Booming investment in Saudi Arabia’s renewable energy sector is set to drastically reduce the country’s carbon emissions by 2030 and spur employment opportunities. The region’s plentiful sunshine positions it as a possible exporter of solar energy; however, practical issues related to desert climates still need to be solved.

“The problem is the combination of extreme heat with all the other environmental factors – humidity, a lot of wind and soiling,” says Michael Salvador, Principal Technology Lead at the KAUST Solar Center. “There’s no certified way to test photovoltaic modules for all these conditions at the same time.”

Salvador and his colleagues are emerging as a critical resource for local solar companies looking to improve their balance sheets. Thanks to the KAUST Solar Center’s expertise in testing photovoltaic panels in harsh conditions, industrial partners are now finding it easier to fund expansion plans.

“If these companies could provide data to the banks about testing their modules and systems in our climate, it may enable them to negotiate better financing conditions,” says Salvador. “It’s good because the information flow between KAUST and these companies allows us to increase our knowledge about these issues as well.”

Haala Energy, a Jeddah-based engineering and construction firm, turned to the KAUST Solar Center to help solve a practical issue related to rooftop installations of solar panels. Following complaints of unexpected power failures, the company found that the panels were exposed to higher temperatures than predicted, with the likely culprit being trapped air underneath the panel’s sheet metal mounting frame. Ongoing work at the outdoor testing field in KAUST is helping the company explore different mounting setups that provide relief from the desert heat.