Financial Viability of a Photovoltaic System: The Case of University Hospital at the UFSCar/Brazil

Abstract

Considering the negative consequences of the excessive use of nonrenewable energy resources and the continuous development of technologies related to photovoltaic solar energy, the present paper aims to analyze if the photovoltaic energy systems are economically viable for university hospitals. For this, a photovoltaic system was designed in the parking lot of the University Hospital of the Federal University of Sao Carlos (UFSCar) and analyzed the financial viability of its installation. This paper develops a bibliographic review of the literature on Photovoltaic Energy and University Hospitals, describes the methods used for this type of analysis and measures, from the cash flow of the work, its financial viability. From the analyzes, it was verified that the work is financially viable, with an expected generation of 194.2 MWh in the first year and a payback of 7 years. This paper contributes to the feasibility of photovoltaic projects in university hospitals, which can contribute to the reduction of the electric energy consumption in the establishment, leading to the reduction of its operational costs, reduction of the emission of pollution and diversification of the Brazilian energy matrix. In addition, the results of this paper can be used as a scientific basis for other fields, such as hospitals and clinics, both public and private.