Economic Analysis of Solar Photovoltaics for Low-Power Lighted Aids to Navigation.

摘要

A detailed economic analysis with decision-making criteria for converting the present energy storage system used on U.S. Coast Guard low-power lighted aids to navigation to one that relies upon conversion of solar energy by photovoltaics is presented. The analysis demonstrates that converting 12-volt lighted aids to navigation from reliance on primary air-cell batteries to reliance on solar photovoltaics is attractive from an economic point of view. However, questions concerning reliability and life must be answered before the Coast Guard plans conversion to solar photovoltaics. (Author)