The evolution of economic and environmental cost for crystalline silicon photovoltaics

Photovoltaics present a difficult tradeoff to policy makers: on the one han d, they offer clear resource and environmental advantages over fossil-fuel- based electricity generation; on the other hand, they remain more expensive than conventional technology in most grid-connected applications. However, the dynamics of this tradeoff are changing as the technology develops. Thi s paper presents a series of sensitivity analyses designed to illustrate th e influence of various performance-related factors on both economic cost an d environmental performance of building integrated photovoltaics. The autho rs then discuss a range of factors that are likely to stimulate further imp rovements and estimate the impact of these improvements over time on the co mbined carbon abatement cost of photovoltaics. If these trends continue, an d there is a number of reasons to suggest that they will, BiPV cladding sys tems could be a cost effective means of abating CO2 emissions in European l ocations by 2010. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.