Methods for Analyzing the Economic Value of Concentrating Solar Power with Thermal Energy Storage

Concentrating solar power with thermal energy storage (CSP-TES) provides multiple quantifiable benefits. To the extent feed-in tariffs should reflect the value of energy, quantifying the value of CSP power is important to policymaking. These benefits can be divided into two major categories: avoided variable costs and avoided fixed costs. This report describes modeling approaches that have emerged to quantify these benefits, specifically in the context of state-level policymaking in the United States. It also discusses these modeling methods and potential applicability in the China context.