Oman's research and development institute has joined forces with the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences for the testing of a hybrid of technologies - a potential world first - for the cooling of buildings, said a report.

As a first step, the Research Council (TRC), the sultanate’s R&D flagship, and the national research centre for earth sciences in Germany will establish a pilot plant in the sultanate for the ground-breaking initiative that aims to harness a combination of renewable energy resources to provide sustained air-conditioning, reported the Oman Daily Observer.

Significantly, the initiative is part of a raft of research projects sanctioned by TRC in line with a broader national effort to identify viable energy alternatives to help mitigate the huge burden placed on the electricity grid by air-conditioning systems during the hot summer months in Oman.

The air-conditioning accounts for a staggering three-fourths of electricity demand during this peak season, stated the report, citing a research expert.

The pilot project will focus on the use of a combination of solar heat, geothermal heat and terrestrial storage to provide a continuous supply of cooling for buildings, explained Prof Ernst Huenges, the project leader and also the head of the International Centre for Geothermal Research at GFZ.

Heat from this trio of energy sources is used for compression that in turn generates cooling, he said.

Temperatures mapped at depths ranging from 500 to 1,500 m within the Block 6 concession of Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) have revealed a peak temperature of 174 degrees centigrade. This heat, observed in the northern part of Oman, is seen as a potential source of energy.