Question
Did the Energy Commission’s PV cost-effectiveness study consider the system maintenance costs and replacement costs for inverters and battery storage systems?
Answer
Yes, the Energy Commission included maintenance and inverter replacement costs in its life-cycle costing analysis. PV panels do not require much maintenance; however, the Commission assumed $0.02 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) for maintenance cost and assumed two inverter replacements at the beginning of years 11 and 21. The present value of these costs were added to the upfront cost of the PV system, yielding a total system present value of $3.10 per watt for 2020.
The Energy Commission did not consider battery storage replacement costs because these devices are not prescriptive requirements and are optional under the 2019 Standards.