Electricity Revenue Research Articles

Machine-learning techniques for enhancing electricity theft detection considering transformer reliability and supply interruptions

Machine-learning techniques are extensively used in fraud detection and have a huge potential application in electricity theft detection. Electricity theft occurs when consumers manipulate their electricity consumption to be recorded as lower than the actual, resulting in reduced revenue for the electricity supplier. This study explores the application of advanced machine-learning techniques to detect electricity theft, focusing on the impact on supply of electricity to electricity usage pattern. We used a dataset that contains supply interruptions influenced by transformer reliability to construct a robust detection model. This model integrates data analytic techniques from decision trees, support vector machines, k-nearest neighbors, and logistic regression classifiers. After selecting the optimal classifier, we used aggregated parameters to improve theft-detection accuracy. A comprehensive sensitivity analysis was used to evaluate the effects of variations in transformer reliability factors on interruption, interruption costs, electricity revenue, and theft-detection performance. Our findings indicate that using optimal aggregated parameters significantly enhances detection accuracy 10.709 percent, 11.435 percent, 4.909 percent, and 2.097 percent from original parameters depend on the number of aggregation in 2-hour, 4-hour, 6-hour, and 12-hour, respectively. The lower transformer reliability leads to increased loss with percentage 66.87 percent, 46.98 percent, 17.22 percent and reduced theft-detection efficiency by 27.32 percent, 19.23 percent, 6.20 percent. depend on reliability factor20 percent, 50 percent, and 80 percent, respectively.

Deep Thermal Power Peak Shaving Compensation Considering Operating Costs and Electricity Revenue

Unlike traditional methods of electricity generation such as thermal power, renewable energy sources like wind power exhibit characteristics of randomness and volatility, leading to unstable power generation. With the continuous increase in grid-connected capacity of renewable energy sources like wind power, the demand for grid peak shaving is on the rise, highlighting the issue of inadequate peak shaving capacity in China’s power system. As a primary source for peak shaving in the country, thermal power units incur significant revenue losses when participating in deep peak shaving, and under the current mechanism, they cannot obtain sufficient compensation for deep peak shaving. In response to these issues, the paper proposes a method for compensating thermal power units for deep peak shaving. Firstly, considering the reduced efficiency of thermal power units during low-load operation, a cost model for the operation of thermal power units is established. Secondly, building upon the existing compensated peak shaving baseline, a method for compensating thermal power units for deep peak shaving is introduced. Finally, using a simulation of a local power grid in Liaoning Province as an example, an analysis of the compensation for thermal power peak shaving and overall profits under the existing mechanism and the proposed mechanism is conducted. The results obtained validate the rationality and effectiveness of the method proposed in the paper, offering insights for the development of a compensation mechanism for thermal power deep peak shaving.

Dynamic performance forecast analysis of MHP-PV/T-IDXSAHP system during heating season

MHP-PV/T is a novel PV/T with phase change heat transfer, uniform flow of working medium and good anti-freeze performance. The excellent year-round performance of MHP-PV/T has been demonstrated in previous studies and is more suitable for winter heating in northern China. In this work, we further combine MHP-PV/T with dual source heat pump to form an experimentally validated indirect expansion-solar assisted heat pump (IDX-SAHP) system and simulates the overall performance of the heating system in winter based on TRNSYS in Lanzhou, China. The component type50b of TRNSYS was modified to make it closer to the actual results of MHP-PV/T. Research shown that the thermal efficiency of MHP-PV/T heat pump system can be maintained well throughout the heating season at the SAHP/ASHP switching temperature is 7 ℃ in winter. The net system energy efficiency ratio (NSEER) during heating season is range from 3.28 to 5.42, which can achieve highly efficient and low cost heating. For this system, the photovoltaic power generation is sufficient to meet the operation of three water pumps. By connecting surplus electricity to the grid, a total of 1806.25 ¥ of electricity revenue can be obtained around the year. The PEUR of the system is 72.26 %, the DPP taking 5.133 years, and the annual CO2 emission reduction is 13486.5 kg. Significant energy, economic, and environmental benefits of the system. This study demonstrates the application prospects of PV/T heat pumps and provides a reference basis for subsequent research on MHP-PV/T heat pump systems in cold regions.

Heat integration, simultaneous structure and parameter optimisation, and techno-economic evaluation of waste heat recovery systems for petrochemical industry

Energy conservation in the petrochemical sector holds the key to its financial viability. The pervasive application of Heat Exchanger Networks (HEN) exemplifies the industry's efforts in heat recovery. Yet, despite its widespread adoption, an alarming quantum of low-grade heat remains squandered, underscoring the potential for augmenting energy savings through more effective utilization of this heat. Recognizing the pivotal role of the synergistic interaction between the process and the heat recovery system in maximizing energy retrieval, an innovative approach is proposed. This methodology initially entailed the development of a process model and an enhanced heat recovery system, the latter embodying the integration of an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) with HEN. Subsequently, a strategic diagnostic was proposed to incorporate these sub-systems into a cohesive, optimisation framework. Following this, an array of energy, exergy, and economic analyses were conducted to appraise the system's performance. The findings suggest a considerable improvement in heat recovery and an amplification in ORC efficiency from a mere 7.64%–11.38%. The enhanced heat recovery further translated into a reduced need for cold utility, thereby minimizing cooler deployment. Given the substantial exergy destruction associated with coolers, their lesser usage bolstered the system's exergy efficiency. Moreover, the optimised ORC manifested in heightened net power generation, consequently elevating electricity revenues. Despite a nominal surge in equipment costs, the aggregate profit witnessed a substantial hike from 165.19 M$/year to 178.79 M$/year. The proposed system substanitally improved thermodynamic and economic performance. This study offers valuable guidance for the design and operation of petrochemical industries, serving as a roadmap to energy conservation and enhanced profitability.

Impact of spatially correlated heterogeneity and boundary on techno-economic performance of CO2-circulated geothermal harvest

Depleted oil/gas reservoirs are excellent candidates to apply CO2 Plume Geothermal (CPG) production, a promising CO2 storage and utilization technique. However, most oil/gas reservoirs are separated into geological blocks by faults, and the impact of boundary conditions and formation heterogeneity on CPG performance is still challenging. This study evaluates a CPG system's optimal configuration with various heterogeneous formations and boundaries. Six CPG scenarios with spatially correlated heterogeneous porosity, permeability, and open/close lateral boundaries are designed and simulated. For each scenario, well space and injection overpressure are sampled in their ranges to generate a suite of CPG models. Net present values (NPV) are calculated from the simulation results and used as the objective function. A meta-model-based optimization framework is developed to find the optimal well space and overpressure to maximize NPV for each scenario. The comparative analyses between the six scenarios find that high heterogeneity variance and long geologic continuity in the flow direction cause an early breakthrough. Long well space can enhance NPV, but no longer if it is larger than the correlation length in the flow direction. CO2 storage and electricity revenues are essential to profit for a closed system, but CO2 storage income is the primary source of profit in an open system.

Proposal and thermo-economic analysis of a novel multi-generation system producing heating, power and clean water under energetically self-sufficient operation

ABSTRACT In this work, by using the energy released during the supercritical water oxidation process (SCWO) as the heat source, a cogeneration system producing heating, power and clean water is proposed. The system is modeled, and the performances under energetically self-sufficient operation are simulated. For the proposed system, parametric sensitivity analysis is first performed. Then the system is evaluated from exergy and economic aspects. The results show that under the given working condition, the proposed system can produce 1832.2 kW of heat and 245.2 kW of power simultaneously. The proposed system is a “heat dominant” system, for a larger part of the energy is utilized as heat, with the thermal efficiency reaching 85.9%. The exergy efficiency of the system reaches 40.1%. The total investment cost is 9053.0 k$. The equipment cost of turbines is 5703.5 k$, which accounts for 60% of the total investment cost. The electricity revenue of the system is 252.21 k$. The heat revenue is 867.94 k$. The clean water revenue is 31.73 k$. The obtained net annual income is 1124.78 k$. The dynamic payback period (DPP) is 12.31 years. While the simple payback period (SPP) is 9.03 years. This study may contribute to provide data support and theoretical basis for using the energy contained in organic wastewater.

Energy, economic and environmental analysis and comparison of the novel Oxy- combustion power systems

Oxy-combustion technologies are clean energy systems with zero emission; they have great potential when considering global warming and climate change. This study presents a detailed thermodynamic analysis in terms of energy, environment, and economy. Consequently, the results obtained for an oxy-combustion power system are presented in comparison with a conventional gas turbine power system. The results are presented as a function of the pressure ratio with regard to net power, input heat, system efficiency, sp ecific fue l consumption, equivalence ratio, fuel-air ratio, capital investment cost, fuel cost, oxygen cost, total cost, electricity revenue, and net profit. In addition, the study calculates the pollutant emissions from non-oxy-combustion systems and investigates the environmental costs. The pressure ratio for maximum net power has been obtained as 20.8 in the conventional gas turbine power system. Similarly, the pressure ratios for maximum net power in oxy-combustion power cycles with 26%, 28%, and 30% oxygen ratios are 23.3, 27.4 and 29.7, respectively. Results from 24% to 30% have been displayed to observe the effect of reactant oxygen in the oxy-combustion power cycles. The optimum c ycle c onditions have been determined by calculating the costs of system components, total revenues, and net profits at pressure ratios of 10, 20, 30 and 40. Finally, the results reveal the pressure ratio should be reduced to minimize the total costs per cycle. For maximum net profit, the pressure ratio in a conventional gas turbine power cycle has been calculated as 15.9; similarly, the pressure ratios in oxy-combustion power cycles with 26%, 28%, and 30% oxygen ratios have been respectively calculated as 12.8, 15.2 and 16.4.

CO2 Plume Geothermal (CPG) Systems for Combined Heat and Power Production: an Evaluation of Various Plant Configurations

CO2 Plume Geothermal (CPG) systems are a promising concept for utilising petrothermal resources in the context of a future carbon capture utilisation and sequestration economy. Petrothermal geothermal energy has a tremendous worldwide potential for decarbonising both the power and heating sectors. This paper investigates three potential CPG configurations for combined heating and power generation (CHP). The present work examines scenarios with reservoir depths of 4 km and 5 km, as well as required district heating system (DHS) supply temperatures of 70°C and 90°C. The results reveal that a two-staged serial CHP concept eventuates in the highest achievable net power output. For a thermosiphon system, the relative net power reduction by the CHP option compared with a sole power generation system is significantly lower than for a pumped system. The net power reduction for pumped systems lies between 62.6% and 22.9%. For a thermosiphon system with a depth of 5 km and a required DHS supply temperature of 70°C, the achievable net power by the most beneficial CHP option is even 9.2% higher than for sole power generation systems. The second law efficiency for the sole power generation concepts are in a range between 33.0% and 43.0%. The second law efficiency can increase up to 63.0% in the case of a CHP application. Thus, the combined heat and power generation can significantly increase the overall second law efficiency of a CPG system. The evaluation of the achievable revenues demonstrates that a CHP application might improve the economic performance of both thermosiphon and pumped CPG systems. However, the minimum heat revenue required for compensating the power reduction increases with higher electricity revenues. In summary, the results of this work provide valuable insights for the potential development of CPG systems for CHP applications and their economic feasibility.

Techno-economic evaluation of solar-driven ceria thermochemical water-splitting for hydrogen production in a fluidized bed reactor

Thermochemical water splitting (TCWS) is an attractive and promising approach for hydrogen fuel production to replace fossil fuels and address climate change. The novel approach used in this study is the indirect irradiation of the ceria particle with solar-heated nitrogen in a fluidized bed reactor which improved the ceria thermo-reduction and increased hydrogen yield. The TCWS plant featured additional units for oxygen co-production, and excess heat recovery to generate electricity and reduce the saleable hydrogen price. Two fluidized bed reactors for ceria thermo-reduction and oxidation using steam were modelled in Aspen Plus for hydrogen production at a 70% capacity factor. A photovoltaic (PV)-battery module in addition to the solar parabolic dish collector (PDC) was then used to deliver operation-round electricity supply and drive mechanical and control systems, reducing overall plant energy cost. Three minimum selling prices of hydrogen were considered based on the achievable products of the TCWS plant: (i) pricing based on no co-products, (ii) pricing including oxygen revenue, and (iii) pricing including oxygen and electricity revenue. The TCWS plant achieved a minimum selling price (MSP) of 3.92 USD/kg H2 (including oxygen and electricity revenue) at a 10% discount rate which is the lowest for solar-driven TCWS hydrogen compared with other similar studies. Sensitivity analyses showed that discount rate, steam Rankine cycle, power block, cost of ceria and hydrogen storage, and price of oxygen, respectively, had the highest impact on the MSP of the TCWS hydrogen plant. The switch value analysis (SVA) was used to determine the potential of achieving the global target hydrogen price of 2 USD/kg based on a single parameter assessment. The TCWS plant proposed in this work provides a promising approach toward achieving future hydrogen prices below 2 USD/kg when a lower discount rate of 5% is utilised. It was established that the choice and size of concentrated solar power (CSP) technology integration, co-generation, and heat recovery are critical to the system efficiency and economic viability of a solar-driven TCWS hydrogen production. This work demonstrated the use of ceria as a metal oxide feed suitable for solar TCWS hydrogen production with a promising economic potential for a global target price of less than 2 USD/kg H2 based on the choice of process-CSP configuration.

Capacity configuration and economic evaluation of a power system integrating hydropower, solar, and wind

Determining the economic feasibility and optimal capacity scheme of a hybrid system is the premise of its development. This study proposed a framework for capacity configuration and economic evaluation of the hydro-solar/photovoltaic-wind power system. First, a hydro-solar-wind power system capacity configuration and economic evaluation mathematical model aiming at the maximum net present value was presented. Then, an economic dispatch model of cascade hydropower plants considering flood control level and water supply demand was established, and its target is to maximize the hydropower annual electricity revenues. Finally, the framework was examined by a practical project in China. The results indicated that (1) the hydro-solar-wind power system in Qinghai Province is economically feasible; (2) the hydro-solar-wind complementation leads to the increase of multi-year average water abandonment rate and transmission line utilization hours. Through the regulation of cascade reservoirs, the multi-year average water abandonment rate can be obviously reduced and the hydropower annual electricity revenues can be increased; (3) the hydro-solar-wind power system capacity configuration and economic evaluation model is most sensitive to feed-in tariff, social discount rate, and annual average utilization hours of solar/wind. Thus, this study has important guiding value for the economic development of the hydro-solar-wind power system.

Study on natural lighting and electrical performance of louvered photovoltaic windows in hot summer and cold winter areas

Building integration with photovoltaics has received more and more attention in the development of green buildings. But traditional photovoltaic windows cannot make monthly adjustments to changes in solar altitude and weather. This paper proposes a new type of photovoltaic shutter system, the inclination angle and spacing of which can be adjusted according to the solar altitude angle and weather in different months. In order to better study the natural lighting quality and photoelectric conversion characteristics, this paper builds an experimental test platform for louvered photovoltaic windows. The final results of Illuminance of experiment and simulation are consistent. Furthermore, a new daylighting index is innovatively proposed, which compared to the general annual statistical indicators that are not precise enough. Combined with the typical weather in the area with hot summer and cold winter, the monthly angle and spacing regulation strategy is optimized. The research results show that compared with the change of the inclination angle, the change of the spacing makes the change of indoor lighting and electricity revenue more obvious. The months before and after June are the months with the lowest electric energy and the best indoor lighting quality of louvered photovoltaic windows. Its electricity revenue is between 9.18 and 22.46 kWh, and the proportion of indoor space that meets the 450–2000 lx illuminance range and the daylighting time exceeds 50% is about 85%. The months with higher electricity revenues are around March and October, with revenues ranging from 14.11 to 53.04 kWh.

A feasibility study for PV installations in higher education institutions – a case study

ABSTRACT Connecticut (CT) stands among the top five states for its high electric rates due to limitation in transmission facilities and storage of natural gas. Photovoltaic systems are a growing alternative energy source that reduces the electricity demand and hence higher education institutions should start implementing these technologies to reduce the burden of paying more for electricity bills. The primary objective of the study was to analyze the economic feasibility of solar photovoltaic systems (PV) in higher education institutions in CT. To perform the objective, several economic parameters were calculated and the annual electricity revenue for the University of New Haven was determined and applied to the entire state of Connecticut. The study was expanded to other states in the U.S. by normalizing the available roof area, electricity rate, and solar index by each state. The total electricity generation for various regions by normalization was estimated to be about $651.2 Million annually. With the normalization ratio obtained, one can identify the total power generation in other regions of the U.S. beforehand while considering installation of PV systems. Results from the study regarding the total revenue reveal that the Southwestern and Western regions of the U.S have more solar power generation capacity due to high solar radiation. A life cycle analysis for solar panel was performed at the end to determine how beneficial it is to adopt solar PV in the long run. Considering the recycling of solar PV at the end of its life, additional 4.33% of the total revenue will be expected as benefit, which is quite significant for sustainable option to invest. This reveals that the solar PV is one of significant energy sources and cost saving factors.

Benefit evaluation and mechanism design of pumped storage plants under the background of power market reform - A case study of China

Pumped storage plant can help promote the low-carbon transformation of China's power system because of its fast response and energy time shift. Based on the pumped storage electricity price mechanism and conforming to the construction law of China's spot power market, this paper established a life cycle benefit evaluation model of pumped storage plant through different market stages, and the evaluation results can provide decision-making reference for investors and national policy makers. Through the life cycle simulation of the pumped storage plant, it is found that the capacity price approved by the government has a downward trend and tends to be stable, and the capacity electricity revenue shows a “U" change trend. The results show that the electricity price connection mechanism designed in this paper can make the pumped storage plant recover costs and obtain reasonable income in the electricity market. When the market mechanism is not perfect, gradually reducing the proportion of the approved capacity price covering the capacity of pumped storage plants will improve the economic benefits of pumped storage plant and help the pumped storage plant to smoothly convert to the status of an independent market subject.

Experimental and simulation study on bifacial photovoltaic modules integration with buildings

Compared with monofacial photovoltaic, bifacial photovoltaic modules can ab-sorb the irradiance on both sides, thereby obtaining more electricity revenue, which can meet more demands. In order to further improve the electrical efficiency of bifacial photovoltaic, this paper proposes a bifacial photovoltaic module with adjustable inclination for simulation and experimental research, which can be well combined with architecture. Under the conditions of different inclination, orientations and heights, the output performance of the bifacial photovoltaic module is analyzed. Under the best inclination, the annual electrical energy of bifacial photovoltaic is about 9.4% higher than that of monofacial photovoltaic. When the spacing between the bifacial photovoltaic and the wall is 1-1.5 times the size of the photovoltaic, the electrical energy will increase the most. Considering the influence of wall color on bifacial photovoltaic performance, the photovoltaic electrical energy under the white wall can reach up to 35% higher than that with respect to the concrete color (dark grey).

Ready-to-implement low-carbon retrofit of coal-fired power plants in China: Optimal scenarios selection based on sludge and photovoltaic utilization

Currently the flexible demand for high proportion penetration of renewable energy depends on coal-fired units (CFUs), and the large-scale phase-out of CFUs in a short time is not realistic in China. Due to urban expansion, approximately 458 Chinese coal-fired power plants (CFPPs) are now located in cities. Limited by space, urban CFUs face difficulty in becoming equipped with carbon capture and storage systems. This presents a sizeable challenge for the low-carbon transition of urban CFPPs and carbon neutral processes. Here, we present a ready-to-implement method to reduce the carbon emission of CFPPs in limited space: roof photovoltaic-assisted power generation combined with sludge co-combustion for coal-fired power generation systems (PVSCs). We also consider nonurban CFPPs with the method of roof photovoltaic-assisted power generation (PVs) only. Based on remaining life cycle analysis, we find that the PVSCs could save 28.47 Mt of coal, reduce CO2 emissions by 69.76 Mt, treat 125.70 Mt of sludge, and also generate 12.08 billion RMB worth of electricity revenue per year. In addition, our scenario analysis shows that PVSCs are more profitable when choosing an urban CFU with a remaining life of more than 12 years and while the sludge treatment subsidy is set at 100 RMB t−1. Under strict and lenient CFU decommissioning policies, CFUs with a remaining life of between 19 and 30 years and between 13 and 24 years should be selected for PVs, respectively. Thus, we conclude that PVSCs can not only generate economic benefits but also facilitate carbon reduction and solid waste treatment.

Effect of ultrasonication on waste activated sludge rheological properties and process economics

The present study provides an overall view of the effect of the ultrasound treatment on waste activated sludge (WAS) rheological and dewatering properties as well as its impact on the economic balance of a theoretical wastewater treatment plant. The results showed that ultrasonication at 27,000 kJ/kg TS increased the soluble protein concentration (> 100%), bound water content (∼25%), and capillary suction time (> 100%) of WAS. The molecular weight distribution of the extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) revealed that the ultrasound treatment solubilised a portion of the peptides and low-molecular-weight proteins. The thixotropic behaviour of the WAS was analysed by means of a rheological structural model that defines the time evolution of a structural parameter as a function of kinetic coefficients for the breakdown and build-up processes. The ultrasound treatment reduced the kinetic coefficients for the breakdown process and changed the fast speed of alignment of flocs because of the reduction of WAS structures. Similarly, the creep tests revealed that the ultrasound treatment at 27,000 kJ/kg TS reduced the initial elasticity (∼80%) and the zero-shear rate viscosity (∼60%), which means that the internal structure of the WAS loosened and disrupted. Finally, a techno-economic analysis showed that ultrasonication was not yet economically favourable since its implementation increased 14% the net cost for WAS treatment and disposal. However, a sensitivity analysis illustrated that increasing electricity revenue and reducing biosolids disposal costs through improvement in WAS biodegradability is important to make ultrasound implementation economically attractive.

Economic determinants on the implementation of a Eucalyptus wood biorefinery producing biofuels, energy and high added-value compounds

The economic impact of different potentially scalable process improvements was here assessed for the first time in the specific context of a Eucalyptus wood biorefinery producing biofuels, high-value chemicals and energy. The base case scenario referring to bioethanol as the only product was clearly unviable, which mostly resulted from the high cost of cellulases and heat transfer utilities and the moderate final ethanol titers. By supplementing cheese whey to eucalyptus wood hydrolysis, ethanol production increased 51% leading to a notable improvement on the NPV, from −14.4 to −3.4 M$. Similarly, when an additional section was included for the recovery of XOS present in the autohydrolysis liquor, the operating costs raised 36% but annual revenues increased around 5 M$, resulting in a very solid NPV of 18.9 M$. Internally burning the final stillage led to savings of 98% on low-pressure steam consumption and an additional electricity revenue, both contributing to a more economic scenario. One final scenario consisted on the simultaneous integration of all process variations, referring to a complex facility producing not only ethanol but also XOS and energy. This integrated process provided the best economic output, which was translated on a noticeable reduction of the minimum ethanol selling price from 4.88 $/gal (Base case) to 0.76 $/gal, and thus confirming the critical role of adopting biorefinery schemes for an economic utilization of lignocellulosic materials.

Co-digestion of sewage sludge and food waste in a wastewater treatment plant based on mainstream anaerobic membrane bioreactor technology: A techno-economic evaluation

The implementation of anaerobic membrane bioreactor as mainstream technology would reduce the load of sidestream anaerobic digesters. This research evaluated the techno-economic implications of co-digesting sewage sludge and food waste in such wastewater treatment plants to optimise the usage of the sludge line infrastructure. Three organic loading rates (1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 kg VS m−3 d−1) and different strategies to manage the additional nutrients backload were considered. Results showed that the higher electricity revenue from co-digesting food waste offsets the additional costs of food waste acceptance infrastructure and biosolids disposal. However, the higher electricity revenue did not offset the additional costs when the nutrients backload was treated in the sidestream (partial-nitritation/anammox and struvite precipitation). Biosolids disposal was identified as the most important gross cost contributor in all the scenarios. Finally, a sensitivity analysis showed that food waste gate fee had a noticeable influence on co-digestion economic feasibility.

Mitigating poverty through solar panels adoption in developing economies

AbstractMotivated by a widely practiced strategy to combine the growth of the solar energy sector with poverty mitigation, we propose stylized models of households selling extra solar energy back to the grid, which generates a steady stream of income to overcome adoption barriers for solar panels, that is, high adoption cost and generation variability. By considering households' strategic consumption shifting behavior in response to varying intertemporal market electricity prices, we have presented the equilibrium adoption number and households' equilibrium profit. We have also demonstrated the government's optimal subsidy to reach a socially optimal adoption level. Furthermore, we investigate the popular Public Private Partnership (PPP) model in developing countries to promote the investment of solar panels. Under the PPP program, the private firms share both upfront cost and electricity revenue with households, while the government may provide subsidy to further encourage adoption. Despite the popularity of the PPP scheme, our model documents an unexpected negative implication by inducing a lower overall adoption level than the traditional scheme: As the PPP scheme relieves budgetary burden of households in adopting solar panels (infrastructure cost), anticipating the long‐term revenue loss, they are less likely to participate in the first place. However, combined with the government intervention via adoption subsidy, the PPP scheme can lead to a win‐win solution for all.

Investigating Fourteen Countries to Maximum the Economy Benefit by Using Offline Reconfiguration for Medium Scale PV Array Arrangements

Over the past few years, electricity demand has been on the rise. This has resulted in renewable energy resources being used rapidly, considering the shortage as well as the environmental impacts of fossil fuel. A renewable energy source that has become increasingly popular is photovoltaic (PV) energy as it is environmentally friendly. Installing PV modules, however, has to ensure harsh environments including temperature, dust, birds drop, hotspot, and storm. Thus, the phenomena of the non-uniform aging of PV modules has become unavoidable, negatively affecting the performance of PV plants, particularly during the middle and latter duration of their service life. The idea here is to decrease the capital of maintenance and operation costs involved in medium- and large-scale PV power plants and improving the power efficiency. Hence, the present paper generated an offline PV module reconfiguration strategy considering the non-uniform aging PV array to ensure that this effect is mitigated and does not need extra sensors. To enhance the economic benefit, the offline reconfiguration takes into account labor cost and electricity price. This paper proposes a gene evolution algorithm (GEA) for determining the highest economic benefit. The proposed algorithm was verified using MATLAB software-based modeling and simulations to investigate fourteen countries to maximize the economic benefit that employed a representative 18-kW and 43-kW output and the power of 10 × 10 PV arrays in connection as a testing benchmark and considered the electricity price and workforce cost. According to the results, enhanced power output can be generated from a non-uniformly aged PV array of any size, and offers the minimum swapping/replacing times to maximize the output power and improve the electric revenue by reducing the maintenance costs.