DLR process guideline - Techno-economic assessment of solar fuel production

Abstract

This document serves as a guideline for the techno-economic assessment (TEA) of solar fuel production, developed to establish a structured and standardized approach for conducting analyses within this scope. In addition to its role as a methodological reference, it also functions as a key training resource for new team members, supporting their understanding and consistent application of the adopted procedures. Its main objective is to harmonize internal processes and consolidate the documentation of best practices, drawing on decades of accumulated experience and extensive collaboration with external partners in the fields of solar energy and chemical processes. By providing a common framework, this guideline promotes efficiency, transparency, and comparability across future studies and projects. By standardizing procedures and structuring the TEA approach, we aim to: *Ensure transparency and traceability of main assumptions, methods, and parameters; *Promote consistency in conducting TEA studies, enabling comparability across projects and internal assessments; *Avoid duplication of work, thereby improving operational efficiency; *Support capacity building by fostering the dissemination of accumulated technical knowledge. However, it is important to emphasize that this document does not represent an exhaustive or definitive set of methods. The methodologies presented here must be applied with caution and adapted to the specific context and needs of each use-case, considering the unique characteristics of the processes analyzed, the required level of detail to ensure quality and representativeness, and the significance of the models and results. To increase the comprehensiveness of the analysis, it is also recommended to perform a life cycle assessment (LCA) alongside the TEA, providing an integrated technical, economic, and environmental evaluation of the process. While the LCA is not part of this guideline, it represents a potential area for future integration. Although this guideline may be consulted by partners or third parties, it should be used with discretion. The practices described herein have been developed for a specific internal environment and may not fully reflect all normative, regulatory, or operational requirements of other institutions or projects. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that any adaptation carefully accounts for application-specific nuances to ensure the validity, relevance, and meaningful interpretation of results.