The Kanoo Group took a giant stride towards sustainability and aligning with the UAE’s green goals towards the end of last year, when it inaugurated the group’s first large-scale solar rooftop system at its Al Qouz facility in Dubai.

Among the largest family-owned business conglomerates in the region, the Kanoo Group installed the solar system at the warehouse and office of Kanoo Machinery, which is the group’s machinery and equipment arm that represents such global heavyweight brands as Bobcat, Grove, Snorkel, Combilift, Perkins, Hyster, Sullair and others.

The inauguration of the solar facility, installed in partnership with Enerwhere, the region’s first distributed solar utility company, was done on December 22. It was led by Fahad Kanoo, the Kanoo Group CEO, and Daniel Zyweitz, founder and CEO of Enerwhere.

The solar system is part of the group’s strategy to encourage the use of renewable sources of energy in the operations of its divisions to reduce the group’s overall carbon emissions in line with the efforts of the UAE government.

The new solar system aims to reduce 6,993 tons of CO2 emissions in its lifetime for Kanoo Machinery by producing an estimated 15,894 Mwh of electricity during its lifetime. The 490Kwp system-size installation can lead to the savings equivalent to 115,390 trees during its lifetime.

Fahad Kanoo said: “It is our duty to step up and ensure that we take part in the worldwide effort to address this common challenge. We all have a role to pursue a transition to alternative resources and technologies – and be a responsible energy supplier.”

Kanoo Group chairman Mishal Kanoowho spearheaded the initiative, said the solar system was among many solutions of the group that reflect its drive towards sustainability.

“On behalf of the Kanoo Group, I am beyond proud of the new undertakings as it shows our resolve to use innovative technology in order to come up with sustainable solutions. We believe in the business model of Enerwhere, and I am confident that it will start a solar revolution across the region,” said Mishal Kanoo.
“We want to encourage everyone to build an impactful business that can provide value to their partners, while saving the planet.”

Enerwhere, the main partner for the Kanoo Group’s solar initiative, is one of the largest contractors of solar power under the Dunai Electricity and Water Authority’s (DEWA) Shams Dubai programme or encouraging the move to solar in the emirate.