scholarly journals Making the sun shine at night: comparing the cost of dispatchable concentrating solar power and photovoltaics with storage

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Franziska Schöniger ◽  
Richard Thonig ◽  
Gustav Resch ◽  
Johan Lilliestam
Keyword(s):  
Solar Power ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Concentrating Solar Power ◽  
The Cost

scholarly journals A Review of Conventional and Innovative- Sustainable Methods for Cleaning Reflectors in Concentrating Solar Power Plants

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 3937 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sahar Bouaddi ◽  
Aránzazu Fernández-García ◽  
Chris Sansom ◽  
Jon Sarasua ◽  
Fabian Wolfertstetter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Plants ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Concentrating Solar Power ◽  
Water Based ◽  
Solar Power Plants ◽  
Cleaning Methods ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Solar Field ◽  
High Reflectance

The severe soiling of reflectors deployed in arid and semi arid locations decreases their reflectance and drives down the yield of the concentrating solar power (CSP) plants. To alleviate this issue, various sets of methods are available. The operation and maintenance (O&M) staff should opt for sustainable cleaning methods that are safe and environmentally friendly. To restore high reflectance, the cleaning vehicles of CSP plants must adapt to the constraints of each technology and to the layout of reflectors in the solar field. Water based methods are currently the most commonly used in CSP plants but they are not sustainable due to water scarcity and high soiling rates. The recovery and reuse of washing water can compensate for these methods and make them a more reasonable option for mediterranean and desert environments. Dry methods, on the other hand, are gaining more attraction as they are more suitable for desert regions. Some of these methods rely on ultrasonic wave or vibration for detaching the dust bonding from the reflectors surface, while other methods, known as preventive methods, focus on reducing the soiling by modifying the reflectors surface and incorporating self cleaning features using special coatings. Since the CSP plants operators aim to achieve the highest profit by minimizing the cost of cleaning while maintaining a high reflectance, optimizing the cleaning parameters and strategies is of great interest. This work presents the conventional water-based methods that are currently used in CSP plants in addition to sustainable alternative methods for dust removal and soiling prevention. Also, the cleaning effectiveness, the environmental impacts and the economic aspects of each technology are discussed.

scholarly journals Overview of predictive CSP spread prospects and its opportunities

2016 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai Timon Busse ◽  
Frank Dinter
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
General Idea ◽  
Concentrating Solar Power ◽  
Storage Technology ◽  
The Cost

An investigation was carried out to illustrate the prospects and challenges associated with implementation of concentrating solar power (CSP) with storage technology in South Africa. Various factors were examined that have an effect on the cost of CSP plants and offer an overall review of the opportunities CSP has for the country. This paper appeals the general idea that CSP is not cost effective enough and attempts to illustrate the feasibility of this technology in South Africa.

scholarly journals Improved High Temperature Solar Absorbers for Use in Concentrating Solar Power Central Receiver Applications

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Ambrosini ◽  
Timothy N. Lambert ◽  
Marlene Bencomo ◽  
Aaron Hall ◽  
Kent vanEvery ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Concentrating Solar Power ◽  
Solar Absorptance ◽  
Thermal Emittance ◽  
Solar Absorbers ◽  
Operating Temperatures ◽  
Stability Issues ◽  
The Cost

Concentrating solar power (CSP) systems use solar absorbers to convert the heat from sunlight to electric power. Increased operating temperatures are necessary to lower the cost of solar-generated electricity by improving efficiencies and reducing thermal energy storage costs. Durable new materials are needed to cope with operating temperatures < 600°C. The current coating technology (Pyromark High Temperature paint) has a solar absorptance in excess of 0.95 but a thermal emittance greater than 0.8, which results in large thermal losses at high temperatures. In addition, because solar receivers operate in air, these coatings have long term stability issues that add to the operating costs of CSP facilities. Ideal absorbers must have high solar absorptance (>0.95) and low thermal emittance (<0.3 at receiver surface operating temperatures), be stable in air, and be low-cost and readily manufacturable. Recent efforts at Sandia National Laboratories have begun to address the issue of more efficient solar selective coatings for tower applications. This paper will present an overview of these efforts which address the development of new coatings on several fronts.

Lowering the Levelized Cost of Electricity of a Concentrating Solar Power Tower With a Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Power Cycle

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Schmitt ◽  
Jason Wilkes ◽  
Timothy Allison ◽  
Jeffrey Bennett ◽  
Karl Wygant ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Supercritical Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Cycle Performance ◽  
Cycle Model ◽  
Concentrating Solar Power ◽  
Levelized Cost Of Electricity ◽  
Levelized Cost ◽  
Power Block ◽  
The Cost

In order to maintain viability as a future power-generating technology, concentrating solar power (CSP) must reduce its levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). The cost of CSP is assessed with the System Advisor Model (SAM) from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The performance of an integrally geared compressor-expander recuperated recompression cycle with supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) as the working fluid is modeled. A comparison of the cycle model to the integrated SAM cycle performance is made. The cycle model incorporates innovative cycle control methods to improve the range of efficiency, including inventory control. The SAM model is modified to accommodate the predicted cycle performance. The ultimate goal of minimizing the LCOE is targeted through multiple approaches, including the cost of the power block, the impact of system scale, the sizing of the thermal system relative to the power block system, the operating approach for changes in ambient temperature and availability of sunlight. Through reduced power block cost and a detailed cycle model, the LCOE is modeled to be 5.98 ȼ/kWh, achieving targeted techno-economic performance. The LCOE of the CSP system is compared to the cost of hybrid solar and fossil-fired systems. An analysis is made on the efficacy of a fossil backup system with CSP and how that relates to potential future costs of carbon dioxide emissions.

Techno-Economic Evaluation of a Concentrating Solar Power Plant Driven by an Organic Rankine Cycle

2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fayrouz El hamdani ◽  
Sébastien Vaudreuil ◽  
Souad Abderafi ◽  
Tijani Bounahmidi
Keyword(s):  
Economic Evaluation ◽  
Power Plant ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Forward Osmosis ◽  
Organic Rankine Cycle ◽  
Thermodynamic Cycle ◽  
Rankine Cycle ◽  
Green Energy ◽  
Concentrating Solar Power ◽  
The Cost

Abstract Concentrating solar power (CSP) technology is one of the promising options to generate green energy. However, the cost of kWhe produced is relatively high compared with fossil resources and can be reduced by integrating a cogeneration system exploiting waste energy. In this study, a technico-economic evaluation of a 1 MWe CSP plant with a condensation heat (85 °C) is investigated. The temperature constraint is set to meet the thermal separation needs of the draw solution of a forward osmosis desalination process. The purpose of this study focuses on the factors involved in reducing the cost per kWhe, which are the selection of the organic fluid used in the organic Rankine cycle and the appropriate choice of the solar multiple (SM) according to the appropriate storage hours (SH) maximizing the CSP thermal efficiency. The performance of different organic fluids was compared, based on the calculation of the thermodynamic cycle efficiency. The cyclopentane was retained for its reduced cost. Operating with this fluid, a sensitivity analysis was realized to test the effect of the solar multiple and storage hours on the power plant. It allows us to conclude that different appropriate combination between storage hours and solar multiple can be chosen, for the needs of our project, we opt for 8 h and 1.85, respectively. Thus, in this case, the cost of kWh was found to be 23.95¢.

Using the sun to decarbonize the power sector: The economic potential of photovoltaics and concentrating solar power

2014 ◽  
Vol 135 ◽  
pp. 704-720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Carl Pietzcker ◽  
Daniel Stetter ◽  
Susanne Manger ◽  
Gunnar Luderer
Keyword(s):  
Solar Power ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Economic Potential ◽  
Power Sector ◽  
Concentrating Solar Power

Determining the Cost Benefit of High-Temperature Coatings for Concentrating Solar Power Thermal Storage Using Probabilistic Cost Analysis

2015 ◽  
Vol 137 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Greg C. Glatzmaier ◽  
Judith C. Gomez
Keyword(s):  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Cost Analysis ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Cost Model ◽  
Cost Benefit ◽  
Thermal Storage ◽  
Inconel 625 ◽  
Concentrating Solar Power ◽  
310 Stainless Steel ◽  
The Cost

Probabilistic cost analysis determined the cost benefit for applying a protective coating to the wetted surfaces of stainless steel tank walls for concentrating solar power (CSP) thermal storage applications. The model estimated the total material cost of coated 347 or 310 stainless steel (347/310) and the cost of uncoated Inconel 625, which served as the reference tank wall cost. Model results showed that the cost of the coated 347/310 stainless steel was always statistically less than the cost of the bare Inconel 625 when these materials are used for tank walls at representative tank diameters and temperatures for CSP storage applications.

scholarly journals Analysis of a Fluidized-Bed Particle/Supercritical-CO2 Heat Exchanger in a Concentrating Solar Power System

2020 ◽  
Vol 143 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiwen Ma ◽  
Janna Martinek
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
High Temperature ◽  
Heat Exchanger ◽  
Fluidized Bed ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Solar Power ◽  
Concentrating Solar Power ◽  
Power Cycle ◽  
Temperature Heat ◽  
The Cost

Abstract Concentrating solar power (CSP) development has focused on increasing the energy conversion efficiency and lowering the capital cost. To improve performance, CSP research is moving to high-temperature and high-efficiency designs. One technology approach is to use inexpensive, high-temperature heat transfer fluids and storage, integrated with a high-efficiency power cycle such as the supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) Brayton power cycle. The sCO2 Brayton power cycle has strong potential to achieve performance targets of 50% thermal-to-electric efficiency and dry cooling at an ambient temperature of up to 40 °C and to reduce the cost of power generation. Solid particles have been proposed as a possible high-temperature heat transfer or storage medium that is inexpensive and stable at high temperatures above 1000 °C. The particle/sCO2 heat exchanger (HX) provides a connection between the particles and sCO2 fluid in emerging sCO2 power cycles. This article presents heat transfer modeling to analyze the particle/sCO2 HX design and assess design tradeoffs including the HX cost. The heat transfer process was modeled based on a particle/sCO2 counterflow configuration, and empirical heat transfer correlations for the fluidized bed and sCO2 were used to calculate heat transfer area and estimate the HX cost. A computational fluid dynamics simulation was applied to characterize particle distribution and fluidization. This article shows a path to achieve the cost and performance objectives for a particle/sCO2 HX design by using fluidized-bed technology.

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