Key facts
- Dates
- 7–11 Jun 2027 (5 days)
- Where
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Fee per participant
- £2,750 (GBP)
- Payment
- By invoice and bank transfer
- Registration closes
- 8 May 2027
- Certificate
- Certificate of completion
- In-house option
- Run it for your team, on your dates
On this page 14 sections
Programme Overview
This five-day professional training programme provides power engineers and energy sector managers with practical tools to integrate utility-scale solar photovoltaic generation into existing distribution networks. Held in Dubai, the course examines the technical and operational complexities of network reinforcement, substation upgrades, and renewable energy integration. Participants study current international engineering practices to modernise distribution infrastructure, lower technical losses, and ensure system reliability as renewable penetration rises across national and regional networks.
Engineers and project leaders explore the engineering and economic principles that govern grid-connected solar installations. The curriculum addresses grid code compliance, distribution automation, network stability, and protection coordination under variable power injections. Through structured technical analysis, attendees review power evacuation designs, substation interface requirements, and power quality parameters. The learning incorporates recognised international standards to ensure that distribution assets withstand the operational stresses associated with intermittent solar generation.
Delivered through a public-sector and donor-funded project lens, the course covers modern power purchase agreements, procurement frameworks, and capital investment supervision. Attendees examine the technical governance required to deliver complex grid upgrade contracts on schedule and within technical specifications. By blending distribution engineering with utility commercial management, the programme equips professionals to lead distribution modernisation projects that support national electrification agendas and long-term utility sustainability.
Distribution modernisation has become critical as utilities accelerate electricity access programmes and incorporate variable solar capacity into legacy transmission and distribution systems. Project engineers executing the Enhancing Sierra Leone Energy Access project and comparable national power initiatives require robust competencies to manage grid stability, integrate renewable plants, and expand distribution reach. Without upgraded protection systems, clear grid codes, and sound power purchase pacts, increased generation can destabilise regional networks, making technical capacity building urgent for sustainable utility operations.
Delivered by Risalat Consultants International in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, it combines expert-led sessions, real cases and group work, so that participants can apply what they learn in their own institution.
The Programme Strengthens Institutional Capability
- Global engineering standards for solar grid connection: IEC 61727, IEC 62116, and IEEE 1547 frameworks
- Assessing medium-voltage network hosting capacity and thermal loading limits
- Power quality phenomena: harmonics, flicker, voltage sags, and resonance mitigation
- Active and reactive power control methodologies for inverter-based solar resources
- Conducting load flow, short circuit, and dynamic stability studies for solar interconnection
- Substation design modifications for solar power evacuation and feeder reinforcement
- Protection challenges under bidirectional power flows and low fault current contributions
- Coordination of overcurrent, earth fault, and directional relays on solar-tied feeders
- Procurement planning and market analysis
- Choosing procurement methods and approaches
- Writing specifications and terms of reference
- Bidding documents and evaluation criteria
It is designed for electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) power engineers, utility-scale solar project managers and developers, rural electrification agency technical specialists and others who want practical, current skills in procurement and contract management.
- Inputs
- Activities
- Outputs
- Outcomes
- Impact
The Growing Importance of Grid-Connected Solar and Distribution Network Modernisation in Dubai
Procurement is where public money becomes roads, medicines, systems and services. Delays, weak specifications and poor contract management are among the most common reasons projects fall behind or fail their audits.
Financiers and governments now expect value for money, fair competition and well-documented decisions at every stage, from planning to contract completion. Teams who manage the full cycle well deliver faster and with fewer complaints.
Organisations increasingly require professionals capable of:
- Plan procurement that matches project needs and timelines
- Prepare clear specifications and evaluation criteria
- Evaluate bids consistently and defend the decision
- Manage contracts, variations and performance
- Keep complete records for audit and review
Strong procurement and contract management systems help organisations:
- Reduce procurement delays and failed tenders
- Achieve value for money
- Lower the risk of complaints and audit findings
- Deliver contracts on time and to quality
This Grid-Connected Solar and Distribution Network Modernisation in Dubai programme brings these elements together in a practical format, so that participants understand not only what good practice looks like but also how to introduce it in their own setting, with the people and resources they have.
Who Should Attend This Grid-Connected Solar and Distribution Network Modernisation in Dubai Training?
This programme is designed for:
- Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) power engineers
- Utility-scale solar project managers and developers
- Rural electrification agency technical specialists
- Power system planning and grid integration engineers
- Substation and distribution protection engineers
- Project implementation unit (PIU) infrastructure specialists
- Energy sector regulatory authority technical officers
- Distribution network operations and maintenance supervisors
- Donor-funded power infrastructure project coordinators
- Procurement officers and managers
- Contract managers and administrators
- Project and programme managers
The programme suits experienced professionals as well as those moving into new responsibilities. Groups that mix institutions and countries are encouraged, because participants learn a great deal from each other’s experience.
Tick what your team needs to be able to do.
Grid-Connected Solar and Distribution Network Modernisation in Dubai Training Objectives
Upon successful completion of this Grid-Connected Solar and Distribution Network Modernisation in Dubai Training, participants will be able to:
- Assess network carrying capacity and power quality parameters for utility-scale solar integration into medium-voltage distribution systems
- Formulate protection coordination and voltage control schemes that accommodate bidirectional power flows and fault currents
- Evaluate international grid code requirements and compliance testing protocols for grid-connected photovoltaic power plants
- Review technical and commercial risk allocation provisions within solar power purchase pacts and interconnection agreements
- Specify equipment standards and supervisory control systems required for distribution automation and substation upgrades
- Develop network modernisation investment plans that comply with multilateral development bank procurement and engineering guidelines
- Execute commissioning and grid integration acceptance procedures in accordance with IEC and IEEE engineering standards
- Explain the procurement cycle and the rules that apply to it
- Prepare a procurement plan linked to project timelines
- Choose a suitable method and approach to the market
Each objective is practised during the programme through exercises, cases or group work, so that participants leave able to do it, not only to describe it.
Programme Contents and Structure
- Global engineering standards for solar grid connection: IEC 61727, IEC 62116, and IEEE 1547 frameworks
- Assessing medium-voltage network hosting capacity and thermal loading limits
- Power quality phenomena: harmonics, flicker, voltage sags, and resonance mitigation
- Active and reactive power control methodologies for inverter-based solar resources
- Conducting load flow, short circuit, and dynamic stability studies for solar interconnection
- Substation design modifications for solar power evacuation and feeder reinforcement
- Protection challenges under bidirectional power flows and low fault current contributions
- Coordination of overcurrent, earth fault, and directional relays on solar-tied feeders
- Voltage and frequency ride-through capabilities and anti-islanding protection schemes
- Integration of remote terminal units (RTUs) and telemetry within distribution substations
- Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) architecture for active distribution networks
- Automated switching, fault location, isolation, and service restoration (FLISR) protocols
- Deploying smart metering infrastructure and data collection at distribution transformers
- Technical loss reduction strategies across medium-voltage and low-voltage lines
- Condition monitoring and asset management systems for ageing distribution assets
- Structure of power purchase agreements (PPAs) for grid-connected solar installations
- Defining technical limits, deemed generation, and performance guarantees in power contracts
- Grid code drafting and regulatory enforcement mechanisms for independent power producers
- Interconnection facilities agreements and allocation of capital connection costs
- Tariff structures, balancing mechanisms, and settlement processes for solar energy
- Procurement management for distribution expansion under World Bank and AfDB guidelines
- Supervision of civil, mechanical, and electrical works for feeder extension programmes
- Factory acceptance tests (FAT) and site acceptance tests (SAT) for substation equipment
- Pre-commissioning compliance audits and grid energisation safety procedures
- Action planning for distribution upgrades under the Enhancing Sierra Leone Energy Access project
Full day-by-day contents
The programme runs over 5 days. Each day combines expert input, practical work and a closing workshop or case study:
- First Day: Solar Photovoltaic Grid Integration and Network Capacity Assessment
- Second Day: Substation Interface, Network Protection, and Fault Ride-Through
- Third Day: Distribution Modernisation, Automation, and Smart Grid Technologies
- Fourth Day: Power Purchase Pacts, Interconnection Codes, and Regulatory Compliance
- Fifth Day: Project Execution, Donor Procurement, and Commissioning Management
Full day-by-day contents
First Day | Solar Photovoltaic Grid Integration and Network Capacity Assessment
- Global engineering standards for solar grid connection: IEC 61727, IEC 62116, and IEEE 1547 frameworks
- Assessing medium-voltage network hosting capacity and thermal loading limits
- Power quality phenomena: harmonics, flicker, voltage sags, and resonance mitigation
- Active and reactive power control methodologies for inverter-based solar resources
- Conducting load flow, short circuit, and dynamic stability studies for solar interconnection
Workshop: Solar Photovoltaic Grid Integration and Network Capacity Assessment: Applying It to Your Institution
Working in small groups, participants apply the day's methods to examples from their own institutions and agree practical next steps.
Second Day | Substation Interface, Network Protection, and Fault Ride-Through
- Substation design modifications for solar power evacuation and feeder reinforcement
- Protection challenges under bidirectional power flows and low fault current contributions
- Coordination of overcurrent, earth fault, and directional relays on solar-tied feeders
- Voltage and frequency ride-through capabilities and anti-islanding protection schemes
- Integration of remote terminal units (RTUs) and telemetry within distribution substations
Workshop: Substation Interface, Network Protection, and Fault Ride-Through: Applying It to Your Institution
Working in small groups, participants apply the day's methods to examples from their own institutions and agree practical next steps.
Third Day | Distribution Modernisation, Automation, and Smart Grid Technologies
- Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) architecture for active distribution networks
- Automated switching, fault location, isolation, and service restoration (FLISR) protocols
- Deploying smart metering infrastructure and data collection at distribution transformers
- Technical loss reduction strategies across medium-voltage and low-voltage lines
- Condition monitoring and asset management systems for ageing distribution assets
Case Study: Distribution Modernisation, Automation, and Smart Grid Technologies in Practice
Participants analyse a realistic case, compare the choices made with good practice and draw lessons they can use in their own setting.
Fourth Day | Power Purchase Pacts, Interconnection Codes, and Regulatory Compliance
- Structure of power purchase agreements (PPAs) for grid-connected solar installations
- Defining technical limits, deemed generation, and performance guarantees in power contracts
- Grid code drafting and regulatory enforcement mechanisms for independent power producers
- Interconnection facilities agreements and allocation of capital connection costs
- Tariff structures, balancing mechanisms, and settlement processes for solar energy
Workshop: Power Purchase Pacts, Interconnection Codes, and Regulatory Compliance: Applying It to Your Institution
Working in small groups, participants apply the day's methods to examples from their own institutions and agree practical next steps.
Fifth Day | Project Execution, Donor Procurement, and Commissioning Management
- Procurement management for distribution expansion under World Bank and AfDB guidelines
- Supervision of civil, mechanical, and electrical works for feeder extension programmes
- Factory acceptance tests (FAT) and site acceptance tests (SAT) for substation equipment
- Pre-commissioning compliance audits and grid energisation safety procedures
- Action planning for distribution upgrades under the Enhancing Sierra Leone Energy Access project
Capstone Exercise: Grid-Connected Solar and Distribution Network Modernisation in Dubai Action Plan for Your Institution
Participants bring the week together in an action plan for their own institution, with priorities, owners and first steps, and present it for feedback from peers and facilitators.
Grid-Connected Solar and Distribution Network Modernisation in Dubai Training Methodology
The training employs an interactive technical delivery methodology combining engineering lectures, analytical group exercises, and simulated distribution planning scenarios. Participants analyse real network single-line diagrams, review power purchase clauses, and study practical distribution modernisation workflows applicable to African utility systems. Peer-to-peer technical exchanges enable attendees to benchmark operating procedures and regulatory practices against international utility standards.
The programme combines:
- Expert-led sessions on current practice
- Regional and international case studies
- Group work and practical exercises
- Simulations and role plays where relevant
- Discussion of participants' own challenges
- Peer learning across institutions and countries
- Practical tools and templates to take back to work
- Daily reflection and action planning
Before the programme, a short pre-assessment helps the facilitators understand each participant’s role and priorities, so that examples and exercises can be adjusted to the group. Each day ends with a short reflection in which participants note what they will apply at work.
Expected Outcomes
Upon completion of this Grid-Connected Solar and Distribution Network Modernisation in Dubai Training, participants will be able to:
- Competence to conduct hosting capacity analyses and power quality assessments for grid-connected solar plants
- Capability to design protection schemes that accommodate distributed renewable generation without nuisance tripping
- Ability to review and negotiate power purchase pacts and network interconnection agreements effectively
- Skill to specify distribution automation equipment and SCADA interfaces for system modernisation
- Proficiency in supervising distribution expansion works according to multilateral development partner standards
- Preparedness to manage grid compliance and testing protocols for utility-scale solar installations
- Plan procurement that fits project needs and timelines
- Prepare clear specifications and evaluation criteria
Participants leave with a personal action plan and practical tools they can use in their institution from the first week back. Institutions that send several participants can use the programme to agree shared methods and templates across teams, which makes improvements easier to sustain.
£2,750 per participant · invoice and bank transfer · groups of 5 or more receive a discount
Five or more from one organisation: ask for the group rate on the invoice request.
Ten or more: an in-house version for your institution may cost less per person. Ask for an in-house quote.
Registration closes in 181 days (8 May 2027)
Institutional Application of Grid-Connected Solar and Distribution Network Modernisation in Dubai Training
This programme supports organisations in strengthening:
- Procurement planning and strategy
- Evaluation practice
- Contract management
- Complaint handling
- Procurement records and audit readiness
Participants return with practical tools to improve:
- Procurement plans and timelines
- Specifications and evaluation criteria
- Evaluation reports
- Contract monitoring
- Variation and claims management
The programme is built so that learning moves from the classroom into the institution. Participants work on their own processes and documents where possible, and leave with an action plan that their managers can review and support.
Regional Relevance & Application
Europe
European institutions apply procurement and contract management within detailed regulatory frameworks and reform agendas. Participants from Europe can compare their practice with colleagues from other regions and test how established methods work under different conditions.
Africa
Across Africa, ministries, agencies and project teams working in procurement and contract management increasingly operate alongside donor-financed programmes that expect clear systems and evidence. The programme helps participants adapt good practice to the institutions and resources they work with.
Middle East
In the Middle East, national development strategies and diversification plans place growing demands on procurement and contract management. Participants explore how to build the capability these plans need inside public bodies and companies.
Asia
Institutions across Asia combine rapid growth with ambitious modernisation programmes. Participants from Asia can share their experience of scaling systems quickly and learn from approaches used elsewhere.
Pacific
Small island and Pacific states face particular constraints of size, distance and capacity. The programme highlights practical, proportionate approaches to procurement and contract management that suit smaller institutions.
Holding the programme in Dubai, United Arab Emirates brings participants together away from their daily pressures, so they can compare how procurement and contract management is handled in different settings. The same programme can also be delivered in-house for one institution, in its own country or online, with cases taken from its current work.
Host Country Profile – United Arab Emirates
Programmes, Workshops, Exposures, Training Courses in Dubai, UAE by Risalat Consultants International
Studying away from their own country gives participants time to focus, a fresh view of their own institution and the chance to build a network with colleagues from other countries.
Grid-Connected Solar and Distribution Network Modernisation in Dubai Training Deliverables
Participants receive support before, during and after the programme, so that preparation, learning and follow-up form one continuous experience.
Before the Programme
- Participant Pre-Assessment
- Grid-Connected Solar and Distribution Network Modernisation in Dubai Readiness Assessment
- Grid-Connected Solar and Distribution Network Modernisation in Dubai Resource Pack
- Preparatory Reading Materials
- Complimentary Visa Support & Advisory
During the Programme
- Airport Pickup & Welcome Assistance
- Accommodation with Breakfast
- Welcome Networking Dinner
- Risalat Training Kit (Bag, Bottle, Mug, T-Shirt, Cap, Passport Cover, Pens, Notebook, Magnet & Keychain)
- Comprehensive Grid-Connected Solar and Distribution Network Modernisation in Dubai Training Manual
- Procurement Plan Template
- Bid Evaluation Scoring Sheet
- Contract Management Plan Template
- Variation and Claims Register
- Practical Workshops & Simulations
- Group Discussions & Peer Learning
- Daily Lunch and Refreshments
- Full Access to Training Venue Facilities
- Mini Pad / Tablet with Digital Learning Materials
- Field Visit (where applicable)
- Entertaining City Tour
After the Programme
- Certificate of Completion
- Risalat Programme Participation Recognition Award
- Post-Training Reference Materials
- Procurement Records Checklist
- Contract Performance Tracker
- Post-Training Support & Follow-Up Guidance
- Programme Report
Institutions can also request a tailored in-house version of this programme, delivered at their premises or online. Request a proposal.
Common Challenges in Grid-Connected Solar and Distribution Network Modernisation in Dubai, And How This Training Helps
How can institutions plan procurement that matches project needs and timelines?
The programme addresses this directly on the first day (Solar Photovoltaic Grid Integration and Network Capacity Assessment), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.
How can institutions prepare clear specifications and evaluation criteria?
The programme addresses this directly on the second day (Substation Interface, Network Protection, and Fault Ride-Through), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.
How can institutions evaluate bids consistently and defend the decision?
The programme addresses this directly on the third day (Distribution Modernisation, Automation, and Smart Grid Technologies), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.
How can institutions manage contracts, variations and performance?
The programme addresses this directly on the fourth day (Power Purchase Pacts, Interconnection Codes, and Regulatory Compliance), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.
How can institutions keep complete records for audit and review?
The programme addresses this directly on the fifth day (Project Execution, Donor Procurement, and Commissioning Management), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where does the Grid-Connected Solar and Distribution Network Modernisation in Dubai programme take place?
It runs from 7 Jun 2027 to 11 Jun 2027, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The registration deadline is shown at the top of this page.
Who should attend?
The programme is designed for electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) power engineers, utility-scale solar project managers and developers, rural electrification agency technical specialists, power system planning and grid integration engineers, and others who want practical skills in procurement and contract management.
Will I receive a certificate?
Yes. Participants who complete the programme receive a Certificate of Completion from Risalat Consultants International.
Can this programme be delivered for our institution only?
Yes. We can deliver a tailored in-house version at your premises, in another city or online, built around your own cases. Use the proposal request on this page.
Do I need prior experience in procurement and contract management?
No specialist background is required beyond experience in a related role. A short pre-assessment helps the facilitators adapt the sessions to the group.
Why Dubai for this programme
Dubai is a one-flight hub for Africa, Asia and Europe, with simple visas for many nationalities and modern training venues.
The Grid-Connected Solar and Distribution Network Modernisation in Dubai programme in June 2027 brings together officials and professionals from across the Middle East region and beyond. Sessions combine short inputs, case studies and group work on participants' own files, and the city's institutions can be added as a study visit on request.
Getting there: Dubai International (DXB).
Check whether you need a visa with the free Visa Checker, and ask for an invitation letter once you are registered.
The same topic in other cities
- Grid Extension and Solar Distribution Management in Dubai (Dubai)
- Rooftop Solar PV Integration for Public Buildings in Baku (Baku)
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Plan this programme in a roadmap: why it matters, why to approve it, the dates to plan and the career it builds.