Cost of Solar Power Plant SreeptaMohanty

8/2/2019 Cost of Solar Power Plant SreeptaMohanty

1/15


2/15

Electrification of remote villages Besides food, shelter, clothing, and employment,the next priority in villages is affordable energyfor cooking and lighting.

The first important task, a gigantic task, will beto build a network for cooking with LPG(liquified petroleum gas) to do away with thedrudgery and unhealthy practice of cooking.

The second important one will be to provideelectricity to improve the living conditions to actas an essential catalyst in alleviating poverty.


3/15

Moreover, 20 000 villages have been identified as

unapproachable from the grid line and will have todepend on alternative sources of power.

These alternative sources could be solar or wind

energy, biomass, biogas, or micro- hydel energy,which may be locally available to be harnessed in auseful manner.

Incidentally, only these sources have been found to

be technologically and commercially viable untilnow, especially in villages that are situated beyonda certain distance from the grid line.


4/15

Application of solar power

A solar power plant of the size 10100 kW (kilowatt),depending on the load demand, is preferableparticularly with a liberal subsidy and low-interest soft

loan from financial institutions, to raise the quality oflife of the people subjected to poverty in these areas.

Centralized power generation and distribution,individual DLS (domestic lighting systems) are alsocommon in many rural un electrified houses.


5/15

The plants in Sagar Island(West Bengal) started

with the unique feature of training people tooperate and maintain the plants, besidesgenerating an awareness through interaction withprospective consumers who at a later stage could

take up the management on a cooperative basis. Biomass-based power plants have also been set up

in that area.


6/15

The four important components in a solar powersystem are solar modules, battery, inverter, and

charge controller, besides other BOS (balance ofsystem)/components. These four componentsincur more than two-thirds of the total cost.

In fact, 50% of the project cost is invested on thesolar modules.

In October 1998, regular electrification of villagesthrough off-grid solar plant started. So far, 11 such

plants have been set up, covering electrification ofmore than 25 villages in Sagar Island. (Detailedanalysis are given in Table 1).


7/15

Table 1: Cost of module and percentage of total costName Month

and yearInstallationcapacity

(KWp)

Module(RS. in

1000)

Per Wattcost

Total(RS. in

1000)

Percentagetotal

Kamalpur Feb 1996 25 4617 174.25 7345 63

Mrityunjay Oct 1988 25 5141 185.24 9218 56

Khasmahal May 1999 25 4317 173 7968 54

Gayenbazar May 1999 25 4317 173 7968 54

Mahendra Aug 1999 25 4317 173 7968 54

Natendrapur Aug 2000 25 3375 135.5 7098 48

Haradhanpur Nov 2000 25 3375 135.5 7098 48

Mandirtala Dec 2000 25 3375 135.5 7098 48

Mousuni-I March2001

25 8175 153.8 15379 53

Mausuni-II April2003

110 17111 156 29842 57

ParthPratim March2004

110 16112 146.46 31373 55


8/15

Analysis of Cost and output in India

and Germany In India, the price of battery varies between Rs.27

per watt and Rs.41 per watt.

The cost of an inverter has increased considerably

by almost 33% from Rs.42 to Rs.55 contrary to theprice of electronic items which are generallydecreasing .

Charge controllers are on a declining trend.

From Tables 2 and 3(given in the next slide), itappears that the cost of the SPV stand-alone powerplants with an additional battery to store energy forsupply in the evening hours to meet the villagers

need is 285 000 rupees (6264 dollars) / kWp.


9/15

In Germany, the cost of a roof-top or other typegrid-connected units, exclusive of a battery in the

range of 50120 kWp of capacity, of a solar plantis 289 760 rupees (6368 dollars).

The cost of a module in Germany is above 70%of the total cost as against 50%55% in India.

The cost of an inverter is around 12% of the totalcost in Germany, whereas it is nearly 19% inIndia.

The SPV (solar photovoltaic) mode of

electrification started in 1998 after a system on atrial basis was commissioned in Kamalpur villagein 1996.


10/15

Table 2: Cost of battery, inverter,

and charge controllerName Total project Inverter Charge

controllerBatter y

Kamalpur 294 35 10 34

Mrityunjay 369 42 13 39Khasmahal 319 63 3 41

Gayenbazar 319 63 3 41

Mahendra 319 63 3 41

Natendrapur 284 58 12 27

Haradhanpur 284 58 12 27

Mandirtala 284 58 12 27

Mousuni-I 280 34 Not quoted 37

Mausuni-II 284 71 71 41

ParthPratim 285 55 16 40


11/15

Table 3 :

Cost of solar power in Germany

and its Annual Generation

Region ofGermany

No. ofinstallations

Total capacity(KWp)

Annual generation(KWh/KWp)

North-West

South

Capacity Range

50-120 KWp

453

895

Module cost

74.3%

1215

2250

Inverter cost

11.8%

732

860

Cost in Euro per KWp

5307

i l i b


12/15

Comparative analysis between

Conventional and Non-conventional

sources of power

Overall cost per watt has reduced by nearly 23% as seen inthe competitive bidding in West Bengal in India.

Capital cost of thermal generation is as low as 40 000

rupees per kW.

Compared to this, decentralized solar power generation is285 000 rupees per kW or 3.5 times higher.

Cost has reduced by 50% over two decades and shoulddescend further by 50% so that conversion of solarpower to electricity is commercially viable for generalapplication.


13/15

There is an additional element of fuel charge in the

tariff connected with thermal power due to dangerousrepercussion from pollution and health hazards.

Instead, solar power happens to satisfactorilyaddresses this serious issue free from recurring cost onfuel to provide clean energy.

Ironically, though the SPV system is utilized to helppoor people in remote areas in third world countries.

The same technology works for well-to-do people inurban areas in the developed countries.

In both the cases, states finance the schemes throughincentives or some form of a grant.


14/15

Therefore, it is little wonder that Japan, Germany, andthe US, have several SPV installations with hundredsof megawatts in capacity as against only a fewinstallations with tens of megawatt capacity in Indiaand Africa, though they both have enough sunshine.


15/15

THANK YOU

Documents

Cost of Solar Power Plant SreeptaMohanty