When it comes to humanity’s hunt to perfect a form of energy that is unlimited, clean and cheap, solar power has the potential to be a major power source but thus far has proven to be challenging. That is why this week’s news about the inauguration of the fifth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in Dubai – the world's largest single-site solar facility – is so important.
It is not just that it is another important moment in the UAE’s energy transition, or that it demonstrates a tangible investment commitment to meeting ambitious green targets. Its significance lies in revitalising the idea that we can actually harness, retain and use the almost unimaginable amount of energy emitted by our Sun.
The dream of solar power is not new. In 1839, a young French scientist called Edmond Becquerel discovered the photovoltaic effect when he covered a platinum electrode in silver – this then produced an electric current when exposed to light. The first patents for a solar-powered engine were registered by another Frenchman, mathematician Augustin Mouchot, in the 1860s.
However, the means to realise this dream have lagged behind humanity’s ambition to avail of an energy source that is all around us. Until recently, the technology was not available to realistically capture, store and transmit enough solar-generated power to run infrastructure, businesses and homes. In Dubai however, technical innovations have led to the creation of an advanced solar park that uses millions of photovoltaic solar panels that rotate to track the Sun, that can generate power from ground-reflected light and that are cleaned of sand every day by robots.
The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, as well reducing 6.5 million tonnes of carbon emissions annually when it is fully completed in 2030, is also fuelling green targets the likes of which few other nations have set. These include generating 25 per cent of Dubai’s energy requirements from renewable sources by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2050. Every such advance in technical know-how that the UAE makes in this field can inspire other countries and regions to make their own efforts more efficient.
It is undeniable that tangible progress is being made. Systems such as thermal energy storage, for example, are coming into their own as a reliable and efficient way to retain solar power. However, these technological strides are not just confined to Earth. Last week it was reported that scientists from the California Institute of Technology beamed solar power back from space using technology placed in high orbit in January.
The promise of solar power is immense, and humanity is moving closer to understanding and tapping into this limitless reservoir of cosmic energy. However, that does not mean a ‘eureka’ moment will reverse the decades of environmental damage that is now threatening communities and ecosystems across the world. Solar will play a critical role in the green energy revolution but it will do so hand in hand with other forms of power, such as hydrogen, wind and hydroelectricity. It will also co-exist with fossil fuels in the medium-term as the transition takes place. But it is clear that the future of solar power is bright.
PROFILE OF CURE.FIT
Started: July 2016
Founders: Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori
Based: Bangalore, India
Sector: Health & wellness
Size: 500 employees
Investment: $250 million
Investors: Accel, Oaktree Capital (US); Chiratae Ventures, Epiq Capital, Innoven Capital, Kalaari Capital, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Piramal Group’s Anand Piramal, Pratithi Investment Trust, Ratan Tata (India); and Unilever Ventures (Unilever’s global venture capital arm)
Andor
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tony%20Gilroy%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDiego%20Luna%2C%20Genevieve%20O'Reilly%2C%20Alex%20Ferns%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%205%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More coverage from the Future Forum
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 1', Kane 8' & 16') West Ham United 3 (Balbuena 82', Sanchez og 85', Lanzini 90' 4)
Man of the match Harry Kane
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
The Little Things
Directed by: John Lee Hancock
Starring: Denzel Washington, Rami Malek, Jared Leto
Four stars
if you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Seoul from Dh3,775 return, including taxes
The package
Ski Safari offers a seven-night ski package to Korea, including five nights at the Dragon Valley Hotel in Yongpyong and two nights at Seoul CenterMark hotel, from £720 (Dh3,488) per person, including transfers, based on two travelling in January
The info
Visit www.gokorea.co.uk
BIOSAFETY LABS SECURITY LEVELS
Biosafety Level 1
The lowest safety level. These labs work with viruses that are minimal risk to humans.
Hand washing is required on entry and exit and potentially infectious material decontaminated with bleach before thrown away.
Must have a lock. Access limited. Lab does not need to be isolated from other buildings.
Used as teaching spaces.
Study microorganisms such as Staphylococcus which causes food poisoning.
Biosafety Level 2
These labs deal with pathogens that can be harmful to people and the environment such as Hepatitis, HIV and salmonella.
Working in Level 2 requires special training in handling pathogenic agents.
Extra safety and security precautions are taken in addition to those at Level 1
Biosafety Level 3
These labs contain material that can be lethal if inhaled. This includes SARS coronavirus, MERS, and yellow fever.
Significant extra precautions are taken with staff given specific immunisations when dealing with certain diseases.
Infectious material is examined in a biological safety cabinet.
Personnel must wear protective gowns that must be discarded or decontaminated after use.
Strict safety and handling procedures are in place. There must be double entrances to the building and they must contain self-closing doors to reduce risk of pathogen aerosols escaping.
Windows must be sealed. Air from must be filtered before it can be recirculated.
Biosafety Level 4
The highest level for biosafety precautions. Scientist work with highly dangerous diseases that have no vaccine or cure.
All material must be decontaminated.
Personnel must wear a positive pressure suit for protection. On leaving the lab this must pass through decontamination shower before they have a personal shower.
Entry is severely restricted to trained and authorised personnel. All entries are recorded.
Entrance must be via airlocks.
RedCrow Intelligence Company Profile
Started: 2016
Founders: Hussein Nasser Eddin, Laila Akel, Tayeb Akel
Based: Ramallah, Palestine
Sector: Technology, Security
# of staff: 13
Investment: $745,000
Investors: Palestine’s Ibtikar Fund, Abu Dhabi’s Gothams and angel investors
Mobile phone packages comparison
TO%20CATCH%20A%20KILLER
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDamian%20Szifron%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shailene%20Woodley%2C%20Ben%20Mendelsohn%2C%20Ralph%20Ineson%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
