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| 1 |
ID:
113418
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2012.
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| Summary/Abstract |
This research discusses findings from technical simulations and economic models of 1 kWp and 3 kWp grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems supplying a rural home electricity load in parallel with the electricity network in Western Australia (WA). The technical simulations are based on electricity billing, consumption monitoring, an energy audit data, combined with 15 min interval load and PV system performance for commercially available technologies and balance of system components, using long-term meteorological input data. The economic modelling uses 2010 market prices for capital costs, operational costs, electricity tariffs, subsidies, and is based on discounted cash flow analyses which generate a final net present value (NPV) for each system against network electricity costs (in Australian dollars, AUD) over a 15 year investment horizon. The results suggest that current market prices generate a negative NPV (a net private loss), even with the current government subsidies, which lead to higher home electricity costs than conventional network electricity use. Additionally, the private costs of carbon emission mitigation (AUD tCO2-e-1) for the grid-connected PV system simulations and models were around AUD 600-700 tCO2-e-1, a particularly expensive option when compared to existing large-scale renewable energy mitigation activities.
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| 2 |
ID:
115187
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2012.
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| Summary/Abstract |
In Energy Policy, 38 (7) 3297-3308, Dusonchet and Telaretti contribute a significant deal to the field of PV comparative policy analysis in the EU by addressing the impact of the PV regulatory framework on the investment decisions of the sector-as determined by net present value (NPV) and internal rate of return (IRR) indices-in seventeen Western EU countries. As a necessary first step, the authors bring off a concise and straightforward analysis of the different legal frameworks ruling solar PVS implementation in those countries.
In the specific case of Spain we have identified some imprecision that could lead to misunderstandings about the role and impact of the PV legal framework on the massive expansion of the sector, especially during the so-called "Spanish PV Boom".
This note is intended to add on the authors' primary and challenging effort to provide a systematic analysis of the Spanish PV sector by contextualizing this period of hype and, on the basis of this analysis, contribute our own understanding about how the complexity and uncertainties generated by the successive frameworks might have triggered such a frenzied response by the market.
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| 3 |
ID:
093521
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2010.
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| Summary/Abstract |
The use of renewable energy sources for the production of electric power brings huge benefits both in terms of environmental protection as well as savings in non-renewable resources. Photovoltaic stands out from other renewable energy sources for its simplicity and the modularity of its energy conversion system. To date, the most highly developed technology for the construction of solar cells is one based on mono and polycrystalline silicon. An alternative production line is currently under development to produce, thin-film modules. There are currently a variety of processes and materials available to make thin-film cells but their relative costs and performance differ. Therefore, it would be useful to make a comparative evaluation of the different processes using a multiple criteria method.
This paper proposes an application of an outranking methodology to assess a selection of production processes of thin-film solar technology. As this work demonstrates, multi-criteria analysis can provide a technical-scientific decision making support tool that is able to justify its choices clearly and consistently in the renewable energy sector.
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| 4 |
ID:
126556
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2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
This paper provides a financial survey of a small sample of Czech photovoltaic (PV) plants. To evaluate the extent of market losses, we calculate the shadow market price of solar electricity. From the profit and loss accounts of the PV plants and the shadow market price we estimate the total economic loss generated by PV electricity sector in the Czech Republic. The presented microeconomic approach has two main advantages: firstly, we work with real observed data, which offsets the drawback of a limited sample. Secondly, the profit accounting calculation enables sensitivity analysis with respect to key variables of the plants. We show that money invested in PV plants would generate an annual loss of 8%. Given the estimated solar assets of CZK 165.6 billion (EUR 6.6 billion) as of December 2011, this translates in at least CZK 12.6 billion lost in the Czech solar sector in 2012. About 43% of this loss is due to high technology costs and corresponds to pure dead weight loss, while the remaining 57% constitute the redistributive profit component of subsidies. Finally, we calculate that unless electricity prices increase or technology costs decrease approximately sevenfold, PV plants will remain loss making.
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| 5 |
ID:
088976
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2009.
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| Summary/Abstract |
In this paper, several designs of hybrid PV-wind (photovoltaic-wind) systems connected to the electrical grid, including the intermittent production of hydrogen, are shown. The objective considered in the design is economical to maximise the net present value (NPV) of the system.
A control strategy has been applied so that hydrogen is only produced by the electrolyser when there is an excess of electrical energy that cannot be exported to the grid (intermittent production of hydrogen).
Several optimisation studies based on different scenarios have been carried out. After studying the results - for systems with which the produced hydrogen would be sold for external consumption - it can be stated that the selling price of hydrogen should be about 10 €/kg in areas with strong wind, in order to get economically viable systems.
For the hydrogen-producing systems in which hydrogen is produced when there is an excess of electricity and then stored and later used in a fuel cell to produce electricity to be sold to the grid, even in areas with high wind speed rate, the price of electrical energy produced by the fuel cell should be very high for the system to be profitable.
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| 6 |
ID:
136234
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| Summary/Abstract |
Net-metering is commonly known as a practice by which owners of distributed generation (DG) units may offset their electricity consumption from the grid with local generation. The increasing number of prosumers (consumers that both produce and consume electricity) with solar photovoltaic (PV) generation combined with net-metering results in reduced incomes for many network utilities worldwide. Consequently, this pushes utilities to increase charges per kW h in order to recover costs. For non-PV owners, this could result into inequality issues due to the fact that also non-PV owners have to pay higher chargers for their electricity consumed to make up for netted costs of PV-owners. In order to provide insight in those inequality issues caused by net-metering, this study presents the effects on cross-subsidies, cost recovery and policy objectives evolving from different applied netmetering and tariff designs for a residential consumer. Eventually this paper provides recommendations regarding tariffs and metering that will result in more explicit incentives for PV, instead of the current implicit incentives which are present to PV owners due to net-metering.
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| 7 |
ID:
150754
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| Summary/Abstract |
High demand for photovoltaic (PV), battery, and small-scale combined heat and power (CHP) technologies are driving a virtuous cycle of technological improvements and cost reductions in off-grid electric systems that increasingly compete with the grid market. Using a case study in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, this paper quantifies the economic viability of off-grid PV+battery+CHP adoption and evaluates potential implications for grid-based utility models. The analysis shows that already some households could save money by switching to a solar hybrid off-grid system in comparison to the effective electric rates they are currently paying. Across the region by 2020, 92% of seasonal households and ~75% of year-round households are projected to meet electricity demands with lower costs. Furthermore, ~65% of all Upper Peninsula single-family owner-occupied households will both meet grid parity and be able to afford the systems by 2020. The results imply that economic circumstances could spur a positive feedback loop whereby grid electricity prices continue to rise and increasing numbers of customers choose alternatives (sometimes referred to as a “utility death spiral”), particularly in areas with relatively high electric utility rates. Utility companies and policy makers must take the potential for grid defection seriously when evaluating energy supply strategies.
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| 8 |
ID:
098562
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2010.
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| Summary/Abstract |
We present the results of a number of PV-grid matching simulations performed using hourly generation data from the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) for the year 2006, together with corresponding meteorological data from Sede Boqer in the Negev Desert. The principal results of this investigation are: (1) the effective flexibility factor (ff) of the IEC grid was close to ff=0.65, but with a different plant operating strategy, ff could have been considerably higher; (2) for ff=0.65, the largest no-dump PV system could have provided only 2.7% of the annual demand, but for higher flexibilities - up to ff=1 - the percentage penetration could be as high as 17.4%; (3) considerable improvement in penetration can result by relaxing the "no-dump" criterion initially imposed on the PV system; (4) using the IEC's existing plant types, additional penetration can be expected by re-scheduling part of the base-load generating capacity to anticipate expected solar input; (5) for a radically decreased grid flexibility - that might result from IEC decisions about future generator purchases - the required employment of massive amounts of storage would render the potential contribution of PV to be insignificant.
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| 9 |
ID:
098561
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| Summary/Abstract |
We present the results of a number of PV-grid matching simulations performed using hourly generation data from the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) for the year 2006, together with corresponding meteorological data from Sede Boqer in the Negev Desert. The principal results of this investigation are: (1) the effective flexibility factor (ff) of the IEC grid was close to ff=0.65, but with a different plant operating strategy, ff could have been considerably higher; (2) for ff=0.65, the largest no-dump PV system could have provided only 2.7% of the annual demand, but for higher flexibilities - up to ff=1 - the percentage penetration could be as high as 17.4%; (3) considerable improvement in penetration can result by relaxing the "no-dump" criterion initially imposed on the PV system; (4) using the IEC's existing plant types, additional penetration can be expected by re-scheduling part of the base-load generating capacity to anticipate expected solar input; (5) for a radically decreased grid flexibility - that might result from IEC decisions about future generator purchases - the required employment of massive amounts of storage would render the potential contribution of PV to be insignificant.
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| 10 |
ID:
181770
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| Summary/Abstract |
Auctions have become the primary instrument for promoting renewable energy around the world. However, the data published on such auctions are typically limited to aggregated information (e.g., total awarded capacity, average payments). These data constraints hinder the evaluation of realisation rates and other relevant auction dynamics. In this study, we present an algorithm to overcome these data limitations in German renewable energy auction programme by combining publicly available information from four different databases. We apply it to the German solar auction programme and evaluate auctions using quantitative methods. We calculate realisation rates and—using correlation and regression analysis—explore the impact of PV module prices, competition, and project and developer characteristics on project realisation and bid values. Our results confirm that the German auctions were effective. We also found that project realisation took, on average, 1.5 years (with 28% of projects finished late and incurring a financial penalty), nearly half of projects changed location before completion (again, incurring a financial penalty) and small and inexperienced developers could successfully participate in auctions.
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| 11 |
ID:
126489
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| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
The growth of the Spanish photovoltaic (PV) sector in the period 2004-2008 rendered Spain a prominent place among top worldwide countries. Yet, this growth was rather uneven across the different Spanish regions which raised the interest on the drivers ultimately effecting these disparities. Especially controversial were the arguments about the influence of the administrative procedure and the landscape policy on the development of GCPVS on-floor. This study therefore discloses both two elements and evaluates their impact in a group of PV prominent Spanish regions and Catalonia, the latter used as a benchmark because of its comprehensive and stringent regulation on landscape protection, which was accused by the PV industry of thwarting the development of the GCPVS on-floor. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were carried out. In particular two indexes were elaborated to determine the consistency of the arguments pointing to the landscape protection policy as a decisive barrier to GCPVS growth. First, when the analysis is made in relative terms, the ranking of PV prominent regions changes and many of the differences vanish. Second, rather than the preeminence of a landscape protection policy what really matters for GCPVS on-floor growth is the administrative procedure and the processing enabling its implementation.
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| 12 |
ID:
137730
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| Summary/Abstract |
This article statistically isolates the impacts of city-level permitting and other local regulatory processes on residential PV prices in the United States. We combine data from two “scoring” mechanisms that independently capture local regulatory process efficiency with the largest dataset of installed PV prices in the United States. We find that variations in local permitting procedures can lead to differences in average residential PV prices of approximately $0.18/W between the jurisdictions with the least-favorable and most-favorable permitting procedures. Between jurisdictions with scores across the middle 90% of the range (i.e., 5th percentile to 95th percentile), the difference is $0.14/W, equivalent to a $700 (2.2%) difference in system costs for a typical 5-kW residential PV installation. When considering variations not only in permitting practices, but also in other local regulatory procedures, price differences grow to $0.64–$0.93/W between the least-favorable and most-favorable jurisdictions. Between jurisdictions with scores across the middle 90% of the range, the difference is equivalent to a price impact of at least $2500 (8%) for a typical 5-kW residential PV installation. These results highlight the magnitude of cost reduction that might be expected from streamlining local regulatory regimes.
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| 13 |
ID:
126488
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| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
Battery energy storage is a flexible and responsive form of storing electrical energy from Renewable generation. The need for energy storage mainly stems from the intermittent nature of solar and wind energy sources. System integrators are investigating ways to design plants that can provide more stable output power without compromising the financial performance that is vital for investors. Network operators on the other side set stringent requirements for the commissioning of new generation, including preferential terms for energy providers with a well-defined generation profile. The aim of this work is to highlight the market and technology drivers that impact the feasibility of battery energy storage in a Utility-scale solar PV project. A simulation tool combines a battery cycling and lifetime model with a solar generation profile and electricity market prices. The business cases of the present market conditions and a projected future scenario are analyzed.
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| 14 |
ID:
097276
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| Publication |
2010.
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| Summary/Abstract |
As the Ontario government has recognized that solar photovoltaic (PV) energy conversion is a solution to satisfying energy demands while reducing the adverse anthropogenic impacts on the global environment that compromise social welfare, it has begun to generate policy to support financial incentives for PV. This paper provides a financial analysis for investment in a 1 GW per year turnkey amorphous silicon PV manufacturing plant. The financial benefits for both the provincial and federal governments were quantified for: (i) full construction subsidy, (ii) construction subsidy and sale, (iii) partially subsidize construction, (iv) a publicly owned plant, (v) loan guarantee for construction, and (vi) an income tax holiday. Revenues for the governments are derived from: taxation (personal, corporate, and sales), sales of panels in Ontario, and saved health, environmental and economic costs associated with offsetting coal-fired electricity. Both governments enjoyed positive cash flows from these investments in less than 12 years and in many of the scenarios both governments earned well over 8% on investments from 100 s of millions to $2.4 billion. The results showed that it is in the financial best interest of both the Ontario and Canadian federal governments to implement aggressive fiscal policy to support large-scale PV manufacturing.
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| 15 |
ID:
126531
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| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
With "soft" costs accounting for well over 50% of the installed price of residential photovoltaic (PV) systems in the United States, this study evaluates the effect of city-level permitting processes on the installed price of residential PV systems and on the time required to develop those systems. The study uses a unique dataset from the U.S. Department of Energy's Rooftop Solar Challenge Program, which includes city-level permitting process "scores," plus data from the California Solar Initiative and the U.S. Census. Econometric methods are used to quantify the price and development-time effects of city-level permitting processes on more than 3000 PV installations across 44 California cities in 2011. Results suggest that cities with the most favorable permitting practices can reduce average residential PV prices by $0.27-$0.77/W (4-12% of median PV prices in California) compared with cities with the most onerous permitting practices, depending on the regression model used. Though the empirical models for development times are less robust, results suggest that the most streamlined permitting practices may shorten development times by around 24 days on average (25% of the median development time). These findings illustrate the potential price and development-time benefits of streamlining local permitting procedures for PV systems.
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| 16 |
ID:
176800
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| Summary/Abstract |
Rooftops provide accessible locations for solar energy installations. While rooftop solar arrays can offset in-building electricity needs, they may also stress electric grid operations. Here we present an analysis of net electricity generation potential from distributed rooftop solar in Los Angeles. We integrate spatial and temporal data for property-level electricity demands, rooftop solar generation potential, and grid capacity constraints to estimate the potential for solar to meet on-site demands and supply net exports to the electric grid. In the study area with 1.2 million parcels, rooftop solar could meet 7200 Gigawatt Hours (GWh) of on-site building demands (~29% of demand). Overall potential net generation is negative, meaning buildings use more electricity than they can produce. Yet, cumulative net export potential from solar to grid circuits is 16,400 GWh. Current policies that regulate solar array interconnection to the grid result in unutilized solar power output of 1700 MW. Lower-income and at-risk communities in LA have greater potential for exporting net solar generation to the grid. This potential should be recognized through investments and policy innovations. The method demonstrates the need for considering time-dependent calculations of net solar potential and offers a template for distributed renewable energy planning in cities.
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| 17 |
ID:
116938
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| Publication |
2012.
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| Summary/Abstract |
The recent growth of photovoltaic (PV) electricity generation despite its high levelized costs is largely explained by strong national policy supports. Indeed, renewable energy sources are receiving increasing support worldwide from public authorities because of the environmental benefits they bring in comparison with conventional energy sources. Thus, many countries have set targets for PV deployment. The possibility to achieve them at a lower cost has now become a central issue, making it necessary to examine the efficiency of the instruments used to promote PV.
After describing the mechanisms of the impact of demand and supply on the reduction cost of PV systems, the public support for PV is assessed for five representative countries (France, Germany, Japan, Spain and the US) from an extensive policy review. Based on their financial evaluations, the performances of these policies are compared from the different states of PV development in each country.
The main conclusion is that it is necessary to have a well-planned policy, i.e., with a controlled level of expenditures and balanced allocation of these, in order to install the desired amount of PV, to control its impact on the electricity prices and to give a sufficient visibility to the industrialists.
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| 18 |
ID:
115642
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2012.
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| Summary/Abstract |
Jordan has scarce petroleum resources and hence depends to a large extent on imported crude oil, and natural gas to cover its energy needs and to generate electricity in order to cope with the growing demand. The escalating fuel prices associated with the global economic crisis have negative impacts on the economy of Jordan. However, the availability of renewable energy resources (mainly solar, and wind) supported by well-designed and ambitious incentive schemes that runs in parallel with an energy efficiency program, can contribute positively in solving the current problems. This may result in a dramatic reduction in energy bill cost for both short and long terms. Moreover, it shall result in a better and cleaner environment. In this paper an incentive policy is proposed by the Electricity Regulatory Commission (ERC) based on supporting the installation of PV generating units. ERC plays a major role in this effort which aids decision makers to adopt the proper policies in the electricity sector. It is anticipated that the implementation of this proposed policy will result in a win-win situation for both consumers and government, and will lead to increasing the energy security level in general, and electricity security in particular, within Jordan.
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| 19 |
ID:
177164
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| Summary/Abstract |
The development of photovoltaic (PV) energy has been very significant in the last years, thanks to cost reductions brought about by policy actions favouring the transition from a fossil to a green society. As this transition is likely to stretch over the long term, policy support must be programmed accordingly. In light of the human and economic shock effected by COVID-19, the Italian government has offered a tax deduction of 110% over 5 years for the realization of new PV residential plants. We propose to integrate this tool with the application of a bonus for energy produced and self-consumed, in order to support the development of decentralized systems. In this paper, we provide an economic assessment of a 3 kW plant in the context of several policy scenarios. The results underline the great opportunity for consumers to tackle climate change whilst obtaining relevant economic profits. The study can be replicated on a global scale.
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| 20 |
ID:
103355
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| Publication |
2011.
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| Summary/Abstract |
In 2009, the photovoltaic (PV) industry expanded greatly in China. Developing PV technology is both necessary and urgent, as China is a large country, which consumes huge amounts of energy. In addition, because China has a natural advantage of excellent solar resources, its government has provided significant support in this field. In order to motivate the PV industry, the Ministries of Finance and Construction established coordinated policies to offer financial inducements. The government will implement the Jintaiyang project in the near future: 15 billion US dollars will be invested and 294 demonstration projects will be built. The developing Chinese PV market holds great promise. The aim of this paper is to analyze the present status of the Chinese PV market, discuss the opportunities available, and the potential challenges anticipated in the developing process including some engineering roadblocks encountered in the PV system, and to outline possible future scenarios in this field.
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