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A comparison of the cost and financial returns for solar photovoltaic systems installed by businesses in different locations across the United States

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  • Swift, Kenton D.

Abstract

Depending on what one reads, the cost of solar photovoltaic energy systems (solar PV systems) has already reached parity with grid produced electricity or, at the other extreme is far from parity. This leaves potential end users who are considering the installation of solar PV systems confused as to whether such an investment makes economic sense. These contrasting views are not surprising for several reasons. First, many analyses of the costs and financial returns of solar PV systems ignore important factors impacting the potential costs of such systems. Second, the factors impacting costs and financial returns such as levels of solar insolation, government and utility incentives, and the cost of grid produced electricity vary dramatically based on location. Finally, the cost of solar PV systems is declining rapidly over time. This study compares the costs and financial returns of solar PV systems installed by businesses, to grid produced electricity, in four specific locations across the US for 2012. The amounts are calculated after taking into account local solar insolation, and all available tax incentives and other available incentives and rebates. The results demonstrate that costs and financial returns of solar PV systems vary dramatically depending on the location where they are installed. The differences are primarily the result of variations in state incentives, electricity prices, and the level of solar insolation. This confirms that detailed, site specific, information about incentives, grid produced electricity rates, and levels of solar insolation is needed to determine whether the installation of a solar PV system makes economic sense in a particular location.

Suggested Citation

  • Swift, Kenton D., 2013. "A comparison of the cost and financial returns for solar photovoltaic systems installed by businesses in different locations across the United States," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 137-143.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:57:y:2013:i:c:p:137-143
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2013.01.011
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    Cited by:

    1. Theodoros Anagnostopoulos & Grigorios L. Kyriakopoulos & Stamatios Ntanos & Eleni Gkika & Sofia Asonitou, 2020. "Intelligent Predictive Analytics for Sustainable Business Investment in Renewable Energy Sources," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-11, April.
    2. Jiménez-Castillo, G. & Muñoz-Rodriguez, F.J. & Rus-Casas, C. & Talavera, D.L., 2020. "A new approach based on economic profitability to sizing the photovoltaic generator in self-consumption systems without storage," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 1017-1033.
    3. Pillot, Benjamin & de Siqueira, Sandro & Dias, João Batista, 2018. "Grid parity analysis of distributed PV generation using Monte Carlo approach: The Brazilian case," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 974-988.
    4. Bakhshi, Reza & Sadeh, Javad, 2018. "Economic evaluation of grid–connected photovoltaic systems viability under a new dynamic feed–in tariff scheme: A case study in Iran," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 354-364.
    5. An, Jongbaek & Lee, Minhyun & Yeom, Seungkeun & Hong, Taehoon, 2020. "Determining the Peer-to-Peer electricity trading price and strategy for energy prosumers and consumers within a microgrid," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 261(C).
    6. Jia, Teng & Dai, Yanjun & Wang, Ruzhu, 2018. "Refining energy sources in winemaking industry by using solar energy as alternatives for fossil fuels: A review and perspective," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 88(C), pages 278-296.
    7. Kim, James Hyungkwan & Mills, Andrew D. & Wiser, Ryan & Bolinger, Mark & Gorman, Will & Crespo Montañes, Cristina & O'Shaughnessy, Eric, 2021. "Project developer options to enhance the value of solar electricity as solar and storage penetrations increase," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 304(C).
    8. Fokaides, Paris A. & Kylili, Angeliki, 2014. "Towards grid parity in insular energy systems: The case of photovoltaics (PV) in Cyprus," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 223-228.
    9. Mahelet G. Fikru & Gregory Gelles & Ana-Maria Ichim & Joseph D. Smith, 2019. "Notes on the Economics of Residential Hybrid Energy System," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-18, July.
    10. MacDougall, Hillary & Tomosk, Steve & Wright, David, 2018. "Geographic maps of the impact of government incentives on the economic viability of solar power," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 497-506.
    11. Talavera, D.L. & Pérez-Higueras, P. & Ruíz-Arias, J.A. & Fernández, E.F., 2015. "Levelised cost of electricity in high concentrated photovoltaic grid connected systems: Spatial analysis of Spain," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 49-59.
    12. Benson, Christopher L. & Magee, Christopher L., 2014. "On improvement rates for renewable energy technologies: Solar PV, wind turbines, capacitors, and batteries," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 745-751.
    13. Fikru, Mahelet G. & Gelles, Gregory & Ichim, Ana-Maria & Kimball, Jonathan W. & Smith, Joseph D. & Zawodniok, Maciej Jan, 2018. "An economic model for residential energy consumption, generation, storage and reliance on cleaner energy," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 429-438.
    14. An, Jongbaek & Hong, Taehoon & Lee, Minhyun, 2022. "Determining the optimal trading price of electricity for energy consumers and prosumers," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    15. B. T. Wittbrodt & J.M. Pearce, 2015. "Total U.S. cost evaluation of low-weight tension-based photovoltaic flat-roof mounted racking," Post-Print hal-02119670, HAL.
    16. Armendariz-Lopez, J.F. & Luna-Leon, A. & Gonzalez-Trevizo, M.E. & Arena-Granados, A.P. & Bojorquez-Morales, G., 2016. "Life cycle cost of photovoltaic technologies in commercial buildings in Baja California, Mexico," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 87(P1), pages 564-571.
    17. Pillai, Gobind G. & Putrus, Ghanim A. & Georgitsioti, Tatiani & Pearsall, Nicola M., 2014. "Near-term economic benefits from grid-connected residential PV (photovoltaic) systems," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 832-843.
    18. Lee, Minhyun & Hong, Taehoon & Koo, Choongwan, 2016. "An economic impact analysis of state solar incentives for improving financial performance of residential solar photovoltaic systems in the United States," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 590-607.
    19. Kim, Hakpyeong & Choi, Heeju & Kang, Hyuna & An, Jongbaek & Yeom, Seungkeun & Hong, Taehoon, 2021. "A systematic review of the smart energy conservation system: From smart homes to sustainable smart cities," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).
    20. Aslani, Alireza & Wong, Kau-Fui V., 2014. "Analysis of renewable energy development to power generation in the United States," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 63(C), pages 153-161.
    21. Stamatios Ntanos & Grigorios Kyriakopoulos & Miltiadis Chalikias & Garyfallos Arabatzis & Michalis Skordoulis & Spyros Galatsidas & Dimitrios Drosos, 2018. "A Social Assessment of the Usage of Renewable Energy Sources and Its Contribution to Life Quality: The Case of an Attica Urban Area in Greece," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-15, May.
    22. Yoo, Hyunji & Hong, Taehoon & Jeong, Kwangbok & Ji, Changyoon, 2018. "Estimation of the optimal government rebate for promoting the photovoltaic system in multi-family housing complexes," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 720-728.
    23. Lee, Minhyun & Hong, Taehoon & Yoo, Hyunji & Koo, Choongwan & Kim, Jimin & Jeong, Kwangbok & Jeong, Jaewook & Ji, Changyoon, 2017. "Establishment of a base price for the Solar Renewable Energy Credit (SREC) from the perspective of residents and state governments in the United States," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 1066-1080.
    24. Jägemann, Cosima & Hagspiel, Simeon & Lindenberger, Dietmar, 2013. "The Economic Inefficiency of Grid Parity: The Case of German Photovoltaics," EWI Working Papers 2013-19, Energiewirtschaftliches Institut an der Universitaet zu Koeln (EWI).

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