Costs 2. Solar for Tlou consumption11 Jun 2026 13:05
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I'll assume a commercial-scale ground-mounted 5 MW (AC) solar PV system on a site already prepared (permitting/hoopla minimal). Estimated costs vary by region, supply chain, and tariff, but here are reasonable baseline ranges (2024–2026 market conditions assumed):
Capital costs (installed, turnkey)
Low-cost scenario: $800,000 – $1,000,000 per MW → $4.0M – $5.0M total
Typical/median scenario: $1,000,000 – $1,300,000 per MW → $5.0M – $6.5M total
Higher-cost scenario (rural/high-labor/imports/standard trackers): $1,300,000 – $1,700,000 per MW → $6.5M – $8.5M total
Breakdown (typical per-MW percentages)
Modules: ~30–40%
Inverters / electrical balance: ~10–15%
Racking & trackers: ~10–25% (single-axis trackers raise cost)
Civil/site work & mounting: ~10–15%
EPC labor, overhead & profit: ~10–15%
Interconnection, permitting, grid work: ~5–10%
Operation & maintenance (annual)
Fixed O&M: $12,000 – $25,000 per MW-year → $60k – $125k/yr for 5 MW
Performance warranty/insurance and reserve: additional variable
Levelized cost / production (illustrative)
Capacity factor typical 18–30% (fixed tilt lower; trackers higher).
Annual energy (5 MW × 8760 h × capacity factor):
20% → ~8,760 MWh/year
25% → ~10,950 MWh/year
If installed cost $6M and annual production 9,000 MWh, simple capital cost per annual MWh = $667/MWh capital amortized over 1 year (useful for quick comparisons; not LCOE).
Notes and assumptions
Site ready-to-use means minimal grading, access, grid interconnection point available, no major environmental remediation, and typical permitting timelines. If interconnection upgrades are required, add $100k–$1M+ depending on network upgrades.
Using single-axis trackers increases energy yield (8–20% more) but raises upfront cost ($0.1–$0.3M per MW).
Regional labor, import tariffs, shipping, local taxes, and incentives can move numbers substantially.
If you want a tighter estimate, tell me:
Country or state (costs and interconnection vary a lot),
Preferred technology (fixed tilt vs single-axis trackers),
Whether you need storage or greenfield interconnection upgrades.
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