Q&A: Omar Sadder, Yellow Door Energy
Omar Sadder, regional development manager, Yellow Door Energy, discusses a few of the key themes that will be discussed at this year’s Intersolar and Middle East Energy event from 3-5 March in Dubai World Trade Centre.
What are the prospects for solar energy in the Middle East and North Africa in 2020?
Overall, we’re very optimistic about solar energy in the Middle East and North Africa. For example, Egypt is a very promising market for solar developers like Yellow Door Energy because the country is facing annual rising electricity prices for conventional power, increased costs of doing business and heightened awareness about renewable energy and sustainability. Last year, electricity prices rose 15 per cent, and we anticipate that as the government continues to reduce subsidies, we will see further increases soon.
Tell us a little bit about Yellow Door Energy’s latest projects in the region – where do you see the most opportunities in 2020 and for the next few years?
Currently, Yellow Door Energy has over 100MW of commercial-scale solar projects in the region. Most recently we signed our first solar lease projects in Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and soon you will hear about our first project in Egypt. We also recently commissioned a 5.5MW-peak solar park in Jordan, started the construction of a 2MW-peak rooftop solar plant in the UAE, and soon we can announce additional signed solar projects in the region.
As the sustainable energy partner for businesses, Yellow Door Energy provides solar as well as energy efficiency and water solutions. We see an opportunity in providing holistic energy solutions to help businesses reduce energy costs, optimize energy efficiency and enhance sustainability. This is our focus for the next few years.
With tariffs for solar energy continuing to fall in the region – what can developers do to remain profitable?
While tariffs for solar energy may plateau, the utility electricity prices are on the rise in the region. This makes solar energy a competitive source of electricity for businesses from both a cost saving and sustainability perspective.
For developers such as Yellow Door Energy, we remain profitable by providing the best technology solutions to help businesses reduce energy costs and optimize energy efficiency. We are completely technology agnostic, which means we are not tied to any vendor or technology, and are always assessing emerging technologies and add them to our suite of offerings as appropriate.
What are the main challenges for entities seeking to develop solar energy in the region?
It really depends on the market. Of course, the typical conditions we look for in any market are a stable government, high transparency and ease of doing business. Additionally, for our industry, we also need favourable policies, such as net metering, and also removal of subsidies, to be able to compete with conventional power.
At Yellow Door Energy, we put a lot of effort on collaboration and education with all stakeholders. This is why I look forward to speaking at Intersolar Middle East and to learning from energy experts at the conference. Together, we can accelerate the sustainable energy transition.
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