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Document Type

Original Study

Abstract

This study presents a district-level assessment of the influence of altitude on the Energy Payback Time (EPBT) of grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems in the Western Himalayan region of Himachal Pradesh, India. Although several studies have examined photovoltaic performance under different climatic conditions, systematic evaluation of altitude-sensitive EPBT using a standardized PV configuration remains limited for mountainous regions. A uniform 14.82 kWp polycrystalline PV system was simulated for twelve district headquarters representing elevations from 360 m to 3025 m above sea level using PVsyst software and Meteonorm meteorological data. Annual energy output and EPBT were evaluated under identical system configuration and operating conditions to enable consistent inter-district comparison. The results indicate a substantial increase in specific energy yield with altitude, rising from 1345 kWh/kWp/year at lower elevations to 1798 kWh/kWp/year at high-altitude locations. Correspondingly, EPBT decreased from 8.02 years to 6.00 years, indicating improved lifecycle energy recovery at higher elevations. Statistical analysis revealed a strong positive correlation between altitude and photovoltaic energy output (r = 0.821, p < 0.01), with regression results showing an increase of approximately 138.3 kWh/kWp/year per 1000 m elevation gain. High-altitude districts such as Lahaul & Spiti and Kinnaur demonstrated the most favourable photovoltaic performance due to lower thermal losses and improved solar radiation conditions. The findings highlight the importance of incorporating altitude-sensitive climatic parameters into photovoltaic planning and provide useful insights for sustainable solar energy deployment in mountainous regions.

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