Feasibility of grid-connected residential photovoltaic systems under the new Romanian renewable energy law

Romania aims to increase the solar share in gross final energy consumption in order to reach the target set until 2030 by the European Union. Thus, the authorities initiated several programs to encourage residential consumers to install grid-connected photovoltaic systems by granting subsidies and improving the regulatory framework for renewable energy. This paper studies the economic feasibility of three photovoltaic systems with different capacities for three residential consumers located in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The PVSOL Premium 2023 software was employed to simulate the photovoltaic power generation, while Net Present Value and Discounted Payback Period were used to assess the economic feasibility of the systems. The results revealed that the analyzed photovoltaic systems are viable, especially the ones with a higher installed capacity, and cases where residences have a high electricity usage.