No abstract

Many countries introduced subsidy schemes that were successful in incentivising investments into residential solar PV. The resulting growth of the global PV market was accompanied by cost reductions for PV systems, reductions of PV subsidies and, often, increasing electricity retail prices. Along with decreasing costs for battery storages, these developments made self-consumption and self-sufficiency continuously more attractive. However, the profitability of PV-storage systems depends on many factors, including technological, political and geographical aspects. We present a simulation model to identify the most profitable sizes of PV and storage systems from a household perspective and explore what drives the profitability of self-consumption and self-sufficiency. We compare and contrast Germany and Ireland to account for regulatory and geographical differences. Our results show that PV-storage systems are generally profitable in Germany and that, after minor technology cost reductions, this result holds even in the absence of subsidies. In Ireland, such systems are not yet profitable but this may change soon with expected technology costs reductions. The share of electricity demand that will be required from the grid may be reduced to 25-35%. Implications for the electricity retail business and policy makers are discussed including distributional concerns and system efficiency considerations.

No abstract

No abstract

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to elaborate a multi-criteria methodology for the performance assessment of energy supply technologies, which also takes into account the dynamics of technological change. Design/methodology/approach -The approach chosen is based on the multi-criteria outranking methodology Preference Ranking Organisation METHod for Enrichment Evaluations (PROMETHEE), which is linked to the concept of technology's life cycle by assigning criteria weights depending on the actual development phase of a certain technology. The modifications to the PROMETHEE algorithm are described and the modified methodology is demonstrated by evaluating heat and power supply alternatives for a municipal area in Germany. Findings - The methodology is suitable for the evaluation of energy technologies taking into account varying preferences depending on their stage of maturity. It is a feasible alternative to other methodologies which allow for interconnections like the analytic network process. The results show that, based on a multi-criteria life cycle approach, renewable energy technologies are competitive with conventional alternatives for supplying heat and power. Practical implications - Appropriate methods are required to elicit life cycle-dependent preferences. Decision support should help decision makers (DMs) to articulate preferences according to different development phases and illustrate the results in the most meaningful way. Originality/value - The methodology provides the basis for a comprehensive analysis of energy technologies at different life cycle stages. It can be used to support decision making in different situations and by various actors