Abstract
The potential for solar energy in the Middle East is immense. It in general has the highest levels of solar input in terrestrial world. They also have cheap, plentiful space and the potential to generate solar power for electricity, heat, cooling and for water desalination. Continuously high solar radiation makes it ideal locations for solar installations, the potential reach of which is limited to deserts.
Direct Normal Radiation (DNR), the main measure of a region’s suitability for solar thermal concentrated applications, ranges between 2050 and 2800 kilowatts-hour per square meter per year (kWh/m2/year) in the Arab region. This is equivalent to 1–2 barrel oil per square meter per year. These rates are among the best in the world making the region suitable for solar heating and cooling, Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and Concentrated Photovoltaic (CPV) applications.
Despite these favorable conditions solar energies account in average to less than 0.2% of the region’s total installed capacity for electricity, compared to currently ca. 7% (40,000 MW) in Germany and almost 33% Of German Electricity Came From Renewables in 2015. Costa Rica completes 2016 without having to burn a single fossil fuel for more than 250 days. 98.2 percent of Costa Rica's electricity came from renewable sources in 2016.
Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/environment/costa-rica-powered-by-renewable-energy-for-over-250-days-in-2016/article/482755#ixzz4Uin5wVeA
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Augsten. (2014). Jakob, 2014; REN21, 2014, http://cleanleap.com/02-market-and-industry-trends/solar-thermal-heating-and-cooling
“BP Statistical World Energy Review 2011” (XLS). Retrieved 8 August 2011.
Business Dictionary. (2012). Solar energy [WWW], Available from: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/solar-energy.html#ixzz1lsoyXA8S
El Bassam. (2009). Solar Oasis concept energy4You, 2012. Solar hot air [WWW]. Available from: http://www.energy4you.net/hotair.htm. Energy Society of Canada Inc. and Solar, Oct. 21–24, 2000.
Faninger. (2010). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/268098993_High_Solar_Combi_Systems_in_Europe_OR-10-044
Hot Water Now. (n.d.). Hot water adelaide, solar, gas & heat pump [WWW]. Available from www.hotwaternow.com.au/colchester_solar_panel.jpg
Jacobson, M. Z. (2009). Review of solutions to global warming air pollution, and energy security. Energy & Environmental Science, 4, 148–173.
Mugnier, Daniel “State of the art for solar thermal or PV cooling and refrigeration”, SHC. (2014). Conference, Beijing (China). http://task48.iea-shc.org/Data/Sites/6/documents/events/shc2014/shc-2014-mugnier-tecsol-ac-keynote.pdf
NASA Science/Science News. (2011). The edge of sunshine [WWW]. Available from: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2002/08jan_sunshine/
Perlin, John. (1999). From space to earth (The story of solar electricity) (ISBN 0-674-01013-2, p. 147.). Harvard University Press: Ann Arbor.
Popular Science. (1931, June). Magic Plates, Tap Sun For Power (pp. 41, 134).
PV Resources.com. (2011). World’s largest photovoltaic power plants.
Schwerdt & Ali. (2014). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264436757_Solar_Cooling_Case_Study_of_Cooperation_between_Germany_and_Egypt_in_Assiut_University_Project
Shenzhen JCN New Energy Technology CO., Ltd. http://www.hktdc.com/manufacturers-suppliers/Shenzhen-JCN-New-Energy-Technology-Co-Ltd/en/1X08FPW1/
“Small Photovoltaic Arrays”. Research Institute for Sustainable Energy (RISE), Murdoch University. Retrieved 5 February 2010. (Modified by El Bassam).
“Solar Cooker Designs”. Solar Cookers World Network. http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/Solar_Cookers_World_Network_%28Home%29
Solar Heating and Cooling for Residential Applications, IEA-ETSAP and IRENA.Technology Brief R12 – January 2015. www.etsap.org – www.irena.org
Solar Millennium AG. (2011). http://www.solarmillennium.de/english/technology/references_and_projects/andasol-spain/index.html. Solar: photovoltaic: Lighting up the World. Retrieved 19 May 2009.
Solar Tribune. (2012). Guide to solar thermal energy [WWW] Available from: http://solartribune.com/solar-thermal-power/#.T0_PvfU0iuI
Ssembatya, et al. (2014). Simulation studies on performance of solar cooling system in UAE Conditions. http://ac.els-cdn.com/S1876610214003774/1-s2.0-S1876610214003774-main.pdf?_tid=688ec742-eacd-11e5-89cd-00000aab0f02&acdnat=1458060544_2cdbe5f7717700a076dcb0e2196550e3
TheFreeDictionary.com. (2012). Solar energy [WWW]. Available from. http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/solarþenergy
“Trends in Photovoltaic Applications Survey report of selected IEA countries between 1992 and 2009, IEA-PVPS”. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
Trieb, Dr Franz. TRANS-CSP Trans-Mediterranean interconnection for Concentrating Solar Power, www.dlr.de/tt/trans-csp
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). (2001). Concentrating solar power commercial application study: Reducing water consumption of concentrating solar power electricity generation A report to Congress. Available from: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/solar/pdfs/csp_water_study.pdf
Utility Scale Solar Power Plants (PDF). (2012). IFC, Maruti Suzuki Building, 1 Nelson Mandela Road, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 110070 India.
Wang, Ucilia. (2011, 6, June). The rise of concentrating solar thermal power. Renewable Energy World.
Whitlock, C. E., et al.. (2000). Release 3 NASA surface meteorology and solar energy data set for renewable energy industry use.
Zweibel, K.. (2010). Should solar photovoltaics be deployed sooner because of long operating life at low, predictable cost?. Energy Policy. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2010.07.040
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
El Bassam, N. (2017). Technologies and Options of Solar Energy Applications in the Middle East. In: Murad, S., Baydoun, E., Daghir, N. (eds) Water, Energy & Food Sustainability in the Middle East. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48920-9_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-48920-9_9
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-48919-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-48920-9
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)