The installation of residential photovoltaic systems: Impact of energy consumption behaviour

Abstract

Numerous electricity consumers tend to start consuming energy excessively after installing a photovoltaic system. In Jordan, almost all residential PV systems are grid connected and operate by net-metering agreements. Therefore, an increase in consumption after the installation of PV systems can result in a huge overload on the national electric grid. The challenge this presents is to find a specific level of comfort that will also protect the environment by saving energy. This paper examines the effects of residential photovoltaic systems on energy consumption and determines whether an increase or decrease occurs after installing these systems. This research was conducted to tackle the excessive energy consumption that occasionally occurs after installing renewable energy systems, especially in the residential sector in Jordan, and ascertains whether a pattern exists in the increase or decrease. Local energy consumption data within the period between 2016 and 2020 for 150 households in the governorates: Irbid, Ajloun, Al-Mafraq, and Jerash, as well as the municipality of Ar-Ramtha, were sampled after installing residential photovoltaic systems. Several attempts to correlate the results with key factors are also presented, the purpose of which is to limit some of these to reduce energy consumption after installing residential photovoltaic systems. The results indicate that 88% of households experienced a uniform increase in energy consumption after installing residential photovoltaic systems across the four governorates and the municipality. An average 41% increase in energy consumption was found with results varying across all studied areas but all exhibiting an overall incremental increase. Furthermore, the average share of self-consumed energy out of the total energy generated by PV systems was found to be 27.7% for the studied population, indicating the need of regulatory interactions to alleviate the pressure on the national electric grid, and to ensure the maximum benefits for PV systems’ installers.