 working days. Federal-level support continues through the UAE's zero-rated VAT classification for solar equipment under Federal Decree-Law No. 8 of 2017, which removes the standard 5% VAT on PV modules, inverters, and battery storage. Combined with the UAE's exceptional solar irradiance (averaging 6.4 peak sun hours daily) and low installed costs (USD 0.65–0.85 per watt for residential systems), simple payback periods for residential solar in Dubai have fallen below 5 years for systems sized to maximize self-consumption. Etihad ESCO continues to offer off-balance-sheet financing for buildings of 10 apartments or more under DEWA's Property Assessed Clean Energy framework.