Michael Taylor from IRENA analyzes the costs of over 9,000 utility-scale and 200,000 small-scale renewable energy projects. The analysis shows that renewable power generation is increasingly competitive as technology improves and costs reduce. IRENA tracks quarterly indicators of solar PV competitiveness versus electricity rates in North America to inform policymakers and thought leaders, and may lead to more detailed regional analysis. IRENA's cost analysis work now has a dedicated website with free publications, charts, and information to support members and private sector work on renewable energy costs.

1. Cost Analysis at IRENA
Michael Taylor
mtaylor@irena.org
1 July 2014

2. Secure supplies01
Reliable service02
Energy access03
Affordably04
Renewable Energy
can provide:

3. What do the costs of
9000 utility-scale and
over 200k small-scale
RE projects look like?
Renewable power
generation is
increasingly
competitive
Highlights

4. Higher
capacity
factors from
improved
technology
Wind
turbine
cost
reductions
Wind power

5. Solar PV Trends
Module price declines pause as
industry attempts to improve margins
BoS costs now hold key to large-
scale future cost reductions:
continued declines, for how long?

6. PV Parity Indicators:
Tracking Our Future
6
• Tracks quarterly competiveness
• Indicators, not actual costs
• Target audience are policy makers and thought leaders
• Start with North America
• Can lead to more detailed analysis
• Supports other IRENA activities

7. 7
• Simple metrics
• LCOE vs Effective Electricity
Rate/Value
• Require detailed assumptions &
analysis
PV Parity Indicators:
Methodology

8. 8
Residential PV Parity:
San Francisco
Detailed analysis
yields significant
insights…
The average view
can be very
misleading…

9. IRENA now has
A world class database
Cutting edge analysis
Transparent, verifiable data
Global coverage
A dynamic new web portal

10. New dedicated
costing pages…
…with all our costing
publications for
free…
…charts, Alliance
news, events, and
more.
The True Costs:
webpages for your work

12. Member countries
Private sector
members
Observers
12
Alliance structure

13. Stationary applications
Power generation
update
Integration technologies
PV Parity Indicators
What’s next?

14. www.irena.org/costs
mtaylor@irena.org