Textbook backs UAE’s push for clean energy

A major new academic textbook has been launched as a timely and practical guide to integrate renewable energy into modern power grids and aims to support the UAE’s national strategies for sustainability, innovation, and clean energy.

The textbook “Advanced Grid Technologies: Grid Evolution, Smart Grid Fundamentals, and Renewable Energy Integration, Volume 1 by Elsevier” launched by Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Dubai and authored by Professor of Electrical Engineering, Dr Abdalla Ismail Alzarooni, in collaboration with Dr Haris M Khalid, from the University of Dubai.

As the energy sector undergoes a profound shift, traditional electricity grids, once designed for centralised, fossil fuel–based power generation, are now required to accommodate renewable energy, electric vehicles, digital technologies, and intelligent control systems.

The textbook addresses these changes by exploring how power grids are evolving into smarter, cleaner, and more flexible systems.

It provides an outline of the history of the modern energy grid, followed by a comprehensive overview of renewable energy sources, the challenges they pose for typical energy grids, and the fundamentals of modern smart grid adaptations.

Published by Elsevier, the textbook represents a strong inter-university collaboration, with faculty from the two Dubai-based universities combining their research expertise to support the advancement of the UAE’s Green Agenda 2030 and “We The UAE 2031” vision. Through worked examples of numerical analysis and comparisons of recommended approaches, the text specifically addresses energy challenges faced in the region, particularly those relevant to utilities and infrastructure providers in the UAE, such as DEWA, SEWA, ADWEA and the RTA.

Speaking about the aims of the textbook, Prof Alzarooni said, “At RIT Dubai, we focus on education and research that directly contribute to national priorities and support our strong industry partnerships. This textbook explores solutions that will help to drive the UAE’s vision for sustainable power, renewable energy integration, artificial intelligence adoption, and smart infrastructure development, while also preparing the next generation of engineers and decision-makers in the field.”

Key topics explored include energy storage systems, electric vehicles and vehicle-to-grid technologies, intelligent substations, and demand forecasting. The textbook delves into the complexities of context in balancing supply and demand, maintaining grid stability, managing data, and ensuring reliable electricity delivery.