LEARNING CURVES, ECONOMIES OF SCALE
The transition to an energy system based on renewable energies also requires the use of new technologies in some cases. These often have comparatively high costs when introduced – due to low production volumes (number of units) and small plants – which makes their market entry more difficult. With a broader application of these technologies, cost reductions through economies of scale can be expected – on the one hand by technological learning (cost reduction owing to higher produced quantities) and on the other hand by economies of scale (specific cost reduction owing to an increase of individual plant capacities).
These potentials for cost reduction are investigated with the help of the CoLLeCT model developed at the Energieinstitut an der JKU Linz. CoLLeCT represents a tool for the analysis and calculation of total scaling effects of assemblies, taking into account learning rates and scaling factors of individual components. Thus, it allows on the one hand a detailed analysis of the cost structure, and on the other hand the inclusion of experience from comparable, proven technologies to finally determine the cost development of overall concepts with low market penetration. In addition, the modular structure enables the consideration of spillover effects from concurrent usages.
BENCHMARK ANALYSES
Numerous research and development activities of the Energieinstitut an der JKU Linz in recent years characterized the economic viability and demand for renewable energy technologies and their use in all conceivable applications. Based on these activities, the interdisciplinary research team of the Energieinstitut developed a toolbox for current and future techno-economic benchmarking with comprehensive data on energy innovations and established systems. The assessment results indicate optimal system configuration and implementation to best support technology developments and market rollouts.
In many cases, research projects are technology-driven and do not focus their expertise and results during development on achieving cost-effectiveness at the end of the day. The experts of the Energieinstitut an der JKU Linz accompany innovations with techno-economic analyses and specifically analyze the prevailing influencing parameters on successful implementation and profitability, so that the partners can concentrate on the development of innovative technologies.
