TECHNOLOGY

TYPICAL CHARACTERISTICS

CAPITAL COSTS

TYPICAL ENERGY COSTS

USD / kW

Bio-power

from solid biomass (including co-firing and organic MSW)

Plant size: 0.5–200 MW 

Conversion efficiency: 25–35% 

Capacity factor: 25–95%

800–4,500 (Global) 

Co-fire:

200–800 (Global) 

Up to 1,000 (China and India)

3–22 (Global) 

Co-fire: 

4–12 (Global) 

14 (Europe) 

5–6 (China)

Bio-power

from gasification

Bio-power

from anaerobic digestion

Geothermal power

Hydropower:

Grid-based

Ocean power: Tidal range

Solar PV: Rooftop

Peak capacity: 

3–5 kW (residential); 

100 kW (commercial); 

500 kW (industrial) 

Capacity factor: 10–25% (fixed tilt)

Residential costs: 

2,200 (Germany); 

3,500–7,000 (United States); 

4,260 (Japan); 

2,150 (China); 

3,380 (Australia); 

2,400–3,000 (Italy) 

Commercial costs:

3,800 (United States); 

2,900–3,800 (Japan)

21–44 (OECD) 

28–55 (non-OECD) 

16–38 (Europe)

Solar PV: Ground-mounted utility-scale

Peak capacity: 

>1–250+ MW 

Capacity factor: 10–25% (fixed tilt)

1,200–3,000 (Global)

Weighted capital costs (2014): 

1,670 China), 

2,710 (Japan) 

1,495 (Germany) 

2,080 (United Kingdom) 

2,218 (United States)

Concentrating PV (CPV): 1,480–2,330 (10 MW)

10–38 (OECD) 

7–40 (non-OECD) 

14–34 (Europe) 

11 (China) 

25 (Japan) 

11 (United States)

Concentrator PV (CPV): 10–15

Concentrating solar thermal power (CSP)

Types: parabolic trough, tower, dish

Plant size: 

50–250 MW (trough) 

20–250 MW (tower) 

10–100 MW (Fresnel)

Capacity factor: 

20–35% (no storage) 

35–80% (with storage)

Trough, no storage: 

5,000–7,000 (OECD) 

3,100–4,050 (non-OECD)

Trough, 6 hours storage:

6,000–8,000

Tower: 6,000 (United States, without storage); 

9,000 (United States, with storage)

Trough and Fresnel: 

19–38 (no storage); 

17–37 (6 hours storage)

Tower: 

12.5–16.4 (United States; high end of range is with storage)

Wind: Onshore

Turbine size: 1.5–3.5 MW 

Capacity factor: 20–50%

925–1,470 (India) 

660–1,290 (China) 

2,300–10,000 (United States) 

5,873 (United Kingdom)

4–16 (Global)

6–7 (Asia, Eurasia, North America)

5–10 (Central and South America)

Wind: Onshore small-scale

Turbine size: up to 100 kW

Average: 

0.85 kW (global) 

0.5 kW (China) 

1.4 kW (United States) 

4.7 kW (United Kingdom)

2,300–10,000 (United States) 

1,900 (China) 

5,870 (United Kingdom)

15–20 (United States)

Wind: Offshore

Turbine size: 

1.5–7.5 MW 

Capacity factor: 35–45%

4,500–5,500 (Global) 

2,250–6,250 (OECD)

15–23 (Global)