What are the costs, and why is PV so expensive?
Small Residential PV installations cost roughly $8.50 per peak Watt of installed power capacity. Larger residential systems generally cost between $7.50- $8.00 per peak watt. Prices dropped in 2009 due to a glut of modules on the market and are likely to rise in the latter half of 2010. Call us for current costs. Commercial and institutional systems are typically lower due to economies of scale. The ultra-pure silicon used to make PV cells is the single largest expense involved in PV systems. The crystal growth process is very costly, but essential to the effectiveness of photovoltaics. The energy needed to manufacture the PV modules installed by BPVS will be reclaimed within the first fourteen months of their operation, however. When we examine the external costs to the environment and to future generations for conventional power, PV is a bargain.
