Levelized Cost of Energy
The other important metric of a renewable system is Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE). It is a measure of yearly savings from a renewable system. In the USA, the LCOE is about $0.12/kWhr for electricity purchased by consumers. By contrast, the diesel generator, the most common generator where there is no utility, costs four times as much: $0.50/kWhr. The Microgrid comes in at $0.15/kWhr more than a USA utility but a third of the cost of diesel generators. The Hectare does even better at $0.07/kWhr, less than all others. It gains from the economies of scale of a large installation. |