Capital Costs for Dual-Use Photovoltaic Installations: 2020 Benchmark for Ground-Mounted PV Systems with Pollinator-Friendly Vegetation, Grazing, and Crops

Abstract

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The 5 Cs of Agrivoltaic Success Factors in the United States: Lessons from the InSPIRE Research Study

“…Costs for vegetation establishment and management throughout the lifetime of a solar array are minimal, usually accounting for less than 1% of installed costs for an ecosystem service project (Horowitz et al 2020). Thus, the cost difference between a groundcover seed mix required to finalize a stormwater permit and a seed mix that also provides incremental ecosystem service benefits represents an even smaller fraction of system costs.…”

“…However, in some regions and at this early stage of design maturity, agrivoltaic installations can also contribute to higher installed and operational costs, increased design complexity, and environmental trade-offs even while mitigating public opposition. Additional research is needed to assess the optimum conditions for mutual benefit across the energy and agricultural sectors (Hernandez et al 2014;Horowitz et al 2020). Across the globe, researchers are examining key agrivoltaic research questions, including but not limited to factors related to: vegetation establishment and growth, soil characteristics, microclimate conditions, hydrology, ecological services, and solar technology cost and performance (Agrivoltaics International Conference 2021).…”

Environmental and Circular Economy Implications of Solar Energy in a Decarbonized U.S. Grid

“…[151][152][153] Few estimates of the cost implications of dual use facility construction are available; one study estimated an increased cost of $0.07/WDC to $0.80/WDC, with lower increases associated with PV plus pollinator habitat and higher increases associated with PV plus crops. 154 Additional cost studies that account for other potential benefits provided by vegetation (such as water and soil retention benefits, changes in operation and maintenance costs, and changes in PV panel efficiency) are needed to fully understand the cost implications of various dual use strategies. These strategies, which are discussed below, are often interrelated and can be broadly categorized as vegetation management to provide ecosystem services at solar energy facilities, colocating agriculture (including grazing) and solar energy, and other opportunities such as installing solar panels on water.…”

Floating Photovoltaic System Cost Benchmark: Q1 2021 Installations on Artificial Water Bodies

“…In the last 10 years, the installed cost of U.S. utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) systems has declined by more than half, driven largely by improvements in module efficiency and balance-of-system cost (Feldman et al 2021). Most of these systems have been sited over bare land (Horowitz et al 2020). However, where land use is constrained, land is not easily accessible, or land leasing is expensive, developers are installing floating PV (FPV) on water bodies.…”