WA1 - Renewable Energy Sources

The Working Group consists of a number of qualified experts from the EU and the GCC regions with proven professional and/or research record in the specific field, thus capable of contributing and participating in collaboration activities including:

  • know-how and technology transfer,
  • policies discussion,
  • examination of state-of-the art technologies,
  • best practices discussion and promotion,
  • research collaboration,
  • dissemination and promotion of relevant demonstration projects,
  • and facilitation and promotion of relevant EU-GCC cooperation initiatives and projects.
 
Members of the Working Group will be able to follow closely the group activities that are launched. Indicative benefits include:
  • invitation for participation in thematic working events, network meetings, training seminars as well as web-meetings, and
  • personal account in the private experts collaboration Area within the Network web-platform.

Following preliminary consultations, we see the following topics of interest for this WG participants, to develop EU GCC cooperation actvities on:

Policies and regulations: RES policy and institutional/regulatory environment for the greater deployment of RES.

Encourage the establishment of institutional, legislative and governance frameworks enabling environment for clean energy investments and implementing innovative and flexible funding mechanisms.

RE resource assessment (solar, wind and geothermal), zoning and planning.

Technology adaptation to GCC climate conditions (high moisture, dust, sand storms, high temperatures).

Quality control related to standards, testing and certification for RE equipment.

Distributed PV systems (i.e. PV rooftop systems), policies, regulations and best practices.

Cooling applications; district cooling.

Energy Storage (thermal and electrical).

Expanding RES integration linked to water desalination including exploring possibilities for efficient decoupling energy and water by using new technologies e.g. Reverse Osmosis.

Promotion of energy services companies using solar rooftop as an economic driver for lower energy costs.

Assessment of local manufacturing potential of renewable energy components and systems.

Capacity building and awareness raising particularly in the residential segment.

Dr. Ana R. Lagunas Alonso

WA1 Convener

Director of the Photovoltaic Solar Energy Department of CENER, has more than thirty years of working experience in various fields from materials related basic research, through high technology manufacturing in the semiconductors and microelectronic devices world.

Marcelino Sánchez Ph.D.

WA1 Convener

Dr. Marcelino is the Director of the Solar Thermal Energy Department of CENER with more than 27 years of international research experience in R&D projects in the area of solar thermal energy, especially in projects related to Concentrating Solar Power Technologies (CSPT).