Ghoneim A., 2012, Environmental Impacts of Grid Connected Photovoltaic System Adapted for Peak Load Reduction in Kuwait, Chemical Engineering Transactions, 29, 1213-1218.
Peak loads in Kuwait occur in summer afternoons because of the extensive use of air conditioners. Peak loads are more expensive to satisfy than other loads. The main objective of the present work is to minimize the peak and total electrical load in Kuwait using grid connected PV systems. It was found that the peak load matches the maximum incident solar radiation which would emphasize the role of using PV stations to reduce the electrical load demand. In addition, significant reduction in peak load can be achieved with grid connected PV systems. To assess the environmental impacts of grid connected PV systems, the recovered energy from PV system is assumed to satisfy the needs of a family in a Kuwaiti house from electricity consumption. Different array areas and slopes were studied to maximize the annual energy generated by grid connected PV systems. The maximum energy generation from the grid connected PV systems corresponds to PV slope of 26° and facing south. An annual avoided CO2 emission of 1.2 t/y is achieved due to the use of PV systems. These results explicitly confirm the environmental impacts of the grid connected PV systems in Kuwait climate.
