Saudi Arabia has been speeding up the pace to activate the recently approved small-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.
It has provided the necessary legislation to achieve all options and bolster opportunities for building local content for the components needed for the local solar energy production.
King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE) announced Thursday launching training programs over installation process of small-scale solar PV systems in the kingdom.
Four training centers have been authorized to offer the five-day training program, it said.
The accredited institutes are in Yanbu, Dammam, Riyadh, and Juaima’h and Baish.
Individuals wishing to obtain certificates to work in the field of designing or installing small-scale solar PV systems must attend an at least five-day training program at one of the centers.
Afterwards, they apply for the final test at the distribution service provider to obtain the qualification certificate in case they pass the training period.
The training certification program aims to ensure that the solar PV systems that are connected to the kingdom’s grid are designed and equipped by trained professionals with required competencies.
This serves several purposes and helps ensure the achievement of high levels of safety and security, adherence to the required technical standards, high quality of design and installation for clients and protection of the distribution system.
Earlier this week, the Saudi Ministry of Energy announced that the small-scale solar PV systems are ready to generate electricity for houses and enterprises, to be later connected to the kingdom’s grid.
It also announced providing consumers with an easy-to-use e-calculator that helps in analyzing the financial and technical aspects of the estimated installation cost, as well as various other support services.
The project participants are the Ministry of Energy, the Electricity Cogeneration Regulatory Authority (ECRA), Ministry of Municipality and Rural Affairs (MoMRA), Ministry of Housing, Ministry of Commerce and Investment (MOCI), KACARE and Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO).
Meanwhile, ECRA announced the launch of the “Shamsi” portal for the PV system.
The new portal informs consumers of the economic feasibility and estimated costs of installing a solar energy system in a home or business before connecting it to the public electrical network, ECRA said in a statement.
