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Introduction to Solar Energy Conversion
Published in D. Yogi Goswami, Principles of Solar Engineering, 2023
Solar thermal power using concentrating solar collectors was the first solar technology that demonstrated its grid power potential. A 354 MWe concentrating solar thermal power (CSP, also known as CST to emphasize “thermal power”) plant has been operating continuously in California since 1988. Progress in solar thermal power stalled after that time because of poor policy and lack of research and development (R&D). However, since 2011, CST has been growing at an average annual rate of over 15%. The largest CST plant with a capacity of 400 MW came on line in Nevada in February 2014. The cost of power from these plants (which is so far in the range of 12–16 US cents/kWhe) has the potential to go down to 5 US cents/kWhe with the development of supercritical CO2 thermodynamic cycle, scale-up and creation of a mass market. An advantage of solar thermal power is that thermal energy can be stored efficiently and cost effectively, and fuels such as natural gas or biogas may be used as backup to ensure continuous operation.
Green Technology Products for Sustainable Development
Published in Miguel A. Esteso, Ana Cristina Faria Ribeiro, A. K. Haghi, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering for Sustainable Development, 2020
The sun plays a vital role in life on earth. With the solar energy received on earth being plentiful, totally renewable, and directly or indirectly being the origin of all energy sources, the potential of the sun’s energy to satisfy all our energy needs is immense. Humans have been tinkering with this idea since the dawn of time. They have admired the sun and frequently personified and worshipped it as a deity, and many cultures still continue to do so. Apart from the metaphysical approach, the sun’s energy found many practical applications. Solar energy technologies are basically of two types: solar thermal technologies and photovoltaic (PV) technologies. Solar thermal technologies use solar energy to generate heat, and then if needed, electricity is generated from that. PV technologies generate electricity directly from solar energy (Table 3.5).
Low-energy approaches for the thermal control of buildings
Published in Paul Tymkow, Savvas Tassou, Maria Kolokotroni, Hussam Jouhara, Building Services Design for Energy-Efficient Buildings, 2020
Paul Tymkow, Savvas Tassou, Maria Kolokotroni, Hussam Jouhara
Investment costs of solar thermal systems consist of the cost of hardware (collector, tank, piping and, where appropriate, the control unit and pump) and the cost of installation. Solar thermal systems are sold in a wide range of sizes and applications, and the cost of the hardware therefore varies substantially. This also depends on quality criteria. The cost of installation also varies depending very much on the timing; it is much cheaper to install a solar thermal system during the construction or refurbishment of a building than at a later time. For small systems, installation typically accounts for 20–30% of the total investment costs. The system price for large collector fields (thousands of square meters), as used for industrial-process heat or district heating, is approximately £175/m2. The initial investment constitutes by far the largest part of heat production costs. Modern, good-quality solar thermal systems have a lifetime of 20–25 years with very low maintenance requirements. As with investment costs, the final heat production costs vary greatly depending on the type and size of the system, the location, the timing of the installation and several other factors.
A detailed review on solar parabolic trough collector
Published in International Journal of Ambient Energy, 2022
Bhargav H. Upadhyay, Amitkumar J. Patel, P. V. Ramana
Solar energy is a clean, green and freely available energy source across the globe. At present, solar energy is being harvested mainly by two methods: solar PV and solar thermal. The solar thermal method can harness energy using a range of technologies such as concentrated solar power systems (CSP), flat plate collector, and evacuated tube collectors. CSP systems can further be classified into Scheffler collector, linear Fresnel collector, solar tower, parabolic dish concentrator, compound parabolic collector, and parabolic trough collector.
The development and utilization of microgrid technologies in China
Published in Energy Sources, Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects, 2019
Solar thermal energy is a form of energy and a technology for harnessing solar energy to generate thermal energy or electrical energy for use in industry, and in the residential and commercial sectors. The best known in a residential setting is domestic hot water, which can convert sunlight into renewable energy for water heating using a solar thermal collector.