Delegation from Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and RTA visits Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting

A delegation from the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Road and Transport Authority (RTA) recently visited the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting in the USA as part of mutual visits aimed at enhancing cooperation and getting acquainted with the best international practices followed by the American government.

The delegates included Faisal Ali Rashid, Director of Demand Side Management at the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and RTA officials Ibrahim Mohammed Ameen, Manager of Lighting & Traffic Systems Maintenance, and Salim Al Rimawi, Roads Lighting & Traffic Signals Manager.
The visit forms part of our efforts to support Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Demand Side Management Strategy that aims to reduce energy demand by 30% by 2030 and involves nine programmes that are all connected to our daily life. These include green building regulations, retrofitting existing buildings, district cooling, wastewater reuse, laws and standards for raising efficiency, energy-efficient street-lighting, and the Shams Dubai initiative to regulate the generation of solar energy in buildings, said HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice-Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy.

HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer affirmed the importance of cooperation between the Council and the Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting in different fields, including advanced street lighting and ways to further develop such systems for the benefit of both sides. The RTA has made huge progress in increasing the efficiency of street lighting with the launch of LED lighting projects aimed at increasing energy-efficient measures such as fitting street lights in some neighbourhoods with an automatic switch-off feature under the umbrella of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy, as directly-supervised by Etihad ESCO, added HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer.

HE Mattar Al Tayer, Director-General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors of the RTA, said: The RTA in collaboration with the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy endeavors to bring the latest technologies to the Emirate of Dubai. It seeks to realize this goal by reviewing the best practices and models across the globe in the field of energy and street lighting, securing the power supply required for the Emirate, and improving the efficiency of energy use.
The RTA also aims to convert all conventional street lights to LED technology by 2030 and reduce carbon footprint by more than 3,000 tons per annum as a result. Over the past three years, the RTA has accomplished 45 projects and initiatives related to energy and the green economy. It has also adopted the highest industry standards for green buildings, added HE Mattar Al Tayer.

Moreover, the RTA has also launched the trial run of buses powered by compressed natural gas (CNG0, embarked on a project for measuring the carbon footprint of vehicles in Dubai, and overseen the successful operation of environment-friendly hybrid taxis starting in in 2008. The RTA plans to enhance the existing fleet of hybrid taxis by up to 50% by 2021, as such vehicles are characterized by carbon emissions that are 34% lower than that of their normal counterparts, per research conducted by the RTA, HE Mattar Al Tayer said.

In keeping with the directives of the government to make people happy, the RTA is transitioning its services to a smart platform which also contributes significantly to environmental conservation efforts. The customer saves about 28 km in each transaction processed through smart apps or by going online, resulting in a 10kg carbon emission reduction per transaction, HE Mattar Al Tayer concluded. We work side by side with the RTA to achieve our mutual strategic goals. The Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting is one of the leading government organisations in the world particularly in the use of street lighting powered by LED technology and other advanced solutions related to solar energy and the smart city concept, among others, said HE Ahmed Butti Al Muhairbi, Secretary General of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy.

The Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting has extensive experience in efficient street lighting for greater savings on electricity and water. The activities of the Bureau include surveys about the intensity of lighting and the colours used as well as the application of smart city solutions for better efficiency and less consumption, maintenance, and costs. Los Angeles is one of the leading cities in the world in the use of street lighting integrating advanced technologies. The Los Angeles Bureau of Street Lighting has generated new incomes and provided the best services for the local community.