Labour camp goes green

Labour camp is first to run completely on solar energy.

Anil Taurani, chief executive of KHK Scaffolding and Formworks in Ajman looks out over the panels on the roof of their solar-powered labour camp, where 800 workers have the bulk of their electricity nShow more

AJMAN // A labour camp has harnessed the sun to generate power, save on its electricity bills and reduce the country’s carbon footprint.

Solar energy powers air conditioners, water chillers, pumps, washing machines, microwaves, computers and lighting for 800 workers at the camp in Ajman.

“We had no power availability for the new labour camp we built,” said Anil Taurani, managing director of KHK, the scaffolding company whose workers live there.

“The options were to go for a diesel-based generator which creates a lot of pollution and is not environment-friendly. So we decided to install solar power.”

The company that installed the system believes the camp is the first in the country to run on solar power 24 hours a day.

“It operates the entire 50-kilowatt load of the labour camp,” said Omer Ghani, chief executive of Qmega, an energy innovation company.

Labour camps in remote areas could benefit most from solar power, he said.

“It means less diesel consumption and therefore a massive reduction in the carbon footprint and eventually a positive contribution to the UAE’s sustainable energy policy.

“By installing solar power energy there would be no monthly bills, consumable expenses, repair, maintenance and pollution issues. I suggest, not just the camps, everyone should seriously consider converting their places to solar energy.”

Mr Taurani wants eventually to convert his other camps to solar power. The initial set-up is expensive, but the outlay can be recovered in three years.

Design and installation of solar panels in a labour camp for 500 residents costs about Dh3.5 million. Using diesel fuel to generate the same amount of power would cost between Dh1.2m and Dh1.4m year.

“This cost will grow higher and higher with the rise in the price of diesel,” Mr Ghani said. “Then there are availability and maintenance challenges which will further add to the cost. And most importantly, it’s polluting and noisy.”

“Solar power is renewable, environmentally friendly and sustainable,” Mr Ghani said.

“It is a great initiative that private companies are opting for renewable energy,” said Ehtesham Uddin Iftekhar, a senior engineer at Transco, the subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Water and Electricity Authority that operates the high-voltage power grid.

“Though energy requirements of small residential areas such as labour camps are insignificant compared with national gross load, any energy shifted to renewable sources like solar is highly appreciated.

“It will reduce our carbon footprint and help in improving the environment.”

Mr Ehtesham, a leading energy expert and the author of several books and international research papers on renewable energy, said initiatives such as this one could ease the pressure on the national electricity network.