International Journal of Power Electronics and Drive System (IJPEDS) Vol. 16, No. 2, June 2025, pp. 1196~1207 ISSN: 2088-8694, DOI: 10.11591/ijpeds.v16.i2.pp1196-1207  1196 Journal homepage: http://ijpeds.iaescore.com Comprehensive performance assessment of a 12-MW grid-connected photovoltaic power plant Yassine Bouroumeid 1 , Mokhtaria Jbilou 1 , Seyf Eddine Bechekir 1 , Said Nemmich 2 , Essama Ahmed Ghaitaoui 1 , Mostefa Brahami 1 1 Laboratory Intelligent Control and Electrical Power System ICEPS, Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Djilali Liabes University of Sidi Bel Abbes,Sidi Bel Abbès, Algeria 2 APELEC Laboratory, Djillali Liabes University of Sidi Bel-Abbes, Sidi Bel Abbès, Algeria Article Info ABSTRACT Article history: Received Sep 5, 2024 Revised Jan 16, 2025 Accepted Mar 1, 2025 The increasing demand for electricity, driven by sustained population growth, has placed considerable pressure on Algeria’s power generation infrastructure to expand its output. In parallel, the sharp decline in the cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity and the rising tariffs on conventional energy sources have intensified interest in PV-based electricity generation. Accordingly, precise evaluation of the annual and monthly performance of solar PV plants has become essential for the optimal design and deployment of new facilities. This study presents a comprehensive performance assessment of a 12 MW grid-connected photovoltaic power plant located in Sidi Bel Abbès, Algeria. Real-time operational data were collected over a one-year period, from January 1st to December 31st, 2023. Key performance indicators analyzed include energy output, final yield (Yf), and performance ratio (PR), among others. The plant delivered a total of 20,780.67 MWh to the grid in 2023. The final yield ranged from 3.25 to 5.88 kWh/kWp, while the performance ratio varied between 79% and 89.71%. The annual capacity factor was calculated to be 19.44%. These empirical results are compared against simulation outputs obtained using PVsyst and the Solar GIS-PV Planner tools. Keywords: Algeria Grid connected Performance evaluation PVsyst software SCADA system Solar GIS PV planner This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA license. Corresponding Author: Yassine Bouroumeid Laboratory Intelligent Control and Electrical Power System ICEPS, Department of Electrical Engineering Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Djilali Liabes University of Sidi Bel Abbes Sidi Bel Abbès, Algeria Email: bouroumeid.yassine@yahoo.com NOMENCLATURE  0 : Peak power (kWp)   : Direct current energy   : Daily irradiation (kWh/m 2 )   : Alternating current energy GlobHor : Horizontal global irradiation (kWh/m 2 ) T Amb : Ambient temperature (°C) GlobEff : Effective global irradiance (kWh/m²) GlobInc : Global irradiation incident on the collector plane (kWh/m²) 1. INTRODUCTION Energy is a key component of socioeconomic development, and electricity in particular has become essential to industrial and social processes. The need for energy has increased dramatically over the last few decades; it is expected to reach 73,000 TWh by 2050 and rise at a 3.1% yearly pace [1], [2]. Historically, fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas have been the main sources of power. However, these fossil fuel reserves are limited [3], and generating power from them emits a significant amount of greenhouse