What is a PV manufacturing cost report?

The goal of the report is to provide credible, industry-relevant, and objective analysis of PV manufacturing costs.

Why do solar PV modules cost so much?

Dramatic falls in the cost of energy from solar PV have been driven by the increasing cost competitiveness of the PV module itself, with crystalline silicon (c-Si) PV the dominant technology. In the last decade, the installed capacity of PV modules has grown by an order of magnitude.

How will next generation PV technology affect the future market landscape?

Comparison of next generation PV technology in the future market landscape. Photovoltaic module prices have typically decreased faster than projections. There are two methods usually used for these projections; cumulative market shipment experience curves or detailed bottom-up cost calculations for specific technologies.

Are solar-PV manufacturing costs at a disadvantage?

Our analysis suggests that the costs of solar-PV manufacturing in Europe at scale for the full value chain will be at a 20 to 25 percent disadvantage against current lowest cost levels—if scale and excellence effects have been achieved.

Should PV manufacturing have a higher debt-to-equity ratio?

Significant economies of scale are present in PV manufacturing, 7 and companies are motivated to maintain market share in the growth phase of an industry to prevent facing other barriers to entry in the future. For our modeled manufacturer, this would necessitate a higher debt-to-equity ratio of 5.1: 1 than the 1: 1 assumed herein.

How much will PV modules cost in 2025?

The all-world distribution range of module costs in 2025 is 0.10–0.18 $/W (10th–90th percentile). The enormous downward pricing pressure on PV modules will likely result in the most competitive manufacturers’ cost models represented at the lower end of this distributions, such as the lower 10th percentile values shaded in the figure.