Renewable energy still not ‘mainstream’ in Jordan — expert

AMMAN — There are only between 4,000 to 5,000 households in the Kingdom that use renewable energy, Arab Renewable Energy Commission Secretary General Mohammad Taani said on Tuesday.

Renewable energy, he noted, is not fully utilised in Jordan due to the public’s lack of awareness of its advantages.

“It is definitely not the expected number. Jordanians do not have enough information on this type of energy,” Taani said.

The renewable energy expert argued that there is miscommunication between power providers and renewable energy companies in the process of offering households sufficient power supply. 

“Power providers often see those companies as their competitors; thus, fewer people are interested in using renewable energy as they sense some obstacles in service provision,” Taani said.

He stressed the importance of engaging a third party to “link” between electricity providers and the companies in order to have a better chance to provide improved service to subscribers. 

“A third balanced party should intervene to regulate the process and manage it carefully,” Taani added.

He said there are around 500 renewable energy-providing companies around Jordan, which is “one of the problems” that endanger the future of renewable energy in the country. 

“These companies should be reduced to [no more than] 100, as they mislead and cause miscommunication between the consumer and the power provider,” Taani told The Jordan Times.

He added that most consumers of renewable energy reside in the capital, while the rest are equally spread around the governorates. 

Jordan has one of the highest annual daily averages of solar irradiance in the world, with around 330 days of sunshine per year. The Kingdom also has significant amounts of untapped wind energy, with wind speeds as high as 7.5 metres per second and up to 11.5 metres per second in hilly areas, according to experts.