Renewable energy education in engineering: an assessment on the use of solar photovoltaic systems in NSW and Victoria
Year: 2024
Type: conference-paper
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Global demand for renewable energy has increased in the past few decades, which has escalated the importance of studying this subject in engineering education. Solar energy plays a pivotal role in meeting the demand of clean and sustainable energy and improving the stability of the energy system. This study investigates the state of solar energy adoption in New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria (VIC), Australia’s two leading States, in terms of the users’ perception and the economic impact of Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) systems in households. The Survey results from the SPV users highlight financial savings, environmental awareness and government incentives are the main drivers for adoption. Economic analysis shows, NSW has a higher monetary benefit from the installation of SPV systems than VIC, with shorter payback period (3.9 years for NSW and 6.3 years for VIC) and higher Return on Investment (approximately 317% for NSW and 156% for VIC). The Levelised Cost of Electricity (LCOE) has been calculated as $0.109 and $0.128 for NSW and VIC respectively, which indicates greater financial potential of SPV installation in NSW compared to VIC. These LCOE values have been estimated based on a common total present value of electricity generated over 25 years of lifetime of the SPV system, which has been 53,892.8 kWatt. Despite facing some challenges such as high initial costs or complex installation structures, both states have the potential to grow and take advantage of the benefits of solar energy. However, the diversity in local geographical conditions in the two states require appropriate strategies to overcome the challenges and create a more favorable environment for further deployment of solar energy.
Authors: Tran Phan, M. Ashiqur Rahman
Institution: Western Sydney University
Language: English
Subfield: Environmental Engineering
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W4408296943