Friday 28 / June / 2024
Muscat: Oman’s first professional solar energy training programme is set to be launched on Sunday, 11 March, enabling hundreds of the country’s next generation of workers to be an integral part of the Sultanate’s plans to move away from traditional forms of energy.
The training programme is a culmination of a two-year collaboration between Dr Firas Al Abduwani and Dr Michael Tsang, the co-founders of Shams Global Solutions (SGS), a company based in the Sultanate, being jointly organised by Solar Energy International, a US-based training company that has provided practical renewable energy training to more than 50,000 workers in the sustainable energy sector for nearly 23 years.
The idea for this project began in 2016 with Shell’s announcement of its Solar into Schools initiative and moved in earnest in January 2017, following the release of the Sultanate’s Authority For Electricity Regulation’s (AER) Small Scale Grid Connected Solar PV Systems Standards.
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“At the time that we conceived the idea for a solar training programme, there were no regulations in place yet for grid-connected solar photovoltaics nor were there any tendered utility-scale projects,” said Tsang. “However we took the opportunity to prepare for these actions and we are happy to see Oman now moving forward with both regulatory action and independent power purchase projects.
“Because solar projects are just starting in Oman, there is naturally a lack of experience and expertise in this field, regarding what the regulations and connection guidelines are, as well as technical aspects of photovoltaic system design including safety and fire hazards,” he added.
In addition to theoretical sessions that will take place in classrooms, the four courses on offer at GUTech will also involve intensive practical training so that students can gain real-world experience, which is vital to ensuring things go smoothly in the field.
“We see both the theoretical and practical aspects of these courses as complementary and necessary to one another,” added Tsang. “Through book learning, you will get the foundation of photovoltaic systems conceptually. Students will then be able to take that knowledge to our practical field installations that we are building on the campus of GUtech. This outdoor training facility has been sponsored by BP Oman as a part of their Social Investment Programmes.
Dr Al Abduwani added: “With this sponsorship and hosting, we have built a site which is comprised of four key sections including nine kilo-watts of photovoltaic power-practical space, which are demonstration units of applications that you would normally see in Oman. We have a flat-roof system, which is typical of residential rooftops, a slanted or pitched-roof which is typical of industrial warehouses and a flat ground version. These three sections allow for the demonstration of all common photovoltaic systems in the field.
“The fourth section is an interface protection zone which is required when installers combine multiple solar arrays into a single plant system, and a ground-mounted system so that students can go out and install the panels, connect the cabling, work with the inverter and connect it live to the grid,” he said. Two of these courses are for junior-level certification, while two of them are for expert or advanced-level certification, that is grid connected.”
They also stressed that the practical skills that students would learn as part of this course would help them enter Oman’s energy market in future, with the Sultanate looking to diversify its economy as part of the Tanfeedh directives. The co-founders also plan on having further renewable energy training programmes scheduled for 2018.
“Practical knowledge is extremely important because the solar field is brand new and there is going to be a big learning curve for people, especially in the safety aspect of solar energy,” revealed Tsang. “All of the safety aspects that you would require of a power facility are what you would need here.
“You can actually learn a lot in theoretical class-room settings, but unless you step out into the real world – especially in conditions here in Oman where you can be under extreme pressure, particularly if you are installing these items in the summer – you have to think very effectively, efficiently and strategically,” added Tsang.
“In Oman, over the next 10 to 20 years, different targets have been talked about,” he said. “Renewables may never replace conventional energy by 100%, but it does have its part to play, especially when it comes to absorbing the shocks the market suffers due to dips in conventional fuel prices. Oman is well aware of this, and that is why a lot of projects have recently come online.”
To register for the course, please visit www.shamsoman.com/registration.
