A learning curve approach to projecting cost and performance in thin film photovoltaics

Author

Cody, George ; Tiedje, Thoma

Author_Institution

Exxon Res. & Eng. Co., Annandale, NJ, USA

fYear

1996

fDate

13-17 May 1996

Firstpage

1521

Lastpage

1524

Abstract

The current cost of electricity generated by PV power is still extremely high with respect to utility power and there remain questions as to whether PV power can ever be competitive with electricity generated by fossil fuels. A previous paper by the authors supplied an objective framework for considering this important question and introduced analytical tools to define and project the technical/economic status of PV power through the year 2010. In this paper, we update this previous work in the context of the announcements by Amoco/Enron Solar of projected sales of PV power in 1997 at rates considerably less than the US average

Keywords

costing; economics; photovoltaic power systems; Amoco/Enron Solar; PV power; cost projection; electricity generation; learning curve approach; performance projection; projected sales; thin film photovoltaics; Agriculture; Cost function; Fossil fuels; Manufacturing; Marketing and sales; Photovoltaic cells; Power generation; Power system economics; Silicon; Transistors;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 1996., Conference Record of the Twenty Fifth IEEE

Conference_Location

Washington, DC

ISSN

0160-8371

Print_ISBN

0-7803-3166-4

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/PVSC.1996.564426

Filename

564426