Solar photovoltaic systems installed on homes and commercial building rooftops are deemed central for a low-carbon future. As capital costs of photovoltaics continue to fall, its role towards making buildings more sustainable and environmentally-friendly will continue to grow. Capital costs of a photovoltaic system comprise the module and balance-of-system costs. The latter refers to everything-else needed to make the photovoltaic system functional including cables, mounts, labor, etc. While modules are priced internationally, the balance-of-system cost is country-specific. Price developments of modules, which have been thoroughly studied in literature, followed an 80% learning curve. Research on the balance-of-system learning curve however, has not been as extensive. In this paper, we estimate for the first time the learning curve of balance-of-system costs in photovoltaics for more than 20 countries via an extensive dataset. Our calculations yield a global learning curve for the balance-of-system of 89%, which corresponds to a progress ratio of 11% compared with 20% for modules. Understanding the rate at which capital costs of photovoltaics are falling with such detail will aid in more effective renewable energy policy planning and budgeting. Finally, some steps requiring no financial commitment but can bring down balance-of-system costs are discussed, which greatly contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable future. © 2018 The Authors
Fellow Amro is an expert with over 20 years of experience in energy and technology garnered on three continents. His research… Amro is an expert with over 20 years of experience in energy and technology garnered on three continents. His research interests lie in renewable energy policy, power systems modeling, net-zero power, and hybrid microgrid design and optimization. He has led and executed several national modeling initiatives both at the distributed and utility scales. Some aspects of his research have been adopted by BP in creating their seminal annual statistical review. Amro is the author of 50+ papers and the inventor of several patents. He holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and an MBA in Finance.
Expertise
- Renewable Energy Policy
- Power Modeling
- Net-Zero Power Sector
- Hybrid Microgrid Design and Optimization
Publications See all Amro Elshurafa’s publications
Trends in Global Solar PV Installation in 2021
Solar photovoltaic systems installed on homes and commercial building rooftops are deemed central for a…
10th October 2022Cost, Footprint, and Reliability Implications of Deploying Hydrogen in Off-grid Electric Vehicle Charging Stations: A GIS-assisted Study for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Solar photovoltaic systems installed on homes and commercial building rooftops are deemed central for a…
11th September 2022
