Interactive Tool

Solar PV + BESS LCOE Simulator

Estimate the Levelized Cost of Electricity for utility-scale solar PV coupled with battery storage in Portugal.

Developed by J. Graça Gomes, M-A. Cardin, and B. Wu — Imperial College London.
The support of the Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT) Grant (2023.04622.BD) is greatly appreciated.

System Configuration
PV Capacity 100 MW
BESS Power Capacity 60 MW
Storage Duration 1 h
Module Technology
Mounting / Tracker
Deployment Strategy
Financial & Degradation Parameters
Discount Rate 3%
Technology Learning Rate 20%
PV Degradation Rate 0.52%/yr
Battery Degradation Rate 0.10%/yr
LCOE Result
Levelized Cost of Electricity
45.6
€ / MWh
LCOS
220.6
€ / MWh
Total CAPEX
82.3
M€
Annual Generation
173
GWh / yr (avg)
Capacity Factor
19.7
%
Cost Breakdown
Generation Profile (20 Years)
Year 1 Year 10 Year 20
Effective Availability Over Lifetime

Effective Availability (EA) captures the combined effect of PV degradation, battery degradation, and the ratio of actual generation to maximum theoretical output each year.

Year 1 Year 10 Year 20
Annual EA
Average EA: 85%
Cost data used in this simulator is based on industry reports from circa 2020 (NREL, IRENA, BNEF). Current PV module and battery costs have declined further since then, so real-world LCOE values today would likely be slightly lower than what is shown here. Solar irradiation data is from Southern Portugal (2014–2023). LFP battery chemistry is assumed for BESS.