Achieving Sustainability in the Academic Institutes of Pakistan: A Techno-economic Analysis of 40 kWp Rooftop Photovoltaic Grid-tied System at University of Agriculture, Faisalabad

Abstract

With the depletion of natural energy resources, the installation of a Photovoltaic (PV) system is the most well-known and implementable technique of sustainable power generation. Integration of PV in the energy system tends to improve the energy mix while catering for the demand and supply gap. The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG-7) of the United Nations focuses on achieving affordable and clean energy via the integration of Renewable Energy (RE) sources. The academic institutes form a major load centers for the consumption of electrical energy. These institutes are rigorously working to achieve the SDG-7 by offsetting the conventional thermal energy generation by RE generation. This study conducted focuses on the design, performance and economic analysis of a 40kWp grid-tied PV system installed on the rooftop of ICT building in the vicinity of the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. The system is simulated on the PVGIS (Photovoltaic Geographical Information System) tool by European Union. The grid-tied system is connected in a ring-main system which enables other departments to utilize surplus energy production. The installed system is analyzed for the span of six months from March 2020 to August 2020. The simulation and actual results are compared to evaluate the performance ratio of the system. The installed system is validated on-site for performance using string analyzers and thermal imagers. This integration of renewable energy in the University will help reduce the overall annual energy bill of the university. The economic analysis reveals an average energy cost of 3.125 Rs/kWh from the system. During the study span, the system is estimated to save over 19.34 tons of CO<inf>2</inf>. In addition to this, the net present value (NPV) calculated is positive which depicts the feasibility of the installed system. The internal rate of return (IRR) is found to be 19.25% with the breakeven point reaching just after 3.05 years i.e., in the year 2023. This RE integration complies directly with the sub goal 7.2 of the SDG 7 and sets a way forward for the future implementation of SDGs in academic institutes.