Global policies such as those adopted at the Paris climate conference (COP21) could help governments in oil-rich GCC countries remain committed to the development of technologies that reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, an expert in solar technology told Gulf Times.

International Solar Energy Society president David S Renne said he was impressed with the initiatives being taken by Gulf countries like Qatar, Oman, Abu Dhabi & Dubai in UAE, and Saudi Arabia to set renewable electricity targets.

“But the problem is that these programmes are funded by oil revenues so, if oil revenues drop, the programmes get stalled a little bit, and that is unfortunate,” pointed out Renne who was in town for the recent Green Expo Forum Qatar.

“On the other hand, it is encouraging to see that governments are taking a look at these technologies, and recognising that the future of oil is not going to be forever and that over time, some other source of energy will have to come into play so, I am encouraged by that,” he said.

However, Renne believes there is still a need for a strong, sustainable policy to curb over-reliance on traditional energy sources in the GCC region.

“One good policy where that is working is with the climate agreements. All of these countries are signing up to these climate agreements and they are establishing targets and commitments, and that’s good – that is a motivating factor,” he stressed.

Asked about the role of solar technology in district cooling and water desalination, Renne said: “I am surprised to see how little solar had factored in as an energy source for these technologies, and certainly the opportunities for solar in areas such as Lusail City, to my mind, is significant.”

He added: “Solar heating and cooling technologies should be looked at very closely because they can be used to manage the demand side, since they can provide solar water heating services that otherwise would have to be provided by the electric utility so, I think there are still many applications in the solar heating and cooling area that should be pursued very aggressively.”

Citing developments in building integrated technologies, Renne said solar panels can be installed on rooftops or integrated into the building’s windows or facade, adding to the aesthetics of the structure.

“They can actually be a very attractive addition to a building for both solar electricity and solar water heating systems. This has been demonstrated already, for example there are buildings in New York City that have less solar resource than you do here that worked very effectively with various building integrated technologies […] all these different technologies can work together,” he added.