There are an estimated 3.5 million mosques worldwide. The relatively large surface area of most mosque rooftops and their ubiquity in the Muslim world make them excellent candidates for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations. Muslims congregate for prayers at mosques five times a day: at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening. Because these times are governed by the sun, they change chronographically within the year, according to the season, but are perpetual. As such, mosque electricity load profiles are highly predictable across each year and experience limited annual variation.

Acting Program Director
Dr. Elshurafa is a Fellow in King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and possesses 20+…
Dr. Elshurafa is a Fellow in King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and possesses 20+ years of experience in energy and technology garnered on three continents. His research interests lie in renewable energy policy, power systems modeling, and hybrid microgrid design and optimization. He has led and executed several national modeling initiatives both at the distributed and utility scales, and he is listed among the top 2% of scientists globally as per Elsevier. Some aspects of his research have been adopted by BP in creating their seminal annual statistical review. Credited with 50+ papers and patents, Dr. Elshurafa holds a PhD in electrical engineering complemented thereafter with an MBA in finance.
Expertise
- Power sector modeling
- Electricity markets
- Renewable energy policy
- Hybrid microgrid optimization
Publications See all Amro Elshurafa’s publications

Modeling Cross-seasonal Fuel Savings From Load Shifting in the Saudi Industrial Sector and Interlinkages to Export Revenues
There are an estimated 3.5 million mosques worldwide. The relatively large surface area of most…
10th May 2023
How Firm Capacity and Forced Outage Rate Assumptions of Renewables Impact Capacity Expansion Model Results
There are an estimated 3.5 million mosques worldwide. The relatively large surface area of most…
9th March 2023