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Title: Levelized cost of energy (LCOE) metric to characterize solar absorber coatings for the CSP industry

Abstract

The contribution of each component of a power generation plant to the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) can be estimated and used to increase the power output while reducing system operation and maintenance costs. The LCOE is used in order to quantify solar receiver coating influence on the LCOE of solar power towers. Two new parameters are introduced: the absolute levelized cost of coating (LCOC) and the LCOC efficiency. Depending on the material properties, aging, costs, and temperature, the absolute LCOC enables quantifying the cost-effectiveness of absorber coatings, as well as finding optimal operating conditions. The absolute LCOC is investigated for different hypothetic coatings and is demonstrated on Pyromark 2500 paint. Results show that absorber coatings yield lower LCOE values in most cases, even at significant costs. Optimal reapplication intervals range from one to five years. At receiver temperatures greater than 700 °C, non-selective coatings are not always worthwhile while durable selective coatings consistently reduce the LCOE—up to 12% of the value obtained for an uncoated receiver. Moreover the absolute LCOC is a powerful tool to characterize and compare different coatings, not only considering their initial efficiencies but also including their durability.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office; USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
OSTI Identifier:
1236480
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1406936
Report Number(s):
SAND-2015-5083J
Journal ID: ISSN 0960-1481; PII: S0960148115300823
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Renewable Energy
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 85; Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0960-1481
Publisher:
Elsevier
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; LCOE; LCOC; aging; durability; solar absorber; coating

Citation Formats

Boubault, Antoine, Ho, Clifford K., Hall, Aaron, Lambert, Timothy N., and Ambrosini, Andrea. Levelized cost of energy (LCOE) metric to characterize solar absorber coatings for the CSP industry. United States: N. p., 2015. Web. doi:10.1016/j.renene.2015.06.059.
Boubault, Antoine, Ho, Clifford K., Hall, Aaron, Lambert, Timothy N., & Ambrosini, Andrea. Levelized cost of energy (LCOE) metric to characterize solar absorber coatings for the CSP industry. United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2015.06.059
Boubault, Antoine, Ho, Clifford K., Hall, Aaron, Lambert, Timothy N., and Ambrosini, Andrea. Wed . "Levelized cost of energy (LCOE) metric to characterize solar absorber coatings for the CSP industry". United States. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2015.06.059. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1236480.
@article{osti_1236480,
title = {Levelized cost of energy (LCOE) metric to characterize solar absorber coatings for the CSP industry},
author = {Boubault, Antoine and Ho, Clifford K. and Hall, Aaron and Lambert, Timothy N. and Ambrosini, Andrea},
abstractNote = {The contribution of each component of a power generation plant to the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) can be estimated and used to increase the power output while reducing system operation and maintenance costs. The LCOE is used in order to quantify solar receiver coating influence on the LCOE of solar power towers. Two new parameters are introduced: the absolute levelized cost of coating (LCOC) and the LCOC efficiency. Depending on the material properties, aging, costs, and temperature, the absolute LCOC enables quantifying the cost-effectiveness of absorber coatings, as well as finding optimal operating conditions. The absolute LCOC is investigated for different hypothetic coatings and is demonstrated on Pyromark 2500 paint. Results show that absorber coatings yield lower LCOE values in most cases, even at significant costs. Optimal reapplication intervals range from one to five years. At receiver temperatures greater than 700 °C, non-selective coatings are not always worthwhile while durable selective coatings consistently reduce the LCOE—up to 12% of the value obtained for an uncoated receiver. Moreover the absolute LCOC is a powerful tool to characterize and compare different coatings, not only considering their initial efficiencies but also including their durability.},
doi = {10.1016/j.renene.2015.06.059},
journal = {Renewable Energy},
number = C,
volume = 85,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jul 08 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Wed Jul 08 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}

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Cited by: 29 works
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Works referenced in this record:

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Design and optimization of nanoparticle-pigmented solar selective absorber coatings for high-temperature concentrating solar thermal systems
journal, January 2018

  • Wang, Xiaoxin; Yu, Xiaobai; Fu, Sidan
  • Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 123, Issue 3
  • DOI: 10.1063/1.5009252