Analysis of the Cost and Value of Concentrating Solar Power in China

As an emerging technology in China, the cost and value of CSP is not very well understood. This study is an attempt to provide the context of CSP development in China, as well as the basic data and methods for analyzing CSP in the power system. Because China does not have established power markets in the region we analyze, our value analysis focus on the impact to system operation cost, even though CSP bring a range of values including capacity and ancillary services. The report is divided into five parts. Following the introduction, we provide an overview of CSP technologies and potentials in China, and the policy and regulatory environment for CSP development. Then we dive into a literature review of LCOE estimations for CSP and uses the System Advisor Model to analyze the LCOEs for CSPs in China with different configurations of solar multiples and hours of storage. We also build an economic dispatch model to analyze the hourly system operations with different configurations of CSP. Finally, we conclude the report with areas for further research.