Approach to measure the potential for electricity consumer adoption of photovoltaic technology from the perspective of distribution system operators: A mobile application

Abstract

The electricity sector is undergoing an epochal transformation from the bulk grid to the distributed generation and storage model, and photovoltaics is one of the leading technologies used in this transformation worldwide. In several countries, laws that permit electricity consumers to connect generation systems to the distribution grid were published, such as Law 14,300, January 6, 2022, in Brazil. The decision-making process on adopting photovoltaic technology is vulnerable to the influences of individual heterogeneity and complex interactions, as it involves high initial investment costs and a lack of information. Besides, Distribution System Operators are key actors in photovoltaic acceptance, but they suffer from low predictability and planning capacity, which can accelerate or decelerate the technology diffusion. So, understanding the photovoltaic consumer adoption in a concession area can be a competitive advantage for these distribution companies and their consumers, we developed a model that aims to measure the potential of a electricity consumers to adhere to photovoltaic technology by distributed generation, implemented in a mobile application. The methodological approach for measurement modeling covers the Key Performance Indicators and Multicriteria Decision Analysis based on the Best-Worst Method. We applied the model with 20 specialists and 29 electricity consumers. Nine consumers achieved a global migration potential index above 90%, judged as "very high potential". We identified that the main concerns of consumers when migrating to distributed photovoltaic generation are generation capacity, electricity cost, photovoltaic system cost, and financial capacity. Our model contributes to reflection and learning, and the mobile application simplifies consumers’ use.