Evaluating the Techno-Economic Effect of Pricing and Consumption Parameters on the Power-to-Energy Ratio for Sizing Photovoltaic-Battery Systems: An Assessment of Prosumers in the Mediterranean Area

Abstract

The momentous deployment of photovoltaic (PV) installations in modern times converted schemes utilised to support behind-the-meter systems to compensation mechanisms promoting self-consumption for all prosumer types. Moreover, their incorporation with battery storage systems (BSS) is expected to remove technical counter effects and assist in more self-sufficient prosumer sites. As electricity prices are continuously rising, negatively impacting consumers, we intend for this study to serve as a guideline for residential PV-BSS sizing. Additionally, its objective is to provide an operational and economic evaluation of PV-BSS by considering relevant schemes and concentrating on the most effective parameters. This study contributes to the literature with a holistic methodology for sizing and techno-economically evaluating residential systems in the Mediterranean area that is replicable for any state or consumption class. Simulations addressing PV-BSS performance were exploited with the use of real (high-resolution) data, estimating particular sizing, operational, and techno-economic indicators during the entire system lifetime within the framework of a techno-economic analysis. The simulations calculated the initial expenditure, the yearly revenues from the PV-BSS operation, and the corresponding expenses, contrasting them on a year-to-year basis. The results demonstrate that for the five countries addressed as case studies, PV-BSS sizing is significantly impacted by the supporting scheme regarding maximum financial gains. A likeness amid the ideal power-to-energy ratio (PER) indicator of every addressed state for the examined parameters (electricity price and consumption class) was demonstrated for the full self-consumption scheme, whereas for net billing, intercountry discrepancies and generally higher optimal PER values were observed. Finally, an increase in electricity prices or consumption generally decreases optimal PER; therefore, a recommendation is provided for the avoidance of inessential expenditures in surplus system component sizes.