Customer Sited PV--US Markets Developed from State Policies (Preprint)

The customer-sited PV market in the United States depends on state policies emerging from electric utility industry restructuring. These policies, most of which have appeared since 1996, reduce both the first cost and improve operating benefits. This analysis determines the breakeven turnkey cost of a PV system, from the customer ownership perspective, on a state by state basis. The results ofthis work are used by industry to target high-value markets and by policy makers to identify options which will result in the greatest economic and market development. Still intangible external PV benefits, such as environmental value, are also analyzed and gauged against existing/potential policy actions.