Abstract
Few studies have been implemented to evaluate whether the renewable energy generation could fit into industrial locations in Saudi Arabia. We completed this feasibility study to investigate whether using photovoltaic (PV) solar arrays to power industrial cities at Saudi Arabia is economically feasible. The case study is a factory in Zulfi city, Riyadh Region. We used National Renewable Energy Laboratory's modeling tool, system advisor model (SAM) to evaluate the economic benefits of using a 150 kW DC PV system to cover 100% of the factory monthly power demand. Over 25 years, the system is estimated to generate about 6,000,000 kWh of electricity whose net savings are $398,000 (1 US$ is equal to about 3.75 Saudi Riyals) represented by a discounted cash flow. The proposed system will save the factory around $304,000 that would have to be paid in electric bills and will eliminate considerable amount of CO2 emissions. Sensitivity analysis has been conducted to determine the effects of underlying parameters on the economic feasibility of the proposed system. Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) generated and net present value (NPV) are used as indicators of proposed system feasibility. The results indicate that these projects can be profitable under some certain assumptions and can potentially be generalized for all industrial locations in Saudi Arabia.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
