SolarQuarter Middle East: Mar-Apr Issue 2022 by SolarQuarter

‫ المشاركة‬، ‫ الثاقبة‬، ‫التمكين‬

Empowering, Insightful, Engaging

Middle East W W W . S O L A R Q U A R T E R . C O M

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CONTENT PUBLISHING Firstview Media Ventures Pvt. Ltd.

EDITING

NEWS

MIDDLE EAST NEWS

IN CONVERSATION

Ashwini Chikkodi

STEPHEN MOLDEN

Nikita Salkar

Head of On-Grid Business, SirajPower

editorial@firstviewgroup.com

Head of Operations, Sun In Motion

IN CONVERSATION

SAIF BDEIR

CONTENT

Managing Director, HAALA Energy

Sadhana Raju Shenvekar

FEATURED INSIGHTS

Anand Kumar publishing@firstviewgroup.com

DESIGNING Neha Barangali

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS: TRINA SOLAR’S 25 YEAR LEGACY CONTINUES!

ECOPPIA AT INTERSOLAR MUNICH 2022

design@firstviewgroup.com

ADVERTISING Smriti Charan Andrew Ferreira advertise@firstviewgroup.com

CIRCULATION Sadhana Raju Shenvekar

SUBCRIPTION subscribe@firstviewgroup.com

ADVERTISE WITH US Contact: Smriti Charan e: smriti@firstviewgroup.com

PROJECT FEATURES

LONGI TO SUPPLY HI-MO 5 MODULES TO RED SEA PROJECT

FEATURED INSIGHTS

YOU ARE PROBABLY DESIGNING YOUR SOLAR SITE WRONG, AND THIS IS WHY

COMPANY FEATURE

LONGI'S MODULE AND WAFER PRODUCTION SEES RAPID GROWTH, AND SHIPMENTS REMAIN THE NO. 1 WORLDWIDE

OPINION

ROOFTOP MARKET SEGMENT STATUS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

OPINION

LCOE, O&M, AND THE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENT

MIDDLE EAST NEWS DETAIL >

BUZZ >

MAERSK INAUGURATES ITS FIRST INTEGRATED LOGISTICS CENTRE WITH ROOFTOP SOLAR IN DUBAI M aersk Kanoo UAE, an integrator

of container logistics, inaugurated its first Integrated Logistics Centre with rooftop solar panels in Dubai, UAE, at DP World’s leading trade and logistics hub, Jafza. Maersk has a strong commitment to decarbonizing logistics and services. The facility will get solar panels on its rooftop to cater to all the entire electricity requirements for facility operations. The 434 MWh/year of clean energy production of this installation will reduce more than 1,700 tonnes of carbon emissions over 10 years; an equivalent decarbonization feat achieved by planting over 70,000 trees seedlings over 10 years.

AMEA POWER AND SPIC HHDC SIGNS MOU TO DEVELOP RE PROJECTS IN MENA REGION A MEA Power and SPIC Huanghe Hydropower

Development Company (HHDC) sign an MoU to develop solar, green hydrogen, and wind projects in the MENA region. AMEA Power is a fast-growing developer, owner, and operator of renewable and thermal power projects across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The company is creating innovative and tailored solutions aimed at meeting the growing needs of the markets it serves. “We are delighted to sign the MoU with AMEA Power to cooperate on the development of clean energy and green hydrogen projects in the MENA region. HHDC is a clean energy enterprise committed to strengthening green international cooperation and promoting global low-carbon transition, with a total installed capacity of about 27.3GW, and renewable energy accounts for about 90 percent. We look forward to a close collaboration with AMEA Power on initiatives to boost the development of renewable energy and green hydrogen production in the MENA region,” said Yu Miao, deputy general Manager of HHDC.

INDUSTRY >

MASDAR STRENGTHENS SUPPORT FOR GLOBAL CLIMATE ACTION WITH SIGNIFICANT BOOST IN CLEAN ENERGY CAPACITY Masdar, one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies, is continuing to

strengthen its support for global climate action, with the capacity of its clean energy project portfolio rising 40 percent in 2021. The electricity generation capacity of all projects Masdar has invested in – either installed or under development increased from 10.7 gigawatts (GW) to over 15 GW in 2021, according to the company’s 2021 Annual Sustainability Report. Masdar’s operating clean energy portfolio displaced almost 7.5 million tonnes of CO2 last year, a 38 percent rise in 2020. The City also unveiled a number of research projects including the world’s first solar/thermal energy storage-powered project to extract water from the air by AQUOVUM, Khalifa University, Masdar, and the Azelio electrical thermal energy storage system technology that enables 24/7 clean energy utilization.

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INDUSTRY >

DETAIL >

BAHRAIN INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT INSTALLS SOLAR PANELS TO REDUCE EMISSIONS B ahrain International Circuit (BIC) announced the completion of a major solar project delivering on the Kingdom of Bahrain’s 2021 commitment to make the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix green by 2022. This exciting project more than covers the energy requirements of the Formula 1 weekend, with excess to spare, reduces the venue’s carbon footprint, generates significant energy cost savings, and supports Bahrain’s commitment to sustainability and the Kingdom’s net-zero ambitions. The new onsite solar production facility will support Formula 1’s plan to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. Further project phases will see Bahrain International Circuit’s annual energy needs met sustainably and entirely from renewable sources.

SAUDI ARABIA TO GENERATE 15,000 MWS CAPACITY OF ELECTRICITY FROM RE SOURCES S audi Arabia plans to issue fresh tenders to generate 15,000 MWs capacity of

electricity with renewable energy projects in 2022 and 2023 said Energy Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman of kingdom. These projects are a part of the government’s strategy to expand the usage of renewable energy sources in the energy mix of the country. The kingdom also plans to reduce the usage of crude oil in generating power. “We have plans to issue tenders for new renewable energy projects with a combined capacity of around 15,000 MW during 2022-2023 within our strategy to increase reliance on renewable and cut crude oil consumption in power generation,” he said.

BUZZ > INSIGHT >

RWE AND ADNOC SIGN MOU IN LOW CARBON AND GREEN HYDROGEN R WE and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding collaboration in low carbon and green hydrogen. Both companies agreed to explore the potential for importing low carbon and green hydrogen as well as hydrogen derivatives, such as ammonia, from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Germany. Furthermore, RWE and ADNOC agreed to assess the potential for the joint development of green hydrogen and hydrogen derivative production projects in relevant international markets. ADNOC is an early mover in decarbonization and the production of clean hydrogen, supporting the UAE’s ambition to supply up to 25% of imported hydrogen in key global markets.

Middle East

ENERGY STORAGE IN GCC AND EGYPTIAN MARKETS TO SEE AN INVESTMENT OF $40 BILLION BY 2030 M r. Khaled Ahmed Sharbatly, the Group Chief

Investment Officer and Partner emphasized that renewable energy projects are at the forefront of the GCC countries and Egypt’s agenda as an integral part of future sustainable development plans in the region, which is witnessing rapid growth in solar energy. Solar energy applications recorded a large part of this growing interest in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, and Qatar, adding that Saudi Arabia is qualified to lead the region in the field of solar energy electricity storage solutions. Mr. Sharbatly expected that the region will witness solar energy production of “50 GW per hour of Electricity Storage Solutions by 2030”, where Saudi Arabia alone will acquire 20 GW per hour, and Egypt and the UAE will have an equal production volume of 10 GW per hour each, and Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman will produce 10 GW per hour collectively.

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LATEST>

BUZZ>

SIEMENS TO DEPLOY FIRST MICROGRID OF MIDDLE EAST IN DOHA

PETROFAC TO EXPLORE FEASIBILITY OF GREEN HYDROGEN TO AMMONIA FACILITY IN EGYPT etrofac, a leading international service P

provider to the energy industry, has won its first new energies project in Egypt with an in-country subsidiary of Egypt-focused Mediterranean Energy Partners (MEP). The project is an earlystage study assessing the feasibility of new green hydrogen in an ammonia facility that will target the production of 125,000 tonnes of green ammonia a year for export, using a mix of solar and wind energy. Petrofac’s scope will be key to successfully delivering the project and includes sizing the electrolyzers and the feasibility of export facilities at Ain Sokhna Port on the Gulf of Suez.

Siemens AG will deploy the first microgrid in the Middle East designed for industrial use with Qatar Solar Energy (QSE) for cutting carbon emissions, reducing the cost of electricity, and having a more stable power supply. The microgrid will be situated in QSE’s factory in Doha. It will consist of energy mixes including solar panels, a backup generator, a cooling system, the local grid, and battery storage. Generating as much as 1 MW from the sun, the hybrid network will enable QSE to trim its electricity bills by maximizing the use of solar power and storing energy in batteries to satisfy on-peak demand.

INDUSTRY >

OMAN SHELL TO DEVELOP HYDROGEN PRODUCTION UNITS POWERED BY SOLAR PV As part of the first phase of the project, Oman Shell has

signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Oman Airports that would see Oman Shell providing up to 15 Hydrogen Cars for the Oman Airports’ corporate usage. The project will include the development of hydrogen production units that will be powered by photovoltaic solar plants and installed at different fueling units related to the project. These stations will be selected strategically to maximize benefits to the project and allow members of the public to have visibility of the technology. As Omani regulatory bodies develop the required regulations to enable a strong hydrogen economy in the Sultanate, Oman Shell will work closely with them to provide hydrogen expertise and input.

Middle East

INSIGHT >

SCATEC PARTNERS WITH ACME GROUP TO DEVELOP A LARGE-SCALE GREEN AMMONIA FACILITY IN OMAN S catec ASA has signed an agreement with ACME Group from India to establish a 50/50 joint venture to design, develop, build, own and operate a large-scale green ammonia facility in Oman. The first phase of the facility is expected to produce 100,000 tonnes of green ammonia annually with about 300 MW of electrolyzer capacity and powered by 500 MW of solar. The facility will be located in the Duqm Special Economic Zone of Oman. Once fully developed the facility is expected to produce up to 1.2 million tonnes of green ammonia annually.

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INDUSTRY >

ACWA POWER INKS PPA FOR 700 MW AR RASS SOLAR PV PROJECT IN SAUDI ARABIA A CWA Power, a leading developer, investor, and operator of power generation, desalinated water, and green hydrogen plants, and the Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC), the principal buyer, signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) to develop the 700 MW Ar Rass solar photovoltaic independent power plant (IPP) in Saudi Arabia’s Al Qassim province. The agreement was signed in the presence of His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Minister of Energy of Saudi Arabia. Under the terms of the agreement, ACWA Power will sell energy produced by the project to SPPC for a period of 25 years. Valued at US$450 million (SAR 1.7billion), Ar Rass is the largest PV project that has been tendered as part of Saudi Arabia’s National Renewable Energy Programme (NREP) to date, for which ACWA Power has been earmarked to deliver 70% of the total 58.7 GW target.

LATEST>

TAQA, EGA, DUBAL HOLDING, AND EWEC PARTNERS TO EXPAND CLEAN ENERGY E mirates Global Aluminum (EGA), Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PJSC (TAQA), Dubal Holding, and Emirates Water and Electricity Company (EWEC) announced a major initiative that would unlock significant further development of solar power generation capacity in Abu Dhabi, progress power asset and generation optimization, and decarbonize EGA’s aluminum production in the United Arab Emirates. The initiative, now subject to further negotiation and regulatory approvals in both Abu Dhabi and Dubai, would advance TAQA and Dubal Holding’s growth strategies, see EGA become a leader in the global aluminum industry’s drive towards net-zero by 2050, and support EWEC’s continued development of strategic renewable energy initiatives to reduce the carbon intensity of the energy sector.

Middle East

INSIGHT >

SCATEC WITH OTHERS TO DEVELOP GREEN AMMONIA FACILITY IN EGYPT S catec has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the

General Authority for Suez Canal Economic Zone (SCZONE), The Sovereign Fund of Egypt (TSFE), the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC), and the New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA), to jointly develop a green ammonia facility in Egypt with a production capacity of one million tonnes annually and with a potential for an expansion to three million tonnes annually. The green hydrogen and ammonia facility will be located in the SCZONE in Ain Sokhna Industrial Zone and will be powered by renewable energy plants to be built in close proximity to an area of land allocated by NREA.

BUZZ>

SIRAJPOWER TO DEVELOP 2 MWP SOLAR ROOFTOP SYSTEM FOR AL GHURAIR TRADING’S WAREHOUSE IN AL QUOZ S irajPower, the UAE’s leading provider of distributed solar energy,

announced another significant solar partnership for a 2 MWp solar rooftop system with Al Ghurair Trading, a pioneer organization in real estate warehousing. As part of this partnership, SirajPower will provide their industry-leading end-to-end service, which includes financing, designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining a 2MWp solar rooftop plant at one of Al Ghurair’s largest warehouse facilities in Al Quoz, which covers a staggering 16,682 sqm.

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BUZZ>

INSIGHT >

MASDAR SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH TANESCO TO SUPPORT CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS

TURKEY GENERATES 97% OF ELECTRICITY FROM CLEAN ENERGY SOURCES According to the data from the

Masdar has signed an agreement with Tanzania Electric

Supply Company Ltd. (TANESCO) to develop renewable energy projects in the East African nation. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed at an event in Dubai, witnessed by Her Excellency Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania. Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Chief Executive Officer of Masdar, and Maharage Chande, Managing Director of TANESCO, were the signatories. TANESCO, the sole provider of electricity in Tanzania, is looking to add more renewable energy sources to the national grid to meet the country’s growing demand for power and increase energy access. The Tanzanian government is targeting an electrification rate for the entire country of 75 percent by 2035.

LATEST>

EGYPT PLANS TO START $1.5 BILLION SOLAR DESALINATION PROJECT E gypt is planning to start a Solar Desalination project

and once the plant is completed, it will be one of the largest such projects in the world. The companies involved in this are Scatec, Orascom Construction, and Metito Holdings Limited. The total cost of the project will be around $1.5 billion with a $2.5 billion initiative for building more renewable energy by 2025. The consortium will also build 400 MWs of solar power plants. This plant will produce 1 million to 2 million cubic meters of water every day. The country’s main source of fresh water is the Nile River. Egypt needs around 114 billion cubic meters of water for its population but it can only generate half of the required amount. Instead of producing food, it exports food for saving water.

Middle East

Energy and Natural Resources Ministry, 97% of the electricity generated in Turkey was from clean energy sources in the year 2021. The total capacity of renewable energy during the same period was 3,446 MWs. In this, the share of solar power was 14.5% with a capacity of 498 MW, and 51.5% share was of wind power. The total capacity of renewable energy in the country was 99,820 MW with a 53.7% share. Renewable energy in Turkey has grown significantly as the country is transitioning to clean energy technologies. The largest share of renewable energy comes from hydroelectric power plants which are 31.5% and solar and wind energy is also gaining momentum slowly.

INDUSTRY

EGYPT TO SET UP SOLAR PLANTS AT SHARM EL SHEIKH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT E nvironment Minister of Egypt Yasmine

Fouad, Trade and Industry Minister of Egypt Nevine Gameaa, and Civil Aviation Minister of Egypt Mohammad Manar Enabah signed agreements to set up solar plants at Sharm El Sheikh International Airport and rooftop solar at nine hotels in Red Sea resort city. All the protocols are based on Egypt’s green economy strategy which promotes sustainable tourism, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, cuts waste, and uses clean energy. The country recently launched the Green Sharm El Sheikh (GEF) project to convert the city into a sustainable tourism city (both nationally and internationally) and adopt low-carbon technologies.

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INSIGHT >

LATEST>

ONERASYSTEMS PLANS TO IMPLEMENT 25 SOLAR PROJECTS

AMANA INSTALLS 487.9 KWP SOLAR PV SYSTEM IN AL AIN A MANA builds a 14,000-sq m Al-Futtaim Auto Park in Al Ain which also includes the

installation of a 487.9 kWp solar PV system that will generate 800 MWh of power. The plant will reduce 334 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions in the first year of its operation. Founded in Abu Dhabi on September 12, 1993, the concept of a regional design-build contractor with a decentralized model was conceived by Amana’s CEO, Chebel Bsaibes. Amana is now the regional leader in the design-build of industrial and commercial facilities, with over 1500 buildings constructed across the region.

BUZZ>

SUSTAINABLE ENERGY AUTHORITY OF BAHRAIN PLANS TO DEVELOP 5 MW SOLAR PV PROJECT O neraSystems is planning to implement around 25 solar power plant projects of up to 10 megawatts as per the President and CEO of the company, Wael El-Nashar. OneraSystems is in talks with various public and private companies for the same. The company will sign agreements in the third quarter of 2022 and it has finalized a few projects too. The Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Resources of the country is encouraging to have more solar power projects and these projects will assist in achieving the targets set by the ministry.

Middle East

S ustainable Energy Authority (SEA) of

Bahrain plans to develop a 5 MW solar photovoltaic project across 14 buildings and car parking for the Ministry of Education of Bahrain. It receives proposals from four different developers. The concession period will be of 20 years and the contract will be under a build, own, operate, and maintain contract. Aradous Energy Generation Company submitted the lowest tariff of BD0.21/kWh. The second-lowest bid was submitted by Modern Mechanical Electrical & Transport Company of BD0.03/kWh. Microcenter submitted a bid of BD0.026/kWh and Safeer for Renewable Energy submitted a bid of BD0.027.

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INSIGHT >

INDUSTRY

WORLEY TO SUPPORT GREEN ENERGY OMAN PROJECT Worley is providing concept feasibility study services to develop and challenge Green Energy Oman (GEO)’s defined green hydrogen energy project. This includes optimizing around 25 GW of wind and solar generation, transforming this renewable energy through electrolysis into green hydrogen, as well as the production, storage, and export of green ammonia. The GEO project consortium comprises OQ – the Sultanate of Oman’s global integrated energy company, InterContinental Energy (ICE) – the leading dedicated green fuels developer, and EnerTech (ETC) – a Kuwait government-backed clean energy investor and developer.

5 MORE SCHOOLS IN BAHRAIN TO GET SOLAR PANELS 5 more schools in Bahrain to get solar panels in the first

phase of a new solar project launched by Education Minister Dr. Majid Al Nuaimi and Electricity and Water Affairs Minister Wael Al Mubarak. Both the ministers were visiting the National Charter Preparatory School for Boys. Around 2,263 solar panels will be installed during this phase. Dr. Al Nuaimi said more solar panels will be installed at 20 schools in the country in the next phase. Only environmentally friendly materials will be used while constructing these buildings. The total electricity which will be generated by these solar panels will be 3 MWs. Recently, according to a report, the country generated 237 MW of green energy in the year 2021.

LATEST>

GULF RENEWABLE LAB TO TEST EFFICIENCY OF SOLAR PANELS INSTALLED AT DESERT TECHNOLOGIES FACTORY D esert Technologies, the first Saudi manufacturer and exporter of

solar panels and a global leader in the field of renewable energy solutions, signed a cooperation agreement with the Gulf Renewable Lab to examine and test the solar panels produced by the company and to provide safety, quality and efficiency tests according to the latest international specifications. The Desert Technologies Factory was represented by Eng. Majid Al-Refaie, the Group Chief Commercial Officer, while the Gulf Renewable Lab was represented by Eng. Mohammed Al Muaili the Chief Operation Officer.

BUZZ>

ARLA FOODS INVESTS $1.3 MILLION FOR LARGEST SOLAR POWER PLANT IN BAHRAIN Arla Foods invested $1.3 million to install the largest solar

power plant in Bahrain. The plant has 8000 square meters of solar panels. The plant is installed in Manama. The plant has a capacity of 1.7 MWs and will generate 20% of the energy consumption needs. It will also reduce 1,600 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. This project has created 200 indirect and direct job opportunities. Arla Foods is a major dairy company based out in the United Kingdom and in total it has invested $63 million to increase its production in Bahrain. The company has done this to increase the shelf life of the products and also reduce transportation costs.

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IN CONVERSATION

STEPHEN MOLDEN

Head of Operations, Sun In Motion

Value Engineering and supply chain management with an understanding from our off-takers helped us to overcome this and successfully deliver with limited financial implications to both us and the client.” In an exclusive interview with SolarQuarter Middle East magazine, Stephen Molden - Head of Operations, Sun In Motion spoke about the company’s presence in the region, the key challenges being faced by them as a company, and how they overcome those challenges. He also spoke about the steps being taken to increase performance while improving the lifecycle of the project and gave his outlook on the future of the solar sector in the region.

Please brief our readers about Sun in Motion’s presence in the Middle East and the services you provide. Sun in Motion offers a full turnkey solution for C&I and utilityscale Solar PV completing permitting, design, procurement, Installation, Commissioning and O&M. We are now also offering BESS and Solar Hybrid systems also as the requirement in the region is expanding for this tech. Our team combined has more than 3GW+ of deployed solar experience in around 16 different countries with each member of staff having at least 5 to 12 years of solar knowledge which I believe puts us in a very strong position in the market. We are agile, responsive and are continually investing in our staff and R&D to ensure what we install is fit for purpose and supplies our customers with the Asset they require.

As a developer, what are the key challenges you face in the Middle East Solar market, and how have you overcome those? The key challenges we face are the off-takers expectations and ever-changing prices on the main commodities of a Solar PV project. Many projects that had been signed and agreed upon 6 months prior to mobilization had seen increases as high as 45% on key components which can make the project extremely negative. Value Engineering and supply chain management with an understanding from our off-takers helped us to overcome this and successfully deliver with limited financial implications to both us and the client. Still, we have the problem of consumer expectations wanting to see savings of 50% plus, and in this current economic climate and commodity prices where they are it is simply not possible so these expectations need to change if we are to continue to implement Solar PV in the region.

How has the renewable sector in the Middle East performed under the Covid crisis? Obviously like everyone else we have seen delays in the projects but managed to complete all works in our projected pipeline as Solar works are classified as essential works under the government's initiative. All appropriate precautions were taken and all staff was given appropriate training and COVIDspecific PPE to ensure they were safe during work. During the cooldown of COVID, we have actually seen a rise in requests as people wanted to secure savings on their OPEX costs due to the financial issues they had faced during COVID so I believe it has actually accelerated the renewable transition.

Middle East

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Sun in Motion offers a full turnkey solution for C&I and utility-scale Solar PV completing permitting, design, procurement, Installation, Commissioning and O&M. We are now also offering BESS and Solar Hybrid systems also as the requirement in the region is expanding for this tech. Our combined has more than 3GW+ of deployed solar experience in around 16 different countries with each member of staff having at least 5 years up to 12 years of solar knowledge which I believe puts us in a very strong position in the market. We are agile, responsive, and are continually investing in our staff and R&D to ensure what we install is fit for purpose and supplies our customers with the Asset they require.

When it comes to solar asset management, what are the steps taken by the O&M team to increase performance while improving the lifecycle of the project? Our O&M division takes a very sophisticated approach to the monitoring of our assets and uses multiple forms of software and measurement equipment to ensure the system is operating at its optimum performance as forecasted and guaranteed to the client. They continually research and develop new methods of reactive and planned maintenance and consume past data to recognize trends in failure and success to ensure we future-proof the systems and understand how to effectively maintain the asset for its lifetime. These learnings are then implemented on the next systems so we are continually improving and learning.

Middle East

What is your outlook for the future of the Solar Industry in the region? I think the region has a bright future and the requirement for Solar PV and other sustainable technologies is becoming more and more obvious with the ever-changing political and financial landscape, having some of the highest irradiance levels in the world also help the case. Like any emerging market we need to do more to ensure that sustainable and renewable energy can remain a sustainable sector this means all parties being aligned and moving in the same direction. Government directives and legislative changes from the utilities can slow this down sometimes for valid reasons but the communication as to why this is happening and a solution to overcome these changes needs to be shared with the sector to avoid bottlenecks and delays in the movement and implementation of said technologies.

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IN CONVERSATION

SAIF BDEIR

Managing Director, HAALA Energy

Haala Energy prides itself on having one of the most diverse project portfolios in Saudi Arabia. We have successfully completed projects in most major dimensions of solar PV including solar-diesel hybrids, single-axis trackers, and agrivoltaics.” In an interesting conversation with SolarQuarter Middle East magazine, Mr. Saif Bdeir - Managing Director, HAALA Energy gave us details about the company’s presence and operations, engineering capacity, and the quality measures adhered to at their project sites. He also spoke about the tech trends shaping up in the region and where the solar PV C&I market is headed in Saudi Arabia.

Please brief our readers about Haala Energy's presence in the Middle East region along with the services you provide. Haala Energy is a solar PV EPC service provider focused on the commercial and industrial (C&I) segment in Saudi Arabia. We design, install and maintain on-grid and off-grid PV systems in the range of a few hundred kW to multiple MWs. Haala Energy has been operating in Saudi Arabia since 2016 and is now an SEC-qualified solar PV contractor for up to 2MW.

The multi-use design feature allows farmers to make use of shade cast by solar PV modules to regulate the growth of their crops underneath while benefitting from the power produced for loads such as well pumps. Agrivoltaics also benefits farmers by saving on the space needed to install solar PV.

Middle East

Kindly brief our readers about your engineering capacity, in terms of innovation and execution? Haala Energy prides itself on having one of the most diverse project portfolios in Saudi Arabia. We have successfully completed projects in all major dimensions of solar PV including solar-diesel hybrids, single-axis trackers, and agrivoltaics. That’s all thanks to our diverse technical expertise and design-focused engineering capabilities. As a technologyagnostic company, we focus on designing bespoke PV systems that meet our client’s needs, to maximize their returns. We have recently taken the initiative to stress test one of our design assumptions regarding heat traps around PV modules. We partnered up with the KAUST Solar Center to design and build an experimental PV system to collect data on the air circulation effects of different mounting structures on corrugated sheet metal roofs. This has allowed us to reinforce our design parameters to better suit local needs and to better serve our clients’ projects.

What are the safety and quality measures taken at your project sites? At Haala Energy, we believe that a high level of safety and quality controls goes hand in hand with the technical and financial success of any PV system. We design our projects to make sure all our installed components can safely and effectively produce power up to their nameplate lifespan. We also apply industry-standard safety regulations to all our projects during the construction and O&M phases to make sure no individual stakeholder is ever at risk while working on or operating our systems.

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What are some technology trends taking shape in the region that you would like to highlight? We have seen an uptick in interest in agrivoltaics in the past year. The multi-use design feature allows farmers to make use of shade cast by solar PV modules to regulate the growth of their crops underneath while benefitting from the power produced for loads such as well pumps. Agrivoltaics also benefits farmers by saving on the space needed to install solar PV. We believe this is a promising trend in Saudi Arabia as the agricultural sector can greatly benefit from technology to better their yields while saving on costs.

We have successfully completed projects in all major dimensions of solar PV including solar-diesel hybrids, single-axis trackers, and agrivoltaics.

Where do you see the solar PV C&I market headed in Saudi Arabia? There have been a lot of ambitious solar PV goals set by the government in the past couple of years. This has created a lot of buzz in the market, with many large projects being awarded and a lot of new entrants to the market. Additionally, many suppliers are now setting up shop in Saudi, which has helped build a strong local supply chain, allowing for improved customer service. The C&I market has also recently seen new regulations set in place to allow for net billing. These regulations are a first step towards building a market that would allow for efficient net metering and wheeling schemes, which would ultimately serve the needs of C&I off-takers. The first stage of the new policy roll-out has had a distinct set of challenges for contractors and consultants working in our sector, but with close cooperation between industry and regulators, we hope to be able to participate in shaping a healthier regulatory environment that can help unleash the massive potential of solar at the commercial and industrialscale in Saudi Arabia.

JEDDAH, KSA COURTESY: HAALA ENERGY

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FEATURED INSIGHTS

Onwards and Upwards: Trina Solar’s 25 Year Legacy Continues!

Trina Solar has achieved a remarkable feat of 25 years in operation!

rina Solar, one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of solar PV, was founded in Changzhou city, China in 1997 making

it one of the world’s longest-running PV companies in the world. Trina

Incorporated with the latest technological advancements, Trina Solar offers a plethora of modules and solutions to fit a variety of project needs. The Top-Notch Vertex PV Modules offered by Trina Solar are: 670W+/600W+/550W+ Ultra-high Power Solar Panels for Ground Mounted Solar Power Plants - The vertex panels are based on Trina Solar’s leading multi-busbar technology and incorporate 210mm silicon wafer, non-destructive cutting, and

Solar

greatly

associates

its

success

with

quality

production and customer satisfaction. Trina boasts of happy and satisfied customers in over more than 100 countries. Recently, Trina has added another feather in its cap. The company has accomplished an impressive milestone of 100GW of cumulative module shipments to more than 100 cTrina Solar greatly associates its success with quality production and customer satisfaction. Trina boasts of happy and satisfied customers in over more than 100 countries.ountries. Overall, these 100 GW of PV modules can produce about 135 billion kWh of clean energy, thus reducing global CO2 emissions by a whopping 135 million tons and standard coal consumption by 54.54 million tons. That’s equivalent to planting 7.2 billion trees! Being a top-tier project developer, Trina has fostered reliable and long-term partnerships that have shaped solar projects worldwide.

high-density interconnect technologies, which together allow it to reach 670W power output and 21.6% module efficiency. The low-voltage and higher string power output lead the vertex series to unlock significantly potential for greatly reducing balance-of-system costs in utility-scale PV projects 410W+/510W+

Small

Solar

Panels

for

residential

and

commercial roof systems - A new era has been ushered in with the newly launched 410W and 510W series which are specifically designed for homes and commercial buildings. They bring the Vertex technology incorporating 210mm solar cells, to distributed generation. Trina Solar’s ultra-high performance rooftop module Vertex S series has recently won the Red Dot Design Award, making Trina Solar the first PV module manufacturer in China to receive this accolade. Out of 10,000 entries from over 60 countries, the Vertex S series was chosen for its advanced design concept and excellent user experience, making it the winner of this most influential international industrial design award, considered an “Oscar” for product design.

As a leading PV company, Trina Solar has been spearheading solar technology for the past 25 years, wherein the diameter of silicon wafers has grown from 125mm to 210mm and module power has grown from less than 100W to 690W.

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Trina Solar greatly associates its success with quality production and customer satisfaction. Trina boasts of happy and satisfied customers in over more than 100 countries. Mar-Apr Issue 2022 | Pg 16

What makes Vertex S truly unique is the advanced design and outstanding craftsmanship, which perfectly meet the superior requirements of both product function and appearance design of the Red Dot Design Award. Unanimously favored by distributors and customers alike, Vertex S combines high power generation and great reliability. What’s more? The company has been responsible for a number of global breakthroughs, with 23 world records for silicon cell efficiency and solar module power output since 2011. Since early on, Trina Solar has greatly emphasized on top-level quality of its products and services. The company has carried out 200 in-house quality tests to ensure performance and reliability. It is the first PV company to receive UL’s Client Test Data Program Certification.

Trina Solar, being a truly global company, has a widespread presence worldwide. The company’s commitment to further increase its footprint and presence in the MEA region to cater to the rapidly growing demand for solar energy has led it to have a stronghold in the region. The company office located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates provides local on-ground support as well. In 2022, as Trina Solar is celebrating its Silver Jubilee year, the company endeavors to continuously move forward to become the ‘revolutionary ‘green force’ to create a world of carbon-free new energy. For more information, please visit www.trinasolar.com. For the MEA region, kindly contact africa@trinasolar.com and me@trinasolar.com

Trina Solar is also the only module manufacturer to be rated as bankable for 6 consecutive years by 100% of the industry respondents participating in the annual BloombergNEF survey. After months of rigorous testing, Trina Solar has once again been recognized as a “Top Performer”, 2022 by PV Evolution Labs (PVEL), an internationally renowned third-party reliability testing lab. Receiving this recognition for the eighth time in a row has made Trina Solar the company with the most wins. This recognition highlights Trina Solar’s dedication to highquality consistency, high reliability, and exceptional safety of its modules. PVEL has published test results that show the 670W Vertex modules with ultra-high power (210mm) have the best performance in Product Qualification Program(PQP) test sequences. Moreover, the products come with a guarantee of an industryleading 25-year lifetime warranty. What‘s noteworthy is that Trina has been thriving for 25 years and has fundamentally outlived its own 25-year product warranty claim!

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Mar-Apr Issue 2022 | Pg 17

FEATURED INSIGHTS

Ecoppia at Intersolar Munich 2022

ith over 50K visitors, Intersolar Munich 2022 has been a powerful event, showcasing a wide range of innovative

T4, Strong and Steady

world -wide technologies. With COVID finally slowing down, it

Ecoppia’s

seems that everyone was excited to meet face to face and learn

showstopper at Intersolar. Designed especially for Single Axis

light

weight,

smart

solution

was

real

more about the latest trends in the Solar industry.

trackers, the T4 travels on the modules when the tracker is at flat position, using multiple advanced sensors to navigate its

Ecoppia, the world’s leader in robotic cleaning solutions for photovoltaic solar, showcased at Intersolar its T4 and H4 robotic

solutions

–

the

way in a pre-defined optimized route. The robot can clean any type of structure or module, to include frameless modules.

latest

models of the Ecoppia suite of products. For nearly a decade, Ecoppia offers variety of robotic solutions that can be installed on fixed-tilt racking and single-axis trackers,

optimizing

production Ecoppia

energy

year-round.

robots

are

All

water-free,

cleaning the panels by using soft microfiber cloth and controlled airflow to ensure no potential damage to the Anti Reflective Coating as often caused by use of brush. Cloud based, the robots are completely autonomous operating with

human

operators,

electricity – as the robots are solar powered.

A glimpse into the future with the new Ecoppia H4 On the main stage, the newest model

–

Ecoppia

was

constantly impressing the visitors who walked by the Ecoppia booth. The

combines

renowned

safety

alongside

effective,

intelligent

cleaning,

Ecoppia's capabilities swift, and

and is

designed to cater both fixed tilt and

single

installations.

Axis Utilizing

Trackers patented

Helix technology, the H4 channels dust and dirt particles downwards without accumulating them as the robot moves horizontally while cleaning vertically. The robot can clean very long rows of up to 2 KM with minimal maintenance, making it an optimal solution for large scale projects in remote locations.

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Mar-Apr Issue 2022 | Pg 18

FEATURED INSIGHTS At Intersolar, visitors could see the T4 trave on stage and witness its completely autonomous operation. The environmentally friendly robots keep solar modules clean and functioning at peak productivity while saving millions of gallons of water, providing a truly sustainable approach to the operation and maintenance of solar modules. “As market leaders, we take upon ourselves the responsibility to our clients and shareholders to maintain the highest standards, constantly raising the bar higher towards excellence.” said Jean Scemama, CEO of Ecoppia. “Ecoppia’s versatile solution portfolio will continue to provide worldwide energy players the key for scalability, sustainability, and attractive ROI”.

About Ecoppia With over 16GW of agreements, Ecoppia is a pioneer and world leader in robotic solutions for photovoltaic solar. Ecoppia’s cloudbased, water-free, autonomous robotic solutions remove soil from solar panels daily, leveraging sophisticated technology and advanced Business Intelligence capabilities. Remotely managed and controlled, the Ecoppia platform allows solar sites to maintain peak performance with minimal costs and human intervention. Ecoppia’s proprietary algorithms and robotic solutions make day-to-day O&M at solar sites safer, more efficient, and more reliable. Publicly held and backed by prominent international investment funds, Ecoppia works with the largest energy companies across the globe, cleaning millions of solar panels every night. For more information, visit: http://www.ecoppia.com

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Mar-Apr Issue 2022 | Pg 19

PROJECT FEATURE

LONGI TO SUPPLY HI-MO 5 MODULES TO RED SEA PROJECT LONGi has announced that it has won a contract to supply 406MW of its Hi-MO 5 bifacial modules to Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Project. Located on the Kingdom’s west coast, the project will be completely powered by renewable energy on a scale not previously achieved anywhere in the world, with energy to be generated via solar panels and wind turbines to meet initial demand of 210MW, with further expansion planned. The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC), the developer behind what is viewed as the world’s most ambitious regenerative tourism project, awarded its highest-value contract to date to a consortium led by ACWA Power to design, build, operate and transfer the project’s utilities infrastructure, generating up to 650,000 MWh of CO2 free power. The CO2 emissions saved are the equivalent of some half a million tons annually. Included in the package is the world’s largest battery storage facility of 1000MWh, which will allow the destination to remain completely off-grid and powered by renewables day and night. The agreement also covers the construction of three seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) plants, designed to provide clean drinking water, a solid waste management center and an innovative sewage treatment plant (STP) that is expected to allow waste to be managed in a way that enhances the environment, by creating new wetland habitats and supplementing the venue with irrigation water for landscaping.

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The Red Sea Project has already achieved significant milestones and, upon its completion in 2030, there will be 50 hotels, offering up to 8,000 hotel rooms, and around 1,300 residential properties across 22 islands and six inland sites. “The Red Sea Project is a vital undertaking as part of Saudi Vision 2030 and the completion of the project will lead to a new way of life in the Middle East. LONGi will spare no effort to contribute to the region’s energy transformation,” commented Dennis She, LONGi Group Vice President. As a world-leading solar technology company, LONGi will continue to contribute to global energy transformation together with partners from all sectors.

Mar-Apr Issue 2022 | Pg 20

FEATURED INSIGHTS

You are probably designing your solar site wrong, and this is why The solar industry is no longer the ‘new kid on the block’.

Take for instance soiling, one of the crucial aspects preventing

calculating cleaning costs and factoring cleaning solutions olar energy is one of the leading renewable sources in the world. Today, as solar becomes more accessible and cost-

effective reaching grid parity, it’s no longer a question of if we should invest in solar power but rather how can we optimize its performance,

reduce

costs,

and

ensure

stability

and

accessibility.

solar sites to reach optimal energy production. If soiling implications would be considered during the design phase, that would have a huge impact on the site’s energy production over the years, sometimes even up to 35%-40%. If during the design phase a site owner would look over the ramifications of selecting the appropriate cleaning solution, taking into consideration all relevant factors that have an important bearing on the site for the entire PPA lifetime, then a

With more energy players entering the renewables territory switching from fuel and gas to green energy such as solar, the industry is entering a new era. While solar tariffs are getting lower by the year and governments are no longer giving away subsidiaries, we see energy players struggling to keep a solar project profitable. Clearly, the economic repercussions of each phase in a solar project are massive, however, one of the most overlooked phases is the designing stage. While most site owners make sure that the design of a solar site will meet regulations, accessibility and optimal radiation capabilities, other elements that do not have an immediate effect on the project are often neglected. Operations and Maintenance (O&M) is without any doubt the leading one. Most site developers are mistaking O&M for a field practice focused on replacing worn parts, making sure the site will look and run smoothly. Sure, that is definitely one of the key factors of this discipline, however as the solar industry deepens its understanding of photovoltaic energy, we see just how much O&M has a direct impact on the site’s profitability.

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significant amount of unnecessary future costs could be prevented right from the start.For instance, you could minimize the gaps needed for pathways for large cleaning vehicles such as cleaning tractors while maximizing the landscape utilization to increase production capabilities. Unfortunately, the fact is, that O&M is not sufficiently considered during the designing phase. While we understand now just how important it is to include and calculate O&M in the designing stage, the question remains – how can we make sure that we factor in all the relevant aspects that can interfere with the site’s profitability? Let’s first assume that we can never always calculate and predict everything. Even if we consider the majority of the factors, developers do not necessarily have the proper resources to analyze and calculate all the possibilities the market has to offer in automized O&M.

It is always preferable to be working with a vendor that has experience in different continents, understanding different O&M challenges and different landscapes and geographies has to offer.” Mar-Apr Issue 2022 | Pg 21

So, what can you do to ensure the proper measurements are being done? First, make sure O&M aspects are considered by the EPC, and that they have an understanding of the different factors impacting the site in the long run – during its 25 years lifetime. In many cases, the EPC tends to see short-term for the first 2-5 years of the project only, as later on the O&M will be handed over to a third party. This is the reason that large energy players now choose their cleaning vendor themselves and engage with them directly for the 25 years duration. This way the site owners can enjoy the optimal production long after the EPC is out of the picture, regardless of any O&M vendor selected. With that in mind, Covid 19 brought to the solar industry’s attention the importance of ensuring your site can be managed and maintained remotely. Especially due to multiple lockdowns and travel restrictions in the past year, robotic cleaning gained tremendous traction tilting the scale towards automized O&M. Robotic cleaning provides both effective and cost-effective cleaning, but most important – it is consistent and ensures the same level of cleaning throughout the entire site lifetime, no risk of abrasion to panels or hotspots created in sections that are not properly cleaned over time. Needless to say, they are not impacted by any lockdown or external restrictions. Today as solar sites turn from MWs to GWs, we see robots are the only solution that is capable to cope with the mass, cleaning large scale installation. The most important element when choosing your cleaning vendor is to make sure it is safe and reliable, using high-quality components and equipment makes sure that the cleaning operation has no risk of damaging the modules or structure ensuring a smooth and frequent operation. It is always preferable to be working with a vendor that has experience in different continents, understanding different O&M challenges and different landscapes and geographies has to offer.

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Unparalleled experience, unmatched reliability With over 3GW of fully operational projects across 4 continents and almost a decade of proven experience, Ecoppia (TASE ECPA) has been one of the vital pillars of the solar revolution. Ecoppia’s versatile portfolio of solutions allows site owners peace of mind throughout the entire project lifetime. All robotic cleaning solutions are fully autonomous, water-free, low maintenance and cloud-based, providing actual data from the site while keeping it spotless with no human interference. Tested by independent labs and proven in sites all over the world, the robots are proven not only to boost production and cut operational costs but also to remain safe on the modules for more than 25 years of daily cleaning. Ecoppia’s sophisticated robotic cleaning solutions are ideally designed for large-scale ground-mounted installations, located in dry and arid areas, keeping them clean and safe, at year-round peak performance. Leading energy companies working with Ecoppia such as Engie, AES, EDF, Fortum and others, are now able to hold up to their environmental goals and social responsibilities, achieving zero water waste, scalability, and ROI growth.

http:www.ecoppia.com/ THIS IS THE REASON THAT LARGE ENERGY PLAYERS NOW CHOOSE THEIR CLEANING VENDOR THEMSELVES AND ENGAGE WITH THEM DIRECTLY FOR THE 25 YEARS DURATION.”

Mar-Apr Issue 2022 | Pg 22

COMPANY FEATURE

LONGI'S MODULE AND WAFER PRODUCTION SEES RAPID GROWTH, AND SHIPMENTS REMAIN THE NO. 1 WORLDWIDE

LONGi has released its 2021 and Q1 2022 annual report to global shareholders, revealing that the company has maintained stable operations and achieved significant global shipments of products throughout the period. The report put LONGi’s operating revenue for 2021 at CNY 80.932 billion, a year-on-year increase of 48.27%. Net profit attributable to the parent company during the period was CNY 9.086 billion, including CNY 8.826 billion of net profit deducted from non-recurring gains and losses attributable to shareholders of listed companies. The consolidated gross margin was 20.19% and the asset-liability ratio 51.31%, down 8.07 percent point from the previous year. In terms of results for Q1 2022, the company achieved an operating revenue of CNY 18.595 billion, up 17.29% compared to the same period in the previous year, and continues to lead the PV industry. LONGi sees significant potential for global energy transition and opportunities linked to the pursuit of worldwide carbon neutrality and has set itself the goal of achieving operating revenue of more than CNY 100 billion in 2022. Wafer & Module production sees rapid growth and shipments remain No.1 globally. In 2021, LONGi achieved wafer shipments of 70.01GW. During the reporting period, the company’s global sales performance, market share and brand influence ranked it 1st in the world, with its total shipment volume of domestic and exported modules exceeding 2nd place by more than 10GW.

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LONGi has issued 2022 shipment targets of 90GW-100GW (including internal use) for wafers and 50GW-60GW (including internal use) for modules. In Q1 2022, LONGi achieved 18.36GW in mono-crystalline silicon wafer shipments, split between external sales of 8.42GW and 9.94GW for internal use and shipped 6.44GW of mono-crystalline modules, of which external sales accounted for 6.35GW and internal use 0.09GW. As of 2021, LONGi had secured a total of 1,387 authorized patents and invested CNY 4.394 billion in technology R&D, accounting for 5.43% of revenue, a year-on-year increase of 69.55%. In the past year alone, LONGi has broken the world record for cell conversion efficiency 7 times across various technical disciplines and laid claim to overall leadership in new high-efficiency cell technologies including n-type and ptype TOPCon and n-type and p-type HJT. The company’s new solar cell technology will be put into production during the third quarter of 2022. The 2021 annual report additionally states that LONGi has now reached 40.19% of renewable electricity use in its global operations and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 1,687,933 tons, via the three disciplines of self-owned power generation facilities, procurement of third-party power generation facilities and contract procurement of green power. Note: The financial figures in the 2021 annual report and Q1 2022 report are quoted in Chinese Yuan (CNY).

Mar-Apr Issue 2022 | Pg 23

OPINION

Rooftop market segment status in the Middle East

Commercial & Industrial (C&I) solar PV users consume a

AUTHOR:

significant amount of energy in the region. In these markets, the residential sector accounts for 45% of the total power

NABIH CHERRADI CTO, DESERT TECHNOLOGIES

demand and most of it is for air conditioning, followed by the industrial

and

commercial

sectors

22%

and

20%,

respectively. The remaining 13% represents other sectors, such as agriculture and transport, as well as network losses.

Famously endowed with fossil fuel reserves, some Middle East countries are swimming in oil. Without surprise, the major power produced in the region comes from fossil fuels. However, since awareness has started dominating; climate change and oil saving, the shift is ongoing. Driven by visionary leaders, the region’s economies have committed to emissions reductions under the Paris Accords while overhauling their energy mix to transition away from hydrocarbons dependency to renewables and reduce energy intensity on the supply and demand side to deliver maximum impact for the intended objective The renewable energy was identified as one of economic diversification away from oil or non-oil industry, which Saudi’s call yellow oil, “an-naft al-asfar” or solar energy. Whereas the utility-scale market segment was the focus since the beginning for all the regions, the residential market segment development differs between countries.

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The Middle East region is fragmented, with very wellestablished markets having efficient regulation and other markets at an early stage of development. Given these discrepancies, it’s complex to make general comments on the solar rooftop market in the region. But most of the region’s countries are eager to develop their C&I sector as it’s an integral part of their programs to promote renewables. The region offers great opportunities with huge addressable markets: UAE, Jordan, and KSA are expected to have an installed capacity of 4 GW vs less than 1 GW now. So far, only UAE and Jordan have emerged as the most active markets in the region for the rooftop segment, thanks to efficient regulatory frameworks, including these two mechanisms:

Mar-Apr Issue 2022 | Pg 24

Net metering: Energy bills reduction thanks to credits received after injection of excess energy into the grid.

has made the adoption of distributed solar more widespread.

Wheeling: For an off-site plant, the producer benefits from a net billing system for the excess energy produced and must pay a wheeling fee for using the grid.

C&I sector seeking to reduce their electricity bills.

It’s the most established market in the region with high availability of financing. Those schemes have attracted the

Due to the scarcity of available land, Bahrain is focusing on the rooftop and private projects with an aim to install 255 MW

The UAE has been and is still a front-runner in the energy transition in the GCC with the highest portfolio of renewables in the region. It’s also, a very differentiated market with great discrepancies between Emirates. Dubai has a well-established market in terms of installed capacity and regulation. Whereas Abu Dhabi is a promising market with great ambitions and a dedicated regulation under assessment. The other Emirates are still in their early stage of development.

by 2025 using net metering were launched in 2018. A 3MW

KSA has set up high targets and potential for the C&I segment as it’s the most populated country in the GCC. Besides, with the engagement of electricity price reform, interest in solar C&I is growing. Authorities, in particular, ECRA, have been working on devising a clear regulatory framework for such projects. It was anticipated to be launched in mid-2020. However, the program is facing delay. Nevertheless, different private projects have been developed across the kingdom.

Globally, the classic utility business models are undergoing

Jordan, with strong political support; the country developed an efficient regulatory framework with both net metering and wheeling mechanism. That dedicated regulatory framework

rooftop project spread over 8 locations has been launched in 2019. Oman is a promising market with a two-level incentive scheme: First, at the user level granting an export tariff for excess energy production. Then, at the developer level tendering BOOT contract for 250,000 rooftop installations.

profound changes. The end use of solar energy is increasing steadily. There is a significant demand for distributed generation projects throughout the region, even more changes in regulatory policy to incentivize self-generation along with excess energy sale back to the utility grid are necessary for this market to take off. In the long run, it is a new distribution of roles between utilities and decentralized production, between electricity producers and consumers that are coming up.

use of alternative sustainable and reliable resources…reduces dependency on hydrocarbon resources…and keep them as a source for income for a longer period of time….” His Highness King Abdallah Bin Abdelaziz al-Saoud

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Mar-Apr Issue 2022 | Pg 25

OPINION

LCOE, O&M, and the technological advancement

The Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) method allows power

AUTHOR: ENG. MAHMOUD SALAMEH O&M AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY MANAGER, KAWAR ENERGY

plants with different generation and cost structures to be compared with each other. The LCOE is calculated by comparing all costs incurred over the lifetime of the power plant for the construction and operation and the total amount of energy generated.

Decarbonization and transformation of the energy system are associated with both technical and economic efforts. The cost of current and future power generation is heavily dependent on the cost of expanding and operating power plants. The costs of renewable energy technologies in particular have changed dramatically in recent years. This development is driven by technological innovations such as the use of less expensive and better-performing materials, reduced material consumption, more efficient production processes, increasing efficiencies as well as automated mass production of components

The cost of current and future power generation is heavily dependent on the cost of expanding and operating power plants. The costs of renewable energy technologies in particular have changed dramatically in recent years."

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Mar-Apr Issue 2022 | Pg 26

For a simplified LOCE calculation, the following simplified equation applies

As Capital costs for renewable energy projects have decreased, OPEX has become a larger portion of LCOE OPEX varies widely from project to project and operator to operator Increased asset mix complexity threatens to further increase OPEX Aging workforce and skills gaps threaten the continued growth of renewables Operational complexity associated with renewable energy, be it solar, wind, or storage, can present challenges to scaling production. Cost of avoidable expenses and lost energy, where the scalability and Automation are key to growth, scalability of tools and process automation become important

LCOE can be used to support the decision-making process. However, conclusive statements about the economic viability of technology cannot be made on the sole basis of the LCOE method. At this point, it should not be forgotten that LCOE is a cost-based indicator and does not include revenues. Depending on the type of systems and solar irradiation, PV systems have an LCOE of between 3.12 and 11.01 €cent/kWh, excluding value-added tax (VAT). where we need to distinguish between smaller rooftop PV systems (< 30 kWp), large rooftop PV systems (> 30kWp), and ground-mounted utility-scale PV systems (> 1 MWp). Currently, specific system costs lie within the range of 530 to 1600 EUR/kWp. Thus, they have continued to follow a decreasing trend, especially for large systems. For smaller rooftop systems, however, a trend towards slightly more expensive systems can be detected. The LCOE for PV battery systems currently ranges between 5.24 and 19.72 €cent/kWh. This wide range is the result of cost differences for battery systems (500 to 1200 EUR/kWh) in combination with cost differences for PV systems and varying levels of solar irradiation. In addition, battery storage systems can contribute to system security in the electricity system and the stabilization of feed-in curves or battery discharges during high demand periods. In 2020, annual renewable capacity additions increased 45% to almost 280 GW – the highest year-on-year increase since 1999. Exceptionally high-capacity additions became the “new normal” in 2021 and 2022, with renewables accounting for 90% of new power capacity expansion globally, the renewable energy is growing; the growth in installed wind generation gigawatt from 2015-to 2020 was double, while the growth in solar was 4 times and 8 times for installed storage megawatt for installed solar, with this accelerated growth, the complexity is increased with a tighter margin, Renewable trends Multiple asset class operators Shorter PPA, more pricing risk Lower PPA pricing, much tighter margins Real-time market pricing Variation in demand Ancillary services influencing revenue

enablers, in addition to a Well architected cloud-based tools as a key to scalability and asset flexibility, where new assets can be onboarded quickly, with no effect on system performance Digitization is probably the greatest empowering agent of that change, allowing energy companies to remotely monitor assets, unearth insights, and improve operational performance from a service and maintenance perspective. Artificial Intelligence can predict future outcomes like asset failure, identify underperformance, and protect workers. The result is greater production, higher efficiency, and a compelling ROI, Monitoring and reporting with AI-based models increases report accuracy and improves operational efficiency, by monitoring and reporting energy loss waterfall; i.e downtime, curtailment, and Balance of Plant. Mitigating panel soiling is an optimization problem that involves the following variables: the amount of soiling, insolation forecast, cost of cleaning, weather forecast, and AI tools can recommend an optimal panel cleaning schedule that maximizes profit, whereas investing in semi or full automation cleaning solutions, i.e semi-automated cleaning machines and robotics to minimize the cost of cleaning, while guarantee enhancing production Using innovative solutions similar to below would assist the O&M operator to achieve the expected results, Aerial Electroluminescence that is used to gain a deeper understanding of the nature and root cause of defects identified through thermography, or to understand the overall health of a large number of modules on a solar plant, Automated plant performance diagnosis analyzing low performing objects by drilling down from substations, and inverters to junction boxes and strings Predictive Maintenance, as a good predictive monitoring system could help with assessing the optimal hardware replacement cycle by modeling the uncertainty in the time-to-failure with a known probability distribution function. PV Monitoring-Imagery Data fusion; i.e Aerial Thermal Inspection and Analytics, that is used to identify, classify and prioritize 100% of all anomalies. That will definitely result in increased energy production, reducing maintenance costs, and improved operational efficiency.

Therefore, the O&M operators are obliged to do more with less. Where Reducing OPEX is a Key Challenge for them.

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Mar-Apr Issue 2022 | Pg 27

Upcoming EVENTS WEBINARS & CONFERENCES MAY 30

SOLAR POWER IN OMAN 3 pm - 6 pm Arabian Standard Time

JUNE 2 JUNE 5

SOLAR POWER IN YEMEN

INDUSTRY

3 pm - 5 pm Arabian Standard Time

INISGHTS

HUAWEI FUSIONSOLAR DAY 2022 Muscat, Muscat Governorate - Oman

JUNE 7

SOLARQUARTER BUSINESS MEET SAUDI ARABIA

NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY

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Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

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