DUBAI // A sustainable house that produces its energy from the Sun, water and the atmosphere has been opened by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai.
The house, developed by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre, is the first of its kind in the UAE, and there are plans to use it as a model for new houses across the country.
The house relies on technical and engineering solutions to adapt to the hot and humid climate.
It uses condensed water in the cooling system and extracts humidity to produce water for domestic use.
The centre also announced it is undertaking studies to link the project to Dubai’s electricity grid, providing surplus energy storage as the houses become small power plants producing electricity from solar sources.
“The global economy tends to invest a great deal into renewable energy projects. This smart home transforms the housing sector from energy consumer to an energy source, thereby reducing the central power production load on the national economy,” said Yousuf Al Shaibani, director general of the centre.
He urged government and private sector property organisations to invest in similar houses. The centre was “ready to provide all support and guidance,” he said.
This type of house can be built in a short period of time, said Dr Ali Shaheen, director of the sustainable energy programme at the centre.
It “took only 100 days, preceded by more than a year of study, comparison and application”, he said.
The centre has formed a partnership with the University of Bergamo in Italy and the Passive House Institute in Germany to design the houses.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
