The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has launched its Sirb (Arabic for fleet) initiative to use drone technology for internal services, to support Dubai's infrastructure, and aid smart technologies in serving Dubai's residents.

The move supports the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, in achieving the UAE Vision 2021 and Dubai Plan 2021 and making Dubai a smart, integrated, and connected city.

"We have launched the Sirb initiative to support the National Innovation Strategy, launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed to make the UAE one of the most innovative countries in the world within seven years. This will contribute to providing easier and more user-friendly services according to the highest international standards," said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director and CEO of DEWA.

DEWA has already started using the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to check on the photovoltaic (PV) panels atop its Sustainable Building in Al Quoz. UAVs save considerable time and effort as they completely scan the building's roof, which has an approximate area of 100,000 square feet, in less than 5 minutes and provide Ultra HD (4K) images with a resolution of over 20 mega pixels.

The Sustainable Building's rooftop hosts photovoltaic panels that produce 600 kW of electricity, and DEWA uses drones to monitor the cleaning activities by contractors, which are essential for the panels to function properly in a desert environment.

Drones are also used to inspect the water cooling process in evaporators, enabling DEWA to operate without fully shutting them down for maintenance. The company also uses drones to regularly review its projects and obtain progress reports by taking panoramic pictures.
Source: WAM