Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Improving Air Quality
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54
prices of solar panels in $/ W have been decreasing by about 10% per year
(Solar, 2018). A lot of these cost decreases are because of improved efficiency,
as well as decreased cost of production. Other cost decreases have been due
to new technological developments, such as Passivated Emitter Rear Cell
technology, which have improved conversion efficiency, with values as high
as 23.6% being reported (Sawin et al., 2018). New materials also have the
potential to lead to still lower costs. Weaver (2018) predicts that solar panel
prices will decrease from $0.37/ watt in 2017– 2018 to $0.24/ watt in 2022. That
predicted decrease follows the 10% per year formula.
A final cost consideration is that, in a growing number of locations, rooftop
solar installations also include battery storage. With battery storage, solar
energy generated during the day can be stored until it is needed. Storage
of energy is an important consideration because of the daily production
cycle for solar- generated electricity. The full cost of electricity when it is
supplied from batteries after storage should include the cost of storage. One
method for estimating this full cost of electricity has been proposed (Lai and
McCulloch, 2017). Naturally, one cost is purchasing the batteries, and also
some electricity is lost while moving it into the batteries and bringing it out
to be used – both of these factors should be included in the cost estimate. As
noted in the previous chapter, though, the prices of batteries are dropping
and this will alter the storage costs.
For some locations, there are less quantifiable costs and benefits to consider. In many countries, there are opportunities to use solar power generation to produce electricity where no grid exists. The outback in Australia
has locations where solar- generated electric stations can be constructed and
operated to serve one or more families in a small community. Africa has
many rural locations where there is presently no electrical grid, and solargenerated electricity can be installed and used effectively there (Herscowitz,
2018; Labordena, 2018; Ochieng and Abiru, 2018). There is a need to bring
electricity to many homes in Africa, and solar can do this economically and
quickly. This idea applies even down to the level of solar lanterns, which can
be put in the sun to charge batteries during the day and then used for lighting
in the evening. Solar- generated electricity is often cost effective, even at small
scale. Off- grid solar installations are already common in many remote areas
of the world where an electrical grid is not available. Because transmission
and distribution costs are about 40% of the cost of electricity (Solar, 2018),
these costs are eliminated when electricity is generated on the roof of or next
to a home.
Once the economics of solar power are favorable, where should the panels
physically be placed? Solar panels can be installed on the rooftops of buildings,
in parking lots, in deserts, over roads, and even to provide shade in parks. On
the one hand, solar panels in locations such as parks and parking lots often can
provide shade that is often beneficial. On the other hand, locations such as flat
industrial roofs are practically invisible to a casual observer on the ground and
therefore are unobtrusive and opaque changes. In California, there is a new
54
54
prices of solar panels in $/ W have been decreasing by about 10% per year
(Solar, 2018). A lot of these cost decreases are because of improved efficiency,
as well as decreased cost of production. Other cost decreases have been due
to new technological developments, such as Passivated Emitter Rear Cell
technology, which have improved conversion efficiency, with values as high
as 23.6% being reported (Sawin et al., 2018). New materials also have the
potential to lead to still lower costs. Weaver (2018) predicts that solar panel
prices will decrease from $0.37/ watt in 2017– 2018 to $0.24/ watt in 2022. That
predicted decrease follows the 10% per year formula.
A final cost consideration is that, in a growing number of locations, rooftop
solar installations also include battery storage. With battery storage, solar
energy generated during the day can be stored until it is needed. Storage
of energy is an important consideration because of the daily production
cycle for solar- generated electricity. The full cost of electricity when it is
supplied from batteries after storage should include the cost of storage. One
method for estimating this full cost of electricity has been proposed (Lai and
McCulloch, 2017). Naturally, one cost is purchasing the batteries, and also
some electricity is lost while moving it into the batteries and bringing it out
to be used – both of these factors should be included in the cost estimate. As
noted in the previous chapter, though, the prices of batteries are dropping
and this will alter the storage costs.
For some locations, there are less quantifiable costs and benefits to consider. In many countries, there are opportunities to use solar power generation to produce electricity where no grid exists. The outback in Australia
has locations where solar- generated electric stations can be constructed and
operated to serve one or more families in a small community. Africa has
many rural locations where there is presently no electrical grid, and solargenerated electricity can be installed and used effectively there (Herscowitz,
2018; Labordena, 2018; Ochieng and Abiru, 2018). There is a need to bring
electricity to many homes in Africa, and solar can do this economically and
quickly. This idea applies even down to the level of solar lanterns, which can
be put in the sun to charge batteries during the day and then used for lighting
in the evening. Solar- generated electricity is often cost effective, even at small
scale. Off- grid solar installations are already common in many remote areas
of the world where an electrical grid is not available. Because transmission
and distribution costs are about 40% of the cost of electricity (Solar, 2018),
these costs are eliminated when electricity is generated on the roof of or next
to a home.
Once the economics of solar power are favorable, where should the panels
physically be placed? Solar panels can be installed on the rooftops of buildings,
in parking lots, in deserts, over roads, and even to provide shade in parks. On
the one hand, solar panels in locations such as parks and parking lots often can
provide shade that is often beneficial. On the other hand, locations such as flat
industrial roofs are practically invisible to a casual observer on the ground and
therefore are unobtrusive and opaque changes. In California, there is a new