Present Value of PhotoVoltaics – [PV]2

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[PV]2 is a web application that allows homeowners to determine a complete cost of ownership for residential rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) systems including purchase and operation through the system’s service life. The goal of [PV]2 is to assist homeowners in making economical decisions related to solar PV. The current version is focused on allowing a homeowner to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a specific solar PV system from a proposed contract from a solar installer. The homeowner will need information from the solar installer contract and their electricity bill.

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[PV]2 uses the Economic Evaluation Engine (E3) API developed under the Metrics and Tools for Sustainable Buildings Project in the Net Zero Energy High Performance Building Program overseen by the Applied Economics Office (AEO) in the Engineering Laboratory (EL) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). E3 provides American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards-based economic evaluation across a range of analysis types, including life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) and benefit-cost analysis (BCA).


For additional information on either [PV]2 or E3, please contact Joshua Kneifel at Joshua.Kneifel@nist.gov.

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DISCLAIMER: NIST-developed software is expressly provided "AS IS." NIST MAKES NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED, IN FACT OR ARISING BY OPERATION OF LAW, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT AND DATA ACCURACY. NIST NEITHER REPRESENTS NOR WARRANTS THAT THE OPERATION OF THE SOFTWARE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE, OR THAT ANY DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED. NIST DOES NOT WARRANT OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE USE OF THE SOFTWARE OR THE RESULTS THEREOF, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE CORRECTNESS, ACCURACY, RELIABILITY, OR USEFULNESS OF THE SOFTWARE.