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An aerial view of the 'split system' at the Burj Khalifa.

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Despite having 350 days of sun per year, the UAE is still ten steps behind Europe when it comes to solar thermal technology. Across the board, solar-powered systems have been criticised for having a long return on investment, while as a relatively new technology in the region, there continues to be a lengthy time-frame for solar-powered projects to actually materialise – a single, major development often taking as long as three years to place an order for materials.

And yet, solar suppliers refuse to give up. With new regulations on green building and a clear government commitment to a more sustainable existence, companies remain positive that solar technology will be a part of the region’s future, and that the UAE will strive to become a role model for surrounding countries.

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Of course, before that happens, there needs to be more clarity over how these systems actually work and what they cost, particularly solar-powered water-heating systems.

Perhaps most important is the need to distinguish between photovoltaic (PV) solar systems, which convert solar radiation into direct current electricity, and concentrated solar power (CSP) or thermal solar systems, where the sun’s energy is focused to heat water.

Indeed, it is confusion between these two systems which is responsible for purchasers assuming a long return on investment for solar-powered technologies, which is actually not the case with solar-powered water heating systems. According to industry experts, many people are yet to even hear about thermal solar systems, even though they are the most common.

John Owen of Sole UAE Solar Systems, the company responsible for installing and operating the solar heating system at the Burj Khalifa, said: “The reason many consider solar technology as having a long investment return is because often they have never even heard of thermal solar systems, and they are confusing them with PV systems. Whereas PV has a long investment return, thermal technology actually has a short time frame for investment return.”

Unfortunately, the problems associated with a lack of knowledge about solar-power systems don’t end there. Besides confusion over costs, there also seems to be some misunderstanding as to how the technology works in different climates, and how it caters for night times, contributing further to solar-power’s negative reputation.

According to Owen, there lies a specific type of technology behind every thermal solar system, which can be interchanged depending on the weather of the country where the solar thermal system is being installed.