Balance of System Costs for a 5 MW Photovoltaic Generating Station

A cost study was conducted of a 12,200 megawatt-hour per year (5MW) photovoltaic generating station of various configurations using actual data and experience from ARCO Solar´s large-scale P.V. projects in California. Study results indicate that efficiency (area) related costs such as photovoltaic area, support structure, sitework and field wiring are 75% to 85% of the total cost of a P.V. power plant. The study identifies the areas where sufficient P.V. and balance of system (B.O.S.) cost reductions can be made to enable P.V. generating stations to become competitive with conventional generation.