Date: 10/27/2011

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory published Understanding Trends in Wind Turbine Prices Over the Past Decade, a report that examines seven possible drivers of wind turbine prices in the United States, with the goal of estimating the degree to which each contributed to the doubling in turbine prices from 2002 through 2008 and the subsequent decline in prices through 2010. The seven drivers (changes in labor costs, warranty provisions, manufacturer profitability, turbine scaling, raw materials prices, energy prices, and foreign exchange rates) explain from 70% to 90% (depending on the year) of empirically observed wind turbine price movements through 2010. The report and a presentation slide deck summarizing the report are available as free downloads. The U.S. Department of Energy Wind Program funded the report.