Solar thermal energy (STE) is a form of energy and a technology for harnessing solar energy to generate thermal energy for use in industry, and in the residential and commercial sectors.
What is solar thermal power generation?
Harnessing solar energy for electric power generation is one of the growing technologies which provide a sustainable solution to the severe environmental issues such as climate change, global warming, and pollution. This chapter deals with the solar thermal power generation based on the line and point focussing solar concentrators.
How do solar thermal power plants work?
Solar thermal power plants are composed of three processes: collection and conversion of solar radiation into heat, conversion of heat to electricity, and thermal energy storage to mitigate the transient effects of solar radiation on the performance of the system.
How do solar thermal technologies produce electricity?
This high temperature is achieved by concentrating solar radiation on the receiver, and these technologies are known as concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies. Hence, the electricity generation by solar thermal technologies involves the collection and concentration of solar radiation in the form of heat and its conversion into electricity.
How can solar thermal components reduce the cost of electricity generation?
Advancements in the design of the solar thermal components improve the performance and consequently reduce the cost of electricity generation. This chapter discusses all the available CSP technologies and highlights the various design and operational parameters on which the overall efficiency of the solar power plants depends.
Which thermodynamic cycle is used for solar thermal power generation?
Rankine, Brayton, and Stirling cycle are commonly used thermodynamic cycles for solar thermal power generation. The integration of thermal energy storage and hybridization of solar thermal energy systems with conventional power generation systems improves the performance and dispatchability of the solar thermal systems.
How to compare the different solar thermal power generation systems?
To compare the different solar thermal power generation systems, some key characteristics/parameters are important to analyze the performance of the power generation system. Some of those parameters are discussed as follows: Aperture is the plane of entrance for the solar radiation incident on the concentrator.