Dual-use PV canopies for public gardens: Performance, techno-economic feasibility and CO2 mitigation of an 84.5 kWp grid-tied system in Baghdad, Iraq

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive energy, techno-economic and environmental assessment of a dual-use grid-connected photovoltaic canopy system implemented in a public urban garden in Baghdad, Iraq, under hot-arid climatic conditions. The photovoltaic system, designed as shading canopies integrated within recreational areas, has a total installed capacity of 84.5 kWp and operates under a net-metering configuration without battery storage. The system performance was evaluated using PVsyst simulation and independently cross-checked through a simplified analytical model developed in a spreadsheet-based framework using monthly solar-resource inputs and aggregate loss assumptions. The analytical model reproduced the same seasonal behaviour as the PVsyst simulation, with an annual deviation of only 1.51%. The results indicate an annual electricity generation of 133 189 kWh, corresponding to a specific yield of 1 577 kWh/kWp per year and a performance ratio of 79.6%, demonstrating reliable operation despite high ambient temperatures, dust exposure and other site-related losses. The irrigation demand of the public garden is supplied by a 4-hp electric pump requiring approximately 2 200 kWh per year, which represents only about 1.6% of the total annual photovoltaic production. Consequently, more than 130 MWh per year of surplus electricity is available for export to the national grid. The economic analysis revealed a levelised cost of electricity of approximately 44 IQD/kWh (≈ 0.034 USD/kWh), substantially lower than the prevailing commercial electricity tariff of about 120 IQD/kWh (≈ 0.092 USD/kWh), with a simple payback period of about 6 years and an internal rate of return of approximately 18%. Environmentally, replacing the previous diesel-based irrigation supply with the photovoltaic-supported electric system leads to an estimated annual reduction of approximately 113 tonnes of CO₂ emissions. Overall, the findings demonstrate that photovoltaic canopy systems provide a technically reliable, economically attractive and environmentally effective solution for urban irrigation while simultaneously delivering shading benefits, supporting grid interaction and improving the sustainability of public green spaces in hot-arid regions.