Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/rser Analyzing the potential and progress of distributed generation applications in Saudi Arabia: The case of solar and wind resources Makbul A.M. Ramli a, ⁎ , Ssennoga Twaha b , Zakariya Al-Hamouz c a Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia b Energy and Sustainability Division, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, NG7 2RD, United Kingdom c Electrical Engineering Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Distributed generation Solar energy Wind energy Energy resource potential analysis ABSTRACT In this paper, the potential of solar and wind energy-based distributed generation (DG) in Saudi Arabia is simultaneously analyzed with the aim of maximizing the utilization of available resources. It begins with an analysis of DG application potential for wind and solar energy resources in various regions of Saudi Arabia. The progress of DG applications in terms of research, planning, and exploitation of wind and solar energy resources is then presented. An assessment of the DG contribution to the energy sector of Saudi Arabia has been conducted and the barriers and challenges for the implementation of DG systems in the country are discussed with suggested measures to overcome the challenges. The main findings are that with the huge potential of wind and solar resources for DG applications the country has targeted 50 GW of wind and solar capacity by the year 2040. The Saudi government is expected to provide full support in the form of financial incentives for solar and wind energy projects in order to boost renewable energy development. 1. Introduction Saudi Arabia's electric energy consumption is now about 256 TWh/ y, the highest consumption of all Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. However, the fossil fuels on which the country mainly depends for energy needs are limited, and are projected to be exhausted within 100–150 years. Additionally, the carbon emission released by burning fossil fuels is responsible for releasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions which lead to global warming and therefore to climate change, which all raise environmental concerns. Renewable energy systems are an alternative method of reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Wind energy systems have been used since ancient times, such as the wind-driven waterwheels from the fourth century [1], which are still in use today, especially in the coastal areas [2]. Among renewable resources, solar energy systems are being used through different configurations—such as hybrid and stand-alone—to improve the energy supply of different countries [3,4], as well as the use of feed- in tariffs to reduce the adverse effect of fossil-based energy systems on the environment [5]. Distributed generation (DG) systems based on renewable resources including wind and solar are crucial in countries like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) which mainly depends on fossil fuels for energy needs. With DG, many power companies can invest in small scale renew- able energy systems (RES) such as solar photovoltaic (PV), wind, small hydro turbines, combined heat and power (CHP) or a hybrid of different renewable energy resources [6]. DG is a small-scale energy generation and is established close to the consumer's location [7]. The amount of energy generated from DG system depends on the potential of the natural and man-made energy resources available in a given area. Therefore, it is quite important to know the energy production potential of a given area for proper planning and exploitation of the available energy resources. To assess whether DG systems offer substantial benefits, it is important to investigate the previous research and implementation of DG in the region [8] as well as the previous and current work on DG applications in the Kingdom. If such information is available, energy planning teams and policy makers can easily estimate the resources necessary to boost the renewable energy sector. For example, incentive programs and tax rebate schemes can be extended to small scale DG operators to offset the high initial investment costs of RES and support their application in KSA [9]. The multitude of barriers for the implementation of such systems can also be assessed and initiatives can be suggested to overcome them [10]. Studies on the application, development and consequences of renewable energy systems are being conducted continuously, and a pool of studies have examined the advantages of RE, such as the reduction of GHG emissions primarily through simulating models http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2016.11.204 Received 17 March 2016; Received in revised form 21 September 2016; Accepted 14 November 2016 ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail addresses: mramli@kau.edu.sa (M.A.M. Ramli), ssennogatwaha2007@gmail.com (S. Twaha). Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 70 (2017) 287–297 1364-0321/ © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. crossmark