Aramco Telecom Sites Solar PV Retrofit: Riyadh and Dammam, Saudi Arabia
Project: Saudi Aramco, Telecommunications Sites Solar PV Retrofit
Service: Solar
Location: 8 regional sites between Riyadh and Dammam, Saudi Arabia
Client: Saudi Aramco
Status: Completed, September 21, 2025
Solar assets, like any piece of critical infrastructure, need periodic technical review to keep performing at the level they were originally designed for, particularly across multi-site portfolios where system age, installation quality, and environmental exposure vary considerably from one location to the next. Saudi Aramco engaged ZOMCO x FREE energy to retrofit and optimize the solar photovoltaic systems powering eight of its remote telecommunications sites, spread across two industrial hubs, Riyadh and Dammam.
The engineering team carried out a full technical audit of each existing solar installation, assessing module degradation, inverter performance, mounting structure integrity, wiring and combiner-box condition, and monitoring system functionality, then replaced outdated modules and supporting components with new equipment to meet current standards. Underperforming components were flagged for replacement or upgrade, restoring each system to, or above, its original rated output across a combined installed capacity of roughly 186 kWp.
Delivering the retrofit across two major industrial hubs required careful coordination to minimize disruption to Aramco’s ongoing telecommunications operations at each site while restoring full solar generation capacity. The modernization sustains Aramco’s renewable energy commitments at these remote communication sites, ensuring optimal performance, extended system lifespan, and reduced maintenance needs, while reducing reliance on conventional power and enhancing operational resilience across critical communication infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.
Completed on 21 September 2025, the project reinforced the team’s position as a long-term technical partner to Saudi Aramco, complementing the company’s separate HVAC assessment and cathodic protection solar work carried out for Aramco elsewhere in the Kingdom. The engagement demonstrates capability in solar asset management, PV system retrofit engineering, and multi-site renewable energy optimization for asset owners across Saudi Arabia looking to extend the life and performance of aging or underperforming solar PV systems.
