Rooftop PV Potential in the Residential Sector of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Khan, Mehmood; Asif, Muhammad; Stach, Edgar

doi:10.3390/buildings7020046

Cited by 96 publications

(68 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…These factors make Saudi Arabia a very favorable environment for the use of solar PV technologies. Figure 1 shows the global horizontal solar irradiation in Saudi Arabia [16]. Saudi Arabia began to apply solar energy in 1966.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Techno-Economic Feasibility Assessment of Grid-Connected PV Systems for Residential Buildings in Saudi Arabia—A Case Study

2019

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This paper presents a techno-economic feasibility evaluation for a grid-connected photovoltaic energy conversion system on the rooftop of a typical residential building in Jeddah, one of the major cities in Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, electric energy consumption is the highest in the domestic sector, with 48.1% of the total electricity consumption. As the power generation in Saudi Arabia mainly relies on conventional resources, environmental pollution and energy sustainability are major concerns. To minimize these issues, the Saudi government is in the process of maximizing the utilization of renewable energy resources for power generation. Investing in solar energy in Saudi Arabia is important because the country is witnessing a rapid increase in load demand, with annual growth rates of 6%. In this paper, the system advisor model software for renewable energy modeling has been utilized to perform a techno-economic feasibility analysis of a residential grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) system, which is proposed for a typical apartment in Saudi Arabia, on the basis of various key performance indicators, namely: yield factor, capacity factor, performance ratio, levelized cost of energy, net present value, internal rate of return, and payback period. A sensitivity analysis that investigates the impact of varying techno-economic parameters on system performance and feasibility is also discussed. The size of the PV system for a typical Saudi Arabian apartment is estimated to be 12.25 kW. Results have shown that the proposed system can generate 87% of the electricity needs of an apartment. The technical analysis showed that the capacity factor and the performance ratio were 22% and 78% respectively. The levelized cost of energy and net present value revealed competitive figures of 0.0382 $/kWh and $4378, respectively. The investigations indicate that residential PV installations are an effective option for energy management in the country.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Germany, having implemented a feed-in-tariff approach in the early 1990s, has established a large base of residential solar PV systems. The feed-in-tariff concept has been applied throughout the world in countries like the UK, the USA, Spain, Italy, and Japan, witnessing rapid expansion in their PV markets [16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Techno-Economic Feasibility Assessment of Grid-Connected PV Systems for Residential Buildings in Saudi Arabia—A Case Study

2019

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“…Further, parts of the roof can be occupied with satellite dishes, water tanks, clothes lines, air conditioners, ducts, or other service units-all reducing the area that can be devoted to PV installations. Parts of the roof may also be shaded by a balustrade or by adjacent buildings, deeming these parts of the roof as not suitable for PV installation [57]. As expected, this information is not available for each and every building.…”

Section: Rooftop Area and Pv Capacity Calculationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Note that all MAAB values are equal to 60% with the exception of the MAAB value for small health care centers (i.e., clinics). The percentages of the roof that are available for PV deployment was obtained from [57]. For the available area of the rooftop, we have used two scenarios: An optimistic scenario, where the area available for PV deployment is large, and a conservative scenario, where the area available for PV deployment is small.…”

Section: Rooftop Area Calculationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Upper Limit of Distributed Solar PV Capacity in Riyadh: A GIS-Assisted Study

Elshurafa

Muhsen

2019

Sustainability

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Rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, commonly referred to as distributed generation (DG) solar systems, are deemed important contenders in future sustainable cities. Because deploying DG systems is associated with technical, financial, policy, and market implications that impact utilities, governments, and businesses, quantifying the potential of DG systems that could be deployed in a certain jurisdiction ex ante helps inform the decision-making process for all stakeholders. To that end, the upper limit of rooftop PV systems that could be deployed in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, was assessed with the aid of geographic information systems (GIS). By relying on urban land lot data for different categories, i.e., zones, and the maximum allowable area that could be built within a certain lot using prevailing building codes and regulations, the rooftop area suitable for PV deployment within Riyadh Metro was quantified. The analysis was restricted to rooftops in residential, mosque, shopping mall, and health care buildings only. Following the quantification of the rooftop area, the upper limit of rooftop solar PV capacity that can be deployed in the city of Riyadh was found to be 4.34 GW. This capacity represents nearly 22% of the peak load and can satisfy approximately 9% of the energy requirement in the central region, the region in which Riyadh resides. Sustainability 2019, 11, 4301 2 of 20Akin to any technology, both DG and utility-scale PV bring about strengths and weaknesses. Utility-scale solar farms, for example, benefit from economies of scale and are easier for electricity companies to manage from a central planning perspective [14]. However, land availability makes utility-scale deployment difficult within cities and even more so in city centers.On the other side of the spectrum, DG scale solar systems surmount the large land area requirements, and empower the consumer [15]. As the homeowner (or industrial facility, for example) self-consumes whatever is generated, this reduces the electricity bill. Further, if exporting energy back to the grid is possible and is compensated for, then the homeowner, depending on his consumption level [16], can receive credit for the exported energy [17]. This consumer empowerment [18], which transforms him/her to a prosumer (i.e., a consumer and a producer simultaneously), is of particular appeal especially in countries where the prevailing electricity prices are high. On the other hand, DG systems could cause instabilities in the distribution network [19], and hence, the electric utility has to adopt new operational procedures to avoid such incidents.Governments that have promoted renewable energy deployment were generally propelled by three main drivers: Reducing carbon emissions, boosting the economy by creating a renewable energy industry and creating jobs, and achieving higher energy security levels [20]. These objectives would be achieved by tying them to a renewable energy target installation capacity, and this target would have stemmed from a grand strateg...

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“…By following the calculation application guide provided by the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), we calculate the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of our project (KAPSARC, 2016). In addition to the data analyzed in this research, we assume a panel lifetime of 25 years, a discount rate of 5%, annual panel degradation of 0.4%, and system derating factor of 81%.…”

Section: R M B Rmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Reforming Saudi Arabias Energy Policy by Developing the Solar Residential Industry: A System Dynamics Approach

Banjer¹,

Aoyama²

2018

IRMBR

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Rooftop PV Potential in the Residential Sector of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Cited by 96 publications

References 15 publications

Techno-Economic Feasibility Assessment of Grid-Connected PV Systems for Residential Buildings in Saudi Arabia—A Case Study

Techno-Economic Feasibility Assessment of Grid-Connected PV Systems for Residential Buildings in Saudi Arabia—A Case Study

The Upper Limit of Distributed Solar PV Capacity in Riyadh: A GIS-Assisted Study

The Impact of Reforming Saudi Arabias Energy Policy by Developing the Solar Residential Industry: A System Dynamics Approach

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