Performance-based assessment of flat plate solar collectors for diminishing household electrical expenditures: a case study for Jubail Industrial City residential communities

In this study, the proposed scheme involves a flat solar collector, which has a black mirror helical riser tubes design to be applied as an alternate system to the space electrical and shower heaters in the residential sector of Jubail Industrial City (JIC), Saudi Arabia to reduce the monthly and yearly electrical costs in the spring and winter seasons. Residential consumers in the Jubail Industrial City, consuming between one to six thousand kWh in a month, pay an average of no less than SAR 0.18-per kWh, but for those consuming over 6000 kWh, it costs no less than SAR 0.30-per kWh. Commercial consumers pay much more, which costs no less than SAR 0.22-per kWh for consumers using between one to 6000 kWh, but for the others consuming over 6000 kW, it costs no less than SAR 0.30-per kWh. Most space and shower heaters use a 120 V outlet, requiring no more than 15 amps, depending upon the model and its size and require no less than 1,500 W of power, that is, 1.5 kW, day as well as night. The space and shower heater require no less than 1642 kWh/year/FSC with daily cost between SAR6.48 and SAR10.8/day, depending upon the space and shower heater’s size. The annual saving of the space and the shower heater is approx. SAR2700/year/2FSC. Consequently, the flat solar collector can reduce the electrical cost between 21.4% and 23.3% of the yearly electrical bill.