Techno-economic Analysis of a Rooftop Photovoltaic Solar System in a Household Application (Case Study in Zurich, Switzerland)

Renewable energy resources play a crucial role in providing clean electricity and decarbonizing the environment. Among the different renewable energy resources, solar energy is one of the most abundant and cleanest sources available in the world. Of the 2799 GW of renewable energy produced in power plants in 2020, approximately 25% came from solar energy power plants [1]. The total installed capacity of solar energy (photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP)) in the world was 716 GW in 2020, 99% of which was represented by solar PV systems [1]. The increasing number of installed PV plants across the world is notable, as shown in Fig. 3.1. It is also clear that the total amount of installed PV power plants increased by approximately 21% from 583 to 709 GW in 2020. This amount is expected to grow by 20% in 2022 [3]. Despite the challenges caused by the pandemic and numerous cost fluctuations in the PV market, the global race to cut carbon emissions continues and is predicted to pass 200 GW of PV power plant installation in the next year [4].