Does Saudi Arabia have a smart grid?

Shifting to the smart grid is fraught with a lot of research and development challenges. This paper outlines the features of the smart grid and their corresponding challenges. The Kingdom's unique geographical and climatic location makes renewable energy sources commercially viable, bolstering Saudi attempts to diversify the country's energy mix.

What is a smart grid?

The transition towards smart grid introduces the potential for revolutionary changes in the present energy management systems. It provides the grid with the necessary functionalities to transform into a decentralized energy system, and integrate large-scale variable renewable energy sources with enhanced demand-side management.

How smart grid energy system can help KSA achieve its goals?

1. Renewable Energy: the smart grid energy system should enable the KSA’s renewable targets and allow flexibility to deploy such technologies in the grid network. 2. Network: the network infrastructure should provide improved reliability, quality, and efficiency. 3.

Does Saudi Arabia need a modernized power grid?

Similar to the numerous challenges encountered globally in the process of smart grid transformation, the traditional power grid in Saudi Arabia faces challenges such as transmission losses, low efficiency, and limited ability to accommodate RESs . Therefore, there is a need for a modernized power grid.

What is smart grid (SG)?

SG comprises the utilization of information in the form of analog or digital with advanced communication technologies. In the field of renewable energy (RE), the term “smart grid” refers to either a specific sector or an area of communication that is able to link the output of RE sources with the grid.

Why is smart grid infrastructure important?

Similarly, an advanced smart grid infrastructure means expanded communication and increased system complexity that easily makes the system vulnerable to cyber-attacks. The availability of millions of nodes in the smart communication network makes it unpredictable to anticipate the cyber-attack severity and quantity .