Techno-economical assessment of grid connected photovoltaic power systems productivity in Sohar, Oman

In this research a techno-economical methodology is presented to evaluate the productivity of a grid connected photovoltaic (PV) system in a specific site in Oman called Sohar. The methodology is based on three factors namely capacity factor, yield factor and cost of energy. The analysis is done by MATLAB software using hourly meteorological data and a model for grid connected PV system. By analysing the obtained meteorological data, it is found that the average daily solar energy in Sohar zone is 6.182 kWh/m(2) day. The assessment results show that the PV technology investment is very promising in this site whereas the annual yield factor of the system is 1696.6 kWh/kWp. Meanwhile, the capacity factor of the proposed system is 19.46%. As for the cost of the energy generated by the proposed system, it is 0.158 USD/kWh. This research contains worthwhile technical information for those who are interested in PV technology investment in Oman. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.