The sector aims to support the development of commercially feasible, locally developed and deployed technologies and applications in the field of renewable energy and contribute to the national energy mix through technology localization, value chain localization and innovations in cooperation with the energy ecosystem, universities, research centers and private companies. It also conducts studies to explore promising opportunities in the sector, encourage local investment, attract foreign investment, and build strategic alliances and partnerships locally and internationally to contribute to local content and technology development.
As part of K.A.CARE strategic objectives, the sector works to provide impactful knowledge in various areas such as, providing technical and advisory services, developing and reviewing specifications and standards, building forecasting models and databases for renewable energy resources, monitoring the latest developments and innovations globally, developing detailed reports and summaries of these developments and publishing them periodically for interested parties, decision-makers and researchers in the field of renewable energy. The sector also works on assessing the extent of market response to regulations, analyzing gaps and challenges, and supporting decision-makers in adopting appropriate measures.
01
Technology Localization
The Technology and Localization department aims to increase the local content by developing and demonstrating promising technologies in the field of renewable energy by working in collaboration with the ecosystem, universities, research centers and private companies to provide innovative technical solutions for energy generation and storage and find solutions to deal with the challenges of Saudi Arabia’s environmental conditions.
The department’s tasks contribute to:
- Supporting national efforts in the field of renewable energy and reducing CO2 emissions by developing and demonstrating renewable technologies and applications.
- Supporting the necessary steps to move promising technologies from laboratories of the universities and research centers to commercial applications by proving the success of the technology and minimizing its risks.
02 Value Chain Localization
The Value Chain Localization department is concerned with studying the value chains in the fields of atomic and renewable energy to identify promising opportunities for the private sector in manufacturing and services, meeting its energy needs by adopting more sustainable resources, and studying the most appropriate plans to achieve the desired localization objectives in collaboration with the parties involved in atomic and renewable energy technologies and components. These parties include manufacturers, service providers, and government agencies.
The department's tasks contribute to:
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Developing local content for atomic and renewable energy sectors.
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Preparing and enabling local market to achieve the desired localization objective.
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Raising awareness and developing skills and competencies of local manufacturers to participate in atomic energy projects.
03 Strategic Partnerships and Investment
The Strategic Partnership and Investment departments works on encouraging local investment, attracting foreign investment, building alliances and strategic partnerships locally and internationally to contribute to increasing local content, localizing technology, and positively impacting the national economy.
The department's tasks contribute to:
- Developing plans and programs to establish partnerships and relationships with entities and organizations to support projects.
- Identifying opportunities for international strategic partnerships and reviewing international partnership requests.
- Reviewing the list of targeted partners, developing attraction and communication plans and ensuring their implementation.
- Implementing plans and programs to build relationships and partnerships with entities and organizations to benefit from leading experiences and practices.
- Following up on the evaluation of agreements and MOUs and identifying the extent of their benefits.
- Following up on the partners' performance in implementing the terms of agreements and partnerships and handling any difficulties in the implementation process.
04 Renewable Energy Policies and Legislation
Supporting decision makers and legislative authorities, proposing laws and regulations and studying their effects, and conducting research and studies on topics related to policies, legislation, energy economics, sustainability and environment in collaboration with the relevant entities within the energy ecosystem.
05 International Renewable Energy Framework Office
- Strengthening international communication and cooperation to benefit from the experiences of other countries in the fields and renewable energy applications
- Concluding agreements with international and regional entities in accordance with the legal procedures followed to benefit from the best technologies, systems, research and scientific studies in the fields and applications of renewable energy.
06 Renewable Energy Forecasting
The center supports renewable energy integration by applying the latest data analysis and forecasting tools through K.A.CARE capabilities and in partnership with government entities and private sector.
07 Satellite Data Modeling
- Providing 15-minute, hourly, and monthly time series covering the entire Kingdom (one file per ~10 km) containing solar radiation (GHI, DNI, DHI)
- Providing monthly and yearly average solar radiation maps.
- Provide typical meteorological year (TMY) files.
08 Energy Observatory
The Energy Observatory explores global developments and trends in the energy field, prepares detailed reports and summaries of these developments and publishes them periodically for interested parties, decision makers and researchers. Energy Observatory publications include Energy Observatory Journal, which provides an in-depth look at global and local news, new technologies and global transformations in the field of energy. Since its establishment, it has published 190 issues.
09 Renewable Energy Standards and Testing
The Renewable Energy Standards and Testing department is concerned with the development of renewable energy specifications. It represents K.A.CARE in 3 local committees: Solar Energy, Wind Energy and Energy Storage committee. The work of the department involves reviewing the specifications required by Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Org. (SASO), providing technical recommendations to accept or modify the specifications, and participating in the preparation of annual plans. The department also studies modern solar PV systems and their suitability for different operating conditions by setting up test areas in different regions in cooperation with universities, educational institutions and research centers. This provides insight into the impact of weather factors on the performance of PV panels and how to maximize the production of bifacial PV panels. In addition to that, the department seeks to study the impact of high temperatures and humidity on the performance of different technologies by conducting accelerated stress tests and simulating the performance of PV panels to determine the rate of performance degradation in hot weather. Furthermore, the department develops reports on the studies it conducts, their findings and recommendations.
10 Renewable Energy Resource Assessment
The National Renewable Energy Data Center works on assessing renewable energy resources. The assessment is an integrated process that begins with the collection of primary data from various sources, such as ground-based measurement stations, mathematical models, and satellite data. The quality of this data is managed through rigorous validation and calibration processes to ensure its accuracy and reliability. The final product is then presented to allow decision makers, researchers, and investors to accurately understand the natural potential of the energy sources. This process contributes to the efficient design and implementation of renewable energy projects and enhances sustainability in the energy sector.
Main objectives:
- Collecting accurate data from different sources such as ground stations, mathematical models, and satellite data.
- Managing data quality through validation and calibration processes to ensure its credibility.
- Providing comprehensive and accurate analysis of the natural potential of energy sources such as sun and wind.
- Supporting strategic planning and project by providing a clear view of environmental and climatic conditions.
- Enhancing business intelligence and analytics to improve decision-making and provide strategic insights.
- Using quality software and data visualization tools to provide comprehensive reports and visualizations to users.
- Developing artificial intelligence and data optimization models to accurately and efficiently analyze natural potential
11 Renewable Energy Business and Application Development
The Renewable Energy Business and Application Development department is concerned with developing renewable energy business, applications and hybrid systems and promoting their adoption in Saudi Arabia by collaborating with concerned entities to create sustainable value and raise awareness of their benefits. The department supports the accelerated deployment and adoption of technologies and applications by studying their commercial applications and hybrid systems to ensure their efficiency, appropriateness and economic feasibility for Saudi Arabia. The department also works on evaluating emerging renewable energy technologies by analyzing their potential, effects and benefits which contribute to the preparation of national renewable energy plans. The department covers multiple areas in the renewable energy sector, including:
- Distributed solar energy technologies and applications to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of energy generation.
- Artificial intelligence applications in renewable energy to improve operational efficiency and minimize human intervention in system maintenance and performance prediction.
- Renewable energy applications in water desalination to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and enhance sustainability.
- Waste-to-energy technologies to support environmental solutions, achieve sustainability, and benefit from untapped resources.
- Renewable energy analysis and planning to provide accurate insights to support future decision-making.
- Clean hydrogen technologies and applications to develop future solutions that support the Kingdom's transition towards a low-carbon economy.
12 Renewable Resources Atlas
The National Renewable Energy Data Center at K.A.CARE provides Renewable Resources Atlas, which is an advanced online data portal, to support the achievement of a sustainable energy mix in Saudi Arabia. Atlas collects recent and historical data of solar and wind resources through a network of ground-based and satellite observations. It provides developers, researchers, and policy makers with access to accurate information on renewable energy potential. This data is also used to identify optimal locations, optimize station design, and support strategic decision-making to maximize the efficiency and sustainability of renewable energy projects. Atlas presents the collected information and data in a visual and interactive manner through an online portal.
Key objectives:
- Integrating ground and space data to achieve a comprehensive and integrated view of renewable energy resources.
- Supporting environmental sustainability by contributing to reducing carbon emissions and promoting renewable energy sources to achieve a green economy.
- Supporting strategic planning by providing accurate and comprehensive data to determine the optimal locations for energy projects.
- Promoting research and innovation by providing an integrated information base for developers, researchers, and policymakers.
- Improving decision-making by providing up-to-date reports and analysis based on current and historical data.
- Increasing transparency and credibility by presenting interactive and easily accessible data.
- Stimulating local and foreign investments by highlighting the promising opportunities in the renewable energy market.
- Improving operational efficiency by helping developers understand the temporal patterns of energy resources to optimize station design and operation.
13 Intellectual Property (IP)
K.A.CARE is keen to protect intellectual property resulting from its work and respects the IP rights of other entities. It works on enhancing and developing its employees in the field of IP and attracting competencies with expertise in this field. Inventions, innovations, and other forms of intellectual property are continuously filed, registered, maintained.
Key achievements:
- Obtaining grants for multiple patents locally and internationally in the fields of atomic and renewable energy.
- Following up on procedures related to filing, registering, and maintaining patent applications locally (at the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property) and internationally (at patent offices in the USA, South Korea, etc.).
- Providing necessary support for the application of intellectual property regulations, protecting and registering inventions and innovations, respecting the intellectual property rights of other entities, and assisting in reviewing the intellectual property aspects of K.A.CARE’s internal and external agreements.
