BATOOL GHAITH (ABU DHABI)
Energy research in the UAE is increasingly focused on technologies that can move beyond laboratory testing and deliver measurable gains in efficiency, reliability and resource security.
Prof. Phil Hart, Chief Researcher at the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Research Center at the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), said one of the clearest examples is the use of AI to accelerate the discovery of new materials for energy systems, such as solar.
“The UAE’s strong sunlight brings intense UV, and UV degrades modern solar panels and reduces their output over time,” Hart told Aletihad.
Hart said TII researchers are developing a molecule for solar panels that absorbs ultraviolet light and re-emits it as usable visible light.
He noted that designing and testing molecules for that purpose would require extensive laboratory work on each candidate.
“We used AI to screen a very large number of possible combinations, then used AI with advanced molecular modelling to predict how the most promising ones would behave, which narrowed thousands of options down to a small shortlist we could test in the lab,” he explained.
According to Hart, the clearest result so far is the speed of discovery. “A search that might once have taken a decade has taken us around a year, and we now have candidate molecules that work in the lab,” he said.
The potential benefit in the field would be to improve the long-term reliability of solar panels by helping them retain output closer to their original rating for longer, Hart added.
He also noted that the same focus on efficiency and durability extends to desalination.
“Today’s reverse osmosis plants rely on polymer membranes that wear out and must be replaced every few years, which means taking the plant offline and sending large volumes of plastic to landfill,” Hart said, noting that ceramic membranes are stronger, more durable and can be cleaned more aggressively.
“The aim is longer service life, less downtime and more fresh water for the energy used,” he said.
Hart emphasised that reliable and efficient energy infrastructure is fundamental to the UAE’s industrial competitiveness because energy, water and food systems are closely connected.
“Our water comes largely from desalination, which needs a great deal of energy, and in summer air conditioning accounts for more than half of the country’s power demand. Every unit of energy saved in those systems is energy available for industry and growth,” he added.
He said TII’s approach is to look at energy, water, agri-tech and sustainability together rather than as separate issues.
For new technologies to reach industry, Hart said researchers need to think about real-world use from the start.
“There is a well-known gap between academic research and implementation, and our measure of success is how many technologies we actually transfer into real-world use,” he noted.
Hart also stressed that building local expertise is important for reducing reliance on international supply chains.
“Our aim is to build capability in the UAE and reduce reliance on long international supply chains, which makes energy, water and food more secure,” he said.