Realistic generation cost of solar photovoltaic electricity

Solar photovoltaic (SPV) power plants have long working life with zero fuel cost and negligible maintenance cost but requires huge initial investment. The generation cost of the solar electricity is mainly the cost of financing the initial investment. Therefore, the generation cost of solar electricity in different years depends on the method of returning the loan. Currently levelized cost based on equated payment loan is being used. The static levelized generation cost of solar electricity is compared with the current value of variable generation cost of grid electricity. This improper cost comparison is inhibiting the growth of SPV electricity by creating wrong perception that solar electricity is very expensive. In this paper a new method of loan repayment has been developed resulting in generation cost of SPV electricity that increases with time like that of grid electricity. A generalized capital recovery factor has been developed for graduated payment loan in which capital and interest payment in each installment are calculated by treating each loan installment as an independent loan for the relevant years. Generalized results have been calculated which can be used to determine the cost of SPV electricity for a given system at different places. Results show that for SPV system with specific initial investment of 5.00 $/kWh/year, loan period of 30 years and loan interest rate of 4% the levelized generation cost of SPV electricity with equated payment loan turns out to be 28.92 ¢/kWh, while the corresponding generation cost with graduated payment loan with escalation in annual installment of 8% varies from 9.51 ¢/kWh in base year to 88.63 ¢/kWh in 30th year. So, in this case, the realistic current generation cost of SPV electricity is 9.51 ¢/kWh and not 28.92 ¢/kWh. Further, with graduated payment loan, extension in loan period results in sharp decline in cost of SPV electricity in base year. Hence, a policy change is required regarding the loan repayment method. It is proposed that to arrive at realistic cost of SPV electricity long-term graduated payment loans may be given for installing SPV power plants such that the escalation in annual loan installments be equal to the estimated inflation in the price of grid electricity with loan period close to working life of SPV system.     

The impact of state policy on deployment and cost of solar photovoltaic technology in the U.S.: A sector-specific empirical analysis

Using a panel database for 27 programs in 16 U.S. states over 1998–2009, we assess the impact of 12 state-level policies on the cost and deployment of solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies for two sectors defined by system sizes: residential (<10 kW) and commercial (10−100 kW). We first examine the impact of policies on the deployment of solar PV. We show that cash incentives increase the deployment of commercial systems. We also show that interconnection standards potentially promote the deployment of residential systems, whereas property tax incentives potentially foster the deployment of commercial systems. We next examine the impact of policies on the cost of solar PV, and show that the key policies have different effects on costs. The cost of residential systems declines faster if there are cash or property tax incentives in place, whereas the presence of interconnection standards potentially accelerates the decline in commercial system costs. Further, states with a renewable portfolio standard see residential system costs potentially declining slower than states without such a policy. As solar PV is at the brink of becoming cost competitive, our findings assist regulators in fine-tuning their set of support tools.     

Electricity generation cost between proposed photovoltaic station and conventional units in Kuwait

A full analysis is shown in this paper for the cost of kWh generated from a photovoltaic station located in Kuwait. By using 21 years of weather data for Kuwait, the yearly generated energy was found by proposing the PV station capacity with known panel tilt angle. The cost of kWh generated from the PV station was compared with the kWh generated from conventional units in the country. A sensitivity analysis was done to some factors: capital cost per installed PV peak watt, discount rate, and operating peak hours, which affect the cost of kWh production from both PV and conventional units. If the PV station is proposed to be installed in Kuwait, the capital cost per PV installed peak watt must be less than today's prices.     

Reliability analysis of solar photovoltaic system using hourly mean solar radiation data

This paper presents the hourly mean solar radiation and standard deviation as inputs to simulate the solar radiation over a year. Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) technique is applied and MATLAB program is developed for reliability analysis of small isolated power system using solar photovoltaic (SPV). This paper is distributed in two parts. Firstly various solar radiation prediction methods along with hourly mean solar radiation (HMSR) method are compared. The comparison is carried on the basis of predicted electrical power generation with actual power generated by SPV system. Estimation of solar photovoltaic power using HMSR method is close to the actual power generated by SPV system. The deviation in monsoon months is due to the cloud cover. In later part of the paper various reliability indices are obtained by HMSR method using MCS technique. Load model used is IEEE-RTS. Reliability indices, additional load hours (ALH) and additional power (AP) reduces exponentially with increase in load indicates that a SPV source will offset maximum fuel when all of its generated energy is utilized. Fuel saving calculation is also investigated. Case studies are presented for Sagardeep Island in West Bengal state of India.     

Cost and sensitivity analysis for photovoltaic station in Kuwait

A full analysis is shown in this paper for the cost of kWh generated from photovoltaic station located in Kuwait. By using a 21 years weather data for Kuwait, the yearly generated energy was found by proposing the PV station capacity with known panels tilt angle. The cost of kWh generated from PV station was compared with the kWh generated from conventional units in the country. A sensitivity analysis was done to some factors; capital cost per installed PV peak watt, discount rate, and operating peak hours, which affect the cost of kWh production from both PV and conventional units. If the PV station is proposed to be installed in Kuwait, the capital cost per PV installed peak watt must be less than today's prices.     

Parametric cost analysis of photovoltaic systems

A parametric cost analysis of photovoltaic systems based on different design philosophies has been carried out. The analysis takes into account the fixed costs involved in a photovoltaic installation (such as site preparation, array foundations and structure, inversion equipment, backup capacity, etc.) the cost of concentrators at different concentration ratios ranging from unity (i.e. flat plate array) to 10³, solar cell cost-per-unit area, system efficiency, etc. Resulting parametric curves allow the determination of the cost of electricity for a given set of system constraints. They also allow one to determine the optimum concentration ratio for a given solar cell cost per unit area. The analysis confirms many of the accepted conclusions, presents them in a concise form, and, in addition, allows one to see the relationship between the various system design regimes and the sensitivity of the total cost of electricity produced to the cost of the various system components.     

利用计算机模拟太阳能光伏发电

太阳能光伏发电是利用太阳能电池这种半导体电子器件有效地吸收太阳光辐射能,并使之转换成电能的直接发电方式。开发利用太阳能这种可再生的清洁能源发电是解决能源短缺、保护环境的重要途径。本文概述了太阳能光伏发电技术的研究情况,根据传热学及相关知识建立数学模型,并运用Lab VIEW软件对该系统进行动态模拟与仿真。     

Thermodynamic analysis of solar photovoltaic cell systems

The thermodynamic characteristics of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells are investigated from a perspective based on exergy. A new efficiency is developed that is useful in studying PV performance and possible improvements. Exergy analysis is applied to a PV system and its components, and exergy flows, losses and efficiencies are evaluated. Energy efficiency is seen to vary between 7% and 12% during the day. In contrast, exergy efficiencies, which incorporate the second law of thermodynamics and account for solar irradiation exergy values, are lower for electricity generation using the considered PV system, ranging from 2% to 8%. Values of “fill factors” are determined for the system and observed to be similar to values of exergy efficiency.     

一种聚光型太阳能光伏系统的研究

讨论了多平面镜作直线布置的聚光器设计原理,给出了单镜面的面积计算方法和平面镜二维旋转角度的计算方法,并分析了在太阳能电池接收最佳光强Em可获得最佳发电量控制策略要求。实验采用9平面镜构成抛物面聚光器,太阳能电池接收光源达到额定光强的5倍左右,在太阳能电池标准配置下很大地提高了光伏系统的输出功率。     

Network analysis of fault-tolerant solar photovoltaic arrays

Large solar photovoltaic array networks have been investigated to find a configuration that is comparatively less susceptible to electrical mismatches due to manufacturer's tolerances in solar cell characteristics and shadow problems. Three network configurations have been selected for comparison: series-parallel, total-crossed-tied and bridge-linked. Explicit mathematical analysis based on randomly generated parameters of solar cell characteristics is presented. Series resistance of the constituent cells has been taken into account. The computational schemes for the array configurations of arbitrary size have been developed and implemented in numerical algorithms and computer programs. The illustrative numerical computations have shown that the bridge-linked array interconnection network under most conditions is superior to and never worse than the total-cross-tied and significantly superior to the series-parallel network in its fault-tolerance due to shadow effects and manufacturer's tolerances in cell characteristics.     

Effective solar radiation based benefit and cost analyses for solar water heater development in Taiwan

To reduce greenhouse gases emissions, promoting solar water heaters (SWHs) has become an essential national policy in Taiwan. To implement this policy effectively, the applicability of SWHs in different regions must be analyzed. Previous studies generally performed SWH benefit-cost analyses based on total annual solar radiation; however, this method may overestimate energy production benefits because, for an SWH, the solar energy captured today cannot be preserved. Therefore, this study proposes the concept of effective solar radiation (ESR), which is based on potential heat output estimated using tap water temperature and solar radiation in each region. The benefits of SWHs are then assessed based on the number of effective days and ESR, instead of using total annual solar radiation. A procedure is established to evaluate the applicability of SWHs in each region based on proposed benefit-cost analyses. Possible outcomes of a national SWH program are estimated. The sensitivities of essential factors, including collector efficiency, installation cost, and discount rate, are also analyzed. Analytical results show that the ratios of ESR to total annual solar radiation for regions in Taiwan are about 82-89%. The payback periods vary at 6-15 years for different regions and heater types being replaced. The national program is expected to reduce greenhouse gases emissions by approximately 150,000 tons eCO₂ annually.     

太阳能光伏冰箱技术的应用分析

文章结合太阳能制冷技术的特点,指出了太阳能光伏冰箱研发的重要性,并对太阳能光伏冰箱系统的基本组成及工作原理进行了介绍;进而,分别从光伏转换效率和优化设计两个方面,对太阳能光伏冰箱系统的实际应用中存在的关键问题进行了分析。最后,结合太阳能光伏冰箱技术的研究现状和当前太阳能电池的生产成本变化,指出了太阳能光伏冰箱技术应用的市场前景广阔。     

The Indian solar photovoltaic industry: a life cycle analysis

This paper applies the product life cycle framework to analyze the impact of global trends on the Indian photovoltaic industry. The author believes that consolidation in the Indian industry simultaneous with exploiting its comparative advantage of flexible and low cost production techniques would help it stand on its own feet beyond the protectionist subsidy era. Service provision and financing are likely to represent significant revenue opportunities while dwindling margins on module manufacture would expedite formation of vertically integrated energy service delivery chains.     

Development process of solar photovoltaic system cooling technology

光伏系统在运行时,冷却太阳能光伏电池板使其达到更高的效率是一个关键因素。适当的冷却可以提高电力效率,并随着时间的推移降低电池退化的速度,从而使光伏组件的寿命最大化。综述了传统冷却技术中自然循环对流冷却、强制对流循环冷却和液冷技术,新型冷却技术浮动跟踪集中冷却系统、混合PV/T系统冷却、混合PV/TE系统采用散热器冷却以及通过使用相变材料来提高太阳能光伏电池板的性能。根据研究的重点、贡献和实际应用分析各技术的优缺点、适合应用的领域及各自技术的经济特点。未来的技术发展方向应是无论选择何种技术来冷却光伏板,都应该保持工作表面温度较低且稳定、简单可靠、能够利用提取的热能来提高整体的转换效率。     

Economic analysis of photovoltaic-powered solar domestic hot water systems in Kuwait

The present paper first presents a comparison between the photovoltaic four-parameter and five-parameter models. The comparison was performed using polycrystalline and amorphous silicon solar cells. The results showed that the four-parameter model can accurately determine the I–V characteristics of single- and polycrystalline solar cells. On the other hand, the five-parameter model can be used to accurately determine the I–V characteristics of amorphous solar cells in addition to its capability of predicting the I–V characteristics of single- and polycrystalline solar cells.Secondly, the economic feasibility of photovoltaic-powered solar water heating systems in Kuwait has been examined. The system includes photovoltaic arrays instead of solar collectors used in common solar water heating systems. The five-parameter model was used to simulate the performance of amorphous silicon modules used with the photovoltaic-powered solar water heating systems. Oil prices in the range of US$20–30 per barrel were studied. At the current prices of photovoltaic modules and a low oil price, photovoltaic-powered solar water heating systems were found to be economical. On the other hand, assuming a low oil price, the price of photovoltaic modules should be reduced to 50% of their current prices to make photovoltaic-powered solar water heating systems feasible in the Kuwaiti climate.     

Light-splitting photovoltaic system utilizing two dual-junction solar cells

There are many difficulties limiting the further development of monolithic multi-junction solar cells, such as the growth of lattice-mismatched material and the current matching constraint. As an alternative approach, the light-splitting photovoltaic system is investigated intensively in different aspects, including the energy loss mechanism and the choice of energy bandgaps of solar cells. Based on the investigation, a two-dual junction system has been implemented employing lattice-matched GaInP/GaAs and InGaAsP/InGaAs cells grown epitaxially on GaAs and InP substrates, respectively.     

Experimental study and analysis on novel thermo-electric cooler driven by solar photovoltaic system

Experimental study and analysis on thermoelectric cooler driven by solar photovoltaic system has been carried out. Here the research attention is on testing of system performance under solar insolation. Experimental results revealed that unit could maintain the temperature in the cooler at 10–15°C and have a coefficient of performance (COP) of about 0.34. Analysis of thermoelectric cooling system has been conducted on the basis of COP, cooling capacity and environmental issues. Further investigations verified that the performance of the system is a function of solar insolation rate and temperature difference of hot and cold sides of thermoelectric module etc. There subsist most favorable solar insolation rate which allows COP and cooling production to be maximum value respectively. It is anticipated that the cooler would have prospective for cold storage of vaccine, food and drink in remote and rural areas or outdoor conditions where electricity is not available.     

The cost of photovoltaic cells in South Africa

The current and future costs of electricity produced by photovoltaic cells are estimated and compared with the price of electricity produced by the Electricity Supply Commission (ESCOM) of South Africa. The results indicate that electricity provided by photovoltaic cells is currently at least 13 to 35 times more expensive than electricity provided by the grid and that, despite the expected reduction in their price, photovoltaic cells would not be able to compete with the grid in the year 2000.     

户用可再生能源发电系统成本效益研究

对在无电地区推广的离网型户用可再生能源发电系统的供电成本、经济效益和能源环境效益进行了定量分析，对于解决无电地区的用电问题，为各级政府在技术方案选择上提供可靠的决策支持。     

风光互补发电系统中光伏方阵最佳倾角的计算方法

介绍一种计算风光互补发电系统中光伏方阵的最佳倾角的方法。用最小二乘法确定光伏方阵的最佳倾角:先计算出倾角β下各月倾斜面上的太阳能方阵发电量与风机发电量之和,然后减去各月负载耗电量的差,再求出一年内上述差值的平方和,能使得此平方和取得最小值的倾角即为方阵最佳倾角β。根据此方法确定出的最佳倾角可以使太阳能和风机发电量相对不足的月份的发电量尽量接近负载需求量,同时又可以解决有的月份风光发电量远大于负载需求,造成极大浪费的问题。