Solar energy economics for the county of Santa Barbara

Technical Report · Sat Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1979

OSTI ID:5140193

Doctor, R D

Economic analyses of domestic solar water heating for single and multi-family homes and pool heating for the County of Santa Barbara are presented. The Solar Finance life cycle cost computer program (SOLFIN) developed at the California Energy Commission has been used to develop cost comparisons of solar and competing conventional systems. Key assumptions were varied to determine the degree to which basic results might be altered. These key assumptions include: fuel price escalation rates, fraction of conventional fuel displaced by solar, maintenance cost; solar equipment installed cost, inflation rate, and discount rate. In addition, analyses were developed to examine the linkage between inflation rate and the mortgage rate, fuel price escalation rates and the consumer's discount rate. To assist in formulating appropriate governmental policies regarding the development of new energy supplies, the cost of solar (a new energy supply) was compared to the cost of owning and operating conventional systems using natural gas or electricity priced at the cost of new sources of these energy forms. Results are presented and discussed. (WHK)

• Research Organization: California Energy Commission, Sacramento (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5140193
• Report Number(s): NP-25017
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140300 -- Solar Energy-- Economic
Industrial
& Business Aspects
140907* -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Water Heating
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
299001 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Solar-- (1989-)
APPLIANCES
BUILDINGS
CALIFORNIA
COMPUTER CALCULATIONS
COST
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
ELECTRIC POWER
ENERGY SOURCES
EQUIPMENT
FLUIDS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUEL GAS
FUELS
GAS FUELS
GASES
HEATERS
HEATING
HOUSES
INFLATION
LIFE-CYCLE COST
MAINTENANCE
NATURAL GAS
NORTH AMERICA
PAYBACK PERIOD
POWER
PRICES
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR HEATING
SOLAR WATER HEATERS
SOLAR WATER HEATING
SURFACE WATERS
SWIMMING POOLS
USA
WATER HEATERS
WESTERN REGION