There are a wealth of studies on photovoltaic cell technologies, however their performance in different climatic or geographies over an extended period is not completely established. The objective of this paper is to add to this area of study with an analysis of the principle photovoltaic technologies: monocrystalline silicon (mc-Si), polycrystalline silicon (pc-Si), tandem structure of amorphous silicon and microcrystalline silicon (a-Si/µc-Si tandem), cadmium telluride/cadmium sulfide (CdTe/CdS), copper-indium diselenide (CIS) and monocrystalline silicon with double contact back technology (mc-dc-Si), in the climatic conditions particular to the middle latitude urban environment of Madrid (Spain). To carry out this study six photovoltaic subsystems of peak power 1 kWp approximately have been installed for each selected technology on the roof of the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería y Diseño Industrial (ETSIDI) of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) in Spain. Each subsystem has an inverter of the same model and power for its connection to the internal electricity network of the university. This paper analyzes the energy performance of the six subsystems, calculating the reference production rates and losses, from February 2013 to December 2015. The result of the study is the extensive capture of data and detailed analysis of real time energy yields and performance ratios of key technologies resulting with patterns in line with those of other regions with comparable climatic conditions.

Rural electrification is a crucial step for the socio-economic development of isolated communities. Decentralized power generation, typically more favorable for renewable energies, requires an accurate analysis of the different electrification options, whose convenience depends on multiple factors. The application of Geographical Information Systems (GISs) to energy planning allows the assessment at a local level, considering the variability and demand distribution of spatial resources. This work introduces IntiGIS-local, a GIS-based model implemented in the ArcGIS environment, designed to calculate the levelized energy cost (LEC) for different electrification options. The model allows the comparison between three power generation alternatives: solar system, diesel generator set and solar–diesel hybrid system. Configurations are adjustable through input variables, with a special focus on the confrontation between individual systems and microgrids. The objective is to provide an adequate groundwork for developing a decision-making tool to assess diverse rural electrification options in future studies. The model IntiGIS-local is tested in the case study of the Guasasa community (Cuba).

Rural electrification is a crucial step for the socio-economic development of isolated communities. Decentralized power generation, typically more favorable for renewable energies, requires an accurate analysis of the different electrification options, whose convenience depends on multiple factors. The application of Geographical Information System (GIS) to energy planning allows the assessment at a local level, considering spatial resources variability and demand distribution. This work introduces IntiGIS-local, a GIS-based model implemented in ArcGIS environment, designed to calculate the Levelized Energy Cost (LEC) for different electrification options. The model allows the comparison between three power generation alternatives: solar system, diesel generator set and solar-diesel hybrid system. Configurations are adjustable through input variables, with a special focus on the confrontation between individual systems and microgrids. The objective is to provide an adequate groundwork for developing a decision-making tool to assess diverse rural electrification options in future studies. The model IntiGIS-local is tested in the case study of Guasasa community (Cuba).