Solar Thermal Systems: Utilizing the sun''s energy, solar thermal systems generate heat that can be utilized for a number of things, including the production of electricity. How it Works: Mirrors or lenses focus sunlight to generate heat,
Solar thermal power plants have enormous potential to be integrated with the existing conventional power plants. The integration of CSP systems with conventional power plants increases the efficiency, reduces the overall cost, and increases the dispatchability and reliability of the solar power generation system.
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.
In the case of solar thermal systems, a study by Boukelia et al. investigated the integration of thermal storage with a solar thermal power plant.
Solar thermal power plants are not an innovation of the last few years. Records of their use date as far back as 1878, when a small solar power plant made up of a parabolic dish concentrator connected to an engine was exhibited at the World's Fair in Paris . In 1913, the first parabolic trough solar thermal power plant was implemented in Egypt.
In addition, a comparison is made between solar thermal power plants and PV power generation plants. Based on published studies, PV-based systems are more suitable for small-scale power generation. They are also capable of generating more electricity in a specific area in comparison with CSP-based systems.
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.
