Question

A university spent $1.8 million to install solar panels atop a parking garage. These panels will have a capacity of 400 kilowatts (kW) and have a life expectancy of 20 years. Suppose that the discount rate is 20%, that electricity can be purchased at $0.10 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), and that the marginal cost of electricity production using the solar panels is zero.

Answer 1

9241.08 Hrs

Step-by-step explanation:

Calculation to determine Approximately how many hours per year will the solar panels need to operate to enable this project to break

Let n represent hour of operation per year for breakeven

Breakeven annual cost = Annual savings

$1,800,000 * (A/P, 20%,20) = 400 * n * 0.1

$1,800,000 * 0.205357 = 400 * n * 0.1

n = 369,643/ 40

n= 9241.075

n=9241.08 Hrs (Approximately)

Therefore Approximately how many hours per year will the solar panels need to operate to enable this project to break will be 9241.08 Hrs