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| Tue, 30th Jun 2020 13:32:00 |
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How Have Expectations For Useful Life Of Utility-Scale PV Plants In The US Changed Over Time? |
There is good news for utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) projects: useful life expectations have increased and lifetime operating expenses (OpEx) estimates have declined. Those conclusions emerge in a new report from Berkeley Lab. Its survey of US solar industry professionals determined that, overall, the assumed useful life of PV projects now exceeds 30 years, with OpEx dropping by 50% over the last decade.
The declines in levelized cost of energy (LCOE) were predominantly caused by:
reductions in up-front expenditures
some changes in capacity factors, financing costs, and tax rates
improvements in project life
OpEx
Project life extensions and OpEx reductions have had similarly sized impacts on LCOE over this period. The authors suggest that the results may provide useful benchmarks to the solar industry, helping developers and assets owners compare their expectations for project life and OpEx with those of their peers.
The report, titled, “Benchmarking Utility-Scale PV Operational Expenses and Project Lifetimes: Results from a Survey of U.S. Solar Industry Professionals,” draws on a survey of US solar industry professionals and other sources to clarify trends in the PV industry.
Read original full article
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