Saudi Arabia's vast agricultural estates, remote desert camps, border facilities, and islands far from SEC grid infrastructure have historically relied on diesel generators — expensive, loud, and requiring fuel logistics. A correctly designed off-grid solar and battery system can eliminate diesel consumption by 70–95%, providing 24/7 power at a fraction of the operating cost. For sites already using diesel, the investment typically pays back in 2–5 years through fuel savings alone.
What's Included
Load analysis of all electrical equipment (HVAC, water pumps, lighting, refrigeration, communications), autonomy design (days of backup storage without solar), and panel/battery/inverter sizing to meet the 100% reliability requirement.
Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery banks (BYD, CATL) for cycle-intensive off-grid applications. Correctly sized for your target autonomy (typically 1–3 days for Saudi farming estates with reliable sun). Battery management system with remote monitoring.
Victron MultiPlus, SMA Sunny Island, or Schneider XW+ off-grid inverter/chargers that manage solar, battery, grid (if available), and diesel generator inputs simultaneously with intelligent priority management.
For critical facilities requiring 100% uptime, integrate an existing or new diesel generator as the backup source. The hybrid controller starts the generator automatically only when battery reaches the minimum state of charge — reducing generator run-time by 70–90% versus continuous operation.
Solar-powered borehole pumps (AC or DC) for agricultural irrigation and livestock watering. Grundfos SQFlex, Lorentz PS, and Shakti solar pump systems sized for Saudi groundwater depth and daily volume requirements.
Victron Remote Management (VRM), SMA Sunny Portal, or custom SCADA for facilities with technical staff. SMS/WhatsApp alert system for battery low, fault, and generator auto-start events.
How It Works
Pricing Guide
Small off-grid system (farm accommodation, 3kW load, 1-day autonomy): SAR 45,000–75,000 installed. Medium farm system (10kW load, 1.5-day autonomy): SAR 120,000–200,000 installed. Large remote facility (30kW load, diesel hybrid): SAR 350,000–600,000 installed. Solar water pump (10m³/day from 50m depth): SAR 18,000–35,000. Annual operating cost savings vs diesel: 70–90% of current diesel fuel spend.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can solar replace a diesel generator completely on a Saudi farm?
In most cases, 90–95% diesel elimination is achievable with a solar + battery system. Complete 100% elimination is technically possible but requires a very large battery bank sized for the worst-case consecutive cloudy day scenario (rare in Saudi Arabia but not impossible). For critical facilities, retaining the diesel generator as a backup (which may run only 5–10 times per year) is the more economical design — this is called a hybrid system.
How much does diesel fuel currently cost for farm generators in Saudi Arabia?
Commercial diesel in Saudi Arabia is currently subsidised at approximately SAR 0.67–0.75/litre for registered commercial users, and SAR 1.10–1.25/litre for unregistered/retail purchase. A 20kVA diesel generator consumes approximately 5–7 litres/hour at 75% load — roughly SAR 3,500–5,000/month for an agricultural application running 16 hours/day. A solar+battery system eliminating 85% of this consumption saves SAR 3,000–4,250/month — SAR 36,000–51,000/year.
What battery technology is best for Saudi Arabia's extreme heat in off-grid systems?
Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) is the only viable chemistry for Saudi Arabia's outdoor off-grid battery installations where ambient temperature regularly exceeds 45°C in summer. LFP has a thermal runaway temperature above 270°C (versus 150°C for NMC), degrades more slowly at high temperatures, and can operate (with appropriate BMS cooling) up to 50°C ambient. All battery banks must be installed in shade or insulated battery rooms with forced ventilation — we design the battery enclosure as part of the off-grid system scope.
Do off-grid solar systems require SEC approval in Saudi Arabia?
Off-grid systems (not connected to the SEC network) do not require SEC net metering approval — they have no connection to the public grid. They may require a municipality building permit for the mounting structure on permanent buildings (same as any rooftop construction). Agricultural installations on farm land in remote areas typically require no permits beyond standard farm operation licensing. We confirm permitting requirements for each specific site during the feasibility assessment.