Photovoltaic news and pv jobs

Solar Frontier to supply 10 MW of PV modules for Saudi installation

Solar Frontier K.K., is to supply Saudi Aramco with 10 megawatts (MW) of thin film CIS (copper, indium, and selenium) solar modules for a car park installation in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

Artist's impression of how the completed project should look. Image: Solar Frontier.

At 16 to 18 hectares, the Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. subsidiary has said the installation will be one of the largest photovoltaic covered parking lots in the world. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of next year.

The panels will cover the complex’s 4,450 parking spaces, explains the company, and will have a capacity of 10 megawatts, thus providing all the building’s daytime power needs.

"This installation at North Park will enable us to monitor the performance of our CIS modules in a desert environment, giving us invaluable knowledge to leverage for future projects in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, and regions with similar environments around the world," commented Atsuhiko Hirano, senior vice president of Solar Frontier.

Faisal Habiballah, head of Saudi Aramco's Solar Project Team added: "Although the overall intent is to conserve energy, the downstream effects of the solar projects are significant. Installing solar panels on car-park roofs is a well-proven energy saving model, and covered parking was always part of the plan for North Park — so why not use solar panels?"