Assessment of solar PV potential and performance of a household system in Durban North, Durban, South Africa

The potential of solar PV is location-dependent that needs to be assessed before installation. This study focuses on the assessment of a solar PV potential of a site on coordinates −29.853762°, 031.00634°, at Glenmore Crescent, Durban North, South Africa. In addition, it evaluates the performance of a 6-kWp installed capacity grid-connected rooftop solar PV system to supply electricity to a household. The results, obtained from PV design and simulation tools—PV*SOL, Solargis prospect, and pvPlanner, were used to analyze and establish the PV system’s economic and technical viability. The configuration of the system is as follows: load profile—a 2-person household with 2-children, energy consumption—3500 kWh, system size—6 kWp, installation type—roof mount, PV module type—c-Si—monocrystalline silicon, efficiency—18.9%, orientation of PV modules -Azimuth 0° and Tilt 30°, inverter 95.9% (Euro efficiency), and no transformer. The results show: meteorological parameters—global horizontal irradiation (GHI) 1659.3 kWh/m 2 , direct normal irradiation (DNI) 1610.6 kWh/m 2 , air temperature 20.6 °C; performance parameters—annual PV energy 8639 kWh, Specific annual yield 1403 kWh/kWp, performance ratio (PR) 74.9%, avoided CO 2 emissions 5662 kg/year, and solar fraction 42.5%. Others are economic performance parameters—levelised cost of energy (LCOE) 0.1147 USD/kWh, internal rate of return (IRR) 17,671 USD/kWh, and return on investment (ROI) 11%. The results show that the proposed solar PV system under the current conditions is both economically and technically viable for household electrification in Durban North, South Africa. Graphical abstract