Living in the Sun Belt : The Solar Power Potential for the Middle East
The Global Sun Belt is the area around the world which gets the most sun per day, month and year. These sun rich areas are often hot deserts.
Living in the Sun Belt means regular, streaming sunlight. Countries in the Sun Belt can experience extremely hot summers and little rain.
Sun Belt country Kuwait has seen the hottest ever temperature recorded on Earth. 54 degrees Celsius! That is a whole lot of heat coming from a whole lot of sun.
The Global Sun Belt is the area where the most solar power stands to be harvested. By 2030, the 66 countries in the global Sun Belt could reach an installed solar PV capacity of 405 GW. This could provide electricity to around 300 million people. It makes perfect sense to centre the world’s solar energy plants in our sunny back yards. So, how have we done so far?
Let’s take a look at solar developments around the Middle East. We can see precisely where solar power is heading in the Middle East.
By 2030, the 66 countries in the Global Sun Belt could reach an installed solar PV capacity of 405 GW.
Saudi Arabia is already known as an energy power house. What it has in oil reserves dwarfs those in countries around it. But, oil is non renewable. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. The Saudi Arabian Oil Company has realized this. They have expressed an interest in developing solar energy as a renewable alternative. And why not? Their deserts are a fertile ground for harvesting the sun’s power.
Forbes magazine describes it best. When it comes to power, Saudi Arabia is the Saudi Arabia of solar energy and Riyadh has been developing Saudi’s domestic solar power. They strive towards achieving economies of scale. This would boost solar energy up in the power markets. Economies of scale makes solar power a viable alternative to oil and natural gas.
The United Arab Emirates is all about style. This translates directly to their feats of modern solar architecture. An example of their panache at work is The Vertical Village. This is a real estate development which self sustains its power through a “skirt” of solar panels. Masdar is the UAE’s renewable energy producer. They are involved in projects both domestically in the UAE as well as throughout the Middle East. Investment is well underway to keep the UAE at the top of their solar game.
Now let’s take a look at energy importers.
Noor Solar Complex – Morocco
Countries can end up spending a huge amount on importing fuel. Wouldn’t it make sense to look at alternatives? This is what Morocco and Jordan are now contemplating. Morocco imports about 90% of its energy.
Now, it is looking at solar power as a sustainable, local alternative. They are taking this idea and putting it to huge amounts of use.
Morocco is building the world’s largest solar power plant. The Noor Solar Complex uses concentrated solar technology. This generates heat and powers turbines to supply energy. Their goal by 2025 is to use solar power to account for half of its electricity production. Afterwards, they plan on becoming a solar exporter. So from energy importer to energy exporter, Morocco stands to completely overhaul its economy.
All using the power of the Sun Belt.
Jordan imports more than 95 percent of its energy. This takes up about 16% of the country’s GDP. To recoup these costs, they have been making efforts to diversify their energy portfolio. Moving from importing oil and gas to producing solar energy has become a priority.
Recently, they have also added wind turbine fields. Jordan is also looking at generating nuclear energy. It has set a lofty goal for 2018. They aim for renewable energy sources to account for 20% of their generation capacity. Being in a prime Sun Belt location, we think that solar power will play a major role there.
Being in the Global Sun Belt means so much more than hiding from the summer heat. Innovations are underway to turn the Sun Belt into a global source of renewable power.
We at Solar One are incredibly excited, we aim at placing Bahrain on the Solar Power map – this is truly the time to be Putting Power Back In The Hands Of The People.
In the Middle East : 5 Solar Architecture Projects that will Amaze
Solar Architecture is leading the way in the Middle East. This sun rich area has become a hot spot sustainable, solar design at work.
With reports forecasting approximately 4 gigawatts of solar power projects planned across the Middle East for 2016, developers, architects and engineers are harnessing the power of solar. Sustainable Architecture is becoming the next thing to look out for, and solar is being incorporated into some amazing feats of modern architecture.
Here are 5 solar architecture projects that amaze us and are true examples of the potential for more Solar Architecture in the Middle East.
1. Dubai Vertical Village – United Arab Emirates
Dubai Vertical Village
The architects at Graft Lab have created the incredible Vertical Village. This is a commercial, residential and entertainment development. The Vertical Village uses a Solar powered “skirt” to harness it’s energy. The village’s solar roof emulates a leaf. It has “veins” which break the solar field up into serviceable units. They also transport energy back to the building. It is used to provide hot water and power for air conditioning. There is an entertainment district, with shops, cinemas and restaurants. The north strip of the development is home to hotels and residential towers. In trusted Dubai style, the Vertical Village has it all – Solar Architecture excellence!
Al Meisan Tower
2. Al Meisan Tower – United Arab Emirates
Also in Dubai, the Almeisan Tower is designed by architect Robert Perry. This stunning tower will provide its own energy, as well as enough energy for the rest of the Za’abeel Park! 224 heliostatic polished mirrors on the top platform track the sun. These reflect the beams of light into a central collector at the tower’s tip. This magnified sunlight is harnessed and used to generate steam to power a turbine! Almeisan, is the Arabic name for one of the brightest starts in the Gemini constellation. It is a fitting name. The tower’s defining feature is the sunlight that beams out from its tip. A beacon for Dubai and for sustainable energy.
Kuwait International Airport
3. Kuwait International Airport
Architects at Foster + Partners have designed the new Kuwait International Airport. With this, they are aiming for the for the LEED Gold Sustainability Award. This amazing airport features concrete pillars that cool and protect the airport’s interior. They do this by providing thermal mass. The roof is a canopy fitted with PV solar panels. 13 million passengers will flow through this airport. They will be able to see sustainability implemented with style and grace. Initial designs call for 3 wings of the airport ,each a mile long. They connect with a grand 82 foot dome. There will even be cooling waterfalls by the baggage claim! There is flexibility in the design for large scale expansion. In the future, Kuwait international Airport will be able to accommodate 50 million passengers.
4. King Abdullah University of Science and Technology – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Jeddah features two solar towers. These use the sun and prevailing winds to create a passive pressure difference. This keeps a continuous breeze blowing across the shaded courtyards. The towers feature two “skins”. The outer is completely transparent. This allows the maximum amount of sunlight to pass through to the inner “skin”. The inner skin consists of a highly absorbent tinted glass. This gathers up solar energy and maximizes hot air in the tower. As hot air rises, it exits the top of the tower. This is then replaced with cooler air from the courtyard.
This technology keeps the campus courtyard comfortable and cool for more than 75% of the year. The roof of the KAUST building has been designed to incorporate solar panels. These work to provide the entire campus with power and hot water on demand. An amazing example of solar energy at work.
ABC Mall Achrafieh – Lebanon
5. ABC Achrafieh Mall – Lebanon
The ABC Achrafieh Mall in Beirut is paving the way for sustainability. They installed the largest solar PV plant in Lebanon on its rooftop. This covers up to 4000 square meters and can power the ABC department store. This is equal to supplying 500 houses with power.
This is an incredible way for a busy mall to cut down on the need for electricity. At the same time, harnessing the sun’s renewable energy. We consider this a true pioneering approach to sustainable architecture and power saving at a time where an uninterrupted source of electricity and power are a luxury in Lebanon.
Architectural projects like these are why Solar One came to being. We believe that sustainable architecture and specifically harnessing Solar Power is no longer a hope in the future but is very much our present. By manufacturing these panels locally right here in Bahrain, and competing with international prices, we will soon see Bahrain and more Middle East Projects on other lists of Sustainable Architecture.
If you wish to incorporate solar panels in your large or small architectural designs, keep an eye out for our distributors and contact us today.
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