\[For test submission\]

Concentrating solar power (CSP) and geothermal power are two renewable ways of generating electricity, but both experience weaknesses that prevent them from being economically competitive electricity sources compared to fossil-fuel power plants. Because CSP plants depend on the sun for their fuel source, these plants operate intermittently, and reach full operating capacity at times when the sunlight is the strongest and electricity demand is lowest. Although geothermal power plants act as baseload plants, they experience low efficiencies at high ambient temperatures, which often coincide with times of the year when electricity demand is the highest. The operating strengths of geothermal power coincide well with CSP weaknesses, and vice-versa, creating an opportunity for synergistic hybridization. For my project, I used the modeling software MATLAB to run a parametric analysis on a proposed hybrid power plant design to determine how the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) changes with different plant parameters, such as solar collector cost, powerblock cost, storage size, and plant efficiency. From this parametric analysis, I determined which combination of parameters results in the lowest LCOE. This hybrid power plant can compete with fossil-fuel power plants both in power output and cost. With an optimized configuration, the hybrid plant can provide a base load, flexible, efficient renewable electricity source that can meet fluctuating electricity market demands at a competitive price. 

 

Concentrating solar power (CSP) and geothermal power are two renewable ways of generating electricity, but both experience weaknesses that prevent them from being economically competitive electricity sources compared to fossil-fuel power plants. Because CSP plants depend on the sun for their fuel source, these plants operate intermittently, and reach full operating capacity at times when the sunlight is the strongest and electricity demand is lowest. Although geothermal power plants act as baseload plants, they experience low efficiencies at high ambient temperatures, which often coincide with times of the year when electricity demand is the highest. The operating strengths of geothermal power coincide well with CSP weaknesses, and vice-versa, creating an opportunity for synergistic hybridization. For my project, I used the modeling software MATLAB to run a parametric analysis on a proposed hybrid power plant design to determine how the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) changes with different plant parameters, such as solar collector cost, powerblock cost, storage size, and plant efficiency. From this parametric analysis, I determined which combination of parameters results in the lowest LCOE. This hybrid power plant can compete with fossil-fuel power plants both in power output and cost. With an optimized configuration, the hybrid plant can provide a base load, flexible, efficient renewable electricity source that can meet fluctuating electricity market demands at a competitive price. 


An Overview of Geothermal/solar Hybridization for Power Generation.

Division / Sponsor:
Advanced Energy Systems Division (AESD) & Solar Energy Division (SED)

Paper Proceedings: https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/ES/ES2020/volume/83631

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