Life Cycle Cost Analysis of Photovoltaic Plant Based on Interval Number Theory

Compared with the traditional thermal power generation, the high cost of photovoltaic (PV) power generation has restricted its development. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze the construction and operation cost of photovoltaic plants. Firstly, a life cycle cost (LCC) analysis method for photovoltaic plants is presented. An LCC model of the photovoltaic plant is established, which considers investment cost, operation and maintenance cost, failure cost and discard cost. Furthermore, this paper presents a detailed calculation strategy for the LCC model based on the interval number theory, and Monte Carlo algorithm is used to simulate the values of PV plants' failure cost. Lastly, the life cycle cost of a 10MW photovoltaic plant is analyzed and calculated, verifying the effectiveness of the LCC model presented.