Solar heat cost analysis together with IRENA

In March 2020 solrico started a comprehensive cost data gathering together with IRENA – the International Renewable Energy Agency. 32 project developers and three funding agencies contributed cost-performance data sets for more than 900 commercial and industrial solar heat projects commissioned between 2010 and 2020. This unique database allows the analysis of cost trends over time and the comparison of cost levels in different countries, regions and applications.

Key results of the comprehensive cost analysis carried out by Michael Taylor, Senior Analyst at IRENA.

• Solar heat project costs fell in mature markets in the last decade.
• The European solar district heating market has achieved great economies of scale due to Denmark´s leading role.
• Turkey and India are the markets with the lowest heat costs for central hot water systems.
• Industrial solar heat costs range from around 4 USD-cent/kWh in Asia to a high around 9 USD-cent/kWh in Western Europe due to variations in cost structure and irradiation levels.

You find below selected publications and charts which illustrates the results in details.

Thanks to the support of the Solar Payback project, the Renewable Power Generation Costs in 2020 published in June 2021 includes for the first time a chapter on Renewable Heat Costs, highlighting cost trends for big (>35 kW_th) commercial and industrial solar heat systems in selected markets.

Read the news on solarthermalworld.org and download the solar heat costs chapter.

Large-scale solar thermal systems generate their heat more and more cost-competitive. This is shown very clearly in a flyer "Cost Trends of Solar Energy for Heat in Industry" published in August 2021 within the Solar Payback project. Cost reduction factors are economies of scale and a mature supply chain.

Download the flyer in English
Download the flyer in German

Download the charts one by one