Analysis of the Value Proposition of High-efficiency, Multijunction Solar Modules for Residential Rooftop Installations

• Published in: 2019 IEEE 46th Photovoltaic Specialists Conference (PVSC) pp. 2533 - 2540
• Main Authors: Horowitz, Kelsey A. W., Nielson, Gregory N., Sigrin, Benjamin, Cunningham, Daniel W., Majumdar, Zigurts K.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 01-06-2019
• Subjects: concentrator photovoltaic modules; cost analysis; high efficiency photovoltaic cells; solar adoption; solar economics
• DOI: 10.1109/PVSC40753.2019.8981129

Utilizing detailed bottom-up models, we analyze the potential markets for high-efficiency photovoltaic modules in the United States. We first estimate the fraction of area-constrained residential rooftops that could benefit from increasing the availability of high-efficiency systems. We then model the impact of efficiency on installed system costs in these area-constrained scenarios. Finally, we explore the value proposition of high-efficiency, fixed-tilt micro-concentrator photovoltaic modules in a series of case studies of residential customers, modeling the levelized cost of energy, payback period, and annual bill savings. We find that efficiency can provide significant savings in installed system cost and improve value to the solar system owner. The improvement in value depends on location and the size of the rooftop, as well as the ability of a given technology to collect diffuse light and achieve low module costs.