October 2, 2007
Solar Power Cost Effectiveness
- Solar power is still not cost effective with photovoltics (PV) costing in the neighborhood of 30 cents per kilowatt and 20-22 cents per kilowatt for solar thermal plants. Taxpayers subsidize this inefficient roll out of solar panels by way of government (on the backs of taxpayer) subsidized incentives instead of waiting for the technology to improve.
- Solar thermal essentially uses mirrors to heat water or other liquids, turn it into steam that cranks turbines to provide electricity. PV, by contrast, takes the rays of the sun and converts it into electricity without water or a turbine.
- There is hope in a company called Ausra (manufactures a solar thermal product) who have developed technology that cuts the cost of solar thermal to 8 cents per kilowatt. They use batteries to provide power when the sun isn’t shining. Solar panels for PV use the same expensive silicon that computer chips do.
- The shortage of the silicon is driving up prices. It is not clear if or when at all that solar power will become cost competitive with oil, coal or nuclear power.
- U. S. Average Revenue per KWh is 7.62 cents
|
STATE
|
CENTS PER KWh
|
|
KENTUCKY
|
4.63
|
|
IDAHO
|
4.97
|
|
WYOMING
|
4.98
|
|
WEST VIRGINIA
|
5.13
|
|
INDIANA
|
5.58
|
|
ARKANSAS
|
5.67
|
|
UTAH
|
5.69
|
|
NORTH DAKOTA
|
5.69
|
|
NEBRASKA
|
5.70
|
|
WASHINGTON
|
5.80
|
|
MISSOURI
|
6.07
|
|
ALABAMA
|
6.08
|
|
TENNESSEE
|
6.14
|
|
OREGON
|
6.21
|
|
SOUTH CAROLINA
|
6.22
|
|
MINNESOTA
|
6.24
|
|
KANSAS
|
6.37
|
|
IOWA
|
6.40
|
|
MONTANA
|
6.40
|
|
VIRGINIA
|
6.43
|
|
SOUTH DAKOTA
|
6.44
|
|
OKLAHOMA
|
6.50
|
|
GEORGIA
|
6.58
|
|
ILLINOIS
|
6.80
|
|
WISCONSIN
|
6.88
|
|
OHIO
|
6.89
|
|
MICHIGAN
|
6.94
|
|
COLORADO
|
6.95
|
|
NORTH CAROLINA
|
6.97
|
|
MISSISSIPPI
|
7.00
|
|
NEW MEXICO
|
7.10
|
|
LOUISIANA
|
7.13
|
|
MARYLAND
|
7.15
|
|
ARIZONA
|
7.45
|
|
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
|
7.47
|
|
DELAWARE
|
7.53
|
|
TEXAS
|
7.95
|
|
PENNSYLVANIA
|
8.00
|
|
FLORIDA
|
8.16
|
|
NEVADA
|
8.56
|
|
MAINE
|
9.69
|
|
CONNECTICUT
|
10.26
|
|
NEW JERSEY
|
10.29
|
|
MASSACHUSETTS
|
10.77
|
|
RHODE ISLAND
|
10.96
|
|
ALASKA
|
10.99
|
|
VERMONT
|
11.02
|
|
NEW HAMPSHIRE
|
11.37
|
|
CALIFORNIA
|
11.45
|
|
NEW YORK
|
12.55
|
|
HAWAII
|
15.70
|
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