social perception and performance assessment of residential photovoltaic panels in saudi arabia

Abstract

Residential solar photovoltaic (PV) systems present a viable pathway for advancing sustainable energy solutions in Saudi Arabia, a nation endowed with abundant solar resources. Despite this potential, there remains a significant gap in comprehensive research that addresses the multifaceted challenges associated with adopting and implementing these systems. This study aims to bridge this gap by exploring both the technical and socio-technical dynamics and the socio-economic impact of PV systems in the context of Saudi Arabian residential areas. Key areas of investigation include the measure of solar PV efficiency in response to dust accumulation on the solar panel, as the high temperature of the desert country brings in high wind that blows small particles of sand dust in every direction. These dusts land on the solar panel reducing the panels efficiency to absorb sunlight from the blockage of dust layers. The methodology incorporates which involves dust accumulation measurement on the solar panels and the PV system efficiency. The methodology also adopts survey research, as 500 people from 5 regions were surveyed. The study results concluded that the experiment conducted on solar panels showed that dust accumulation negatively affects panel efficiency and operational output as efficiency and fill factor (FF) values have declined steadily with increasing dust concentration levels, ranging from 0 to 80 mg/m³. This necessitates adopting effective mitigation strategies such as regular cleaning and using pollution control techniques to maintain system performance and reliability in dust-prone environments. The results showed that the majority of respondents (54.0%) reported that the cost associated with integrating a residential solar PV system into the existing energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia is high-cost. In comparison, 40.4% agreed that it was an average cost. 5.6% believed it was a low cost. 68.4% of respondents had considered installing a residential solar photovoltaic system in their homes, while 31.6% had not. The study recommends that the Saudi government encourage and sponsor the innovation research to address the environmental challenges that directly impact the efficiency of solar systems, particularly extreme heat, and dust accumulation.