Break-even cost for residential solar water heating in the United States
Subtitle: key drivers and sensitivities
By: Hannah Cassard, Paul Denholm, and Sean Ong
Contributors: Denholm, P. (Paul); Ong, Sean; National Renewable Energy Laboratory (U.S.)
Series: NREL/TP-6A20-48986; NREL/TP -- 6A20-48986.
Publisher: National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Published: 2011
Place of publication: Golden, CO
Language: eng
Format: [electronic resource] :
Number of pages: 45
Subjects: Solar water heaters; Cost effectiveness; Solar energy; Economic aspects
Other titles: Break even cost for residential solar water heating in the United States :
Description: This paper examines the break-even cost for residential rooftop solar water heating (SWH) technology, defined as the point where the cost of the energy saved with a SWH system equals the cost of a conventional heating fuel purchased from the grid (either electricity or natural gas). We examine the break-even cost for the largest 1,000 electric and natural gas utilities serving residential customers in the United States as of 2008. Currently, the break-even cost of SWH in the United States varies by more than a factor of five for both electricity and natural gas, despite a much smaller variation in the amount of energy saved by the systems (a factor of approximately one and a half). The break-even price for natural gas is lower than that for electricity due to a lower fuel cost. We also consider the relationship between SWH price and solar fraction and examine the key drivers behind break-even costs. Overall, the key drivers of the break-even cost of SWH are a combination of fuel price, local incentives, and technical factors including the solar resource location, system size, and hot water draw.
Notes: Title from PDF title screen (NREL, viewed Feb. 28, 2011).

"February 2011."

Includes bibliographical references.

Technical report.

DE-AC36-08GO28308. Prepared under Task No. SS10.2110

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