Territorial competitiveness of the stand alone photovoltaic systems versus grid electricity supply. A method and a study based on geographical information systems

Stand alone photovoltaic power systems (SAPPS) are a natural option for application in the electrification of remote areas which are outside the grid-connected electricity supply system (GCESS). The proposed method is based on three ambits: photovoltaic and grid sizing, economic analysis, and the integration of information and development of models within geographical information systems (GIS). The results of a case study carried out in the south of Spain (province of Cordoba) show that for a domestic electricity consumption (5 kW h/day) SAPPS are economically more competitive in 69% of the total area of this region. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.