Sustainability Assessment of Solar Photovoltaic Systems at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka: A Comparative Case Study

Abstract

This study presents a comparative sustainability assessment of two photovoltaic (PV) systems installed at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka: the AEDJAC Systems Development and Laboratory LTD and the Department of Mechanical Engineering system. System design, load management, component size, and operating procedures were assessed using field inspections, system records, maintenance logs, and stakeholder interviews. To compare long-term system behaviour, normalized performance indices were calculated. The findings show that the AEDJAC Laboratory system which is an academia-based, industry-focused systems development lab that operates within its design load and creates a favourable environment for the development of concepts in order to incubate innovative ideas and transform them into products and solutions for industry and society maintained a stable performance index above 0.94 over eight years, showing only minor degradation. In contrast, the Mechanical Engineering Department system, initially overloaded by more than 45% above its design capacity, experienced rapid deterioration, with its performance index dropping below 0.20 within two years, leading to complete system failure. Excessive battery depth of discharge accelerated degradation by over 60%, while shading losses of up to 30% further reduced performance. The findings confirm that proper system design, disciplined usage, and preventive maintenance are critical to achieving sustainable solar PV operation in academic and institutional environments.