In the last few years, due to soaring fuel prices and gas emissions, renewable energy technologies have been
suggested as the power source for infrastructures. The interest in solar photovoltaic (PV) assisted street
lighting systems stems from the fact that they are sustainable and environmentally friendly compared
to conventional energy powered systems. The present paper investigates and compares the economic feasibility
of two types of systems: islanded and grid-connected system, for the street lighting systems in
Hunan Province, China. Based on two options of solar panel materials, a simulation model of the system
is developed for economic, technical and environmental feasibility. The comprehensively sustainability
feasibility of these systems is conducted taking into account the cost, energy generation, CO2 emissions
and renewable fraction. Radar plot is employed to integrate all the sustainability indicators into a general
indicator, which presents system’s sustainability as a real number in the interval [0, 2]. Results show that
for street lighting systems of all the cities, single crystal panel has a larger number of annual electricity generation,
less emissions and higher environmental performance, but is more expansive than polycrystalline.
It is also found that when the feed-in tariff higher than 1.27 CNY/kW h, the cost of energy (COE) of the solar
powered lighting systems is less than a pure grid powered system. This will incite the use of solar PV in
infrastructures. Through comparing the scores of sustainability, it is found that the Loudi system has the
highest feasibility while the Yongzhou system has the lowest in the province.
2013 Elsevier Ltd