Table 1 - uploaded by Kristen Ardani
Content may be subject to copyright.
Source publication
This report benchmarks U.S. solar photovoltaic (PV) system installed costs as of the first quarter
of 2016 (Q1 2016). We use a bottom-up methodology, accounting for all system and projectdevelopment
costs incurred during the installation, to model the costs for residential,
commercial, and utility-scale systems. In general, we attempt to model the...
Context in source publication
Context 1
... Enphase (microinverters) and SolarEdge (DC power optimizers) are the leading companies offering MLPE solutions. Table 1 provides a brief comparison between traditional string inverters and MLPE. According to the California NEM database, market uptake of MLPE has been growing rapidly since 2010 in California's residential sector ( Figure 5). ...
Similar publications
Partial shading and other non-ideal conditions cause electrical mismatches that reduce the output power generated by a photovoltaic (PV) system. It affects the overall performance and efficiency of PV systems. Therefore, a model is developed in MATLAB, which analyses the performance of the PV systems under real irradiance profiles and temperatures...
Citations
... The production cost of energy determines its economic competitiveness (Ren et al. 2018b). Research shows that technological advancements tend to decrease the price of PV modules, thereby significantly reducing initial investment costs (Fu et al. 2016;Liu and Tan 2016). El-Shimy et al. (2009) presented a viability analysis of a 10 MWp grid-connected PV plant for 29 different sites in Egypt. ...
... USD 793/kW. The annual maintenance costs [USD/year] were calculated as a percentage of IC, i.e. 1% [48,49]. ...
... Addressing climate change necessitates a rapid transition to renewable energy; one path to a 29 sustainable future lies in solar energy production. Since 2010, advances in solar cell efficiency 30 have decreased the cost of utility-scale photovoltaics (PV) by 82% [1], increasing the feasibility 31 of large-scale solar power. As of 2020, solar power constituted only 3% (80 GW) of U.S. energy 32 production, but the U.S. aims to receive 45% of its energy from solar power by 2050 [2]. 5 In this paper, we study wildfire smoke's impact on baseline solar resource availability across 84 multiple temporal and spatial resolutions. ...
By 2050, the U.S. plans to increase solar energy from 3% to 45% of the nation’s electricity generation. Quantifying wildfire smoke’s impact on solar photovoltaic (PV) generation is essential to meet this goal, especially given previous studies documenting sizable PV output losses due to smoke. We quantify smoke-driven changes in baseline solar resource availability (i.e., amount of direct normal (DNI) and global horizontal (GHI) irradiance) at different spatial and temporal scales using radiative transfer model output and satellite-based smoke, aerosol, and cloud observations. State, regional, and national results show that DNI and GHI decrease as smoke frequency increases. DNI is more sensitive to smoke with sizable losses persisting downwind of fires. While large reductions in GHI–the main PV resource–are possible close to fires, mean GHI declines minimally (<5%) due to transported smoke. GHI remains a relatively stable resource across most of CONUS even in extreme fire seasons.
... In Eq. (2), capital expenditures are decomposed into (a) hardware costs (H) (which include modules, inverters, racking and mounting, cabling/wiring, safety and security, monitoring and control installation costs), (b) soft costs (SC) (which include margin, financing costs, system design, permitting, incentive application, customer acquisition costs), (c) installation costs (I 0 ) (which include mechanical installation, electrical installation, and inspection costs) [63]. Taking into account that hardware costs often account for 66% of the total CAPEX [65], in Eq. (2), soft development and installation costs are expressed as a function of hardware costs and the Capital Recovery Factor (CRF). ...
Solar photovoltaic capacities have experienced remarkable gains worldwide. The accelerated deployment of photovoltaic (PV) systems has emphasized the need for methods and tools that can assist in planning and investment decisions of utility-scale photovoltaic systems to ensure a sustainable energy transition. This study bridges the gap between research and current solar PV project evaluation practices by proposing a geographic information system (GIS)-based approach for analyzing land eligibility and performing techno-economic assessments of utility-scale photovoltaic systems. To tackle the issue of country-specific cost elements, the model incorporates a levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) breakdown often used by governmental and intergovernmental organizations. The proposed GIS-based model can assist in mapping the distribution of eligible land for utility-scale solar systems while considering exclusion constraints, estimating PV capacity and generation potentials, as well as determining the average LCOE of utility-scale solar photovoltaic systems at a spatial resolution of 100 m. The GIS-based approach is demonstrated through the case study of Poland. The model estimates that 3.61% of the total area of Poland is suitable for the installation of utility-scale solar PV systems. Implementing PV installations in these areas would result in solar capacities ranging from 394.64 to 563.77 GW. Furthermore, the findings of the case study indicate that the LCOE would range from €0.043/kWh to €0.049/kWh, with a national average of €0.045/kWh. The proposed approach can be utilized to develop national and regional strategies focused on large-scale PV installations, facilitating the attainment of renewable energy goals. The study fills a significant gap in the literature as it provides a GIS-based tool for planning the sustainable development of utility-scale PV systems at the regional scale. In addition, it is the first to comprehensively assess the capacity and generation potential of utility-scale solar photovoltaics in Poland at the NUTS-2 level.
... The area is increased to 7 m 2 to account for necessary spacing. The associated costs for installing and operating PV panels in 2022 are 1,050 €/kWp (Fu et al., 2018) and 0.042 €/kWh (Tovar-Facio et al., 2021), respectively. combining renewable hydrogen generated through water splitting using power from PV panels and/or wind turbines with the CO 2 captured through MEA solutions or the conventional DAC process. ...
... ( [1][2][3]. Despite commercial PV systems having an efficiency rate of up to 20%, this can be further reduced by various environmental factors, manufacturing issues, and installation losses [4]. In fact, the examination of relevant literature finds that up until 2008, only a few studies had been conducted on the impact of soiling on the functionality and effectiveness of photovoltaic panels, as indicated by reference [5]. ...
... A critical step towards this goal is to reduce the installation costs of PV systems [7][8][9]. Although PV module costs have dropped [10,11], PV balance of system (BOS) have not as much [4,12], particularly racking -which now makes up the majority of the costs of small systems [12,13]. For example, monocrystalline PERC (passivated emitter and rear cell) PV module prices are currently USD 0.17/W [14], so a three module system made up of 400 W modules cost USD 228 for the solar panels, while a three-module rack costs USD 535 (list price USD 635) [15] (e.g., about 200% the cost of the PV) and a three-module pole mount is selling for USD 1194 [16] (e.g., about 500% the cost of the PV). ...
... The amount of linear space a single row (L R3 ) of frame 3 modules uses can be calculated using Eq. 10. (10) Where N is the number of modules, L R1 is the conventional modules width, and L Lip is the new proposed lip length for frame 3. The row length linear penalty is calculated for frame 3 of equivalent stiffness to frame 1. ...
Using bolts through the back of a solar photovoltaic (PV) module frames to attach them to racking is time consuming and awkward, so commercial PV installations use clamping technologies on the front. Conventional and proprietary clamps are costly and demand access to supply chains for uncommon mechanical components that limits deployment velocity. To overcome these challenges, this study presents new open-source downward-fastened and side-fastened aluminum (Al) framing designs, which are easy to install and compatible with metal and wood racks. The proposed parametric open source designs are analyzed through finite element methods (FEM) simulations and economic analysis is performed to compare to conventional PV frame at both the module and system levels. The FEM results showed all the frames have acceptable mechanical reliability and stability to pass IEC 61215 standards. The results show the new frame (with bottom width of 29 mm and thickness of 1.5 mm) have about a 2% land use efficiency penalty, but have better mechanical stability (lower stress and deflections), are easier to install and have reduced material economic costs compared to conventional frames. The results are promising for the use of the new PV frame designs for distributed manufacturing targeted at specific applications.
... Life-cycle water withdrawal of energy sources on the island of Gran Canaria[52][53][54][55][56][57][58]. ...
Despite that previous research exists, there is a need for further research on the quantitative aspects of this Nexus. Existing Water-Energy-Environment Nexus management tools and frameworks are based on indicators aiming to model the whole system, analyze the involved resources, and test potential management strategies. The environmental, social, and economic consequences of actions already taken and ongoing projects require important focus because of the strong relationship between water and energy supply, and that both are key issues for society’s development and sustainability. The present research focuses on the indicators that the Water-Energy-Environment Nexus tools and frameworks use to analyze the whole problem. Existing tools often require large amounts of data, becoming a time-consuming process that lowers the capacity to evaluate the political problems of high pollutants. With the aim of accelerating time evaluation, this research builds an indicator to rapidly evaluate the Water-Energy-Environment Nexus implications of replacing fossil-based power generation systems with wind and photovoltaic renewable energy systems in the water-scarce region of the Canary Islands. This indicator allowed the rapid evaluation of storylines in a small system with well-defined boundaries. Results show that the water sustainability index improved by 6.2% in comparison to fossil-based plants, while reducing 2750 tons of CO2. Although this methodology can be easily applied in different scenarios and locations, it further development to evaluate system boundaries and to provide extensive results.
... Most debates on the market potential of renewable energy focus on its overall cost and prices per watt (W) or kilowatt (kWh) produced (see, for example, Bolinger et al., 2019;Fu et al., 2018). With respect to the balanceof-payments constraint, however, our interest is not in the total cost but in the implications of the energy transition for imports. ...
The notion of green growth emphasizes environmental and climate policies that make economic activities more sustainable while contributing to higher growth. In developing countries, the ability of such policies to help solve the most pressing economic challenges is essential for green growth to be a viable concept. Notably, current account deficits, foreign exchange shortage and external debt accumulation are serious obstacles to economic development. The analysis in this article therefore approaches green growth from a new perspective. With a focus on energy, the article estimates the impact of the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy on the balance‐of‐payments constrained growth of energy‐importing developing and emerging economies. It assumes that their current economic structure otherwise remains the same. Since renewable energy production is more efficient than fossil fuel combustion and reduces import dependence, the energy transition increases the annual balance‐of‐payments constrained growth rate of the selected countries by up to 2.5 percentage points on average in a scenario from the present until 2050. This means that policies in favour of renewable energy allow those countries to grow faster without accumulating foreign debt or even triggering currency crises. Consequently, staying with the current fossil fuel‐based energy system implies missing a significant potential for growth and development.
... The BOS includes electrical work and structural work. The BOS cost varies depending on different factors, such as the geographical place, the number of installed panels, and year [28]. It is assumed that the output of the proposed system exceeds 50 MW with a fixed-tilt category, see US PV benchmark report [28]. ...
... The BOS cost varies depending on different factors, such as the geographical place, the number of installed panels, and year [28]. It is assumed that the output of the proposed system exceeds 50 MW with a fixed-tilt category, see US PV benchmark report [28]. SAM software has a database for modules, batteries, inverters, and their features. ...
While the number of electric vehicles (EVs) on roads is growing steadily, the lack of charging points availability is a critical worldwide issue in the EVs market. In the USA, traveling within and across different states without sufficient charging points is a major concern for millions of American drivers. In this paper, an innovative solution is developed to address this issue by utilizing existing gas stations for two purposes: i) installing rooftop photovoltaic (PV) solar systems, and ii) deploying the location of these stations as charging points. First, real data has been collected from 109 stations as a sample of 4,696 total stations in New York State (NYS). Then, a comprehensive feasibility study is simulated as a case study. After that, this study is generalized to include all gas stations in NYS. The results show that all gas stations can produce 522 GWh/year and the payback period is between 2.7 and 6.9 years. Consequently, a total of 373,527 tons/year of carbon dioxide is avoidable. Four scenarios are conducted based on battery and incentive combinations. The outcomes of this study confirm that the proposed approach is feasible and yields tangible financial benefits, where the net profit income within 25 years of the program is between 1.13 and 1.39 billion dollars.
