Opportunities of solar energy (PV or thermal) are huge in KSA. Solar radiation is high throughout the year and vast amount of empty space are available. Also it can be coupled with wind energy which is also abundant. However there are many challenges including (but not limited to); cost of electricity and petrol are very low, awareness of energy security, efficient use and environmental effects are minimal. For solar system, main challenge are constant dust accumulation and high ambient temperature which reduce energy conversion efficiency.

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Opportunities of solar energy (PV or thermal) are huge in KSA. Solar radiation is high throughout the year and vast amount of empty space are available. Also it can be coupled with wind energy which is also abundant. However there are many challenges including (but not limited to); cost of electricity and petrol are very low, awareness of energy security, efficient use and environmental effects are minimal. For solar system, main challenge are constant dust accumulation and high ambient temperature which reduce energy conversion efficiency.

Saudi Arabia is a great country to implement renewable energy such as photovoltaic and solar thermal energy, due to its high conditions of solar radiation most of the time (Saudi Arabia has two or three times more sunlight and wind than Central Europe). In this case the greatest problem is the high cost to storage energy for the evening hours, but it is a problem than can be solve with the use of another renewable source for the night such as wind energy.

In short opportunities and constraints for solar energy in the Middle East are as follows (this is repeating some of previously written opinion but also opposing some of them).

Opportunities

Highest irradiation and potential for both photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP). High export price of oil justifies higher price for PV and CSP. Power consumption daily load profile corresponds with energy availability which reduces the need for storage. Available land surface not used for other purposes. The huge potential market could help the development of local economic participation with manufacturing and add benefits.

Constraints:

High ambient temperature is reducing efficiency (~0.5%/oC) and reliability. Dust is also reducing efficiency and requires regular cleaning which means pressure on water resource and additional cost. The opportunity to preserve oil for export is in the future and actions are needed now. More appropriate technology requires testing to specific regional conditions.

Yes, that is true, but you must remember that the nominal operating cell temperature for a standard solar panel is 45°C, above this temperature we have into account a power temperature coefficient between -0,4%/°C and -0,45%/°C. The operating temperature is -40°C to 85°C, so assuming the high temperature for solar panels in Saudi Arabia, it is a decrease between 16% and 18%, but I do not really think that it is possible, I believe that the greatest decrease is 10%.

I've been out of the solar PV game for a few years. But I'm vaguely remembering a paper (ASME? early 2000's?) on cleaning PV panels with compressed air in lieu of water from University of Nevada - Las Vegas, but didn't find it in a quick search. I'm not sure if it worked, and concern about abrasion was a key topic.

While the efficiency is lower amorphous panels may be more resilient to the conditions on site and operate better under dusty conditions. Not sure about the high ambient temperature impacts on amorphous panels. 

Also, given lower labor costs in KSA you could investigate manual cleaning with brooms and brushes rather than water. 

Hope that helps.

Really, I knew about manual cleaning and cleaning with compressed air but I have never heard about cleaning with water. New solar panels have a hard protection to avoid problems with environmental conditions and when it is for small installations, users carry out manual cleaning; and in large electricity plants cleaning is carry out by mobile machinery.

I think dust is one of the main constraints. Also, the price of electricity is highly subsidized in KSA, and is sold well below the actual cost of generation. So that, subsidies for solar energy sector and adopt policy will drive this sector.

There are two problems in solar applications in Saudi Arabia in particular, and in the rest of the Middle East in general, dust storms and high surface temperature for solar cells.

I agree with what Dr. Hussein A Kazam said.

the constrains of solar energy use in KSA

1- the high temp. of solar cells reduce the efficiency.

2- dust formation on the cells

that is to direct transformation to electrical energy but the indirect may have a high performance (trough collectors).

Most concentration are related to solar energy rather than wind? i do believe after multiple studies thst wind energy is more penfisial in the coastal regions of the Arabian Gulf (eastern Saudi, Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait Southern Iraq and part of Iran) due to multiple reasons including dust (rates & properties), humidity, fog, ...extra. In summary, the northern and northwestern Saudi might be the best regions for solar energy.

The KSA is very rich in the solar energy where it lies in the earth regions with the highest incident solar radiation. This is from the solar energy resources. From the technology point of view KSA must invest in the PV technology for producing solar cells, modules, arrays and power electronic equipment to be able to build large scale PV stations. Part of the income of the oil can be invested in building such technology and to build also large scale stations. KSA has good change to get the technology traded by the oil.

The last factor is the political and social will. There must be a strong will to make such installations. I my self urge and wish success of the KSA in this issue

Best wishes

Regarding my studies on the effect of dust on the performance of PV panels, I think that dust activities could be one of the important challenges:

https://www.scopus.com/term/analyzer.uri?sid=6c3fe3b74dd69c90c86ba38997cb3d56&origin=resultslist&src=s&s=%28TITLE-ABS-KEY%28photovoltaic+%29+AND+TITLE-ABS-KEY%28dust%29%29&sort=plf-f&sdt=b&sot=b&sl=54&count=815&analyzeResults=Analyze+results&txGid=703b3e3a1cb1811656200350116b7189

Attached is a ref can help:

Article Solar and wind Energy: Challenges and solutions in desert regions