Cost-effective applications of photovoltaics
When photovoltaic (PV) cells were first developed at Bell Laboratories in the mid-1950s, their inventors envisioned widespread terrestrial use. However, PV cells were rapidly adopted for space applications, not only because of their reliability, but because they were generally the most cost- effective power sources for satellites in spite of their high cost. Concern over oil supply and price during the 1970s once again turned people`s thoughts toward the use of PV cells and other renewable energy technologies to help meet the nation`s energy demands. A partnership was developed between the federal government and private industry to drive the cost of PV technologies down to where they could compete in commercial markets. This partnership, which continues today, has been highly successful in achieving its goal. Today`s photovoltaic modules-more efficient and reliable than ever-have dropped to about 1/100th of their 1972 prices. From $500 or more per peak watt in those early days, module prices have dropped to about $5 per peak watt. Figure 1 illustrates the expansion of PV into commercial 2 effective markets as cost (and price) decreases. Once cost only in space, military, or consumer (primarily calculators and watches) applications, PV has now penetrated into both international and domestic markets. Currently cost-effective domestic uses, which are the primary subject of this paper, include applications in the residential, municipal, remote, and utility market sectors. The price of an installed PV system now ranges from $7 per watt to as high as $15 or $20 per watt, depending on factors such as the quantity purchased, size of the unit, amount of storage, and whether output is a.c. or d.c. This translates to a life-cycle energy cost of about 25 cents to 40 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh). Even at these seemingly high prices, PV technologies are gaining significant penetration into many U.S. markets.
- OSTI ID:
- 227062
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-951173-; TRN: 96:000139-0026
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 18. world energy engineering congress, Atlanta, GA (United States), 8-10 Nov 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Vision 2001: Energy & environmental engineering; PB: 638 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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