In 2023, the global weighted average levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) from newly commissioned utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV), onshore wind, offshore wind and hydropower fell. Between 2022 and 2023, utility-scale solar PV projects showed the most significant decrease (by 12%).
Is there a weighted average cost for wind and solar PV?
To reflect this difference, we report a weighted average cost for both wind and solar PV, based on the regional cost factors assumed for these technologies in AEO2023 and the actual regional distribution of the builds that occurred in 2021 (Table 1).
Are solar PV projects reducing the cost of electricity in 2022?
Between 2022 and 2023, utility-scale solar PV projects showed the most significant decrease (by 12%). For newly commissioned onshore wind projects, the global weighted average LCOE fell by 3% year-on-year; whilst for offshore wind, the cost of electricity of new projects decreased by 7% compared to 2022.
For newly-commissioned, utility-scale solar PV projects, the global weighted average LCOE decreased by 12% between 2022 and 2023, to USD 0.044/kWh. This was driven by a 17% decline in the global weighted average total installed cost for this technology, from USD 908/kW in 2022 to USD 758/kW for the projects commissioned in 2023.
What happened to solar power in 2022?
In 2022, the global weighted average levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) from newly commissioned utility-scale solar photovoltaics (PV), onshore wind, concentrating solar power (CSP), bioenergy and geothermal energy all fell, despite rising materials and equipment costs.
How much does a new wind project cost?
Between 2022 and 2023, the global weighted average total installed cost of newly-commissioned onshore wind projects decreased 13%, from USD 1 322/kilowatt (kW) to USD 1 154/kW. Over the same period, the global weighted average LCOE for these projects fell by 3%, from USD 0.035/kWh to USD 0.033/kWh (Figure S4).
Is solar PV cheaper than fossil fuels?
In 2010, the global weighted average LCOE of solar PV was 414% higher than the weighted average LCOE of the cheapest fossil fuel-fired solution; however, driven by a spectacular decline in costs, in 2023, solar PV cost 56% less than the least-cost weighted average fossil fuel-fired solution. Notes: CSP = concentrated solar power; kW = kilowatt.