How is solar price measured?

The solar price for utility-scale projects is measured using LCOE, which typically has the lowest LCOE among all solar PV sectors. As solar prices continue to decline, utility solar PV plays a key role in the global energy transition, supporting large-scale renewable energy adoption.

What is a quarterly solar industry update?

Each quarter, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory conducts the Quarterly Solar Industry Update, a presentation of technical trends within the solar industry.

How much does concentrating solar power cost?

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reports that, between 2010 and 2023, the global weighted average levelized cost of energy of concentrating solar power (CSP) fell from $0.39/kilowatt-hours (kWh) to under $0.12/kWh—a decline of 70%.

What is the average solar market value in 2023?

Solar’s average market value was lowest in CAISO ($27/MWh), the market with the greatest solar generation share, and highest in ERCOT ($67/MWh). Newer solar projects had greater market value in 2023 than their generation costs, yielding $1.1 billion in benefits.

Will the global solar PV market grow in 2025?

Despite these headwinds, the global solar PV market is still expected to grow by 10% in 2025, reaching 655 GW under the Medium Scenario (see Fig. 4). This would mark a continuation of the deceleration trend following the extraordinary 85% growth in 2023 and the more moderate 33% in 2024.

Why is the cost of solar rising in 2023 & 2024?

Although financing costs rose persistently through 2023 and 2024 due to broader macroeconomic pressures such as the federal interest rate and inflation, the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for utility-scale solar continues to decline in many regions, due to continued gains in module efficiency and polysilicon price declines.