In most cases highly specialized cost items have been allocated back to those components which could be reconciled to the economic sector table. In one area, the manufacture of the solar cell blanket, direct energy estimates were used rather than a conversion from dollars to energy requirements. In this case, specific and detailed estimates were available from ECON which reflected major projected changes in technology. 2. Summary of Findings The major findings of this analysis are summarized in Exhibits 41 and 42. Exhibit 41 provides a graphic comparison of the external subsidies required for various power technologies. All except the SSPS are adapted directly from DSI 038. The SSPS requires a total of 159 Btu of external energy subsidy from the economy for every 1,000 Btu output (assuming 3,414*Btu per kWh and a 30-year amortization of capital energies). This external energy subsidy is well below those for power plants using fuel oil, coal gasification, solar terrestrial, and nuclear (LWR), all of which are in the general neighborhood of 230-250 Btu subsidy per 1,000 Btu. Expressed in percentage terms, it would appear that the SSPS will require approximately 15.9% energy subsidy, which is higher than the 13.0% required by geothermal, and approximately equal to the 14.7% required for minemouth power generation from strip mined coal. It is substantially lower than the 23.3-24.6% required for the other technologies shown in Exhibit 41. In Exhibit 42, a somewhat larger and more comprehensive list of alternative electrical systems is presented. Also shown in this exhibit are the energy subsidies that would be associated with the SSPS if the capital energies were amortized over 20 years rather than 30 years. Although it is not explicitly stated in the DSI study, it appears that for all of the terrestrial plants considered in that study, capital energies are amortized over 20 years. All the literature surveyed for the SSPS, however, suggests a 30-year life. Furthermore, some significant portion of the higher capital cost for the SSPS reflects the higher reliabilitv and lonaer life span required for orbital operation. Consequently, the presentation of energy subsidies on a 30—year amortization basis for the SSPS does not appear to be totally inconsistent with the 20-year treatment of other systems. Nevertheless for comparison, the SSPS figures are also * Per DSI 038, page 13.
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