Data-Driven Energy Analysis for a Set of Rooftop Photovoltaic Systems Featuring Different Installation Characteristics: A Pairwise, Early-Life Performance Comparison

The specific research presents a detailed, data-driven energy analysis on the early-life operation of two rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems. The two PV systems examined are operated under the Net Metering scheme and are found in close proximity, within the geographical boundaries of a small-scale remote island on the Southeastern part of the Aegean Sea, Greece. The systems feature similar PV technology and capacity, i.e., 3.5 kWp vs. 5 kWp, but differ in terms of installation characteristics; thus, they offer an interesting case for pairwise comparison. Supported by the exploitation of a wealthy set of data, a detailed energy analysis is conducted, with our results providing useful insights on the seasonal performance variation of the two systems and its determinants, reflecting on the different siting and installation characteristics of the former.