Zero Marginal Energy Cost

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Revision as of 05:02, 27 January 2026 by Marcin (talk | contribs) (Created page with "Deive the cost per kilowatt hour for PV panels that cost $200 per kilowatt - is that the current bulk cost? Assume the standard lifetime, and inverters that cost $100 per kilowatt - is that the correct cost? Assume no storage, and mounting cost of $10/kw because it is building-integrated. Chat says: https://chatgpt.com/share/6978447d-0958-8010-a31f-e4e788cab0bf Wiring is DC bus at 500V carrying 200A or 100kW, linear array say of 200 feet long, 10 panels deep, each pane...")
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Deive the cost per kilowatt hour for PV panels that cost $200 per kilowatt - is that the current bulk cost? Assume the standard lifetime, and inverters that cost $100 per kilowatt - is that the correct cost? Assume no storage, and mounting cost of $10/kw because it is building-integrated.

Chat says: https://chatgpt.com/share/6978447d-0958-8010-a31f-e4e788cab0bf

Wiring is DC bus at 500V carrying 200A or 100kW, linear array say of 200 feet long, 10 panels deep, each panel connecting with a long ga 14 wire back to bus (30 wires *50'=1500 feet of 14 ga XHHW-2 at 28 cents per foot (https://www.wireandcableyourway.com/xhhw?srsltid=AfmBOooslPMla7YGEH_a-hYczUjDOT7sFuHo1TGrGclpjhzmGPIkSgPW)) and 4/0 cable at $2.5/foot makes for $500+$500. So I pay $1000 in wire for 100kw or $10/kW in wire, so wiring cost is negligible. Combiner is $55/6kW, or about $10/kw. Engineering is open source reference design. Conduit - is $340/100kW or $3/kw. So total not including labor is $333/kW for hardware. Labor is about 20 minutes per panel (4 mount points through panel, 4 screws to mounts, marking 20 long lines , and 3D printed mounts) for about 100 hours - or $2500 - for 100 kW - or $25/kw - making total with labor come out to under $400/kW.

This makes cost of electricity 0.8 cents/kWhr.

But PV lasts more than 25 years. Under the assumption of lifetime design iverters - the cost drops to 1/2 of this - down to 0.4-0.5 cents per kWhr.

https://chatgpt.com/share/6978447d-0958-8010-a31f-e4e788cab0bf