Solar PV Cell and Module Manufacturing Plant and PV Reliability Laboratory

Solar PV Cell and Module Manufacturing Plant and PV Reliability Laboratory is a plant for the production of solar panels and cells in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It was established in 2010 by King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). The plant-affiliated laboratory is the first internationally accredited laboratory to examine solar panel efficiency and reliability.

His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Bin Abdulaziz, crown prince and prime minister inaugurated the second phase of the project in 2018. This project is classified as one of the energy projects in Saudi Vision 2030.

The Kingdom is heading towards solar energy use in response to the growing demand for energy use globally. It also has high rates of local consumption with a high population and economic growth. Solar technology works by using sunlight and converting it into electric energy.

This plant aims to raise the Kingdom’s Global Competitiveness Index to be among the top ten countries globally by turning the outputs of scientific research in the field of solar energy into an industry that contributes to the diversification of the national economy, the attraction of human cadres, and localizing solar PV energy, as well as encouraging private sector investments in this industry and providing consultation services to them. The project explores innovative solutions to tackle challenges in the solar energy system, and PV panels undergo rigorous testing to ensure they meet the technical standards that are suitable for the environment in the Kingdom.

A solar panel produced by the Solar PV Cell and Module Manufacturing Plant and PV Reliability Laboratory. (Saudi Vision 2030 Media Center)

The plant has produced thirty-five thousand locally-made solar panels and supplied al-Khafji Desalination Plant with solar panels that enable it to produce 60 thousand m of water daily.

The reliability laboratory was accredited by the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) and by the GCC Accreditation Center (GAC) committee. The laboratory has a team of seventeen Saudi engineers and technicians and contains thirty core devices and around one hundred auxiliary devices.

Related sub-projects fall under Solar PV Cell and Module Manufacturing Plant and PV Reliability, including projects that use solar energy to power schools, projects that use solar energy to pump water, and a solar PV module manufacturing plant with an annual production capacity of one hundred MW.