scholarly journals Potential and Economic Analysis of Solar-to-Hydrogen Production in the Sultanate of Oman

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (17) ◽  
pp. 9516
Author(s):  
Razzaqul Ahshan
Keyword(s):  
Hydrogen Production ◽  
Sustainable Energy ◽  
Energy Sector ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Influential Factor ◽  
Solar Pv ◽  
Sultanate Of Oman ◽  
Pv System ◽  
Pv Systems ◽  
Renewable Power

Hydrogen production using renewable power is becoming an essential pillar for future sustainable energy sector development worldwide. The Sultanate of Oman is presently integrating renewable power generations with a large share of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. The possibility of using the solar potential of the Sultanate can increase energy security and contribute to the development of the sustainable energy sector not only for the country but also for the international community. This study presents the hydrogen production potential using solar resources available in the Sultanate. About 15 locations throughout the Sultanate are considered to assess the hydrogen production opportunity using a solar PV system. A rank of merit order of the locations for producing hydrogen is identified. It reveals that Thumrait and Marmul are the most suitable locations, whereas Sur is the least qualified. This study also assesses the economic feasibility of hydrogen production, which shows that the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) in the most suitable site, Thumrait, is 6.31 USD/kg. The LCOH in the least convenient location, Sur, is 7.32 USD/kg. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is performed to reveal the most significant influential factor affecting the future’s green hydrogen production cost. The findings indicate that green hydrogen production using solar power in the Sultanate is promising, and the LCOH is consistent with other studies worldwide.

scholarly journals Solar Assisted Power Generation System in Hot Desert Climate: A Cost-Benefit Perspective

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramzi Alahmadi ◽  
◽  
Kamel Almutairi ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Energy ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Energy Systems ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Economic Viability ◽  
Solar Pv ◽  
Pv System ◽  
Pv Systems

With the increasing global concerns about greenhouse gas emissions caused by the extensive use of fossil fuels, many countries are investing in the deployment of clean energy sources. The utilization of abundant solar energy is one of the fastest growing deployed renewable sources due its technological maturity and economic competitivity. In addition to report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), many studies have suggested that the maturity of solar energy systems will continue to develop, which will increase their economic viability. The focus of analysis in this paper is countries with hot desert climates since they are the best candidates for solar energy systems. The capital of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh is used as the case study due to the country’s ambitious goals in this field. The main purpose of this study is to comprehensively analyze the stochastic behavior and probabilistic distribution of solar irradiance in order to accurately estimate the expected power output of solar systems. A solar Photovoltaic (PV) module is used for the analysis due to its practicality and widespread use in utility-scale projects. In addition to the use of a break-even analysis to estimate the economic viability of solar PV systems in hot desert climates, this paper estimates the indifference point at which the economic feasibility of solar PV systems is justified, compared with the fossil-based systems. The numerical results show that the break-even point of installing one KW generation capacity of a solar PV system is estimated to pay off after producing 16,827 KWh, compared to 15,422 KWh for the case of fossil-based systems. However, the increased cost of initial investment in solar PV systems deployment starts to be economically justified after producing 41,437 KWh.

scholarly journals Lookup Tables for Power Generation Performance of Photovoltaic Systems Covering 40 Geographic Locations (Wilayats) in the Sultanate of Oman, with and without Solar Tracking, and General Perspectives about Solar Irradiation

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 13209
Author(s):  
Osama A. Marzouk
Keyword(s):  
Electricity Generation ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Solar Irradiation ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Solar Pv ◽  
Sultanate Of Oman ◽  
Pv System ◽  
Pv Systems ◽  
Lookup Tables ◽  
The Impact

An energy modeler for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems may be limited to climatic data of certain major cities, not covering the one for which the PV system is intended. Additionally, a person not skilled in solar PV modeling may still desire a quick estimate of PV system electricity generation to help decide the level of investment in PV systems. This work addresses these points by establishing lookup tables to summarize predicted electricity generation, solar irradiation, and optimum orientation at various locations in the Sultanate of Oman. The results are produced by processing simulation data using the online open-access tool PVGIS (Photovoltaic Geographical Information System) of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (EC-JRC). The tables cover 40 out of the country’s 61 s-level administrative divisions (wilayats) and cover fixed and movable PV panels. The results show that the yearly electricity generation can change up to 11.86% due to the change of location. Two-axis PV tracking offers a small improvement (about 4% on average) over single-vertical-axis tracking but offers noticeable improvement (about 34% on average) over optimally oriented fixed PV panels. Monthly profiles of expected PV electricity generation, as well as the generation drop due to changing the PV mounting from free standing to building integrated, were examined for three locations. As general perspectives that may be of interest to global readers, this work provides quantitative evidence of the overall accuracy of the PVGIS-SARAH database through comparison with ground-measured global horizontal irradiation (GHI). In addition, a full example is presented considering 12 different countries in the northern and southern hemispheres that brings the attention of solar energy modelers to the level of errors they may encounter when the impact of longitude (thus, the exact location) is ignored for simplicity, while focus is given to the latitude.

Techno-economic assessment of grid-connected photovoltaic systems in Swedish public buildings

2020 ◽  
pp. 66-79
Author(s):  
Zahabia Gandhi ◽  
Hao Liu
Keyword(s):  
Energy Use ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Selling Price ◽  
Solar Pv ◽  
Public Buildings ◽  
Pv System ◽  
Usage Rate ◽  
Pv Systems ◽  
Solar Pv System ◽  
Ground Coverage

Sweden aims to achieve near-zero non-renewable energy use in all the newly constructed buildings from 2020. One of the most promising methods of achieving these energy goals and reducing the net energy-use is using solar photovoltaic (PV) systems in buildings. Although some studies have demonstrated this method, the solar PV industry is growing rapidly. Therefore, the study aimed at using sources with the latest information to analyse the true potential of PV systems for the current initial cost of the PV system and tax benefits in Sweden. The study investigates the economic feasibility of a grid-connected solar PV system from a technical and economic perspective for a group of public buildings in Sweden. The hourly energy production and cost of purchasing deficit electricity was simulated for various tilts and ground coverage area to find the optimum tilt and ground coverage ratio of PV panels. The PV energy supply of four different systems – 26 kWp, 75 kWp, 80 kWp, 155 kWp – in different locations was simulated. The overproduction, own usage rate, solar fraction, investment cost, profit over its lifespan and the payback period of each system were compared for the existing as well as improved energy use. Honeybee 0.0.64 and SAM 2018.11.11 was used to simulate energy use and PV production. Results indicate that a system with a high own usage rate and specific yield was profitable when the selling price of electricity (excluding tax refund) was lower. However, a system with a higher production potential became more profitable when the selling price of electricity (including tax refund) was equal or higher than the purchasing price. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of the system if the price of electricity or interest rates changed in the future. The outcome of this research demonstrates the techno-economic feasibility of implementing a solar PV system in Sweden and provides a set of benchmarks for comparison of such systems around the world.

scholarly journals Reconfigurable Distributed Power Electronics Technique for Solar PV Systems

Electronics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1121
Author(s):  
Kamran Ali Khan Niazi ◽  
Yongheng Yang ◽  
Tamas Kerekes ◽  
Dezso Sera
Keyword(s):  
Energy Yield ◽  
Solar Pv ◽  
Charge Redistribution ◽  
Pv System ◽  
Partial Shading ◽  
Pv Systems ◽  
Simulation Based ◽  
In Series ◽  
A Cell ◽  
Power Balancing

A reconfiguration technique using a switched-capacitor (SC)-based voltage equalizer differential power processing (DPP) concept is proposed in this paper for photovoltaic (PV) systems at a cell/subpanel/panel-level. The proposed active diffusion charge redistribution (ADCR) architecture increases the energy yield during mismatch and adds a voltage boosting capability to the PV system under no mismatch by connected the available PV cells/panels in series. The technique performs a reconfiguration by measuring the PV cell/panel voltages and their irradiances. The power balancing is achieved by charge redistribution through SC under mismatch conditions, e.g., partial shading. Moreover, PV cells/panels remain in series under no mismatch. Overall, this paper analyzes, simulates, and evaluates the effectiveness of the proposed DPP architecture through a simulation-based model prepared in PSIM. Additionally, the effectiveness is also demonstrated by comparing it with existing conventional DPP and traditional bypass diode architecture.

scholarly journals State-Space Model of Quasi-Z-Source Inverter-PV Systems for Transient Dynamics Studies and Network Stability Assessment

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (14) ◽  
pp. 4150
Author(s):  
Lluís Monjo ◽  
Luis Sainz ◽  
Juan José Mesas ◽  
Joaquín Pedra
Keyword(s):  
Power Systems ◽  
State Space ◽  
State Space Model ◽  
Pv System ◽  
Pv Systems ◽  
Renewable Power ◽  
Ac Networks ◽  
Transient Interactions ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Averaged Model

Photovoltaic (PV) power systems are increasingly being used as renewable power generation sources. Quasi-Z-source inverters (qZSI) are a recent, high-potential technology that can be used to integrate PV power systems into AC networks. Simultaneously, concerns regarding the stability of PV power systems are increasing. Converters reduce the damping of grid-connected converter systems, leading to instability. Several studies have analyzed the stability and dynamics of qZSI, although the characterization of qZSI-PV system dynamics in order to study transient interactions and stability has not yet been properly completed. This paper contributes a small-signal, state-space-averaged model of qZSI-PV systems in order to study these issues. The model is also applied to investigate the stability of PV power systems by analyzing the influence of system parameters. Moreover, solutions to mitigate the instabilities are proposed and the stability is verified using PSCAD time domain simulations.

scholarly journals Techno-economic feasibility analysis of a 3-kW PV system installation in Nepal

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramhari Poudyal ◽  
Pavel Loskot ◽  
Ranjan Parajuli
Keyword(s):  
Net Present Value ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Electric Energy ◽  
Simulation Software ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Performance Ratio ◽  
Energy Output ◽  
Solar Pv ◽  
Economic Returns ◽  
Pv System

AbstractThis study investigates the techno-economic feasibility of installing a 3-kilowatt-peak (kWp) photovoltaic (PV) system in Kathmandu, Nepal. The study also analyses the importance of scaling up the share of solar energy to contribute to the country's overall energy generation mix. The technical viability of the designed PV system is assessed using PVsyst and Meteonorm simulation software. The performance indicators adopted in our study are the electric energy output, performance ratio, and the economic returns including the levelised cost and the net present value of energy production. The key parameters used in simulations are site-specific meteorological data, solar irradiance, PV capacity factor, and the price of electricity. The achieved PV system efficiency and the performance ratio are 17% and 84%, respectively. The demand–supply gap has been estimated assuming the load profile of a typical household in Kathmandu under the enhanced use of electric appliances. Our results show that the 3-kWp PV system can generate 100% of electricity consumed by a typical residential household in Kathmandu. The calculated levelised cost of energy for the PV system considered is 0.06 $/kWh, and the corresponding rate of investment is 87%. The payback period is estimated to be 8.6 years. The installation of the designed solar PV system could save 10.33 tons of CO2 emission over its lifetime. Overall, the PV systems with 3 kWp capacity appear to be a viable solution to secure a sufficient amount of electricity for most households in Kathmandu city.

Grid Parity of Residential Building Rooftop Solar PV in India

2021 ◽  
pp. 19-40
Author(s):  
Rakesh Dalal ◽  
Kamal Bansal ◽  
Sapan Thapar
Keyword(s):  
Residential Building ◽  
Solar Photovoltaic ◽  
Solar Pv ◽  
Indian Government ◽  
Pv System ◽  
Pv Systems ◽  
Grid Parity ◽  
Solar Pv System ◽  
Utility Grid ◽  
Rooftop Solar

Rooftop solar photovoltaic(PV) installation in India have increased in last decade because of the flat 40 percent subsidy extended for rooftop solar PV systems (3 kWp and below) by the Indian government under the solar rooftop scheme. From the residential building owner's perspective, solar PV is competitive when it can produce electricity at a cost less than or equal grid electricity price, a condition referred as “grid parity”. For assessing grid parity of 3 kWp and 2 kWp residential solar PV system, 15 states capital and 19 major cities were considered  for the RET screen simulation by using solar isolation, utility grid tariff, system cost and other economic parameters. 3 kWp and 2 kWp rooftop solar PV with and without subsidy scenarios were considered for simulation using RETscreen software. We estimate that without subsidy no state could achieve grid parity for 2kWp rooftop solar PV plant. However with 3 kWp rooftop solar PV plant only 5 states could achieve grid parity without subsidy and with government subsidy number of states increased to 7, yet wide spread parity for residential rooftop solar PV is still not achieved. We find that high installation costs, subsidized utility grid supply to low energy consumer and financing rates are major barriers to grid parity.

scholarly journals Reliability, Availability and Maintainability Analysis for Grid-Connected Solar Photovoltaic Systems

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1213 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Sayed ◽  
M. El-Shimy ◽  
M. El-Metwally ◽  
M. Elshahed
Keyword(s):  
Block Diagram ◽  
Solar Photovoltaic ◽  
Solar Pv ◽  
Pv System ◽  
Safety Issues ◽  
Pv Systems ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Maintainability Analysis ◽  
Ram Analysis

Recently, solar power generation is significantly contributed to growing renewable sources of electricity all over the world. The reliability and availability improvement of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems has become a critical area of interest for researchers. Reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM) is an engineering tool used to address operational and safety issues of systems. It aims to identify the weakest areas of a system which will improve the overall system reliability. In this paper, RAM analysis of grid-connected solar-PV system is presented. Elaborate RAM analysis of these systems is presented starting from the sub-assembly level to the subsystem level, then the overall system. Further, an improved Reliability Block Diagram is presented to estimate the RAM performance of seven practical grid-connected solar-PV systems. The required input data are obtained from worldwide databases of failures, and repair of various subassemblies comprising various meteorological conditions. A novel approach is also presented in order to estimate the best probability density function for each sub-assembly. The monitoring of the critical subassemblies of a PV system will increase the possibility not only for improving the availability of the system, but also to optimize the maintenance costs. Additionally, it will inform the operators about the status of the various subsystems of the system.

scholarly journals The Technical Challenges Facing the Integration of Small-Scale and Large-scale PV Systems into the Grid: A Critical Review

Electronics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 1443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullah Alshahrani ◽  
Siddig Omer ◽  
Yuehong Su ◽  
Elamin Mohamed ◽  
Saleh Alotaibi
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Distribution Network ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Energy Access ◽  
Solar Pv ◽  
Pv System ◽  
Pv Systems ◽  
Technical Challenges ◽  
Technical Solutions ◽  
The Impact

Decarbonisation, energy security and expanding energy access are the main driving forces behind the worldwide increasing attention in renewable energy. This paper focuses on the solar photovoltaic (PV) technology because, currently, it has the most attention in the energy sector due to the sharp drop in the solar PV system cost, which was one of the main barriers of PV large-scale deployment. Firstly, this paper extensively reviews the technical challenges, potential technical solutions and the research carried out in integrating high shares of small-scale PV systems into the distribution network of the grid in order to give a clearer picture of the impact since most of the PV systems installations were at small scales and connected into the distribution network. The paper reviews the localised technical challenges, grid stability challenges and technical solutions on integrating large-scale PV systems into the transmission network of the grid. In addition, the current practices for managing the variability of large-scale PV systems by the grid operators are discussed. Finally, this paper concludes by summarising the critical technical aspects facing the integration of the PV system depending on their size into the grid, in which it provides a strong point of reference and a useful framework for the researchers planning to exploit this field further on.

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