Thermo-economic analysis of solar heating plant with the seasonal thermal storage in Northern China. (15th January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Yang, Ming; Wang, Zhifeng; Yang, Junfeng; Yuan, Guofeng; Wang, Weisheng; Shi, Wenhui
• Is Part Of: Solar energy. Volume 232(2022)
• Page Start: 212
• Page End: 231
• Publication Date: 2022-01-15
• Subjects: District solar heating plant -- Seasonal thermal storage -- Thermo-economic analysis -- Cash flow analysis -- Low carbon; Solar energy -- Periodicals; Solar engines -- Periodicals; 621.47
• DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2021.12.034
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0038-092X

Abstract

Highlights: From the investors' point of view, the actual heating price is obtained from the thermal and cash flow analysis. The impact of the parameters on the actual heating price is conducted systematically, considering almost all the related influential factors. The quantitatively analyzed conclusions provide references for further market exploration for the solar district heating plants. Abstract: District solar heating plant is one of the most promising low-carbon technologies to decrease the coal use of space heating, especially in solar-rich areas. From the investors' point of view, by using the payback period of the capital and internal rate of return, the cash flow analysis coupled with thermal analysis is used to obtain the actual heating price in this paper. The sensitivity analysis shows that the unit prices of the solar collecting system and seasonal thermal storage, solar fraction, auxiliary energy price, and the loan period are the most sensitive parameters for a specific space heating area. With the rise of solar fraction, the impact of the depreciation and loan turn more critical in determining the heating price. When the solar fraction equals 1.0, the depreciation cost determines 50% of the heating price, and the loan determines another 45%. A larger industrial scale, the technology upgrade, and a better loan policy are probably beneficial to decrease the heating price.