A Comparative Study of PV Systems in Semi Arid and Arid Zones in Algeria

Algeria is one of the countries that is characterized by sunny days due to its climate diversities, which make it favourite to solar applications. Most of its areas are arid and semi arid. Supplying them by a conventional grid is costly due to their remoteness and dispersion of sites. Diesel engines are not efficient because of the high transporting cost of carburant and engines maintenance. So, solar energy is the best alternative which the Algerian authorities have adopted and it is expected that the renewable energy reaches 40% of the total national electrical energy produced by 2030 where the solar energy is the most important part. In this paper we propose a comparative study of two PV systems installed in a semi arid region and an arid one. Firstly we give the available solar energy in each area. Then the different loads specific to each zone are presented, followed by an elaboration of a sizing model. Finally, the results of our study are presented and discussed.