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Distributed Generation Energy Technology Capital Costs

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The following charts indicate recent capital cost estimates for distributed generation (DG) renewable energy technologies. The estimates are shown in dollars per installed kilowatt of generating capacity.

The charts provide a compilation of available national-level cost data from a variety of sources. Costs in your specific location will vary. Review the supporting documentation to understand the data used in these charts.

The red horizontal lines represent the first standard deviation of the mean.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) sponsored the distributed generation data used within these charts.

If you are seeking utility-scale technology capital cost estimates, please visit the Transparent Cost Database website for NREL's information regarding vehicles, biofuels, and electricity generation.

Capital Cost
(July 2012 Update)
 Operations & Maintenance
(July 2012 Update)
 Utility-Scale Capacity Factors LCOE Calculator
Chart showing average installation cost of distributed generation energy technologies.
Costs for Solar Water Heat (SWH) and Solar Vent Preheat (SVP)
  Mean Installed Cost
($/ft2)		 Installed Cost
Std. Dev.
(+/- $/ft2)
SWH, flat plate and evacuated tube $137 $72
SWH, plastic collector $55 $15
SVP $27 $9


Data and Charts for Download:

  1. Distributed Generation Renewable Energy Estimate of Costs and Useful Life (July 2012)
  2. Distributed Generation Renewable Energy Estimate of Costs and Useful Life (June 2011)