PV cost trends

Markets for customer-sited, grid-connected PV systems are expanding rapidly, albeit from a small base. Government incentives aimed at encouraging reductions in the cost of PV over time are the principal drivers for this growth, and substantial cost reductions will be needed if PV is to become more than a niche technology. Ryan Wiser, Mark Bolinger, Peter Cappers and Robert Margolis summarise findings from their Berkeley Lab1 report providing an in-depth statistical analysis of PV system costs in California.