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Bringing down system costs is a significant concern for PV industry participants. Though the price of a PV module, at approximately half the system cost, remains of major importance, the cost of BOS (balance-of-systems) components can not be divorced from this discussion, nor can the cost of component failure be left for the end user to sort out. Customer dissatisfaction also has a cost, and though dissatisfaction with system performance can often be attributed to the failure of a BOS component, the solar electric industry pays the price for the frustration that comes with the failure of an expensive purchase.
This report provides a discussion and overview of grid-connected BOS along with an analysis of real grid-connected system prices broken out by system size that is useful for strategic planning purposes on several levels. An overview of grid-connected residential and commercial markets along with short forecast is provided. System prices, based on U.S. data, are forecast through 2007. State databases and primary survey effort were used to prepare the information in this chapter. Over 20,000 data points, using a combination of these sources, were examined in the analysis. The system information examined in this chapter is particular to grid-connected systems. Specifically, grid-connected system prices in California and New Jersey were assessed, though, information was gathered from members of the distribution channel throughout the United States, and in Europe, particularly Germany. However, the focus of this section is grid-connected system prices in the United States. Information
from Europe is anecdotal. For the purpose of the analysis, systems have been broken into the following categories:
- <5-kWp
- 5-10-kWp
- 10-25-kWp
- 30-50-kWp
- 50-75-kWp
- 75-100-kWp
- 100-500-kWp
- 500+-kWp
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
- 1.1 Purpose and Scope
- 1.2 Methodology
2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- 2.1 Residential and Commercial Grid-Connected Market Overview
- 2.1.1 The Residential Grid-Connected Application
- 2.1.2 The Commercial Grid-Connected Application
- 2.2 BOS Component Overview
- 2.2.1 Battery Technology Overview
- 2.2.2 Inverter Overview
- 2.2.3 Miscellaneous System Hardware
- 2.3 Grid-Connected PV System Prices
3. RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL MARKET OVERVIEW
- 3.1 Residential Application Analysis
- 3.1.1 Selling Channel Analysis
- 3.1.2 Residential Application Growth Analysis
- 3.2 Commercial Application Analysis
- 3.2.1 Selling Channel Analysis
- 3.2.2 Commercial Application Growth Analysis
4. BOS COMPONENT OVERVIEW
- 4.1 Batteries
- 4.1.1 Battery Technology Overview
- 4.1.2 Battery Suppliers
- 4.2 Inverters
- 4.2.1 Inverter Technology Overview
- 4.2.2 Inverter Manufacturers
- 4.3 Mounting Systems
- 4.3.1 Trackers
- 4.3.2 Nontracking PV Mounting
- 4.4 Wires, Connections, Switches, and Meters
5. PV SYSTEM PRICES: A LOOK AT THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE
- 5.1 Overview
- 5.2 Systems 0-5 kWp
- 5.3 Systems 5 kWp to 10 kWp
- 5.4 Systems 10 kWp to 30 kWp
- 5.5 Larger Systems, >30 kWp
- 5.6 System Prices: What Does the Future Hold?
LIST OF FIGURES
- 2.1 Residential Application Growth Forecast - Business as Usual and Accelerated, 2004-2010
- 2.2 Commercial Application Growth Forecast - Business as Usual and Accelerated, 2004-2010
- 2.3 Percentage Breakdown of Inverter Problems
- 2.4 System Price Forecast - Systems Less than 30 kWp, 2000-2007
- 3.1 Grid-Connected Residential and Commercial Application Growth - Business as Usual Forecast, 2004-2010
- 3.2 Residential Application Growth Forecast - Business as Usual and Accelerated, 2004-2010
- 3.3 Commercial Application Growth Forecast - Business as Usual and Accelerated, 2004-2010
- 4.1 Grid-Connected System Schematic
- 4.2 Diagram of Batteries in Series and in Parallel
- 4.3 Percentage Breakdown of Inverter Problems
- 4.4 Inverter Waveform
- 4.5 Inverter Manufacturer Preference - Europe and the U.S.
- 5.1 Trends in California Grid-Connected Average System Pricing, 2000-2004
- 5.2 Price History and Forecast - Power Modules and Commodity Modules, 1976-2010
- 5.3 System Price Forecast - Systems Under 30 kWp, 2000-2007
- 5.4 System Price Forecast - Systems 30 kWp and Over, LIST OF TABLES
- 2.1 Average System Price Comparison - New Jersey and California, 2003/2004
- 3.1 Residential Application Forecast - Business as Usual and Accelerated, 2004-2010
- 3.2 Commercial Application Forecast - Business as Usual and Accelerated, 2004-2010
- 4.1 PV System Battery Overview
- 4.2 Lead-Acid and Nickel Cadmium Battery Characteristics
- 4.3 Battery Manufacturers
- 4.4 Average Inverter Efficiencies
- 4.5 Preferred Inverter Manufacturers
- 5.1 Average System Price Comparison - New Jersey and California, 2003/2004
- 5.2 California Average System Price Comparison, 2002-2004
- 5.3 California Average System Prices, <5 kWp, 2002-2004
- 5.4 New Jersey Average System Prices, <5 kWp, 2002, 2003/2004
- 5.5 California Average System Prices, 5 kWp to 10 kWp, 2002-2004
- 5.6 New Jersey Average System Prices, 5 kWp to 10 kWp, 2002, 2003/2004
- 5.7 California Average System Prices, 10 kWp to 30 kWp, 2002-2004
- 5.8 New Jersey Average System Prices, 10 kWp to 30 kWp, 2002, 2003/2004
- 5.9 California Average System Prices, 30 kWp to 50 kWp, 2002-2004
- 5.10 California Average System Prices, 50 kWp to 75 kWp, 2002-2004
- 5.11 California Average System Prices, 75 kWp to 100 kWp, 2002-2004
- 5.12 California Average System Prices, 100 kWp to 500 kWp, 2002-2004
- 5.13 California Average System Prices, >500 kWp, 2002-2004
- 5.14 New Jersey Average System Prices, 30 kWp and Over, 2003/2004
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