Feasibility study and prospects for solar rooftop system of residential buildings : A Milan case study

Abstract

Photovoltaic (PV) energy has recently received a lot of interest around the world. It is the least expensive energy source that can be utilized to supplement the energy provided by fossil fuels. In 2019, the European Union (EU) unveiled the European Green Deal, which aims to achieve carbon neutrality. (Filipović et al., 2020) The PV solar energy business has reached technological maturity and can contribute to meeting these climate goals. Rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems have the potential to significantly contribute to renewable energy production while also lowering home energy expenses. This project aims to design a techno-economically optimized solar energy system for a building in Milan, while assessing its feasibility and its economic prospects by analyzing market trends. Extended methods were used to design the systems and to obtain the final assessment. The first step was to define and configurate the possible systems on two different software for the solar and the PV system, respectively Polysun® and SAM® (System Advisor Model). Subsequently, the sensitivity analysis has been conducted to optimize the designs. Finally, the relevant KPIs has been compared to choose the most suitable configuration. This research demonstrates the current efficiency and profitability of residential renewable energy sources by developing optimized designs for a building in Milan, Italy, whereas also prospecting its benefit in year 2030 according to the market trends and prospects