Syria Today | Q&A: Soulayman Soulayman

Q&A: Soulayman Soulayman
Director of the Renewable Energy Laboratory at the Higher Institute for Applied Sciences and Technology

By Maya Braine
Photo Carole al-Farah

What activities does the Renewable Energy Laboratory perform?

The laboratory has been operating since 1982 and is currently conducting a range of projects in the field of renewable energy, particularly solar and biomass. We are interested in finding practical applications for the scientific principles of renewable energies, to produce economically viable technology that can be used in Syria. Most of our projects focus on the smaller scale, looking at how individuals, families and buildings can meet their energy needs. After all, it is on this level that most electricity is consumed.

What are you working on at the moment?

Our main project at the moment is the 'Green House' – a house that on average, over the course of a year, does not consume any traditional electricity and is self-sufficient for power. We are developing solar-powered hot water systems for this house, which are useful both for directly heating water and for producing electricity. When you heat water, it rises, which means water heated by the sun moves to the top of a container, while the cold water sinks. This kinetic movement can be used to produce energy. Obviously, green building projects are currently being discussed all over the world, but we are always looking for new ways to improve their efficiency and to tackle specific local problems. For example, the water in many areas of the Damascus countryside is high in calcium which, over time, will block the pipes in the system. We need to come up with a solution to this particular problem. We are now also considering the economic feasibility of this type of project so that it can move from the theoretical stage to the practical one.

What about biomass projects?

We are currently running a waste-to-energy scheme which produces fuel from household, agricultural or restaurant waste through a fermentation process. We take this vegetable waste, seal it in a special airtight container and let it rot. As it rots, it produces gases which can be contained and used as a source of energy. Eventually whole villages could become self-sustaining in this way. We plan to start up a fermentation processor in Rabwe, on the road between Mashrua Dummar and central Damascus. Many of the restaurants here often throw their waste into the river. This is obviously a terrible source of pollution, kills fish and produces an unpleasant smell. With a fermentation processor, restaurants could produce their own energy and dispose of their waste appropriately. The initial cost is about SYP 1.4m (USD 30,000), but such a generator could produce up to 1,000 litres of biodiesel per week, depending on the size of the input. This means the system would pay for itself and then become profitable after five or six years.

Does HIAST itself make use of renewable energy?

Yes, we always try to practice what we preach. We have a swimming pool on campus which is entirely heated by solar energy and we are working to establish fermentation processors for our on-campus restaurant and the student residences.

How large is the Renewable Energy Laboratory?

HIAST, in general, is a very active and significant research centre and the Renewable Energy Laboratory is one of the most important laboratories. We have less than 10 permanent staff, but we cooperate with about 10 researchers and many masters and PhD students also contribute to the laboratory's activities. We also cooperate with many other institutions and this factor is much more important than the actual number of staff we have on site. There are several other research centres at Damascus University, Aleppo University, Tishreen University in Lattakia and Al-Baath University in Homs. However, these are not fully-fledged research institutions like HIAST, but are really more like showcase laboratories.

Does HIAST have much contact with the National Energy Research Centre (NERC)?

We collaborate with all parties working in this field in Syria – other universities and research centres, the private sector and, of course, the NERC. We work with them very closely and they pay attention to the outcomes of our research. We, in turn, are often involved in NERC activities. For example, I am often personally consulted on personnel matters. However, this is one area where I feel the NERC is still rather weak – it does not have enough specialist staff and it needs to concentrate on finding people with expertise in this area. It could be much more effective than it currently is.

Is the laboratory's focus on academic research or practical applications?

We have been working in this area since the early 1980s and after all this time we have now moved away from the purely academic side to consider how to apply what we have learned and turn it into concrete action. We are also concerned with questions of economic viability. We are currently conducting economic feasibility studies for our Green House project and our fermentation generators. We do not want to produce things that are not economically viable because they will not be used.

Is there much private-sector involvement in this field in Syria?

The private sector does not really play any part in determining the direction of our research – they do not commission any research and development activities, for example. On the whole, the private sector in Syria looks abroad for renewable energy technology, rather than considering domestic R&D or production. The majority of solar panels installed in Syria come from Turkey or China, even though there are domestic producers in the country. However, domestic workshops cannot produce these panels on such a large scale, and thus it is too expensive for them to compete with foreign companies. So, at the moment we do not work that closely with the private sector, but in general we welcome any form of cooperation and we do envisage cooperation with private companies in the future.

How does research in this field in Syria compare to other countries?

We are at a comparable level of development to neighbouring countries such as Lebanon and Jordan. Turkey is considerably more advanced – I would say they are about 15 years ahead of us. However, this is a field which focuses on international cooperation rather than competition. We work with foreign partners on many projects. For example, we have been working with Armenia on various solar energy projects since the early 1980s. Together we drew up a solar map for Syria in 1994 and then updated it in 2007. We also host an annual conference on renewable energy, which was held this year in April. There were about 250 participants from some 18 countries.