Energy estimation of FSPV-based microgrid for sustainable electricity generation and water conservation in hot semi-arid urban areas

Solar photovoltaics have emerged as an economic source of renewable electricity generation for regions with high solar irradiation. Still, the installation of utility-scale PV systems is often disrupted due to the unavailability of land. Sparsely populated areas with a hot, dry climate can mitigate the land-energy conflict as they experience higher solar irradiation. In arid areas, the PV systems incur more losses due to dust deposition on PV modules and reduced energy conversion efficiency at higher temperatures. The shortage of water makes the module cleaning procedures cost-prohibitive. Floating Solar photovoltaic (FSPV) systems resolve these problems due to their reduced land footprint, higher efficiency, and reduce evaporative water loss. This study estimates the energy generation of a 4.8 MW FSPV-based microgrid in a hot, semi-arid urban area. By utilizing 5% area of the waterbody, the FSPV system yields 8.876 GWh of electricity annually, to meet 41.7% electricity demand of the study area. The system generates 16.7% more power compared to the land-based PV system. The performance ratio of 82%, and a DC capacity utilization factor of 20.3% is achieved. The system saves 52,810.32 m³ of water per year, compensating for the water requirement of 786.99 m³. for cleaning and dust removal of PV modules. The weekly cleaning procedure limits the soiling loss to 2.79%, compared to 8.47% after a month without cleaning. The FSPV-based microgrid reduces annual CO₂ emissions by 2.93 tonnes. This study shall enable engineers, urban planners, and policymakers to develop clean energy-based, sustainable microgrid solutions for urban areas.