BY SACHIN KUMAR
DOHA: Qatar is likely to get its solar map within a year.
The map will show the amount and intensity of solar radiation that will help identify the best locations for installing solar cells for power generation.
Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), will install 13 devices across Qatar to measure radiation.
“With the help of 13 devices, we will measure direct, diffused and total sunlight and create a solar map,” Dr Mohammad Ahmad Khaleel, Executive Director, QEERI, told this daily on the sidelines of the signing of a cooperation agreement between QF and Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). “We expect the map to be ready within a year,” he said.
Availability for the map will be a major boost for solar power generation as it will help companies identify locations receiving higher radiation. They will also be able to use data to install solar cells with higher radiation.
Under the agreement, 13 devices will be set up to measure direct, diffused and semi-circle radiation in CAA and QF stations for scientific research and implementation.
CAA will grant access to QEERI to use its network to communicate data gathered from the devices.
The agreement was signed by Abdulla Nasser Al Subaey, Chairman, CAA, and Dr Khaleel.
Both parties agreed on partnership to perform periodic and preventive maintenance of devices and work towards the exchange of expertise and the ideal usage of resources.
“Such devices will contribute to accurate scientific information on solar radiation, enabling researchers and specialists to study the geographic distribution of radiation in Qatar to identify the ideal renewable energy fields for the installation of solar cells,” said Dr Khaleel.
Qatar has begun to take steps to promote alternative forms of energy.
Qatar General Electricity and Water Company (Kahramaa) has announced plans to generate about 200MW from sunlight by 2020.
The first solar power plant of Kahramaa with 15MW is to begin operation before 2016. The facility over an area of 100,000sqm will be in Duhail.The Peninsula
