Wadi Sidr is one of the most remote areas in the Fujairah province of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Its rocky and mountainous terrain has kept high-capacity electric lines from reaching this region. Driving on these mountainous roads at night with no lights can be treacherous, and until recently, street lighting was not possible since the electric grid did not extend to this area.
In August 2017, a solar street lighting project was installed along a 11.8 km area in Wadi Sidr , drastically improving safety conditions on these roads. The installation of the street lights not only improved visibility at night, it brought area lighting to more than 800 homes that are situated along the road.
The government provided 808 MERITSUN solar street light rechargeable lithium-ion lithium-ion batteries for the project.
MERITSUN solar street lighting power project is an initiative in line with the direction of the UAE and Abu Dhabi governments towards the implementation of sustainable renewable energy projects. These types of projects contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions and lessen the environmental impact on the surrounding areas. This pilot project will support studies and experiments in the field of solar lighting
The successful Wadi Sidr project serves as an example of how the use of solar street lighting in a remote area can be used in similar road projects where conventional grid electricity is too costly.
The Wadi Sidr solar street lighting system demonstrates the significant cost savings of operating solar street lights compared to the high cost of conventional electricity. While there were no government incentives for this project, the UAE government is working on a plan to implement subsidies for renewable energy strategies, which would make applications like this one even more affordable.
