RESEARCH PAPER
RETURN ON INVESTMENT IN PV POWER PLANTS UNDER CHANGING SUPPORT REGIMES (SCHEMES)
More details
Hide details
1
Szkoła Główna Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego
Submission date: 2018-09-11
Publication date: 2018-09-11
Zagadnienia Ekonomiki Rolnej / Problems of Agricultural Economics 2018;356(3):168-191
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
The production of renewable energy has been increasing in Poland in accordance
with the EU mandate. Solar energy use, in particular, has been affected
by regulations and the associated subsidy mechanism. The specific aim of the
study was the verification of the influence exerted by renewable energy regulations
on the amount of revenues and duration of the period when an investor can
expect positive returns on operating a PV power plant. The analysis involved
five scenarios and used financial and operational data shared by the existing
PV power plant in Jadowniki, Poland. Two scenarios refer to plants operating
under the support mechanism applied before July 1, 2016, while three scenarios
consider plants operating under the auction system that became the support
mechanism for renewable energy producers on July 1, 2016. Scenarios I and
II generate a positive NPV and IRR under the assumed conditions including
the use of green certificates. For PV power plants operating since July 1, 2016,
Scenarios III and IV show that the return is dependent on the auction price and
the size of NPV and IRR discourages investment. Scenario V assumes absence
of support in the form of green certificates or through auction systems and generates
loss. The continuing changes in the regulation of power generation from
renewable energy sources, including solar energy, creates uncertainties that are
likely to discourage investment in large commercial PV power plants in Poland.