Optimal design of PV system in passive residential building in Mediterranean climate

Energy is a crucial element for prosperity and improving the standard of living. fossil fuels are not an everlasting source of energy. however,the sun is the only eternally sustainable source of energy. in this the present study,feasibility and reliability analyses of a pv grid-connected system are conducted in mediterranean climate. matlab is used to model the energy system and examine its technical and economic performances. life cycle cost (lcc) and payback period (pbp) criterion are also used to determine the optimum system design. the present study shows that incorporating an optimum system of solar pv with a grid system (oriented at 26° from the horizontal) is feasible in mediterranean region. it can reduce 6,075 kwh (83.7%) from the annual electricity bill. moreover,lcc over a 30-year period is found to be us$ 19,524 while the pbp for the initial investment is 5.88 years. furthermore,carbon dioxide emissions,associated with thermal power plants generated electricity,are expected to reduce by about 3.6 tons annually. thus,to move toward energy independence and energy security,favorable policies and incentives should be set to accelerate the use of such energy systems. © 2016 jordan journal of mechanical and industrial engineering. all rights reserved.