Technical Impact of Utilizing SPV Systems in Public Buildings in Gaza Strip: A case study for Al- NASER hospital in Khanyounis

Abstract

the paper discusses the prospects of utilizing solar Photovoltaic (SPV) system in a public building as a partial green solution to the shortage of generated energy in the Gaza Strip. The paper compares different types of SPV systems implemented worldwide and focuses on the pros and cons of each system while discussing the suitability and conformity of each system to local electrical environment in the Gaza Strip. The case study presented in this paper deals with retrofitting AL-NASER hospital in Khanyounis by 50.4kWp Building Applied Photovoltaic (BAPV) design featuring hybrid ACcoupled SPV system with battery and/or diesel generator backup as spinning reserves. When the grid is online, system's energy export and import is monitored by means of a bidirectional smart energy meter. In case the grid is offline, the SPV system shall be optionally coupled to the existing diesel generator through the use of a smart PV-diesel controller feeding the protected loads. Energy efficiency is also addressed by replacing existing inefficient lamps with LED lights resulting in about 60% power reduction dedicated to lighting. The aggregate PV system is expected to generate a total of approximately 73MWh per year contributing to major economic impacts for the hospital budget comprising reductions in diesel fuel consumption and electricity bill in addition to minimizing Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. The calculated annual savings shall be about 19kUSD while the investment cost shall be retrieved by the end of the first twelve years of operation.