Abstract
The increased energy demand and related environmental problems caused by burning fossil fuels have raised interest in alternative energy sources. This study investigated the wind characteristics and available wind energy for three urban regions in Northern Cyprus using the Weibull distribution function. The results illustrate that Gazimağusa is the most applicable location for harvesting the kinetic energy of the wind compared to Lefkoşa and Girne. Moreover, the solar potential at a specific location can be analyzed using a different simulation tool. In the present paper, the performance of a rooftop Photovoltaic (PV) system for household buildings in three selected is assessed. Three types of simulation software (PVGIS, PV*SOL, and PVWatts) are used to evaluate the performance of the 6.4 kWp grid-connected rooftop PV system. This study assessed the energy generation, performance ratio and capacity factor for this PV system. The results concluded that PVGIS is an easy, fast, and reliable software tool that can be used for the simulation of a solar PV system in the studied regions. Furthermore, an economic evaluation of renewable systems in the three urban regions is presented. As a result, a small-scale grid-connected solar/wind system that is able to generate electricity with an excellent percentage of clean energy was proposed and developed. The analysis indicates that the proposed PV projects showed significant potential in the studied locations. In addition, the proposed PV system is the most economical option for generating electricity compared to wind systems due to the low electricity prices and of the ability to recover the initial investment. Consequently, it is expected that the simulation results will help in demonstrating the advantages and challenges of installing grid-connected PV systems for households in Northern Cyprus in order to reduce the electricity consumption produced by fossil fuels.
Highlights
In Northern Cyprus, the electricity is currently produced using diesel generator power stations and PV power plant, which have been installed in Serhatköy with capacities of 212 MW and 1.27 MW, respectively [1,2]
As a continuation of authors’ studies on renewable energy potential in Northern Cyprus, this paper aims to provide a better understanding of the relationship between renewable technologies and the cheapest energy cost at urban regions located in the Northern part of Cyprus
2010–2016 wind speed data for three urban regions in Northern Cyprus have been used to investigate the potential for generating electricity from wind energy
Summary
In Northern Cyprus, the electricity is currently produced using diesel generator power stations and PV power plant, which have been installed in Serhatköy with capacities of 212 MW and 1.27 MW, respectively [1,2]. Renewable energy sources are considered by many as clean alternatives to fossil fuels that can provide sustainable energy solutions [3,4,5] Renewable energies such as wind and solar energy are recognized as alternative resources for generating electricity in the future [6]. Wind energy and sunlight can be converted directly into electricity using wind turbines and solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, respectively [8]. They are used extensively for meeting the electricity demand in many countries such as India [9], Pakistan [10], Turkey [11] and Saudi Arabia [12]
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