Solar on the rise: How cost declines and grid integration shape solar’s growth potential in the United States

Journal Article · Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2018 · MRS Energy & Sustainability

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1557/mre.2018.4· OSTI ID:1456872

Jones-Albertus, Rebecca; Cole, Wesley; Denholm, Paul; Feldman, David; Woodhouse, Michael; Margolis, Robert

During the past decade, solar power has experienced transformative price declines, enabling it to become a viable electricity source that is supplying 1% of U.S. and world electricity. Further cost reductions are expected to enable substantially greater solar deployment, and new Department of Energy cost targets for utility-scale photovoltaics (PV) and concentrating solar thermal power are $0.03/kW h and $0.05/kW h by 2030, respectively. However, cost reductions are no longer the only significant challenge for PV - addressing grid integration challenges and increasing grid flexibility are critical as the penetration of PV electricity on the grid increases. The development of low cost energy storage is particularly synergistic with low cost PV, as cost declines in each technology are expected to support greater market opportunities for the other.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-08GO28308
• OSTI ID: 1456872
• Report Number(s): NREL/JA-6A20-71800; applab
• Journal Information: MRS Energy & Sustainability, Vol. 5; ISSN 2329-2229
• Publisher: Materials Research Society - Cambridge University Press
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
photovoltaic
energy generation
energy storage
economics