Abstract
The growth of populations and economy in Northern Cyprus has led to continuing utilization of fossil fuels as the primary source of electricity, which will raise environmental pollution. Thus, utilizing renewable energy, particularly solar energy, might be a solution to minimize this issue. This paper presents the potential of grid-connected solar PV power generation at Near East University Hospital (NEU Hospital), one of the largest and leading medical facilities in Northern Cyprus, to meet the energy demand during the daytime to reduce energy bills. For this purpose, the first objective of the study is to evaluate the solar energy potential as a power source for the NEU Hospital based on four datasets (actual measurement, Satellite Application Facility on Climate Monitoring (CMSAF), Surface Radiation Data Set-Heliosat (SARAH), and ERA-5, produced by the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecast). The results showed that the solar resource of the selected location is categorized as excellent (class 5), that is, the global solar radiation is within the range of 1843.8–2035.9 kWH/m2. The second objective is to investigate the impact of orientation angles on PV output, capacity factor, economic feasibility indicators, and CO2 emissions by using different PV modules. The results are compared with optimum orientation angles found by Photovoltaic Geographical Information System (PVGIS) simulation software. This objective was achieved by using RETScreen Expert software. The results demonstrated that the highest performance of the proposed system was achieved for orientation angles of 180° (azimuth angle) and −35° (tilt angle). Consequently, it is recommended that orientation angles, PV modules, and market prices are considered to maximize energy production and reduce electricity production costs.
Highlights
Due to the growing population, the number of buildings has increased, leading to increased energy consumption and greenhouse emissions that rely mainly on fossil fuels
The present study examined the potential and viability of a grid-connected PV system at Near East University Hospital
The results indicated that the solar resource of the selected location is categorized as excellent, that is, the global solar radiation is within the range of 1843.8–2035.9 kWH/m2
Summary
Due to the growing population, the number of buildings has increased, leading to increased energy consumption and greenhouse emissions that rely mainly on fossil fuels. Many scientific researchers found that renewable energy, such as solar and wind energy, is a good solution to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Lazarous et al [1] concluded that utilizing zero-emission energy production such as renewable energy will help achieve Paris Agreement requirements via substantial reduction of carbon emissions. Schnitzer et al [2] concluded that utilizing solar thermal energy provided an essential step towards sustainable zero-emission production in the industry. Shahsavari and Akbari [3] found that renewable energies have high potential for reducing GHG emissions. Solar power has been considered as one of the main potential, economically viable, and environmentally friendly energy sources among renewable energy sources
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