PVT Solar Panel Investment Analyzer
Master's Thesis: Data-driven evaluation of PVT systems in Sweden
Project Overview
Comprehensive financial modeling system for evaluating PVT solar panel investments across Swedish climate zones, incorporating thermal energy valuation, regional electricity price variations, and future climate change scenarios (RCP4.5/8.5).
Technical Implementation
The system uses Python for comprehensive data analysis, leveraging pandas for data manipulation, NumPy for numerical computations, and SciPy for financial optimization calculations. The model integrates climate data analysis with economic modeling to provide robust investment evaluations under various scenarios.
Key Findings
Payback Period
15+ years across all Swedish regions
Internal Rate of Return
8.8% (Luleå) to negative IRR (southern regions)
Net Present Value
Negative across scenarios with current cost assumptions
Thermal Contribution
~47% of total energy value in northern regions
Key Features
- Multi-region comparison (Luleå, Sundsvall, Stockholm, Malmö)
- Climate scenario modeling (RCP4.5 vs RCP8.5)
- Thermal energy valuation with regional heating demand
- 30-year DCF analysis with degradation modeling
- Swedish tax incentive integration (ROT deduction, Green tax)
- Automated cash flow generation and CSV export
- Successfully scaled 5-panel to 10-panel systems
Methodology
Energy Generation
Climate model predictions with temperature coefficient effects on PV efficiency
Regional Analysis
Electricity price integration across Swedish zones (SE1-SE4)
Thermal Valuation
Thermal displacement value calculations based on regional heating demand
Financial Modeling
IRR and NPV optimization using scipy with 30-year cash flow analysis
Technical Implementation
The system uses Python for comprehensive data analysis, leveraging pandas for data manipulation, NumPy for numerical computations, and SciPy for financial optimization calculations. The model integrates climate data analysis with economic modeling to provide robust investment evaluations under various scenarios.
Results & Impact
The research demonstrates that while PVT systems show technical feasibility across Sweden, current investment returns are challenged by high upfront costs. Northern regions show better performance due to higher thermal energy contribution, but even optimal scenarios require extended payback periods. The work provides valuable insights for policy makers and investors considering PVT technology adoption in Nordic climates.
Research Paper
The complete thesis document provides detailed methodology, results, and conclusions.
📄 Download Thesis Paper (PDF)