Assumed project size = 50 MW and installation costs = 1 120 USD/kW. The size of the grey columns reflect an indicative relative value of each group of risks. Capital costs of utility-scale solar PV in selected emerging economies - Chart and data by the International Energy Agency.
The construction cost of solar power plants depends on several factors such as location, size of the plant, type of solar panel technology used, and installation costs. For instance, a small photovoltaic autonomous power plant might cost around $1-2 million, while large utility-scale plant could could cost several hundreds of millions.
Data are taken from the Microgeneration Certification Scheme - MCS Installation Database. For enquiries concerning this table email [email protected]. Small scale solar PV cost data for 2023-2024 published. Small scale solar PV cost data for 2022-2023 published. Small scale solar PV cost data for 2021-2022 published.
In 2010, the cost of building a concentrated solar power plant was estimated at 9 million euros per megawatt of installed capacity. Despite technical advances, the cost of such projects is still at least 10 times higher than photovoltaics.
Investment in large-scale PV power plants requires a detailed evaluation of solar radiation potential and grid availability, as well as a load analysis and a precise economic evaluation. When the investment cost based on the above-mentioned parameters is known, an estimation of the operating costs should be the next step.
Results underline large country differences in cost of capital. The approach can complement but not replace other methods to estimate cost of capital. The cost of capital (CoC) is an important parameter for accurately calculating power generation cost, particularly for capital-intensive renewables such as solar PV.