Saudi electricity regulator to set up small scale solar systems regulations, says official

The Saudi Electricity and Cogeneration Regulatory Authority is working with various agencies to set up the regulations of the small scale photovoltaic solar power systems,  Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported, citing Sherif Al Burak, vice director for technical affairs.

The regulations include facilitating system deployment, and defining conditions, requirements and fees related to the distribution systems, he said on the sidelines of a workshop on requirements of renewable energy licenses.

The authority aims to guarantee the efficiency and safety of the installation and maintenance of these power systems.

It also aims to preserve the environment, as well as the added economic value such as job generation and nationalization of the industry, in addition to reducing network load, he said.

According to data compiled by Argaam, the Saudi Electricity Co. started in September 2017 to receive license requests for photovoltaic solar cells for homes and facilities.

The Saudi Electricity and Cogeneration Regulatory Authority had approved a fee of SAR 700-2300 to connect these cells.

Local energy consumption is expected to triple by 2030. The Kingdom aims to add 9.5 gigawatts of renewable energy to domestic production by 2023 as a first stage.