Powered by OpenAIRE graph
Found an issue? Give us feedback
image/svg+xml art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina, Beao, JakobVoss, and AnonMoos Open Access logo, converted into svg, designed by PLoS. This version with transparent background. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Open_Access_logo_PLoS_white.svg art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina, Beao, JakobVoss, and AnonMoos http://www.plos.org/ Energiesarrow_drop_down
image/svg+xml art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina, Beao, JakobVoss, and AnonMoos Open Access logo, converted into svg, designed by PLoS. This version with transparent background. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Open_Access_logo_PLoS_white.svg art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina, Beao, JakobVoss, and AnonMoos http://www.plos.org/
Energies
Article . 2026 . Peer-reviewed
License: CC BY
Data sources: Crossref
addClaim

Bridging the Policy Gap: A Dual-Perspective Techno-Economic Analysis of Rooftop Solar PV Viability for Self-Consumption in Bhutan

Authors: Krishna Kumar Khati; Nipon Ketjoy; Tawat Suriwong; Wisut Chamsa-ard;

Bridging the Policy Gap: A Dual-Perspective Techno-Economic Analysis of Rooftop Solar PV Viability for Self-Consumption in Bhutan

Abstract

Bhutan’s hydropower-reliant electricity supply faces seasonal imbalances, with a winter deficit prompting costly imports from India at tariffs of up to $0.09/kWh. Despite the estimated solar potential of 12 GW, PV deployment remains limited. This study presents a demand-driven techno-economic assessment of a 150.8 kWp rooftop PV system for the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport using high-resolution hourly load data and PVsyst simulation. Three operational configurations are evaluated: self-consumption without export, self-consumption with export, and a battery energy storage system (BESS) introduced to mitigate curtailed energy. The system is expected to generate 252 MWh annually, achieving self-sufficiency and Self-Consumption Ratios of around 60%. Without export, the performance ratio (PR) is reduced to 51% due to significant curtailment, resulting in a negative Net Present Value (NPV) of −$33,687.5 and a Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) of $0.0682/kWh. Enabling export raises the PR to 85.62%, improving the NPV to $27,965.42, the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) to 8.07%, and the LCOE to $0.0405/kWh. A 200 kWh BESS, sized based on surplus energy and nighttime demand, increases self-consumption and self-sufficiency to 75% and 73%, respectively. However, the LCOE rises to $0.0841/kWh, limiting economic viability under current tariff structures. The results reveal a structural mismatch between prosumer-level economics and system-level benefits, underscoring a need for improved compensation and targeted policy support in Bhutan and similar hydropower-dependent systems.

Related Organizations
  • BIP!
    Impact byBIP!
    selected citations
    These citations are derived from selected sources.
    This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
    0
    popularity
    This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
    Average
    influence
    This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
    Average
    impulse
    This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
    Average
Powered by OpenAIRE graph
Found an issue? Give us feedback
selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
gold