​King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (K.A.CARE) has reached a new milestone in its endeavors to build a renewable energy system by setting up its network designed to measure and monitor the renewable energy resources. In December 2013, K.A.CARE launched the Kingdom’s Renewable Resources Atlas, the event was attended by their excellences the Princes , Ministers , high-ranking officials concerned, and heads of a number of local and external organizations. Ever since then, the Atlas has commenced its mission to provide the type of data and information specifically related to such resources and determination of their levels Kingdomwide. Out of its persistence to provide its uninterrupted benefits to its partners and users of the Atlas, K.A.CARE, with unflagging zeal, shall , as always, stand ready to exert any effort, and leave no stone unturned to identify whatever ways and means possible to support K.A.CARE-specific Strategy centered on this important and vital sector. With this in mind, K.A.CARE has erected a number of top-quality stations to make available accurate data and measurements on solar radiation as well as climatic conditions prevailing in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with a view to study changes and impacts affecting solar resources as well as the performance of the power plants to be erected.

In the vanguard of all such stations devoted to measure solar energy comes “Al Uyaynah” Station which K.A.CARE will not hesitate to make a beacon and a real incubator where studies on solar radiation will continue to be conducted. Furthermore, Al Uyaynah Station will be a hub where various atmospheric conditions and factors with direct or indirect impact on the energy produced, or, alternatively, affecting performance and efficiency of relevant instrumentations will be analyzed and studied. What labels this type of measurement stations as distinguished and unique are their capability to measure approximately (84) factors having to do with solar energy, as well as characteristics and properties of atmospheric layers. To just give an example, this type of stations identifies various types of solar radiation, such as total radiation (both direct from the sun and diffuse throughout the horizon), ultraviolet radiation and radiation reflectance. Furthermore, the Station identifies specific measurements of solar radiation at different wavelengths. In addition, it provides wind, heat and humidity measurements in combination, to provide researchers methods to compare climate conditions to measurements. The Station is also equipped and geared to monitor cloud movements, dust volumes, and the impacts thereof on reflected solar rays. The data from the Uyaynah and 21 other top-of-the-line stations will be available on the Atlas beginning this summer. It is worth-mentioning that last Wednesday a scientific team of KACARE’s researchers, with a number of consultants, as well as a number of partners and users of Atlas of Renewable Energy Resources visited Al Uyaynah Solar Energy Measurement Station. The mission was to familiarize the team with the capabilities and potentials made available, and how best the station can be utilized to provide support to various sectors, namely in such fields and areas as research, investment, and developers of solar technologies as well as other beneficiaries whom K.A.CARE has earnestly sought to meet to make sure to understand their needs and demands to be fulfilled which ultimately will support the policies and plans set to serve renewable energy sector.