So in 2018 utility solar was cheaper than coal and advanced nuclear.
Price per watt solar vs coal.
The best way to compare solar energy and fossil fuels without subsidies is to examine global energy prices.
To get 876 000 mwh per year you would need a solar array with an output of 438 mw.
A solar energy system can absolutely help you insulate yourself against these fluctuations and increases.
Photovoltaic prices have fallen from 76 67 per watt in 1977 to nearly 0 102 per watt in october 2019 for multi crystalline silicon solar cells and module price to 0 21 per watt.
Of course it s all about location.
However after construction is completed solar costs just 8 per megawatt hour for operations and maintenance and of course solar has no fuel costs.
A study led by the former head of the harvard medical school found that coal cost the us 500 billion per year in extra health and environmental costs approximately 9 kwh 90 mwh to 27.
However if you compare the kilowatt hour price a new solar array will generally beat a new coal fired power station.
At a glance this seems like a disadvantage since you need over four watts of solar generation to displace one watt of coal power.
At an installed price of 1 25 per watt per the above analysis the cost of pv solar is always cheaper than coal.
Selected historical mean unsubsidized lcoe values 2009 2019.
Per the nrel the cost of utility solar was 1 06 per watt in 2018 from the table near the top of this page.
Over the last decade wind energy prices have fallen 70 and solar photovoltaics have fallen 89 on average according to.
Prices per megawatt hour from electricity for coal fired power plants range from a low of 60 to a high of 143 according to lazard a financial advisory firm that publishes annual estimates of.
Until the past decade no alternative energy resource came close to rivaling that price.
Global coal prices have historically averaged 0 06 cents per kilowatt hour kwh.
89 90 this is seen as evidence supporting swanson s law which states that solar cell prices fall 20 for every doubling of cumulative shipments.