24/04/2010
Asharqia Chamber issuing a working paper on the economics of solar energy in Saudi Arabia
Highlighting the most obstacles faced and finding the appropriate solutions
Most important recommendations such: Reactivating searches, establishment of solar radiation's information Bank,and building silicon factories
Eastern Chamber represented by the Researches and Studies Center has issued a working paper entitled: Solar Energy Economics in Kingdom which highlighted the most important initiatives launched by the Kingdom to benefit from solar energy, including the initiative of National production of water and electricity using solar energy launched by the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology.
The paper addresses some of the analysis with regard to the concept and uses of solar energy, and basic economic indicators of solar energy worldwide, and the reality of solar energy in the Arab countries, and its importance to the kingdom, as well the foundations of deployment.
The paper has covered several factors which stresses the importance of utilization of solar energy in the Kingdom, including the increased consumption of electricity annual growth rate of 5 percent and the importance to reduce anthropogenic carbon and increasing the export capacity of oil, so instead of oil consumption in factories which could be sold with international prices with huge cost savings , It also explained the possibility of turning the kingdom through solar energy technologies to an energy source, with such interest in this project , an increase of production is expected as well as the export the surplus.
The estimated solar energy of the Kingdom with a great energy volume generated from oil which is currently available. There is also a commitment of many countries in the world, including Saudi Arabia to reduce the negative effects of energy production and therefore the expansion of plantations for the production of solar energy in Saudi Arabia will work to reduce pollutant emissions that cause global warming and climate change.
With regard to the constraints facing the growth of solar energy in Kingdom, the paper have explained the most important constraints such oil availability and the low costs compared to the generation of solar energy and the impact of sand, which can lead to a reduction of solar energy at a rate of 10-20 percent and the lack of adequate support programs for solar energy such as support submitted to the oil and electricity sector.
The working paper has submitted several proposals to work on the use of solar energy in the Kingdom as the material support and stimulating the movement of research in the field of solar energy, and to create an info. bank for solar radiation, and activate the ways of scientific exchange and recommendations among the Arab countries ,also promoting the cooperation with developed countries in this area and benefit from their experiences and work on technology transfer for renewable energy, and building factories for the production of materials, equipment and devices needed to produce this energy as building silicon factories to produce solar mirrors reflecting photovoltaic cells, and to impose laws and legislation to reward producers of clean energy such the solar one so that taxes will be reduced on producers, given the exceptional advantages and incentives.
