Search Results (10)

The transition toward sustainable energy in Arctic and subarctic regions requires innovative approaches that account for both the unique geographical conditions and the economic and policy challenges associated with isolated power systems. This study examines how net energy metering (NEM) and net billing schemes influence distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) adoption and financial performance among utilities in Alaska’s Railbelt. The Railbelt, which supplies power to three-quarters of the state’s population, remains heavily reliant on natural gas and exhibits limited renewable penetration compared to other arctic regions. Using a stochastic risk-based modeling framework with Monte Carlo simulations and the Bass diffusion model, the analysis estimates the 15-year financial impacts of different NEM adoption scenarios on utilities. Results show that while NEM drives PV adoption through higher compensation for exported generation, it also increases potential revenue losses for utilities compared to net billing. Policy innovations like those introduced in Alaska’s House Bill 164 (HB 164), which establishes a reimbursement fund to mitigate utility revenue losses, indicate that regulatory work is being designed to balance distributed generation incentives with economic sustainability. This work provides a baseline for understanding how a policy framework influences both utility and consumer economics in terms of NEM and solar PV adoption in Arctic and subarctic systems. Full article

Solar photovoltaic (PV) net energy metering (NEM) scheme adoption is generally known for its advantages. However, limited research has been conducted on the prosumers’ behaviors, especially in the industrial and commercial sectors. This study is exploratory and explanatory in identifying the variables; therefore, preliminary research was conducted by interviewing 15 firms and collecting 372 usable responses from the cross-sectional survey questionnaires. The conceptual framework consists of antecedents and outcomes of prosumers’ energy-conserving behaviors (PECB). The antecedent consists of theories conceptualized from the extended TOE called STOPE and institutional theory (INT), with energy-saving culture (ESC) as a moderator. Meanwhile, the outcomes include sustainable energy consumption and production (SECP) and provider–consumer relationships (PCR) as moderators. The outcomes of SECP further revealed the significant results of energy-conserving behavior on the economic, environmental, social, governance, and technical aspects of the sustainable outcome of PECB. Additionally, the findings offer a transformative power and valuable knowledge for policymakers, scholars, and stakeholders in the industry that can significantly contribute to realizing sustainable practices. Future research may explore other variable factors, theories, sampling techniques, and larger samples. Also, different analytic approaches were considered and mixed methods were used to investigate the long-term impacts of prosumers’ energy-conserving behavior patterns and overall sustainability. Full article

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the on-farm solar photovoltaic (PV) generation to offset grid electricity consumption on a commercial poultry farm in the US. Hourly electricity production by PV systems was estimated using the System Advisor Model (SAM) of the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) and compared with the estimated electric load demand of a broiler house. We analyzed the economic benefits of installing solar systems of three capacities under net energy metering and net energy billing pricing scenarios. Results suggested that a smaller PV installation of 35 kW_p, while substantially short of meeting energy needs, resulted in an 85% self-consumption ratio, whereas the larger 70 kW_p and 105 kW_p PV systems, led to 59% and 42% self-consumption ratios, respectively. This is important when analyzing pricing schemes as lesser amounts of PV energy created are sold to the grid with the smallest system, and, thereby, the least pricing effects on profitability occur across pricing scenarios. Although all scenarios lead to positive net present values (NPVs), under either type of the pricing scenarios, farm business owners realize more favorable energy sales with NEM, which would spur PV system adoption. Results of this study thus provide information to both poultry farmers, considering the size of system installations and policy makers interested in affordably increasing renewable energy supplies and/or rural development. Full article

Peer-to-Peer (P2P) energy trading is a new financial mechanism that can be adopted to incentivize the development of distributed energy resources (DERs), by promoting the selling of excess energy to other peers on the network at a negotiated rate. Current incentive programs, such as net metering (NEM) and Feed-in-Tariff (FiT), operate according to a centralized policy framework, where energy is only traded with the utility, the state-owned grid authority, the service provider, or the power generation/distribution company, who also have the upper hand in deciding on the rates for buying the excess energy. This study presents a comparative analysis of three energy trading mechanisms, P2P energy trading, NEM, and FiT, within a rural microgrid consisting of two prosumers and four consumers. The microgrid serves as a practical testbed for evaluating the economic impacts of these mechanisms, through simulations considering various factors such as energy demand, production variability, and energy rates, and using key metrics such as economic savings, annual energy bill, and wasted excess energy. Results indicate that while net metering and FiT offer stable financial returns for prosumers, P2P trading demonstrates superior flexibility and potentially higher economic benefits for both prosumers and consumers by aligning energy trading with real-time market conditions. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders seeking to optimize rural energy systems through innovative trading mechanisms. Full article

Energy is one of the essential inputs for modernization and social development. Energy demand is increasing, and the primary energy source is fossil fuels, which negatively impact the environment. Energy saving and renewables are the potential solutions which could minimize environmental impact. This paper investigates the energy-saving and solar photovoltaic energy potential of an educational institution, Politeknik Sultan Azlan Shah (PSAS), Malaysia. The feasibility analysis was conducted by assuming that PSAS joined the Net Energy Metering (NEM 3.0) program, where PSAS, as a NEM consumer, has a tripartite supply agreement with renewable energy (SARE) with a distribution licensee known as Tenaga National Berhad (TNB). This paper focuses on zero capital expenditure (CAPEX) saving through a 20-year contract. This paper proposes a rooftop solar photovoltaic diagram using a NEM meter installed in the ring distribution system at PSAS. The estimated savings to be obtained by PSAS in the 20 years that the contract is in force are calculated based on the assumption that the installed solar system has a capacity of 688 kW. The maximum value of power generated by the system for a year is 990,720 kWh. The feasibility analysis found that the cumulative net savings estimate for PSAS based on the overall calculation for 21 years of solar use is RM 3,534,250. Meanwhile, the cumulative assessment of carbon emission reduction obtained in the same period is 14,559,760 kg CO₂ or 14,559.76 tons of CO₂, which would save 363,994 mature trees from being cut down. Full article

Commercial grid-connected rooftop solar PV systems are widely applied worldwide as part of affordable and clean energy initiatives and viable long-term solutions for energy security. This is particularly true in a crowded city where space is a constraint and at the same time, there are unutilized rooftops. With the recently announced Net Energy Metering (NEM) 3.0, commercial buildings in Malaysia can apply up to 75% capacity of the maximum demand (MD), which can be connected to the grid. Apart from reducing electricity bills, the owner can offset energy for 10 years. This paper presents a design analysis with the details of the sizing of a rooftop PV system. The PVsyst software tool is used to estimate the energy produced by a 380 kWp system, and this study provides a financial analysis to evaluate the profitability of the system with a particular interest in commercial buildings under the NEM 3.0 policy, which has resulted in 8.4 years return of investment (ROI). PVsyst is a software used to size the PV system and provides technical, financial, and environmental analysis. This in-depth analysis could provide a useful case study for asset owners in deciding the way forward for sustainable energy production, cost saving, and combating the energy security issue, since Malaysia is blessed with an abundance of sunshine throughout the year. Full article

In the last 10 years, Malaysia has aggressively moved towards a higher penetration of 20% of renewable energy (RE) in the Malaysian energy mix by 2025. Several incentives and initiatives have taken place with the aim of achieving the goals in terms of installed capacity and catching up with the leading countries in these sectors. Since 2011, Malaysia started the Feed-in-Tariff (FiT) before introducing Net Energy Metering (NEM) in 2017, and recently, another initiative known as NEM 3.0 has been introduced. This paper reviews all policies undertaken by the Malaysian government from 2011 to 2021 in spearheading the country to be on par with others, especially those in the Southeast Asian (SEA) region. The effectiveness of each policy on the growth of photovoltaic PV energy installation is highlighted, and the latest update on the NEM 3.0 policy is also discussed. A comparison of each approach in terms of installed capacity and system connection setup to the grid is also considered for the benefit and sharing of knowledge from one of the fastest-developing countries in the region. Full article

This paper presents an optimization approach in determining the expansion-limit of Renewable Distributed Generation (DG) capacity through a Net Energy Metering (NEM) scheme specifically for selected Malaysian public hospitals. In this study, the total line loss reduction was analyzed and set as the main objective function in the optimization process where an acceptance region for DG extensiveness was proposed via the lower total line loss outcome value. Solar photovoltaic (PV)-type DG unit (PV-DG) was identified as the type of DG used in this paper. Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) algorithm was chosen to alleviate such PV-DG optimization. The distribution network uses a bus and line data setup from the three selected Malaysian public hospitals prior to three different levels, i.e., National, State, and District level hospitals. MATLAB simulation result showed the PV-DG expansion capacity towards bigger scale and location bounded by the U-trajectory shape theory which resulted in a contradiction between NEM current maximum capacity requirement and actual PV-DG expansion-limit. These limitations were also found to be different among three different level hospitals, and the expansion-limit was tailored by their own distribution network parameters. Thus, this paper provides technical justification and gives the best option to the renewable energy (RE) developer for more effective PV-DG integration through the utilization of a NEM scheme. The importance of the study is portrayed in-depth towards achieving a more sensible and accurate way of estimating the outcome. This will encourage developers, building owners, and users in participating towards achieving potential benefits both in monetary and power system reliability improvement, specifically for Malaysian public hospital applications. Full article

Under the present electricity tariff structure in Malaysia, electricity billing on a monthly basis for commercial and industrial consumers includes the net consumption charges together with maximum demand (MD) charges. The use of batteries in combination with photovoltaic (PV) systems is projected to become a viable solution for energy management, in terms of peak load shaving. Based on the latest studies, maximum demand (MD) reduction can be accomplished via a solar PV-battery system based on a few measures such as load pattern, techno-economic traits, and electricity scheme. Based on these measures, the Maximum Demand Reduction (MDRed) Model is developed as an optimization tool for the solar PV-battery system. This paper shows that energy savings on net consumption and maximum demand can be maximized via optimal sizing of the solar PV-battery system using the MATLAB genetic algorithm (GA) tool. GA optimization results revealed that the optimal sizing of solar PV-battery system gives monthly energy savings of up to 20% of net consumption via solar PV self-consumption, 3% of maximum demand (MD) via MD shaving and 2% of surplus power supplied to grid via net energy metering (NEM) in regards to Malaysian electricity tariff scheme and cost of the overall system. Full article

The photovoltaic market has recently experienced an enormous expansion, mainly due to the generous Feed-in-Tariffs (FiTs) adopted by many countries. However, in the recent years FiTs have been considerably reduced or even disappeared as their role in the PV deployment has ended. One of the alternatives is the Net-Metering (NEM) policy, which has attracted the interest of stakeholders as it provides a basis for the efficient collaboration between generation and the consumption profiles of the consumer. Currently, there is a lack of a universal policy harmonizing the respective legislations of the E.U. member countries. This paper proposes a novel generalized methodology for the techno-economic assessment of different NEM policies in terms of profitability for the prosumer. The methodology is tested in a formulated case study based on the current NEM policy in Greece. The method proposed uses as inputs the averaged load profiles constructed from real measurements collected from 31 consumers in the Thessaloniki area and evaluated PV production. The current NEM policy and four alternatives are examined, using as additional input the average system marginal prices of the year 2013. The results show that the proposed methodology is capable of evaluating a wide variety of NEM policies and can lead to suggestions for policy adaptation in order to establish a win-win contract between all interested stakeholders. Full article