Two types of photovoltaic panels and three types of wind turbines are considered. The two mounted, slanted roof, photovoltaic panels differ according to the cell type (3 kWp mono- and polycrystalline). The three micro-wind turbines differ according to the power rate (1kW, 10 kW and 30 kW) and the installation type (10 m guyed tower, 22 m guyed tower and 30 m lattice tower). Other necessary components for the connection and the transmission of the produced energy are also considered (e.g. inverter (DC/AC), cables, etc.). The data are calculated for a final delivery of 1 kWh at the plant.
A scaling down effect is noticed between micro-wind turbines power rates and the studied impacts. This explains the 1 kW bad performances’s compared to the 30kW. In case of low and medium winds, the two photovoltaic plants seem to be the best alternatives. However, under good wind conditions, the selection depends on power plants. Also, compared to the current centralised electricity production, the grid connected renewable technologies performances are much better as they offer substantial benefits as far as energy savings and environmental impacts are concerned. However, this is not the case for poor winds regions.
As seen from the results, implementing a renewable microgeneration policy based on average values without taking into account regional context could, therefore, be less beneficial than anticipated. Such results are key to assess the extent to which distributed generation can reduce the use of the distribution network and centralised electricity production.
Future work will include an in-depth analysis of the actual displaced electricity production, based on a consequential LCA methodology and considering diurnal and seasonal patterns of electricity production and consumption.