Journal Home Online First Current Issue Archive For Authors Journal Information 中文版

Frontiers in Energy >> 2020, Volume 14, Issue 4 doi: 10.1007/s11708-020-0664-5

Viability of a concentrated solar power system in a low sun belt prefecture

Department of Electrical Engineering, National Institute of Technology (NIT), Agartala, Tripura Pin-799046, India

Accepted: 2020-03-31 Available online: 2020-03-31

Next Previous

Abstract

Concentrating solar power (CSP) is considered as a comparatively economical, more efficient, and large capacity type of renewable energy technology. However, CSP generation is found restricted only to high solar radiation belt and installed where high direct normal irradiance is available. This paper examines the viability of the adoption of the CSP system in a low sun belt region with a lower direct normal irradiance (DNI). Various critical analyses and plant economics have been evaluated with a lesser DNI state. The obtained results out of the designed system, subjected to low DNI are not found below par, but comparable to some extent with the performance results of such CSP plants at a higher DNI. The analysis indicates that incorporation of the thermal energy storage reduces the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and augments the plant capacity factor. The capacity factor, the plant efficiency, and the LCOE are found to be 32.50%, 17.56%, and 0.1952 $/kWh, respectively.

Related Research