The latest financial centre of Saudi Arabia, the King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD), is reducing its dependence on the country’s oil reserves and is relying on solar technology from Conergy for a portion of its energy requirements. By installing a solar system on the roofs of parcels 5.07 and 5.08, the KAFD has chosen sustainable architecture with the aim of achieving one of the most significant eco certifications in the world: the “LEED Gold” certification awarded by the US Green Building Council.

At close to 200 kilowatts, the solar plant is not only be the first but also the largest rooftop plant in Riyadh. In collaboration with its local partner Modern Times Technical Systems (MTTS), Conergy has installed over 800 Conergy PowerPlus 230M modules on some 1.7 kilometres of Conergy SunTop III mounting systems over a surface of 1,319 sqm. The 330 megawatt hours of clean energy generated each year — which could supply 1,500 computers in the financial centre — is fed into the power grid of the metropolis via 14 string inverters. The solar plant prevents the emission of 180 tons of CO2 annually.

Conergy is providing support to companies in the Middle East on this new path towards sustainability. “The KAFD is no doubt an ecological pioneer, who we commend for playing this role,” says Alexander Lenz, Conergy CEO. “With its environmentally friendly architecture, the KAFD demonstrates how the Saudi financial sector can reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. With the first rooftop plant in Riyadh, the KAFD is setting an example — and simultaneously encouraging more green awareness and action in the Middle East.”