Effect of Major Dust Events on Ambient Temperature and Solar Irradiance Components over Saudi Arabia

The Saudi government targets building eight solar plants across the country by 2030, which are expected to produce more than 3600 MW, enough power 500,000 homes. However, vast desert environment in Arabia increases dust and aerosol loading atmosphere, affect performance of photovoltaic systems due scattering absorption radiation particles. In this work, ground-based data from weather stations located six cities, Dammam, Hafar Al Batin, Riyadh, Jeddah, Najran, Arar, along with Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) used examine effects on optical parameters, air temperature, irradiance. three major storms that blew over different regions 20 March 2017, 23 April 2018, 15 2021 have been investigated. It is found there a strong correlation between parameters. maximum Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) was recorded Jeddah 19 2017 (about 2), Riyadh 2.3), 24 2018 1.5), Najran 0.9). Strong events reduce temperature few degrees high regions. study such large decreases direct global irradiance components, while it diffuse component cities Najran. This could be an indication particles can play significant role intensity.