OMAN: Solar energy workshop gets under way at SQU

29th, August 2016

MUSCAT: The opening ceremony of the second solar energy workshop organised by the Pre-Innovators Incubator at the Independent Learning Centre (ILC) at Sultan Qaboos University was held on Monday under the patronage of Ali bin Khalfan al Jabri, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Information. Dr Ali bin Saud al Bimani, Vice-Chancellor of SQU, and several dignitaries attended the ceremony. The event aims at nourishing the skills of students in solar energy applications. Speaking on the occasion, Dr Magda Talib al Hinai, Director of ILC, said that the Pre-Innovation Incubator at ILC establishes a fertile environment for SQU students to flourish by guiding them on the right track to the world of innovation and creativity.

 The Pre-Innovation Incubator was launched in summer 2015, offering the first summer activity at SQU in the framework of the solar energy workshop delivered by Prof Yijia Chen from the Energy Technology Institute of the National Dong Hwa University in Taiwan. “The Pre-Innovators Incubator one of the several incubators and platforms the ILC established over the last few months. These incubators and platforms run on a themed basis, where we are highly selective on the themes we propose, trying to fulfil the needs of the job market and the development of the nation”, Dr Al Hinai said.

Dr Rashid al Abri, the theme coordinator of the solar energy workshop, said that the event aims at nourishing the skills of students in solar energy applications and research, and opening the door for them in the way of innovation and creativity. “The topics to be discussed in the workshop include semi-conductor characteristics, I-V curve measurement of silicon cells, the shading effect on solar cells, and hydrogen production using solar energy”. Dr Al Abri called upon the private sector to support SQU in running various workshops organised by ILC with the aim of promoting research and innovation skills of the students in relevant areas.

During the opening ceremony of the solar energy workshop, Prof Huang Der Ray, Chairman of the Energy Technology Centre at the National Dong Hwa University in Taiwan, gave a keynote address on “Sustainable Development of Green Energy in Taiwan”.

He outlined the importance of tapping green energy resources to reduce carbon dioxide emission and save costs. Prof Huang Der Ray elaborated on Taiwan’s plans to tap solar, wind, biomass and geothermal energy resources to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels and nuclear energy.

“Solar panels of the future could produce clean burning hydrogen gas in a one-step process. We hope that new technologies in renewable and green energies will help Taiwan to nuclear power free land by 2012”, he said. Prof Yijia Chen from the National Dong Hwa University in Taiwan will deliver the second solar energy workshop with laboratory support of Dr Wen Chen.