The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA, United Arab Emirates) has decided to withdraw ground-mounted solar PV projects from the Shams Dubai net metering regime and to cap the capacity of rooftop solar installations at 2,080 kW.
Under the Shams Dubai net metering scheme that was introduced in the emirate in 2015, PV system owners receive electricity bill credits for injecting their surplus power generation on the grid at retail prices. 106 MW of PV capacities had been installed under this scheme until September 2019. Some ground-mounted projects reached 50 MW, while some commercial businesses like manufacturers and hotels proposed rooftop PV installations above 2 MW to benefit from the scheme.
Abu Dhabi has set a goal of generating 7% of its electricity from renewables by 2020, while the share of renewables in Dubai's power mix is expected to reach 15% in 2030.