natural gas

A study was conducted by the United States Department of Energy and The National Renewable Energy Laboratory to analyze the cost and performance of solar thermal electricity. Study proved that high development of solar thermal electricity plants would allow for costs to decrease for solar thermal by 2020.

It is projected that prices will rise for natural gas generated electricity from 7.894 cents per kilowatt hour to 8.098 cents per kilowatt hour.

This study from 2007 provided by the NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) offers a technical analysis of the solar water heating (SWH) potential in reducing fossil fuel consumption and associated greenhouse gas emissions in U.S. residential and commercial buildings.

Solar crop dryers are a cost effective solution to tackle problems related to food preservation in sunny climates.

In some communities, solar energy is often the only heat source which can be used to dry low cost agricultural products economically. However as natural gas prices are very cheap in Barbados, this solar application tends to lose its attractiveness for most operators.