Performance and economic evaluation of the first grid-connected installation in Colombia, over 4 years of continuous operation

Abstract

In January 2004, the Photovoltaic System Laboratory of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia installed the first grid-connected system in the country. A sophisticated monitoring system was implemented for measuring and analysing the performance and power quality of the building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) system. The meteorological and solar radiation data at the site of installation were also analysed for correlation with system performance. On the basis of 4-year monitoring results, the performance of the BIPV system was analysed from a component perspective (photovoltaic array and power conditioning unit) and global perspective (system efficiency, electrical energy, power quality, etc.). Energy analysis and economic evaluation revealed that, to get a trade-off between energy and economic viability, the BIPV system installations must be heavily subsidized.