Atlas of PV Solar Systems Across Libyan Territory

Abstract

Solar energy is one of the most promising renewable energy options in Libya. The electrical yield of the solar PV panel is very sensitive to the cell's temperature. As Libya is a vast and with different terrains, weather parameters such as: temperature, wind, rain and humidity vary significantly across the country. Therefore, this variation must be considered when assessing the feasibility of the PV solar systems, taking into consideration the selection of the appropriate PV technology in terms of the electrical characteristics, and not generalizing the results of a specific region to the whole country. The aim of this work is to assess the performance of several PV technologies to figure out their suitability to work in different under various weather conditions in Libya. Due to the lack of weather data, the research utilized the data provided by Solargis Database Company in analyzing the performance of PV solar field. In this regard, economic parameters of three different kinds of PV solar modules were simulated under real weather conditions of several sites using System Advisor Model software (SAM) simulation tool developed by the NREL-USA. It is successfully determined the most suitable kind of PV solar module for each zone across the Libyan territory. The obtained results can be implemented in the preliminary design steps, especially in the selection of the kind of PV solar modules to be installed in a particular location, where a difference in the LCOE values up to 45% was remarked between several types of PV solar modules for the same location.