Search Results (32)

The hybridization of photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) technologies offers a viable solution to enhance dispatchability and reduce energy costs in solar power systems. This study analyzes two CSP-PV hybrid configurations—parabolic trough and solar tower—in diverse Brazilian climatic conditions. Particular focus is given to Bom Jesus da Lapa, identified as the most favorable location in terms of solar resource and system performance. The CSP subsystem includes a two-tank direct thermal energy storage system with molten nitrate salts and a 50 MWe gross Rankine cycle. System performance and techno-economic metrics are assessed using the System Advisor Model (SAM). A parametric analysis investigates the impact of solar irradiation, solar multiple (SM), and thermal storage duration on annual energy output and levelized cost of energy (LCOE). Results indicate that the hybrid system consistently surpasses standalone PV and CSP in both performance and cost-effectiveness. In the solar tower configuration, capacity factors reach up to 90% with an SM of 3.5 and 12 h of storage. This work provides the first techno-economic assessment of PV/CSP hybrid plants tailored to Brazilian conditions, combining multi-city simulations with solar multiple and storage parametric analysis. Among all evaluated sites, Bom Jesus da Lapa presents the highest energy yield and lowest LCOE, supporting its potential suitability for hybrid CSP-PV deployment. Full article

Combined Cycle Power Plants (CCPP) suffer from drops in power and efficiency due to summer time ambient conditions. This power reduction is especially important in regions with extreme summer ambient conditions. Given the substantial investment and labor involved in the establishment and operation of these power plants, mitigating power loss using various methods emerges as a promising solution. In this context, the integration of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technologies has been proposed in this research not primarily to improve the overall performance efficiency of power plants as other recent studies entail, but to ensure continuous power generation throughout summer days, improving stability. This research aims to address this issue by conducting an extensive study covering the different scenarios in which Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) can be integrated into the power plant. Multiple scenarios for integration were defined including CSP integration in the Heat Recovery Steam Generator, CSP-powered chiller for Gas Turbine Compressor Cooling and Gas Turbine Combustion Chamber Preheating using CSP, and scenarios with inlet air fog cooling and hybrid scenarios were studied. This systematic analysis resulted in the selection of the scenario where the CSP is integrated into the combined cycle power plant in the HRSG section as the best case. The selected scenario was benchmarked against its equivalent model operating in Seville’s ambient conditions. By comparing the final selected model, both Yazd and Seville experience a noticeable boost in power and efficiency while reaching the maximum integration capacity at different reflector lengths (800 m for Seville and 900 m for Yazd). However, both cities reach their minimum fuel consumption at an approximate 300 m total reflector length. Full article

Fossil fuel-based power production faces challenges, particularly greenhouse gas emissions, that contribute to global warming. This paper explores retrofitting an existing 207.8 MW coal-fired steam power unit with a Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) tower system and Thermal Energy Storage (TES) systems to create a hybrid solar–coal power plant. The concept integrates a solar component and a two-tank TES system into the existing steam Rankine cycle. Thermodynamic modeling and balance calculations were performed using Ebsilon Professional software (version 16) to analyze the design. Three injection points for feedwater preheating were analyzed, with flow rates that varied from 10 to 100 kg/s. Thermodynamic simulations show that solar contributions of 16.0 MW (Variant 1), 27.6 MW (Variant 2), and 37.6 MW (Variant 3) increase net electricity output to 213.5 MW, 216.8 MW, and 219.3 MW, respectively. The corresponding thermal efficiencies rise from 42.6% to 43.8%, while the hybrid system’s total efficiency improves up to 29.6%. These results demonstrate that controlled feedwater diversion and solar integration can enhance performance, reduce coal dependency, and lower CO₂ emissions without compromising operational stability. Full article

Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems (HRESs) can be an effective and sustainable way to provide electricity for remote and rural villages in Morocco; however, the design and optimization of such systems can be a challenging and difficult task. In this context, the objective of this research is to design and optimize different (HRESs) that incorporate various renewable energy technologies, namely Photovoltaics (PVs), wind turbines, and Concentrating Solar Power (CSP), whereas biomass generators and batteries are used as a storage medium. Overall, 15 scenarios based on different HRES configurations were designed, simulated, and optimized by the HOMER software for the site of Ain Beni Mathar, located in eastern Morocco. Furthermore, the potential CO₂ emissions reduction from the different scenarios was estimated as well. The results show that the scenario including PVs and batteries is most cost-effective due to favorable climatic conditions and low costs. In fact, the most optimal HRES from a technical and economic standpoint is composed of a 48.8 kW PV plant, 213 batteries, a converter capacity of 43.8 kW, and an annual production of 117.5 MWh with only 8.8% excess energy, leading to an LCOE of 0.184 USD/kWh with a CO₂ emissions reduction of 81.7 tons per year, whereas scenarios with wind turbines, CSP, and biomass exhibit a higher LCOE in the range of 0.472–1.15 USD/kWh. This study’s findings confirm the technical and economic viability of HRESs to supply 100% of the electricity demand for rural Moroccan communities, through a proper HRES design. Full article

Solar thermal concentrating solar power (CSP) plants have attracted growing interest in the field of renewable energy generation due to their capability for large-scale electricity generation, high photoelectric conversion efficiency, and enhanced reliability and flexibility. Meanwhile, driven by the rapid advancement of power electronics technology, extensive wind farms (WFs) and large-scale battery energy storage systems (BESSs) are being increasingly integrated into the power grid. From these points of view, grid-connected CSP–BESS–wind hybrid energy systems are expected to emerge in the future. Currently, most studies focus solely on the stability of renewable energy generation systems connected to the grid via power converters. In fact, within CSP–BESS–wind hybrid energy systems, interactions between the CSP, collection grid, and the converter controllers can also arise, potentially triggering system oscillations. To fill this gap, this paper investigated the interaction mechanism and oscillation characteristics of a grid-connected CSP–BESS–wind hybrid energy system. Firstly, by considering the dynamics of CSP, BESSs, and wind turbines, a comprehensive model of a grid-connected CSP–BESS–wind hybrid energy system was developed. With this model, the Nyquist stability criterion was utilized to analyze the potential interaction mechanism within the hybrid system. Subsequently, the oscillation characteristics were examined in detail, providing insights to inform the design of the damping controller. Finally, the analytical results were validated through MATLAB/Simulink simulations. Full article

With the fast-growing implementation of renewable energy projects, Morocco is positioned as a pioneer in green and sustainable development, aiming to achieve 52% of its electricity production from renewable sources by 2030. This ambitious target faces challenges due to the intermittent nature of renewable energy, which impacts grid stability. Hydrogen offers a promising solution, but identifying the most cost-effective production configurations is critical due to high investment costs. Despite the growing interest in renewable energy systems, the techno-economic analysis of (Concentrating Solar Power-Photovoltaic) CSP-PV hybrid configurations remain insufficiently explored. Addressing this gap is critical for optimizing hybrid systems to ensure cost-effective and scalable hydrogen production. This study advances the field by conducting a detailed techno-economic assessment of CSP-PV hybrid systems for hydrogen production at selected locations in Morocco, leveraging high-precision meteorological data to enhance the accuracy and reliability of the analysis. Three configurations are analyzed: (i) a standalone 10 MW PV plant, (ii) a standalone 10 MW Stirling dish CSP plant, and (iii) a 10 MW hybrid system combining 5 MW from each technology. Results reveal that hybrid CSP-PV systems with single-axis PV tracking achieve the lowest levelized cost of hydrogen (LCO_H2), reducing costs by up to 11.19% and increasing hydrogen output by approximately 10% compared to non-tracking systems. Additionally, the hybrid configuration boosts annual hydrogen production by 2.5–11.2% compared to PV-only setups and reduces production costs by ~25% compared to standalone CSP systems. These findings demonstrate the potential of hybrid solar systems for cost-efficient hydrogen production in regions with abundant solar resources. Full article

South America is a place on the planet that stands out with enormous potential linked to renewable energies. Countries in this region have developed private investment projects to carry out an energy transition from fossil energies to clean energies and contribute to climate change mitigation. The sun resource is one of the more abundant sources of renewable energies that stands out in South America, especially in the Atacama Desert. In this context, South American countries are developing sustainable actions/strategies linked to implementing solar photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) facilities and achieving carbon neutrality for the year 2050. As a result, this systematic review presents the progress, new trends, and the road to a sustainable paradigm with disruptive innovations like artificial intelligence, robots, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for solar energy facilities in the region. According to the findings, solar energy infrastructure was applied in South America during the global climate change crisis era. Different levels of implementation in solar photovoltaic (PV) facilities have been reached in each country, with the region being a worldwide research and development (R&D) hotspot. Also, high potential exists for concentrated solar power (CSP) facilities considering the technology evolution, and for the implementation of the hybridization of solar photovoltaic (PV) facilities with onshore wind farm infrastructures, decreasing the capital/operation costs of the projects. Finally, synergy between solar energy infrastructures with emerging technologies linked with low-carbon economies like battery energy storage systems (BESSs) and the use of floating solar PV plants looks like a promising sustainable solution. Full article

The tracking pose of heliostats directly affects the stability and working efficiency of concentrated solar power (CSP) plants. Due to occlusion, over-exposure, and uneven illumination caused by mirror reflection, traditional image processing algorithms showed poor performances on the detection and segmentation of heliostats, which impede vision-based 3D measurement of tracking poses of heliostats. To tackle this issue, object detection using deep learning neural networks are exploited. An improved neural network based on YOLO-v5 framework has been designed to solve the on-line detection problem of heliostats. The model achieves a recognition accuracy of 99.7% for the test set, outperforming traditional methods significantly. Based on segmented results, the corner points of each heliostat are found out using Hough Transform and line intersection methods. The 3D poses of each heliostat are then solved out based on the image coordinates of specific feature points and the camera model. Experimental and field test results demonstrate the feasibility of this hybrid approach, which provides a low-cost solution for the monitoring and measurement of tracking poses of the heliostats in CSP. Full article

Growing environmental concerns have driven the installation of renewable systems. Meanwhile, the continuous decline in the levelized cost of energy (LCOE), alongside the decreasing cost of photovoltaics (PVs), is compelling the power sector to accurately forecast the performance of energy plants to maximize plant profitability. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis and optimization of a hybrid power generation system for a remote community in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with a 10 MW peak power demand. The goal is to achieve 90 percent of annual load coverage from renewable energy. This study introduces a novel comparison between three different configurations: (i) concentrated solar power (parabolic troughs + thermal energy storage + steam Rankine cycle); (ii) fully electric (PVs + wind + batteries); and (iii) an energy mix that combines both solutions. The research demonstrates that the hybrid mix achieves the lowest levelized cost of energy (LCOE) at 0.1364 USD/kWh through the use of advanced transient simulation and load-following control strategies. The single-technology solutions were found to be oversized, resulting in higher costs and overproduction. This paper also explores a reduction in the economic scenario and provides insights into cost-effective renewable systems for isolated communities. The new minimum cost of 0.1153 USD/kWh underscores the importance of integrating CSP and PV technologies to meet the very stringent conditions of high renewable penetration and improved grid stability. Full article

This paper deals with the problem of determining the optimal capacity of concentrated solar power (CSP) plants, especially in the context of hybrid solar power plants. This work presents an innovative analytical approach to optimizing the capacity of concentrated solar plants. The proposed method is based on the use of additional non-dimensional parameters, in particular, the design factor and the solar multiple factor. This paper presents a mathematical optimization model that focuses on the capacity of concentrated solar power plants where thermal storage plays a key role in the energy source. The analytical approach provides a more complete understanding of the design process for hybrid power plants. In addition, the use of additional factors and the combination of the proposed method with existing numerical methods allows for more refined optimization, which allows for the more accurate selection of the capacity for specific geographical conditions. Importantly, the proposed method significantly increases the speed of computation compared to that of traditional numerical methods. Finally, the authors present the results of the analysis of the proposed system of equations for calculating the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for hybrid solar power plants. The nonlinearity of the LCOE on the main calculation parameters is shown. Full article

Rising energy demands, the depletion of fossil fuels, and their environmental impact necessitate a shift towards sustainable power generation. Concentrating solar power (CSP) offers a promising solution. This study examines a hybridization of a combined cycle power plant (CCPP) based on solar energy with fossil fuel and energy storage in rock layers to increase Saudi Arabia’s electricity production from renewable energy. The fuel is used to keep the temperature at the inlet of the gas turbine at 1000 °C, ensuring the power produced by the Rankine cycle remains constant. During the summer, the sun is the main source of power generation, whereas in the winter, reliance on fuel increases significantly. The Brayton cycle operates for 10 h during peak solar radiation periods, storing exhaust heat in rock beds. For the remaining 14 h of the day, this stored heat is discharged to operate the Rankine steam cycle. Simulations and optimizations are performed, and the system is evaluated using a comprehensive 4E analysis (energy, exergy, exergoconomic, and environmental) alongside a sustainability assessment. A parametric evaluation examines the effect of key factors on system performance. The rock bed storage system compensates for solar intermittency, enabling power generation even without sunlight. The study reveals that the system generated 12.334 MW in June, achieving an energy efficiency of 37% and an exergy efficiency of 40.35%. The average electricity cost during this period was 0.0303 USD/kWh, and the carbon footprint was 0.108 kg CO₂/kWh. In contrast, during January, the system produced 13.276 MW with an energy efficiency of 37.91% and an exergy efficiency of 44.16%. The average electricity cost in January was 0.045 USD/kWh, and the carbon footprint was 0.1 kg CO₂/kWh. Interestingly, solar energy played a significant role: it contributed 81.42% of the heat in June, while in January, it accounted for 46.77%. The reduced electricity costs during June are primarily attributed to the abundant sunshine, which significantly powered the system. Full article

Libya is facing a serious challenge in its sustainable development because of its complete dependence on traditional fuels in meeting its growing energy demand. On the other hand, more intensive energy utilization accommodating multiple energy resources, including renewables, has gained considerable attention. This article is motivated by the obvious need for research on this topic due to the shortage of applications concerning the prospects of the hybridization of energy systems for electric power generation in Libya. The 283 MW single-cycle gas turbine operating at the Sarir power plant located in the Libyan desert is considered a case study for a proposed Integrated Solar Combined Cycle (ISCC) system. By utilizing the common infrastructure of a gas-fired power plant and concentrating solar power (CSP) technology, a triple hybrid system is modeled using the EES programming tool. The triple hybrid system consists of (i) a closed Brayton cycle (BC), (ii) a Rankine cycle (RC), which uses heat derived from a parabolic collector field in addition to the waste heat of the BC, and (iii) an organic Rankine cycle (ORC), which is involved in recovering waste heat from the RC. A thermodynamic analysis of the developed triple combined power plant shows that the global power output ranges between 416 MW (in December) and a maximum of 452.9 MW, which was obtained in July. The highest overall system efficiency of 44.3% was achieved in December at a pressure ratio of 12 and 20% of steam fraction in the RC. The monthly capital investment cost for the ISCC facility varies between 52.59 USD/MWh and 58.19 USD/MWh. From an environmental perspective, the ISCC facility can achieve a carbon footprint of up to 319 kg/MWh on a monthly basis compared to 589 kg/MWh for the base BC plant, which represents a reduction of up to 46%. This study could stimulate decision makers to adopt ISCC power plants in Libya and in other developing oil-producing countries. Full article

Concentrated solar power (CSP)—photovoltaic (PV) hybrid power plants allow for the generation of cheap electrical energy with a high capacity factor (CF). A deep integration of both technologies offers synergies, using parts of the PV generated electricity for heating the thermal storage tank of the CSP unit. Such configurations have been previously studied for systems coupled by an electric resistance heater (ERH). In this work, the coupling of a CSP and a PV plant using a heat pump (HP) was analyzed due to the higher efficiency of heat pumps. The heat pump is used as a booster to lift the salt temperature in the storage system from 383 to 565 °C in order to reach higher turbine efficiency. A techno-economic analysis of the system was performed using the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), the capacity factor and nighttime electricity fraction as variables for the representation. The CSP–PV hybrid with a booster heat pump was compared with other technologies such as a CSP–PV hybrid plant coupled by an electric heater, a standalone parabolic trough plant (PT), a photovoltaic system with battery storage (PV–BESS), and a PV thermal power plant (PVTP) consisting of a PV plant with an electric heater, thermal energy storage (TES) and a power block (PB). Full article

In the last two decades, Peru has experienced a process of transformation in the sources of its energy matrix, increasing the participation of clean energy such as solar photovoltaic (PV), on-shore wind, biomass, and small hydro. However, hydropower and natural gas remain the main sources of electricity, whereas off-shore wind, biogas, waves, tidal, and geothermal sources are currently underdeveloped. This article presents the enormous potential of Peru for the generation of electrical energy from a solar source equivalent to 25 GW, as it has in one of the areas of the world with the highest solar radiation throughout the year. In addition, this article presents the main advantages, benefits, and considerations of the implementation of solar photovoltaic technology, with emphasis on (i) the potential of solar energy, showing the available potential and an installed capacity by the year 2024 equivalent to 398 MW, (ii) current solar energy sources, characterizing existing industrial solar photovoltaic (PV) energy plants, and (iii) future solar energy facilities projections, stating the portfolio of solar renewable energy plant projects to be implemented in the future considering an installed capacity of 7.2 GW by 2028. Additionally, lessons learned, challenges, and directions for the future development of solar energy in the country are presented. Finally, the article concludes that if Peru takes advantage of solar potential by considering a sustainable future perspective and implementing strategic land-use planning, the southern region will be transformed into a world-class territory for renewable energy development considering the hybridization of concentrated solar power (CSP) systems with solar photovoltaic (PV) systems and solar energy storage systems. Full article

Concentrating solar power (CSP) technology with thermal energy storage (TES) could contribute to achieving a net zero emissions scenario by 2050. Calcium looping (CaL) is one of the potential TES processes for the future generation of CSP plants coupled with highly efficient power cycles. Research on CaL as a system for thermochemical energy storage (TCES) has focused on efficiency enhancement based on hybridization with other renewable technologies. This work proposes a novel solid management system to improve the efficiency of a CaL TCES system. The inclusion of a solid–solid separation unit after the carbonation step could lead to energy and size savings. The role of segregation between carbonated and calcined material on plant requirements is assessed, given the experimental evidence on the potential classification between more and less carbonated particles. The results show lower energy (up to 12%) and size (up to 76%) demands when the circulation of less carbonated material through the CaL TCES system diminishes. Moreover, under a classification effectiveness of 100%, the retrieval energy could increase by 32%, and the stored energy is enhanced by five times. The present work can be a proper tool to set the design and size of a CaL TCES system with a partial separation of the carbonated material. Full article