ECONOMIC-ANALYSIS OF SOLAR-ENERGY SYSTEMS USING SPREADSHEETS

In this paper the method employed for a detailed economic analysis of a solar energy system is presented. A spreadsheet computer program is used as a tool for the economic analysis because the general format of such a program is a table with cells which can contain values or form ulae and the fact that they incorporate many build-in functions. Syste m optimisation is also presented through an example for a hot water sy stem. Both of them show that the method presented here is both accurat e and fast. Although the method presented here deals with solar system s, it is applicable to all energy producing systems and consequently t o all renewable energy systems.