Concentrated solar power: technology, economy analysis, and policy implications in China

Abstract Integration concept of energy resources can complement between the competing energy technologies. This manuscript presents a comprehensive review on the state-of-the-art of concentrated solar power (CSP) integration technology with various energy sources. Compared to CSP alone, integration of CSP and fossil fuel provides promising solution to solar energy intermittence, emissions and installation cost reduction, with 25% increase in electric power generation. On the other hand, integration of CSP with other sources such as geothermal and biomass can supply dispatchable power with almost zero emissions. The electricity produced via integrated CSP and photovoltaic (PV) has better power quality and less cost compared to that produced by PV alone or CSP alone, respectively. Integration of CSP and wind energy can meet peak demand, reduce power fluctuation and provide electrical power at a high capacity factor. However, the lack of reliable biomass, geothermal and wind data with the solar availability at specific locations is the main obstacle for the acceptance and further deployment of hybridization systems. The advantages and limitations of the hybrid technologies presented in this paper according to the literature are reviewed. Moreover, future directions of CSP such as production of hydrogen, solid particles receivers and the integration of supercritical carbon dioxide cycle are also discussed.

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Comparison between Concentrated Solar Power and Gas-Based Generation in Terms of Economic and Flexibility-Related Aspects in Chile

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14041063 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (4) ◽

pp. 1063

Author(s):

Catalina Hernández Moris ◽

Maria Teresa Cerda Guevara ◽

Alois Salmon ◽

Alvaro Lorca

Keyword(s):

Natural Gas ◽

Solar Power ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Hybrid Plant ◽

Point Of View ◽

Concentrated Solar Power ◽

Economic Point ◽

Hybrid Plants ◽

Cost Of Energy

The energy sector in Chile demands a significant increase in renewable energy sources in the near future, and concentrated solar power (CSP) technologies are becoming increasingly competitive as compared to natural gas plants. Motivated by this, this paper presents a comparison between solar technologies such as hybrid plants and natural gas-based thermal technologies, as both technologies share several characteristics that are comparable and beneficial for the power grid. This comparison is made from an economic point of view using the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) metric and in terms of the systemic benefits related to flexibility, which is very much required due to the current decarbonization scenario of Chile’s energy matrix. The results show that the LCOE of the four hybrid plant models studied is lower than the LCOE of the gas plant. A solar hybrid plant configuration composed of a photovoltaic and solar tower plant (STP) with 13 h of storage and without generation restrictions has an LCOE 53 USD/MWh, while the natural gas technology evaluated with an 85% plant factor and a variable fuel cost of 2.0 USD/MMBtu has an LCOE of 86 USD/MWh. Thus, solar hybrid plants under a particular set of conditions are shown to be more cost-effective than their closest competitor for the Chilean grid while still providing significant dispatchability and flexibility.

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