Techno-Economics of Solar PV on Mosque Rooftops: Results from a Pilot Study in Saudi Arabia

There are an estimated 3.5 million mosques worldwide. The relatively large surface area of most mosque rooftops and their ubiquity in the Muslim world make them excellent candidates for solar photovoltaic (PV) installations. Muslims congregate for prayers at mosques five times a day: at dawn, noon, afternoon, sunset, and evening. Because these times are governed by the sun, they change chronographically within the year, according to the season, but are perpetual. As such, mosque electricity load profiles are highly predictable across each year and experience limited annual variation.