The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority opened the 47,360-sf Research and Development Centre in March of 2020. Located at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park in the United Arab Emirates, the four-story facility offers laboratories for the development of leading-edge technologies for solar power, smart grid integration, energy efficiency, and water management systems. Accelerating the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the center will enable the creation of innovative 3D printing and additive manufacturing modalities. The sustainably designed project, which has attained LEED Platinum certification, houses the Electrical Characterisation Lab, the Mechanical Characterisation Lab, the Materials Characterisation Lab, the Solar Simulator Lab, and the Accelerated Aging Lab. Outdoor research zones accommodate the testing of unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as performance and reliability studies for photovoltaic panels. The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park is being constructed in phases with completion expected in 2030.
