Renewable Energy Sources in Saudi Arabia

This assignment delves into the potential of renewable energy sources in Saudi Arabia. It examines various types of renewable energy, such as solar, wind, and concentrated solar power, highlighting their suitability for the country's environment and energy needs. The analysis includes economic aspects, technological advancements, and policy initiatives related to renewable energy adoption in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, it discusses the challenges and opportunities associated with integrating renewable energy into the existing energy mix.

Running head: ENERGY ENGINEERING
Energy Engineering
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Table of Contents
1. Introduction......................................................................................................................2
2. Experiences of Successful countries................................................................................4
3. Selecting an appropriate process-500..............................................................................6
3.1. The Photovoltaic Process..........................................................................................6
3.2. The CSP Process.......................................................................................................7
3.3. The Chosen process for Saudi Arabia......................................................................9
4. Installing process...........................................................................................................10
5. Economic area...............................................................................................................11
6. Environmental issues.....................................................................................................13
7. Efficiency of solar system.............................................................................................14
7.1. Pros.........................................................................................................................15
7.2. Cons........................................................................................................................15
8. Saudi Arabia has a lot of sun - and there are the oil interests - do they want that?.......16
9. Conclusion.....................................................................................................................17
10. References....................................................................................................................18

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1. Introduction
The solar energy is a radiant energy that is obtained from the vibrating particles that
radiates from the Sun. The nuclear fusion reactions occurring in the Sun emits a lot of heat
energy. Therefore, Sun is a rich source of energy, which can be utilized to solve various power
problems in earth. Solar energy comes under renewable energy resource unlike the carbon
producing fuel resources and therefore it can provide continuous energy supply without being
depleted. Studies proves that if all the sunlight that reaches the earth surface is captured for an
hour, the energy collected is enough for supplying the world with energy for an entire year. This
is because, a simple three foot by three foot patch located on a sunny area of the earth’s surface
receives on an average, 2,000 kilowatt hours of solar energy in a year (Fahrenbruch & Bube,
2012). Another primary advantage of making use of solar energy is that, it does not produce
green house gases that harm the atmosphere. The increasing use of fossil fuel is a major reason
for global climate change. Use of fossil fuels emits carbon dioxide and other green house gasses
that trap heat in the earth’s atmosphere, thus increasing the temperature of the earth. Therefore,
the use of solar energy may not only benefit a large-scale organization by saving a huge amount
of monetary investment in fossil fuel, but also reduce pollution of the environment. This implies
that solar energy has the ability to reduce the environmental impact and contribute to the energy
independence (Pelizzetti & Schiavello, 2012).
Solar energy is widely used nowadays to generate heat and produce energy. According to
the reports of International Energy Agency or IEA, by the end of 2050, solar energy would be
used for supplying around 45% of the energy all over the world. Moreover, the use of solar
energy is getting remarkable popularity in the industrial applications over the world. It is mostly
used in food, non-metallic, textile, chemical, building and business related industries.

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Furthermore, the use of solar energy is prominent in telecommunication, water desalination, and
agricultural purposes in operating pumps, engines, fans, and refrigerator and so on. Use of solar
energy may further help in increasing the energy stability and energy sustainability, thus
enhancing the efficiency of the system. This report aims at studying the use of solar energy in
different sectors of Saudi Arabia. The experiences of the successful solar energy implementation
are discussed in this report (Redweik, Catita & Brito, 2013). The study evaluates the economic
advantages that Saudi Arabia might gain in implementing this project. The efficiency of the solar
system is further evaluated in this report. The possibility of implementation of solar energy be
successful in Saudi Arabia is high as it has an advantage of its climate. Saudi Arabia can embark
on the project of using solar energy for industrial purposes as he average energy Saudi Arabia
receives from the sunlight is almost 2200 kWh/m2. Therefore, possibility of generating clean energy
in the country via a direct sunlight, trapped through PV cells is very high. Researches prove that, the
application and use of solar energy power is growing since 1960.
Furthermore, in order to meet the rising electricity demand of Saudi Arabia, the need for
expanding power generation also increases. Conventional energy uses is a major cause of environmental
pollution and have a negative impact on human health. Therefore, it is intellectual to have an alternative
method of power generation that would provide a support to the existing conventional generational during
the peak hours. One of the major advantages of Saudi Arabia in embarking on solar energy projects is
that, the country is geographically suitable (Kalogirou, 2013). This is because it is located in the Sun Belt.
If successfully implemented, solar energy can act as a serious competitor for the conventional power
generation. Thus processing of Sunlight through photovoltaic cell is an important method of generation of
clean energy. The increasing growth of population in Saudi Arabia results in the rising electricity demand.
With the implementation of solar power energy, the total power demand from the conventional power
sources in Saudi Arabia may be reduced to a considerable extent during peak periods (Connolly, 2012).

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2. Experiences of Successful countries
Many countries have been using solar power energy in order to meet the increasing
energy demands. On April 30 this year, Germany has established a new national record in use of
renewable energy resources. More than 85% of the energy consumed in the country has been
produces from the renewable energy resources especially solar energy along with the energy
from wind, biomass and hydroelectric power. Solar panels lines the residential rooftops of
Germany (Winter, Szmann & Vant-Hull, 2012). The cost of implementation of this solar power
generation has been significantly high. However, the success rate of implementation of solar
energy generation has been noteworthy. The core process of Germany’s solar PV program is
associated with a set of FITs for installation of solar PV of various sizes. It guarantees fixed
electricity compensation and the program requires involvement of transmission system operators
to purchase all the power obtained from the PV systems (Zhang et al., 2013). The program has
undergone a number of reforms over the years in response to the unexpected growth in
installation above expectations. The recent reports suggest that the solar energy resources
represent almost 50% of the peak energy demand in Germany. The increasing use of renewable
energy resource has helped in putting down the prices of the existing fossil fuel generator. The
lesson learnt with the successful experiences in solar power generation in Germany is that the
impact on trade-exposed heavy usage of electricity can certainly be mitigated by using nature
and renewable energy resources (Aanesen, Heck & Pinner, 2012). The use of solar energy
resources have helped Germany in becoming Europe’s strongest buoyed by an excellent
renewable industry. Germany was one of the first countries that have developed and
implemented renewable power generation. The use of solar energy as the primary energy
resource in Germany has helped the country is reducing the emission of green house gas as well

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as dust emission. Furthermore, it decreases the import of fossil fuel in Germany. The overall
investment on renewable energy in 2012 was Euro 19.5 billion, while the savings were over
Euro 10 billion (Prasad & Snow 2014).
Another example of successful implementation of solar power energy is China. It is the
world’s biggest investor of clean energy resources. China has implemented distributed solar
power projects in buildings, malls and schools. The electricity output from the photovoltaic
plants is almost 80% (Zhao et al., 2013).
Japan is another country that shows a leading growth in the use of solar power resources.
The boom in the solar power is accelerating dramatically in the country. Japan is forecasted to
have eight Gigawatts of solar installation by the end of 2017. With the advent of solar power and
electricity generation using solar power, a series of reform has been laid on the nation’s
electricity system (Singh, 2013).
The Montaldo di Castro solar power plant in Italy is the largest generating photovoltaic
plant in the world and is a great source of energy. The benefits obtained from the energy plant
include energy independence for the entire community and stimulation of the local economy.
Furthermore, it saves the carbon emission of the country by 70000 tons/year. The Italian
subsidiary has implemented more than 110 national photovoltaic projects that strengthen their
marketing position in renewable energy sector.
United States have successfully implemented the idea of generation of electricity using
solar energy. Solar power has become more affordable in the United States as the electricity
obtained from the solar power plants is enough to power 5.7 million houses in America. The
success of solar power implementation has resulted in decrease of the cost of solar panels by

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50%, while the cost of solar electric system has dropped by 50%. Furthermore, the market of
solar energy is gradually gaining popularity across the country. Another major advantage of
setting up solar plants is that, it increases the job opportunities. Research data proves that, there
were a growth of about 123% in solar jobs since November 2010, with the number of solar
workers in United States being as high as 209,000. Deployment of the solar energy has helped
the country in supporting broader priorities, which includes national security, economic growth,
climate change mitigation and job creation. The major benefit of PV is that, it can be installed
even on the rooftops and therefore there is a very little impact on land usage.
Even France has been successful in implementation of solar power plant to generate
electricity by eco-friendly methods. It has also opened world’s first solar panel road in village
Normandy. The energy capacity of the solar power in France is increasing at a rapid pace.
Apart from these mentioned countries, other countries such as Spain, Australia, Belgium
and South Korea have been successful in implementation of solar power plants. This has reduced
the use of non-renewable energy resources in the country, which reduces pollution.
3. Selecting an appropriate process-500
Saudi Arabia can deploy both Photovoltaic and concentrated solar power in order to
harvest the highest normal irradiation DNI to produce energy from a renewable, clean and
sustainable resource (Luna-Rubio et al., 2012).
3.1. The Photovoltaic Process
Photovoltaic power is responsible for converting the solar energy to electrical energy
using the cells that are generally made from the crystalline silicon. A photovoltaic model is a

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module containing photovoltaic cells made of silicon layers (Madaeni, Sioshansi & Denholm,
2013). These cells are termed as bricks. The photons of sunlight on hitting the surface of these
cell, transmits their energy to the electrons present in the cell. This instigates the movement of
the electrons that creates a direct current. This DC is later converted into AC by a convertor. The
photovoltaic energy is capable to be harnessed both in industrial level and by individual
homeowners as well.
3.2. The CSP Process
CSP or concentrating solar power Technology makes use of mirrors to focus the sunlight
and convert it into high temperature heat. The heat thus generated is channeled through a
conventional generator. This type of solar plant mainly consists of two parts, one for collecting
and converting the solar energy to heat energy and other for converting the heat energy to
electricity (Kuravi et al., 2013). The CSP technology mainly requires large area for collection of
solar radiation in order to produce the energy at a commercial scale. This technology makes use
of three alternative approaches, which includes trough systems, power tower systems and engine
system.
Trough systems use large and U shaped reflectors with oil-filled pipes running along the
center or the focal point. The reflector is tilted towards the sun. The focused sunlight heats the oil
in inside the pipes, which in turn is used for boiling the water to run the convectional stream
turbines and generators (Lovegrove & Stein, 2012).

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Figure 1: Representing the Trough System
(Source: Romero & Steinfeld, 2012)
Power tower system, which is called central receivers, uses large, flat heliostats to track
the sun and focus its rays into the receiver. The receiver is placed at the top of a tall tower and
the focused sunlight is used to heat molten salt. The steam thus generated can be used for
electricity generation or can be stored for later use (Ho & Iverson, 2014).
Figure 2: Representing the Power tower system
(Source: Shabgard et al., 2012 )

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Dish engines on the other hand use mirrored dishes to focus the sunlight into the receiver.
The receiver is generally mounted at the focal point of the dish. The receiver is connected to a
high-efficiency combustion engine. The engine consists of thin tubes containing hydrogen or
helium gas. On receiving sunlight, the gas tubes are heated to a very high temperature (Zhang et
al., 2013). The rise in temperature results in expansion of the gas inside the cylinder, which in
turn is used to drive the electric generator for generation of electricity.
Figure 3: Representing the Dish Engine system
(Source: Zhang et al., 2013 )
3.3. The Chosen process for Saudi Arabia
After evaluation of both the processes of solar power generation, it is recommended for
Saudi Arabia to undertake Photovoltaic process. This is because this process is more feasible and
can be implemented more easily. Furthermore, the implementation of CSP technology requires a
large area for setting up the different systems. On contrary, the PV cells can be set up more
easily and on rooftops of buildings as well. It does not need a large area for implementation of

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the system. The CSP method can be implemented only for commercial or industrial purpose. The
photovoltaic cells on the other hand can be used both for commercial and household purposes.
Another advantage of the PV power system is that, it converts sunlight into electricity directly. It
is very easy to install and even a residential power system lets a homemaker to generate all the
electrical energy demand (Prasad & Snow, 2014). However, CSP technology can also be used
for generation of electricity of a commercial scale. The climate of Saudi Arabia is favorable for
setting up of a solar power plant as the country has ambient temperature and receives long
exposure to sunlight.
4. Installing process
Installation of Photovoltaic cell includes a number of phases. The different phases of
installing PV system is elaborated below-
1. Evaluation of a proper building site for solar potential – This is the major stage of
installation of solar PV. The installation site should be free from shading and nearby tress,
building or any other form of obstruction. The property, land or the roof thus selected should be
enough to accommodate the solar array. In case of mounting the system on the roof, the
condition of the roof is needed to be evaluated. The major advantage of PV module is that, it is
flexible to be mounted anywhere, be it a pole, wall or ground. However, the photovoltaic arrays
are adversely affected by shading. Therefore, the location of installation needs to be unobstructed
and should have a direct access to sunlight from about 9 am to 3 pm throughout the year.
Shading from a single branch of a tree can reduce the power output of the solar module to a
considerable amount. Any type of hindrance from vents, skylights and gables should be avoided
as it reduces the solar power output to a considerable amount.

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2. The orientation of the PV modules should be accurate. The PV modules are generally
oriented towards the south. However, solar modules produce 95 percent of the full power within
20 degrees of the Sun’s direction. An optimum tilt in the PV array is further essential for getting
optimum result (Espinosa et al., 2012).
3. Common grid-connected PV configurations and components are needed to be
evaluated. The basic component of grid-connected PV system includes solar photovoltaic
modules, array-mounting racks, grounding equipment, combiner box, surge protection, inverter,
meters and disconnects.
The location in Saudi Arabia that can be efficiently used for this project is Riyadh. A
solar plant can be set up in Riyadh as it receives adequate amount of sunlight. It is assumed that
the PV modules will be tilted towards the south. It is further essential to determine the system
cost before implementation of the project (Hernandez et al., 2014).
5. Economic area
The solar power project is estimated to include an investment of nearly $50 billion. This
project is intended to source electricity of 10GW by the year 2023. The country is aiming to
generate 30 percent of the energy requirement of the country. This project would definitely
reduce the use of conventional energy resources thus resulting in the economic boom of the
country. The project is intended to increase the number of jobs in the country. Therefore, it can
certainly be said that using solar energy in Saudi Arabia will have a positive effect in the
economy of the country (Almasoud & Gandayh, 2015). The power that is generally deciphered
from the solar project under consideration is approximately 1.5 MWh per day. Therefore, the
payback period of the project can be obtained in no time. Furthermore, the cost of

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implementation of solar energy has declined over the years. Researches prove that the cost of
power generation is much less than fossil fuels, considering the hidden costs of fossil fuel, that
includes environmental and public health cost (Rahman, Rehman & Abdul-Majeed, 2012).
The solar energy economics are higher in the region that is exposed to high solar
radiations. Riyadh in Saudi Arabia receives adequate amount of solar energy. However, the
implementation process of the solar energy resources does not include indirect costs that are
defined by impacts on health and environment (Alshehry & Belloumi, 2015). The indirect costs
associated with convention power generation in Saudi Arabia is elaborated in the following
table-
External damage Damage cost (SR/kWh)
CO2 0.036
SO2 0.027
NO2 0.088
Health 0.0178
Total indirect costs = 0.1688 SR/kWh
Therefore, it can be said that using solar power energy in Saudi Arabia will work in favor
of the country. The geographical location of Saudi Arabia is appropriate for implementation of
solar power plants as it is located in the Sun Belt. Therefore, a little investment in development
and implementation of the solar plants can act as an economic boom in future (Khatib, Mohamed
& Sopian, 2012).

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6. Environmental issues
Pollution free air is necessary for preserving the normal health of the people; therefore,
air pollution is a threat to normal human health. The industry that works with conventional
power generation is one of the major contributors in production of harmful gases that pollutes the
environment. The process of low quality fuel generation that is prevalent in Saudi Arabia emits a
number of pollutants that act as major cause of public health issue. The conventional power
plants are responsible for emitting green house gases that contributes to the global warming.
According to the Gulf Cooperation Council, Saudi Arabia ranks 14 in the worlds as a contributor
of Co2 emission. The level of carbon dioxide emission will increase more in future due to the
continuous use of conventional fossil fuels. Therefore, it can be deduced that, power plants play
a major role in reducing the amount of emission of harmful gases. With the advent of solar
power plants and different solar projects in Saudi Arabia, apart from the economic boom, the
amount of pollution will decrease by a considerable amount.
Although solar energy use can decrease the pollution caused by emission of harmful
gases in the environment, it has certain environmental impacts as well. Solar energy can
definitely act as a huge resource for generation of clean and sustainable electricity without any
harmful pollution; it may have a significant effect in land, habitat and water use. The land use
can be greatly hampered by the solar power plants. The location and size of the PV systems can
raise the concerns of land degradation and habitat loss. This is because the solar energy plants
generally have less opportunity to share the land for agricultural uses unlike wind power plants.
However, this impact on the land usage can be reduced by installing the PV systems on roof tops
and other such areas.

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Although the Solar PV cells do not need water for generation of electricity, the
manufacturing of the PV cells does require a large amount of water. Furthermore, the solar plants
that are using CSP technology requires a large amount of water for cooling. Therefore, the
locations experiences driest climate in Saudi Arabia cannot be considered for developing a solar
power plant.
The solar energy production is associated with production of hazardous materials as well.
This is because the manufacturing process of PV cells includes a large number of hazardous
materials that are mainly used to clean and purify the surface of the semi conductors.
Therefore, although there is no risk of emission of green house gases in production of
electricity from the solar energy, there are emissions associated with the manufacturing,
installations, maintenance and other stages of the solar life cycle.
7. Efficiency of solar system
The solar plants and the solar panels if properly implemented in Saudi Arabia can
convert around 15% of the Sun’s energy into electricity. Use of technologically advanced
photovoltaic panels has the ability to convert around 40% of the solar energy to electricity.
Harnessing the power of the sun for electricity is one of the best options of seeking a cleaner
energy resources and it has the ability to reduce the energy expenses of the country. With the
huge increase in population and increase in energy demands, the need for using the solar energy
resources is high as well (Mokheimer et al., 2013). The implementation of solar power system
will not only help the country in meeting the increasing energy demands, but will also help the
country in reducing the use of conventional fossil fuels. The efficiency of solar panels thus
installed is a measurement of the energy output within a given surface area.

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The pros and cons of implementing solar power generation plants in Saudi Arabia are
elaborated in the following paragraphs (Shaahid, Al-Hadhrami & Rahman, 2014)-
7.1. Pros
The major advantages of implementation of solar power plant are listed below-
1. The solar energy is a renewable source and therefore it can be harnessed in almost all
the places in Saudi Arabia. Solar energy can be harnessed everyday without any interruption and
is accessible as long as the sun and sunlight is there. Therefore, it is definitely a rich source of
energy if implemented properly.
2. The increasing energy needs and demands for the energy in Saudi Arabia can be met
with the use of solar power systems. Generation of electricity by converting the solar energy to
electrical energy can help in reducing the amount of money spent of leveraging electricity
obtained from convectional energy resources. If the implementation of the solar power plants is
successful, Saudi Arabia can certainly export the electricity (Tyagi et al., 2013).
3. It is eco friendly and has lesser negative impact on the environment. It is good
alternative to the fossil fuel, as it does not release harmful gases. Hence, there is a lesser risk of
environmental damage.
7.2. Cons
The cons of the solar power system that is to be implemented in Saudi Arabia are listed
below-

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1. The major con of solar power system is that, it is not 100% reliable, as it largely
depends on sunlight. The generation of the power is affected in the night. Therefore, solar panels
are generally useless during the night unlike other energy resources.
2. The initial cost of set up of a solar power plant is very high and therefore the payback
period is long as well.
3. The efficiency of solar energy is generally low, depending on the quality of the PV
cells. The efficiency of the solar energy is low in comparison to the space it occupies.
4. The materials that are used in development of solar panels can cause pollution in the
environment. Furthermore, the possibility for recycling the PV panels is very low.
5. Sun cannot be considered as the only power for county’s economy. Further research
and readings are necessary for considering the solar energy as the major energy source.
6. It needs a very large amount of space for installation that reduces the land usage.
8. Saudi Arabia has a lot of sun - and there are the oil interests - do they want that?
Saudi Arabia has oil interest but is with the increase use and mining of the fossil fuel, the
non-renewable resource is sure to deplete. The country understands that a large amount of fossil
fuel will have to stay underground in order to avoid the catastrophic global warming. Therefore,
it is a better idea to use the rich solar resources of the country in production of electricity.
However, Saudi Arabia is not completely ready to cut their oil production; this is because it is a
rich source of economic growth (Nako & Nuno, 2013). However, with the increase in population
and increase in oil prices and demands, Saudi Arabia is embarking on establishing the solar
energy resource as a secondary resource of electricity production. Therefore, it can be said that

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the country definitely wants to or have to consider the solar energy resource for production of
electricity in order to meet the huge demand of energy that are persisting in the country.
9. Conclusion
Therefore, from the above discussion it can be concluded that using solar energy
resources in Saudi Arabia can offer a huge economic boom for the country. Solar energy is a rich
source of energy and considering the geographical location and climatic condition of Saudi
Arabia, it can be said that implementation of solar energy plants would be successful in the
country. The report gives an insight of the possible process and methods of installation of
photovoltaic cell in Saudi Arabia. It further discusses the economic aspect and the environmental
issues associated with the implementation of solar power system in Saudi Arabia. The efficiency
of the system is highlighted in the report, and the advantages and the disadvantages of its
implementation in Saudi Arabia is reviewed as well.

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