Optimal Size of PV Grid Connected to Low-Voltage Network in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The aim of this work is to obtain the optimal size of a grid connected photovoltaic for a residential network in Saudi Arabia. The optimal size of a grid connected PV was based on the economic saving and the voltage regulation. Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Energy Resources (HOMER) and NEPLAN software were used to investigate the optimization and steady-state voltage respectively. An actual data of a residential area in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia has been used. Two main scenarios have been introduced which are maximum and minimum load in order to simulate the worst cases of voltage regulation. Finally, a comparison introduced based on the economic solution and the voltage profile of different size of PV in order to integrate more grid connected PV. The community aggregator is introduced to manage the demand response in a specific area.