ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Feasibility Study of a 1.35 MW Grid-Connected Solar Photovoltaic
System for Public Schools in Saudi Arabia
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1
Mechanical engineering, King Fahad University of petroleum and minerals'
2
Mechanical engineering, King fahad University of petroleum and minerals'
Submission date: 2026-03-08
Final revision date: 2026-05-21
Acceptance date: 2026-08-24
Publication date: 2026-09-27
Journal of Undergraduate Research International 2026;2(3A):150-157
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ABSTRACT
This study evaluates the technical, economic, and environmental feasibility of deploying a large-scale rooftop solar photovoltaic
(PV) system to offset the annual electricity demand of a typical government school in Saudi Arabia. Electricity consumption data
measured for a representative school indicated an annual demand of approximately 2.12 GWh, with an applicable government school
electricity tariff of 0.32 SAR/kWh. The system was modeled using RETScreen Expert under site-specific climatic conditions
to conduct a feasibility analysis for a school located in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. Three Tier-1 PV module technologies Jinko Solar,
and Trina Solar were assessed under fixed-tilt and single-axis tracking configurations. For fixed-tilt systems, a slope sensitivity analysis
was conducted, to identify the optimal tilt angle of 22°, which was adopted across all simulations to maximize an annual
energy yield. The results showed that a 1.35 MW PV system could fully offset the school’s annual electricity demand. Although
all configurations achieved similar annual energy generation, the Jinko Solar modules exhibited the shortest simple payback period
of 4.9 years, driven by higher module efficiency. Single-axis tracking improved spatial utilization and financial performance. The
proposed PV system achieved annual CO2 emission reduction of approximately 1,379 t CO2. Overall, the findings confirm that
high-efficiency rooftop PV systems, particularly those based on Jinko Solar modules, are technically feasible, economically attractive,
and environmentally beneficial for public educational institutions in Saudi Arabia owing to their relatively high tariff rates.