IRENA publishes the most authoritative global data on renewable energy costs and potential. Their latest Caribbean-focused reporting contains figures directly relevant to Antigua.
LCOE: Solar vs. Diesel
IRENA's 2025 report shows utility-scale solar achieving a global weighted-average LCOE of USD $0.033/kWh. For the Caribbean context, the regional estimate is USD $0.041–0.055/kWh; for Antigua specifically, ~USD $0.045–0.050/kWh. Compare to APUA's diesel generation cost of ~USD $0.17–0.19/kWh. Solar is 3–4x cheaper to operate. The challenge is upfront capital and institutional transition management.
Antigua's Solar Resource
IRENA's Global Solar Atlas shows Antigua receiving ~1,750–1,900 kWh/m²/year of global horizontal irradiance — ~4.8 peak sun hours per day. Countries leading the global solar transition (Germany, UK, Japan) have resources of 1,000–1,200 kWh/m²/year. Antigua's resource is one of the strongest in the world for solar viability.
Technical Potential
IRENA estimates Antigua's technical solar potential at ~210MW. Current deployed capacity is ~2.4MW — roughly 1.1% of potential. Even reaching the 50% renewable target (~30MW) would be only 14% of technical potential. The resource is not the binding constraint.
Emissions Factor
IRENA places Antigua's grid emissions factor at ~0.82 kg CO2 per kWh. A 5kW residential system generating 17,500 kWh/year avoids ~14.4 tonnes of CO2 annually — equivalent to taking three cars off the road. Over 25 years: ~360 tonnes CO2 avoided.