Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T18:16:49.939Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Financial Analysis of Solar Energy Applications with Endogenous System Sizing

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 September 2016

Lewell Gunter
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Georgia
Webb M. Smathers Jr.
Affiliation:
Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Georgia

Abstract

This paper is concerned with analysis of economic feasibility of solar energy systems. Methodology for estimating energy output from different sized systems is briefly presented, and this is used to determine technical coefficients for a mixed integer model which optimizes the size of the solar heating unit for a particular use. An empirical example of hot water heating on a Georgia dairy is presented. Cost curves are provided for the dairy example to illustrate the effect of sizing on the economic feasibility of solar heating and to elucidate the structure of the optimal sizing decision.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Southern Agricultural Economics Association 1984

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Baumol, William J. Economie Theory and Operations Analysis, 3rd Ed., Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1972.Google Scholar
Beckman, William A., Klein, Sanford and Duffie, John. Solar Heating Design by the f-Chart Method, John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1977.Google Scholar
Benson, Ben. Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Geographical Sciences, personal communication.Google Scholar
Brandemuehl, M. J. and Beckman, W. A.Economic Evaluation and Optimization of Solar Heating Systems.Solar Energy, 23(1979):110.Google Scholar
Copeland, Randall C. An Economic Analysis of Refrigerant Heat Exchanger Technology Available to Georgia Dairyman, Unpublished M.S. Thesis, University of Georgia, 1979.Google Scholar
Copeland, Randall and Miller, Bill R.. An Appraisal of Refrigerant Heat Exchanger Technology as Investment Potential in Georgia Dairies, The University of Georgia, College of Agriculture Experiment Stations, Research Bulletin 254, October 1980.Google Scholar
Hardy, William E. Jr., Clark, Joy M., and White, Morris. “Planning Solar Heating for Poultry—A Linear Programming Approach.So. J. Agr. Econ., 15(1983):711.Google Scholar
Hartman, Roland C.Solar Heating for Brooding? How Soon?Poultry Digest, March 1977, pp. 130135.Google Scholar
Hayden, M. B., and Thompson, P. D.Solar Thermal Systems in the Milking Parlor.” Paper presented at the Winter Meeting of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, Chicago, Illinois, 1977.Google Scholar
Heid, Walter G. Jr. The Performance and Economic Feasibility of Solar Grain Drying Systems, USDA-ESCS, Agricultural Economic Report No. 396, 1978.Google Scholar
Hollands, K. G. T., Chinneck, J. W. and Chandrashekar, M.. “Collector and Storage Efficiencies in Solar Heating Systems.Solar Energy, 23(1979):471478.Google Scholar
Jarrell, James Hoyt II. An Economic Analysis of Integrated Use of Solar Panels and a Waste Heat Scavenger on a North Georgia Dairy, Unpublished M.S. Thesis, University of Georgia, 1982.Google Scholar
Katzman, Martin T. and Matlin, Ronald W.. “The Economics of Adopting Solar Energy Systems for Crop Irrigation.Amer. J. Agr. Econ., 60(1978):648654.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kennedy, Peter. A Guide to Econometrics, Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 1979.Google Scholar
Kottke, Marvin. “The Anatomy of a Step Supply Function.Amer. J. Agr. Econ., 49(1967):107118.Google Scholar
Kreider, Jan F. and Kreith, Frank. Solar Heating and Cooling, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1975.Google Scholar
Kwon, O. Yul. “An Economic Evaluation of Solar Grain Drying: Its Methodology and Application to Saskatchewan.Canadian J. Agr. Econ., 28(1980):167174.Google Scholar
McCarl, Bruce, Barton, David, and Scharage, Linus. MIPZI—Documentation on a Zero-One Mixed Integer Programming Code; Department of Agricultural Economics, Station Bulletin No. 24; Purdue University; West Lafayette, Indiana; October, 1973.Google Scholar
Penson, John B. Jr. and Lins, David A.. Agricultural Finance, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1980.Google Scholar
Solar Panels Furnish Heat for this Dairy.Progressive Farmer; March, 1980, p. 41.Google Scholar
U.S. Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service. Farmer's Tax Guide, Publication No. 225, Oct., 1981.Google Scholar
Vaughn, Donnie C. and Vaigneur, H. O.Heat Recovery for Dairies.University of Tennessee, Agricultural Extension Service, Publication 835; March, 1980.Google Scholar