Skip to main content
Tuesday, Jan 13, 2015

New Study Touts Solar as ‘Investment Opportunity'

WASHINGTON, DC - A new study released today by the NC Clean Energy Technology Center finds that investing in a 5 kilowatt solar system can be a better deal than investing in a stock market index fund in 46 of America’s 50 largest cities.

Monday, Oct 06, 2014

Rethinking Standby & Fixed Cost Charges: Regulatory and Rate Design Pathways to Deeper Solar PV Cost Reductions

Utilities have taken on the practice of applying standby and fixed cost charges specific to solar PV for customers choosing to go solar as a means to recover costs resulting from net energy metering (NEM). These charges are not the most efficient or best means for utilities to recover costs and this report finds that an integrated approach that includes the items below will allow for both effective utility cost recovery and minimal impact on the U.S. PV market. 

Monday, Sep 22, 2014

How Much Do Local Regulations Matter? Exploring the Impact of Permitting and Local Regulatory Processes on PV Prices in the United States

While PV modules and other hardware costs have dropped significantly over recent years, non-hardware soft costs have also fallen, but not nearly as sharply. This research report, authored by experts from Yale University, Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory, University of Texas at Austin and the US Department of Energy, focuses on the impacts of city-level permitting and other regulatory processes on residential PV prices in the US. Key Findings:

Monday, Sep 22, 2014

Tracking the Sun VII

Lawrence Berkley National Lab's "Tracking the Sun" is an annual report that tracks and analyzes installed prices of solar PV. The report analyzes more than 300,000 individual residential, commercial and utility scale PV systems in 33 states. Key findings include:

Tuesday, Apr 01, 2014

National Labs Explore Differences in Installed PV Pricing between U.S. and Japan

A recent joint report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory finds that installed PV system prices in Japan are 6% lower than U.S. prices in the residential sector, and 20% lower than U.S. prices in the small commercial sector. Some of this difference is attributed to lower soft costs in Japan.

Monday, Nov 25, 2013

NREL Report Provides Most Granular View of Soft Costs to Date

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently released a report that breaks down the ‘soft costs’ associated with the installation of residential and commercial photovoltaic systems in greater detail than ever before, with detailed looks at customer acquisition and system design costs, as well as permitting, inspection and interconnection costs.

Tuesday, Oct 29, 2013

Study Shows Reduction in U.S. PV Installation Labor Costs Possible

A new study from the Rocky Mountain Institute and the Georgia Tech Research Institute finds that U.S PV installation labor costs can be decreased from $0.49/watt to $0.29/watt by utilizing installation best practices. Researchers studied installation practices at 26 sites in the U.S. and Germany to determine current practices and future opportunities.

Thursday, Sep 19, 2013

Global Energy Company E.ON Joins SEIA Board of Directors

WASHINGTON, DC – As a strong supporter of solar, global energy company E.ON has become one of the newest board members at the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). E.ON is an international provider of energy solutions and ranks as one of the world’s largest investor-owned power and gas companies, as well as one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies.

Monday, Apr 22, 2013

Financing through Public Capital Vehicles Can Lower Solar Costs 10%

A recent NREL report finds that the use of public capital (asset-backed securities, investment pools and real estate investment trusts) can lower the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) by up to $0.16 for residential projects and $0.08 for utility projects. As consumer confidence in securitization grows, prices could fall by as much as 30%.

Monday, Apr 15, 2013

Favorable Permitting Practices Can Reduce PV Costs 4%-12%

A recent Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory report finds that streamlined city permitting practices can reduce the cost of installed PV systems by $0.27-$0.77 per watt, relative to cities with less favorable permitting standards. Development times can be shorted by an average of 24 days, under favorable permitting standards.

Subscribe to Soft Costs