Performance evaluation of a solar photovoltaic energy system designed for supplying electricity and water for remote communities

摘要

Electricity and fresh water are two essential needs for continuation of life by human beings. There are unfortunately a large number of people on the earth that do not have access to reliable electricity and fresh water. The objective of this paper is to present the design aspects of a solar photovoltaic (PV) energy system including desalination unit, in which electricity and fresh water are produced as the main products. A further objective of this work is to present the results of a computer simulation program developed to determine the optimum size of all components in this system. And finally, computer simulation results about prediction of the system’s performance will also be presented.