Anybody has a good link to compare TOC of solar vs wind?
From what I've heard, solar panels have a definite lifespan, but are maintenance free until then.
Wind could last longer provided you maintain it right.
From what I've heard, solar panels have a definite lifespan, but are maintenance free until then.
Wind could last longer provided you maintain it right.
https://energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2017/01/f34/Electricity%...
The EIA thinks that the levelized cost of energy from utility scale solar PV in the US is still above wind. NREL and Lazard seem to think they're about at parity now. PV is lowering costs (both initial construction and O&M) faster than wind, so I expect it to start underpricing wind in the US. Of course there are going to be places where wind remains cheaper for a long time just because they have much better wind resources than sunshine resources.
Utility scale solar farms and wind farms both require maintenance labor, though little compared to coal, hydro, or nuclear facilities. Gas based power plants also require little maintenance relative to the power they produce.
I'd generally expect a PV module installed this year to have a longer useful lifespan than a wind turbine installed this year. Turbines have to endure much more mechanical stress. I'd say a typical rule of thumb right now is 20 years for a turbine and 25 years for a PV module. Both numbers are creeping up over time.
Not on the same scale as installation, but still a steady source of jobs.
http://www.vox.com/energy-and-environment/2016/12/12/1391494...
Not sure if CAPEX as described below includes everything.
direct link to map