Techno-Economic Appraisal of A Rooftop Solar Pv Project for A University Campus

Abstract

In order to address environmental challenges, particularly climate change, and lessen institutions' carbon footprints, sustainable energy sources are deemed essential. Universities are dealing with rising electricity bills due to increasing student enrolments and multitude operations. Introducing a solar PV system would help to reduce universities carbon footprint and subsequently the annual electricity bill. This study aims to conduct a techno-economic assessment of installing a grid-connected solar Photovoltaic (PV) power generation system at the Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) campus in Shah Alam. The PV-syst software were used to design and analyse the PV system for suitable building rooftops in Shah Alam campus, followed by the cost-benefit analyses. This study suggests an 8MW solar PV system for UiTM Shah Alam, with an MYR28,786,907 installation cost, and MYR0.298/kWh Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) with a total payback period of 8 years, avoiding a total of 149,195 tonnes CO2 over the project lifetime. The Net Present Value, NPV is MYR 16,725,250.79, demonstrating that the PV system is a financially viable and profitable long-term investment. While comparing between the two mode of payments, the outright purchase has higher NPV in comparison to the Solar Power Purchase Agreement (SPPA) of zero capital expenditure, indicating better return. The UiTM Shah Alam solar PV system proposal has the potential to considerably lessen the university's reliance on non-renewable energy sources while decreasing its electricity costs, making it a financially feasible and sustainable alternative.