Techno-Economic Evaluation of Solar vs Wind Energy for Autonomous Street Lighting in European Regions

This paper presents a techno-economic assessment of autonomous street-lighting systems based on standalone photovoltaic (PV) and PV+Wind hybrid configurations across diverse European regions. Year-round solar irradiance and wind data are analyzed to evaluate energy availability, system autonomy, and regional suitability. Simulation results show that standalone PV systems struggle to meet winter lighting demand due to reduced solar irradiance and extended night-time durations, indicating seasonal reliability limitations. Economic evaluation, including lifecycle cost and payback-period analysis, demonstrates that PV+Wind hybrid systems provide enhanced reliability and re- duced storage requirements in northern and coastal regions with consistent wind resources, while PV systems remain viable in high-irradiance southern areas. The findings highlight the importance of region-specific resource assessment for optimal renewable street-lighting system design and deployment.