RIYADH: The Kingdom will next Sunday begin receiving applications to install solar cells, with the Saudi Electricity and Co-Generation Regulatory Authority allowing international companies to register for the project鈥檚 auction.
The initiative for using the new technology falls into 鈥淭he Kingdom鈥檚 Vision 2030鈥� that supports the use of solar energy in the Kingdom, relying less on oil, and giving consumers the opportunity to generate power and export the surplus energy to the national grid.
Abdullah Al-Shehry, governor of the Electricity and Co-Generation Regulatory Authority, told Aleqtesadiah that 鈥渦sing solar energy will be optional鈥� and clarified that the authority adopted regulations for the uses of solar energy titled 鈥淪mall-scale Solar Energy Systems.鈥�
Al-Shehry stressed that this opportunity to install solar cells is available to both local and international companies, provided that they obtain a qualification certificate from the Saudi Electricity Co. (SEC).
He further noted that the solar energy project will start being implemented by the middle of next year, allowing consumers to export the redundant energy to the national grid at a price to be set by the network each year, or to be deducted from their electricity bills.
A team of experts is developing the regulations and necessary technical designs to launch the project.
The submission of initial online applications will start next Sunday to limit the number of subscribers, and to be able to study the demand, the potential produced energy, and its impact on the national grid.
Abdullah bin Mohammed Al-Beeshi, head of distribution services and leader of the initiative of the solar energy shift at the SEC, pointed out in a previous report that the qualified subscribers can submit a final application to install and connect the small-scale photovoltaic solar energy systems to the national grid on July 1, 2018.
He added that the necessary details, instructions, procedures and examples regarding the applications will be posted on SEC鈥檚 official site to make it easier for subscribers, he added.