ENGT5114 Sustainable Energy - Assignment A

Task 4

As an alternative to rooftop solar, design and analyse a single solar farm that is capable of satisfying 10% of the estate’s total electricity demand over a 30-year period; determining its total investment cost, net present value, and total customer savings over this period. For the purpose of this assessment, the solar farm is installed on a nearby level field, and, therefore could be of an orientation of your choice. The solar farm is operated by an Independent Power Producer (IPP). Therefore, when selecting the slope and azimuth angles for your system, do bear in mind that the goal of an IPP is profit maximization. Repeat your analysis for 20%, 30%, 40% up to 100% of the total estate demand and plot the graphs of total investment, net present value, and total customer savings over the 30-year period versus the percentage of estate demand satisfied. Proffer a suitable explanation for the trend portrayed by these graphs. Assume the following:

1. The Power Purchasing Agreement (PPA) between the estate and the IPP is such that if the IPP cannot satisfy the demand it is contracted to supply, it pays a penalty that is the difference between the PPA tariff and the grid electricity tariff for each kWh not supplied.
2. The same demand profile for all 50 homes on the estate.
3. The IPP charges the estate 12.75 p/kWh consumed, increasing by 1.5% annually.