The research, development and innovation team at King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy K.A.CARE developed a software tool to help developers/operators of solar power plants to achieve the optimal costs of maintenance and cleaning of the solar panels due to accumulated dust.
K.A.CARE carried out a number of research, some of which with the Saudi Electricity Company to find out the effects of the accumulation of dust on the solar panels where the performance of a number of techniques of PV solar panels installed in Ramah province were analyzed and tested in cooperation with national and Japanese parties. The Team carried out an intensive study for a whole year to find out the effect of dust accumulation on the solar panels which, in turn decreases the energy produced by the solar plants.
The Team also visited on weekly basis the test station to make sure that the system works and the procedures of cleaning the panels are followed. Because of the study it was clear that the impact of accumulated dust on the panels on the energy produced varied between 2% to 18% during a period of 30 days and that this impact is seasonal as it increases in March and April and decreases in July and August.
The Team also noted that derived results differ from one region to another and might differ from one year to another. The Team intends to carry out more studies and to expand the study area to other areas and provide this data in the Atlas site renewable energy sources. Next, the team developed a software tool that will generate the number of times of cleaning panels and their times so that developers can estimate human and financial resources needed to achieve. The Team will conduct technical and economic studies to evaluate solutions that reduce the accumulation of dust and improve it according to the National Transformation Program of K.A.CARE.
The Vice President of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (K.A.CARE), Dr. Waleed bin Husain AbulFaraj received in his office a number of the Saudi Shura Council members. During said meeting K.A.CARE plans and goals were highlighted within the framework of the Kingdom’s vision 2030 and the National Transformation Program 2020 for the purpose of incorporating atomic and renewable energy within the power system in the Kingdom. Also, the Vice president Dr. Waleed bin Husain Abulfaraj accompanied the Shura Council members on a visit to Mishkat Interactive Exhibition which is considered one of K.A.CARE initiatives where they saw a movie entitled ” Kingdom of Sustainable Energy ” and inspected the most important practical exhibits in the exhibition. A number of K.A.CARE senior officials attended this meeting. What is obvious that Saudi Arabia is doing internal and external efforts to join the Nuclear and Renewable Energy Revolution.
