Contribution to the analysis of a stand-alone photovoltaic system in a desert environment Omar Kebour a,⇑ , Amar Hadj Arab b , Abdelkader Hamid a , Kamel Abdeladim b a Université de Saad Dahleb, Route de Soumaa, BP 270 BLIDA, Ouled Yaich 09200, Algeria b Centre de Développement des Energies Renouvelables, CDER, BP 62 Route de l’Observatoire, Bouzaréah 16340, Algiers, Algeria article info Article history: Received 16 February 2017 Received in revised form 17 April 2017 Accepted 3 May 2017 Keywords: Charge curve Global and diffuse irradiance Competitiveness of photovoltaic and Diesel abstract Electrification of rural population has been always a strategic decision for the counties with high poten- tial in terms of solar energy. However, different renewable and sustainable energy technologies can be adopted for electrification including photovoltaic system, diesel or hybrid system (photovoltaic and die- sel). However, the choice between these options is exclusively dependent on many factors including the reliability and the cost associated with these technologies. This study aims to examine the reliability of the electrification of rural areas using a standalone pho- tovoltaic (PV) system in a Sahara environment (Algerian desert). In order to assess the electrical perfor- mance of the photovoltaic system, an experiment is set up in the village of Fadnoun, which is located in 2100 km south of Algiers (Algerian capital). The experiment is carried out for one year and the reliability of the system together with the way in which this electrification influence the energy consumption the villagers are assessed. It should be noted that this is the first experimental study of this kind that has been carried out in Algeria. In addition, a technical-economic analysis was conducted by taking into account many parameters including cont, nominal power, solar radiation, and low voltage length. The outcomes of this study can be used as a benchmark to assess the performance of renewable energy technologies in other rural areas and make an informed decision about the most appropriate technology for electrification in rural areas. Ó 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Sahara regions receive a greater amount of energy that makes them as favorite locations to set up the photovoltaic systems. In order to ensure continuity of service, for a number of Algerian Sahara villages, two principal and independent energy supply solu- tions can be practically considered that include diesel generators and photovoltaic systems. The main research question is to identify the most economical solution among diesel and PV for any given site. It should also be pointed out that this method of segmentation is used within the Algerian National Electrical Grid Company ‘‘Sonelgaz Holding” as a dashboard to identify areas where the turnover is high, and where industrial customers sectors are seg- mented in relation to their sector of activity and the power avail- able (PMD) (Sonelgaz Group, 2015, Activity report). One of the early studies in this field was by Borel (1962) in order to develop a redistribution mapping of Algerian territory or zoning, it is based on hygrothermal considerations. In addition were reported for just one representative day. In another study Hadj Arab et al. (1995) evaluated solar irradi- ation level in Algeria; four climatic zones were identified for a dif- ferent clarity index based on energy factors such as solar irradiation at ground level and determination of the probability of loss, for a period of twelve months. The results of this study have shown that the effect of the micro climate is too great on the deter- mination of climatic zones. In an attempt to improve the accuracy of the numerical models in estimation of solar radiation, Benmouiza (2015) has developed physical and empirical models to estimate the hourly, daily and monthly solar radiation from multiple sources. The developed models are applied and tested for different climatic regions in Algeria and consequently a zoning map of solar radiation is proposed. In another study, a numerical model for economic profitability of a photovoltaic pumping plant was developed by Bouzidi (2004). The outcomes of this numerical modelling demonstrated the importance of economic competitiveness in the selection of diesel engine system compare to photovoltaic in the field of water http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2017.05.009 0038-092X/Ó 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. ⇑ Corresponding author. E-mail address: kebour.omar@yahoo.fr (O. Kebour). Solar Energy 151 (2017) 68–81 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Solar Energy journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/solener