Solar cells installation costs

In addition, other utiUties are installing estabUshed solar cells in a growing number of tests that may lead to a mass market. The studies may indicate the extent to which solar cells can be used to avoid installation costs for new distribution lines between conventional power plants and remote customers buildings. Also, among other objectives, PV cells may provide an economical means of helping to supply demand during peak summer periods in northern climates. 

Complete PV systems consist of modules (also referred to as panels), which contain solar cells and the so-called balance of system (BoS). The BoS mainly comprises electronic components, cabling, support structures and, if applicable, electricity storage or optics and Sun trackers (the latter for concentrator systems). The BoS costs also include labor costs for turn-key installation. 

Maintenance of a PSVE system is expected to cost 2% of the installed capital cost of the system per year. Operation and waste disposal costs are a function of concentration of contaminants and the airflow rate and will therefore vary widely (D14489S, p. 26). Once a system is installed, no utilities are generally required. If a valve and differential pressure control system are used, these could be run by solar-cell-powered batteries (D18119L, p. 384). 

A solar photovoltaic system contains, in addition to solar cells and module(s), an array structure to support the modules, power-conditioning circuitry for control and modification of the output, and a means of storing energy if required. All elements beyond the module are referred to as balance-of-system (BOS) components. The cost of BOS items is nominally about equal to the cost of the PV module. However, the BOS fractional cost contribution can vary from one- to two-thirds of the total installed cost of a system, depending on application. 

In addition, solar panel installation is becoming more efficient as are cell and panel processing. According to analysts at the now defunct Lehman Brothers, costs for rooftop solar systems are likely to fall from 7.10 per watt in 2008 to 3.45 per watt in 2015. Some roof tile manufacturers are starting to incorporate solar cells into their roofing materials. 

Flexible thin-film solar cell strips and collectors are also available. Figure 1.34 illustrates the rooftop installation of solar shingles developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). U.S. Department of Energy s NREL reported in March 2008 that their researchers created a world record in efficiency for thin-film solar cells (19.9%), nearly tieing the record for traditional photovoltaics (20.3%). Thin cells require less expensive materials to build and use less of them. This results in a substantial cost reduction. 

While there is tremendous potential for solar energy to contribute substantially to the future carbon free power needs, none of the routes listed above are currently competitive with fossil fuels from cost, reliability, and performance perspectives. Photovoltaic solar cells have been around for decades and have been widely dep loyed in space vehicles. Terrestrially, their utilization thus far has been limited to niche applications or remote locales where less expensive electricity is not available. Costs for turnkey installations were 6 10 times more expensive in 1999 for solar... 

Table 1. Benchmark (10-MW) System parameters and impact of multijunction (III-V) solar cell efficiency on a CPV utility reference system.7 High-efficiency solar cells are installed in essentially identical solar concentrator structures, and the cost per watt drops from about 6/watt to well under 2/watt while electricity costs fall below 10 cents per kWh. Higher production levels can lead to even lower levelized costs of energy (LCOE).7...

The capital cost of growing corn is very different from that of installing a field of solar cells. The comparison is therefore based on installed solar cells versus growing com. 

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