Making serious efforts in the field of renewable energy, Qatar has launched a new service, by the Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation, better known as Kahramaa, called the ‘BeSolar’ service. The new move is likely to be fundamental in the renewable energy landscape of the country, which has targeted generation of 200 megawatts from distributed solar energy systems by 2030.
The ‘BeSolar’ service is one of the mainstays behind the Qatar National Renewable Energy Strategy, revealing the country’s concern about the enhancement of energy security, diversification of its energy carriers, and reduction of carbon emissions. It is designed to incentivize subscribers in Kahramaa by installing solar energy systems that allow them to achieve a sustainable and economically feasible alternative in order to reduce their electricity bills and help attain the nation’s goals of environmental sustainability.
Optional Subscriber-Friendly Approach
Another of the signature elements of the ‘BeSolar’ service is that it is optional. The subscribers can subscribe to it without having their current electricity services affected in any way. This brings in flexibility because the current subscribers are not compelled into making switches, and the ones wanting to subscribe to the solar energy service for the first time can do so. The subscription process is also similar to the currently followed systems for all requests, whether a new subscription or the enhancement of the load, thus easily reachable and user-friendly.
The launch of ‘BeSolar’ reflects Qatar’s strategic direction towards alignment with international trends in harnessing renewable energy, said Eng. Abdulrahman Ibrahim Al Baker, Director of Production Planning and Business Development at Kahramaa. “The success of similar renewable energy programs around the world, especially within Gulf States, has demonstrated key benefits,” said Al Baker. The touted benefits include reducing burdens on the electricity grid and lowering subscriber electricity bills, while enhancing environmental sustainability and providing a local market for the private sector.
Economic and Environmental Gains
The ‘BeSolar’ initiative is not just about electricity generation but equally creating a positive economic impact. Eng. Al Baker suggested that the cost and return on investment for solar energy systems from head to toe depend on a variety of factors: system size, integration with building designs, and quality of components. However, he asserted that subscribers whose electricity consumption is high with higher tariffs are likely to ensure a strong return on investment. This has largely been influenced by the introduction of net billing mechanisms that allow subscribers to offset their electricity costs against surplus solar energy fed back into the grid.
This brings about a dual advantage: it reduces the economic burden on its consumers and, simultaneously, helps in stabilizing and maintaining sustainability in the national electricity grid. The power grid load is reduced, together with the environmental benefits of solar energy use, really placing ‘BeSolar’ in the front row in Qatar’s journey towards a greener future.
Supporting Qatar’s Renewable Energy Goals
The ‘BeSolar’ service of Kahramaa represents one of the promising future steps in tune with Qatar’s larger environmental and economic goals. The country has set ambitious targets related to renewable energy within its national strategy and looks at the ‘BeSolar’ introduction as one of the key steps toward the achievement of those goals. The service is meant to be fully compatible with pre-existing electricity services, ensuring in this way smoothness and seamlessness during the transition for those who decide to participate.
Feasibility for solar installation at the premises of subscribers under the ‘BeSolar’ program will depend on factors such as the area of the roof and current electricity consumption. Thus, Kahramaa has given subscribers initial information on the service through its website and social media platforms, in addition to publishing the service’s detailed technical requirements and the required contractor qualifications. If subscribers wish to subscribe to the service, they can conduct their own feasibility study or hire a specialized company that will assess their places for suitability for solar installation.
It is envisioned that Kahramaa will announce, shortly, the mechanism for application to the new ‘BeSolar’ service to open participation in this renewable energy initiative to the largest number of subscribers. The subscribers that are anticipated vary between residential house owners and business enterprises that all benefit from the economic and ecological advantages accruing from solar energy.
A Vision to the Future
The new ‘BeSolar’ service in Qatar ushers in another great stride toward the country’s aim of full dependence on renewable energy. By providing a flexible and economically viable option for subscribers to go solar, Kahramaa is enabling the long-term goals of the nation for the environment through a growing, sustainable marketplace of energy. As Qatar scales up its renewable energy endeavors further, ‘BeSolar’ shapes the path toward a more sustainable and energy-secure future of the country.