Brainstorming on Solar Energy

THUWAL, January 27, 2010 - The world’s biggest energy provider and the world’s newest research university are collaborating on the future of energy.

Saudi Aramco Engineering Services professionals met recently with King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST) leaders to brainstorm over research into energy conservation and solar energy

The company was represented by Ahmed M. Al-Zahrani and Ali H. Al-Qahtani of the Process and Control Systems Department (P&CSD), and Ali M. Al-Qahtani and Richard A. Horner of the Research and Development Center (R&DC).

The visitors saw KAUST’s state-of-the-art facilities — the Shaheen Supercomputer; the 3D Visualization Center; and the Nanofabrication, Imaging and Characterization Laboratories. Then, Solar and Alternative Energy Science and Engineering Research Center director Dr. Ghassan Jabbour explained the university’s long-term basic research-and-development interests in the field of solar and alternative energy.

Also on hand for KAUST were business manager Dr. Janne Virtapohja and Economic Development senior management members Omar Abdulhaid, Raed Bkayrat, Talal Bakri and Sami Obaid.

KAUST representatives explained their research road map, which focuses on developing low-cost solar energy solutions based on thin-film materials and advanced material science. That view fits well with Saudi Aramco’s own solar energy outlook, which was explained by Ali H. Al-Qahtani.

Company participants explained how solar energy might help reduce domestic consumption of oil and gas, allowing more hydrocarbons to be exported, and benefit the Kingdom’s fuel flexibility.

A number of potential points of collaboration were identified for further investigation. They included a techno-economic appraisal model, the performance of commercial solar panels, assessing domestic business opportunities, and developing low-cost solar technology for specific Kingdom challenges such as cooling, desalination and pumping.

To expedite their collaboration, KAUST and Saudi Aramco will evaluate and develop a solar energy industry program at the Thuwal campus in the planned Economic Development Park. Follow-up meetings were set for early this year to map out future cooperation in solar energy R&D, education, and technology evaluation and development.

The first-generation POWERS Development Team began developing the simulator in 1994. The team has grown and has been breaking records ever since. By 2000, it broke the one-million-cell record. In 2002, the 10-million cell milestone was achieved with the first full-field simulation of Ghawar.