This paper investigates a grid-connected rooftop home-based building attached photovoltaic (BAPV) system in Shanghai, China. A photovoltaic (PV) system has good economic and environmental benefits. In this study, the net present value and the payback period (PP) are adapted to determine the system profitability based on 3 years' measured data of the 3 kW BAPV system. Additionally, the indicators of the energy payback time, the energy return on investment, the greenhouse gas per kilowatt hour, the greenhouse-gas payback time and the greenhouse gas return on investment are applied to assess its sustainability by using life-cycle assessment. Meanwhile, this paper analyzes the comprehensive benefits under the impact of dust. Particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) has an adverse impact on PV systems. This paper presents a study explaining the impact of PM2.5 on the performance of PV panels in the same humidity season. Economic damage from PM2.5 should not be ignored. Three economic models under the condition of haze are presented.
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