A key review on present status and future directions of solar energy studies and applications in Saudi Arabia

Renewable energy is accepted as a key source for the future, not only for Saudi Arabia, but also for the world. Saudi Arabia has abundant potential for exploiting solar energy, which is renewable, clean, and freely available. The average annual solar radiation falling on the Arabian Peninsula is about 2200kWh/m2. Applications of solar energy in Saudi Arabia have been growing since 1960. Solar hydrogen production plant situated at the Solar Village, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, could have been considered as the world's first 350kW solar-powered hydrogen-generation plant at the time of its inception. The development of solar energy, however, has been relatively low due to several obstacles although utilization of solar energy in its various aspects is very attractive for the country. The main objectives of this study are to address current applications and future aspects of solar energy along with studies conducted in this field and to assess them in the light of available sustainable energy technologies towards establishing energy policies. The solar energy-related topics reviewed include various types of solar radiation correlations, exergetic solar radiation, solar collectors, solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, solar stills, solar-powered irrigation, solar energy-related greenhouses, solar hydrogen, solar water desalination and solar energy education. Some barriers, scenarios and constraints are also covered. The utilization of solar energy could cover a significant part of the energy demand in the country. If a major breakthrough is achieved in the field of solar-energy conversion, Saudi Arabia can be a leading producer and exporter of solar energy in the form of electricity. The geographical location of the country, its widespread unused desert land, and year-round clear skies, all make it an excellent candidate for this.

[1]  Shafiqur Rehman,et al.  Global solar radiation in northeastern Saudi Arabia , 1999 .

[2]  S. Rehman,et al.  Artificial neural network estimation of global solar radiation using air temperature and relative humidity , 2008 .

[3]  N. S. Al Baharna,et al.  Assessment of solar radiation models for the Gulf Arabian countries , 1992 .

[4]  Raghavan Srinivasan,et al.  Correlation between hourly diffuse and global radiation for Dhahran, Saudi Arabia , 1985 .

[5]  Nagamany Nirmalakhandan,et al.  Renewable and sustainable approaches for desalination , 2010 .

[6]  Zekai Şen,et al.  Simple nonlinear solar irradiation estimation model , 2007 .

[7]  D. C. Spanner,et al.  Introduction to Thermodynamics , 1964 .

[8]  Shafiqur Rehman,et al.  SOLAR RADIATION OVER SAUDI ARABIA AND COMPARISONS WITH EMPIRICAL MODELS , 1998 .

[9]  Ibrahim M. Al-Helal,et al.  Solar energy utilization by a greenhouse: General relations , 2011 .

[10]  S. H. Alawaji.  Evaluation of solar energy research and its applications in Saudi Arabia — 20 years of experience , 2001 .

[11]  S. H. Alawaji.  Life after oil , 2001 .

[12]  John Psarras,et al.  Enhancing renewable energy in the Arab States of the Gulf: Constraints & efforts , 2006 .

[13]  A. H. Zahed,et al.  A perspective of solar hydrogen and its utilization in Saudi Arabia , 1991 .

[14]  Hassan E.S. Fath,et al.  Techno-economic assessment and environmental impacts of desalination technologies , 2011 .

[15]  Ibrahim Dincer,et al.  Exergetic assessment of solar hydrogen production methods , 2010 .

[16]  A.A.M. Sayigh.  Photovoltaic powered villages in Saudi Arabia , 1988 .

[17]  Lei Wang,et al.  Solar air conditioning in Europe--an overview , 2007 .

[18]  M. Benghanem,et al.  A multiple correlation between different solar parameters in Medina, Saudi Arabia , 2007 .

[19]  A. H. Zahed,et al.  A case study of a solar energy transfer and storage system in a freeze desalination project in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia , 1990 .

[20]  Fawzi Banat,et al.  Solar thermal desalination technologies , 2008 .

[21]  Lawrence L. Kazmerski,et al.  Solar and wind opportunities for water desalination in the Arab regions , 2009 .

[22]  S. M. Hasnain,et al.  Prospects and proposals for solar energy education programmes , 1995 .

[23]  Arif Hepbasli,et al.  Diffuse solar radiation estimation models for Turkey’s big cities , 2009 .

[24]  H. K. Abdel-Aal.  Storage and transport of solar energy on a massive scale : the hydrogen option , 1992 .

[25]  Michael J Tierney,et al.  Options for solar-assisted refrigeration—Trough collectors and double-effect chillers , 2007 .

[26]  Mohammad A.K. Al-Sofi,et al.  Seawater desalination — SWCC experience and vision , 2001 .

[27]  Erik Wilhelm,et al.  A Technical and Economic Review of Solar Hydrogen Production Technologies , 2006 .

[28]  R. Petela.  Exergy of undiluted thermal radiation , 2003 .

[29]  M. A. Elhadidy,et al.  Comparison of calculated and measured values of total radiation on tilted surfaces in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia , 1986 .

[30]  Akili D. Khawaji,et al.  Advances in seawater desalination technologies , 2008 .

[31]  A. Maghrabi,et al.  Parameterization of a simple model to estimate monthly global solar radiation based on meteorological variables, and evaluation of existing solar radiation models for Tabouk, Saudi Arabia , 2009 .

[32]  Eduardo Zarza,et al.  Parabolic-trough solar collectors and their applications , 2010 .

[33]  A. Hepbasli,et al.  Determination of the optimum tilt angle of solar collectors for building applications , 2007 .

[34]  C. A. Infante Ferreira,et al.  Solar refrigeration options – a state-of-the-art review , 2008 .

[35]  Shafiqur Rehman,et al.  Global solar radiation estimation , 1997 .

[36]  S. A. M. Said.  Application of photovoltaic systems in Saudi Arabia , 1992 .

[37]  S. M. Javaid Zaidi,et al.  R&D activities of fuel cell Research at KFUPM , 2007 .

[38]  Giacobbe Braccio,et al.  Techno-economic evaluation of a solar powered water desalination plant , 2003 .

[39]  A. Khogali,et al.  Global and diffuse solar irradiance in Yemen (Y.A.R.) , 1983 .

[40]  H. K. Abdel-Aal,et al.  Prospects of “solar” hydrogen for desert development in the Arab world , 1998 .

[41]  A. Salim,et al.  A comprehensive report on the performance of the longest operating 350 kW concentrator photovoltaic power system , 1990 .

[42]  L. L. Kazmerski.  Chapter 1.03: Solar Photovoltaics Technology: No Longer an Outlier , 2012 .

[43]  A. A. El-Sebaii,et al.  Global, direct and diffuse solar radiation on horizontal and tilted surfaces in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia , 2010 .

[44]  Y. Al‐Saleh.  Renewable energy scenarios for major oil-producing nations: The case of Saudi Arabia , 2009 .

[45]  Hartmut Steeb,et al.  The German-Saudi HYSOLAR program , 1998 .

[46]  S. M. Hasnain,et al.  Role of Solar Energy Research in Transferring of Technology to Saudi Arabia , 1999 .

[47]  H. K. Abdel-Aal,et al.  Parametric study for saline water electrolysis: Part I—hydrogen production , 1993 .

[48]  Bakr H. Khoshaim.  200 m3/day solar sea water desalination pilot plant , 1985 .

[49]  Onder Ozgener,et al.  Turkey's Renewable Energy Sources: Part 1. Historical Development , 2004 .

[50]  Ahmed A. Al-Ghamdi,et al.  Active single basin solar still with a sensible storage medium , 2009 .

[51]  H. M. Taleb.  Barriers hindering the utilisation of geothermal resources in Saudi Arabia , 2009 .

[52]  Ibrahim El-Amin,et al.  Techno-economic evaluation of off-grid hybrid photovoltaic-diesel-battery power systems for rural electrification in Saudi Arabia--A way forward for sustainable development , 2009 .

[53]  Mohamed Mohandes,et al.  USE OF RADIAL BASIS FUNCTIONS FOR ESTIMATING MONTHLY MEAN DAILY SOLAR RADIATION , 2000 .

[54]  S. A. Al-Ajlan,et al.  Performance and development of PV - Plant for water pumping and desalination for remote area in Saudi Arabia , 1996 .

[55]  M. Mohandes,et al.  Estimation of Diffuse Fraction of Global Solar Radiation Using Artificial Neural Networks , 2009 .

[56]  Stephan Kabelac,et al.  Exergy of solar radiation , 2005 .

[57]  S. Jeter.  Maximum conversion efficiency for the utilization of direct solar radiation , 1981 .

[58]  M. Lowenstein,et al.  The Joint Saudi Arabian-United States Solar Energy Program , 1979 .

[59]  Tariq Muneer,et al.  Sustainable production of solar electricity with particular reference to the Indian economy , 2005 .

[60]  Arnulf Jäger-Waldau.  European Photovoltaics in world wide comparison , 2006 .

[61]  Hans-Martin Henning,et al.  Solar assisted air conditioning of buildings – an overview , 2004 .

[62]  R.R. Obaid,et al.  Present State, Challenges, and Future of Power Generation in Saudi Arabia , 2008, 2008 IEEE Energy 2030 Conference.

[63]  A. Feltrin,et al.  Material considerations for terawatt level deployment of photovoltaics , 2008 .

[64]  Shafiqur Rehman,et al.  Spatial estimation of global solar radiation using geostatistics , 2000 .

[65]  R. Petela.  Exergy of Heat Radiation , 1964 .

[66]  Ramazan Kahraman,et al.  Solar Radiation Availability in the Northeastern Region of Saudi Arabia , 2000 .

[67]  Steven Dubowsky,et al.  On the feasibility of solar-powered irrigation , 2010 .

[68]  Ibrahim S. Al-Mutaz,et al.  Evaluation of solar powered desalination processes , 1989 .

[69]  S. A. Al-Sanea,et al.  Adjustment factors for the ASHRAE clear-sky model based on solar-radiation measurements in Riyadh , 2004 .

[70]  Luai M. Al-Hadhrami,et al.  Techno-Economic Potential of Retrofitting Diesel Power Systems with Hybrid Wind-Photovoltaic-Diesel Systems for Off-Grid Electrification of Remote Villages of Saudi Arabia , 2010 .

[71]  Ahmed A. Al-Ghamdi,et al.  Thermal performance of a single basin solar still with PCM as a storage medium , 2009 .

[72]  Yousef A.G. Abdalla,et al.  New Correlations of Global Solar Radiation with Meteorological Parameters for Bahrain , 1994 .

[73]  A.A.M. Sayigh,et al.  Simulation and modeling of solar radiation in Saudi Arabia , 1995 .

[74]  M. A. Bader,et al.  Cost of solar energy generated using PV panels , 2007 .

[75]  S. H. Alawaji.  Renewable Energy Research, Development and Applications in Saudi Arabia , 2000 .

[76]  Adel Mellit,et al.  Radial Basis Function Network-based prediction of global solar radiation data: Application for sizing of a stand-alone photovoltaic system at Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia , 2010 .

[77]  B. Samanta,et al.  Estimation of incident radiation on a novel spherical solar collector , 1998 .

[78]  V. Bahel,et al.  Solar radiation for Dhahran, Saudi Arabia , 1986 .

[79]  Dieter Holm,et al.  Renewable energy – the future for the developing world , 2008 .

[80]  Shafiqur Rehman,et al.  Photovoltaic Technology of Electricity Generation for Desert Camping , 2005 .

[81]  I. Al-helal,et al.  Effect of arid environment on radiative properties of greenhouse polyethylene cover , 2009 .

[82]  Ibrahim Dincer,et al.  Coupling of copper–chloride hybrid thermochemical water splitting cycle with a desalination plant for hydrogen production from nuclear energy , 2010 .

[83]  Hassan E.S. Fath,et al.  Thermal performance of greenhouses with a built-in solar distillation system: experimental study , 2005 .

[84]  S. N. Alamri,et al.  ANN-based modelling and estimation of daily global solar radiation data: A case study , 2009 .

[85]  S. M. Hasnain,et al.  Solar energy education - a viable pathway for sustainable development , 1998 .

[86]  A. Sayigh.  Saudi Arabia looks at the sun , 1978 .

[87]  T. Nejat Veziroglu,et al.  Solar-hydrogen energy system for Saudi Arabia , 2004 .

[88]  F. S. Huraib,et al.  Lessons learned from solar energy projects in Saudi Arabia , 1996 .

[89]  N. Eugenio,et al.  Photovoltaic-thermal solar energy experiment in Saudi Arabia , 1998 .

[90]  S. M. Shaahid,et al.  Economic analysis of hybrid photovoltaic–diesel–battery power systems for residential loads in hot regions—A step to clean future , 2008 .

[91]  Danyel Reiche,et al.  Energy Policies of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries—possibilities and limitations of ecological modernization in rentier states , 2010 .

[92]  S. M. Hasnain,et al.  Coupling of PV-powered R.O. brackish water desalination plant with solar stills , 1998 .

[93]  Zhao Zhengming,et al.  A review of renewable energy technologies integrated with desalination systems , 2009 .

[94]  U. A. Elani,et al.  The importance of silicon photovoltaic manufacturing in Saudi Arabia , 1998 .

[95]  Mohamed Mohandes,et al.  Estimation of global solar radiation using artificial neural networks , 1998 .

[96]  Justin Dargin.  Saudi Arabia, UAE promote energy from sun and wind , 2009 .

[97]  M. Benghanem.  Optimization of tilt angle for solar panel: Case study for Madinah, Saudi Arabia , 2011 .

[98]  B. Stafford,et al.  PV-powered water pumping and desalination plant for remote areas in Saudi Arabia , 1995 .

[99]  Juan C. Klainsek.  Glazing and its influence on building energy behavior , 1991 .

[100]  S. Rehman,et al.  Saudi Arabian Geothermal Energy Resources - an Update , 2010 .

[101]  Shafiqur Rehman.  Empirical model development and comparison with existing correlations , 1999 .

[102]  E. Delyannis,et al.  Desalination by using alternative energy: Review and state-of-the-art , 2007 .

[103]  M. A. Kettani.  Photovoltaics in the Arab world , 1982 .

[104]  Catherine Charcosset,et al.  A review of membrane processes and renewable energies for desalination , 2009 .

[105]  S. M. Hasnain,et al.  Coupling of PV-powered RO brackish water desalination plant with solar stills , 1998 .

[106]  Luai M. Al-Hadhrami,et al.  Assessment of thermal performance of different types of masonry bricks used in Saudi Arabia , 2009 .

[107]  A. Sayigh,et al.  Estimation of the total solar radiation from meteorological data , 1977 .

[108]  Orhan Büyükalaca,et al.  Simple model for the generation of daily global solar-radiation data in Turkey , 2007 .

[109]  Hippu Salk Kristle Nathan,et al.  Commercialization of sustainable energy technologies , 2010 .

[110]  W. Seeger,et al.  Hysolar: an overview on the German-Saudi Arabian programme on solar hydrogen , 1994 .

[111]  S. M. Shaahid,et al.  Wind and solar energy at Dhahran, Saudi Arabia , 1994 .

[112]  Othman Alnatheer,et al.  The potential contribution of renewable energy to electricity supply in Saudi Arabia , 2005 .

[113]  Amy H. I. Lee,et al.  Strategic selection of suitable projects for hybrid solar-wind power generation systems , 2010 .

[114]  M. S. Al-Ayed,et al.  Global, direct and diffuse solar irradiance in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia , 1998 .

[115]  W Grasse,et al.  HYSOLAR: The German-Saudi Arabian program on solar hydrogen—5 years of experience , 1992 .

[116]  S. M. Shaahid,et al.  Parametric study of hybrid (wind + solar + diesel) power generating systems , 2000 .

[117]  Luai M. Al-Hadhrami,et al.  Study of a solar PV–diesel–battery hybrid power system for a remotely located population near Rafha, Saudi Arabia , 2010 .

[118]  M. Al-Garni.  Experimental investigations of hydrogen catalytic combustion plates at KACST , 1997 .

[119]  A. A. El-Sebaii,et al.  Estimation of global solar radiation on horizontal surfaces in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia , 2009 .

[120]  M. Bashir,et al.  Experiences with the safe operation of a 2 kWh solar hydrogen plant , 1994 .

[121]  Ranko Goic,et al.  review of solar photovoltaic technologies , 2011 .

[122]  S. A. Al-Ajlan,et al.  Developing sustainable energy policies for electrical energy conservation in Saudi Arabia , 2006 .