Evaluation and Improvement of the Efficiency of a Self-Contained Photovoltaic System Applied to a Small Business in Arequipa, Peru

The aim of this research study was to provide an economic and technical analysis of the efficiency of a self-consumption photovoltaic system operating in a workshop dedicated to vehicle bodywork repair and painting in the city of Arequipa. In said establishment, a photovoltaic system was installed that generates enough energy to satisfy internal demand together with the electrical network. The electrical parameters of energy consumed from both sources (photovoltaic and network) were registered and analyzed in order to establish the feasibility of the project. The economic analysis determined that the project is viable with a payback period of 8.5 years. The need then arises to present possible alternatives for the improvement of the efficiency of the photovoltaic system, since in the self-contained model a considerable amount of solar energy is not used. Based on this, an energy storage alternative is explored, with a first scenario proposed to obtain the greatest amount of energy from the photovoltaic system and a second scenario proposed to prioritize the investor’s finances. Within these scenarios, the use of two technologies for energy storage may be proposed; Lithium and lead-acid AGM accumulators. The economic analysis showed that with these technologies the system would be economically viable, although only with AGM technology is a reduction obtained regarding the investment recovery time concerning the self-consumption model.