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.

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.

What is solar thermal energy?

Solar thermal energy accounts for one of the major forms of renewable energy utilization. The mayor aplications of it are heating swiming pools, heating water for domestic use and space heating of building.

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.

When was solar thermal technology invented?

The power generation for commercial applications using solar thermal technologies was started in 1985. In the present scenario, solar thermal technologies are getting more attention among other renewable energy technologies as it has high reliability and dispatchability because of its low-cost storage capability.