Factors for Measuring Photovoltaic Adoption from the Perspective of Operators

Felipe Moraes do Nascimento, Julio Cezar Mairesse Siluk, Fernando de Souza Savian, Taís Bisognin Garlet, José Renes Pinheiro and Carlos Ramos
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Felipe Moraes do Nascimento: Department of Production and Systems, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), 97105-900 Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Julio Cezar Mairesse Siluk: Department of Production and Systems, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), 97105-900 Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Fernando de Souza Savian: Department of Production and Systems, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), 97105-900 Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Taís Bisognin Garlet: Department of Production and Transport Engineering, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), 90035-190 Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
José Renes Pinheiro: Department of Processing in Electrical Energy, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computing, Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM) and Federal University of Bahia (UFBA), 40210-630 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Carlos Ramos: Department of Informatics, Institute of Engineering, Polytechnic of Porto (ISEP/IPP), 4249-015 Porto, Portugal

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 8, 1-29

Abstract: The diffusion of photovoltaic distributed generation is relevant for addressing the political, economic, and environmental issues in the electricity sector. However, the proliferation of distributed generation brings new administrative and operational challenges for the sustainability of electric power utilities. Electricity distributors operate in economies of scale, and the high photovoltaic penetration means that these companies have economic and financial impacts, in addition to influencing the migration of other consumers. Thus, this paper aims to systematically identify and evaluate critical factors and indicators that may influence electricity distributors in predicting their consumers’ adoption of photovoltaic technology, which were subjected to the analysis of 20 industry experts. Results show that the cost of electricity, generation capacity, and cost of the photovoltaic systems are the most relevant indicators, and it is possible to measure a considerable part of them using the internal data of the electricity distributors. The study contributes to the understanding of the critical factors for the forecast of the adoption of consumers to distributed photovoltaic generation, to assist the distribution network operators in the decision making, and the distribution sustainability. Also, it establishes the theoretical, political, and practical implications for the Brazilian scenario and developing countries.

Keywords: distributed generation; photovoltaic energy; photovoltaic adoption; distribution system operators; distribution sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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