Energy and economic efficiency performance assessment of a 28 kWp photovoltaic grid-connected system under desertic weather conditions in Algerian Sahara

Abstract

In order to support the growth of grid-tied photovoltaic power plant implementation in the Saharan environment. A detailed assessment analysis of 28 kWp photovoltaic (PV) system installed on the rooftop of Research Unit for Renewable Energies in Saharan region (URER/MS), located in southern Algeria (Adrar), has been carried out and presented in this paper. The monitoring data of the PV system over 12 months (March 2017 to February 2018), are used to evaluate both energy efficiency and the output power losses. The collected experimental data reveal that the environmental parameters variation has a direct effect on the performance of both the energy conversion efficiency and the system losses.From the monitoring data and the performance assessment, it was found that the highest final yield is 5.3 h/day while the irradiation and the ambient temperature are 518 W/m2 and 37.9 C° respectively. The annual production injected to the grid is 45.12 MWh, with 2.4 MWh energy losses are attributed to the grid voltage rise, 1.57 MWh energy is lost due to the array and thermal capture losses and system losses.The yield values of maximum/minimum monthly average reference and array yield values were; 6.7/5.4 h/day and 5.5/3.2 h/day respectively. The annual average PV module, inverter and system efficiencies reached; 11.37%, 96.46% and 10.99%, respectively.Some parameters of measured data; are used to calculate the harvested energy and performance ratio, and then compared with other PV systems installation located in different geographical regions worldwide. Finally, we have studied the impact of the grid voltage rise on the grid-connected photovoltaic system performance on both energetic and economical levels.