Emerge to Install Solar Project at American Community School of Abu Dhabi’s New Sustainable Campus

12 SEP 2023
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News Clean Energy

•  Emerge, a joint venture between Masdar and EDF, to install 1 MW peak capacity solar power project at non-profit American school in UAE
•  Project will generate approx 35% of American Community School’s annual energy, equivalent of displacing 770 tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere

Emerge, a joint venture between the UAE’s Masdar and France’s EDF, has signed an agreement with American Community School of Abu Dhabi (ACS) to install a 1 megawatt peak (MWp) solar photovoltaic (PV) project at ACS’s new environmentally sustainable campus on Saadiyat Island, UAE. The project will generate approximately 35 percent of ACS’s total annual energy demand, an equivalent of displacing 770 tonnes of carbon emissions every year. The project fully aligns with the UAE sustainability goals and contributes to the country’s Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative.

The project will involve installing 1,380 solar modules across the rooftop and car park spaces at the new state-of-the-art campus. Emerge will provide a full turnkey solution for the project, including finance, design, procurement, construction, operations, and maintenance for 25 years.

Michel Abi Saab, General Manager, Emerge, said:

We are very proud to be contributing towards reducing carbon emissions together with the American Community School, a long-established institution in the UAE. This project shows how the clean energy and education sectors can join forces to build a more sustainable future for our children.  The rise in solar projects in the UAE shows the growing and important role that this technology is playing in helping the country to meet its net-zero goals. We look forward to developing further such sustainable projects to support schools and to raise awareness amongst young people in the UAE and the region, at the forefront of the COP28.

Monique Flickinger, Superintendent, American Community School, said:

The installation of solar panels on our new campus sets the example that teaches our students the importance of sustainability and renewable energy.  Not only is this an environmentally friendly solution, but it’s also a powerful educational tool that empowers our students to learn about sustainable energy and be future leaders in creating a greener world.

This project marks another expansion in Emerge’s UAE portfolio. Emerge was formed in 2021 as a joint venture between Masdar and EDF to develop distributed solar, energy efficiency, street lighting, battery storage, off-grid solar and hybrid solutions for commercial and industrial clients. Emerge offers clients full turnkey supply and demand side energy management solutions through solar power agreements and energy performance contracting at no up-front cost to the client.