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Assessment of the economic feasibility of hybrid Photovoltaic – Battery Energy Storage Systems in public buildings with flexible load demand: Examination study in Southern Europe

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  • Chatzigeorgiou, Nikolas G.
  • Theocharides, Spyros
  • Makrides, George
  • Georghiou, George E.

Abstract

Photovoltaic – Battery Energy Storage Systems (PV-BESS) constitute an effective measure to tackle rising technical challenges stemming from high PV penetration. Despite high technology expenses currently limiting BESS diffusion and under-exploitation of public buildings, the latter are ideal for PV-BESS installation. This paper addressed three considerations of PV-BESS in public buildings with flexible load demand, namely economic feasibility, energy self-sufficiency, and environmental footprint in the framework of a sizing, techno-economic, and environmental analysis, implementing a simulation model with high-resolution real-world data. Notwithstanding that the model examined three South-European countries with favourable solar irradiance conditions and high electricity prices, it can be practised to any building type in any country. The results confirmed the economic feasibility of optimally sized PV-BESS, while they emphasised the positive effect of BESS subsidisation on system profitability, depicting the suitability of smaller PV-BESS sizes. Moreover, the economically optimal PV-BESS size corresponds to self-sufficiency levels between 60 and 70 %, showcasing a trade-off between the two objectives. Generally, higher self-sufficiency is related to larger BESS sizes, reducing grid interaction and, thus, the building's environmental footprint. Finally, extended PV production utilisation is achieved by shifting energy consumption to daytime hours, therefore limiting BESS capacity requirements and augmenting investment profitability. Comprehensively, the combination of on-site PV production, energy storage, and energy flexibility (even in low/moderate levels) constitutes the ideal solution for public buildings against high electricity prices. The results can be exploited by policymakers for designing competent strategies and implementing effectual BESS-support mechanisms to mitigate technical bottlenecks stemming from high PV penetration, while accurate PV-BESS sizing can be fulfilled by field professionals for the avoidance of unnecessary investments in redundant system capacities.

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  • Chatzigeorgiou, Nikolas G. & Theocharides, Spyros & Makrides, George & Georghiou, George E., 2026. "Assessment of the economic feasibility of hybrid Photovoltaic – Battery Energy Storage Systems in public buildings with flexible load demand: Examination study in Southern Europe," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 256(PD).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:256:y:2026:i:pd:s0960148125017537
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2025.124089
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    References listed on IDEAS

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