• The candidates must be central-station, baseload technologies. • The technology should be available for commercial application by year 2000. • Include improved current baseload technologies. • Include representative advanced technologies currently being engineered. • Include alternative (nonspace) applications of photovoltaic solar energy technology. • Include alternatives that show potential as long-term energy sources after 2000. • Fuel must be available for a long period (e.g., 2000- 2050). The energy alternatives selected were conventional coal with stack scrubber, coal gasification/combined cycle, the light water reactor, the liquid-metal breeder reactor, fusion, and the photovoltaic solar central station. Missing from this list are wind, biomass, decentralized solar (e.g., space heating and cooling, process heating and cooling, water heating; and photovoltaics for electrical energy production), and OTEC. These technologies were not included in the final list because they are not large centralstat ion-baseload options or they have only regional application. 2.4 CHARACTERIZATION OF ENERGY SYSTEMS Following the selection of energy alternatives and the preliminary selection of comparative issues, the reference energy systems were defined and described, and data on cost, performance, and environmental impact were collected from published sources for issue comparisons. The ground rules for this data collection included the following: • Characterizations should use readily available information. • Characterizations should be performed and documented by persons who are knowledgeable about alternative technologies and DOE programs. • Each technology characterization should be internally consistent. • The set of characteristics should be consistent enough, overall, to facilitate comparisons with the SPS concept. • There should be enough information to allow adequate evaluation of issues (failing this criterion, a candidate technology may have to be dropped). 2.5 SIDE-BY-SIDE ANALYSIS OF ENERGY SYSTEMS The objective of the side-by-side analysis is to compare the alternatives on the basis of single units normalized to the same power level, using a
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