Progress Report for Annex II--Assessment of Solar Radiation Resources in Saudi Arabia 1993 - 1997

In 1987, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and the King Abdulaziz city for Science and Technology (KACST) signed a five-year Agreement for Cooperation in the Field of Renewable Energy Research and Development (R&D), which has been extended to 2000. Tasks include: 1) upgrade solar radiation measurements in Saudi Arabia; 2) assemble a database of concurrent solar radiation, satellite(METEOSAT), and meteorological data; 3) adapt NREL models and other software for Saudi Arabia; 4) develop procedures, algorithms, and software to estimate solar irradiance; and 5) prepare a grid of solar radiation data for preparing maps and atlases and estimating solar radiation resources and solar energy system performances at locations in Saudi Arabia.