Browsing by Subject "Microproduction"

The microproduction of solar photovoltaics (PV) has grown enormously in recent years in Finland, and it is expected to grow even further due to the ambitious renewable energy targets and the on-going smart energy transition. Nevertheless, there is a lack of country-level statistical analysis on the topic. This thesis studies which sociodemographic, economic, and geographical factors explain the microproduction of solar electricity in Finland. The thesis consists of a literature review and statistical analysis on the electricity distribution system operator (DSO) level. The response variables are the number of prosumer contracts and the capacity of solar PV microproduction. The data, which were gathered from various open sources, is analyzed in a descriptive manner followed by multiple linear regression analysis. The analysis uses the ordinary least square method. In addition, profitability calculations are made to study economic incentives and barriers to the adoption of a PV system. The results suggest that the microproduction of solar PV is connected to non-urban areas and higher mean age. Instead, there are not that many separate prosumers in urban areas, but single systems’ capacities are more extensive there. The analysis showed that electricity price has a significant impact on the microproduction of solar PV. The profitability calculations support this result: electricity price substantially affects the viability of solar PV system investment. Thus, the introduction of financial incentives could enhance the adoption of solar PV systems among households. This thesis offers a comprehensive overview of small-scale solar electricity production in Finland. However, the characteristics of the microproduction of solar PV are complex and involve various interactions that are difficult to capture in aggregated data. This offers an opportunity to repeat the analysis with a more detailed geospatial dataset in the future.