Photovoltaic course to boost Oman’s renewable energy sector

Halban: A five-day solar photovoltaic course was held at the German University of Technology in Oman (GUtech) last week.
Oman’s Distribution Code Review Panel (DCRP) officially certified this technical training course. Over 20 participants from the industry, distribution companies and academia (including engineering professors from GUtech) enrolled in the course.
This course was one of four different types currently being offered by Shams Global Solutions (SGS), in partnership with Solar Energy International (SEI).
“Through our course, we are aiming to fulfil the objective of preparing locals to take up important roles in the renewable energy sector. The Shams training programme covers fundamental aspects that enhance the knowledge and capabilities of individuals and professionals,” said Dr. Firas Al Abduwani, Co-Founder of Shams Global Solutions.
The PV101 is a Solar Electric Design and Installation course, developed by SEI, a photovoltaic technical training organisation with over 55,000 alumni worldwide, and localised by SGS, a local Omani company offering educational and training services on sustainability.
Capacity-building
“It is a pleasant moment to realise the project and offer the first professional solar training in Oman. The success of the training can be noticed from the motivation of the participants who have shown their interest to join our other training levels in the near future. The class was full and we have got many applications for the upcoming training. It is our honour to be one of the first participants in the capacity-building of Oman in the renewable energy field,” said Al-Abduwani.
“The course gave us a strong introduction into the design and installation of solar photovoltaic power systems, including how to conduct solar site analyses, to understand equipment specifications, to correct cabling and mounting requirements, as well as the inverter selection, the interface protection and safety. We are looking forward to the three other courses SGS is offering in Oman,” said Ali Al Humairi, Lecturer at the Department of Computer Sciences at GUtech.
In addition, the PV101 course, SGS, will provide lab/field-based courses and advanced theory courses on grid-tied photovoltaic systems. Just recently, they broke ground and started construction on a nine kW outdoors training facility at GUtech that is being sponsored by BP Oman.