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How Does EtihadWE's Rooftop Solar Scheme (DSS) Work?

EtihadWE's Distributed Solar Systems rules for Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah: who can join, size limits, billing, steps and status today.

By Mujtaba Ali, Co-Founder & Operations Director

11 min readLast reviewed

Rows of solar panels on the metal roof of a commercial building under a blue sky, Al Jurf, Ajman
Rows of panels on a commercial roof in Al Jurf, Ajman.Solar Oasis project, Ajman

The short answer

EtihadWE's Distributed Solar Systems (DSS) scheme lets some customers in Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah connect rooftop solar to the grid. EtihadWE published the rules in September 2024. As of 14 November 2026, it has not published an approved-contractor list, an application service or a fee schedule for the DSS, so systems in the Northern Emirates are installed zero-export today. Below is what the published rules say, clause by clause, with links to EtihadWE's own documents.

of your connected load: the DSS size ceiling
10%
the most any one account can connect
1,000 kW
  • Zero-export: what is installed in the Northern Emirates today.
On this page13 sections

What is EtihadWE's DSS?

EtihadWE (Etihad Water and Electricity) supplies Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. With the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, it set up the Distributed Solar Systems (DSS) scheme. The project started in July 2023 with a feasibility study, and EtihadWE announced the scheme on 22 September 2024.

The rules sit in two documents, both Version 1 from September 2024:

EtihadWE also publishes a seven-page summary.

DSS
Distributed Solar Systems: EtihadWE's scheme for connecting rooftop solar to its grid in Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah.
Hosting Account
The one EtihadWE account a DSS is linked to. Each hosting account can have only one DSS.

Can you connect under the DSS today?

As of 14 November 2026, EtihadWE has not published three things the rules depend on:

  1. An approved-contractor list. The Conditions say EtihadWE "shall publish an initial list of Approved Contractor on its website". We found none.
  2. An application service. The etihadwe.ae service menu lists no DSS application, and the Standards mark the "Solar Platform" for equipment as "To be determined".
  3. A fee schedule. The rules say you pay processing and connection fees, but no DSS amounts are published.

So systems in the Northern Emirates are installed zero-export today: sized to your own daytime use, with nothing exported to the grid, and with hybrid (battery) and off-grid options. We build every system to EtihadWE's DSS standards, so it can be connected under the DSS without being rebuilt once EtihadWE opens it.

of connected load, the DSS ceiling
10%
the cap per hosting account
1,000 kW
how long a pre-application approval stays valid
6 months

Who can join EtihadWE's DSS?

Phase 1 of the Connection Conditions (section 1) covers three customer categories:

  • Residential Local. EtihadWE's tariffs split homes into citizen and expatriate accounts; the Conditions name only Residential Local in phase 1.
  • Industrial. Excluding industrial customers who already benefit from a preferential discounted tariff (section 4).
  • Agricultural. Farms on EtihadWE's agricultural tariff.

EtihadWE says other categories will be "separately notified". Two more rules apply to everyone:

  • Rooftops only. The DSS "should be set up only on rooftops", within the premises of the hosting account (section 3).
  • One DSS per account. Each hosting account takes one DSS, and the solar can offset other accounts on the same premises in an order you set.
Connected Load
The most power your account can draw, as EtihadWE sets it. It is on your electrical drawings, not your bill.

How big can a DSS system be?

The limit is 10% of the connected load on your hosting account, and it "cannot exceed 1,000 kW" (section 4). EtihadWE measures capacity as the maximum power the inverters can deliver on their AC side, so an array with more panel capacity than inverter capacity is judged on the inverters. EtihadWE may revise the 10% at its discretion.

  • 100 kW

    DSS ceiling at 10%
    10 kW

  • 400 kW

    DSS ceiling at 10%
    40 kW

  • 800 kW

    DSS ceiling at 10%
    80 kW

  • 5,000 kW

    DSS ceiling at 10%
    500 kW

  • 10,000 kW or more

    DSS ceiling at 10%
    1,000 kW (the cap)
Table 1. For illustration: the 10% rule at different connected loads. The ceiling applies to inverter AC output, not panel rating.

A 10% ceiling is small for most homes and workshops. Zero-export systems installed today are sized to your daytime use and your roof.

How will DSS billing work?

The DSS is an export model. Section 5 of the Conditions says every kWh your panels make is "exported 100% to the grid" through a separate DSS meter, installed by EtihadWE at the customer's cost.

  • Two meters. The main meter (A) counts what you import; the DSS meter (B) counts what your panels export.
  • Monthly clearing. Each month, EtihadWE bills Net = A − B, and the statement shows both figures (section 6).
  • Credit. Surplus is recorded as "Available Export Credits" over a Settlement Period of 12 billing periods from your operation date. The Conditions do not say what happens to unused credit at the end of each period, so ask EtihadWE before you plan around exports.
  • Changing the offset order. Once EtihadWE approves a change to which accounts your solar offsets, you cannot ask for another change for 180 days.

EtihadWE DSS

Status today
Rules published; no application service, contractor list or fees published
How export works
All solar exported through a second meter; billed Net = A − B monthly
Size limit
10% of connected load, up to 1,000 kW
Who can join
Phase 1: Residential Local, Industrial, Agricultural
Unused credit
Not stated in the Conditions

DEWA Shams Dubai

Status today
Live, through DEWA's online service
How export works
One bidirectional meter; exports offset imports
Size limit
A share of connected load, up to 1,000 kW per plot
Who can join
Homes and businesses on DEWA accounts
Unused credit
Carried forward, with no cash payout

Dubai's scheme in full: Shams Dubai, step by step.

Net = A − B
Each month EtihadWE subtracts the solar meter (B) from the main meter (A) and bills the difference.

What are the steps to connect under the DSS?

Section 7 of the Standards and Guidelines sets out 13 steps, all run by an Approved Contractor. Here they are in seven stages.

  1. Step 1: Pre-application

    • Approved Contractor and EtihadWE
    • Valid for 6 months

    The contractor submits a pre-application with the electrical design and processing fees. EtihadWE replies with whether the network has capacity at your point of connection. The approval "shall remain valid for a period of 6 months", and EtihadWE says available capacity is not a promise that the connection will go through.

  2. Step 2: Structural approval

    • Approved Contractor and the municipality

    The contractor sends the structural design to the municipality, which reviews it under its own process. You also need your building and land-use approval in place before anything is installed.

  3. Step 3: Build to the approved design

    • Approved Contractor

    With EtihadWE's and the municipality's approval, the contractor installs the system exactly as approved.

  4. Step 4: Mechanical inspection

    • The municipality

    The contractor tells the municipality the build is complete, and the municipality inspects it.

  5. Step 5: Connection application and EtihadWE inspection

    • Approved Contractor and EtihadWE

    The contractor applies for the DSS connection and submits EtihadWE's pre-connection inspection and testing checklist. An EtihadWE inspector checks the installation against it.

  6. Step 6: Connection fees and smart meters

    • You and EtihadWE

    With both approvals after inspection, the contractor can request the smart meters. EtihadWE fits them once the connection fees are paid. The system then starts temporary operation.

  7. Step 7: Testing and Permit to Operate

    • EtihadWE

    Testing after connection follows a second checklist. Once it passes, EtihadWE issues a Permit to Operate, and the system runs for good.

    Figure 7-1 lists the connection application after the build, while section 7.3 describes a complete application earlier on. Confirm the order with EtihadWE for your project.

Approved Contractor
A contractor EtihadWE approves for DSS work. EtihadWE has not yet published the list.
Permit to Operate
The PTO EtihadWE issues once testing after connection passes. Only then does the system run for good.

What can delay or stop a DSS connection?

  1. Network capacity. The pre-application can come back with no capacity at your point of connection, or with a budget estimate for network work you would pay for.
  2. The yearly limit. EtihadWE sets an Annual Limit on new DSS capacity each calendar year. If the limit is reached, approved requests connect "only in the subsequent Calendar year", first come, first served (section 9).
  3. Changing the design. A material change to an application, such as moving the point of connection, can cost it its place in the queue.
  4. Rule changes. EtihadWE may revise the 10% ceiling and the Annual Limit at its discretion.

What equipment and warranties does the DSS ask for?

The Standards set minimum warranties:

  • Panels: 10 years on the product and 25 years on performance, with at least 90% of nameplate output in the first 10 years and at least 80% after 25 years.
  • Inverters: at least 5 years.

The equipment list is meant to sit on EtihadWE's Solar Platform, which the Standards mark "To be determined". Our systems use Tier-1 components such as Huawei inverters and Tier-1 panels.

What happens after switch-on?

  • Maintenance: at least once a year, including panel cleaning and the manufacturer's checks. Repairs and replacements are for an Approved Contractor only (section 7).
  • Curtailment: EtihadWE can disconnect a DSS for network maintenance or technical limits, and can adjust its output remotely. It is not liable for generation lost this way (section 8).
  • Ending the agreement: the customer can end the connection agreement with 30 days' notice.

What if you sell or rent out the property?

You and the new owner or tenant can make a joint request to move the DSS to their account. The connection agreement ends on a transfer to a new owner or tenant, and any credit on your account is forfeited at the final bill: it does not move with the building (section 6).

Is there help in Ras Al Khaimah?

Ras Al Khaimah Municipality runs the Solar Support Programme under its Reem initiative. It offers:

  • technical and contract support;
  • help choosing and tendering for a supplier;
  • awareness and training workshops.

The programme is open to government, semi-government, industry, commercial entities and residents. You sign up through a government survey form, and the municipality's team is at info.eer@mun.rak.ae or +971 7 246 6166. The Reem Solar Calculator gives a first estimate for a RAK roof.

What does this mean for your roof?

  • Your EtihadWE bill and account type (residential, commercial, industrial or agricultural)
  • Your connected load, from your electrical drawings
  • Roof space and what shades it
  • When you use most of your power: daytime, evening or both
  • Whether you need backup through outages

With those five facts, we size a zero-export system to your daytime use, add a battery if evenings or outages matter, and build it to the DSS standards so the DSS stays open to you later. Ajman · Umm Al Quwain · Ras Al Khaimah · Fujairah

Every emirate side by side: rooftop solar rules in each emirate.

Sources

EtihadWE DSS FAQs

All 48 questions →

EtihadWE has published the DSS rules, but as of 14 November 2026 it lists no application service, approved-contractor list or fee schedule for the scheme. Systems in Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah are installed zero-export today, and we build them to the DSS standards so they can be connected later.

Under the DSS, all the power your panels make is exported through a second DSS meter, and each month EtihadWE bills the difference: Net = A − B. Dubai's Shams Dubai nets imports and exports on one bidirectional meter. Both set your solar against your bill.

Up to 10% of the connected load on your hosting account, and never more than 1,000 kW. EtihadWE measures it as the maximum power the inverters can deliver on their AC side, not the panel rating.

Phase 1 covers three account types: Residential Local, Industrial (except industrial customers on a preferential discounted tariff) and Agricultural. EtihadWE says it will notify other categories separately. Its tariffs split homes into citizen and expatriate accounts.

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