Economics of electric utility backup for solar heating and hot water

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1980 · Proc. Annu. Meet. - Am. Sect. Int. Sol. Energy Soc.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6379362

Davitian, H; Bright, R

The long-run incremental cost (LRIC) of providing solar heating and hot water systems is estimated using a utility capacity expansion model. All investment, fuel and operating costs are accounted for. Hourly solar data are used to properly model variations in solar input. Hot water systems and combined heating and hot water systems are analyzed separately. It is found that the LRIC for solar backup is no more than the LRIC of electricity used for purely electric heating and hot water devices and also no more than the average cost of residential electric service. For the three utilities studied, there appears to be little basis for rate distinctions between solar devices using electric backup and pure electric heating and hot water devices. Off-peak storage heating and hot water devices have a much lower LRIC than the standard systems; again, there appears to be no basis for distinguishing between solar and electric off-peak devices. Compared to average cost pricing, incremental cost pricing offers considerable benefits to customers using solar and electric heat and hot water, especially if a separate lower rate is adopted for off-peak storage devices; these benefits can amount to several hundred dollars per year. Substantial savings in the use of oil and gas fuels can be achieved if residences using these fuels convert to solar systems, savings not necessarily achievable by a shift, instead, to electric systems.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-76CH00016
• OSTI ID: 6379362
• Report Number(s): CONF-800604-P3
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Proc. Annu. Meet. - Am. Sect. Int. Sol. Energy Soc.; (United States) Journal Volume: 3.2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140300* -- Solar Energy-- Economic
Industrial
& Business Aspects
140901 -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Space Heating & Cooling
140907 -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Water Heating
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
296000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Electric Power
APPLIANCES
AUXILIARY HEATING
COST
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ECONOMICS
ELECTRIC POWER
ELECTRIC UTILITIES
ENERGY STORAGE
ENERGY SYSTEMS
EQUIPMENT
HEATERS
HEATING
HEATING SYSTEMS
INCREMENTAL-COST PRICING
OFF-PEAK ENERGY STORAGE
POWER
PRICES
PUBLIC UTILITIES
RATE STRUCTURE
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR HEATING
SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
SOLAR SPACE HEATING
SOLAR WATER HEATERS
SOLAR WATER HEATING
SPACE HEATING
STORAGE
WATER HEATERS
WATER HEATING