The role and impact of costing method in the decision‐making of energy project: A comparative assessment between levelized cost of energy and benefit‐to‐cost ratio analysis

Abstract

Summary Levelized cost of energy (LCOE) method is a frequently used approach to determine the economics of an energy project. However, the approach have faced a lot of criticism due to the lack of transparency in costing along with some additional drawbacks. Although the refinement of the LCOE method has led to its improvement, but there are still some concerns in the form of considerable benefits that may produce unreliable results. In order to provide the solution of drawbacks associated with LCOE method, this research work focuses on presenting an alternative costing approach. The adoption of benefit‐to‐cost ratio analysis (BCRA) method for the decision‐making of energy systems is proposed in this work. A comprehensive assessment between LCOE and BCRA methods was carried out with a purpose to observe their influence in determining the success or failure rate of an energy project by considering the associated benefits. For this purpose, two case studies were considered; Chena Geothermal Power Plant (Alaska, United States) and Quaid‐e‐Azam Solar Power Project (Bahawalpur, Pakistan). The assessment was carried out on the basis of different scenarios, which were developed according to the obtainable benefits from a particular project. The results show that, compared with the LCOE method, the BCRA method is more feasible and practical in energy project decision‐making process. Moreover, it was noticed that the BCRA method can provide better and useful insights to help maximize the economic benefits of the project.

Waste-to-Energy Generation: Complex World Project Analysis

“…This underscores the necessity of expanding LCOE analysis beyond the scale effect to include learning effects, overall electric power system costs, and fluctuations in electricity demand, which were not addressed in this study. Government subsidies and additional revenue streams (e.g., thermal energy generation, ash and slag waste sales, and waste disposal fees) also play crucial roles in the economic viability of WtE projects, suggesting the exploration of alternative economic efficiency metrics beyond LCOE work [29]. It is assumed that additional sources of income can have high impacts on the project's profitability for different consumer types: thermal energy generation, ash and slag waste sales, waste disposal fees [30].…”

Designing Novel, Valuable, and Marketable Products from Waste Sedge Plant Fiber Residues

“…Cost-benefit evaluations assist businesses in deciding whether and which agricultural waste recycling options to pursue based on new value and waste products. (Hsu, 2021;Jie and Guanghua, 2022;Liu et al, 2021;Jamil et al, 2022).…”

“…Influencer marketing helps recycle agricultural waste in a changing world (Belanche et al, 2021). A cost-benefit analysis helps companies decide which methods of recycling agricultural waste to use (Hsu, 2021;Jie and Guanghua, 2022;Liu et al, 2021;Jamil et al, 2022). These characteristics lead to success if the chosen approach is suitable for designing and producing value-added agricultural waste.…”

The Cost Benefit Analysis of Commercial 100 MW Solar PV: The Plant Quaid-e-Azam Solar Power Pvt Ltd.

“…For an efficient utilization of a solar power plants, a cost benefit and techno economic analysis is very important for determining the optimum conditions for efficient operation [14]. In fact, as suggested by Khan et al [15], the peculiarity of a photovoltaic system is that it requires a strong commitment of initial capital and low maintenance costs (annually about 1% of the cost of the system) [16]. The analysis of all of the economic aspects relating to a photovoltaic system is complex, considering that each installation must be evaluated in its particular context (local conditions, regulations, solar radiation, available areas, etc.)…”