Value and Cost Analyses for Solar Thermal Storage Systems

Value and cost data for thermal energy storage are presented for solar thermal central receiver systems for which thermal energy storage appears to be attractive. Both solar thermal electric power and industrial process heat applications are evaluated. The value of storage is based on the cost for fossil fuel and solar thermal collector systems in 1990. The costing uses a standard lifetimemethodology with the storage capacity as a parameter. Both value and costs are functions of storage capacity. However, the value function depends on the application. Value/cost analyses for first-generation storage concepts for five central receiver systems (molten salt, water/ steam, organic fluid, air, and liquid metal) established the reference against which new systems were compared. Somepromising second-generation energy storage concepts have been identified, and some more advanced concepts have also been evaluated.