Performance Analysis of Large Scale Grid Connected PV Plants in the MENA Region

Abstract

This study is an attempt to investigate the potential of electricity production from large scale Photovoltaic (PV) plants in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. For this reason, three different PV plants configurations, with different capacities: 50, 70 and 100 MWp, were selected for simulation under the climate of ten locations in MENA region. Those locations are well distributed in the region and they have a GHI (Global horizontal irradiation) values between 1683,01 and 2445,39 kWh/m2/year. After that, in order to evaluate and benchmark the region’s PV performance and capacity production, the simulation results of the 100 MWp plant were compared with those simulated under the climate of the US and Spain for the same plant configuration. The results show that the average yearly electricity production from the 100 MWp plant in MENA is around 158 GWh/year, while the same configuration produces 155,8 GWh/year and 155,4 GWh/year if installed in Almeria, Spain and Bakersfield California respectively. For MENA region, the annual average performance ratio (PR) and yield factor (Yf) are of 73,2% and 1578,2 KWh/KWp respectively, whereas, those values are of 74,8% and 1555,9KWh/KWp for Spain and of 73,8% and 1555,2 KWh/KWp for the US. Generally, we can say that a 100 MWp PV plant can be a good option if installed in MENA region, and it may have a better performance than the US and southern Spain in some locations.