High-Resolution Household Load Profiling and Evaluation of Rooftop PV Systems in Selected Houses in Qatar

Omar Alrawi, I. Safak Bayram, Sami G. Al-Ghamdi and Muammer Koc
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Omar Alrawi: Division of Sustainable Development, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University. Doha 34110, Qatar
I. Safak Bayram: Division of Sustainable Development, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University. Doha 34110, Qatar
Sami G. Al-Ghamdi: Division of Sustainable Development, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University. Doha 34110, Qatar
Muammer Koc: Division of Sustainable Development, College of Science and Engineering, Hamad Bin Khalifa University. Doha 34110, Qatar

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 20, 1-25

Abstract: Even though Qatar’s per capita electricity consumption is one of the highest in the world, little is currently known about behind-the-meter power consumption. The residential sector is the largest consumer of electricity, accounting for approximately 59% of the overall consumption of electricity. As energy subsidies lead to budget deficits and overconsumption of carbon resources, there is a pressing need to examine the residential load profile to better understand consumption patterns and uncover potential solutions for more efficient usage. Residential load profiles are typically influenced by seasonal and socio-economic factors. Furthermore, household load profiles can be used to examine the viability of rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems. In this study, a total of 10 houses in Qatar were chosen, and their power demand was monitored for over a year using smart energy monitors. This empirical research was conducted to achieve the following goals: (1) creation of the first high-resolution residential load profiles in Qatar and in the Gulf region; (2) analyses of the acquired load profiles and the determining factors that affect energy consumption; and (3) calculation of self-consumption values, analysis of the viability of household rooftop PV systems, and discussing potential use-cases for energy storage systems. Investigation of this topic is particularly important for Qatar as the country is adopting a sizable portion of PV systems (5% by 2021) and promotes sustainable energy options as a part of a national development strategy. Results show that there are significant differences between per-household and per-capita consumption due to factors such as electricity subsidies, household income and size, and air-conditioner type. Moreover, due to high electricity consumption, distributed energy storage units for bill management applications have limited applicability with current pricing tariffs. To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first study conducted in Qatar and in the Gulf region where a growing amount of interest is given to measure and improve building energy performance.

Keywords: electricity monitoring; building consumption; energy storage systems; rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems; self-consumption (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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