This thesis studies the economics of self-generated electrical energy, considering the regulatory and market context. Conducted is an analysis of the economics of investments in self-generation systems, consisting of a photovoltaic solar power plant and a battery energy storage system (BESS), for which three usage strategies are devised. Typical yearly patterns of household electricity consumption and solar power plant generation are used to derive the typical net flow of electricity into and from the electricity grid for each 15-minute interval of a typical year. Cash flow analysis is used to calculate the economics of the investments – the investment costs represent the expenditures, while savings relative to the base case where no investment is made count as earnings. The internal revenue rate and the period of return (discounted and non-discounted) are calculated to evaluate the investments. The calculation is performed for both the existing and the new legal framework for self-generation, for the existing and the revised methodology for network tariffs, and for different electricity price scenarios. Lower profitability of investment into self-generation is observed when the new legal framework is considered. With a concurrent revision of the network tariff model, a further minor reduction of the profitability is noted, which also holds true for investments in systems that include a BESS. In general, higher electricity prices result in greater profitability of investments in self-generation. The economics of investments in self-generation are also better for systems of greater sizes. In this context, the possibilities of self-generation within the framework of energy communities are presented.
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