Study of a grid-connected floating photovoltaic power plant of 1.0 MW installed capacity in Saudi Arabia

To mitigate the environmental effects of burning fossil fuels for power generation, clean, self-renewing, and efficient technologies are being developed and used. Photovoltaics have received attention during the last decades to supplement conventional power production systems. Photovoltaic technology has advanced in the eyes of developers, policymakers, and investors due to the consistently falling costs of photovoltaic panels and improving control systems. Moreover, the efficiency of the photovoltaic is being taken care of by controlling temperature and inventing effective and economical ways of cleaning the panel surfaces. One of the solutions that can minimize the effect of temperature is the floating photovoltaic (FPV). In this study, a techno-economic feasibility study is conducted for constructing 1.0 MW capacity grid-connected FPV power plant in Saudi Arabia. Three locations (Riyadh, Mecca, and Bisha) are chosen where the FPV plants can be installed in water bodies. Meteorological data were obtained from PVSyst software, which is used for simulation purposes. Furthermore, FPV power plants are expected to reduce the evaporation rate from water bodies. The simulation study found the LCOE of 0.053, 0.057, and 0.063 $/KWh for Riyadh, Mecca, and Bisha; respectively. The FPV systems will reduce GHG emissions annually by 390,000 tCO2 at each site.