Solar crop dryer for saving commercial fuels: a techno-economic evaluation

A framework for techno-economic evaluation of solar crop dryers is presented. The unit cost of drying and the unit cost of useful energy have been estimated for different crops. The monetary benefits accrued to the end user have been quantified on the basis of commercial fuels saved. The values of different financial performance indicators have also been estimated in both the cases considered in the study. The effect of fuel price escalation on some financial performance indices has been evaluated along with the estimation of the breakeven prices of commercial fuels. The effect of internalising the benefits of CO2 emissions mitigation on the financial performance indicators has also been analysed.