Summit in Paris, Saudi Arabia's future may be in the sky according to Ali Hakim's in his article titled "Saudi Arabia and the  Quest for Solar Power". This stands in sharp contrast to the recent E&Y RECIA Index (Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index) that ranks Saudi Arabia no. 38 out of 40. Our feature article "Why Saudis are going solar ?" from The Atlantic magazine offers insights from Prince Turki bin Saud bin Mohammad Al Saud, a member of the Royal Family about how he is "pushing solar hard" in Saudi Arabia. Perhaps we are seeing real solar "green shoots" and the emergence of Saudi national solar leadership that has been missing. 

Energy storage dominated the recent Intersolar Europe exhibition with a five fold increase in exhibitors displaying advancements in battery systems, applications and innovations. 

Energy storage is creating new revenue streams through the new services it is providing to both electricity generators and consumers. As such, EY has identified three business models  it says can address the issues of technology, energy security, energy savings and revenue generation: (i) generation support, (ii) grid support; and (iii) consumer support. 

Florian Mayr from Apricum writes in his recent article "that reducing the reliance on costly diesel-based power generation is high on the list of priorities for off-grid operators around the world. PV-hybrid systems alone can only go so far in meeting this need." The addition of storage can significantly alter this picture by increasing fuel savings and offsetting additional investment. However, important criteria such as the load profile must be carefully assessed to determine whether storage makes sense. Abid Kazim from NextEnergy Capital states in this months EES magazine that " the emergence of solar is about the small not the large; about local solutions to maximise investment utility and not about a macro investment in grid. "

Finally, we feature the 50 solar array changing technologies that will be featured at the upcoming Intersolar North America starting on July 9th in San Francisco. Cormac Gilligan from IHS examines pv magazine's 50 array-changing technologies selection and finds that while innovation in mounting technologies remains slow-paced, the signs are positive that change is coming.

GTM Research new Global PV Demand Outlook 2015-2020" predicts that the cumulative global PV market will triple by 2020, reach 700 GW. The report also finds that solar demand will likely be almost entirely market-based in 2020; a dramatic shift from 2012 when almost all demand was premised on direct incentives. BNEF modeling see photovoltaics generating about 14% of global electricity supply by 2040. That is in a scenario that is basically not assuming any incentives for solar beyond 2020.
 

I am optimistic that the Mena region will see its share of solar energy development that will  attract funding of around US$3.7 trillion of over the next 25 years, worldwide becoming the largest energy segment in terms of new investment. However, I hope that the focus within Saudi Arabia and the Mena region will shift from long-term goals to short term implementable strategy. We have to think about this in 3-5 year frameworks not 30-year frameworks.