{"id":{"repo_id":"reykjavik","oai_identifier":"oai:skemman.is:1946/50986"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/reykjavik/oai:skemman.is:1946/50986","repository":{"repo_id":"reykjavik","name":"Reykjavík University","base_url":"https://skemman.is/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Net metering and utility viability in the Arctic : insights from Alaska's Railbelt","abstract":"This thesis looks at how distributed solar adoption under net energy metering (NEM) could affect the financial stability of utilities in Alaska’s Railbelt. It employs a case study methodology that merges qualitative interviews with utility representatives with a risk-based financial model to simulate different NEM adoption scenarios over a 15-year period. This study uses Monte Carlo simulations to better predict estimates related to the costs and benefits of NEM for both consumer-generators and utilities. The results of the modeling indicate that high levels of NEM participation can lead to major revenue losses, especially when a large proportion of the region's customer base is capable of adoption. In extreme cases, with drastic levels of adoption, these losses exceed what utilities have historically earned through their operating margins. On the other hand, lower and mid-level adoption scenarios seem much more manageable and match better with realistic adoption expectations for the region. The results of this study prove that more accurate data collection is a necessity in terms of designing NEM framework, one that is shaped with all stakeholders in mind. This work provides a baseline for understanding the financial risks associated with NEM and solar PV adoption in Arctic and subarctic power systems.","abstract_html":"This thesis looks at how distributed solar adoption under net energy metering (NEM) could affect the financial stability of utilities in Alaska’s Railbelt. It employs a case study methodology that merges qualitative interviews with utility representatives with a risk-based financial model to simulate different NEM adoption scenarios over a 15-year period. This study uses Monte Carlo simulations to better predict estimates related to the costs and benefits of NEM for both consumer-generators and utilities. The results of the modeling indicate that high levels of NEM participation can lead to major revenue losses, especially when a large proportion of the region's customer base is capable of adoption. In extreme cases, with drastic levels of adoption, these losses exceed what utilities have historically earned through their operating margins. On the other hand, lower and mid-level adoption scenarios seem much more manageable and match better with realistic adoption expectations for the region. The results of this study prove that more accurate data collection is a necessity in terms of designing NEM framework, one that is shaped with all stakeholders in mind. This work provides a baseline for understanding the financial risks associated with NEM and solar PV adoption in Arctic and subarctic power systems.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Maren Elizabeth Peterson 2000-"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Háskólinn í Reykjavík"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-06-19T09:42:17Z","date_published":"2025-06-19T09:42:17Z","updated_at":"2026-07-27T20:36:15Z","subjects":["Meistaraprófsritgerðir","Verkfræði","Sólarorka","Norðurheimskautið","Engineering","Solar Photovoltaic","Arctic"],"languages":["en"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/1946/50986","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Háskólinn í Reykjavík"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Maren Elizabeth Peterson 2000-"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-06-19T09:42:16Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-06-19T09:42:16Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025-06-19T09:42:17Z"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Meistaraprófsritgerðir","Verkfræði","Sólarorka","Norðurheimskautið","Engineering","Solar Photovoltaic","Arctic"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/1946/50986"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This thesis looks at how distributed solar adoption under net energy metering (NEM) could affect the financial stability of utilities in Alaska’s Railbelt. It employs a case study methodology that merges qualitative interviews with utility representatives with a risk-based financial model to simulate different NEM adoption scenarios over a 15-year period. This study uses Monte Carlo simulations to better predict estimates related to the costs and benefits of NEM for both consumer-generators and utilities. The results of the modeling indicate that high levels of NEM participation can lead to major revenue losses, especially when a large proportion of the region's customer base is capable of adoption. In extreme cases, with drastic levels of adoption, these losses exceed what utilities have historically earned through their operating margins. On the other hand, lower and mid-level adoption scenarios seem much more manageable and match better with realistic adoption expectations for the region. The results of this study prove that more accurate data collection is a necessity in terms of designing NEM framework, one that is shaped with all stakeholders in mind. This work provides a baseline for understanding the financial risks associated with NEM and solar PV adoption in Arctic and subarctic power systems.","Þessi ritgerð skoðar hvernig uppsetning dreifðra sólarorkuvera þar sem smærri notendur framleiða rafmagn undir nettóorkumælingu (NEM) gæti haft áhrif á fjárhagslegan stöðugleika veitufyrirtækja á Railbelt-svæðinu í Alaska. Notast er við tilviksranns- ókn sem sameinar annarsvegar viðtöl við fulltrúa veitufyrirtækja og hinsvegar fjármálalíkan til að herma mismunandi sviðsmyndir um innleiðingu NEM yfir 15 ára tímabil. Rannsóknin nýtir Monte Carlo hermilíkan til að bæta spár varðandi kostnað og ávinning NEM fyrir bæði notendur sem framleiða eigin orku og veitufyrirtækin sjálf. Niðurstöðurnar benda til þess að hátt hlutfall þátttöku í NEM geti leitt til verulegs tekjutaps fyrir veitufyrirtæki, sérstaklega ef stór hluti viðskiptavina á svæðinu getur tekið þátt. Í tilvikum þar sem innleiðing er mjög útbreidd, fara tekjutap yfir þau rekstrarhagnaðarmörk sem veitur hafa sögulega náð. Á hinn bóginn virðast sviðsmyndir með lága eða meðal mikla þátttöku vera mun viðráðanlegri og samræmast betur raunhæfum væntingum um innleiðingu á svæðinu. Niðurstöðurnar sýna að nákvæmari gagnaöflun er nauðsynleg við hönnun á NEM-kerfum sem taka mið af hagsmunum allra hagaðila. Þessi meistararitgerð leggur grunn að því að skilja fjárhagslega áhættu sem fylgir NEM og uppsetningu sólarorkukerfa í raforkukerfum á norðlægum slóðum."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Net metering and utility viability in the Arctic : insights from Alaska's Railbelt","Nettóorkumæling og rekstarhæfi veitufyrirtækja á norðurslóðum : innsýn frá Alaska Railbelt svæðinu"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Háskólinn í Reykjavík"],"dc:creator":["Maren Elizabeth Peterson 2000-"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-06-19T09:42:16Z"],"dc:date.available":["2025-06-19T09:42:16Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-06-19T09:42:17Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This thesis looks at how distributed solar adoption under net energy metering (NEM) could affect the financial stability of utilities in Alaska’s Railbelt. It employs a case study methodology that merges qualitative interviews with utility representatives with a risk-based financial model to simulate different NEM adoption scenarios over a 15-year period. This study uses Monte Carlo simulations to better predict estimates related to the costs and benefits of NEM for both consumer-generators and utilities. The results of the modeling indicate that high levels of NEM participation can lead to major revenue losses, especially when a large proportion of the region's customer base is capable of adoption. In extreme cases, with drastic levels of adoption, these losses exceed what utilities have historically earned through their operating margins. On the other hand, lower and mid-level adoption scenarios seem much more manageable and match better with realistic adoption expectations for the region. The results of this study prove that more accurate data collection is a necessity in terms of designing NEM framework, one that is shaped with all stakeholders in mind. This work provides a baseline for understanding the financial risks associated with NEM and solar PV adoption in Arctic and subarctic power systems.","Þessi ritgerð skoðar hvernig uppsetning dreifðra sólarorkuvera þar sem smærri notendur framleiða rafmagn undir nettóorkumælingu (NEM) gæti haft áhrif á fjárhagslegan stöðugleika veitufyrirtækja á Railbelt-svæðinu í Alaska. Notast er við tilviksranns- ókn sem sameinar annarsvegar viðtöl við fulltrúa veitufyrirtækja og hinsvegar fjármálalíkan til að herma mismunandi sviðsmyndir um innleiðingu NEM yfir 15 ára tímabil. Rannsóknin nýtir Monte Carlo hermilíkan til að bæta spár varðandi kostnað og ávinning NEM fyrir bæði notendur sem framleiða eigin orku og veitufyrirtækin sjálf. Niðurstöðurnar benda til þess að hátt hlutfall þátttöku í NEM geti leitt til verulegs tekjutaps fyrir veitufyrirtæki, sérstaklega ef stór hluti viðskiptavina á svæðinu getur tekið þátt. Í tilvikum þar sem innleiðing er mjög útbreidd, fara tekjutap yfir þau rekstrarhagnaðarmörk sem veitur hafa sögulega náð. Á hinn bóginn virðast sviðsmyndir með lága eða meðal mikla þátttöku vera mun viðráðanlegri og samræmast betur raunhæfum væntingum um innleiðingu á svæðinu. Niðurstöðurnar sýna að nákvæmari gagnaöflun er nauðsynleg við hönnun á NEM-kerfum sem taka mið af hagsmunum allra hagaðila. Þessi meistararitgerð leggur grunn að því að skilja fjárhagslega áhættu sem fylgir NEM og uppsetningu sólarorkukerfa í raforkukerfum á norðlægum slóðum."],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/1946/50986"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:subject":["Meistaraprófsritgerðir","Verkfræði","Sólarorka","Norðurheimskautið","Engineering","Solar Photovoltaic","Arctic"],"dc:title":["Net metering and utility viability in the Arctic : insights from Alaska's Railbelt","Nettóorkumæling og rekstarhæfi veitufyrirtækja á norðurslóðum : innsýn frá Alaska Railbelt svæðinu"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T20:36:15Z"}