Marc Wouters

There are still not many papers or journals that focus on the Total cost of ownership (TCO) for Photovoltaics (PV). Because of that it is, for example, still undecided which module material that will be the ultimate choice in the future. Understanding more about how all the related costs necessary for using a PV system will give the manufacturer, supplier, and even the consumer a better insight in why we should be using solar power as our main or alternative energy source. In this paper the background in why a TCO method would be helpful will be described. Moreover, a basic cost calculation will be described to provide a better understanding about TCO in order to use PV system in the future using a standardized method.