- PassivSystems secures ‘Sahim’ phase 1 contract with Authority for Electricity Regulation in Oman (AER)
- ‘Funded ownership’ model, with significant consumer benefits for home owners, will accelerate rooftop solar deployment, targeting residential rooftops
- Key project goal is to deliver value for money by driving down operating costs and maximising generation
Newbury, UK, 21 March 2018 – PassivSystems has secured a contract with the Authority for Electricity Regulation Oman (AER), to consult on the first phase of an ambitious plan to install solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on more than 30% of all residential rooftops in the Sultanate of Oman.
“We chose PassivSystems as consultants on this project because of its extensive experience working on funded solar PV schemes,” commented Qais Saud Al Zakwani, Executive Director at the Authority. “By tapping into its experience as UK market leaders in managing residential rooftop PV, we are confident that we will achieve the cost and generation yield targets necessary to ensure that this programme is a success.”
The government initiative, known as ‘Sahim’, will use a funded ownership model that offers householders access to solar PV with minimal capital outlay, giving home owners in Oman a long-term financial incentive to install solar systems on their rooftops. While the initiative is being led by AER, private investors will provide the capital to fund the solar scheme.
With the prevalence of air conditioning in Omani homes, electricity demand often peaks during the day – exactly when solar power is able to make the greatest contribution to meeting that demand. Solar PV will help reduce consumers’ bills and Oman’s reliance on natural gas as a fuel.
Deploying solar on such a wide scale has many benefits, not least the ability to defer investment in reinforcing the supply network, which would otherwise be needed to accommodate peak power demands.
“This is an exciting, ambitious initiative and I applaud the Sultanate for embracing renewable energy on such a broad scale,” said Colin Calder, chief executive, PassivSystems. “We will be working closely with the AER to ensure that this project moves forward from a vision to a reality based on a sound financial model.”
During phase 1 of this project, PassivSystems is assisting AER to identify and manage risks, draw up robust requests for proposals, analyse legal models and refine the customer proposition. A pilot project will see between 1,000 and 3,000 homes fitted out with solar PV before scaling the programme to include more than a quarter of a million properties.
About PassivSystems Ltd
PassivSystems has developed a secure, scalable cloud-based ‘PassivEnergy’ smart home energy management platform for collecting and optimising data collected from smart meters, solar PV systems, batteries and all types of residential heating systems, including district heating. Its smart heating service has been demonstrated to significantly reduce lifetime operating costs to UK households worth hundreds of pounds a year per household. PassivSystems is the leading provider of domestic solar PV asset management services and its technology has been selected by leading utilities to differentiate their supply services.
The intermittent nature of renewable sources like wind and solar is challenging grid operators to maintain stable electricity networks that can manage both highly variable sources of supply and demand. PassivSystems’ vision is that every household can benefit from cheaper, cleaner energy by playing their part in balancing the grid. By developing and operating smart data
