Jerome offshore windfarm article provides us with the following data: cost of 378 millions euros (514 millions USD at fx=1.36) for 120 MW peak, offshore wind has 40% of peak load efficiency (from Jerome comment in the discussion), it will produce 420 480 MWh per year. that makes it to 10.7 USD per installed effective watt for offshore wind. The Solar power station in Victoria is planned to cost 420 million AUD (349 millions USD at fx=0.83) and produce 270 000 MWh per year. Watt-peak is 154 MW, so from the MWh number we deduce that load efficiency is 20% of peak (doesn't work at night, clouds, etc...). That makes it to 11.3 USD per installed effective watt for solar PV.
The Solar power station in Victoria is planned to cost 420 million AUD (349 millions USD at fx=0.83) and produce 270 000 MWh per year. Watt-peak is 154 MW, so from the MWh number we deduce that load efficiency is 20% of peak (doesn't work at night, clouds, etc...). That makes it to 11.3 USD per installed effective watt for solar PV.
I figured it interesting to check how thermal solar power stands in comparision, so I picked Andasol 1 in Spain. I picked it just because it was the first plant I came to think about, so no particular selection process. I do not know how it stands versus other solar thermal plants.
From the factsheet: Cost: 310 million euros (421,6 millions USD at fx=1.36) Capacity: 50 MW Production: 179 000 MWh Gives: Efficiency: 41% (179 000 / (50*365*24)) Installed effective watt: 20 MW (50*41%) USD/Installed effective watt: 21 (421,6/20)
However, this cost also includes a liquid salt heat storage system to allow for electricity generation up till 7,5 hours after sundown. How much this is worth depends a lot on what other power sources and what consumption patterns you have.
Afaik, thermal and pv competes on equal terms in spain when it comes to benefits, indicating that at least in Spain PV is more expensive then the cost estimated for Victoria. A vote for PES is a vote for EPP! A vote for EPP is a vote for PES! Support the coalition, vote EPP-PES in 2009!
wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andasol_1_solar_power_station
Storage of energy is a nice feature for this plant, and it is certainly worth something.
Some information for energy storage technologies:
In one of the largest contracts for an energy storage system in the wind power industry, VRB Power Systems Inc. has contracted to supply a 1.5 MW x 8 hour Vanadium redox battery system. This will be driven from phase 2 of the wind farm and will enable surplus electricity to be generated when demand is low, and will improve consistency or supply to the electricity network http://www.leonardo-energy.org/drupal/node/959 says the cost of the battery system is $6.3 millions. French 2006 average grid power use is 55GW (peak use was 87GW), so 1.3TWh per average day. Cost of storing one average day of France electricity use by this system is thus 682 billions USD (37% of 2006 France GDP). Of course we don't have to store all of it in batteries but this gives a reference number :).
http://www.leonardo-energy.org/drupal/node/959
says the cost of the battery system is $6.3 millions.
French 2006 average grid power use is 55GW (peak use was 87GW), so 1.3TWh per average day.
Cost of storing one average day of France electricity use by this system is thus 682 billions USD (37% of 2006 France GDP). Of course we don't have to store all of it in batteries but this gives a reference number :).
That's 1.5*8=12Mwh for 6.3 millions USD so 525 USD per battery stored kWh.
I couldn't find wh figures for andasol, assuming the "6 hours" cited means a quarter of a day production, daily production being 490 Mwh that makes it to 122 Mwh of energy stored, which is worth 64 millions USD by the battery price above. That's 15% of the plant price so overall not a big difference if my computations hold.
More on energy storage here:
http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/energy_storage/index.html
The vanadium stuff is mentionned and many more.
http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/2007/04/11_mw_solar_tow.html
11 MW peak, 24.3 GWh per year for 47 millions USD so 2.7 MW installed effective MW so 17 USD per installed effective watt.
