What does PV cost; aren PV systems expensive?
Everything is relative. Using a PV system can be more expensive than buying power from the local utility, through the electrical outlet in your wall. However, it is dramatically less expensive than running a power line to a site currently without service (off-grid homes, more than 0.25 mile [or 0.4 kilometer] away from power, or a mountain-top communications system). PV modules can cost less than US$5/watt, in quantity, but that is only one part of a system cost. A system could include design costs, land, support structure, batteries, an inverter, wiring, and lights/appliances. The total system cost could be as low as US$7/watt or as much as US$20/watt or more, depending on the complexity. Every application is unique, and generalizations on cost are difficult to make.
