**3. Results**

The impacts on electricity demand of the project; on the primary substation, MV feeder circuit, distribution transformer & LV network, network losses and voltage profile; energy pay-back time; GHG pay-back time, carbon credits and the crowdfunding model in Ireland are presented.

### *3.1. Impact on Electricity Demand of the Project*

Using PV\*SOL online software [33], (V0.7, Valentin Software GMBH, Berlin, Germany) the annual electricity demand (kWh) for the individual unit (3100 kWh approx.) Figure 4 was scaled to represent the annual electricity load of the project, approximately 210,800 kWh.

**Figure 4.** Annual electricity demand (kWh)of a residential unit.

Simulations were performed for a single PV system (the parameters used are listed in Table A2, Appendix C) and the solar PV electricity generation (1553 kWh) (Figure was then scaled to represent the annual solar PV electricity of the project = 105,604 kWh Figure 5.

**Figure 5.** Annual solar PV electricity generation (kWh) of a single residential unit.

There was a low annual match between the annual electricity demand profile of the project and the annual solar electricity generated from the solar PV system. The annual electricity demand of the project without the solar PV system was 210,800 kWh, with the installation of the solar PV system the annual electricity demand of the project was reduced to approximately 166,514 kWh Figure 6.

**Figure 6.** Annual electricity demand on grid of the project without and with solar PV system.

Out of 105,604 kWh annual solar PV electricity, the model shows approximately 44,354 kWh was self-consumed and 61,250 kWh of excess electricity was available to be fed directly into the electricity grid.

### *3.2. Impact of Project on Electricity Infrastructure*

To assess the impact of the project electricity demand on the electricity infrastructure, an electricity network model was constructed incorporating, existing demand excluding the project; additional demand including the project; and with solar PV electricity output. Using the peak and minimum load conditions already outlined.
