Integrating Rooftop Grid-Connected Photovoltaic and Battery Systems to Reduce Environmental Impacts in Agro-Industrial Activities with a Focus on Extra Virgin Olive Oil Production

Agro-industrial activities require adaptations of technological energy systems to align with the European Sustainable Development Goals, and their highly seasonal and intermittent consumption profiles necessitate precise environmental assessment. This study aims at investigating the photovoltaic (PV) energy in various existing olive mills to assess the reduction in olive oil carbon footprint (CF) when it is supplied by either a rooftop PV system or by PV combined with a battery energy storage system (BESS) to promote the self-consumption of the renewable energy produced, compared to the case when electricity is supplied by the national grid (NG). To this end, an algorithm was developed to optimise a decision-making tool for low-carbon energy systems in agro-industrial activities. An economic assessment was performed to complement the decision-making process. The potential energy self-consumed by the mill ranged between 11% and 18.1%. The renewable energy produced covered between 11% and 84.7% of the mill’s energy consumption. CF reduction resulted between 22% and 119%, depending on the system boundaries considered. The proposed methodology allows for replicability to other industrial activities, having different energy consumption profiles, with seasonal and discontinued consumption paths, since it is based on an hourly energy consumption evaluation.