Scientists from Qatar and Jordan have collaborated to develop a new system called the “Dual Technology Solar Energy System,” which has the capability to generate clean energy 24/7.
Such a system will generate a total of approximately 753 megawatt-hours of energy annually. (Illustrative image).
This amount of electricity is sufficient to power around 753 homes for 5 weeks or 1,500 60W light bulbs continuously for an entire year. True to its name, the system combines two tower technologies into a single design: Solar Updraft Tower (SUT) and Cooling Down Tower (CDT). These are integrated into a common tower with the updraft tower situated in the center.
According to the research team from Al Hussein Technical University in Jordan and Qatar University, the solar power tower (SUT) stands approximately 200 meters tall, with a diameter of 13.6 meters, and features a collector with a diameter of 250 meters located below.
The internal cooling tower has a diameter of 10 meters, leaving an 1.8-meter gap around it. This gap is divided into 10 separate drainage towers, equipped with a misting system on top and turbines below.
The chosen construction site is near Riyadh – an area characterized by dry, hot desert conditions, ideal for such designs.
In simulated tests using local weather data, the research team estimates that a system like this would generate a total of approximately 753 megawatt-hours of energy annually, with external wind towers operating day and night to provide about 400 megawatt-hours and the updraft tower functioning more efficiently in the heat, contributing around 350 MWh.
