Chapter
1. The economics of solar cells
Solar cell costs have fallen rapidly
over the past four to five years, and this has led to the technology becoming
more competitive, in turn leading to cuts in subsidies for solar photovoltaic
installations. With the cost and value of solar energy in flux, the US state of
Minnesota has recently introduced a new, transparent approach to solar pricing
that could for the benchmark for solar tariffs. The underlying capital cost of
a solar PV installation depends in part on the type of installation - with
small residential rooftop installations costing more than large utility
installations. Costs also vary from country to country, with variations
depending on a number of elements that are not intrinsically a part of the
actual solar installation. In particular, the cost of rooftop installation in
Germany is significantly lower than the same installation in the USA. It seems
likely that installation costs are widely below US$3/W. The low cost of solar
photovoltaic installations means that the cost of the electricity they produce
has also fallen. For domestic rooftop installations, this cost is now below the
cost of electricity from the grid in a number of important markets.
Chapter
2. Future market and economic prospects for solar cells
The market for solar cells has shifted
away from Europe, the main driver for the past decade, towards Asia and the
Asia Pacific region. However the market is also broadening and growth can be
expected in many parts of the world - that have previously not shown a strong
take up. This is being driven by the competitiveness of solar photovoltaic
technology - which can now compete in some areas without any subsidies. This
will come in spite of an expected stabilization of the cost of solar modules.
On one prediction, the size of the solar market, globally, will reach 100GW by
2018. Over the longer term, estimates for the amount of electricity that might
be supplied globally by solar cells varies between 0.6% and 4% by 2035. In
Europe it already supplied 3% of total electricity demand. Important regional
markets include China, Japan, the USA, Australia, and Mexico. The development
of new financial vehicles that attract private sector investment for solar
installations could help lower the cost of financing solar photovoltaic
projects, potentially leading to further cost reductions.
Key
features of this report
- Analysis of solar PV power generation technology costs
- Assessment of electricity costs for different technologies in terms of the two fundamental yardsticks used for cost comparison, capital cost and the levelized cost of electricity.
- Examination of the key solar PV power generation technologies costs.
Key
benefits from reading this report
- Realize up to date competitive intelligence through a comprehensive power cost analysis in solar PV power generation markets.
- Assess solar PV power generation costs and analysis – including capital costs, overnight costs, and levelized costs.
- Quantify capital and levelized cost trends and how these vary regionally.
Key
findings of this report
1. In March 2014, German modules were
priced at €0.68/W and Japanese/Korean modules at €0.69/W. The continued price
difference reflects a perception that Chinese modules are less robust and
reliable than their competitors, but the margin is narrowing.
2. Based on an average installation cost
for solar PV of US$3/W or US$3,000/kW, the technology had reached broad parity
in ten states.
3. The actual cost of electricity to
residential customers in the countries in the table vary from US$80/MWh in
South Korea, where solar PV has not yet reached parity, to US$390/MWh in Mexico
where parity is easily achieved.
Key
questions answered by this report
1. What are the drivers shaping and
influencing power plant development in the electricity industry?
2. What is solar PV power generation
going to cost?
3. Which solar PV power generation
technology types will be the winners and which the losers in terms of power
generated, cost and viability?
Spanning over 42 pages, “The
Future Cost of Solar PV Power: Capital costs, the levelized cost of electricity
(LCOE), economics, costs and future outlook for solar photovoltaic power
generation” report covering the Executive summary, The
economics of solar cells, Future market and economic prospects for solar cells.
Know more about this
report at
– http://mrr.cm/4wg
Find all Solar Power Reports at: http://www.marketresearchreports.com/solar-power
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