Solar powers

The solar power market in the Middle East is hotting up, with a diversification of products and suppliers. MEP Middle East finds out about the latest products and developments.

CStar International

CEO Nabil Hamade, who is a certified energy manager from the Association of Energy Engineers in the US, explains that, while CStar International specialises in energy auditing and energy management, it also offers a range of solar-power products. These range from solar hot water heating systems to streetlights and PV panels.

Hamade is convinced that solar-powered streetlights offer the biggest potential for this technology to become common and accepted in the Middle East, which is only starting to embrace renewable energy in any significant fashion.

“When you get into solar, your upfront costs are very high. If you want to develop a brand new solar-power generation facility for air-con, for example, it is costly. With solar lighting, on the other hand, you do not have to run wires, and conduits or trenches are eliminated. It simply comprises a streetlight mast with a battery and a solar panel. It is totally independent, and you can put it anywhere, whether in streets or even in gardens.

“We have calculated a two-year payback period, with a 50% return-on-investment – compared to solar-power generation itself, which typically has a 20-year payback. So in order to benefit the diverse communities here and meet the new sustainability objectives of the government, we think this is the way to go.”

In terms of the streetlights themselves, Hamade explains that the company offers LED, metal halide and low-pressure sodium types. “We focus on LED as this represents the latest technology and offers the best cost-savings. The output from a 28 W LED light is equivalent to a standard 150 W light. Therefore you do not need a big battery either, which has an added cost benefit in terms of ancillary infrastructure.”

All the company’s products are imported from China at present. “We have not considered local manufacture right now, as I do not think the market is big enough to sustain this. We are considering possible manufacture of additional components in the future. Masdar City in Abu Dhabi is already looking into local manufacture, which could possibly flood the market and result in an oversupply of products, unless it can tap into another consumer base.”

Hamade adds that service support and back-up are as important as the innovative technology itself. “We offer a ten-year warranty on solar panels and a three-year warranty on batteries. We also stock replacement components – batteries, lights or whatever may be needed. Of course, with big users we are able to offer maintenance contracts, including annual check-ups, replacement and predictive maintenance if required, such as cleaning the panels.”

In terms of retrofitting existing buildings to take advantage of renewable energy, Hamade points to solar hot water heating systems as a good starting point.

“There is limited space on commercial high-rise tower roofs for solar panels, but they will readily support solar hot water systems. The industrial sector has much more roof space available, so there are opportunities there.”

Hamade adds that, because solar hot water heating is an off-grid solution, the prickly issue of integrating with the existing DEWA tariff structure is avoided. “That is why it so popular in parking lots and any island-type applications.”

Story continues below

Advertisement

FEATURED COMMENT Please click here to comment on this article

MD Jim Sebastian says he “definitely sees the market for solar hot water heating systems picking up.” This is because electricity supply cannot keep pace with demand, which is forcing the authorities to look for alternative solutions. “The installed capacity for solar is also much smaller for the same or an even greater amount of power generation, leading to reduced initial outlay and costs.”

Ecoval imports solar hot water heating systems from Australia, a brand called Solarhart owned by Rheem. “This is one of the most popular brands in the world, from South Africa to the Middle East,” comments Sebastian. In 2009, Ecoval achieved the distinction of being the largest Solarhart distributor out of 90 countries. “The top position used to be dominated by Italy, but this year we are on top.”

Sebastian says Solarhart is the only system in the world to feature drain-back technology. “What happens is you have your storage tank on the lower level, which is the ground, and you have the collectors on the roof. When the sun is out, there is a pump that switches on. The high solar irradiation results in the fluid in the panels that transfers the heat being circulated by a pumping system. In the evening, when the sun is down, the pump switches off, and all the fluid settles by gravity. Hence it is vital that the tank is one level below.

“What happens normally is that most people place everything on the roof, which means the circulating fluid is always in the loop, the temperature goes too high, and then the pumps and pipes fail. Our system is very simple, as it switches off before it can overheat,” explains Sebastian.

In addition, the PV panels comprising the system are extra strong and durable. There are six different types of panel depending on the specific requirement. “We install and commission the systems. When we started Enval in 2002, we focused mainly on solar hot water heating, whereafter we moved into large commercial systems for hotels, for example, with the establishment of Ecoval in 2007.

The average lifecycle of a Solarhart system is anywhere from 12 to 25 years, depending on routine mechanical equipment maintenance. “We have a maintenance contract with Holiday Inn, for example.” Sebastian says that one particular Solarhart system at the company’s head office in Australia had been in operation for an astonishing 50 years.

“At the moment we are involved with the Movenpick on The Palm, which involves heating a 15 000 litre pool. This required an 8 MW boiler system and heat exchangers. In comparison, the pool at Atlantis, another project completed successfully by Ecoval, was 1 500 litres,” reveals Sebastian.