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Back in 2010, a megawatt hour of electricity gleaned from solar photovoltaic cost a global average $378 to generate. That's without the effect of any subsidies which may have been applicable in some areas.
And ultra-supercritical coal is a type of coal plant that is more efficient than traditional coal plants: Energy coming from older plants is even more expensive. The base cost of solar energy is only $23.52 per megawatt-hour, which is almost half the base cost of coal, $43.80 per megawatt-hour. Is Solar the Cheapest Form of Energy?
However, solar PV dropped by $4 and onshore wind by $2 from 2023–2024. For gas-combined cycle plants, which combine natural gas and steam turbines for efficient electricity generation, the maximum price has climbed $7 year-over-year to $108 per MWh.
Another measure of the relative cost of solar energy is its price per kilowatt-hour (kWh). Whereas the price per watt considers the solar system’s size, the price per kWh shows the price of the solar system per unit of energy it produces over a given period of time. Net cost of the system / lifetime output = cost per kilowatt hour