Economic Analysis of Solar Thermal Energy Systems

by West, Ronald E.; Kreith, Frank

• ISBN13: 9780262519489
• ISBN10: 0262519488
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1988-11-16
• Publisher: Mit Pr

Summary

Sunshine may be abundant and free, but converting it into a usable form of energy isexpensive. Investment decisions, funding of research and development, and commercial applicationsall rely on economic analysis.This book reviews the spectrum of economic methods that have beendeveloped from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s to analyze the feasibility of solar systems and showshow the use of these techniques has influenced federally sponsored research, development, anddemonstration programs. There is a strong emphasis on the use of methods and modeling in studyingpolicy alternatives. The book also reviews applications analysis, net energy analysis, and costrequirements for active and passive heating and cooling, for electric power generation, and forindustrial process heat. The change in the costs of solar systems over time is one indication ofprogram success, and the book includes a useful summary of the cost histories of various solarprograms.Ronald West is a Professor in the Chemical Engineering Department at the University ofColorado. Frank Kreith is a Senior Research Fellow at the Solar Energy Research Institute. EconomicAnalysis of Solar Thermal Energy System is included in the series Solar Heat Technologies:Fundamentals and Applications.