Open-air solar power plant

What are the open challenges for the future of solar power?

Open challenges for the next future are summarized. Among the diverse technologies for producing clean energy through concentrated solar power, central tower plants are believed to be the most promising in the next years. In these plants a heliostat field collects and redirects solar irradiance towards a central receiver where a fluid is heated up.

How to choose a solar thermal power plant?

Solar thermal power plants for electricity production include, at least, two main systems: the solar field and the power block. Regarding this last one, the particular thermodynamic cycle layout and the working fluid employed, have a decisive influence in the plant performance. In turn, this selection depends on the solar technology employed.

What is the future of solar energy?

Thermoeconomic and thermodynamic data are compiled. Open challenges for the next future are summarized. Among the diverse technologies for producing clean energy through concentrated solar power, central tower plants are believed to be the most promising in the next years.

How does a solar power plant work?

As shown in Figure 1, this power plant consists of a solar field, a power block of two Gas Turbine (GT) units, one steam turbine unit, two HRSG with a simple pressure level, and one Solar Steam Generator (SSG) added to the air cooler system. The supplement of solar thermal energy provides an increase in steam mass flow of the Rankine cycle.

Where are solar power plants located?

According to (SolarPACES, 2021), there are three commercial grid-connected plants, located in Arizona (1 MW e), Morocco (3 MW e), and Denmark of (12 MW e) (Macchi & Astolfi, 2017; Rodríguez et al., 2016).

What is a solar-only alternative to a gas turbine?

However, as the fossil heat source is introduced in the topping gas turbine cycle, the solar-only alternative entails the replacement of the combustion chamber by the solar receiver, and the use of high concentration solar systems, as explained in the previous section.