Saudi solar engineering splits into two very different jobs. One is utility-scale bid engineering for the National Renewable Energy Program (NREP), where a few cents per MWh decide the round. The other is rooftop and C&I work under the regulator’s net billing rules. The tools overlap. The evidence each job must produce does not.
Quick answer. Saudi Arabia solar engineering for utility projects runs through NREP. REPDO, the Ministry of Energy’s Renewable Energy Project Development Office, ran the early rounds. The Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) now runs tenders and signs PPAs. Bid engineering must prove yield, technology and cost a lender will accept. Rooftop systems from 1 kW to 2 MW follow the regulator’s 2020 small-scale net billing framework.
TL;DR
- NREP covers about 30% of Saudi renewable capacity. The Public Investment Fund route covers the other 70%.
- Round 7 opened in September 2025 with 5.3 GW, including 3.1 GW of solar PV.
- In Round 1, the lowest bid was set aside over lender doubts about its bifacial technology. Bankability can outrank price.
- Rooftop and C&I systems use net billing, not net metering. Exports earn less than imports cost.
This guide is for developers, bidding consortia and EPCs engineering projects in the Kingdom. If you are choosing tools, our Saudi solar software guide covers the stack. This page covers what the engineering must prove.
Who runs Saudi solar procurement: REPDO or SPPC?
Both, at different times. REPDO was set up inside the Ministry of Energy in 2017. It announced Round 1, the 300 MW Sakaka project, in February 2017 and ran its tender.
SPPC signed the Sakaka PPA as offtaker. It has since become the body that runs the tenders. For Round 7, SPPC described itself as principal buyer, handling feasibility studies, tenders and PPAs, under Ministry of Energy oversight, per Argaam (September 2025).
| Body | Role today | What it means for engineering |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Energy | Oversees NREP | Sets program targets and policy |
| REPDO | The Ministry’s renewable project office; ran early rounds | Older bid documents and Round 1 history carry its name |
| SPPC | Runs tenders, signs PPAs | Issues RFQs and RFPs your engineering responds to |
| Public Investment Fund | Develops about 70% of capacity with partners | A separate, non-NREP route |
The 70/30 split between the PIF route and NREP comes from the CMS expert guide to Saudi renewable energy (2024).
What is in the current NREP pipeline?
SPPC opened the seventh NREP round on 16 September 2025 with 5.3 GW, per Argaam.
| Project | Technology | Capacity (MW) |
|---|---|---|
| Tabarjal 2 | Solar PV | 1,400 |
| Mawqaq | Solar PV | 600 |
| Tathleeth | Solar PV | 600 |
| South AlUla | Solar PV | 500 |
| Bilghah | Wind | 1,300 |
| Shagran | Wind | 900 |
SPPC also said it had launched 43.2 GW of renewable capacity and connected 10.2 GW. Use those as SPPC-stated figures, since other sources give different totals.
What does Round 1 teach about bid engineering?
That bankability can beat price. When Sakaka bids opened on 3 October 2017, the lowest offer used bifacial modules. REPDO did not take it forward. Reported doubts about whether lenders would finance the newer technology were the reason, per Greenstreet’s Sakaka project profile.
ACWA Power won and signed a 25-year PPA at 2.342 US cents per kWh, as reported by pv magazine (2018). Round 1 bids also had to meet a 30% local content requirement.
The lesson is not about one module type. Our guide to bifacial module design in 2026 covers the rear-side modelling. Any technology choice needs evidence a lender’s adviser can check:
- field data or independent test results for the module and tracker;
- a bifacial gain model with stated albedo and its source;
- clear assumptions for soiling, which hits rear and front sides differently.
What must Saudi tender engineering prove?
A bid package must show that the tariff rests on defensible engineering. These are the elements that carry the price.
| Element | What it must show | Why it moves the tariff |
|---|---|---|
| Energy yield | P50 and P90 with named irradiance data | Lenders commonly size debt on a P90 or P99 case |
| Layout | Ground coverage ratio, tracker or fixed tilt, row pitch | Sets land, cable and yield trade-offs |
| Soiling | Monthly profile tied to a cleaning plan | Desert dust drives O&M cost and loss |
| Temperature | Thermal model for the mounting type | High heat cuts output at the temperature coefficient |
| Structure | Wind and sand loads, pile design | Foundations drive steel and installation cost |
| Local content | BOM split by origin | Bids must meet the round’s requirement |
Our PVsyst tracker yield methodology and pile foundation design guide cover two of these in depth.
Why does soiling deserve its own line?
Gulf soiling rates vary widely between studies and sites. A single annual percentage hides the cleaning cost behind it. State the rate, the cleaning interval it assumes and the O&M cost of that interval. Our UAE solar engineering guide compares published Gulf soiling data.
How do rooftop and C&I projects connect in Saudi Arabia?
Through the regulator’s small-scale framework, not NREP. The Water and Electricity Regulatory Authority (WERA, formerly ECRA) issued it in 2020. It covers systems from 1 kW to 2 MW, with up to 5 MW in total per customer, under net billing, per the CMS guide.
A 2022 Regulatory Framework for Renewable Energy Generation for Self-Consumption widened the scope. It added off-grid systems and more technologies alongside grid-connected ones.
The design consequence is the same as anywhere with net billing. Exports are paid below the import tariff, so size systems to daytime consumption. Our explainer on net metering vs net billing shows why.
Confirm the current export rate and application route with the Saudi Electricity Company before you model payback. We found conflicting figures in secondary sources, so we do not quote one here.
Which codes and standards apply?
Rooftop electrical work must meet the Saudi Building Code electrical requirements (SBC 401). Equipment must meet SASO conformity rules. Utility projects follow the grid connection requirements in each round’s documents.
Codes are updated, and each tender sets its own technical specifications. Always cite the edition named in the RFP or the utility’s connection rules, not a version from a past project.
How can an outsourced engineering team help?
Bid windows are short and engineering volume is high. An outsourced team can run yield studies, layouts and structural design while the consortium manages the commercial side.
Heaven Designs prepares ground-mount design packages, civil and structural engineering and PVsyst reports for developers. We do not submit bids or represent bidders to SPPC. The consortium and its lender’s adviser own those decisions.
FAQ
What is REPDO in Saudi Arabia?
The Renewable Energy Project Development Office, set up in 2017 inside the Ministry of Energy. It ran early NREP rounds, starting with the 300 MW Sakaka project.
Who buys power from NREP projects?
SPPC, the Saudi Power Procurement Company. It runs current tenders and signs the long-term PPAs.
Does Saudi Arabia have net metering for rooftop solar?
It uses net billing. Systems from 1 kW to 2 MW connect under the 2020 small-scale framework, and exports earn less than retail imports cost.
Is local content required in NREP bids?
Round 1 required 30%. Check each round’s documents for its current requirement.
Next step
If you are preparing an NREP bid or a large C&I project in the Kingdom, we can take on the yield and design work. Share the project scope and we will reply within one business day.