New geographic information system based sustainability metric for isolated photovoltaic systems

The integration of photovoltaic (PV) technologies is vital for achieving sustainable energy solutions in isolated systems. However, A critical challenge that remains is maintaining the sustainability of these systems under the fluctuating conditions of solar irradiance, which is key for isolated energy systems. This study hypothesizes that the sustainability of PV systems can be accurately assessed through a new metric that incorporates performance consistency, variability, and resilience, using real-time energy production data alongside GIS-based solar radiation models. By analyzing fixed PV, concentrated PV (CPV), and dual axis tracking PV (DATPV) systems over a three-year period (2017-2019), The analysis indicates that DATPV systems achieved the highest energy output, with energy ratios exceeding 300% in 2019, though this was accompanied by substantial variability in performance. Fixed PV systems demonstrated the most stable performance, with a consistency term reaching 0.93 and a sustainability score of 0.87 in 2019. CPV systems performed moderately, with a sustainability score of 0.66 in 2017. These results highlight the trade-off between energy capture and operational stability, which is critical for sustainable energy management in isolated systems.