DEWA’s Smart Grid Powers Dubai’s Vision as the Smartest and Happiest City

Ummulkiram Pardawala -

The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) is investing AED 7 billion in a smart grid initiative designed to align with Dubai’s vision to become the smartest and happiest city in the world. Leveraging technologies from the Fourth Industrial Revolution, such as AI and IoT, the smart grid ensures efficient, reliable, and sustainable electricity and water services with advanced features like automated decision-making and seamless network integration.

Key Achievements:

  • Efficiency and Reliability:
    • Electricity transmission and distribution losses reduced to 2% (compared to 6%-7% in Europe and the US).
    • Water network losses minimized to 4.6% (significantly lower than North America’s 15%).
    • Achieved a global record of 1.06 Customer Minutes Lost (CML) per year, outperforming EU utilities’ average of 15 minutes.
  • Automatic Smart Grid Restoration System:
    The first of its kind in the MENA region, this system operates 24/7 without human intervention, automatically locating faults, isolating them, and restoring services to enhance grid automation and reliability.
  • Big Data and Analytics Platform:
    Launched in 2022, the platform integrates smart grid applications, enabling fact-based analytics and forecasting for current and future projects, optimizing asset and smart meter management.
  • High Usage Alert:
    Since 2019, this service has detected over 1.8 million water leaks, 36,005 defects, and 13,397 cases of increased load, notifying customers of unusual consumption patterns to prevent wastage and reduce costs.

DEWA’s Smart Grid Strategy, initially developed in 2014 and updated in 2021, focuses on six key themes, incorporating 19 globally leading smart grid enablers. This framework supports DEWA’s long-term vision, adapting to new opportunities while maintaining sustainability, accountability, and service quality.

This smart grid initiative has positioned Dubai as a global leader in infrastructure innovation, contributing to enhanced customer satisfaction and supporting the emirate’s transition to a sustainable, tech-driven future.

News Source: Dubai Media Office