Performance Assessment of Using a Flat Plate Solar Collector to Minimize a Monthly Electrical Bill Usage in Jubail Industrial City Residential Areas

Abstract In this study, the proposed system is a flat solar collector, which can be installed instead of the space electrical and shower heaters in the residential areas in Jubail Industrial City (JIC) to conserve the monthly and annual electrical consumptions during the spring and winter seasons. The residential consumers in Jubail Industrial City, with a monthly consumption of one to six thousand kWh, end up paying an average of SAR 0.18 per kWh, while those who use over 6000 kWh are charged SAR 0.30 per kWh. The commercial consumers pay a lot higher, SAR 0.22 per kWh for 1 to 6000 kWh consumption and SAR 0.30 per kWh for over 6000 kWh consumption. The majority of space heaters are plugged into a 120-volt outlet and consume about 15 amps, depending on the model. A space heater, therefore, consumes an average of about 1,500 watts (W) of power, i.e., 1.5kWh. For day and night, then, the heater consumes about 36kWh and will cost between SAR6.48 and SAR10.8/day for the space heater only. The yearly expense of the space and shower heater is around SAR2700/year to SAR2950/year. Hence, the installation of the flat solar collector will save the electrical bill between 21.4–23.3% of the annual electrical bill.