Abstract
Photovoltaic (PV) energy and energy efficiency have an increasing role in global energy usage. This paper is a study of building photovoltaic systems (PVS) to modernize existing or developed street lighting systems in Hungarian villages of 900–1200 inhabitants. The objective of this study is to show the economic questions related to the investments in photovoltaic systems and light emitting diode (LED) street lighting developments under Hungarian regulations. With the help of this study, it may be possible to support local governments to use combined photovoltaic energy for street lighting developments. This article presents the Hungarian regulations regarding photovoltaic systems and shows why local governments are not able to connect their street lighting systems to photovoltaic systems. Three different investment alternatives for local governments are studied with the help of economic indicators. Our conclusion is that investments in photovoltaic street lighting systems can be profitable if a street lighting system already exists and requires no modernization. Under the current regulations of Hungary, the examined projects can be viable only to offset the energy costs of street lighting by the delivery price of electricity from the PVS.
Highlights
Regarding an investment lifespan of 20 years, a 37% support intensity is needed for a smart lighting system, and 28% support intensity is needed for a non-smart street lighting system
We can see that the best investment choice is the PV investment without any street lighting development (PVOSLS in the case of an existing old street lighting system, PVNSLS in the case of an existing non-smart street lighting system, or PVSSLS in the case of an existing smart street lighting system)
In the course of the economic calculations, the financial investments needed for PV and/or light emitting diode (LED) street lighting system, and the annual extra yield and financial expenditures under the current regulations in Hungary were examined, in the case of HMKE
Summary
Energy consumption has had an essential role in humanity since the last century, and the constantly growing energy demand of the world is one of mankind’s biggest issues. Electricity from renewable energy sources is supported by a FiT for installations with a capacity of 50–500 kW in Hungary. Subsidy programs promote the use of renewable energy sources in the heating and electricity category. The FiT system comprises three subsystems for support determined by the power plant’s capacity [13] With this regulation, 15 min electricity production forecasts should be made for every single day if the system size is above 50 kW. Policymakers are paying more attention to the energy consumption of urban street lighting This is demonstrated by the increasing commitment of city authorities towards energy efficiency and using green energy for public lighting systems.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
