case study for solar energy

100 Best Solar Energy Case Studies of 2019

The adoption of solar energy in the world is growing at a rapid pace in the world.

More and more consumers, businesses and governmental organizations are considering solar energy.

But it can be sometimes difficult to convince your family, friends, boss or colleagues to adopt solar energy?

To make it easier to convince people to adopt solar power we selected the best and most complete 100 solar energy case studies.

The case studies included in this list contain key information about the return on investment and annual savings of solar energy systems built all over the world and different sizes.

The list is divided in three categories:

Residential Solar Energy

Commercial solar energy, public sector solar energy, 1. home lavallee family.

Country: Cumberland, Rhode Island, United States Installer: Renewable Energy Service of New England Inc. Solar PV: Suniva Inverter: Enphase Size: 9.5 kW Return on Investment: 34.9% Annual Savings: $3845

RES installed 33 solar modules for the Lavallee Family. The projected return of investment is 6 years.

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2. Home Middle Franconia

Country: Bavaria, Germany Inverters: SMA Size: 5 kWp Cost reduction: €875 per year

One family of five installed a solar energy system with batteries. The whole system included a SMA pv inverter, a SMA battery inverter and a SMA sunny home manager for system monitoring and energy management.

3. Home Götz Family

Country: Wetzlar-Hermannstein, Germany Installer: Gecko Logic Solar PV: Yingli Inverters: SMA Size: 8.5 kWp Cost Reduction: €3936 per year

A colleague convinced the family to invest in solar energy. The solar modules exceed the predicted energy yield. This system was installed by Gecko Logic.

4. Home Tan Family

Country: Jalan Kelawar, Tanglin, Singapore Installer: ReZeca Renewables Solar PV: Yingli Solar Size: 18.6 kWp Estimated Annual Savings: SGD$6000

The Tan Family wanted to reduce their footprint and their energy bills. In total 62 solar panels were installed.

5. Home Pappalardo Family

Country: Viagrande, Italy Installer: Etnergia Solar PV: Yingli Inverters: SMA Size: 8.58 kW Cost Reduction: €5533 per year

After seeing solar pv installation in other countries the family decided to switch to solar energy. The company Etnergia installed 39 solar panels on roof with south-east orientation. The system is performing better than expected.

6. Absolute Coatings

Country: New Rochelle, New York, United States Installer: Sunrise Solar Solutions Inverter: Enphase Size: 82 kW Savings over system life: $442 866

Sunrise Solar Solutions designed and installed 313 solar modules for Absolute Coatings on a new roof. The mounting system is ballast only. This project is part of 200 kW solar energy system that will completed in a next phase.

7. Rehme Steel

Country: Spicewood, United States Installer: Freedom Solar Power Solar PV: Sunpower Size: 81.6 kW Estimated savings over 25 years: $338 883

Rehme Steel wanted to reduce their operating cost and their carbon emissions.

8. Birkhof Horse Stables and Riding School

Country: Waldsoms, Germany Installer: Gecko Logic Solar PV: Yingli Inverters: SMA Size: 34.68 kWp Cost Reduction: €12 954

Birkhof choose for solar energy, because of environmental and cost reduction reasons. Gecko Logic installed the system in 2008.

9. Ryan and Ryan Insurance

Country: Kingston, New York, United States Installer: Sunrise Solar Solutions Solar PV: Conergy Inverter: Enphase Size: 16.3 kW Savings over lifetime system: $69 654 Years to breakeven: 5.9

The roof of Ryan and Ryan Insurance was big enough to place enough solar panels to cover their whole energy consumption. The solar panels are mounted with a fully ballasted racking system.

10. Powerplant Poggiorsini

Country: Poggiorsini (Bari), Italy Installer: SAEM Company Solar PV: Yingli Inverters: Siel Size: 3 MWp Return: €1 412 000 per year

The solar power plant was built by SAEM Company and is made up of 13 500 units. The plant is oriented to the south. The plant produces enough energy to power the homes of 1500 families.

11. Huerto Solar Villar de Cañas II

Country: Villar de Cañas, Spain Installer: CYMI Solar PV: Yingli Inverters: Siemens Size: 9.8 MWp Return: €6 336 000 per year

Prosolcam bought a 22 hectare site to invest in solar energy. The company CYMI designed and installed the system that consist of 56 180 pv modules. The plant has an south facing orientation.

12. Amcorp Gemas Solar Plant

Country: Gemas, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia Installer: Amcorp Power Sdn. Bhd. Solar PV: Yingli Size: 10 269 MWp Return: MYR 11.88 million (about $2.6 million)

Amcorp Power is a solar farm developer in Malaysia. The solar plant has a power purchase agree with Tenaga Nasional Berhad for 21 years. The plant that consists of 41 076 pv modules, produces enough energy for 3315 residential homes.

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13. Jackson Enterprise LLC

Country: California, United States Installer: CM Solar Electric Solar PV: Sunpower, LG Inverter: SMA Size: 26kW Average Annual Savings: $11 556 Return on Investment: 23.6%

The solar energy system provides at least 100% or more of the energy consumption of the building. And the total net investment of the system was $49 000.

14. Diab Engineering

Country: Geraldton, Australia Installer: Infinite Energy Solar PV: Conergy Inverter: SMA Size: 100 kW Year 1 return on investment: 34% 10 Year Net Present Value: $139 000 Annual Savings: $41 000

Diab Engineering choose Infinite Energy to install a solar energy system on there roof of their workshop. Diab Engineering used government funded solar programmes to finance their system.

15. GAL Manufacturing

Country: New York,United States Installer: Solar City Size: 237 kW Annual Savings: $50 000

GAL Manufacturing is a family owned company that builds elevator parts. The system will generate almost half of the buildings energy consumption. The project is partly funded by government funds.

16. Hewlett Packard

Country: Palo Alto, California, United States Size: 1 MW Estimated Lifetime Savings: $1 million

HP installed 1 MW of solar modules on its roof. The system will provide 20% of the buildings usage. HP doesn’t own the system, but will purchase the energy produced from Solar City.

17. Velmade Prestige Sheet Metal

Country: Osborne Park, Australia Installer: Infinite Energy Solar PV: REC Solar Inverter: SMA Size: 31 kW Year 1 return on investment: 18% 10 year Net Present Value: $7 400 Annual Savings: $8 500

In 2014 Velmade installed 120 solar modules on its roof. As a small-to-medium business it wanted to reduce its operating costs. The project is expected to payback in 5.3 years. Velmade used outside funding for its solar system.

18. Bella Ridge Winery

Country: Herne Hill, Australia Installer: Infinite Energy Solar PV: REC Solar Inverter: SMA Size: 40 kW Year 1 return on investment: 21% Annual Savings: $18 300

Bella Ridge Winery is a energy intensive company and was suffering of rising electricity prices in Australia. Infinite Energy installed 156 REC Solar modules on a ground mounted rack. The projected payback period is 4.4 years.

19. Cheeky Brothers

Country: Osborne Park, Australia Installer: Infinite Energy Solar PV: REC Solar Inverter: Fronius Size: 40 kW Year 1 return on investment: 28% Annual Savings: $13 500

Cheeky Brothers is a Food company that installed 152 REC Solar panels on its roof. The system produces 28% of electricity consumption.

20. Seven Acres Business Park

Country: Suffolk, United Kingdom Installer: Enviko Solar PV: CSUN Inverter: SMA Size: 40 kW Yearly Income and Savings: £8 079

This business park decided to install 120 solar panels on its roof just in time before feed in tariffs were reduced in 2012. The project was completed just in time by Enviko.

21. Broad Oak Cider Farm

Country: Clutton Hill Industrial Park, Bristol, United Kingdom Installer: Enviko Solar PV: Conergy Inverter: Solaredge Size: 100 kW Yearly Income and Savings: £15 894

Enviko helped Broad Oak Cider Farm install 400 solar panels that covered the whole roof of the building. Power optimizers were used to reduce the effects of shading on the panels.

22. Glebar Inc.

Country: Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, United States Installer: Solar Energy World Solar PV: Schuco Size: 55.5 kW Yearly Savings: $8000

Glebar Inc was looking for a way to reduce its energy bills and reduce its carbon footprint. Solar Energy World helped achieving their goals. The system is partly funded with a tax break and Solar Renewable Energy Credits.

23. Metuchen Sportscomplex

Country: Metuchen, New Jersey, United States Installer: Solar Energy World Solar PV: LG Size: 312 kW Yearly Savings: $33 397

The developer Recycland LLC decid to add Solar Energy to its building to reduce energy costs and to reduce its carbon footprint.

24. Alfandre Architecture

Country: New Paltz, New York, United States Installer: Sunrise Solar Solutions Solar PV: Conergy and Hyunday Inverter: Enphase Size: 33.4 kW Savings over lifetime system: $190 000

Alfandre Architecture is applying for the LEED GOLD Certification. Adding solar energy to the project is a logical step. Sunrise Solar Solutions did the installation of the new building.

Country: San Jose, California, United States Installer: Solar City Size: 650 kW Annual Cost Savings: $100 000

Ebay wanted to make its campus in San Jose more sustainable. Solar City designed and installed the 3248 solar panel system on five different buildings located on the campus.

26. Heritage Paper

Country: Livermore, California, United States Installer: Solar City Size: 528 kW Annual Cost Savings: $26,950

Heritage Paper is the packaging supplier of big companies like Nordstrom and Cliff Bar. Their huge facility uses huge amounts of energy and installing solar panels was a no-brainer.

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27. Batth Farms

Country: San Joaquin Valley, California, United States Installer: Solar City Size: 1.5 MW Estimated lifetime savings: $9 000 000

The Batth farm uses a lot of energy for the irrigation of the land and running waterpumps. To reduce their operating costs Solar City installed a solar energy system on their farmland.

28. Advance Auto Parts

Country: Enfield, Connecticut, United States Installer: Solar City Size: 1.17 MW Annual Cost Savings: $100 000

Advance Auto Parts is a distribution company of after-sales auto parts. Solar City installed the solar system with little to no disruption to daily operations.

29. Roofmart

Country: Kewdale, Australia Installer: Infinite Energy Solar PV: REC Solar Inverter: SMA Size: 100 kW Year 1 Return on Investment: 25% 10 year Net Present Value: $103 200 Annual Savings: $37 600

Roofmart design, manufactures and distributes steel constructions that are used for garages, patios and sheds. The system was installed in december 2015 and the cost will be returned in under 4 years.

Country: Osborne, Australia Installer: Infinite Energy Solar PV: Winaico Inverter: SMA Size: 100 kW Year 1 Return on Investment: 32% 10 Net Present Value: $240 300 Annual Savings: $45 300

Imdex is listed on the ASX and produces and manufactures fluids and instruments for the mining, oil and gas industries. The projected payback period the solar energy system will be 3.1 years.

31. Audi Seattle

Country: Seattle, United States Installer: A&R Solar Solar PV: Sunpower Size: 235 kW Estimated 25 year savings: $2 million

Audi Seattle is a dealer of high performance electric vehicles. The company wanted to power their vehicles with a sustainable energy source, solar energy.

32. Boulder Nissan

Country: Boulder, United States Installer: Independent Power Systems Solar PV: Sunpower Size: 50.25 kW Estimated 25 year savings: $384 000

Boulder Nissan is a high volume seller of the electric Nissan Leaf in the Boulder area. The adoption of solar energy is a logical step.

34. Microsoft

Country: Mountain View, United States Solar PV: Sunpower Size: 551861 kW Estimated annual savings: $120 000

Microsoft is one of the biggest software companies in the world with a commitment to the environment.

35. Rivermaid Trading co.

Country: California, United States Installer: Sunworks Solar PV: Sunpower Size: 1.7 mW Estimated annual savings: $300 000

Rivermaid Trading is a grower, processor and distributer of fruit. The company has facitlities that are huge and with solar energy they wanted to reduce their energy bills.

36. Lake County Sanitation District

Country: Lakepoint, United States Solar PV: Sunpower Size: 2.17 mW Estimated savings over 20 years: $5 million

The Lake County Sanitation District wanted to reduce their environmental impact.

37. Dobinsons Spring & Suspension

Country: Rockhampton, Australia Solar PV: Hanwha Q Cells Size: 510 kWp Estimated annual savings: AUD$160 000

In the past decade Dobinsons saw their energy costs grow with 100%. With an solar energy system Dobinsons is now protected from increasing energy prices.

38. Austchilli

Country: Bundaberg, Australia Solar PV: Phono Solar Size: 300 kWp Estimated payback period of 4-5 years

Rising energy costs made the business model of Austchilli less feasible and that is why they choose solar energy.

39. Enmach Industries

Country: Bundaberg, Australia Solar PV: Q-Cell Size: 100 kWp Estimated annual savings: AUD$40 000 Estimated payback period of 3.5 years

Like a lot of Australian manufacturing companies, the energy bill of Enmach Industries was rising. Solar energy was the only logical solution.

40. Advantage Welding

Country: Rockhampton, Australia Solar PV: Phono Solar Size: 33 kWp Estimated payback period of 4.2 years

To reduce their electricity bill Advantage Welding worked together with Gem Energy to install solar energy panels on their roof.

41. Bridge Toyota

Country: Darwin, Australia Solar PV: Q Cells Size: 100 kWp Estimated annual savings AUD$35 000 Estimated payback period of 3.5 years

Bridge Toyota has a huge energy consumption for its showroom, office, workshop and warehouse. To prevent huge energy bills cutting in their operating margins they switched to a solar energy system on the roof of their facility.

42. Great Western Hotel

Country: Rockhampton, Australia Solar PV: Q Cells Size: 57 kWp Estimated payback period of 3.2 years

The Great Western Hotel used a renovation to make their operation more green with a solar energy system that is connected to the grid.

43. Luther Auto Group

Country: Midwest, United States Solar PV: Sunpower Size: 454 kWp Estimated saving over 25 years: $2.1 million

The Luther Auto Group used their large flat roofs of their dealerships to generate cheap solar energy.

44. Turtle Bay Resort

Country: Kahuku, United States Solar PV: REC Solar Size: 702 kWp Estimated saving over 20 years: $2.5 million

The Turtle Bay Resort won the Leader in Sustainability Award in Hawaii. The Turtle Bay Resort worked together with REC Solar to install a roof mounted system and a ground mounted system.

45. Zurn Industries

Country: Paso Robles, United States Solar PV: REC Solar Size: 552.7 kWp Estimated annual savings: $110 000

Zurn Industries is a manufacturer of irrigation equipment and want to reduce their operating expenses with the installation of a roof mounted solar energy system.

46. San Antonio Winery

Country: Paso Robles, United States Solar PV: REC Solar Size: 517 kW

Estimated saving over 30 years: $4 million The San Antonio WInery will produce 80% of the power they need for their wine production facility and their hospitality center.

47. Ballester Hermanos

Country: San Juan, United States Solar PV: REC Solar Size: 874 kW Estimated annual savings: $100 000 Ballester Hermanos is located on Puerto Rico that has high energy prices. Solar energy through a power purchase agreement made a lot of economic sense. 

48. Sonoma Mountain Village

Country: Rohnert Park, United States Solar PV: REC Solar Size: 1.16 mW Estimated annual savings: $680 000 Sonoma Mountain Village improved their Leed Premium status by expanding their solar energy capacity.

49. Haas Automation Inc.

Country: Oxnard, United States Solar PV: REC Solar Size: 1.74 mW Estimated annual savings: $500 000

Haas automation wanted to reduce their carbon footprint and reduce their energy costs and opted for two solar roos systems in partnership with Renusol.

50. Niner Wine Estates

Country: Paso Robles, United States Solar PV: REC Solar Size: 388.47 kW Estimated payback period of 5 years

Niner Wine Estates is a Sustainability in Practice Certified winery and has an LEED status. Through their solar energy system they generate 100% of their energy needs.

51. Valley Fine Foods

Country: Benecia and Yuba City, United States Solar PV: REC Solar Size: 1.14 mW Estimated annual savings: $250 000

Valley Fine Foods used a roof mounted and ground mounted solar system to reduce their energy cost.

52. Tony Automotive Group

Country: Waipahu, United States Solar PV: REC Solar Size: 298 kW Estimated savings over 25 years: $5.3 million

Tony Automotive groups has Honda, Nissan and Hyundai dealerships in Hawaii. The need for solar energy was great, because Hawaii has the highest energy costs in the nation.

53. Windset Farms

Country: Santa Maria, United States Solar PV: REC Solar Size: 1.05 mW Estimated annual savings: $245 000

The Windset Farms installed more than 4000 solar energy panels on their roof to curb their rising energy bill.

54. Vintage Wine Estates

Country: Santa Rosa & Hopland, United States Solar PV: REC Solar Size: 945 kW Estimated savings over 30 year period: $10 million

Vintage Wine Estates used a combination of roof mounted and ground mounted solar panels to reduce their utility costs.

Country: Bibra Lake, United States Solar PV: Conenergy Size: 350 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$169 000

AWTA is the largest wool testing organization in the world. The installed 1085 solar panels on their roof and produce 32% of their energy consumption.

56. Transmin

Country: Malaga, Australia Solar PV: Suntech Size: 40 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$15 200

With the help of the AusIndustry Clean Technology Investment Program, Transmin made their operations more sustainable with 174 Suntech panels and 2 SMA solar inverters.

57. Mining & Hydraulic Supplies Pty Ltd

Country: Malaga, Australia Solar PV: Solarpower Size: 7 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$1900

Mining & Hydraulic Supplies has reduced their electricity bill significantly and generate 80% of their energy with solar panels.

58. T&G Corporation

Country: Perth, Australia Solar PV: Suntech Size: 33 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$9800

In the preceding years T&G Corporation saw their utility bills rise 28%. With solar energy the made their future energy bills predictable again.

59. Firesafe United Group

Country: Bibra Lake, Australia Solar PV: Hanwha Size: 80 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$23 500

Firesafe United Group installed 3 solar energy systems on their roof to optimize their energy costs.

60. Pacific Nylon Plastics Australia

Country: O’Connor, Australia Solar PV: Canadian Solar Size: 20 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$10 700

Pacific Nylon Plastics Australia used the redevelopment of their buildings to make their operations greener with the installation of 80 solar pv panels

61. Sheridan’s

Country: West Perth, Australia Solar PV: Daqo Size: 15 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$6 100

Sheridan’s installed with their installation partner Infinity Energy 60 solar panels on their roof and one fronius solar inverter.

62. Signs & Lines

Country: Midvale, Australia Solar PV: Q Cells Size: 40 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$13 500

Cost control was a major reason for Sign & Lines to choose for a roof mounted solar energy system.

63. Slumbercorp

Country: Welshpool, Australia Solar PV: REC Solar Size: 40 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$16 100

64. WA Glasskote

Country: Landsdale, Australia Solar PV: REC Solar Size: 40 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$10 200

WA Glasskote generates 12% of its energy consumption with their solar energy system.

Country: Malaga, Australia Solar PV: REC Solar Size: 200 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$82 854

Dobbie wanted to reduce their impact on the environment and their energy costs.

Country: Belmont, Australia Solar PV: REC Solar Size: 30 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$15 100

Pindan, a construction company, generates 7% of their energy usage with solar panels.

67. Wallis Drilling

Country: Midvale, Australia Solar PV: REC Solar Size: 67 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$28 900

Wallis Drilling wanted to reduce their costs and make their operations more sustainable. They choose for a roof mounted solar energy system with four Fronius solar inverters. Their solar energy electricity consumption represents 47% of their total energy consumption.

68. Geostats

Country: O’Connor, Australia Solar PV: REC Solar Size: 20 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$6 600

Geostats wanted to make their operations more environmentally friendly and optimize their energy costs.

69. Eilbeck Cranes

Country: Bassendean, Australia Solar PV: Canadian Solar Size: 40 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$15 800

Eilbeck Cranes installed 156 Canadian Solar on their roof connected to two Fronius inverters monitored with Fronius Remote Monitoring Solution.

70. Arbortech

Country: Malaga, Australia Solar PV: Poly Solar Panels Size: 40 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$13 000

Arbortech wanted to reduce its dependency on the utility prices by switching to rooftop solar.

71. Australian Safety Engineers

Country: Canning Vale, Australia Solar PV: REC Solar Size: 40 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$22 100

Australian Safety Engineers wanted to decrease their utility bill. They opted for a rooftop solar energy system.

72. Stylewoods

Country: Kewdale, Australia Solar PV: Winaico Solar Panels Size: 40 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$31 500

Stylewoods wanted to reduce their energy bill to free up more working capital for their operations.

73. Plas-Pak

Country: Malaga, Australia Solar PV: Winaico Solar Panels Size: 100 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$31 500

Plas-Pak wanted to maintain competitive prices for their clients and to make their company more environmentally friendly.

74. John Papas Trailers

Country: Welshpool, Australia Solar PV: REC Solar Size: 40 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$13 300

John Papas Trailers reduced their dependence on grid electricity through the decision for a solar energy system.

75. Quality Blast and Paint

Country: Welshpool, Australia Solar PV: Sunpower Size: 40 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$12 550

Quality Blast and Paint wanted to become more competitive through the adoption of solar energy.

76. Pelagic Marine Services

Country: Freemantle, Australia Solar PV: Sunpower Size: 40 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$15 530

Pelagic Marine Services wanted to make their business more sustainable and more cost efficient and choose for a solar energy system installed by Infinity Energy.

77. Twenty Two Services

Country: Neerabup, Australia Solar PV: Sunpower Size: 13 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$4 200

Twenty Two Services wanted to reduce their yearly CO2 emissions and their utility bills. Infinity Energy helped them install solar energy system containing 38 solar panels and one Fronius inverter.

78. Yolo County

Country: California, United States Solar PV: Sunpower Size: 6.8 mW Estimated savings over 30 years: $60 million

Yolo county wanted to reduce their energy bill and supply their residents with green energy.

79. AC Transit District

Country: California, United States Installer: Sunpower Size: 177 kW Estimated savings over 25 years: $5 million

ACT Transit District is is Sunpower helped AC Transit District with the installation of two solar energy projects.

80. US Airforce Academy

Country: Colorado Springs, United States Solar PV: Sunpower Size: 6 mW Estimated savings annual savings: $500 000

81. Department of Mines and Petroleum

Country: Carlisle, Australia Installer: Infinite Energy Solar PV: Winaico Inverter: SMA Size: 40 kW Year 1 Return on Investment: 31% 10 Year Net Present Value: $69 200 Annual Savings: $15 400

Infinite Energy installed 153 solar panels on the roof of the Department of Mines and Petroleum. The projected return is 2.8 years.

82. Sacred Hearts Academy

Country: Hawaii, United States Installer: Hawaiian Energy Systems Solar PV: Centrosolar America Solar Inverter: Enphase Size: 243 kW Cost Reduction: 33% annually

Sacred Hearts Academy is a private school in Honolulu, Hawaii. Hawaiian Energy Systems inc. and Centrosolar America installed 1023 panels on three different sun orientations and was completed in 2013.

83. Ina Levine Jewish Community Center

Country: Arizona, United States Installer: Green Choice Solar Solar PV: Centrosolar America Size: 1.3 MW Cost reduction: $6.8 million lifetime system

The Ina Levine Jewish Community Center delivers services to the Scottsdale community. Green Choice Solar installed 5685 solar panels on two locations. One part of the panels was installed on the roof and the majority was installed on 400 carports.

84. Fire station Gifhorn

Country: Germany Installer: Elektro Ohlhoff Solar PV: Yingli Solar Inverter: Kaco Powador Size: 60.86 kWp Cost Reduction: €25900

The roofs of the fire station in Gifhorn presented a perfect solar energy investment opportunity. It was an easy decision for the local government of Gifhorn.

85. University of Colorado

Country: Boulder, Colorado, United States Installer: Eco Depot USA / Solarado Energy Inverter: SatCon Technology Corporation Size: 100 kW Average Annual Savings: $21 750 Return on investment: 7.9%

In septembre 2009 the University of Colorado installed solar panels on a solar carport. This project was part of a LEED Platinum certificate process for which the University applied. The LEED platinum status is the highest green building status that can be achieved in the LEED program.

86. Rotary Residential College

Country: Kensington, Australia Installer: Infinite Energy Solar PV: REC Solar Inverter: SMA Size: 40 kW Year 1 return on investment: 33% 10 year Net Present Value: $69 000 Annual Savings: $20 400

Rotary Residential College is a high-school with a lodging service to their students. Infinite Energy helped the Rotary Residential College with the installation of 153 REC solar panels on their roof.

87. Solar Carport Santa Cruz

Country: Santa Cruz, California, United States Installer: Swenson Solar Size: 386 kW Annual Savings: $73 000

The city of Santa Cruz choose Swenson Solar to build two solar carports with 834 and 936 solar panels installed on them.

88. Hurstpierpoint College

Country: Hurstpierpoint, United Kingdom Installer: Enviko Solar PV: Conergy Inverter: SMA Size: 53.75 kW Yearly Income and Savings: £10 151

Hurstpierpoint is a college home to more than 1000 students. The college wanted to reduce their energy bill and demonstrate their green credentials. The solar panels are installed on three different roofs. Because of the feed-in-tariff the cost of the installation will be recovered in 6 years.

89. San Ramon Valley Unified School District

Country: Danville, United States Solar PV: Sunpower Size: 3.3 mW Estimated savings over 25 years: $24.4 million

The San Ramon Valley Unified School District was confronted with the reduction of their budgets and growing energy bills. Getting solar energy was their solution.

90. University of California Merced

Country: Merced, United States Solar PV: Sunpower Size: 1.1 mW Estimated savings over 20 years: $5 million

The university wanted to reach their sustainable goals and with no upfront cost the adopted solar energy through a power purchase agreement.

91. Stonehill College

Country: Easton, United States Solar PV: Sunpower Size: 2.8 mW Estimated savings over 20 years: $1.8 million

The Stonehill College started the Stonehill Goes Green campaign to reduce their gas emmission with 20% by 2020. That is why they switched to solar energy paid through a power purchase agreement.

92. Inland Empire Utilities Agency

Country: San Bernardino County, United States Solar PV: Sunpower Size: 3.5 mW Estimated savings over 20 years: $3 million

The Inland Empire Utilities Agency has the objective to be 100% powered by renewable energy by 2020.

93. Phelan Piñon Hills Community Services District

Country: San Bernardino County, United States Solar PV: Sunpower Size: 1.5 mW Estimated savings over 30 years: $13 million

The Phelan Piñon Hills Community Services District was confrented with fast growing electricity prices and lowered their cost with solar energy.

94. Bundaberg Christian College

Country: Bundaberg, Australia Solar PV: Hanwha Q Cells Size: 193.98 kWp Estimated annual savings: AUD$100 000

The Bundaberg Christian College has opted for a solar energy system with battery backup, the largest system of its kind at an Australian school.

95. Cathedral College

Country: Rockhampton, Australia Solar PV: Q Cells Size: 85 kWp Payback period of six years

Because of it strong commitment to sustainability, Cathedral College opted for solar energy.

96. Emerald Marist College

Country: Central Highlands, Australia Solar PV: Q Cells Size: 100 kWp Estimated annual savings: AUD$40 000

Due to high air conditioning usage and electricity bills during the summer months, Emerald Marist College, choose to install a solar energy system on its roof.

97. Pleasanton Unified School District

Country: Paso Robles, United States Solar PV: REC Solar Size: 1 mW Estimated saving over 25 years: $2.2 million

The Pleasanton Unified School District made the switch to solar energy through a power purchase agreement. The solar panels were placed on solar carports.

98. Roseville Joint Union High School District

Country: Paso Robles, United States Solar PV: REC Solar Size: 1.02 mW Estimated saving over 25 years: $8 million

The Roseville Joint Union High School District installed solar panels over their parking structures.

99. St Catherine’s College

Country: Crawley, Australia Solar PV: Sunpower Size: 200 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$84 000

100. City of Perth – Depot

Country: Perth, Australia Solar PV: Sunpower Size: 39 kW Estimated annual savings: AUD$16 100

The city of Perth wanted to make their depot more sustainable and more cost efficient. 

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Researchers find benefits of solar photovoltaics outweigh costs

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Over the past decade, the cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) arrays has fallen rapidly. But at the same time, the value of PV power has declined in areas that have installed significant PV generating capacity. Operators of utility-scale PV systems have seen electricity prices drop as more PV generators come online. Over the same time period, many coal-fired power plants were required to install emissions-control systems, resulting in declines in air pollution nationally and regionally. The result has been improved public health — but also a decrease in the potential health benefits from offsetting coal generation with PV generation.

Given those competing trends, do the benefits of PV generation outweigh the costs? Answering that question requires balancing the up-front capital costs against the lifetime benefits of a PV system. Determining the former is fairly straightforward. But assessing the latter is challenging because the benefits differ across time and place. “The differences aren’t just due to variation in the amount of sunlight a given location receives throughout the year,” says  Patrick R. Brown PhD ’16, a postdoc at the MIT Energy Initiative. “They’re also due to variability in electricity prices and pollutant emissions.”

The drop in the price paid for utility-scale PV power stems in part from how electricity is bought and sold on wholesale electricity markets. On the “day-ahead” market, generators and customers submit bids specifying how much they’ll sell or buy at various price levels at a given hour on the following day. The lowest-cost generators are chosen first. Since the variable operating cost of PV systems is near zero, they’re almost always chosen, taking the place of the most expensive generator then in the lineup. The price paid to every selected generator is set by the highest-cost operator on the system, so as more PV power comes on, more high-cost generators come off, and the price drops for everyone. As a result, in the middle of the day, when solar is generating the most, prices paid to electricity generators are at their lowest.

Brown notes that some generators may even bid negative prices. “They’re effectively paying consumers to take their power to ensure that they are dispatched,” he explains. For example, inflexible coal and nuclear plants may bid negative prices to avoid frequent shutdown and startup events that would result in extra fuel and maintenance costs. Renewable generators may also bid negative prices to obtain larger subsidies that are rewarded based on production. 

Health benefits also differ over time and place. The health effects of deploying PV power are greater in a heavily populated area that relies on coal power than in a less-populated region that has access to plenty of clean hydropower or wind. And the local health benefits of PV power can be higher when there’s congestion on transmission lines that leaves a region stuck with whatever high-polluting sources are available nearby. The social costs of air pollution are largely “externalized,” that is, they are mostly unaccounted for in electricity markets. But they can be quantified using statistical methods, so health benefits resulting from reduced emissions can be incorporated when assessing the cost-competitiveness of PV generation.

The contribution of fossil-fueled generators to climate change is another externality not accounted for by most electricity markets. Some U.S. markets, particularly in California and the Northeast, have implemented cap-and-trade programs, but the carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) prices in those markets are much lower than estimates of the social cost of CO 2 , and other markets don’t price carbon at all. A full accounting of the benefits of PV power thus requires determining the CO 2  emissions displaced by PV generation and then multiplying that value by a uniform carbon price representing the damage that those emissions would have caused.

Calculating PV costs and benefits

To examine the changing value of solar power, Brown and his colleague Francis M. O’Sullivan, the senior vice president of strategy at Ørsted Onshore North America and a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, developed a methodology to assess the costs and benefits of PV power across the U.S. power grid annually from 2010 to 2017. 

The researchers focused on six “independent system operators” (ISOs) in California, Texas, the Midwest, the Mid-Atlantic, New York, and New England. Each ISO sets electricity prices at hundreds of “pricing nodes” along the transmission network in their region. The researchers performed analyses at more than 10,000 of those pricing nodes.

For each node, they simulated the operation of a utility-scale PV array that tilts to follow the sun throughout the day. They calculated how much electricity it would generate and the benefits that each kilowatt would provide, factoring in energy and “capacity” revenues as well as avoided health and climate change costs associated with the displacement of fossil fuel emissions. (Capacity revenues are paid to generators for being available to deliver electricity at times of peak demand.) They focused on emissions of CO 2 , which contributes to climate change, and of nitrogen oxides (NO x ), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), and particulate matter called PM 2.5 — fine particles that can cause serious health problems and can be emitted or formed in the atmosphere from NO x  and SO 2 .

The results of the analysis showed that the wholesale energy value of PV generation varied significantly from place to place, even within the region of a given ISO. For example, in New York City and Long Island, where population density is high and adding transmission lines is difficult, the market value of solar was at times 50 percent higher than across the state as a whole. 

The public health benefits associated with SO 2 , NO x , and PM 2.5  emissions reductions declined over the study period but were still substantial in 2017. Monetizing the health benefits of PV generation in 2017 would add almost 75 percent to energy revenues in the Midwest and New York and fully 100 percent in the Mid-Atlantic, thanks to the large amount of coal generation in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic and the high population density on the Eastern Seaboard. 

Based on the calculated energy and capacity revenues and health and climate benefits for 2017, the researchers asked: Given that combination of private and public benefits, what upfront PV system cost would be needed to make the PV installation “break even” over its lifetime, assuming that grid conditions in that year persist for the life of the installation? In other words, says Brown, “At what capital cost would an investment in a PV system be paid back in benefits over the lifetime of the array?” 

Assuming 2017 values for energy and capacity market revenues alone, an unsubsidized PV investment at 2017 costs doesn’t break even. Add in the health benefit, and PV breaks even at 30 percent of the pricing nodes modeled. Assuming a carbon price of $50 per ton, the investment breaks even at about 70 percent of the nodes, and with a carbon price of $100 per ton (which is still less than the price estimated to be needed to limit global temperature rise to under 2 degrees Celsius), PV breaks even at all of the modeled nodes. 

That wasn’t the case just two years earlier: At 2015 PV costs, PV would only have broken even in 2017 at about 65 percent of the nodes counting market revenues, health benefits, and a $100 per ton carbon price. “Since 2010, solar has gone from one of the most expensive sources of electricity to one of the cheapest, and it now breaks even across the majority of the U.S. when considering the full slate of values that it provides,” says Brown. 

Based on their findings, the researchers conclude that the decline in PV costs over the studied period outpaced the decline in value, such that in 2017 the market, health, and climate benefits outweighed the cost of PV systems at the majority of locations modeled. “So the amount of solar that’s competitive is still increasing year by year,” says Brown. 

The findings underscore the importance of considering health and climate benefits as well as market revenues. “If you’re going to add another megawatt of PV power, it’s best to put it where it’ll make the most difference, not only in terms of revenues but also health and CO 2 ,” says Brown. 

Unfortunately, today’s policies don’t reward that behavior. Some states do provide renewable energy subsidies for solar investments, but they reward generation equally everywhere. Yet in states such as New York, the public health benefits would have been far higher at some nodes than at others. State-level or regional reward mechanisms could be tailored to reflect such variation in node-to-node benefits of PV generation, providing incentives for installing PV systems where they’ll be most valuable. Providing time-varying price signals (including the cost of emissions) not only to utility-scale generators, but also to residential and commercial electricity generators and customers, would similarly guide PV investment to areas where it provides the most benefit. 

Time-shifting PV output to maximize revenues 

The analysis provides some guidance that might help would-be PV installers maximize their revenues. For example, it identifies certain “hot spots” where PV generation is especially valuable. At some high-electricity-demand nodes along the East Coast, for instance, persistent grid congestion has meant that the projected revenue of a PV generator has been high for more than a decade. The analysis also shows that the sunniest site may not always be the most profitable choice. A PV system in Texas would generate about 20 percent more power than one in the Northeast, yet energy revenues were greater at nodes in the Northeast than in Texas in some of the years analyzed. 

To help potential PV owners maximize their future revenues, Brown and O’Sullivan performed a follow-on study focusing on ways to shift the output of PV arrays to align with times of higher prices on the wholesale market. For this analysis, they considered the value of solar on the day-ahead market and also on the “real-time market,” which dispatches generators to correct for discrepancies between supply and demand. They explored three options for shaping the output of PV generators, with a focus on the California real-time market in 2017, when high PV penetration led to a large reduction in midday prices compared to morning and evening prices.

• Curtailing output when prices are negative: During negative-price hours, a PV operator can simply turn off generation. In California in 2017, curtailment would have increased revenues by 9 percent on the real-time market compared to “must-run” operation.
• Changing the orientation of “fixed-tilt” (stationary) solar panels: The general rule of thumb in the Northern Hemisphere is to orient solar panels toward the south, maximizing production over the year. But peak production then occurs at about noon, when electricity prices in markets with high solar penetration are at their lowest. Pointing panels toward the west moves generation further into the afternoon. On the California real-time market in 2017, optimizing the orientation would have increased revenues by 13 percent, or 20 percent in conjunction with curtailment.
• Using 1-axis tracking: For larger utility-scale installations, solar panels are frequently installed on automatic solar trackers, rotating throughout the day from east in the morning to west in the evening. Using such 1-axis tracking on the California system in 2017 would have increased revenues by 32 percent over a fixed-tilt installation, and using tracking plus curtailment would have increased revenues by 42 percent.

The researchers were surprised to see how much the optimal orientation changed in California over the period of their study. “In 2010, the best orientation for a fixed array was about 10 degrees west of south,” says Brown. “In 2017, it’s about 55 degrees west of south.” That adjustment is due to changes in market prices that accompany significant growth in PV generation — changes that will occur in other regions as they start to ramp up their solar generation.

The researchers stress that conditions are constantly changing on power grids and electricity markets. With that in mind, they made their database and computer code openly available so that others can readily use them to calculate updated estimates of the net benefits of PV power and other distributed energy resources.

They also emphasize the importance of getting time-varying prices to all market participants and of adapting installation and dispatch strategies to changing power system conditions. A law set to take effect in California in 2020 will require all new homes to have solar panels. Installing the usual south-facing panels with uncurtailable output could further saturate the electricity market at times when other PV installations are already generating.

“If new rooftop arrays instead use west-facing panels that can be switched off during negative price times, it’s better for the whole system,” says Brown. “Rather than just adding more solar at times when the price is already low and the electricity mix is already clean, the new PV installations would displace expensive and dirty gas generators in the evening. Enabling that outcome is a win all around.”

Patrick Brown and this research were supported by a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Postdoctoral Research Award through the EERE Solar Energy Technologies Office. The computer code and data repositories are available here and here .

This article appears in the  Spring 2020  issue of  Energy Futures, the magazine of the MIT Energy Initiative. 

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• Paper: “Shaping photovoltaic array output to align with changing wholesale electricity price profiles.”
• Paper: “Spatial and temporal variation in the value of solar power across United States electricity markets.”
• Report: “The Future of Solar Energy”
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• MIT Energy Initiative
• Energy Futures magazine

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Building a Solar-Powered Future

Solar futures study draws insights from across nrel’s expertise and tools to deliver detailed analysis of solar energy’s future in united states.

The next 30 years of solar energy is likely to look very different than the past 30. Photovoltaics (PV) and concentrating solar power are likely to continue to grow rapidly—the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) projects solar energy could provide 45% of the electricity in the United States by 2050 if the energy system is fully decarbonized—and technology costs are projected to continue to decline .

But in the coming decades, the evolution of solar energy technologies could be defined more by how they interact with other energy technologies, like wind and storage. Changes across the wider energy system, like the increased electrification of buildings and vehicles, emergence of clean fuels, and new commitments to both equitability and a more circular, sustainable economy, will shape the future of solar energy. These are just some of the key findings of the Solar Futures Study , published by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office and written by NREL. The study is based on extensive analysis and modeling conducted by NREL and synthesizes analysis across many domains to provide a balanced and rigorous assessment of the future of solar power.

“Solar can play a synergistic role across various sectors including industry, transportation, and agriculture. To better understand the future of solar across the energy system, we brought together numerous experts from across the lab.” – NREL researcher Kristen Ardani

"The study brought together expert perspectives across industry, government, nongovernmental organizations, and universities to frame its research direction," said NREL's lead of the study, Robert Margolis . "Then we used several of NREL's detailed power system modeling tools to examine how the role of solar could evolve under a set of decarbonization scenarios."

Three Visions of the Solar Future

The study uses three scenarios: a baseline case using current policies and trends; a decarbonization scenario in which the current electric power system is 95% decarbonized by 2035 and 100% by 2050; and a decarbonization-plus-electrification scenario in which the electric grid grows significantly in scale to power the electrification of buildings, transportation, and industry. With these scenarios to set the scope, NREL researchers collaborated across sectors to determine how each scenario would play out. Their results describe a future rich with opportunities for solar integration: co-optimization with electric vehicles, solar system recycling and reuse , more equitable and widespread community adoption of solar energy, and much more.

Here we dive into the study's cross-disciplinary approach and detail some of its specific findings by technology area and sector. For a broader overview of the study's high-level findings, check out this NREL-authored fact sheet .

"Solar can play a synergistic role across various sectors including industry, transportation, and agriculture. To better understand the future of solar across the energy system, we brought together numerous experts from across the lab," said NREL co-principal investigator  Kristen Ardani . "We aimed to foster new collaborations and, in doing so, studied solar energy development and integration more comprehensively than ever before."

At over 300 pages, the Solar Futures Study is definitely comprehensive but still not the full story. Seven NREL technical reports support the main study, each packed with highly detailed results from respective domains. For the curious reader, these supplemental reports dive deeper into the future of other energy technologies and sectors and their relationship to solar energy.

The Deep Dive: Solar Evolution Across Sectors

Integrated energy pathways.

This research aligns with one of NREL's critical objectives.

Like the overall study, a panel of industry experts shaped the scope of each detailed technical report. These reports were also framed by the same three decarbonization scenarios. NREL's approach to collaboration added a further degree of cohesion between reports, with individual report authors also contributing to the overall study.

Each technical report drew on its own set of NREL analysis tools, but the results came together within NREL's power grid modeling package ReEDS—the Regional Energy Deployment System . ReEDS simulates how power plants are added to and dispatched on U.S. electric grids; however, the model depends on a mix of both internal NREL data and outside data sources to estimate future demand and generation. For the Solar Futures Study , the supporting technical reports provide detailed information about the data and tools underlying the study.

The full list of deep-dive reports includes:

Research and Development Priorities to Advance Solar Photovoltaic Lifecycle Costs and Performance : Articulates PV technology research and development priorities that will drive down PV electricity costs to meet the targets required in the study scenarios. The report also examines the effects across the country if cost targets are achieved.

The Role of Concentrating Solar-Thermal Power Technologies in a Decarbonized U.S. Grid : Examines the future of concentrating solar-thermal technologies and markets. The report also discusses likely research directions and considers markets beyond electricity generation.

The Demand-Side Opportunity: The Roles of Distributed Solar and Building Energy Systems in a Decarbonized Grid : Presents opportunities to decarbonize grids quickly and cost-effectively using distributed energy resources, such as rooftop PV and demand response, and considers barriers to better use of these resources.

Maximizing Solar and Transportation Synergies : Considers technological and market pathways that will enable better use of solar electricity as fuel for rail, road, air, and maritime transportation.

The Potential for Electrons to Molecules Using Solar Energy : Examines an array of potential electrons-to-molecules products and system designs powered by sunlight or solar electricity that can be tailored to different end uses and applications.

Affordable and Accessible Solar for All: Barriers, Solutions, and On-Site Adoption Potential : Summarizes the barriers low- and medium-income households face when accessing solar energy, including financing and funding, community engagement, site suitability, policy and regulations, and resilience and recovery. The report also considers possible solutions to these barriers.

Environment and Circular Economy : Addresses environmental considerations related to solar technologies, including environmental justice issues. The report also envisions a circular economy for PV systems and details their basic life cycle phases.

The Untapped Solar Potential of Buildings

Solar energy will integrate with the buildings we live, work, and play in through two main ways: how solar systems are deployed on these buildings, and how these buildings can vary their use and storage of energy to complement solar power. Both approaches are major, largely untapped avenues of supporting decarbonization across the power grid. Today, only about 3% of solar-viable rooftops in the United States actually host PV systems. Properly operated demand-side services (energy shifting and storage) could reduce the cost of fully decarbonizing the electric grid by 22% by 2050.

Such findings emerge from NREL's solar-building analysis in The Demand-Side Opportunity: The Roles of Distributed Solar and Building Energy Systems in a Decarbonized Grid . In the report, NREL turns its award-winning Distributed Generation Market Demand (dGen™) analysis software to each decarbonization scenario to forecast the full potential for rooftop solar deployments under different electric rate structures and PV price scenarios.

The report further explores building and neighborhood opportunities to optimize energy, such as by coordinating heating, air conditioning, electric vehicle charging, energy storage, and rooftop PV. This energy orchestration, relevant in all building types from residential to commercial and industrial, was explored using two NREL tools: Urban Renewable Building and Neighborhood optimization ( URBANopt™ ) to model loads of representative buildings and districts, and Renewable Energy Optimization ( REopt™ ) to find the optimal mix of renewables for each building. Apart from finding the scale of opportunity for future decarbonization, this report provides summaries of pathways and policies for buildings to serve demand-side efficiency.

Affordable and Accessible Solar for All

Solar energy expansion promises economic and resilience benefits for many communities, but without attention to how and why communities and individuals adopt solar energy, these benefits are unlikely to be shared equitably. Overcoming past inequalities in solar access has obvious benefits to local air quality, climate change mitigation, and community opportunities. In Affordable and Accessible Solar for All: Barriers, Solutions, and On-Site Adoption Potential , NREL quantifies the opportunity on both sides—for communities and for widescale decarbonization.

Once again, the dGen software proved to be a valuable tool for considering the fine-scale factors in solar energy equity. dGen is especially good at considering the different realities that different communities experience with regard to energy costs, financial credit, cultural familiarity, and other factors described in the report. dGen quantifies the missed opportunity for rooftop solar on the homes of families with low incomes, renter-occupied and multifamily buildings, and community solar deployments.

This report provides direction on how energy equity could be prioritized to achieve quicker all-around decarbonization. One major finding is that solar adoption could be 10 times greater among low- and medium-income houses if the "split-incentive problem" were solved—the problem of homeowners lacking incentives to install solar, and renters missing potential savings from installed solar. NREL addresses possible solutions to this and other problems, proposing funding programs, policies, and other provisions already in use by communities throughout the United States.

Vehicle-Solar Synergy

Electric transportation is another outsized player in the future of solar energy. The Solar Futures Study finds that solar energy could power about 14% of transportation end uses by 2050. Solar PV couples well to electric vehicle (EV) charging: Both use direct-current electricity, which avoids efficiency losses in conversion to alternating-current electricity—a much as 26% lost, in some cases. Other vehicle-solar synergies include coordinating vehicle charging with solar availability, deploying solar at parking canopies and structures, using EV batteries for second-life storage applications, and even equipping solar PV panels directly on vehicles. Each of these possibilities is discussed in Maximizing Solar and Transportation Synergies .

"We looked at the challenges and solutions of using more solar for transportation, including some of the broader possibilities," said Ardani, who coauthored the transportation report. "With the Solar Futures Study 's scenarios to guide us, we performed modeling around EV market demand and electricity demand. Our results fed straight into the main study, showing the complete set of solutions available and how they shape solar growth."

Following from its decades-long scope, the report explores technological possibilities that are waiting in the wings, like hydrogen vehicle coordination with solar-powered electrolyzers, and timed charging schemes to coordinate EV fleet charging. After establishing the size of future markets, the report considers current barriers, technology-cost constraints, and energy equity.

An Adaptable Toolkit for Energy Scenario Analysis

The Solar Futures Study considers the next several decades of solar power with greater breadth and detail than any prior solar-focused study. But the tools that made it possible are in no way exclusive to the study; they are behind many of NREL's recent analyses of future energy systems.

With a diverse and continually validated toolkit, NREL can conduct analysis on many energy technologies and scenarios. The Interconnections Seam Study combines sector-specific forecasts into a cross-country analysis of electricity transmission capacity buildout. The Los Angeles 100% Renewable Energy Study ( LA100 ) also uses a similar approach, providing the city with clean energy options adapted to its unique urban composition.

For even deeper analysis, NREL can combine such computational models with real power testing within the Advanced Research on Integrated Energy Systems ( ARIES ) platform. Plugging the results of energy scenario analysis into hardware devices can de-risk technology configurations, such as those proposed in the Solar Futures Study . Together, NREL's capabilities for future energy analysis can help to both understand and design power systems that are technologically diverse, geographically varied, cost-effective, resilient, equitable, and clean.

"The Solar Futures Study goes beyond previous studies by examining how solar technologies will interact with the broader energy system as we pursue deep decarbonization," said Margolis, who led the study. "The study demonstrates how NREL's cross-disciplinary approach to modeling can provide new insights into both the challenges and opportunities we'll encounter as solar becomes a core component of our energy system."

To learn more and read the full reports, visit the Solar Futures Study web page .

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The Future of Solar Energy: A summary and recommendations for policymakers

Members of the mit study team met with congressional and white house officials and distributed this executive summary of their findings.

On May 5, 2015, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, an MIT team released The Future of Solar Energy , the latest of seven multidisciplinary MIT reports that examine the role that various energy sources could play in meeting energy demand in a carbon-constrained future.

Solar electricity generation is one of the few low-carbon energy technologies with the potential to grow to very large scale. Recent years have seen rapid growth in installed solar generating capacity; great improvements in tech­nology, price, and performance; and the development of creative business models that have spurred investment in residential solar systems. Nonetheless, further advances are needed to enable a dramatic increase in solar penetration at socially acceptable costs.

In the Future of Solar Energy study —which led to the report—a team of more than 30 experts investigated the potential for expanding solar generating capacity to the multi-terawatt scale by midcentury. The experts examined the current state of US solar electricity generation, the several technological approaches that have been and could be followed to convert sunlight to electricity, and the market and policy environments the solar industry has faced. Their objective was to assess solar energy’s current and potential competitive position and to identify changes in US government policies that could more efficiently and effectively support the industry’s robust, long-term growth.

Their findings are presented in the 350-page The Future of Solar Energy report and five related publications . The following article presents a summary and recommendations for policymakers and is reprinted from the report.

Summary for policymakers

Massive expansion of solar generation worldwide by midcentury is likely a necessary component of any serious strategy to mitigate climate change. Fortunately, the solar resource dwarfs current and projected future electricity demand. In recent years, solar costs have fallen substantially, and installed capacity has grown very rapidly. Even so, solar energy today accounts for only about 1% of US and global electricity generation. Particularly if a substantial price is not put on carbon dioxide emissions, expanding solar output to the level appropriate to the climate challenge likely will not be possible at tolerable cost without significant changes in government policies.

The main goal of US solar policy should be to build the foundation for a massive scale-up of solar generation over the next few decades.

Our study focuses on three challenges for achieving this goal: developing new solar technologies, integrating solar generation at large scale into existing electric systems, and designing efficient policies to support solar technology deployment.

Take a long-term approach to technology development

Photovoltaic (PV) facilities account for most solar electric generation in the US and globally. The dominant PV technology, used in about 90% of installed PV capacity, is wafer-based crystalline silicon. This technology is mature and is supported by a fast-growing, global industry with the capability and incentive to seek further improvements in cost and performance. In the United States, non-module or balance-of-system (BOS) costs account for some 65% of the price of utility-scale PV installations and about 85% of the price of the average residential rooftop unit. Therefore, federal R&D support should focus on fundamental research into novel technologies that hold promise for reducing both module and BOS costs.

The federal PV R&D program should focus on new technologies, not—as has been the trend in recent years—on near-term reductions in the cost of crystalline silicon.

Today’s commercial thin-film technologies, which account for about 10% of the PV market, face severe scale-up constraints because they rely on scarce elements. Some emerging thin-film technologies use Earth-abundant materials and promise low weight and flexibility. Research to overcome their current limitations in terms of efficiency, stability, and manufacturability could yield lower BOS costs, as well as lower module costs.

Federal PV R&D should focus on efficient, environmentally benign thin-film technologies that use Earth-abundant materials.

The other major solar generation technology is concentrated solar power (CSP) or solar thermal generation. Loan guarantees for commercial-scale CSP projects have been an important form of federal support for this technology, even though CSP is less mature than PV. Because of the large risks involved in commercial-scale projects, this approach does not adequately encourage experimentation with new materials and designs.

Federal CSP R&D efforts should focus on new materials and system designs and should establish a program to test these in pilot-scale facilities, akin to those common in the chemical industry.

Prepare for much greater penetration of PV generation

CSP facilities can store thermal energy for hours, so they can produce dispatchable power. But CSP is only suitable for regions without frequent clouds or haze, and CSP is currently more costly than PV. PV will therefore continue for some time to be the main source of solar generation in the United States. In competitive wholesale electricity markets, the market value of PV output falls as PV penetration increases. This means PV costs have to keep declining for new PV investments to be economic. PV output also varies over time, and some of that variation is imperfectly predictable. Flexible fossil generators, demand management, CSP, hydro-electric facilities, and pumped storage can help cope with these characteristics of solar output. But they are unlikely to prove sufficient when PV accounts for a large share of total generation.

R&D aimed at developing low-cost, scalable energy storage technologies is a crucial part of a strategy to achieve economic PV deployment at large scale.

Because distribution network costs are typically recovered through per-kilowatt-hour (kWh) charges on electricity consumed, owners of distributed PV generation shift some network costs, including the added costs to accommodate significant PV penetration, to other network users. These cost shifts subsidize distributed PV but raise issues of fairness and could engender resistance to PV expansion.

Pricing systems need to be developed and deployed that allocate distribution network costs to those that cause them and that are widely viewed as fair.

Establish efficient subsidies for solar deployment

Support for current solar technology helps create the foundation for major scale-up by building experience with manufacturing and deployment and by overcoming institutional barriers. But federal subsidies are slated to fall sharply after 2016.

Drastic cuts in federal support for solar technology deployment would be unwise.

On the other hand, while continuing support is warranted, the current array of federal, state, and local solar subsidies is wasteful. Much of the investment tax credit, the main federal subsidy, is consumed by transaction costs. Moreover, the subsidy per installed watt is higher where solar costs are higher (e.g., in the residential sector), and the subsidy per kWh 
of generation is higher where the solar resource is less abundant.

Policies to support solar deployment should reward generation, not investment; should not provide greater subsidies to residential generators than to utility-scale generators; and should avoid the use of tax credits.

State renewable portfolio standard (RPS) programs provide important support for solar generation. However, state-to-state differences and siting restrictions lead to less generation per dollar of subsidy than a uniform national program would produce.

State RPS programs should be replaced by 
a uniform national program. If this is not possible, states should remove restrictions on out-of-state siting of eligible solar generation.

This summary appears in The Future of Solar Energy: An Interdisciplinary MIT Study , by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015. The study was supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation; the Arunas A. and Pamela A. Chesonis Family Foundation; Duke Energy; Edison International; the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC; and Booz Allen Hamilton.

This article appears in the Autumn 2015 issue of Energy Futures .

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SEIA Resources

Case studies.

SEIA produces a variety of research and other supporting resources for the solar industry, ranging from full reports to short factsheets. Below is a list of our case studies, organized by date. For a full library of research and resources, click here . 

Solar Heating & Cooling Case Study - Maui Brewing Company

SunDrum® Solar has completed a 220 module hybrid solar PV-T array at Maui Brewing Corporation, Kihei HI. This array includes 220 SDM100-400 800Wt collectors matched with Solar World 325We modules and 16 GK 3133 glazed collectors with 30 tons of heat pump capacity. The system provides 160F brew water to the brew house hot liquor tank and <40F chilled water to the cold liquor tank.

Solar Heating & Cooling Case Study - San Jose ADU

In December 2019, SunDrum Solar and Freedom Solar  commissioned a 10.7kW hybrid solar PV-T system on an  Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) being built by Acton ADU in San  Jose, CA. The solar system supplies 100% of the electrical,  space heating, space cooling, and DHW for the entire home.  The system includes 670 sq. ft. of Insol Corp Infinite R 23C  phase change material installed in the ceilings, which serves as  thermal storage for the space heating and cooling.

Solar Heating & Cooling Case Study - Great Lakes Naval Station Hybrid Solar System

In 2019, SunDrum Solar commissioned a 1,300-collector hybrid solar PV-T Campus at Naval Station Great Lakes in North Chicago Illinois. The systems provide hot water to dormitories and base laundry. The commissioning phase included demonstrating winter performance where the systems were exposed to (-28F) temperatures. The systems have provided over 4000 therms of energy during a cold winter month while providing over 5500 therms of energy during a summer month. The thermal systems include 6 dormitory systems and one additional system supporting the base laundry.

Solar Heating & Cooling Case Study - The Elks Lodge

The Elks Lodge in Palo Alto CA decided to retrofit their 1000+ panel 362kW Canopy PV array with 120 SunDrum® Solar SDM100-300 collectors (78kWth) to heat their 3300 ft2 pool. The system goal was to eliminate natural gas consumption except for 8 weeks in the winter.

Solar Heating & Cooling Case Study - Wailea Inn Hybrid Solar System

In February 2019, SunDrum Solar commissioned a 40-collector hybrid solar PV-T system at Wailea Inn on the island of Maui, HI. This system now serves as the main source of heat for their DHW and their pool, and is configured such that space heating and A/C can be added easily in the future. The warm, sunny climate in the town of Kihei enables this system to run at excellent COP’s year round, and to provide a substantial portion of their heating load directly from the sun.

Solar Heating & Cooling Case Study - Bradenton Residence

In 2016, Mirasol FAFCO Solar installed a CoolPV® system on a Florida residence owned by Jerry Pollard. Pollard’s system is comprised of 40 275 Watt CoolPV panels.

Solar Heating & Cooling Case Study - Alaska Village Housing Project

Even at the high latitude of Anchorage, AK, more than 60 degrees north of the equator, solar hot water systems are an effective form of energy. On the winter solstice,  Anchorage receives about six and a half hours of  daylight, while six months later on summer solstice, the sun shines for 21 straight hours. When designed correctly, solar hot water systems can be convenient and economical, even in Anchorage. 

Solar Heating & Cooling Case Study - Arminta Apartments

Synthesis Construction removed an old flat-plate solar hot water system and installed a new Apricus evacuated-tube solar hot water system. This system involves 16 ETC-30  evacuated-tube collectors, a SolarHot pump station with built-in brazed-plate heat exchanger, and an 800 gallon Niles Steel storage tank. 

Solar Heating & Cooling Case Study - Bakersfield Hotel

In California’s hot Central Valley, a hotel installed a hybrid photovoltaic and solar-thermal system, which involves 42 hybrid PV/Thermal collectors, and 18 additional PV-only panels. Each hybrid collector consists of a PV panel on the front and a solar-thermal collector affixed to the back. The PV panels get energy from direct  sunlight. The thermal collectors get heat from the PV panels and from the ambient air. 

Solar Heating & Cooling Case Study - Cargill Meat Processing

Working towards the goal of fully sustainable producti on, Cargill worked to have one of California’s largest solar water heating arrays installed on its  flagship beef production facility in the state.

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Office Building Owner Saving with Solar

Oak Ridge, TN

46.5 Metric Tons

An energy-saving and utility-bill cutting solar and storage project becomes an even more enticing business opportunity with the help of a 50% grant from the USDA Rural Energy for America Program.  No, you don’t have to be a farmer to take advantage of this. “I’ ...

Solar for Environmentally Conscious Manufacturing with TENTE

455 Metric Tons

651,910 kWh

Solar Alliance has teamed up with a leading environmentally conscious manufacturer to add renewable energy for its Kentucky facility.  TENTE is leading the way with Environmental, Social, and Governance that includes its 500.85 kilowatt (kW) rooftop solar installation by Solar Alliance ...

Rooftop Solar Cuts Utility Bills for Insurance Office

Farragut, TN

10.4 Metric Tons

14,744 Kilowatt Hours

State Farm Insurance owner Mansour Hasan of Farragut, Tennessee is cutting utility bills with solar while keeping his staff and customers comfortable at his Kingston Pike office building. The 12-kilowatt system includes 32 455-watt photo ...

Ole Smoky Distillery Warehouse

Newport, TN

37.2 Metric Tons

52,525 Kilowatt Hours

Sunshine Powers Moonshine at Ole Smoky Distillery Warehouse! Shine Responsibly® is inspiring another meaning for award-winning Ole Smoky Tennessee Distillery.  Now the popular moonshine maker is tapping into the power of sunshine to offset a portion of utility expenses at its warehous ...

Cal Johnson Recreation Center

Downtown Knoxville

11.6 Metric Tons

26,790 Kilowatt Hours

Solar now supports the fun at Cal Johnson Recreation Center in downtown Knoxville!  Solar Alliance has installed a 20.5 kW photovoltaic system on the roof of this popular place for sports and social events.  The City of Knoxville expects this solar installation to save the city approx ...

KUB Community Solar

Knoxville, Tennessee

100,000 Gallons of Gasoline

Solar Alliance designed, engineered and constructed Knoxville’s first ever community solar array near Interstate 40.  This project is a collaboration of Knoxville Utilities Board, the City of Knoxville and the Tennessee Valley Authority.  This installation covers a three-acre si ...

Clean Energy for Maker’s Mark Distillery

Loretto, Kentucky

110 Metric Tons

255.1 Megawatt-Hours (MWh)

You’ll find some of our most notable solar design work

Builder SunBox Systems for Homes & Offices

East Tennessee

“I had alread ...

Creation Stewardship in Action with Rooftop Solar

Oak Ridge, Tennessee

8.7 metric tons

20,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) annually

Supporting Manufacturing for AESSEAL, Inc. North American Headquarters

Rockford, Tennessee

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Solar Energy

Case study: solar energy, a brighter outlook with solar energy, theme: services.

September 8, 2018

Theme: Clean India

Launch: October 2, 2018

Location: Pan-India

Stakeholder: Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation, citizens of India

The Government of India is taking timely steps to boost India's solar energy capacity in mission mode, which are expected to usher in a robust clean energy future.

Energy requirement has progressively increased from 830,594 MU (mega units)* in 2009-10 to 1,212,134 MU in 2017-18 2 . However, India has also managed to meet most of this excess demand to bring down the energy deficit from 83,950 MU in 2009-10 to 8,567 MU in 2017-18. More significantly, clean or renewable energy is forming an increasingly important component of the new capacity that India is adding to meet its growing energy needs. Total renewable energy capacity has increased from 35,500 MW in 2013-14 to 70,000 MW in 2017- 18 4 . In 2017-18, India's capacity addition in renewable (11,788 MW) exceeded the capacity addition in conventional energy (9,505 MW) for the first time 5 .

Solar energy capacity in particular has seen a phenomenal growth in India, growing by 8 times since 2013-14 to reach 22,000 MW in 2017-18 6 . The Government of India has targeted renewable energy capacity of 175 GW by 2022, out of which solar alone is expected to contribute 100 GW. In all, 41 solar parks have been sanctioned in 21 states with total capacity of 26,144 MW 7 . According to a report by the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, India has a total solar power potential of around 748 GW. To put that in perspective, India's total installed capacity as on June 31, 2018, was 343.9 GW 8 .

The key driver of the growing propensity towards solar power is declining costs. Solar power costs have successively declined from Rs 6.17 per unit in 2014 to Rs 2.44 per unit in 2018 9 . Both solar and wind power projects are in fact consistently being won at lower prices compared to thermal power. For instance, 1.75 GW of tenders for solar power in June were completed at Rs2.71/kWh 10 . While there has been slight increase from last year's record lows of Rs 2.44 per kWh, for the auction carried out by Solar Energy Corporation of India for 500 MW capacity in the Bhadla Phase-III Solar Park, Rajasthan (see figure 1). However, they are currently at par with thermal, as per data on recent auctions by CEA 11 . On August 29, it was reported that Madhya Pradesh Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (MPUVNL) closed a tender for 35+ MWp of solar rooftop power at Rs 1.58 per unit, the lowest so far for India 12 .

According to Bloomberg New Energy Outlook 2018, it is projected that "wind and solar are set to surge to almost "50 by 50" - 50% of world generation by 2050 - on the back of precipitous reductions in cost, and the advent of cheaper and cheaper batteries that will enable electricity to be stored and discharged to meet shifts in demand and supply 13 ." Given the commitment being displayed by the Government and the industry to ramp up solar capacities in mission mode, the long term scenario looks positive in terms of reducing India's dependence on coal for its energy needs. This has obvious environment benefits, apart from building sustainable capacities to meet India's energy needs over the long term.

*1 MU = 1 million units of electricity, where each unit = 1 kWh.

• The Government of India has taken urgent measures to increase sanitation coverage in the country at a brisk pace. Since launch, 81.55 million toilets have been built across India under Swachh Bharat Mission - Grameen with a rural sanitation coverage of around 90.33% compared to 38.7% as on October 2, 2014.*
• Further, since the launch of the mission, 4,19,391 villages have been declared open-defecation free.*
• Under the Swachh Bharat (Urban) Mission around 4.32 million household toilets and 392,817 community toilets had been constructed. Moreover, 67,085 wards had 100% door-door collection (Solid Waste Management Rules)*.
• WHO has estimated that if the Government achieves 100% implementation of its cleanliness drive by 2019, the country could be on track to avert 300,000 deaths due to diarrhoeal disease and protein-energy malnutrition (PEM).

References:

• 1 - (IEA Statistics © OECD/IEA 2014 ( iea.org/stats/index.asp )
• 2, 3, 7 -  powermin.nic.in/en/content/power-sector-glance-all-india
• 5 -  https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/in-a-first-renewables-surpass-conventional-energy-sources-in-capacity-addition-in-fy18/article23740900.ece
• 4, 8, 9 -  https://mnre.gov.in/sites/default/files/uploads/MNRE-4-Year-Achievement-Booklet.pdf
• 10 - https://reneweconomy.com.au/india-doubles-down-on-renewables-as-coal-left-idle-by-cheaper-solar-83364
• 11 – http://www.careratings.com/upload/NewsFiles/Studies/Renewable%20Energy%20Tariff%20and%20Capacity%20Update.pdf
• 12 - https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/renewable/mps-resco-tender-attracts-over-31-bidders-for-35-mw-solar-rooftop/65581940
• 13 - https://about.bnef.com/new-energy-outlook

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Scientists make breakthrough while investigating potential of solar panels: 'We figured some other ways to capture more solar energy'

S cientists have been hard at work figuring out ways to make solar cells — the part of the solar panel that actually absorbs light — work more efficiently. However, a group of scientists working on that very issue recently stumbled across some potentially easier solutions to the problem.

The researchers from the Cavendish Laboratory at Cambridge and the Amsterdam-based AMOLF found that they could improve solar energy capture not by making the solar cells more efficient but by simply designing them to fit their surroundings better. TechXplore first reported on their findings.

"Making solar cells super-efficient turns out to be very difficult. So, instead of just trying to make solar cells better, we figured some other ways to capture more solar energy," said Dr. Tomi Baikie, the study's first author. "This could be really helpful for communities, giving them different options to think about instead of just focusing on making the cells more efficient with light."

The applications of the scientists' findings mean that, in the future, solar panels could flex or fold to fit into tricky spaces or be partially transparent to blend seamlessly into their surroundings. By making solar panels that are less burdensome to install, Dr. Baikie speculated that it could increase their adoption worldwide.

Changes like these could be executed more easily than other changes to solar panels that focus on the underlying technology .

That does not mean that the underlying technology isn't worth improving. Recent breakthroughs in that realm include solar panels made with a super-material called perovskite , ones made with " quantum material " and " quantum dot " technology, and a solar film used by NASA. 

Watch now: Alex Honnold test drives his new Rivian

Other recent advances in making solar panels work better without changing the underlying technology include a device that allows the panels to become self-cleaning, cutting down on maintenance costs. 

Do we need more solar power plants in America?

These two types of advances are not mutually exclusive — each goes toward making solar panels work better, cheaper, and more efficiently, allowing us to move past outdated dirty energy sources.

Scientists make breakthrough while investigating potential of solar panels: 'We figured some other ways to capture more solar energy' first appeared on The Cool Down .