Cesi, a global leader in technical consulting and engineering, has been appointed by the Oman Authority for Electricity Regulation as the lead consultant in the technical integration of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems across the sultanate.

As per the contract, Cesi will help develop a framework for the deployment of small-scale grid-connected rooftop solar PV systems.

Oman receives extensive daily solar radiation, peaking at 5,500-6,000 Wh/sq m a day in the summer months, and giving it one of the highest solar energy densities in the world. Despite this, it continues to rely heavily on power generated from conventional fossil fuels power plants (primarily gas and diesel).

Much like the wider region, the sultanate has also seen a dramatic increase in electricity demand, as its population continues to grow exponentially.

This has meant that electricity supply in Oman, from largely conventional sources, has increased by approximately 140 per cent over the past 10 years in response to the increased demand.

But a recent study completed by the Public Authority for Electricity and Water (PAEW), in co-operation with German GIZ and the Fraunhofer Institute, established that rooftop solar PV systems installed across the country could generate almost 1.4 GW of renewable energy, going a long way towards helping to meet this rising demand.

Announcing the Cesi appointment, Qais Saud Al Zakwani, the executive director at the authority, said: "As part of our 2016 Work Programme, we are committed to ensure a framework is established to enable customers to benefit from installing rooftop solar PV systems."

"The results of this assignment will provide the building blocks for what we hope would be the start of renewable energy contributing towards Oman's future energy requirements."

Dr Matteo Codazzi, the chief executive of Cesi, said it was a committed partner in helping to provide reliable and energy-efficient power to drive economic growth and development across the sultanate.

"Leveraging on our established expertise in the Middle East, as well as our global network of skilled professionals, Cesi will help to not only develop the technical integration standards for this project, but also lay the foundations for further energy stability and sustainability in the sultanate, and across the region," he added.

According to him, this is one of the major projects that Cesi Middle East has been involved with in the region, as governments increasingly seek to diversify both their economies and energy supply.

The company had earlier served as the consultant to the Dubai Water and Electricity Authority (Dewa) in the UAE, on distributed renewables resources generators related to the Shams project.

It also recently served as a lead consultant to the Rural Areas Electricity Company Oman (Raeco), combining the use of diesel generators and solar power in remote areas of Oman.

"It is clear that governments in the region are committed to the development of a sustainable future through the use of renewable energy sources," remarked Dr Floris Hendrikus Schulze, the managing director of Cesi Middle East.

"Projects such as this one help to lay the foundations for the green agendas of each of these countries, and solidify Cesi’s position as one of the leading technical consultancies across the Middle East," he added.-TradeArabia News Service