• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
• /
• v.61 no.9
• /
• pp.1260-1268
• /
• 2012

Recently, lack of power reserve margin was observed quite often. In this paper, we studied the method to secure power source for a short time, to cut the utility power peak load, and to reduce the users electricity bills. Emergency diesel generator of an office building is to be converted into a dual-fuel engine generator which is responsible for a portion of the peak load. Compared to the conventional diesel fuel generator, the proposed dual-fuel engine is able to reduce the generation power cost by dual-fuel combustion, and it also mitigates the building's utility power peak load by charging the building's peak load. If the dead resources (a group of emergency dual-fuel engine generators), as a Virtual Power Plant, are operating in peak time, we can significantly reduce future large power development costs. We investigated the current general purpose electricity bills as well as the records of the building electric power usage, and calculated diesel engine generator renovation costs, generation fuel costs, driving conditions, and savings in electricity bills. The proposed dual-fuel engine generation method reduces 18.1% of utility power peak load, and turned out to be highly attractive investment alternative which shows more than 27% of IRR, 76 million won of NPV, and 20~53 months of payback periods. The results of this study are expected to be useful to developing the policy & strategy of the energy department.

• Resources Recycling
• /
• v.13 no.5
• /
• pp.51-56
• /
• 2004

Economic benefits of the dry bottom ash handling system over the wet bottom ash handling system in a new 500MW${\times}$2units pulverized coal thermal power plant in Korea were evaluated. The higher initial capital cost in the dry bottom ash handling system was estimated. However, this higher initial capital costs would be compensated with reductions of the operating cost mainly due to the recycling of bottom ash. Economic analysis showed that the payback period of 4.9 years and the internal rate of return at 21.1% were expected for the additional initial capital cost of the dry bottom ash handling system.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
• /
• 2013.01a
• /
• pp.602-607
• /
• 2013

Financial risks associated with capital investments are often measured with different feasibility indicators such as the net present value (NPV), the internal rate of return (IRR), the payback period (PBP), and the benefit-cost ratio (BCR). This paper aims at demonstrating practical applications of probabilistic feasibility analysis techniques for an integrated feasibility evaluation of the IRR and PBP. The IRR and PBP are concurrently analyzed in order to measure the profitability and liquidity, respectively, of a cash flow. The cash flow data of a real wind turbine project is used in the study. The presented approach consists of two phases. First, two newly reported analysis techniques are used to carry out a series of what-if analyses for the IRR and PBP. Second, the relationship between the IRR and PBP is identified using Monte Carlo simulation. The results demonstrate that the integrated feasibility evaluation of stochastic cash flows becomes a more viable option with the aide of newly developed probabilistic analysis techniques. It is also shown that the relationship between the IRR and PBP for the wind turbine project can be used as a predictive model for the actual IRR at the end of the service life based on the actual PBP of the project early in the service life.

• Korean small business review
• /
• v.40 no.3
• /
• pp.1-24
• /
• 2018

The purpose of this study is verifying with corporate financial data that the required investment amount flow shows a similar pattern as times passed, in new product development by start-up company. In the previous paper, the same authors proposed the required investment amount flow as a 'New Product Investment Curve (NPIC)'. In this study, we have studied further in various types of companies. The samples used are accounting data of 462 companies selected from 5,873 Korean companies which were finished external audit in 2015. The results of this study are as follows; The average investment period was 3 years for the listed companies, while 6 years for the unlisted companies. The investment payback period was 6 years for listed companies, while 17 years for unlisted companies. The investment payback period of the company supported by big affiliate company (We call 'greenhouse company') was 14~15 years, while 17 years for real venture companies. When we divide all companies into 4 groups in terms of R&D cost and variable cost ratio, NPIC explanatory power of 'high R&D and high variable cost ratio group (Automobile Assembly Business) is best. Among the eight investment cost indexes proposed to estimate the investment amount, the 'cash 1' (operating cash flow+fixed asset excluding land & building+intangible asset, deferred asset change)/year-end total assets) turned out to be the most effective index to estimate the investment flow patterns. The conclusion is that NPIC explanatory power is somewhat reduced when we estimate all companies together. However, if we estimate the sample companies by characteristics such as listed, unlisted, greenhouse, and venture company, the proposed NPIC was verified to be effective by showing the required investment amount pattern.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
• /
• v.67 no.10
• /
• pp.1278-1285
• /
• 2018

For saving electricity bill, energy storage system(ESS) is being installed in factories, public building and commercial building with a Time-of-Use(TOU) tariff which consists of demand charge(KRW/kW) and energy charge(KRW/kWh). However, both of peak reduction and ESS special tariff are not considered in an analysis of initial cost payback period(ICPP) on ESS. Since it is difficult to reflect base rate by an amount of uncertain peak demand reduction during mid-peak and on-peak periods in the future days. Therefore, the ICPP on ESS can be increased. Based on this background, this paper presents the advanced analysis method for the ICPP on ESS. In the proposed algorithm, the representative days of monthly electricity consumption pattern for the amount of peak reduction can be found by the k­means clustering algorithm. Moreover, the total expected energy costs of representative days are minimized by optimal daily ESS operation considering both peak reduction and the special tariff through a mixed-integer linear programming(MILP). And then, the amount of peak reduction becomes a value that the sum of the expected energy costs for 12 months is maximum. The annual benefit cost is decided by the amount of annual peak reduction. Two simulation cases are considered in this study, which one only considers the special tariff and another considers both of the special tariff and amount of peak reduction. The ICPP in the proposed method is shortened by 18 months compared to the conventional method.

• Ocean and Polar Research
• /
• v.31 no.2
• /
• pp.167-176
• /
• 2009

Cobalt-rich manganese crusts on seamounts have received an increasing amount of attention as future resources for Co, Ni, Cu, and Mn. A dearth of detailed information regarding the relevant distribution characteristics, mining technologies, and ore processing technologies, however, has precluded potential evaluations of the technical and economic advantages of these crusts. In the past 4 years, Korea has undertaken a survey of the cobalt-rich manganese crusts in and around the Magellan Seamount and Mid-Pacific Mountains. This paper introduces the preliminary feasibility study of the distribution features and R&D results centered around the development of the cobalt-rich manganese crusts. The evaluation model was developed by modifying the model for the manganese nodules. In addition to considering the geological and geophysical differences between the manganese nodules and the cobalt-rich manganese crusts, an ore dressing subsystem was installed in the model. The mining subsystem is composed of a self-propelled collector--a pipeline with submersible hydraulic pumps for crust lifting. The smelting and chlorine leach method was selected for metallurgical processing. The production scales were established at 2,500t/y of cobalt metal. The production of three metals--cobalt, nickel, and copper--was considered in terms of metallurgical processing. The economic feasibility analyses demonstrated that the payback period was 11.4 years, the NPV was 36M$, and the IRR was 9.6% with the economic factors in the case of a cobalt price of US$ 25/lb. It was also demonstrated in this study that the payback period was 8.6 years, the NPV was 154M$, and the IRR was 14.0% in the case of a cobalt price of US$ 30/lb. This indicates that the approach under consideration appears to offer greater potential given the predicted metal prices.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Geothermal and Hydrothermal Energy
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.7-13
• /
• 2014

This study intends to analyse the economical aspect of a GSHP(Ground Source Heat Pump) system compared to the conventional system which is consisted with a boiler and a chiller. This study has simulated four systems in Incheon. It developed and analyzed for applications in a residential and an office building which was based on the hourly EPI(Energy Performance Index, $kWh/m^2yr$). Case 1 is utilizing a boiler and a chiller to meet heating and cooling demand of a house. Case 2 is utilizing the same conventional set up as Case 1 of a office. Case 3 is summation of Case 1(house) and 2(office) systems and loads. And Case 4 is utilizing a GSHP to meet the combined loads of the house and office. The method of the economic assessment has been based on IEA ECBCS Annex 54 Subtask-C SPB(Simple Payback) method. The SPB calculated the economic balanced year of the alternative system over the reference system. The SPB of the alternative systems (GSHP) with 10%, 30% and 50% initial incentive has been calculated as 9.38, 6.72 and 4.06 year respectively while the SPB without initial incentive of systems was 10.71 year.

• Proceedings of the SAREK Conference
• /
• 2007.11a
• /
• pp.459-465
• /
• 2007

This study was conducted to calculate the LCC of a apartment complex with a type of heating system, district heating and cogeneration system. For the purpose of analyzing LCC according to size of apartment complex, 500, 1,500 and 4,000 houses of model apartment selected. This research performs design of heating system and the life cycle cost analysis including an initial cost, energy cost, maintenance and operation cost, replacement cost and renovation cost during the project period(15years). According to the calculated results, 1) Initial cost of cogeneration system with 500, 1500 and 4000 houses is higher than district heating system each of 20%, 13%, 12%. 2) In case of cogeneration system, the payback period by electric generation is 5.21, 4.92 and 4.47 years and saving cost was calculated 29 billion won, 94 billion won and 262 billion won after payback period. 3) Cogeneration system LCC was 1.12, 1.07 and 1.06 times larger than district system with the size of apartment complex. According to the case of this study district heating system is more efficient than cogeneration system in terms of the reduction of LCC. 4) Gas Engine Co-generation System is more efficient than other systems because it can collect progressive part from electric charge progressive stage system. However, the efficiency is decreasing because of raising of fuel bills(LNG) and lowering of power rate for house use. Especially the engine is foreign-made so the cost of maintenance and repair is high and the technical expert is short. 5) District heating is also affected by fuel bills so we should improve energy efficiency through recovering of waste heat(incineration heat, etc.). Also, we should supply district cooling on the pattern of heat using of let the temperature high in winter and low in summer.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
• /
• v.27 no.10
• /
• pp.544-551
• /
• 2015

This study was conducted to determine the LCC of apartment complexes with district heating and a cogeneration system. For the purpose of analyzing LCC according to the size of the apartment complex, 500, 1,500, and 4,000-unit model apartments were selected. Analysis was performed on the design of the heating system and the life cycle cost including total construction cost, maintenance and operation cost for the duration of the project period (15 years). According to the calculated results, 1) The initial cost of the cogeneration system for 500, 1,500, and 4,000-unit apartments is higher than that of the district heating system by 20%, 13%, and 12%, respectively. 2) In the case of the cogeneration system, the payback period by electric generation was found to be 5.21, 4.92 and 4.47 years, and saving cost was calculated to be 29 billion won, 94 billion won and 262 billion won after the payback period for 500, 1,500, and 4,000-unit apartments, respectively. 3) The LCC values of the cogeneration system were 1.12, 1.07 and 1.06 times larger than those of the district system according to the size of the apartment complex. In this study, the district heating system was found to be more efficient than the cogeneration system in terms of LCC reduction. 4) District heating is affected by fuel bills, so energy efficiency should be improved through recovering waste heat (incineration heat, etc.). Also, district cooling should be provided according to heat use to keep the temperature high in winter and low in summer.

• Journal of IKEEE
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.687-694
• /
• 2019

Residential electricity consumer can rent a photovoltaic power generator, whose profit can be exist if the decreased electric fee is larger than the rent fee. But the exact function of the profit have not expressed until now, which is shown in this paper. Two assumptions are supposed. The first assumption is that the generated electric power by the renting photovoltaic generator is 300kWh per month. The second assumption is that the rent fee 362300 won is paid once when the photovoltaic generator is installed. The earings rate, the payback time and the sensitivity of a low-voltage residential electricity consumer's profit consuming 401~1000kWh per month at a detached house for the initial 7 years is calculated by the induced exact function.