Utilizing Solar Energy for Higher Education: Design and Implementation of a 500 kW Rooftop Solar Array for College of Engineering, King Faisal University
Waleed Basabien, Abdulaziz Alzuhair, Mousa Badahya, Abdullah Mogaitoof, and Mohamed A. Ismail
Abstract
The College of Engineering at King Faisal University in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia, can benefit from reducing its dependence on non-renewable energy sources and transitioning to solar energy, which is a cost-effective alternative. This study explores the feasibility of installing a photovoltaic (PV) solar station on the roof of the college's building, utilizing software such as Google Earth Pro, AutoCAD, SketchUp Pro, Skelion, and system advisor model (SAM) to analyze and design the system. With an available unshaded solar exposure area of 5,669 m2, the team chose three different types of panels with varying wattages (435, 555, and 720 W) to produce a total of 500 kWp. The results indicated that the 555 W panels were the most economical choice, generating 646.9 MWh annually at a capital cost of 1.25 million SAR. The system is expected to have a payback period of 8.2 years, with a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of 0.143 SAR/kWh.
