Efficiency evaluation of a 6-Megawatt Utility-connected Photovoltaic Solar Energy System in the Saharan Climate

The depletion of fossil fuel resources in all over the world necessitates an urgent search of sustainable resources of energy, such as solar energy, which is inexhaustible and environment-friendly. It is important to develop new methodologies and techniques to evaluate the performance of PV system in order to increase the use of untapped potential of solar energy This study evaluated the performance of a 6 megawatt (MW) solar PV plant operating under the harsh climatic conditions of the Algerian desert. The mean annual energy yield and total loss were determined to be 844.8 megawatt-hours (MWh) and 2.2 hours per day, respectively. The plant demonstrated a final yield, capacity factor of 4.6 peak sun hours per day and 19,3%, and a performance ratio of 68.8 %. The photovoltaic (PV) system exhibited a decrease in efficiency during the summer months, while higher performance was logged in the winter months. This seasonal discrepancy in the solar power plant’s output demonstrates the influence of ambient temperature on system productivity.