Solar energy development in the GCC region – a review on recent progress and opportunities

Abstract

ABSTRACT Exponential increase in global energy demand has led to the extensive integration of renewable energy resources. Solar energy has particularly attracted major interest, due to its scalability and ease of installation. A rise in solar insolation levels in the gulf-region has led to the rise of solar integration within the energy mix to provide strategies for clean energy production. Furthermore, GCC countries implemented various strategies to increase the installed capacity of photovoltaic system installations to cope with the rapid consumption of energy by consumers. In this review, the highlighted progress in solar energy development is discussed with respect to the gulf-situated countries. Present diversification of implemented and future projects paves the way to successful green energy integration. Furthermore, present challenges with photovoltaic (PV) implementation within the region such as oil dependence and arid climatic conditions affect its performance dramatically. However, the potential impact and benefits are numerous, which in hand encourage photovoltaic implementation within the region. In addition, measures are discussed for the steady improvement of solar energy integration within the electrical network, to be considered by the countries situated within the region.