Financing alternatives and incentives for solar-thermal central-receiver systems

Technical Report · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6722216· OSTI ID:6722216

Bos, P. B.

As a result of various recently enacted incentive and regulatory legislation combined with the new administration policy and budgetary guidelines, the commercialization of solar thermal central receiver systems will involve financing alternatives other than conventional utility financing. This study was conducted to identify these potential financing alternatives and the associated requirements and impacts on the Department of Energy program. Based upon this analysis, it is concluded that the current alternative financing window is extremely short (through 1985), and that an extension or at the least a gradual phasing out, of the solar tax credits is necessary for the successful transfer of the central receiver technology to the private sector. Furthermore, throughout this time period, continued government support of the R and D activities is necessary to provide the necessary confidence in this technology for the private (financial) sector to underwrite this technology transfer. Consequently, even though the central receiver technology shows high promise for replacing a significant fraction of the oil/gas-fired utility industry peaking and intermediate generation, the current readiness status of this technology still requires further direct and indirect government support for a successful technology transfer. The direct government research and development support will provide the basis for a technological readiness and confidence, whereas the indirect tax incentive support serves to underwrite the extraordinary risks associated with the technology transfer. These support requirements need only be limited to and decreasing during this technology transfer phase, since as the systems approach successful full-scale commercialization, the extraordinary risks will be gradually eliminated. At the time of commercialization the system's value should be on a par with the installed system's cost.

• Research Organization: Polydyne, Inc., Menlo Park, CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-82SF11587
• OSTI ID: 6722216
• Report Number(s): DOE/SF/11587-1; ON: DE83001631
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140300* -- Solar Energy-- Economic
Industrial
& Business Aspects
140702 -- Solar Thermal Power Systems-- Central Receiver
BUDGETS
COMMERCIALIZATION
FINANCIAL INCENTIVES
FINANCING
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
MARKETING RESEARCH
POWER PLANTS
RECOMMENDATIONS
SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
SOLAR THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TOWER FOCUS POWER PLANTS