The Renewable Energy & Sustainable Technology Research Group (RESTRG)

Energy along with its usage is an integral and essential part of our everyday lives. Energy is related directly to engineering through infrastructure, procurement of primary energy sources and their utilization, generation of electricity, the end use of energy in industry, homes and transportation as well as its environmental impact.
The RESTRG Group within the Faculty of Engineering undertakes research in core areas of energy, specifically in the renewable and sustainable technologies. RESTRG was established in December 2009, at Sohar University, Faculty of Engineering.

Our Mission

The mission and objectives of the Research Group are as follows:
Enhance the research in the area of power systems, efficiency and renewable energy.

• Convey the new technology of renewable energy to the engineering students at Sohar University.
• Solicit internal and external funding to carry out research in the areas of engineering and renewable energy.
• Enhance and develop the culture of using the renewable and sustainable energy to the public and the scientific community in Oman through organization of scientific activities such as seminars, conferences, workshops, short-courses, newsletter, and journal.
• Provide a convenient medium for the scientific community and the interested public to co-operate and share the knowledge in the area of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. These include but not limited to exchange information and work jointly on activities and projects undertaken by RESTRG.
• Establish links and research collaboration between SU and National/International organizations that are active in the research of renewable and sustainable energy.
• Create a good relationship between SU and industry in the area of renewable energy.
• Establish research in engineering and the new technology that could improve research in Oman.

Expertise

The Expertise Available in the research group can be summarized by the following item:

• Advancing the analyses, design and modeling of PV cells/panels/modules/arrays.
• Design, analyses and testing of power converters with high efficiency.
• Feasibility and Economical study of applicability of renewable energy systems.
• Optimization of PV/Wind systems connections to Power grids.
• Application of PV systems in electric vehicles.
• Design, analyzing, constructing and testing concentrated solar power (CSP). Solar thermal applications.
• Wind turbine design and operation analysis.
• Forecasting of energy utilization and peak electric load forecasting.
• Reduction in transmission losses and power systems efficiency.
• Decentralized applications of renewable energy technologies and distributed energy resources in rural and remote areas.

Facilities

The Faculty of Engineering has several equipment and software facilities that can be used for research and development of renewable & sustainable energy systems. Among these facilities we can list the following:
PV related available equipment:

• Solar cells and panels (different sizes)
• Controllers (different models)
• Power Inverters (different models)
• Sun trackers
• Batteries & Chargers (different models)
• Test benches for Solar Panels and DC-DC and DC-AC converters.
• Measurement tools (i.e, Oscilloscopes, Multi-meters, Power Harmonic Analyzer, etc).
• Solar tracking system.
• Electrical loads for solar systems.
• Hydro system.
• Geothermal system.
• Wind turbine-generator.

Contact Information

Telephone: +968 26720101 Exts: 168, 237, 140, 233, 240

FAX : +968-26720102

Postal address
RESTRG
Faculty of Engineering
Sohar University
P.O. Box 44, Sohar, PCI 311
Sultanate of Oman
Electronic mail:
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