The Potential and analysis of Grid-connected Photovoltaic System in residential houses in Libya : Near-term solution of electricity shortage: A case study in Tripoli

Africa as a continent has a high potential in abundant energy sources, but in sub-Saharan Africa countries, the imbalance between power generation and its consumption remains an issue. Libya is one of these countries that is struggling with covering the energy demand and has a long hour electricity cut, especially in the capital of Libya, Tripoli. This year, the electricity shortage reached around thirty hours. Therefore, Libyan consumers have tried to find alternative solutions for this issue by using solar energy as a source of power. This can be achieved by utilizing grid-connected PV systems, which can be installed by private companies in Libya. In this paper, the analyses of two typical Libyan houses have been investigated and chosen as a case study in Tripoli in order to highlight the potential of using such a system to overcome the high energy consumption in Libya. This paper can be used as an initial investigation of the energy stakeholders in the Mediterranean region due to the potential of installing PV systems in Libyan residential houses. Since these types of system can be independent from the grid by around 37%.