Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), part of Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) announced the release of Qatar’s first Solar Atlas which maps the Gulf country’s renewable energy potential.
In a statement, QEERI said that the Solar Atlas is the culmination of research work conducted over the last five years by its Energy Centre. This Atlas will support the development of national policies and identify new profitable investments and markets in the solar power realm.
“Qatar is at the heart of the global solar belt and is blessed with abundant solar energy, and the solar map is the first step toward optimising the use of these resources and being able to forecast thermal or photovoltaic electricity production.” – said Veronica Bermudez, Senior Research Director at QEERI’s Energy Centre.
The Atlas mainly ‘documents the uncertainty of solar and meteorological data, which are key elements in the technical and financial evaluation of solar energy conversion systems and provides solutions to minimise financial and technological risks.’ It also evaluates key solar climatic features, and the geographic and time variability of solar power potential in the country, with solutions to solar and power production forecasting, the statement noted.
Meanwhile, Qatar’s first large-scale solar power generation project – the 800- megawatt Al Kharsaah solar photovoltaic power plant – is currently under construction.
