Economic Analysis of CST applied to Process Heat

I am doing an economic analysis in order to find if it is feasible to apply concentrated solar thermal in a chemical process in order to supply thermal energy for a chemical reaction. The idea is not to produce electricity but to produce heat and replace fuel. I am using the sam's spreadsheet for commercial project. In order to be able to use it I have changed the electricity for selling electricity by savings for fuel substitution and CO2 bonuses. My general doubts are:

- am I using the correct spreadsheet?
- What kind of Depreciation should I use?
- Does the property Tax incentive apply for this kind of project?
Kind regards

Hello,

You may want to search this website for the keyword "process" to find some other discussions of using SAM's CSP models for process heat applications. Because SAM sizes the field and adjusts the solar field output based on the power block's capacity, you have to decide how to adjust the power block capacity to represent the thermal load.

As for your financial questions, the depreciation and property tax assumptions depend on the location of the project.

For projects in the United State, the DSIRE database is a good source of information on incentives.

Best regards,
Paul.

Hi Paul,

Thanks a lot for your answer.

In my case, the study is based on a chemical process to be installed in the California State. Regarding the spreadsheet, am I using the correct one?.

I'm not sure what you mean by spreadsheet. Are you asking whether the commercial financing option is the correct one for your system? The answer depends on what financial metrics you want to use to evaluate your system designs. The commercial option is designed to model a grid-connected electric power system that meets a building load and buys and sells electricity from the grid. The utility financing options are for a power generation system that sells all of its power to the grid at a price negotiated through a power purchase agreement.

Best regards,
Paul.