Analysis of photovoltaic self-consumption systems for hospitals in Southwestern Europe

[Display omitted] •The relevance of PV self-consumption to satisfy electricity demand in hospitals.•The electricity consumption curves of hospitals favour direct self-consumption.•New consumption indicator to estimate photovoltaic potential of buildings.•Self-sufficiency rates around 25-30% by using 30-50% of the roof surface.•Buildings with high CO2 emission reduction potential. A proposal is made for the energy modernization of a group of hospitals in south-western Europe, through the installation of photovoltaic self-consumption systems based on their electricity consumption patterns. For this purpose, the energy demand of these hospitals was examined in detail, self-consumption photovoltaic systems were designed with simulation software and the energy and environmental results were studied. The average annual consumption curve of the hospitals favoured the optimal exploitation of the photovoltaic systems, obtaining very high self-consumption rates. Furthermore, by using 30-50% of the roof surface, an average of 25-30% of the annual electricity demand could be covered and potentially reduce CO2 emissions. Thus, the incorporation of photovoltaic systems for self-consumption in hospitals located in a Mediterranean climate is a very interesting solution.