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Price of solar energy in the United States has fallen to 5c/kWh on average

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  Price of solar energy in the United States has fallen to 5c/kWh on average Sam Wormley <swormley1@gmail.com> - 2015-09-30 21:08 -0500
    Re: Price of solar energy in the United States has fallen to 5c/kWh on average jimp@specsol.spam.sux.com - 2015-10-01 03:00 +0000
      Re: Price of solar energy in the United States has fallen to 5c/kWh on average "reber g=emc^2" <herbertglazier0@gmail.com> - 2015-10-01 11:58 -0700
    Re: Price of solar energy in the United States has fallen to 5c/kWh on average "nuny@bid.nes" <Alien8752@gmail.com> - 2015-10-01 14:06 -0700
      Re: Price of solar energy in the United States has fallen to 5c/kWh on average jimp@specsol.spam.sux.com - 2015-10-01 21:41 +0000
    Re: Price of solar energy in the United States has fallen to 5c/kWh on average Double-A <double-a3@hush.com> - 2015-10-01 14:58 -0700
    Re: Price of solar energy in the United States has fallen to 5c/kWh on average sunpowercalifornia@gmail.com - 2015-10-15 02:49 -0700

#524041 — Price of solar energy in the United States has fallen to 5c/kWh on average

Price of solar energy in the United States has fallen to 5c/kWh on average
> http://phys.org/news/2015-09-price-solar-energy-states-fallen.html


> Solar energy pricing is at an all-time low, according to a new report
> released by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab).
> Driven by lower installed costs, improved project performance, and a
> race to build projects ahead of a reduction in a key federal
> incentive, utility-scale solar project developers have been
> negotiating power sales agreements with utilities at prices averaging
> just 5¢/kWh. These prices reflect receipt of the 30% federal
> investment tax credit, which is scheduled to decline to 10% after
> 2016, and would be higher if not for that incentive. By comparison,
> average wholesale electricity prices across the United States ranged
> from 3 to 6 cents/kWh in 2014, depending on the region.
>
> Key findings from Berkeley Lab's latest "Utility-Scale Solar" report
> - which each year draws upon large volumes of empirical data to
> identify key trends in project costs, performance, and pricing among
> ground-mounted solar projects larger than 5 megawatts (MW) - include
> the following:
>

> Installed project costs have fallen by more than 50% since 2009.
> Median up-front project costs have dropped from around $6.3/W in 2009
> to $3.1/W for projects completed in 2014. Some projects built in 2014
> were priced as low as $2/W, and the 20th percentile of the sample
> declined sharply from $3.2/W in 2013 to $2.3/W in 2014. (All numbers
> are reported in AC watts and 2014 dollars.)

> Newer solar projects generate electricity more efficiently. Projects
> completed in 2013 performed at an average capacity factor of 29.4%
> (in AC terms) in 2014 - a notable improvement over the 26.3% and
> 24.5% average 2014 capacity factors realized by projects built in
> 2012 and 2011, respectively. This improvement among more-recent
> project vintages is due to a combination of several trends: newer
> projects have been sited in better solar resource areas on average,
> and have increasingly oversized the solar collector field and/or
> employed tracking technology to increase energy capture.

> Solar power purchase agreement prices have fallen to new lows, making
> solar an increasingly cost-competitive option for utilities. The
> improvements in up-front installed costs and capacity factors
> mentioned above have helped to drive power purchase agreement (PPA)
> prices to new lows, with PPAs now regularly being signed at prices of
> 5 cents/kWh or less. Particularly in the Southwest where the solar
> resource is strongest, there appears to be a deep market at these low
> prices, as evidenced by several recent utility solicitations for
> solar energy that have been heavily oversubscribed, with many of the
> unsuccessful projects offering prices similar to the winning
> projects. Declining PPA prices have also made utility-scale solar
> increasingly competitive outside of the traditional stronghold of the
> Southwest, with recent contract announcements in states like Arkansas
> (at ~5 cents/kWh) and Alabama (at ~6 cents/kWh) that have not
> previously seen much solar development.

> A strong pipeline of projects under development reflects
> utility-scale solar's increasing competitiveness. There were nearly
> 45,000 MW of solar capacity making their way through various
> interconnection queues across the country at the end of 2014 - more
> than five times the installed capacity base at the time. In another
> sign of a broadening market, much of the new solar capacity that
> entered these queues in 2014 is located in regions outside of
> California and the Southwest, such as Texas and the Southeast. Though
> not all of the capacity in these queues will ultimately be built,
> presumably most of those projects that are able to proceed will try
> to reach commercial operation prior to 2017, when the 30% federal
> investment tax credit is scheduled to decline to 10%. This looming
> deadline suggests a frenzied pace of construction over the next 15
> months - as well as a wealth of new data to analyze in future
> editions of this report.




-- 

sci.physics is an unmoderated newsgroup dedicated
to the discussion of physics, news from the physics
community, and physics-related social issues.

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#524053

Sam Wormley <swormley1@gmail.com> wrote:
> Price of solar energy in the United States has fallen to 5c/kWh on average

If you neglect total life time costs, spamming shit head.

Every now and then I price out solar systems to see if they will pay
back in my lifetime.

So far nothing less than 20 years and that is with a local cost of
roughly $0.27/kWh, spamming shit head.


-- 
Jim Pennino

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#524103

On Wednesday, September 30, 2015 at 8:01:08 PM UTC-7, ji...@specsol.spam.sux.com wrote:
> Sam Wormley <swormley1@gmail.com> wrote:
> > Price of solar energy in the United States has fallen to 5c/kWh on average
> 
> If you neglect total life time costs, spamming shit head.
> 
> Every now and then I price out solar systems to see if they will pay
> back in my lifetime.
> 
> So far nothing less than 20 years and that is with a local cost of
> roughly $0.27/kWh, spamming shit head.
> 
> 
> -- 
> Jim Pennino

The USA + Progress Energy will put a stop to solar energy.Its happening as I type.  TreBert

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#524129

On Wednesday, September 30, 2015 at 7:08:34 PM UTC-7, Sam Wormley wrote:
> Price of solar energy in the United States has fallen to 5c/kWh on average
> > http://phys.org/news/2015-09-price-solar-energy-states-fallen.html

  Great- it will cost less than this estimate to drought-proof California forever:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/07/31/how_much_of_one_years_californian_energy_use_would_wipe_out_the_drought/

  What's California waiting for?


  Mark L. Fergerson

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#524142

nuny@bid.nes <Alien8752@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Wednesday, September 30, 2015 at 7:08:34 PM UTC-7, Sam Wormley wrote:
>> Price of solar energy in the United States has fallen to 5c/kWh on average
>> > http://phys.org/news/2015-09-price-solar-energy-states-fallen.html
> 
>   Great- it will cost less than this estimate to drought-proof California forever:
> 
> http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/07/31/how_much_of_one_years_californian_energy_use_would_wipe_out_the_drought/
> 
>   What's California waiting for?

With respect to what?

Solar energy has been pushed for decades in California.

-- 
Jim Pennino

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#524146

On Wednesday, September 30, 2015 at 7:08:34 PM UTC-7, Sam Wormley wrote:
> Price of solar energy in the United States has fallen to 5c/kWh on average
> > http://phys.org/news/2015-09-price-solar-energy-states-fallen.html
> 
> 
> > Solar energy pricing is at an all-time low, according to a new report
> > released by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab).
> > Driven by lower installed costs, improved project performance, and a
> > race to build projects ahead of a reduction in a key federal
> > incentive, utility-scale solar project developers have been
> > negotiating power sales agreements with utilities at prices averaging
> > just 5¢/kWh. These prices reflect receipt of the 30% federal
> > investment tax credit, which is scheduled to decline to 10% after
> > 2016, and would be higher if not for that incentive. By comparison,
> > average wholesale electricity prices across the United States ranged
> > from 3 to 6 cents/kWh in 2014, depending on the region.
> >
> > Key findings from Berkeley Lab's latest "Utility-Scale Solar" report
> > - which each year draws upon large volumes of empirical data to
> > identify key trends in project costs, performance, and pricing among
> > ground-mounted solar projects larger than 5 megawatts (MW) - include
> > the following:
> >
> 
> > Installed project costs have fallen by more than 50% since 2009.
> > Median up-front project costs have dropped from around $6.3/W in 2009
> > to $3.1/W for projects completed in 2014. Some projects built in 2014
> > were priced as low as $2/W, and the 20th percentile of the sample
> > declined sharply from $3.2/W in 2013 to $2.3/W in 2014. (All numbers
> > are reported in AC watts and 2014 dollars.)
> 
> > Newer solar projects generate electricity more efficiently. Projects
> > completed in 2013 performed at an average capacity factor of 29.4%
> > (in AC terms) in 2014 - a notable improvement over the 26.3% and
> > 24.5% average 2014 capacity factors realized by projects built in
> > 2012 and 2011, respectively. This improvement among more-recent
> > project vintages is due to a combination of several trends: newer
> > projects have been sited in better solar resource areas on average,
> > and have increasingly oversized the solar collector field and/or
> > employed tracking technology to increase energy capture.
> 
> > Solar power purchase agreement prices have fallen to new lows, making
> > solar an increasingly cost-competitive option for utilities. The
> > improvements in up-front installed costs and capacity factors
> > mentioned above have helped to drive power purchase agreement (PPA)
> > prices to new lows, with PPAs now regularly being signed at prices of
> > 5 cents/kWh or less. Particularly in the Southwest where the solar
> > resource is strongest, there appears to be a deep market at these low
> > prices, as evidenced by several recent utility solicitations for
> > solar energy that have been heavily oversubscribed, with many of the
> > unsuccessful projects offering prices similar to the winning
> > projects. Declining PPA prices have also made utility-scale solar
> > increasingly competitive outside of the traditional stronghold of the
> > Southwest, with recent contract announcements in states like Arkansas
> > (at ~5 cents/kWh) and Alabama (at ~6 cents/kWh) that have not
> > previously seen much solar development.
> 
> > A strong pipeline of projects under development reflects
> > utility-scale solar's increasing competitiveness. There were nearly
> > 45,000 MW of solar capacity making their way through various
> > interconnection queues across the country at the end of 2014 - more
> > than five times the installed capacity base at the time. In another
> > sign of a broadening market, much of the new solar capacity that
> > entered these queues in 2014 is located in regions outside of
> > California and the Southwest, such as Texas and the Southeast. Though
> > not all of the capacity in these queues will ultimately be built,
> > presumably most of those projects that are able to proceed will try
> > to reach commercial operation prior to 2017, when the 30% federal
> > investment tax credit is scheduled to decline to 10%. This looming
> > deadline suggests a frenzied pace of construction over the next 15
> > months - as well as a wealth of new data to analyze in future
> > editions of this report.
> 


I just paid my electric bill.  They are constantly pithcing greener energy for a little extra charge.  Why on Earth would I want to pay more than I have too?  As far as I'm concerned, hydropower is green enought!

Double-A

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#526249

Find out how much you can save with solar.  Is solar right for your home? Enter your U.S. address and we'll estimate your home's solar cost savings potential.  Check on http://us.sunpower.com/home-solar/residential-solar-power-system-cost/



On Thursday, October 1, 2015 at 7:38:34 AM UTC+5:30, Sam Wormley wrote:
> Price of solar energy in the United States has fallen to 5c/kWh on average
> > http://phys.org/news/2015-09-price-solar-energy-states-fallen.html
> 
> 
> > Solar energy pricing is at an all-time low, according to a new report
> > released by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab).
> > Driven by lower installed costs, improved project performance, and a
> > race to build projects ahead of a reduction in a key federal
> > incentive, utility-scale solar project developers have been
> > negotiating power sales agreements with utilities at prices averaging
> > just 5¢/kWh. These prices reflect receipt of the 30% federal
> > investment tax credit, which is scheduled to decline to 10% after
> > 2016, and would be higher if not for that incentive. By comparison,
> > average wholesale electricity prices across the United States ranged
> > from 3 to 6 cents/kWh in 2014, depending on the region.
> >
> > Key findings from Berkeley Lab's latest "Utility-Scale Solar" report
> > - which each year draws upon large volumes of empirical data to
> > identify key trends in project costs, performance, and pricing among
> > ground-mounted solar projects larger than 5 megawatts (MW) - include
> > the following:
> >
> 
> > Installed project costs have fallen by more than 50% since 2009.
> > Median up-front project costs have dropped from around $6.3/W in 2009
> > to $3.1/W for projects completed in 2014. Some projects built in 2014
> > were priced as low as $2/W, and the 20th percentile of the sample
> > declined sharply from $3.2/W in 2013 to $2.3/W in 2014. (All numbers
> > are reported in AC watts and 2014 dollars.)
> 
> > Newer solar projects generate electricity more efficiently. Projects
> > completed in 2013 performed at an average capacity factor of 29.4%
> > (in AC terms) in 2014 - a notable improvement over the 26.3% and
> > 24.5% average 2014 capacity factors realized by projects built in
> > 2012 and 2011, respectively. This improvement among more-recent
> > project vintages is due to a combination of several trends: newer
> > projects have been sited in better solar resource areas on average,
> > and have increasingly oversized the solar collector field and/or
> > employed tracking technology to increase energy capture.
> 
> > Solar power purchase agreement prices have fallen to new lows, making
> > solar an increasingly cost-competitive option for utilities. The
> > improvements in up-front installed costs and capacity factors
> > mentioned above have helped to drive power purchase agreement (PPA)
> > prices to new lows, with PPAs now regularly being signed at prices of
> > 5 cents/kWh or less. Particularly in the Southwest where the solar
> > resource is strongest, there appears to be a deep market at these low
> > prices, as evidenced by several recent utility solicitations for
> > solar energy that have been heavily oversubscribed, with many of the
> > unsuccessful projects offering prices similar to the winning
> > projects. Declining PPA prices have also made utility-scale solar
> > increasingly competitive outside of the traditional stronghold of the
> > Southwest, with recent contract announcements in states like Arkansas
> > (at ~5 cents/kWh) and Alabama (at ~6 cents/kWh) that have not
> > previously seen much solar development.
> 
> > A strong pipeline of projects under development reflects
> > utility-scale solar's increasing competitiveness. There were nearly
> > 45,000 MW of solar capacity making their way through various
> > interconnection queues across the country at the end of 2014 - more
> > than five times the installed capacity base at the time. In another
> > sign of a broadening market, much of the new solar capacity that
> > entered these queues in 2014 is located in regions outside of
> > California and the Southwest, such as Texas and the Southeast. Though
> > not all of the capacity in these queues will ultimately be built,
> > presumably most of those projects that are able to proceed will try
> > to reach commercial operation prior to 2017, when the 30% federal
> > investment tax credit is scheduled to decline to 10%. This looming
> > deadline suggests a frenzied pace of construction over the next 15
> > months - as well as a wealth of new data to analyze in future
> > editions of this report.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> 
> sci.physics is an unmoderated newsgroup dedicated
> to the discussion of physics, news from the physics
> community, and physics-related social issues.

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