What are the different types of PV systems costs?

There are two general categories of PV systems costs: capital costs and operation and management (O&M) costs. Each plays a significant role in the overall economics of the system. Capital costs, often referred to as upfront costs, are the expenses incurred during the acquisition and installation of the PV system. These include:

Are solar panels a good investment?

Solar panels are becoming increasingly popular additions to many homes as energy costs rise. You can install just enough watts to offset some of your costs or enough to cover all your needs with enough to sell back to the system. There are multiple configurations depending on your needs and desires.

What is PV system cost model (pvscm)?

The total cost over the service life of the system is amortized to give a levelized cost per year. In the PV System Cost Model (PVSCM), the owner’s overnight capital expense (cash cost) for an installed PV system is divided into eight categories, which are the same for the utility-scale, commercial, and residential PV market segments:

What is NREL's PV cost benchmarking work?

NREL analyzes the total costs associated with installing photovoltaic (PV) systems for residential rooftop, commercial rooftop, and utility-scale ground-mount systems. This work has grown to include cost models for solar-plus-storage systems. NREL's PV cost benchmarking work uses a bottom-up approach.

What are the different types of installation costs?

Installation and Labor: The cost of professional installation, which can vary based on location, system complexity, and the installer’s rates. Capital costs are categorized into hard costs and soft costs. Hard costs are the costs of the equipment, including modules, inverters, and BOS components, as well as installation-related labor.

How do market analysts evaluate the cost of PV systems?

Market analysts routinely monitor and report the average cost of PV systems and components, but more detail is needed to understand the impact of recent and future technology developments on cost. Consequently, benchmark systems in the utility-scale, commercial, and residential PV market sectors are evaluated each year.