As part of a plan to expand alternative energy projects in the Kingdom, the Saudi Electricity Company and King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) on May 18 kicked off the first project by installing solar panels at two schools in Riyadh.

Saudi Arabia inaugurated its first solar power plant in 2011 as it continues to diversify its energy sources and seek alternative clean energy sources. The Kingdom receives some of the most intense sunlight in the world – 105 trillion kilowatt hours a day, which is roughly the equivalent of 10 billion barrels of crude oil in energy terms.

Scientists at KACST are working on groundbreaking projects to make solar power generation more economically feasible.

Other programs focus on utilizing solar energy for water desalination, agriculture, and the generation of hydrogen. Projected applications for solar energy include using it to power water pumps, refrigerators, air conditioners, heaters and communications equipment, as well as to run pipeline anti-corrosion units in remote areas.