Advantages of Utilizing the Solar Water Heating Technology in Reducing Total Electricity Consumption and Improving Grid Efficiency: A Case Study of Benghazi, Libya

Fossil fuels based electricity is dominating in Libya. Nonetheless, the inefficient residential sector, particularly the electric water heating, is consuming a significant figure of the total electricity consumption, contributing to the blackouts which have been frequently hitting the country. Therefore, for a sustainable development and meeting the challenging present and future electrical energy needs, the energy efficiency (EE) and the renewable energy (RE) projects must be applied. The solar water heating (SWH) technology can play a vital role in reducing the electrical energy consumption, thus a contributing solution for the electricity shortage in Libya. More research and studies are needed to evaluate the efficiency, feasibility, and practicality of using the SWH in the residential sector. This paper investigates the electricity consumption and the performance of the national grid of Benghazi when the Electric Water Heaters (EWHs) of the end users are replaced with the SWHs. The analysis was done by using the Power System Analysis Software-NEPLAN. It was observed that a remarkable saving in electricity consumption (10-25%) and a better efficiency of the general electric transmission grid was attained in the case of utilizing the SWH technology. SWHs usually cost more to purchase and install than EWHs counterparts. However, SWHs can enhance the power system efficiency and reliability and also save money in the long run.