Most of the world's energy consumption is greatly dependent on fossil fuel, which is exhaustible and is being used extensively due to continuous escalation in the world's population and development. This valuable resource needs to be conserved and its alternatives need to be explored. In this perspective, dissemination and utilisation of renewables such as solar energy has gained worldwide momentum since the onset of oil crises of 1970s. Moreover, burning of fuels is the principal Cause of air pollution, and possibly environmental warming. Saudi Arabia, being blessed with a fairly high level of solar radiation, is a suitable candidate for deployment of solar photo-voltaic (PV) panels for power generation during crisis. Literature indicates that commercial/residential buildings in Saudi Arabia consume an estimated 10-45% of the total electrical energy generated/consumed. In the present study, hourly mean solar radiation data for the period 1986-1993 recorded at the solar radiation and meteorological monitoring station, Dhahran (26degrees 32' N, 50degrees 13' E), Saudi Arabia, have been analyzed to investigate the potential of utilizing hybrid (PV+diesel) power systems to meet the load requirements of a typical commercial building (with an annual electrical energy demand of 620,000 kWh). The monthly average daily solar global irradiation for Dhahran ranges from 3.61 to 7.96 kWh/m(2). The hybrid systems considered in the present analysis consist of different combinations of PV panels/modules (different array sizes) supplemented with a battery storage unit and diesel back-up. The study shows that with a combination of 3700 m(2) PV together with 12 h of battery storage, the diesel back-up system has to provide 6% of the load demand. However, in the absence of a battery bank, about 56% of the load needs to be provided by the diesel system. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.