KKU Goes Solar: Rector Inaugurates First University Solar Power Station

On the 4th of Rabī’ Al-Ākhir, King Khalid University Rector, Prof. Falleh R.M. Al-Solamy, inaugurated the university's first operational solar power station. The power station was designed and constructed by students in the Faculty of Engineering. Supervising the efforts was Dr. Abdulaziz bin Salah Al-Saidi. Supporting the efforts were the Permanent Renewable Energy Committee, the University Engineering Consulting Office, and the Technical Company.

At the beginning of the event, His Excellency Rector Al-Solamy was introduced to the detailed schematics and drawings of the power station and was presented with a detailed explanation of the project's mechanism and capabilities. Dr. Abdulaziz bin Salah Al-Saidi then explained that the power station is a significant step towards having the university generate its own sustainable electric power. He further noted that sustainable energy is a primary goal of Vision 2030 that is of great scientific, economic, and social importance.

Rector Al-Solamy praised the efforts of the students, the supervisor, and the entire Department of Electrical Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering. Rector Al-Solamy also noted that this power station is a pilot project and learning tool towards future power generating facilities within the university system, most notably at the new Al-Fara University City Campus.

Rector Al-Solamy: 'This power station is a pilot project and learning tool towards future power generating facilities within the university system'.

Rashid Ayman, Electrical Engineering student and member of the project, thanked Rector Al-Solamy, and Faculty of Engineering Dean, Dr. Ibrahim Falqi, for their dedicated contributions and support throughout the project from conception to achieving operational status. The students also thanked each and every individual and organization outside of the university who provided support and encouragement that helped the project come to fruition.

Currently, the pilot power station generates 11 megawatts of electricity per year using only solar energy. This is enough to power the laboratories and workshops in the Faculty of Engineering. This achievement is a small but significant milestone for the College of Engineering and King Khalid University.

  The Committee of Higher Studies for Masters and Research at the Department of Electrical Engineering recently held an Orientation Program for new MSc students to mark the beginning of the first semester of the academic year 1446. The event commenced with a welcoming address from the Department Chairman, Dr. AbdulRahman Alayedh, who set a positive tone for the sessions to follow. In the subsequent discussion, Dr. Mohammad Mastoor Alammar, the Coordinator of the Research and Higher Studies Committee, presented crucial information regarding the MSc Program's norms and regulations, which included guidance on the advising committee, course credits, and thesis requirements. The orientation program sought to educate students about the structure of the Master’s Program at both the college and university levels. It also introduced faculty members and their respective specializations, clarified the roles of various units within the academic system, and outlined how the College of Engineering and the Department of Electrical Engineering can support students throughout their academic journey. Additionally, committee member Dr. Javed Khan Bhutto shared his research experiences and discussed future prospects related to the Masters Course. The session concluded with Dr. Mohammad Mastoor Alammar delivering a vote of thanks to all attendees, marking a successful start for the incoming MSc students.
The College of Engineering at King Khalid University achieved the top 200 majors in the world after achieving a rank of 151-200 in the field of chemical engineering. The university also achieved record numbers in the field of electrical and electronics engineering by ranking 401-450 in the world.
  Based on the keenness of the College of Engineering at King Khalid University - represented by the Training Unit - to perfect and develop its outputs and link them to the labor market and for its male and female students to receive the best quality and distinguished learning methods, a number of college students, under the supervision of the head of the Training Unit, Dr. Dhafer Ali Alqahtani, coordinated a field visit. The students visited Al Watania for industries and Tasnee factory  in Riyadh on Wednesday and Thursday, November, 22-23, 2023. The visit aims to acquaint the students with the technologies that fall within their specialization and are used in the Al watania for Industry (its plastic and container manufacturers) and Tasnee (the battery factory), which allowed the college students to learn about the nature of factory work by meeting with the engineers working in the factories. The visit began with a visual presentation of the factories’ parts and components, the developments that took place in them from their inception until today, and what are the security and safety precautions. This visit included a field tour of the factory facilities and their effective contribution to the latest technologies and quality of production in the field of plastics, containers and batteries. An open meeting was also held to discuss and answer students’ inquiries related to factory operations and technologies. At the end of the visit, the college employees expressed their thanks to the representatives of the factories for the warm reception, and the efforts they made to make this visit a success, which comes within the cooperation and constructive interaction between the universities with the governmental and private sectors in the field of industry to link the theoretical reality with the practical and applied, because of its great positive impact and great benefit to its graduates and graduates of the College of Engineering.