A Model for Solar Home System Assessment in Public Housing Projects in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Solar home system (SHS) is a sustainable alternative to produce energy needs for residential housing, typically for off-grid electricity requirements. Many SHS programs implemented in developing countries have achieved relatively limited success, while few have been successful. This research proposes a preliminary model to evaluate the success level of SHS programs implemented in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) public housing projects. It focuses on the UAE’s public housing projects, where the government is the main stakeholder that finances and leads the SHS programs. The proposed model is intended to provide an enhanced insight into implementation success for the SHS in the UAE compared to the simple metrics often used in practice. The current research is needed to provide the policy-makers and program implementers with a measurement model to evaluate future SHS projects. The results of this research can be extended to be implemented in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries that share similar geographical, economic, social, and environmental aspects as the UAE.