Introducing PV grid-parity to Yemen power system: Experimental and feasibility studies

The imposition of a blockade on Yemen by the coalition led by Saudi Arabia resulted in severe fuel scarcity, leading to a lack of electricity from fossil fuel-based sources like diesel-based generation. In response, households and other energy consumers sought alternative power supply options. Accordingly, PV Systems emerged as the most economically viable, commercially available, and sustainable solution. Consequently, a rapid diffusion of PV Solar Home Systems (SHS) led to sudden dissemination and significant growth of the PV SHS market. Numerous traders, including ordinary shops, entered the business of selling PV SHS, creating a thriving market during the blockade period. Eventually, the Yemen power system will not only return to its initial state but should also grow further to meet the increasing demand from households and other customers. Consequently, a substantial amount of installed PV power of SHS which might reach hundreds of Mega Watts (MW), could go into power demand side trading. In this case, technically adapting the Grid-Parity practice becomes economically feasible and environmentally beneficial. This study is a pilot project to examine various aspects of Grid-Parity application: technical, viable, and environmental. This paper presents an experimental demonstration of the high potential of the Grid-Parity application and an essential initiative for its future diffusion in Yemen. In addition, an economic assessment is performed, showing the viability of Grid-Parity in Sana’a. Thus, it irrefutably covers the technical, financial, and environmental aspects.