Saudi Arabia to allow int'l companies to install solar cells for power subscribers

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia will start receiving applications on September 24 to install solar cells, with the Saudi Electricity and Co-Generation Regulatory Authority allowing international companies to register for the project's auction.

The initiative for using the new technology falls into "The Kingdom's Vision 2030" that supports the use of solar energy in the Kingdom, relying less on oil, and giving consumers the opportunity to generate power and export the surplus energy to the national grid.       Abdullah Al-Shehry, governor of the Electricity and Co-Generation Regulatory Authority, told Aleqtesadiah Arabic daily that "using solar energy will be optional" and clarified that the authority adopted regulations for the uses of solar energy titled "Small-scale Solar Energy Systems."

Al-Shehry stressed that this opportunity to install solar cells was available to both local and international companies, provided that they obtained a qualification certificate from the Saudi Electricity Co (SEC).

He noted that the solar energy project would start being implemented by the middle of next year, allowing consumers to export the redundant energy to the national grid at a price to be set by the network each year, or to be deducted from their electricity bills.       A team of experts is developing the regulations and necessary technical designs to launch the project.

The submission of initial online applications will start next Sunday to limit the number of subscribers, and to be able to study the demand, the potential produced energy, and its impact on the national grid.

Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Beeshi, head of distribution services and leader of the initiative of the solar energy shift at the SEC, pointed out in a previous report that the qualified subscribers can submit a final application to install and connect the small-scale photovoltaic solar energy systems to the national grid on July 1, 2018. He added that the necessary details, instructions, procedures and examples regarding the applications will be posted on SEC's official site to make it easier for subscribers.