Scientists in Switzerland have carried out a techno-economic analysis of the production costs of the Perovskite solar module in terms of level of energy costs and have shown that these products could be competitive in the Alpenland, provided that they achieve a efficiency of more than 24% with a lifespan of 30 years with a life of 30 years.
A group of scientists from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) has developed a bottom-up techno-economic model to assess the production costs and feasibility of the Perovskiet zone module.
The modeling is based on existing models for PV production and principles of the chemical production industry. It takes into account the impact of work schedule, waste treatment, automation and production capacity. It also contains a database with materials for perovskietabsorbers, transparent guide oxide (TCO) substrates, electron transport layers (ETLs), hole transport layers (HTLs) and electrodes.
The scientists recognized However, that the model still does not include production complexities, such as surface passion or other surface treatments. “The model assumes a certain module architecture, including the material components and selects techniques for deposition and other required processes such as Scripture and Solution Retention,” they explained, and noted that material costs and equipment costs depend on the production capacity of a certain manufacturer.
Image: EPFL; Renewable energy, CC BY-SA 4.0
The research team indicated that the production costs of the module include the costs for equipment, materials, factory building, automation, operations and maintenance, labor and utilities.
The depreciation periods for the equipment and the building were supposed to be 7 years old for The Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (Macrs) And 25 years for linear depreciation. It was assumed that the weighted average capital costs (WACC) are 14%, while the general and administrative (SG&A) and research and development (R&D) would be expected to vary with the production size.
The energy costs from PV modules were evaluated in terms of level of energy costs (LCOE) based on the data from the solar radiation in Valais, Switzerland.
Image: EPFL; Renewable energy, CC BY-SA 4.0
The scientists also used the so-called Morris sensitivity analysis to identify the crucial parameters that define the LCOE. This methodology is often used to investigate which parameters have the greatest influence on model adjustment. This assessment showed that solar radiation, module Capex, Balance or System (forest) Capex area dependent and module efficiency with relatively high non-linear effects are the most important parameters.
“LCO can reduce by 15.7% or increase by 25.5% for a 20% change in the radiation value, while for a 20% change it can increase or decrease by around 7% -8%,” they emphasized. “The Capex module can be considered $ 50/m2, $ 85/m2 and $ 335/m2 Based on the statistical data generated from the first screening as cheap, medium and expensive scenarios with a production capacity of 1000 MW. “
The overall analysis showed that the lowest possible LCOE is feasible by perovskiet zone modules produced in Switzerland is $ 0.051/kWh with cheap materials and manufacturing equipment. This LCO level can be competitive in Switzerland, where conventional PV project costs on utility scale are estimated at $ 0.057/kWh, provided that Perovskite PV modules have an efficiency of more than 24% with a lifespan of 20 years and more than 20% with a life cycle of 30 years.
“Furthermore, with the expensive module, even with the highest possible efficiency and minimal degradation percentages, perovskite solar modules would not be competent on the market in view of the abundance of options in this very competitive space of PV technologies and energy technologies in general,” the Academici in general, concluded, concluded the Academics.
The production costs analysis was presented in the study “Techno-economic analysis framework for the production of Perovskite Solar Module at various production capacities“Published in Renewable energy.
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