A mutually beneficial system incorporating parabolic trough concentrating solar power system with photovoltaics : a comprehensive techno-economic analysis

Abstract

The parabolic trough collector is widely recognized as the leading and mature technology for concentrated solar thermal applications, allowing for the generation of high-temperature thermal energy. However, the parabolic trough collector still faces challenges in achieving high solar-thermal efficiency due to significant radiation heat loss incurred, particularly under high operating temperatures. To address this issue and maximize the capture of solar irradiation, a novel parabolic trough collector system integrated with photovoltaic cells and a high-reflective coating was proposed. The proposed novel systems in different configurations were manufactured and tested in the indoor solar simulator laboratory to assess their feasibility and performance. Additionally, a comprehensive mathematical model regarding the novel system was developed and validated by the experiments. This study then involved assessing the potential application of the novel parabolic trough collector system in a concentrated solar power plant. And the overall techno-economic performance of the novel power plant was analyzed and evaluated for three typical areas across the globe. The results showed that the novel configurations of photovoltaic cells and high-reflective coating in the proposed system exert excellent roles in significantly improving the efficiency of the solar irradiance utilization and reducing the radiation heat loss. Compared to the prototype power plant, the proposed power plant with the novel system possessed superior techno-economic performance, including a significant improvement of 10.1% in annual power output, a noteworthy reduction of 87.0% in electricity consumption for annual freeze protection, and an effective reduction of 6.9% in levelized cost of electricity.