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February 2015 - issue 1502
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Feature article: CPV's Golden Opportunity in the MENA Region
No solar technology can claim to offer what concentrated photovoltaics (CPV) does, be it the superlative efficiencies in high-DNI regions, or zero-water usage in passively cooled systems.
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ArzonSolar CPV installation
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Just like concentrated solar power, CPV works best in regions with high Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI), especially with values above 2,000 kWh/m2. And just like standard flat-plate photovoltaics, CPV has the benefit of modularity, thus can be designed to meet any electrical requirement.
"CPV is the most appropriate technology offering for the MENA region due in part to very high efficiency and excellent performance at high temperatures, ease of installation, and high potential for local manufacturing," says Vahan Garboushian, CEO at Arzon Solar, and former CEO of Amonix.
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SOLAR GCC ALLIANCE NEWS
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Publisher's Note:
The next wave of solar development in the MENA region is no longer a question of "if," but "when and where?"
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While the solar industry emerged from this year's World Future Energy Summit (WFES) with a general feeling of optimism, the market in the MENA region remains complex and unclear in many ways.
Big pre-show headlines like DEWA's rooftop project and 200 MW solar tender created a positive buzz, despite intense debate over the true impact of ACWA Power's ambitiously low LCOE bid of roughly US$0.06/kWh. At the same time new uncertainties have been introduced by the death of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, the dissolution of the council behind K.A. CARE, and news that the Kingdom's ambitious targets for solar energy have been pushed back to 2040. More in-depth insights about WFES and the current state of affairs throughout the region appear in the stories below.
We see the diminishing of K.A. CARE as a positive step for Saudi Arabia, one that leaves other organizations free to take a greater role in defining the future of the Kingdom's renewable energy development. Whether that future will get underway in the first half of 2015 or take many more years to develop remains to be seen. In our opinion, the pace of technological change in the industry is so rapid that what happens in the next 2-5 years seems likely to be more significant than any longer-term target.
The bigger picture is that the energy sector, both worldwide and in the MENA, is rapidly moving away from a world where oil is the dominant factor. Energy deflation is on the rise in nearly every sector, particularly in solar.
While there's no turning back, it's clear that each country in the region will proceed at its own pace. We're encouraged by continuing growth in the private sector, which continues to look for markets throughout the MENA. If utility-scale opportunities are not immediately forthcoming in Saudi Arabia, their efforts will be diverted to countries like Jordan and Egypt, where higher energy costs are driving faster adoption of renewables.
At present we're taking a "wait and see" approach to the future. Many positive things are happening throughout the region, it's just a question of what the next step will be, and how soon.
Browning Rockwell
Executive Director, Solar GCC Alliance
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Solar GCC Alliance Jobs Portal
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Solar Careers in the MENA/GCC Region portal
The Solar GCC Alliance Jobs Portal is your source for opportunities in the GCC's growing solar industry. Click below to find jobs or qualified candidates.
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Solar GCC Alliance Partner News
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The Solar GCC Alliance has formed an Egyptian affiliate, to be known as the Egypt Solar Industry Association (Egypt-SIA). This organization will seek to create new solar energy business and employment opportunities in Egypt and enable collaboration opportunities throughout the GCC region.
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Solar Trade Leads and Tenders Bulletin Board
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Upcoming Events
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Topics: Saudi Solar Update, Solar Diesel Hybrid Solutions for Self Consumption Energy Production ,Solar Grid Connection Issues, Solar Banking
March 2-4, 2015
Visit Solar GCC Alliance & SASIA
Stand # MF15
May 6, 2015
1st Egypt-SIA Solar Conference
New Cairo, Egypt
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REGIONAL & GLOBAL SOLAR NEWS
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Global - MENA - GCC countries:
IEA report examines ways to lower PV cost barriers in emerging regions.
The Innovative Business Models and Financing Mechanisms for PV Deployment in Emerging Regions assesses the pros and cons of six different types of funding methods.
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The International Energy Agency (IEA) has published a report that examines best practice when financing solar PV deployment in regions where interest in the technology is emerging.
The report, Innovative Business Models and Financing Mechanisms for PV Deployment in Emerging Regions, focuses on six case studies that each take a different approach to delivering affordable PV to areas that may typically struggle to overcome the initial problem of high upfront costs.
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KA-Care needs a fresh start
Disbanding the supreme council for atomic and renewable energy was not a surprise
The disbanding of the Supreme Council of the King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KA-Care) as part of the new king's first government reshuffle should not come as a surprise.
Established under Royal Decree by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud in 2010 to much fanfare, the body set out ambitious plans to develop the region's largest nuclear and renewable programmes over a 20-year period. Despite much initial enthusiasm, almost five years after its creation, the body has failed to even begin the procurement or tendering of any projects.
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 Costs still weaken case for small-scale solar plants in Dubai
Costs remain a hurdle for the application of solar energy on a small-scale in Dubai, even after the government issued a new framework allowing customers to install their own solar power generation systems, experts said.
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Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) at the end of last month announced standards for installing photovoltaic (PV) panels that allow customers to produce their own electricity, then feed any excess into the grid in exchange for credit towards their utility bills.
Saeed Al Tayer, the chief executive of Dewa, said that manufacturers of solar power equipment should begin registering their products with the authority "as soon as possible".
While Dubai has made headlines with the world's cheapest utility scale solar PV tariffs, smaller scale applications remain unfeasible, according to Cornelius Matthes, the managing director of the Mena region for Building Energy, a US clean energy firm.
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Jordan is rather belatedly undergoing a solar PV spring. The emerging question is whether this will last, and summer will burst into life, or whether the current momentum will soon subside, giving way to other forms of energy. There are signs indicating both.
Jordan's photovoltaics sector has been making headlines in the recent months announcing a series of impressive projects that are bringing the Middle Eastern country to the forefront of the region's solar development
On top of this most recent activity, there is a range of previous projects that are the result of the first round of renewable energy auctions held by the Jordanian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, which in total has approved 12 PV projects of various sizes and of 200 MW cumulative installed capacity (the so-called round one or stage one auction has also approved two wind projects). All 12 photovoltaic projects will sign a 20 year power purchase agreement (PPA) with the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO), Jordan's publicly owned power transmission company, at a price negotiated for each project separately.
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Why solar power is spreading so fast in Africa
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Mains electricity is scarce and unreliable in Africa, but a solar revolution is afoot
Why solar power is spreading in Africa?
Watch the Video
Debunking 8 Myths about Solar in Africa
Hilton Sandton in Johannesburg (South Africa)
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The plane is able to fly by day and at night will land in 12 locations across the world and travel 35,000 kilometres in the first attempt to fly around the globe.
Si2 will take-off from Abu Dhabi in late February or early March and return by late July or early August 2015. The route includes stops in Muscat, Ahmedabad and Varanasi in India, Mandalay in Myanmar, and Chongqing and Nanjing in China.
After crossing the Pacific Ocean via Hawaii, Si2 will fly across continental US stopping at three locations - Phoenix and New York City at John F Kennedy Airport.
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Power grid gains 1,000 MW before summer
Regarding the use of solar energy to produce electric power, the ministry of Electricity and Water's undersecretary Iyad Al-Falah said in a similar press statement that since the success of the experiment as of last May with setting up solar panels on the roofs of some government buildings, the ministry he works for is studying the feasibility of installing solar panels on its water reservoirs in twenty locations around the country. It is estimated that these panels will produce about 300 megawatts of electric power, he said
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CONFERENCES & EXHIBITIONS
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Featured Event - Solar Middle East - March 2-4, 2015 Dubai, UAE
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March 3, 2015 (Tuesday)
Solar Middle East Conference
Agenda - Click here
Host to 18 leaders driving the region's solar revolution, MEE's 3rd annual Solar Middle East Conference is a must-attend event for anyone banking on the Middle East's most promising alternative energy source. Rooftop programs, reverse auctions, investor platforms, and country-specific requirements will be covered, as well as new uses for solar power.
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www.solargcc.com
Published by - Solar GCC Alliance
P.O. Box 16111 , RAK, U.A.E.
Email: info@solargcc.com
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