Accelerating the Uptake of Solar Process Heating Through Efficient Finance and Support Schemes
Abstract
Although solar heat for industrial process (SHIP) technologies have proven their technical and financial feasibility, the deployment of such projects is far below the projected potential. The biggest lever to accelerate the uptake is not technological improvement but rather suitable financing schemes. This article first provides a comprehensive risk assessment regarding the various facets of SHIP projects and second examines existing financing solutions and business models from other sectors - such as ESCO (Energy Service Company) and BOT (Built-Operate-Transfer). It also presents case studies in which successful SHIP projects were implemented and discusses the future scenarios considering the expected market growth and maturity.