KAUST Identifies Top 10 Sites for Solar and Wind Energy Storage in Red Sea 

The study focused on determining how the transition to renewable sources can support water management in the Kingdom. (SPA)
The study focused on determining how the transition to renewable sources can support water management in the Kingdom. (SPA)
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KAUST Identifies Top 10 Sites for Solar and Wind Energy Storage in Red Sea 

The study focused on determining how the transition to renewable sources can support water management in the Kingdom. (SPA)
The study focused on determining how the transition to renewable sources can support water management in the Kingdom. (SPA)

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has identified the top 10 recommended locations for solar and wind energy storage through a new research study.

These locations will contribute to accelerating the Kingdom's transition to renewable energy sources, boosting water resource management, and strengthening food security in line with Saudi Vision 2030, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Monday.

The Kingdom possesses immense potential in solar and wind energy. Therefore, the study focused on determining how the transition to these renewable sources can support water management in the country, aiming to achieve at least half of its electricity capacity from renewable energy sources. Achieving this goal requires significant changes in the energy sector, which was responsible for about half of the Kingdom's carbon dioxide emissions in 2022.

Study leader Professor Yoshihide Wada emphasized that renewable energy is essential for the Kingdom's sustainable future.

The main challenge lies in how to store energy for use during periods of high demand, he added.

In the Kingdom, electricity consumption significantly increases between the winter and summer seasons in some years, necessitating infrastructure capable of storing energy harvested from wind and solar sources during the cooler months for use in the hotter months, he said.

He also noted that one of the solutions the Kingdom is investing in is batteries, which store energy only for daily cycles. However, he said, to store energy over longer seasonal cycles, the Kingdom is considering seasonal pumped hydro storage.

In this approach, desalinated water can be stored in reservoirs on high mountains and released on demand to generate energy and supply water, Wada explained.

Nevertheless, the locations for seasonal pumped hydro storage are not inexpensive, with each site costing approximately ten billion dollars. Therefore, it is crucial to conduct a thorough site evaluation when assessing feasibility.

For this purpose, scientists considered several factors, including the evaporation of stored water, water salinity and the feasibility of constructing nearby solar or wind power plants.



California Man Wins $50 Million in Lawsuit over Burns from Starbucks Tea

FILE - This is the Starbucks sign on Black Friday shoppers line at a Starbucks kiosk in the Walden Galleria in Buffalo, NY., Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
FILE - This is the Starbucks sign on Black Friday shoppers line at a Starbucks kiosk in the Walden Galleria in Buffalo, NY., Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
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California Man Wins $50 Million in Lawsuit over Burns from Starbucks Tea

FILE - This is the Starbucks sign on Black Friday shoppers line at a Starbucks kiosk in the Walden Galleria in Buffalo, NY., Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
FILE - This is the Starbucks sign on Black Friday shoppers line at a Starbucks kiosk in the Walden Galleria in Buffalo, NY., Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

A delivery driver has won $50 million in a lawsuit after being seriously burned when a Starbucks drink spilled in his lap at a California drive-through, court records show.
A Los Angeles County jury found Friday for Michael Garcia, who underwent skin grafts and other procedures on his genitals after a venti-sized tea drink spilled instants after he collected it on Feb. 8, 2020. He has suffered permanent and life-changing disfigurement, according to his attorneys.
Garcia's negligence lawsuit blamed his injuries on Starbucks, saying that an employee didn't wedge the scalding-hot tea firmly enough into a takeout tray.
“This jury verdict is a critical step in holding Starbucks accountable for flagrant disregard for customer safety and failure to accept responsibility,” one of Garcia's attorneys, Nick Rowley, said in a statement.
Starbucks said it sympathized with Garcia but planned to appeal, The Associated Press reported.
“We disagree with the jury’s decision that we were at fault for this incident and believe the damages awarded to be excessive," the Seattle-based coffee giant said in a statement to media outlets, adding that it was “committed to the highest safety standards” in handling hot drinks.
US eateries have faced lawsuits before over customer burns.
In one famous 1990s case, a New Mexico jury awarded a woman nearly $3 million in damages for burns she suffered while trying to pry the lid off a cup of coffee at a McDonald’s drive-through. A judge later reduced the award, and the case ultimately was settled for an undisclosed sum under $600,000.
Juries have sided with restaurants at times, as in another 1990s case involving a child who tipped a cup of McDonald's coffee onto himself in Iowa.