For Oman, some of the country’s greatest renewable-energy potential arrives at the same time as one of its biggest electricity demands. During the hottest months, air conditioning becomes essential across homes, offices, businesses and industrial facilities, while the sun is at its strongest. This creates an opportunity to use solar energy directly for cooling.
Cooling is a major contributor to Oman’s electricity demand. The International Energy Agency has identified air conditioning as an important driver of summer peaks, with peak electricity demand rising from 6,060 megawatts in 2015 to 7,081 MW in 2021. As temperatures continue to place pressure on the power system, managing cooling demand will become increasingly important.
Solar-powered cooling can take several forms. Photovoltaic panels can supply electricity to conventional air-conditioning systems, while hybrid systems can combine solar power with the grid. Solar thermal technologies can also use heat from the sun to drive cooling processes.
The concept is not new in Oman. The Observer reported in 2022 on an Omani researcher who developed a solar-powered thermal air-conditioning system, demonstrating that local research has already explored the potential. More recently, research has examined alternatives such as seawater air conditioning for coastal developments.
What makes the subject particularly relevant now is the rapid development of Oman’s renewable-energy sector. Large solar and wind projects are being developed to increase clean electricity generation and support new industries. This raises a broader question about how renewable electricity can be integrated into everyday energy consumption.
Cooling is an obvious candidate.
Solar generation and cooling demand naturally complement each other during the day. When solar output is high, buildings are often also experiencing strong cooling requirements. Using solar electricity for air conditioning can therefore help reduce the amount of electricity required from conventional generation during periods of high demand.
For households and smaller businesses, rooftop solar could provide part of the electricity required for cooling. Larger commercial buildings, hotels, shopping centres and industrial facilities could potentially combine larger solar installations with efficient cooling systems and energy-management technologies.
The opportunity extends beyond installing solar panels. Buildings themselves can be made less dependent on air conditioning through better insulation, external shading, reflective materials, efficient windows and improved building design. Reducing the amount of heat entering a building means less electricity is needed to remove it.
Air-conditioning technology also matters. More efficient equipment can provide the same level of comfort while consuming less electricity. Improving efficiency across the large number of cooling systems operating throughout Oman could therefore have a significant cumulative effect.
Thermal storage offers another possibility. Instead of storing only electricity in batteries, cooling can be produced when solar power is abundant and stored as chilled water or ice for use later. This can allow cooling generated during the afternoon to continue meeting demand after the sun begins to set.
District cooling could also play a role, particularly in large developments. Centralised systems produce chilled water and distribute it to several buildings, potentially improving efficiency compared with numerous individual cooling systems. Renewable electricity could be integrated directly into these larger systems.
The coastal environment creates another interesting possibility. A 2026 study examining seawater air conditioning in Oman explored using naturally cold deep seawater to provide cooling for coastal developments. The research considered locations including Al Jissah-Yiti and examined the possibility of combining seawater cooling with renewable energy and storage.
Such systems are unlikely to replace conventional air conditioning across Oman in the immediate future. They require suitable locations, infrastructure and significant investment. Solar-powered and hybrid cooling systems also face challenges when solar generation falls, particularly after sunset.
This makes energy efficiency and smart management essential. Cooling systems could be programmed to operate more intensively when solar electricity is available, while thermal storage or batteries could help maintain comfort later in the day.
The wider benefit is reducing pressure on the electricity grid. If part of Oman’s growing cooling demand can be met through renewable energy and efficiency improvements, less conventional generation may be needed during the hottest periods.
For Oman, the importance of solar cooling is therefore broader than replacing one type of air conditioner with another. It is about bringing renewable generation and electricity demand closer together.
The country has abundant sunshine, a growing renewable-energy sector and an unavoidable need for cooling. These three factors make solar cooling an area worth exploring more seriously as Oman plans its energy future.
The sun that makes Oman hot could become part of the solution to keeping the country cool, while helping reduce pressure on the electricity system and supporting the Sultanate of Oman’s wider transition towards cleaner energy.
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