Localised communities’ energy systems in Saudi Aabia

Shaher, Abdullah Khallufah M 2024. Localised communities’ energy systems in Saudi Aabia. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is receiving great interest in the field of renewable energy to preserve the climate and environment. Solar energy is becoming popular for domestic applications in KSA because of its significant solar energy capability. The value of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) generation has increased due to the favourable conditions in community energy systems in the cities. This thesis investigates the potential for rooftop solar photovoltaic to supply the electricity demand in localised urban areas minimising the import from the grid. This research proposes a planning tool for PV development in residential and commercial areas. The planning tool is calculating the total PV production for each type of load to achieve a balanced energy area. In this research study, a localised energy system in Abha city is proposed. This city is the capital of Aseer Province located near the Red Sea in the southwest of the country. In this thesis, different types of loads are considered: (i) residential loads with a monthly aggregated energy consumption of 172,440MWh and an electric demand of 239.5 MW and (ii) commercial loads with a monthly aggregated energy consumption of 179,280MWh and an electric demand of 249 MW. This is collaborative research with the electricity company and is using real data for the localised urban area. The modelling results for both areas imply that they have important technological potential for future PV rooftop expansion. The results also indicate that rooftop PV in KSA can provide important support to the power system, particularly meeting the daytime demand. The load demand forecasting models are carried out to compare the performance of SVM, REP trees, and ARIMA. The results show that the SVM provided the most accurate forecasts, achieving a MAPE of less than 5%. Also, this analysis explores the unique load profile associated with Ramadan in KSA, emphasising its important shift from daytime consumption to nighttime electricity usage. An optimisation algorithm is developed for calculating the optimal size of the battery energy storage in each community and each building. In the commercial community, the optimal scenario of balance (zero import and zero export) is achieved when the entire community of 14 buildings is considered. In the residential community, a balance between power generation and consumption is achieved when 24 buildings are aggregated, resulting in an optimal scenario of zero import and zero export. This balance indicates that the total power generated by these buildings matches the total XI power consumption, which allows the community to operate independently from the grid. The results show that installing PV systems on the rooftops of buildings is the most effective way to reduce the required power from the grid since the monthly peak load corresponds to the monthly peak solar production. Based on research, it is feasible to install solar PV panels on a larger scale in KSA’s residential and commercial buildings. PV panels installed on buildings can eliminate the need to use land to develop PV farms on a larger scale and serve a number of objectives, including weather protection, energy production, and light management. Solar PV installation reduces the power imported from the grid and powers the buildings with PV power produced locally. Installing PV systems in buildings fosters innovation and provides opportunities for training and employment. Currently, KSA’s power system is centralised, and future regional policies could include integrating PV technology. This analysis will be essential for the electricity company if they choose to make this decision, helping to expedite the growth of renewable energy systems, especially solar power, while reducing emissions.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Date Type:	Completion
Status:	Unpublished
Schools:	Engineering
Uncontrolled Keywords:	1) Community Energy Systems 2) Buildings Optimisation Models 3) Residential Buildings 4) Commercial buildings 5) Rooftop PV 6) Forecasting Models
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	19 November 2024
Last Modified:	19 Nov 2024 16:36
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/174147

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