Performance of solar resources in Saudi Arabia

This paper presents a review for the characteristics of solar resources in 32 sites across Saudi Arabia through determining the performance of a pilot photovoltaic system based on real time solar radiation data collected during the last two years. The investigation has been done for three possible of sun tracking modes: fixed tilt angle, 1-axis and 2-axis tracking modes. The performance characteristics have been determined using three indicators: yield factor, capacity factor and performance ratio. The simulation results showed high energy productivity for all the 32 sites over Saudi Arabia. The values of performance indicators are high compared with similar systems in different countries. The main purpose of this study is to explore the relative properties for some sites in Saudi Arabia regarding solar energy production. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.