Budget table for photovoltaic energy storage power generation equipment

What are solar energy cost benchmarks?

These benchmarks help measure progress toward goals for reducing solar electricity costs and guide SETO research and development programs. Read more to find out how these cost benchmarks are modeled and download the data and cost modeling program below.

What are the costs of energy generation?

These expenses may include water consumption, waste and wastewater discharge, chemicals such as selective catalytic reduction ammonia, and consumables including lubricants and calibration gas. Because these costs are generation dependent, the values are levelized by the cost per unit of energy generation and presented in $/MWh.

Is there a weighted average cost for wind and solar PV?

To reflect this difference, we report a weighted average cost for both wind and solar PV, based on the regional cost factors assumed for these technologies in AEO2023 and the actual regional distribution of the builds that occurred in 2021 (Table 1).

How much power does an AC-coupled PV system use?

The AC-coupled system assumes a DC/AC ratio of 1.4, resulting in a DC size of 210 MW. AC-coupled systems are typically built at a higher DC/AC ratio than standalone PV to maximize the amount of available energy to charge the battery energy storage system (BESS) without sacrificing PV output while the BESS is charging or idle.