Detailed cost estimate of reference residential photovoltaic designs
Abstract
This report presents estimated installation costs for four reference residential photovoltaic designs. Installation cost estimates ranged from $1.28 to $2.12/W/sub p/ for arrays installed by union labor (4.1 to 6.07 kW/sub p/-systems), and from $1.22 to $1.83 W/sub p/ for non-union installations. Standoff mounting was found to increase costs from $1.63/W/sub p/ to $2.12/W/sub p/ for a representative case, whereas 25 kWh of battery storage capacity increased installation costs from $1.44/W/sub p/ to $2.08/W/sub p/. Overall system costs (union-based were $6000 to $7000 for a 4.1 kW array in the northeast, to approx. $9000 for a 6.07 kW/sub p/ array in the southwest. This range of installation costs, approx. $1 to $2/W/sub p/ (in 1980 dollars), is representative of current installation costs for residential PV systems. Any future cost reductions are likely to be small and can be accomplished only by optimization of mounting techniques, module efficiencies, and module reliability in toto.
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- E/E '2000 Engineering, Inc., Albuquerque, NM (USA); Uhl and Lopez Engineers, Inc., Albuquerque, NM (USA); Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 5877686
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-83-0504
ON: DE83016780
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- Resource Type:
- Technical Report
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY AND ECONOMY; PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER SUPPLIES; COST ESTIMATION; RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS; CALIFORNIA; DESIGN; FLORIDA; LABOR; MASSACHUSETTS; MATERIALS; NEW MEXICO; NEW YORK; NORTH CAROLINA; BUILDINGS; ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT; FEDERAL REGION I; FEDERAL REGION II; FEDERAL REGION IV; FEDERAL REGION IX; FEDERAL REGION VI; NORTH AMERICA; POWER SUPPLIES; SOLAR EQUIPMENT; USA; 140600* - Solar Energy- Photovoltaic Power Systems; 140300 - Solar Energy- Economic, Industrial, & Business Aspects; 299001 - Energy Planning & Policy- Solar- (1989-)
Citation Formats
Palmer, R S, Penasa, D A, and Thomas, M G. Detailed cost estimate of reference residential photovoltaic designs. United States: N. p., 1983.
Web. doi:10.2172/5877686.
Palmer, R S, Penasa, D A, & Thomas, M G. Detailed cost estimate of reference residential photovoltaic designs. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/5877686
Palmer, R S, Penasa, D A, and Thomas, M G. 1983.
"Detailed cost estimate of reference residential photovoltaic designs". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/5877686. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/5877686.
@article{osti_5877686,
title = {Detailed cost estimate of reference residential photovoltaic designs},
author = {Palmer, R S and Penasa, D A and Thomas, M G},
abstractNote = {This report presents estimated installation costs for four reference residential photovoltaic designs. Installation cost estimates ranged from $1.28 to $2.12/W/sub p/ for arrays installed by union labor (4.1 to 6.07 kW/sub p/-systems), and from $1.22 to $1.83 W/sub p/ for non-union installations. Standoff mounting was found to increase costs from $1.63/W/sub p/ to $2.12/W/sub p/ for a representative case, whereas 25 kWh of battery storage capacity increased installation costs from $1.44/W/sub p/ to $2.08/W/sub p/. Overall system costs (union-based were $6000 to $7000 for a 4.1 kW array in the northeast, to approx. $9000 for a 6.07 kW/sub p/ array in the southwest. This range of installation costs, approx. $1 to $2/W/sub p/ (in 1980 dollars), is representative of current installation costs for residential PV systems. Any future cost reductions are likely to be small and can be accomplished only by optimization of mounting techniques, module efficiencies, and module reliability in toto.},
doi = {10.2172/5877686},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5877686},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1983},
month = {Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 EST 1983}
}