Small-scale floating photovoltaic systems in university campus: A pathway to achieving SDG 7 goals in Bangladesh

• Published in: Energy conversion and management 2023-12, Vol.297, p.117722, Article 117722
• Main Authors: Jawad, Atik, Hasan, Md. Sajid, Faruqui, Md. Fatin Ishraq, Masood, Nahid-Al
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Feasibility study; Floating photovoltaic solar system; LCOE; Social aspects; Sustainable energy; Techno-economic analysis
• ISSN: 0196-8904; 1879-2227
• DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2023.117722

•An approach is proposed evaluate small-scale FPV's potential in achieving SDG 7 goals.•Case study is conducted on ULAB campus, Dhaka, Bangladesh.•Social survey results indicate a positive attitude toward FPV installation.•A comparative analysis with rooftop solar plants highlights FPV's economic viability.•FPV integration into campus reduces energy generation costs.•Small-scale FPV shows satisfactory outcomes in the evaluated technical, economic, and environmental aspects. Floating photovoltaic systems (FPVs) are gaining popularity in the Asian subcontinent, particularly in densely populated countries like Bangladesh. Small-scale FPV plants, especially on university campuses, can be crucial to fulfilling SDG7 objectives by providing clean energy and addressing economic concerns, which are currently unexplored in the context of Bangladesh. To this end, this paper proposes a systematic methodology to comprehensively assess the potential of small-scale FPV in achieving SDG 7 goals, covering technical, economic, environmental, and social aspects. This study is the first to present an assessment of water evaporation deduction analysis (environmental aspect) and a systematic survey to evaluate the social aspects of the small-scale FPV plant in Bangladesh. To demonstrate the proposed approach, a simulation case study is conducted for a test FPV plant with a capacity of 116.5 kW in a small water reservoir (pond) located within the University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh (ULAB) campus in Dhaka. The results demonstrate that the proposed FPV plant can generate approximately 169.5 MWh yearly with a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of 0.032 $. Additionally, the plant can prevent 3,715.32 m3 of water from evaporating and reduce 61 tons of GHG emissions annually, saving 93,025 $ of social cost of carbon (SCC) during its entire lifespan. In addition, the conducted survey shows a positive attitude towards FPV installation in the chosen area. Furthermore, a comparison with a rooftop solar plant in the same region highlights FPV's potential as an alternative solar-based energy source in techno-economic evaluations. Implementing the proposed FPV can significantly decrease the yearly total generating cost to meet the university's demand while ensuring clean energy in alignment with SDG7. This study can aid in the integration of renewable energy into the grid and assist policymakers in facilitating future small-scale FPV installations in Bangladesh.