Integrated analysis of photovoltaic system externalities in Brazil: public health expenditures, energy quality, architectural aspects and real estate value

Pedro Henrique Gonçalves Rigueira Pinheiro Castro,Olga Moraes Toledo,Delly Oliveira Filho,Joyce Correna Carlo,Antônia Sônia Alves Cardoso Diniz

doi:10.1051/rees/2022002

Abstract

Photovoltaic solar energy systems is a renewable source that has raised great worldwide interest in recent decades. However, in Brazil still, the cost of photovoltaic (PV) systems is still high, and the current public policies are incipient. From 2014 to 2019, an average growth of 203% per year was observed in the installed PV power systems in Brazil. Such performance can also be justified by a greater understanding of externalities, i.e., external positive and negative impacts inherent to the generation of electric energy. The objective is to understand the economic effects of photovoltaic externalities from different perspectives. The following externalities were studied: air pollution; energy quality; construction element; thermal load and real estate valuation, and all of them were analyzed for the Brazilian scenario. The results indicated that the externality of air pollution, which has impacts on health, estimated from the society perspective, could be worth, at least, 4.12% of the price of the energy generated by PV systems. The losses avoided and the voltage profile, energy quality parameters, may account to 12.61% of the electricity price for utilities, and from the consumer perspective, the externality real estate value may be around 79.44% of the price of the electricity generated by photovoltaic systems. The results of this study indicate that the externalities were, for the most part, positive for PV electric energy generating systems. Thus, considering externalities, it is intended to further understand their relationship with the expansion of the distributed generation of electric energy with PV systems in Brazil.

Highlights

The motivation for carrying out this work is the need for greater understanding of the external factors arising from the installation of photovoltaic systems in Brazil
Considering that the energy generated by PV systems can assume the same price, the value of the externalities of these systems was calculated based on the energy price, i.e., the value of each externality was calculated as a percent of the MWh price of the Brazilian market
3 Results and discussion In Brazil, the externalities and their sub-externalities addressed in this research for PV systems were valued considering the electricity price used in the calculations, including the taxes, i.e., an average energy rate of 178.52 US$ / MWh in 2018 [40]

Summary

Introduction

The motivation for carrying out this work is the need for greater understanding of the external factors arising from the installation of photovoltaic systems in Brazil. Understanding and mainly quantifying these externalities is of great relevance because it allows to understand the real economic potential and understand the great expansion of this technology in Brazil and mainly to stimulate growth, given that the quantified external impacts were mostly positive. Population growth, combined with technological development, has increased the worldwide consumption of electricity. In such a scenario, meeting energy demand through non-renewable sources is a non-priority, in view of the increasing concern with environmental issues, especially the search for sustainable development [1]. The Brazilian electric matrix, despite being predominantly renewable, presented, from 2008 to 2017, a 45.7% growth in the non-renewable energy sources [2]

Methods

Results

Conclusion