PV Adoption Research Articles

Let it grow: How community solar policy can increase PV adoption in cities

Decarbonizing urban energy consumption is critical for addressing climate change, yet renewable power installations in cities are rare due to limited space and economic unattractiveness. Community solar, where multiple electricity users share the electricity generated by their rooftop PV systems, could help overcome these barriers and accelerate PV adoption in cities. Using an agent-based model, we simulated the decision-making of nearly 5000 building owners in a city district in Zurich, Switzerland, and assessed three locally relevant policy scenarios: no community solar, community solar with adjacent buildings, and community solar with buildings within a 100-meter radius. The results show that allowing community solar with adjacent buildings increases the installed PV capacity in 2035 by 1%, as greater economies of scale and higher self-consumption make PV adoption more economically attractive. A more permissive policy, allowing community solar with buildings within a 100-meter radius, provides more opportunities to communities to grow over time and results in 21% more PV installed capacity in 2035 than without community solar. These findings demonstrate the potential of community solar to accelerate PV adoption in cities and underscore the significant role of policy design in achieving this goal.

The Effectiveness of Future Financial Benefits on PV Adoption - Evidence from Belgium

The Effectiveness of Future Financial Benefits on PV Adoption - Evidence from Belgium

Sistem Arsitektur Manajemen Bangunan untuk Memaksimalkan Swakonsumsi pada Bangunan Universitas: Studi Kasus

Due to its intermittent nature, significant adoption of solar PV into the grid can decrease grid reliability. One solution to increase it is to increase PV self-consumption with two methods: adding Energy Storage System (ESS) and conducting Demand Side Management (DSM). University building has a distinct characteristic in its complex dynamics. Therefore, there is a lack of research to control both methods of increasing self-consumption. This paper aimed to do an integrated literature review on increasing self-consumption and then propose a system architecture recommendation for university building management based on the review. The Smart Grid Architectural Model (SGAM) evaluated the case study object. The result showed that a data-driven controller has been chosen as the most suitable controller for the university building management system. The data needed to build a data-driven controller could be obtained through readily available sensors in the case study object, making it feasible for implementation.

Sistem Arsitektur Manajemen Bangunan untuk Memaksimalkan Swakonsumsi pada Bangunan Universitas: Studi Kasus

Due to its intermittent nature, significant adoption of solar PV into the grid can decrease grid reliability. One solution to increase it is to increase PV self-consumption with two methods: adding Energy Storage System (ESS) and conducting Demand Side Management (DSM). University building has a distinct characteristic in its complex dynamics. Therefore, there is a lack of research to control both methods of increasing self-consumption. This paper aimed to do an integrated literature review on increasing self-consumption and then propose a system architecture recommendation for university building management based on the review. The Smart Grid Architectural Model (SGAM) evaluated the case study object. The result showed that a data-driven controller has been chosen as the most suitable controller for the university building management system. The data needed to build a data-driven controller could be obtained through readily available sensors in the case study object, making it feasible for implementation.

Circular economy strategies as enablers for solar PV adoption in organizational market segments

While the uptake of solar energy has been a success in recent years, PV panels will cause an increasing waste problem in the coming decades. At the same time, it is important to further stimulate investments in solar energy solutions to reach climate ambitions and the Sustainable Development Goals. In this paper, we investigate when circular economy strategies and business models can enable solar energy investments while mitigating its waste problem. We use focus group data from Flanders (Belgium) to address the demand side of different market segments outside the dominant residential market of homeowners. These markets have in common that they are governed or mediated by organizations and contain business-to-business and business-to-government features. Our results show that organizational solar PV investments are mainly driven by lower energy costs, independence, and secured access to energy, and that the uptake of circular solar solutions mainly depends on a viable business case. In most cases, a lack of market development and organizational boundary conditions limit the enabling potential of circular solar options. Given the current energy crisis and challenges stemming from the electrification of mobility, we recommend policy makers to invest in regulatory frameworks that support the implementation of innovative data technologies that enable both improved circularity outcomes and lower operational expenditures.

Strategic Integration Of Electric Vehicles: An Australian Analysis

This paper presents the challenges and opportunities of strategic electric vehicle (EV) grid integration with a particular focus on its status and outlook in Australia. EVs are a critical part of many countries net zero commitments because electrification is a key piece in the puzzle to decarbonise the transport sector. Approaches are needed to ensure EVs and their charging practices can be incorporated within the electricity grid cost-effectively, while increasing system reliability and stability, supporting transport decarbonisation, and ensuring other societal benefits. Australia is a large country with a relatively small population which poses challenges for both EV charging and electricity distribution infrastructure provision. However, other market characteristics (such as high solar PV adoption among households) and the rapidly decarbonising grid make Australia an useful case study. Especially for how challenges over range, grid integration, and lack of domestic EV production is leading to new innovations that could inform steps towards more rapid EV adoption in other jurisdictions. This paper will discuss the challenges and opportunities of electric vehicle (EV) uptake in Australia based on a national consultation and workshop series involving stakeholders from the energy and transport sectors.

Combined third-party ownership and aggregation business model for the adoption of rooftop solar PV–battery systems: Implications from the case of Miyakojima Island, Japan

Solar photovoltaics with behind-the-meter energy storage systems are gaining recognition as net energy billing replaces feed-in tariffs because they can unlock demand-side flexibility, keep grid stability, and enhance the resilience of end users. However, incumbent grid companies tend to prioritize grid stability and reliability and disregard resilience, which decreases end users’ perceived benefits, intention, and adoption of the systems. The combined third-party ownership–aggregation business model could drive adoption because it can enhance grid stability and reliability, and resilience at the same time. This study explores how the model works to increase the intention and adoption, and what policies and regulations are required to enable the model to mitigate the conflict of interest taking Miyakojima Island in Japan as a case study. The study finds that the model can increase adoption by reducing perceived risks. Policy and regulations, and resistance and inert of incumbent grid companies block the model from effectively working to change the benefit-sharing. Science-based regulations on the use of energy storage systems during power outages, stringent policy implementations of updated renewable energy targets and the 2050 carbon neutrality, and detailed time-of-use pricing can change the benefit-sharing in favor of end users and increase adoption.

Determinants of Rooftop Solar PV adoption among urban households in Ghana

This study sought to help understand renewable energy (RE) technology adoption behaviour in developing economies. It examined the determinants of Grid-Connected Solar PV system adoption among 596 urban households in Ghana, drawn from three cities: Accra, Kumasi, and Tamale. All logistic regression models used in analysing the data were taken to be statistically significant at p < 0.05. Six statistically significant variables were observed: awareness of the existence of a subsidy programme (coefficient = 4.66); household size (coefficient = 0.23); tenancy status (coefficient = 1.35 for landlords; coefficient = 0.83 for rent-free occupants); level of education (coefficient = 1.22 for tertiary education); and electricity expenditure (coefficient = −0.0007). Interacting the statistically significant socio-economic terms also revealed some variations. The results suggest that determinants of household adoption behaviour for Grid-Connected solar PV systems in Ghana vary in associated probabilities. Models to accelerate adoption must thus give different priorities to the diverse socio-economic attributes of households. Further randomised investigations will improve evidence quality for policy and model (re)development towards accelerating solar PV adoption in developing economies.

When individual action requires collective approval: a roadmap for solar power adoption by strata property owners

PurposeThis paper aims to examine a situation in which individual action requires collective approval – solar power adoption in strata properties – and offers a motivation-opportunity-ability theory-based model with which such a situation may be approached.Design/methodology/approachA Delphi methodology was undertaken for this study, with three iterative questionnaires administered online to a panel of strata property, renewable energy and sustainable housing experts.FindingsThe Delphi panel’s insights have informed a new conceptual model, the Strata Solar Champion Roadmap (SSCR), outlining the variables affecting strata-based solar power adoption.Research limitations/implicationsResearchers and practitioners are encouraged to test and enhance the model’s generalisability. Further case studies or quantitative analysis measuring the strength of the relationships identified in the SSCR model is particularly necessary. The SSCR could also be applied when examining other common strata governance disputes.Practical implicationsPolicymakers and social marketers are encouraged to apply the SSCR when planning interventions to facilitate strata scheme solar power adoption. Furthermore, the SSCR offers guidance to strata property owners and strata schemes seeking to adopt solar power, thus increasing renewable energy use in a major sector of the Australian energy market.Originality/valueWithin this context, the SSCR’s conceptualisation of strata-based solar PV adoption provides new insights into individual behaviour change requiring collective approval.

A Contribution to Social Acceptance of PV in an Oil-Rich Country: Reflections on Governmental Organisations in Iran

To examine the social acceptance of renewable energy infrastructures regarding their position in the success of energy transition, attitudes towards these technologies have been increasingly recognised to play an important role. Notably, most of empirical literature has focused on the global northern countries, with bottom-up transition governance structure. In this paper, we study attitudes towards photovoltaics in Iran, as a fossil fuel-rich country of the global south, with a top-down energy transition structure and committed to UNFCCC. We focused on governmental organisations as a key stakeholder group regarding their role in winning public acceptance. Aiming at finding determinants of attitudes towards PV, we conducted 15 qualitative interviews in 10 governmental organisations in Golestan, Guilan and Tehran. Taking an inductive approach to the data, we considered the acceptance and attitude theories as sensitising concepts to investigate common and specific issues in terms of social acceptance in Iran. We find accessing electricity and diversifying electricity resources via PV as the key technical drivers, and the upstream policies as the key political drivers towards PV adoption. Though the weak policies (design and implementation), privileging economic and technical obstacles, do hinder the PV adoption and shape negative attitudes toward it. We realise that the previous literature overlooked the fossil fuel-rich countries and their energy transition governance structure. Our findings imply that better-designed upstream policies with a more enabling policy framework are needed to motivate actions on the governmental organisation level.

Reducing carbon footprint by replacing generators with solar PV systems: a contingent valuation study in Lagos, Nigeria

AbstractNigeria is endowed with abundant sunshine year-round; thus, solar PV would solve the environmental problems associated with petrol-powered generators. However, it is unclear whether households are willing to transition. Thus, we analyze households’ willingness to pay (WTP) for solar PV under four scenarios: (i) WTP when a solar PV is complemented with a generator, (ii) WTP when a solar PV completely displaces a generator, (iii) WTP when a solar PV is complemented with a generator, plus a subsidy, and (iv) WTP when a solar PV completely displaces a generator, given a subsidy. We find that WTP for solar PV is higher when it can displace generators completely. Subsidy plus monthly rather than upfront payment would scale up the adoption of solar PV by about 6 per cent. Furthermore, the cost benefit analysis results show that solar PV investment is profitable. Thus, there is a need to implement policies aimed at scaling up the energy transition.

From passive network to PV urban community microgrids: Finding the optimal size and upgrading cost

Most of electricity interruptions are produced in distribution systems, and one of the solutions to increase levels of reliability in this area are urban microgrids. This work seeks to design urban community microgrids through a stochastic optimization model, finding their PV and storage systems adoption. Investment, operation and value of lost load, for multiple community sizes to study the benefits that community association can bring. Hundreds of urban community microgrids were designed, because energy needs of households differ among them, therefore all designs are different. As more households are grouped in urban community microgrids, investment and operation costs of design per client decrease. However, larger communities mean that the microgrid has more internal network extension (to connect the members of the microgrid), which translates in a higher probability of failure than an individual household, hence there is a trade-off between benefits in investment and operation costs per household and failure rates. For this reason, value of lost load is included and grows as more households are grouped as communities and thus, the optimal number of members of a microgrid can be determined. In this work, microgrids are designed to operate under four different business models, obtaining the less expensive annual costs when the microgrid can use its assets to directly meet the energy needs of a given community. Additional cost of upgrading into an urban community microgrid is found for all community sizes, being optimal for communities of 25 or 50 households depending on the business model and value of lost load. Results show that implementing urban microgrids is feasible at current prices, and for households it would represent an additional cost (above current tariffs) of 11 % on average per year for communities, while 52 % if the microgrid has only one member.

Passive and active peer effects in the spatial diffusion of residential solar panels: A case study of the Las Vegas Valley

This research analyzes the role of peer influences on the adoption of residential rooftop solar photovoltaic panels (PV) within the context of the Diffusion of Innovation Theory. PV literature indicates that adopters are influenced by word of mouth (WOM) information exchange with peers, i.e., active peer effects, while other studies suggest that living near households with visible rooftop PV installations influences adoption, i.e., passive peer effects. We bridge the gap in this literature by conducting a mixed methods analysis. We develop and administer a survey to Las Vegas Valley (LVV) residents to identify current and potential PV adopters' perceptions of peer-effects and consumer intention variables. We conduct a spatial analysis of Google's Project Sunroof data to identify LVV neighborhoods in the later stages of the PV diffusion process, i.e., those with the highest PV adoption rates. Key results show that current PV adopters living in early diffusion areas report significantly higher active and passive peer effects compared to adopters in later diffusion areas. Potential adopters in later diffusion areas report higher passive peer effects than those in early diffusion areas. Overall, because LVV has a low PV adoption rate (<3%), short term strategies aimed at increasing PV adoption should emphasize WOM active peer effects. We caution against long-term green marketing strategies focusing solely on peer-effects as the PV market matures.

How prices guide investment decisions under net purchasing — An empirical analysis on the impact of network tariffs on residential PV

Within the regulation of net purchasing, investment incentives for residential PV depend on the remuneration for grid feed-in and the consumption costs that households can save by self-consumption. Network tariffs constitute a substantial part of these consumption costs. We use postcode-level data for Germany between 2009 and 2017 and exploit the regional heterogeneity of network tariffs to investigate whether they encourage to invest in PV installations and evaluate how the nonlinear tariff structure impacts residential PV adoption. Our results show that network tariffs do impact PV adoption. The effect has increased in recent years when self-consumption has become financially more attractive, and the results confirm the expectation that PV investments are driven by the volumetric tariff. Policy reforms that alter the share between the price components are, thus, likely to affect residential PV adoption. Further, with self-consumption becoming a key incentive, price signals can effectively support the coordination of electricity demand and supply in Germany.

What's driving solar energy adoption in Brazil? Exploring settlement patterns of place and space

The energy transition is forcing power systems to face exceptional transformations, with the rise of the distributed generation systems, and the urge of prosumers. This paper aims to investigate the influence of settlement patterns on residential photovoltaic adoption in Brazil, under a cross-section structure, using the Poisson Pseudo Maximum Likelihood estimator. Other key drivers are also included as control variables in the analysis. I benefit from a rich dataset of economic, social, housing, and environmental variables for 310,120 census sectors. Variables such as rural/urban dummies or population/housing density, used in previous papers to test for association between settlement patterns and residential PV adoption poorly represent the real relationship between these dimensions. The results of this paper ratify a U-shape relationship between urbanization degree and household solar power uptake. Satellite areas in the surroundings of great urban centers are more likely to present households equipped with photovoltaic systems in Brazil. Besides, the number of housing units, average income, solar resource potential, gender, education, ethnicity, age, housing type, and housing size play an important role in the explanation of the dynamics of household photovoltaic adoption. Policy design must take into consideration these effects in order to democratize photovoltaic home uptake.

Policy assistance for adoption of residential solar PV in India: A stakeholder-centric approach for welfare optimization

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the consumer-centric business model for rooftop solar PV installations in India. We explore areas where potential policy interventions may be introduced to improve collective stakeholder benefits and incentivize more domestic consumers to adopt rooftop solar power generation in their premises. The proposed policy framework optimizes Feed-in Tariff (FiT) rates, PV capacities and Average Billing Rates (ABRs) towards maximizing stakeholder benefits. The stakeholders considered are the consumers/prosumers and the utility. Case studies with three residential prosumers of different demand and generation profiles are presented. The models for utility profit and prosumer savings are developed, and a multi-objective problem is formulated with FiT, generation capacity (as a function of demand) and ABR as decision variables. The pareto-optimal front is identified for prosumer and utility benefits and suitable points with reasonable tradeoffs are selected based on sensitivity analysis of the impact on collective welfare. The suitability of prevailing tariff and FiT rates of two Indian utilities namely, MSEDCL and TATA POWER, Delhi are studied, and their impact on prosumer savings and utility profits is brought out. The workflow to fix tariff, FiT and local PV capacities in active residential distribution systems is devised, providing the policymakers an effective decision-making tool.

Modeling and Simulation of the Urban Metabolism of Bogotá

The urban expansion that takes place in developing countries has important impacts on environment. For that reason, it is important to supply household energy needs through renewable energies such as solar PV. Notwithstanding, as the adoption of solar PV panels in households must overcome important barriers different environmental policies are applied around the world, such as feed in tariff and net metering. This paper assesses following scenarios that consider policies to encourage solar PV adoption: a feed in tariff is applied, net metering scheme is applied, none policy is applied. The solar PV adoption is analyzed in terms of installed capacity, adopter households, potential adopter households, solar PV generation, and avoided CO2 emissions. Findings suggest that feed in tariff policy provides the best results to environment, as under this policy the highest levels of CO2 emissions are reached.

Diffusion of Solar PV Energy in the UK: A Comparison of Sectoral Patterns

The paper applies innovation diffusion models to study the adoption process of solar PV energy in the UK from 2010 to 2021 by comparing the trajectories between three main categories, residential, commercial, and utility, in terms of both the number of installations and installed capacity data. The effect of the UK incentives on adoptions by those categories is studied by analyzing the timing, intensity, and persistence of the perturbations on adoption curves. The analysis confirms previous findings on PV adoption, namely the fragile role of the media support to solar PV, the ability of the proposed model to capture both the general trend of adoptions and the effects induced by ad hoc incentives, and the dramatic dependence of solar PV from public incentives. Thanks to the granularity of the data, the results reveal several interesting aspects, related both to differences in adoption patterns depending on the category considered, and to some regularities across categories. A comparison between the models for number of installations and for installed capacity data suggests that the latter (usually more easily available than the former) may be highly informative and, in some cases, may provide a reliable description of true adoption data.

Assessment Cooling of Photovoltaic Modules Using Underground Water

Purpose: The drop in photovoltaic energy conversion efficiency under actual operating conditions because of cell temperature increase is a significant challenge to PV adoption and utilization. In this study, the efficiency and effectiveness of using underground water in cooling and cleaning photovoltaics will be practically ascertained in Baghdad-Iraq. Method: The cooling mechanism utilizes copper pipes in a modified spiral flow configuration. This developed system is referred to as Photovoltaic thermal (PV/T). To study the effect of using underground water wells on the performance of the PV system, two wells were drilled four meters apart to prevent the interference of cold well water and hot water from the heat exchanger. The water is drawn from the first well, with a depth of 8.86 m, and the hot water flowing out of the collector is injected into the ground through the second well, which has a depth of 8.43 m. Results: The outcome reveals that relying on a cooling source with a constant - low temperature (21°C) offers excellent cooling for the PV module, compared to an uncooled PV module, by 6°C at 7:00 AM and increased to reach 22°C at 1:00 PM. This reduction in temperature resulted in an average increase in electrical efficiency by 16.7%. The thermal efficiency ranges from 14% at 7:00 AM to 58% at 2:30 PM. Conclusion: The findings suggest that this approach is energy efficient and effective during the summer season.

Peer Effects on Photovoltaics (Pv) Adoption and its Impact on Air Quality in Poland

Peer Effects on Photovoltaics (Pv) Adoption and its Impact on Air Quality in Poland