The purpose of this master thesis is to develop a technical and financial comparison between some of the main photovoltaic (PV) applications currently implemented in the United States and across the globe: residential, community, and utility-scale solar. In the process of creating this comparison, the initial goal is to shed light on some of the financial benefits of a community solar model that have recently been realized and have created a new opportunity for the PV industry. In order to do perform this analysis, an introduction of the current state of the PV industry is presented, as well as an overview of the each of the three models discussed in this report. Before presenting the technical and financial analysis for each model, the methodology for performing the calculations of each of the models is explained, including the energy resource calculations, loss factors, energy production calculations, financial cost calculations, levelized cost of energy (LCOE) calculations, as well as other equations present in the model that are important to discuss. As the models are built using excel with hour-by-hour calculations throughout an initial year, these results are compared to results derived from two common industry software Helioscope and PVsyst in order to validate the calculations. Using industry data and documented prices, the LCOE for each model is calculated both through itemized list calculations and researched cost per unit metrics for unknown prices. Furthermore, the report takes a step further and looks at three different community solar models that have be implemented in the world in order to discuss the benefits and drawbacks for each model, as well as compare the LCOE calculations for each of the three community solar models. In order to see some of these different models implemented, case studies of actual projects are displayed. Lastly, a discussion is initiated on how community solar can serve to be more of a social benefit tool for society in addition to it well known technical function of producing near carbon-free energy to fight climate change. Siting literature from various academic and government research institutions, community solar’s use within energy assistance programs for low to medium income households is presented. Moreover, community solar’s documented benefit to several Indigenous Peoples as a way to decolonize energy systems is shared. As a whole, community solar is looked at not just as an alternative energy source to fossil fuel development, but rather as an alternative energy model for energy equity within communities

Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::11 - Ciutats i Comunitats Sostenibles::11.3 - Per a 2030, augmentar la urbanització inclusiva i sostenible, així com la capacitat de planificar i gestionar de manera participativa, integrada i sostenible els assentaments humans a tots els països

Objectius de Desenvolupament Sostenible::7 - Energia Assequible i No Contaminant::7.2 - Per a 2030, augmentar substancialment el percentatge d’energia renovable en el con­junt de fonts d’energia