ABSTRACT

Solar power has come of age. Not only has it become one of the key alternatives to fossil fuels, it can now be deployed in a way that makes a viable business with a financial profit. This book shows industry professionals and students how to do just that.

Solarnomics describes the economics of building and operating a solar power plant today and provides a window into a future in which several technologies collaborate, and in which all participants in the electricity grid become smarter at scheduling both the supply and demand for electric power to give humanity a future that is sustainable, both environmentally and economically. The book shows how to estimate costs and revenues, how to tweak the design of a project to improve profitability, how to calculate return on investment, how to assess and deal with risk, how to raise capital, how to combine solar with batteries to make a hybrid microgrid, and how to be prepared for future developments in the evolving smart electricity grid.

Solarnomics will enable professionals in the solar industry to assess the potential profitability of a proposed solar project, and it will enable students to add an extra dimension to their understanding of sustainability.

part 1|61 pages

Deploying Solar: Costs and Revenues

part 2|47 pages

Solar Profitability

chapter 6|6 pages

Levelized Cost of Electricity

chapter 7|12 pages

Solar Finance

chapter 8|19 pages

Managing Risk

part 3|65 pages

Getting the Biggest Bang for Your Solar Buck

chapter 9|18 pages

Storage: Improving Solar Profitability

chapter 11|15 pages

Extra Revenue from Grid-Balancing Services

part 4|61 pages

Preparing for Future Solar Opportunities

chapter 13|13 pages

Emerging Solar Technologies

chapter 14|21 pages

Emerging Solar Applications