An Adaptive Staggered Investment Strategy for promotion of residential rooftop solar PV installations in India

Abstract

Rooftop solar PV in India has seen good progress in the Commercial and industrial sectors, but the progress in the domestic sector is relatively slow due to the high initial installation cost. Thus, there arises the need for good market models for Rooftop Solar (RTS) implementation. This paper conducts a comparative study of workable RTS market models by employing the discounted cash flow method, as per the recent regulatory guidelines. Market models are formulated and tested for a typical residential high-rise apartment complex in India comprising 15 storied buildings with a combined maximum demand of 180kVA. The results suggest that the centralized community RTS model of 80kWp capacity with upfront financing is suitable when compared to the decentralized individual model, as it has the lowest levelized cost of 3.39 ₹/kWh and a payback period of 5.5 years. With the federal subsidy, the prosumer levelized cost reduces to 2.06 ₹/kWh with a payback period of 3.3 years. Thus grid parity is achieved for all tariff tier rates. With adaptive staggering strategy, this scheme is validated to be more attractive for the urban residential microgrids, as the solar installation of 80kWp and its cost can be staggered and even reduced over the planning period. Hence capital installation and operation costs can be distributed over the stipulated time interval. The study result gives RTS stakeholders insight into selecting the most cost-effective market model to suit their requirements. Financial analysis of the proposed models provides input to the customers, developers, and policymakers to assess the financial merit of adopting the suitable business model for RTS development. The proposed analysis can be replicated for high-rise residential buildings, especially in cities with high electricity tariffs. With time, a decrease in solar PV installation price and an increase in grid price are expected; hence, the overall investment cost gets reduced and staggered.

Ten years of sustainable energy planning and management

“…Ten Years of Sustainable Energy Planning and Management on residential PV systems [47] and Narula on energy security [48].…”

The Optimization of Power Generation Mix To Achieve Net Zero Emission Pathway in Indonesia Without Specific Time Target

“…The European Union (EU) plans to implement Photovoltaic (PV) and reduce GHG emissions by 55% by 2030 [8] Based on this study, PV is considered the main NRE generator in Indonesia to replace CSPP, which is currently the dominant source of base load energy. In Indonesia, photovoltaic (PV) technology has been recognized for an extensive duration, and presently, it has also integrated Rooftop PV systems in several areas, particularly for clients with electricity consumption ranging from 1,300 VA to 6,600 VA [9], with competitive Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) [10]. France and Sweden are currently using nuclear power plants to meet their electricity baseload needs and plan to achieve NZE targets in 2045 and 2050, respectively [11].…”

Sustainable Energy Planning and Management Vol 37

“…Kumar et al [25] investigate the prospects of rooftop solar installations in India with a focus on the residential sector, finding financial feasibility. Previous work in this journal in India has presented analyses on hydropower [26] and energy efficiency [27].…”