Energy In Kuwait Research Articles

Practical application of machine learning in energy and thermal management: Long-term data analysis of solar-assisted AC systems in portable cabins in Kuwait and Australia

Machine learning techniques are advancing rapidly in theoretical grounds, but their practical application and real evaluation in engineering disciplines are limited. This study investigates one-year of experimental data for indoor air conditions and energy monitoring of two identical portable cabins in Kuwait. Additionally, a 9-month period of solar photovoltaic energy production is experimentally obtained for assessing energy saving aspects of a solar assisted air conditioning system in one of the cabins. A transient system simulation tool model is developed and validated for the portable cabins. Both one-year experimental data and the validated simulation data are used for developing machine learning models for six case studies in Kuwait and Australia. In simulations, there are issues related to lack of access to real-time weather data from a locally installed weather station. In experimental works, there were issues related to disruption of data collection due to power or internet shutdowns. To resolve these issues, nineteen regression models are investigated. It was found that all models performed very well although the Matern 5/2 and Exponential gaussian process regression model performed slightly better, with all models achieving high accuracy, as indicated by R-squared values close to 1.0 in all six case studies. Overall, it was found that the photovoltaic solar-assisted air conditioning system could save annually 26.2 % and 75.7 % energy in Kuwait and Rockhampton, Australia, respectively.

Integrating solar PV systems for energy efficiency in portable cabins: A case study in Kuwait

The rapid growth of energy consumption in densely populated urban areas with limited land space, especially in hot climates, poses significant challenges. The Australian University of Kuwait conducted a study using two portable cabins to explore energy-saving techniques. One cabin integrated an off-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) system to evaluate its impact on grid electricity demands for an airconditioning (AC) cooling system over 9 months, compared to the second cabin without a PV system. The PV system utilized rooftop space with four Monofacial Go Green 350 W/24 V solar panels, an off-grid maximum power point tracker (MPPT) inverter charger 3.5kVA/100A/24 V, and two Gel deep cycle batteries 12 V/200Ah. The PV panels were oriented south at a 30-degree latitude angle, providing power through the MPPT to a 1.5-ton AC split unit for cooling. Findings showed that the cabin with solar PV panels achieved a 24.1 % energy saving and a total CO2 reduction of 129.4 kg, consuming 1,743 kWh over 237 days, compared to 2,296 kWh for the cabin without the PV system. The novelty of this study lies in the integration of off-grid solar PV systems with existing cooling technologies to evaluate potential energy savings and environmental benefits for comprehensive utilization and addressing urban and climate challenges. Enhancements can include flexible room temperature control using advanced systems, optimizing the PV system settings with more efficient AC systems, and connecting the PV system to additional loads like heating/cooling and lighting. These improvements would ensure the comprehensive utilization of captured solar energy in Kuwait and countries with similar climatic conditions throughout the year. Advancements in solar PV panel efficiency and high-intensity flexible PV panels offer opportunities for maximizing solar energy capture in dense residential buildings.

Implementation Lean Teaching System forMathematics

Mathematic Teaching systems facing many challenges and factors that affect negatively its performance. As lean management approach succeeded in industrial sector, lean methodologies may be helpful in managing math teaching system efficiently and effectively, where improving quality of math teaching services may be achieved through the implementation of lean principles. Therefore teaching systems that are represented by schools, universities, and colleges are a suitable field to apply lean management approach. This study trying to investigate the implementation of some lean principles in managing math teaching systems with high performance. Also, this paper aims to implement a lean mathematical teaching system for high institute students of energy in Kuwait, it is expected that applying lean principles in the education system of math courses will improve the teaching and learning operations, increase the communication between all education system stockholders, improve skills of workers, and decreasing downtime or losses. Many hypotheses are presented and tested here using SPSS program. It was found that the math education system may be become lean-based if it has a multi-functional and flexible staff, continuous development and training for staff, and if there are a student training and qualifying activities, good management system, and continuous curriculum development.

Dependence between the GCC energy equities, global clean energy and emission markets: Evidence from wavelet analysis

In the context of the debate on energy transition and its implication for the energy-export-dependent GCC region, this study developed a dependence structure using a multiscale approach of wavelets to investigate the impact of global clean energy production, oil price and CO2 emission prices on the energy stock markets of the largest three oil exporters in the GCC region: Saudi, UAE and Kuwait. Our key findings indicate that the three global energy markets are weakly and positively correlated with the GCC energy stock prices at lower frequencies (higher scales). Besides, at the same level of frequencies, we found that changes in the global clean energy production index and CO2 emission price positively influence the three GCC energy stock prices. Oil price is a stronger moderator for the three GCC energy equities at lower frequencies relative to other variables, especially for Kuwait's energy stock price. We also discover that the Abu Dhabi energy index is more sensitive to swings in the three perspective markets compared to Saudi and Kuwait energy markets. These findings carry important implications and guidelines for policymakers, portfolio managers and scholars who attempt to understand the dynamic nexus between GCC energy sectors stock, global transition to clean energy and pricing emissions.

The potential of wind energy in Kuwait: a complete feasibility investigation

Energy prospectors are seeking to diversify the energy resources, reduce air pollution, and protect the economy from unstable crude oil prices. In this regard, the wind energy is an attractive source of renewable energy. In this paper, the potential of wind energy generated in wind farms is statically predicated and assessed. The average speed from four weather stations in Kuwait from 2009 to 2017 is adopted in the investigation, and three of these stations are onshore and one offshore. The value of the dimensionless Weibull shape and scale parameters are calculated. The maximum yearly value for Weibull shape parameter is 4.76, and the maximum yearly value for scale parameter is 8.35 m/s. The highest recorded monthly wind power density is 257.36 W/m2. The analyses indicated that the maximum yearly output energy of 11.71 GW-h can be produced by a 3.0 MW wind turbine. According to the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) classification, the Alsalmi, the Airport, and the Failaka island are not a favorable location for wind turbine location, while the Miribah is fairly good.

A comparative analysis of the carbon dioxide emissions-energy profile in Kuwait: status quo versus 2030

Kuwait is among the leading countries globally in terms of its per capita consumption of electricity and water based on the energy outlook report released in 2019. In Kuwait, the CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions rates have increased from the energy sector due to the burning of significant amounts of fossil fuels to meet the demands of electricity generation and water supply. Under these circumstances, the demanding analysis methodology to forecasting CO2 emissions from the energy sector, the per capita energy consumption and CO2 emissions were 8.9 toe per capita and 21.1 tonnes of CO2-eq emissions per capita, respectively. This paper aims to quantify a comparative analysis model and estimate an numeric magnitude for current and forecasting 2030 CO2 production totals from Kuwait's energy sector and its impact on average atmospheric temperature and energy production. The aggregate carbon intensity (ACI) was used as an indicator to evaluate the current energy situation and predict a model for Kuwait's CO2 emissions situation and identify how the energy demand and supply might evolve by 2030. The CO2 emissions for 2030 and the electricity consumption trend were assumed to be the 'business-as-usual' model using 2nd set of Fuel Analysis USEPA, with five fuel blend scenarios used as the energy sector's predicted fuel blends. The results found that the total CO2 emissions from the energy sector and the ACI of Kuwait in 2016 were 48.6 MtCO2 and 0.69 kgCO2/kWhr, respectively. The 2030 estimations indicated that using an 80% natural gas – 20% gas oil fuel blend in energy production resulted in CO2 emissions of approximately 66 MtCO2, with an ACI of 0.45 kgCO2/kW-hr. The CO2 offset from upcoming renewable energy projects is projected to be approximately 13%.

Techno-Economic Analysis and Modelling of the Feasibility of Wind Energy in Kuwait

There continues to be significant attention and investment in wind power generation, which can supply a high percentage of the global demand for renewable energy if harvested efficiently. The research study is based on a techno-economic analysis of the feasibility of implementing wind power generation in Kuwait for 105 MW of electricity generation based on 50 wind turbines, which is a major requirement for clean energy. The study focused on three main areas of analysis and numerical modelling using the RETScreen software tool. The first area involved evaluating the performance and efficacy of generating wind power by collecting, analysing, and modelling data on observed wind levels, wind turbine operation, and wind power generation. The second area comprised an environmental impact report to assess the environmental benefits of implementing wind power. The third area involved economic analysis of installing wind power in Kuwait. The analysis was undertaken to determine the energy recovery time for wind energy and determine the mitigation of global warming and pollution levels, the decrease of toxic emissions, and any cost savings from implementing clean energy systems in Kuwait. Additionally, sensitivity analysis was undertaken to determine the impact of certain variables in the modelling process. The results were used to estimate that the energy price would be $0.053 per kWh for a power generation capacity of 105 MWh based on an initial cost of US $168 million and O&M of $5 million for 214,000 MWh of electricity exported to the grid. Moreover, the wind turbine farm will potentially avoid the emission of approximately 1.8 million t of carbon dioxide per year, thereby saving about $9 million over 20 years spent through installing carbon capture systems for conventional power plants. The wind farm is estimated to have a payback time of 9.1 years.

Retraction Note: Techno-economic analysis and modelling of the feasibility of wind energy in Kuwait

The original Article was published on 06 January 2022. The Editors have retracted this article because the authors have used data from a study without permission and without citing the source. The Editors received this information after the publication of the paper. The authors have already responded to the correspondence from the editor/publisher about this retraction and confirm understanding our position.

RETRACTED: Techno-economic analysis and modelling of the feasibility of wind energy in Kuwait

The Editors have retracted this article, see the Retraction Notice, because the authors have used data from a study without permission and without citing the source. The Editors received this information after the publication of the paper.

Barriers facing the transition toward sustainable energy system in Kuwait

From the highest political ruling institute through the Amir of the State of Kuwait, the country announced its keenness to meet 15% of the local energy demand from renewable sources by 2030. Since the announcement in 2012, there has not been an effective assignment toward the goal. Up to date, the country's annual total energy generation from renewable technology systems is less than 1%. Furthermore, current indications imply that Kuwait will not reach the renewable energy target by 2030.This paper models the current system structure in pursuing the transition toward energy sustainability in Kuwait, focusing on renewable energy. The model development method is carried out by utilizing data and information on the performance and trends of Kuwait's energy system and related implications. Moreover, it incorporates efforts that local institutions have taken toward the development of a sustainable energy system. The model is based on a “push-pull” concept that identifies the main gaps in the current system and the barriers facing the deployment of renewable energy technologies. The development system lacks enablers involving legal and regulatory frameworks, supporting infrastructure, proper financing policies, and above all, a political will that fosters these enablers. Evidence suggests that renewable energy and clean technologies do not have sufficient potential impact on the country's economy and, therefore, they are trivial to the country's political system. Policy acts are suggested to imbed renewable and clean technologies within the country's economy to gain political popularity. Consequent implications may lead to profitable investments and social benefits, mitigating negative geopolitical impacts on the country's energy security.

Spatial Management for Solar and Wind Energy in Kuwait

Kuwait situated at the northwestern part of the Arabian Gulf experiences severe arid environmental conditions. Kuwait is facing many challenges in the sustainable development of the energy sector. These challenges are: deposited dust, increase of carbonate and mud percentages in dust, lower solar radiation, high relative humidity and low wind speed. These challenges that affects more the photovoltaic (PV) power stations were carefully monitored in order to special manage the solar and wind energy in Kuwait. Using 14 weather stations, solar radiation, wind speed and directions were monitored during the period (2010-2017). The annual deposited dust represents one of the highest in the region with 216 t km-2 as an average in 2009-2010 and 339 t km-2 in 2010-2011. Also, carbonates and mud content within deposited dust represent the highest percentages compared to the surrounding regions. The annual power production of wind farms in Kuwait is 2.3 times higher than PV unit with similar capacity. Finally, maps that were produces for all environmental challenges for solar and wind energy in this present paper show that the northwestern regions of Kuwait are the most appropriate areas for setting up a wind and/or a PV power stations.

Economic feasibility of wind and photovoltaic energy in Kuwait

The worldwide environmental concern and awareness created a way towards the generation of pollution-free wind and solar renewable energies. Wind and Photovoltaic (PV) power plants of each 10 MW capacity located in the Shagaya area, west of Kuwait, were compared after one year of operation. The wind power plants recorded high capacity factors resulting in a yearly power production of 42.59 GWh, 21% higher than expected (contractual 31.160 GWh). It will reduce the emission of CO2 throughout the projected lifetime of 25 years by 118,303 tons. CAPEX (capital Expenditure) and OPEX (operation expenditure) were taken into consideration throughout the life of the plants along with investment costs resulting in a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for wind of 0.015 KWD/kWh or 0.046 USD/kWh, compared to 0.027 KWD/kWh or 0.082 USD/kWh for solar PV (44% lower than PV). Offshore, Boubyan Island, Northern Kuwait territorial waters, were found to be the foremost appropriate for wind energy generation, with Wind Power Density of more than 500 Watt/m2 in summer which is ideal for the high energy demanding season in Kuwait. The LCOE for offshore wind energy was 27.6 fils/kWh, compared to 39.3 fils/kWh for thermal power plants.

Climatology of wind variability for the Shagaya region in Kuwait

Electrical system operators utilizing wind energy production need accurate wind power forecasts to prepare for changes in power production. To understand the forecast problem and sources of forecast uncertainty, a climatology of the region of interest is needed. For Shagaya Renewable Energy Park in Kuwait, seasonal and diurnal wind patterns and the atmospheric phenomena that cause them are identified using observations from meteorological towers, surface weather stations, and wind turbines. A setup conducive to shamals increases hub-height wind speed by up to 3 m s-1 from May to August and thereby increases power production of the Shagaya wind turbines by 24%, in a season with higher energy demand for cooling homes and businesses. Near sunset, wind speed ramps up and remains faster throughout the night due to the prevalent nocturnal low-level jet. Wind speed ramps back down after sunrise when the nocturnal boundary layer is eroded by convective turbulence, which leads to more short-term fluctuations in wind speed and wind power during the day. Given knowledge on these seasonal and diurnal cycles of short-term and long-term wind power variability, wind power has clear potential to meet a significant portion of Kuwait's energy needs.

Cost and effect of native vegetation change on aeolian sand, dust, microclimate and sustainable energy in Kuwait

This study deals with the vegetation change in Kuwait from 1974 compared to recent vegetation map and their capabilities on trapping mobile sand, dust and carbon dioxides (Co2). The average cost of one cubic meter removal of encroached sand around infrastructures in Kuwait is 1.32 USD. The capability of trapping sand is much higher for Haloxylon sp. than Stipagrostis sp. by 100%. The areas that were covered by Haloxylon in 1974 lose recently 4385 km2 for the benefits of Stipagrostis causing the formation of a new mobile sand corridor. The total estimated annual cost for the vegetation change is 35,429,379 USD obtained from the costs of sand encroachment, CO2 consumption loss and solar energy efficiency loss. Rehabilitation for areas that were occupied with large size canopy vegetation will surely cause a decrease in the aeolian activities and air temperature, lower the albedo and increase the precipitation and solar energy production.

A Geographical Spatial Analysis on the Benefits of Using Wind Energy in Kuwait

A Geographical Spatial Analysis on the Benefits of Using Wind Energy in Kuwait

Kuwait's energy subsidy reduction: Examining economic and CO2 emission effects with or without compensation

This paper examined economy-wide impacts of reducing energy subsidy in Kuwait. A social accounting matrix (SAM) was constructed and a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model was developed. The CGE model was used to simulate separate and combined effects of a 25% reduction of subsidy to three energy products: natural gas, oil, and electricity. This policy shock was applied to the model in two scenarios. In each round, the subsidy reductions were applied to each energy product separately in turn and then finally simultaneously to all energy products. In the first scenario, subsidy reductions were applied and results were compared with the baseline scenario given in the SAM. This yielded adverse effects across a range of endogenous variables. It leads to large energy price increases, as high as 255% (for electricity). Gross Domestic Product (GDP) marginally declined, by 0.28%. In scenario 2, the subsidy reduction was accompanied with cash transfers to energy users a compensation for welfare loss, the amount of transfer was equivalent to the sum of the amount of subsidy reductions. The results indicated that such transfers would reduce the adverse effects of the policy reform. The effects on GDP was reversed, it rose by 1.01%. The price effect was slightly lower, electricity price rose by 245%. Finally, sensitivity of the model results was examined by varying the elasticity of the substitution of composite energy and capital in production. Greater possibility of substitution seems to cause subsidy reform to have much larger positive (or smaller adverse) economy-wide effects. The simulation experiments suggest that subsidy reform would need to be accompanied by demand side stimulus or supply side initiatives to encourage energy conservation.

Sara Akbar

The history and modernization of women’s rights and leadership in Kuwait is explored through an introspective from Engineer Sara Akbar, ceo of Kuwait Energy. Akbar gives detailed accounts of her brief history of work and life as a woman in leadership. Through a lengthy ethnographic research, I traveled to Kuwait City as a Fulbright Scholar at the American University of Kuwait (auk 2009–2010) and had my first interview with her at the Engineers Society building. In 2013, on our first study abroad program at auk, I invited Sara Akbar to give a lecture to my asu students as part of a Lecture Series I organized; then I had another interview with her in her office in the new premises of her company, Kuwait Energy in Salmiya. Akbar’s dialogue highlights her theoretical feminist framework for life in Kuwait. In addition to her recounts of oppression and struggle as a woman in her workforce, Sara Akbar gives a call to action for people in all social and occupational hierarchies, men, and women, in Kuwait to broaden their horizons for women in leadership.

Evaluation of Maximum Power Point Tracking Algorithms for Photovoltaic Electricity Generation in Kuwait

Consumption of electrical energy in Kuwait is rapidly increasing. The production of this energy currently depends mainly on oil and its derivatives to drive the different power plants in the country. The combustion of such fossil fuel comes with a well-known environmental pollution. Local oil production represents a key income for Kuwait and intelligent consumption of oil is therefore an essential concern to the Kuwait economy. The power system and economy of Kuwait may benefit from utilizing clean and renewable energy resources such as solar energy. This paper considers the modelling and control of PV system using in market available modules as an example, and factoring in geographical conditions relevant to Kuwait. As the generated power from PV panel depends on solar irradiation and temperature, the hourly values of these meteorological factors are collected and analysed for a time horizon of 6 years. Based on the system model three widely-adopted MPPT algorithms are compared and their performances are evaluated. Validation of each algorithm model is carried out using MATLAB/Simulink simulations.

Modeling of a Photovoltaic Module Considering the Solar Energy Available from Horizontal Surfaces over Kuwait Area

The paper identifies and analyzes the geographical and temporal variability of solar energy in Kuwait. The fundamental solar trigonometric model has been modified to estimate daily and hourly solar radiation on horizontal surfaces on the basis of the more readily available meteorological data. The results demonstrate that Kuwait has an abundance of solar energy capability. An overview of the production and consumption of electrical energy, installed capacity, and peak loads in Kuwait is also presented. Finally, it is shown how the power produced from the photovoltaic (PV) cells depends on the solar radiation. The proposed PV module is made up of a combination of series and parallel cells to increase power, while the I-V characteristic and output power of the module each month may be obtained from the model.

Simulation of energy consumption for Kuwaiti domestic buildings

Economic and industrial development in countries which have a dry desert climate has led to an increasing demand for electricity, much of which is consumed in air conditioning systems, which is used extensively to overcome the indoor thermal discomfort during the harsh summer seasons. Reduction of energy consumption in buildings is a major aim worldwide and is a particular challenge in desert climate. Such conditions exist in a number of areas throughout the world: one such area is the state of Kuwait. In Kuwait, the Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) issued an energy conservation code in 1983, which is still in force and has not been modified, whereas more effective energy-efficient products and techniques have been developed since then. In addition, electrical energy in Kuwait is highly subsidized by the government, with complete disregard to the new products and techniques. Thus, well-defined energy conservation code with effective and energy-efficient design would have both economical and environmental benefits for the Kuwaiti government. Furthermore, practical applications using building and plant simulation programs are becoming increasingly accepted as a design tool for carrying out or confirming the performance of proposed building designs or to evaluate the effects of varying design parameters. A building model representative of a typical Kuwaiti dwelling has been implemented and encoded within the TRNSYS-IISIBAT environment. A typical meteorological year for Kuwait was prepared and used to predict the cooling loads of the air-conditioned dwelling. Several parametric studies were conducted to enable sensitivity analyses of energy-efficient domestic buildings to be carried out, namely relating to building envelope, window type, size and direction, infiltration and ventilation. Simulation results have shown the desirable features that should be adopted in domestic buildings, with a view to modification of the energy conservation code.