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Analysis of institutional authors

Mazarron, Fernando RAuthorAlvarez, JoseCorresponding AuthorLópez-Santiago, JesúsAuthor

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April 12, 2025
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Article

Impact of Electricity Price Reductions on the Profitability and Sizing of Photovoltaic Systems in Agri-Food Industries

Publicated to: Agriculture (Switzerland). 15 (6): 631- - 2025-03-17 15(6), DOI: 10.3390/agriculture15060631

Authors:

Mazarron, Fernando R; Alvarez, Jose; Cervera-Gasco, Jorge; Lopez-Santiago, Jesus
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Affiliations

Univ Castilla La Mancha, Higher Tech Sch Agr & Forestry Engn & Biotechnol, Dept Plant Prod & Agr Technol, Albacete 02006, Spain - Author
Univ Politecn Madrid, Sch Agr Food & Biosyst Engn, Agroforestry Dept, Madrid 28040, Spain - Author

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of declining electricity prices on the profitability and optimal sizing of self-consumption photovoltaic (PV) systems in agro-industries with different consumption patterns. A computational approach was employed to analyze over half a million scenarios, considering variations in electricity prices (0.05 EUR/kWh to 0.30 EUR/kWh), consumption seasonality (uniform vs. seasonal), geographic location, solar panel tilt, and installed peak power. The analysis replicated real industrial electricity billing structures using a validated energy balance model that integrates quarter-hourly demand data, PV generation simulations, and economic assessments. The results demonstrate that falling electricity prices significantly reduce the economic benefits of PV investments. Many systems installed in previous years may now be oversized, leading to lower savings or even increased total costs in highly seasonal industries. Under current low-price conditions, new PV installations face limited profitability, with extended payback periods ranging from 7 to 11 years for optimally sized systems. In industries with uniform energy demands, the cost savings peaked at 19%, while seasonal industries achieved only 4% at best. Although surplus energy injection into the grid can improve financial returns, it does not fully offset the profitability decline. These findings highlight the need for adaptive PV sizing strategies and regulatory frameworks, such as dynamic tariff structures and incentive mechanisms, to sustain PV investment viability in agro-industrial contexts with fluctuating energy prices. Unlike previous research, which often assumes stable or rising energy prices, this study uniquely captures the financial risks posed by sudden price drops, particularly for industries with high seasonal consumption variability.
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Keywords

Agro-industryAgroindustryElectricity generationFood industryFood processingFruitFruit and vegetable processing plantPhotovoltaic systemPhotovoltaicsPrice dynamicsProfitabilitySavingsVegetableWinerWinery

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Agriculture (Switzerland) due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2025, it was in position 19/129, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Agronomy.

Independientemente del impacto esperado determinado por el canal de difusión, es importante destacar el impacto real observado de la propia aportación.

Según las diferentes agencias de indexación, el número de citas acumuladas por esta publicación hasta la fecha 2026-04-27:

  • WoS: 2
  • Scopus: 2
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Impact and social visibility

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.
  • Assignment of a Handle/URN as an identifier within the deposit in the Institutional Repository: https://oa.upm.es/92567/

As a result of the publication of the work in the institutional repository, statistical usage data has been obtained that reflects its impact. In terms of dissemination, we can state that, as of

  • Views: 41
  • Downloads: 57
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Leadership analysis of institutional authors

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (RUIZ MAZARRON, FERNANDO) and Last Author (LOPEZ SANTIAGO, JESUS).

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been ALVAREZ SANCHEZ, REGINO JOSE.

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