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Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and geothermal energy systems are outlined as two of the most promising technologies for sustainable and reliable electricity generation. Several studies in the technical literature have pointed out that the hybridization of solar and geothermal energy sources could lead to a reduction of the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of geothermal systems, as well as improving the capacity factor of CSP systems. However, the technical literature shows that the integration of solar thermal collectors does not present a positive impact in all scenarios analyzed. The present study aims to further analyze the competitiveness of the hybridization of solar and geothermal systems under high irradiation conditions such as those observed in the Andean region in northern Chile. The evaluation was carried out by coupling a thermodynamic model in Engineering Equation Solver (EES) with a solar thermal model in the System Advisor Model (SAM). The assessment considers the configuration of an existing geothermal plant, considering the design constraints associated with the actual operating conditions of the plant. The analysis is based on an energy and exergy assessment, allowing us to identify the efficiency of the subsystems introduced for the hybridization and assess the competitiveness of the hybrid schemes by an economic assessment in terms of the LCOE. The results show that the hybrid schemes allow a reduction of the LCOE of a geothermal stand-alone plant by about 10 USD / MWh , increasing the competitiveness of the geothermal system. However, a large variation on such a reduction is observed depending on the size of the solar field and the storage tank of the solar system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concentrated solar power (CSP) technologies have been developed over the past four decades for commercial operation, establishing them as reliable power generation sources in regions with high direct solar irradiance. The sizing of the solar field, thermal energy storage systems, and power block enables CSP plants to operate under various operating conditions, while also exhibiting capabilities to generate multiple products such as electricity, heat, desalination, and cooling. The limitations of CSP systems can be reduced by utilizing the positive traits of other technologies, thus resulting in hybrid plant configurations that can fully exploit different technology strengths while minimizing their individual weaknesses. This review presents the state of the art on CSP stand‐alone plants for both power generation and combined generation of different products. Subsequently, the characteristics of CSP plants hybridized with photovoltaics, wind, fossil fuels, and biomass systems are discussed for both power multiple‐product generation. The review of assessment methodologies provides suggestions for both assessment and performance analysis and comparison with other generation technologies. This review shows that hybrid CSP plants have clear advantages in terms of cost, flexibility of operation, adaptability, and capability for the multigeneration of different products compared with stand‐alone plants used to generate each product individually. Hybrid CSP plants have advantages and can be designed to satisfy multiple demands on a case‐by‐case basis and are valid alternatives to combinations of stand‐alone plants. This article is categorized under:Concentrating Solar Power > Systems and Infrastructure [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work shows a comparison between the levelized cost and the thermoeconomic methods in their application to assess the performance of a solar polygeneration plant. The aim is to analyze the costs allocation process, the unit specific costs of each product, as well as the energy and exergy efficiencies, which allows to identify the main advantages of both the evaluated methods. The methodology is applied in a case study configured by a concentrated solar power with thermal energy storage and backup system, combined to a multi-effect distillation plant, an absorption refrigeration plant, and a process heat module. The present study reveals that through the levelized cost method, the cost associated to the electricity generation is higher than it is by applying the thermoeconomic method, whereas the costs of water, cooling and process heat are significantly lower. Those differences represent an increase of about 35.1% in the case of the electricity, and a reduction in the cost associated to the water, cooling, and heat production by around 34.4%, 78.1%, and 97.6%, respectively. Results show that the thermoeconomic method is an equitable and rational cost allocation method which is suitable for a solar polygeneration plant. This method is recommended when a more precise analysis is required to assess the proper costs of different products, and for assessing the benefits of a polygeneration plant, when compared to stand-alone plants. However, the levelized cost method is a simple and fast method, and a deep knowledge of thermodynamics is not required, being recommended when in need to perform a first approach of the costs of each product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A thermoeconomic assessment of the joint production of electricity, fresh-water, cooling and heat for a solar polygeneration plant is carried out. The aims are to assess the actual cost of each product, to conduct a sensitivity analysis of investment, fuel cost and demand, and to evaluate the effects of solar field size and the sizing of thermal energy storage, for a polygeneration plant located in an area with high solar irradiation conditions and where there is demand for its production. The solar polygeneration plant is configured by a concentrated solar power (CSP) parabolic trough collector field with thermal energy storage and backup system, multi-effect distillation (MED) module, single-effect absorption refrigeration module, and process heat module. The solar polygeneration plant is simulated in a transient regime, in a representative location with high irradiation conditions, such as in northern Chile. Three configurations are investigated: two polygeneration schemes and one considering stand-alone systems. This study reveals that a solar polygeneration plant is more efficient and cost-effective than stand-alone plants for a zone with high irradiation conditions and proximity to consumption centers, such as mining industries, which require continuous operation and energy supply with fundamentally constant demand. Furthermore, according to northern Chilean market, solar polygeneration configurations are competitive regarding electricity, fresh-water, cooling and heat productions. Additionally, solar polygeneration plants can increase the economic profit by selling carbon credits and credits of renewable-energy quotas based on the Kyoto Protocol and Chilean legislation, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a polygeneration system incorporating concentrating solar power (CSP) integrated with a desalination plant is investigated. Parabolic trough collectors (PTC) and multi-effect distillation (MED) technologies are considered, and a transient system model has been simulated using the TRNSYS software. Two alternative desalination integration options and two potential locations in Venezuela and Chile with electricity and freshwater supply problems were selected and studied. Chile has also set a 20% target for non-conventional renewable energy production by 2025; therefore a polygeneration system coupled with desalinization plant is aligned with the needs of both countries. The results show that the CSP polygeneration plant can provide electricity and freshwater to more than 85,000 inhabitants at a reasonable cost; however the costs and feasibility depend principally on the irradiation, the location of plant with respect to the sea, and the specific conditions of each country. With the projected costs expected to decrease, it could be feasible to develop a CSP polygeneration plant in either country. For the Chilean case, LEC and LWC can be reduced to competitive prices if the initial PTC investment cost could be reduced by 15% for the Chilean case, and by 25% for the Venezuelan case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The progress in solar energy resource assessment for Chile is reported, including measurements from a ground station network spanning more than three years of data, satellite estimations from the recently developed Chile-SR model including three full years of data, and simulations that evaluate the potential for solar thermal, photovoltaics (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) utilization. The satellite estimation model adapts the Brasil-SR methodology with the combined use of visible and infrared (IR) satellite images, an enhanced treatment for altitude-corrected meteorological variables and an effective cloud cover computations that allows the estimation of the global horizontal and diffuse horizontal irradiation on an hourly basis. Direct normal irradiation (DNI) is computed from the direct horizontal irradiation by applying the Boland–Ridley–Laurent (BRL) model of diffuse fraction and proper solar geometry corrections. Comparison of the satellite-derived data with the ground station data shows good agreement and low error levels thus served for model validation. The results indicate that Chile is endowed with one of the highest levels of solar resource in the world in terms of annual irradiation for large portions of its territory. There is a small decrease in yearly levels of GHI and DNI with latitude that in practice indicate that most of the country shares exceptional conditions for solar energy. However, coastal regions have a large decrease in both GHI and DNI due to the persistence of seasonal cloud covers with daily cycles. The use of irradiation data from the Chile-SR model for system simulation indicates that solar fractions over 80% are achievable for residential-sized solar thermal systems in most of the country, with PV systems yielding between 4.5 and 8 kW h/kWpv, and CSP annual yields of up to 240 GW h/year for a 50 MW parabolic trough plant. These results indicate that the country has the potential for ample utilization of solar energy conversion technologies in most of its territory when considering annual GHI and DNI, suitable terrain availability and energy (electricity and heat) demand from industrial, commercial and residential activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The progress from the last four years in solar energy resource assessment for Chile is reported, including measurements from a ground station network spanning from two to three years of data, and satellite estimations from the recently developed Chile-SR model including two full years of data. The model introduces different procedures for the meteorological variables and the effective cloud cover computations that allow estimation of the global horizontal and diffuse irradiation on an hourly basis. Direct normal irradiation is computed by applying proper solar geometry corrections to the direct horizontal irradiation. The satellite estimation model was developed as an adaptation from Brazil-SR model, with an improved formulation for altitude-corrected atmospheric parameters, and a novel formulation for calculating effective cloud covers while at the same time detecting and differentiating it from snow covers and salt lakes. The model is validated by comparison with ground station data. The results indicate that there are high radiation levels throughout the country. In particular, northern Chile is endowed with one of the highest solar resources in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The deployment of renewable energy power plants is a priority of the Chilean government. A mandatory quota system requires that 5% of the electricity generated in the country must come from renewable energy sources, gradually increasing to 10% by 2024. As of 2010, solar energy has received attention only for small-scale future demonstration projects. Concentrated solar power (CSP) plants are an interesting option for the country, especially when considering the high levels of solar radiation and clearness index that are available in northern Chile. Here we present a thermal and economic analysis of CSP plants of the parabolic trough type, comparing five different configurations including thermal energy storage and fossil fuel backup. The electricity yields are obtained from hourly simulations that consider radiation levels, solar field, and power plant characteristics. An economic model that includes the costs of construction, operation and maintenance allows predicting the levelized electricity cost (LEC) as a function of plant configuration and location. The results indicate that the plants can produce dispatchable electricity at a cost that is competitive and inversely proportional to radiation levels. A sensitivity analysis is conducted in order to determine the influence of solar field area and radiation levels, and the optimal plant configuration and solar field area are obtained as a result. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Chilean government has determined that a renewable energy quota of up to 10% of the electrical energy generated must be met by 2024. This plan has already sparked interest in wind, geothermal, hydro and biomass power plants in order to introduce renewable energy systems to the country. Solar energy is being considered only for demonstration, small-scale CSP plants and for domestic water heating applications. This apparent lack of interest in solar energy is partly due to the absence of a valid solar energy database, adequate for energy system simulation and planning activities. One of the available solar radiation databases is 20–40 years old, with measurements taken by pyranographs and Campbell–Stokes devices. A second database from the Chilean Meteorological Service is composed by pyranometer readings, sparsely distributed along the country and available from 1988, with a number of these stations operating intermittently. The Chilean government through its National Energy Commission (CNE) has contracted the formulation of a simulation model and also the deployment of network of measurement stations in northern Chile. Recent efforts by the authors have resulted in a preliminary assessment by satellite image processing. Here, we compare the existing databases of solar radiation in Chile. Monthly mean solar energy maps are created from ground measurements and satellite estimations and compared. It is found that significant deviation exists between sources, and that all ground-station measurements display unknown uncertainty levels, thus highlighting the need for a proper, country-wide long-term resource assessment initiative. However, the solar energy levels throughout the country can be considered as high, and it is thought that they are adequate for energy planning activities – although not yet for proper power plant design and dimensioning. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Solar energy is an economic and clean power source subject to natural variability, while energy storage might attenuate it, ultimately, effective and operationally feasible forecasting techniques for energy management are needed for better grid integration. This work presents a novel deterministic forecast method considering: irradiance pattern classification, Markov chains, fuzzy logic and an operational approach. The method developed was applied in a rolling manner for six years to a target location with no prior data to assess performance and its changes as new local data becomes available. Clearness index, diffuse fraction and irradiance hourly forecasts are analyzed on a yearly basis but also for 20 day types, and compared against smart persistence. Results show the proposed method outperforms smart persistence by ~10% for clearness index and diffuse fraction on the base case, but there are significant differences across the 20 day types analyzed, reaching up to +60% for clear days. Forecast lead time has the greatest impact in forecasting performance, which is important for any practical implementation. Seasonality in data gaps or rejected data can have a definite effect in performance assessment. A novel, comprehensive and detailed analysis framework was shown to present a better assessment of forecasters' performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar eclipses are astronomic phenomena in which the Earth's moon transits between the planet and the Sun, projecting a shadow onto the planet's surface. As solar power installed capacity increases, detailed studies of this region-wide phenomenon's effect in irradiance is of interest; however, the literature mainly reports its effects on localized scales. A measurement campaign spanning over 1400 km was pursued for the 2 July 2019 total solar eclipse in Chile, to register the event and establish a modeling framework to assess solar eclipse effects in irradiance over wide regional scales. This work describes the event and presents an estimation framework to decompose atmospheric and eclipse effects on irradiance. An analytical model was applied to study irradiance attenuation throughout the Chilean mainland territory, using satellite-derived and astronomical data as inputs compared to ground measurements in eight stations. Results showed good agreement between model and observations, with Mean Bias Errors of −0.008 to 0.98 W/m2 for Global Horizontal Irradiance and −0.004 to −4.664 W/m2 for Direct Normal Irradiance, with Normalized Root Mean Squared Errors of 0.7–5.8% and 1.4–12.2%, respectively. Energy losses due to obscuration corresponded between 20–40% for Global Horizontal Irradiance and 25–50% for Direct Normal Irradiance over Chilean territory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water–energy–food nexus has captured the attention of many researchers and policy makers for the potential synergies between those sectors, including the development of self-sustainable solutions for agriculture systems. This paper poses a novel design approach aimed at balancing the trade-off between the computational burden and accuracy of the results. The method is based on the combination of static energy hub models of the system components and rule-based control to simulate the operational costs over a one-year period as well as a global optimization algorithm that provides, from those results, a design that maximizes the solar energy contribution. The presented real-world case study is based on an isolated greenhouse, whose water needs are met due to a desalination facility, both acting as heat consumers, as well as a solar thermal field and a biomass boiler that cover the demand. Considering the Almerian climate and 1 ha of tomato crops with two growing seasons, the optimal design parameters were determined to be (with a solar fraction of 16% and a biomass fraction of 84%): 266 m 2 for the incident area of the solar field, 425 kWh for the thermal storage system, and 4234 kW for the biomass-generated power. The Levelized Cost of Heat (LCOH) values obtained for the solar field and biomass boiler were 0.035 and 0.078 €/kWh, respectively, and the discounted payback period also confirmed the profitability of the plant for fuel prices over 0.05 €/kWh. Thus, the proposed algorithm is useful as an innovative decision-making tool for farmers, for whom the burden of transitioning to sustainable farming systems might increase in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simplified mathematical model of parabolic-trough solar thermal power plants, which allow one to carry out an energetic characterization of the main thermal parameters that influence the solar field performance, was evaluated through a comparison of simulation results. Two geographical locations were selected to evaluate the mathematical model proposed in this work—one in each hemisphere—and design considerations according with the practical/operational experience were taken. Furthermore, independent simulations were performed using the System Advisor Model (SAM) software, their results were compared with those obtained by the simplified model. According with the above, the mathematical model allows one to carry out simulations with a high degree of flexibility and adaptability, in which the equations that allow the plant to be energetically characterized are composed of a series of logical conditions that help identify boundary conditions between dawn and sunset, direct normal irradiance transients, and when the thermal energy storage system must compensate the solar field energy deficits to maintain the full load operation of the plant. Due to the above, the developed model allows one to obtain satisfactory simulation results; referring to the net electric power production, this model provides results in both hemispheres with a relative percentage error in the range of [0.28–8.38%] compared with the results obtained with the SAM, with mean square values of 4.57% and 4.21% for sites 1 and 2, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has caused growing concern in the international community. The Kyoto Protocol was signed by a majority of the world with the clear intention of reducing emissions. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is a part of the Kyoto Protocol and allows industrialized countries to reduce their emission by making contribution to developing countries. In this study, several research papers related to sustainability and multi-criteria analysis of energy projects were reviewed and classified based on their focus, motivation and contribution to achieve a comprehensive summary. Additionally, this paper presents a review of multi criteria decision methods and sustainability indicators under five pillars: technical, economic, social, environmental, and risk. Moreover, sustainability analysis of worldwide CDM concentrated solar power (CSP) projects was performed by using MAUT method. The analysis was repeated based on several scenarios including different criteria and criteria weights. The purpose of this research is proposing a framework and providing an understanding for decision makers to evaluate the sustainability of CDM energy projects. This work can provide perceptions to future installations and further insights for the development of sustainable CDM energy projects around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy has experienced a significant growth on its rate of deployment as a clean and competitive alternative for conventional power sources. The reduction on the installation costs for PV systems has converted this technology into a relevant player regarding the electricity matrix. However, a larger penetration of PV systems is restricted to the availability of affordable technological options for storage. The integration of thermal energy storage to CSP systems is, on the other hand, straightforward through technologies already available in the market. Hence, the hybridization of CSP and PV systems has the potential for reducing operational and installation costs, as well as increasing significantly the capacity factor of solar power plants. The present study describes a methodology for design and sizing such hybrid plants, by implementing a transient simulation model, coupled to an evolutionary optimization algorithm, allowing to address the trade off between costs and capacity factor. The simulation model is applied to a case study considering the characteristics of a location in northern Chile. The results are presented in terms of the Pareto Frontiers that summarizes the compromise between the economic performance and the capacity factor of the plant. It is observed that the capacity factor achieves values higher that 85%, and the LCOE is lower than those observed for stand alone CSP plants. The methodology developed constitutes a useful tool for decision makers, who can assess the performance of the hybrid plant based in a detailed transient simulation and selecting the best configuration according to market constraints or its willingness for achieving certain level of capacity factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electricity systems in Chile are characterized by a variable hourly demand in the central grid and an almost constant demand in the northern grid, which require different operation strategies for solar power plants depending on their location. Hybridizing a CSP plant with a PV system can increase the overall plant capacity factor by allowing thermal energy to be stored while the PV plant is in production and thus help to achieve a fully dispatchable solar electricity production system. A power generation and economic analysis of two hybrid CSP + PV plant models were developed considering a range of plant capacities based on parabolic trough or central receiver plants, combined with a PV system. Environmental conditions were considered for a site in the Atacama Desert, which is a hotspot of solar energy development in the country and shares the solar radiation characteristics of northern Chile. The study conducts a parametric analysis and optimization of the storage and power block sizes for the CSP plants in terms of the levelized cost of energy (LCOE), when the nominal capacity of the PV plant is varied. The annual production of the plants is calculated using the Transient System Simulation program (TRNSYS), which uses a new component library developed for that purpose. From the results of the simulations, the high potential for hybrid CSP + PV plants in the Atacama Desert is clear, because the high levels of irradiation available in northern Chile provide a competitive electricity cost, allowing investors to access PPA contracts at competitive prices and achieving competitive costs with respect to other energy sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study delves into the techno-economic benefits of integrating Proton Exchange Membrane electrolyzers with photovoltaic systems for hydrogen production, with a keen focus on cost optimization strategies. A comprehensive analysis of several system scales and cost scenarios unveils the critical roles of Proton Exchange Membrane stack systems and the Balance of Plant components in influencing capital expenditures. Notably, the research identifies that incorporating the grid via a complementary Power Purchase Agreement, alongside clipped solar energy, innovatively redistributes cost elements. This approach significantly reduces the levelized cost of hydrogen, thereby enabling the feasibility of hydrogen production in regions characterized by low solar radiation at the cost of high grid electricity penetration. Sensitivity to energy costs, accentuated by different integration schemes, highlights the pivotal role of the stack cost and the Balance of Plant cost reductions in achieving economic viability for large-scale deployments. The study underscores the necessity of holistic cost optimization, revealing that strategic grid support coupled with solar energy enhances the techno-economic performance and broadens the scope for renewable hydrogen production in less favorable locales. These insights offer invaluable guidance to stakeholders, advocating for advanced integration strategies that promise both efficiency and financial sustainability in the burgeoning field of renewable hydrogen production systems. • Oversized PV fields for clipping enhance hydrogen production versatility over PPA-powered PEM schemes. • Electricity and stack cost cuts key to LCOH 2 reduction in all scenarios. • LCOH 2 as low as 1.62 USD/kgH 2 achieved with clipped energy use. • Grid and clipped energy integration hit LCOH 2 lows of 1.57 USD/kgH 2 , aiding areas with low solar radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Overheating, high cooling energy demand and glare are recurrent problems in office buildings in Santiago. It is necessary to know the influence of different architectural strategies in energy demands to meet thermal comfort of the users and energy efficiency. Based on dynamic simulations, cooling and heating demand are estimated for an office building located in Santiago. It is shown that the size of envelope''s glazed areas highly influences the energy demand. A totally glazed façade building might reach up to 155kWh/m2 year for total cooling and heating demands. On the other hand, in a building with a window-to-wall ratio (WWR) of 20%, external solar protection and selective glazing, demand might be as low as 25kWh/m2 year. If night ventilation is applied during cooling periods an additional reduction of 37% can be achieved. A WWR of 20% is enough to keep a useful daylight around 80% of the time throughout the year. Main conclusions are: (i) for the climate conditions of Santiago, completely glazed façades are not recommended, even with selective glazing; (ii) night ventilation shows to be highly effective to reduce cooling demand; and (iii) lower WWRs with solar protection can achieve a better daylight performance than larger WWRs due to prevention of glare. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We describe four schemes designed to estimate spectrally resolved direct normal irradiance (DNI) for multi-junction concentrator photovoltaic systems applications. The schemes have increasing levels of complexity in terms of aerosol and circumsolar irradiance (CSI) treatment, ranging from a climatological aerosol classification with no account of CSI, to an approach which includes explicit aerosol typing and type dependent CSI contribution. When tested against ground-based broadband and spectral measurements at five sites spanning a range of aerosol conditions, the most sophisticated scheme yields an average bias of + 0.068 % , well within photometer calibration uncertainties. The average spread of error is 2.5 %. These statistics are markedly better than the climatological approach, which carries an average bias of − 1.76 % and a spread of 4 %. They also improve on an intermediate approach which uses Angström exponents to estimate the spectral variation in aerosol optical depth across the solar energy relevant wavelength domain. This approach results in systematic under and over-estimations of DNI at short and long wavelengths respectively. Incorporating spectral CSI particularly benefits sites which experience a significant amount of coarse aerosol. All approaches we describe use freely available reanalyses and software tools, and can be easily applied to alternative aerosol measurements, including those from satellite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Analysis of solar technologies for supply heat in mining industry in Chile. • TRNSYS simulations for non-concentrating and concentrating collectors. • Performing sensitivity analysis when fuel price, OPEX and collector cost vary. • In terms of cost FPC is the most appropriated technology. • A substantial reduction in CO 2 emissions can be achieved. Copper mining is the largest industry and energy consumer in Chile, utilizing heat from imported fossil fuels of which Chile is not a producer. The goals for decarbonization present opportunities to analyze how the Chilean industry can become sustainable with significant shares of renewable energy including solar heat. The present study analyzes the integration of solar heating to the copper refining process in order to gain insights on the technical, economical, and emissions performance of solar heating systems for the largest copper mining operations in Chile. The solar technologies considered in the analysis are flat plate, evacuated tube, and parabolic trough collectors. The results are validated by comparing with publicly available data from existing solar heating plants in copper mining facilities showing that solar plants are able to supply partially the thermal energy demand, although at different costs in terms of capital and operation and maintenance requirements. The economic analysis indicates that with current fossil fuel prices, solar heating technologies are a valid alternative for cost and emissions reduction in copper mining. Flat plate collectors show the lowest cost for solar heat when compared to evacuated tube and parabolic trough systems considering identical sets of technical and financial parameters. The parametric and sensitivity analysis indicate that the conditions under which solar heating is competitive with traditional fossil-fired heaters. which might still be required as backup systems in order to provide heat in a 24/7 regime, and in all the cases analyzed, a substantial reduction in CO 2 emissions can be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Northern Chile has excellent conditions to develop concentrated solar power projects. Although solar irradiation makes a significant contribution to production in the region, solar thermal projects need some support mechanisms. This study focuses on the best combinations of solar incentives and financial parameters to have lowest government cost and maximum levelized cost of electricity reduction. Key findings of this paper showed that debt fraction and discount rate illustrated meaningful sensitivities on both LCOE and government cost. ITC, PTC, and DM as tax credit and PBI as cash incentives had the best effectiveness, and reduced LCOE better than IBI and STR. The effectiveness of ITC, PTC, PBI, and DM was independent of financial parameters even though STR and IBI showed dependency. Although cash incentives had no limits to reduce LCOE, tax credit incentives reached maximum values, which meant that their impacts were limited. As cash incentives, PBI showed better results when it was compared to IBI. Maximum values of ITC maintained the same for different installed costs, while it changed for PTC. Finally, it was obtained that tax credit incentives were more meaningful at higher PPA price although PBI made more sense in lower PPA prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary goal of this work is to provide an understanding of the state of the art and future prospects for solar PV technology in Chile. Chile is leading the incorporation of this type of energy in Latin America, with a solar PV market that has experienced a dramatic growth in the last years, mainly due to the high solar resource and the favorable conditions of the market to new investors. Main findings of this study are based on the influence of geographical and climate conditions on the Chilean solar resource, the current status of solar PV industry, electric market and further insights to future deployment of PV technology in this country. A literature review about the effect of desert conditions on the performance of PV systems is also presented, including main results of different studies carried out in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, the United States and Chile, as they represent areas where emerging markets of solar PV are growing. Based on the literature review, this work provides some directions to future research in Chile highlighting the main scientific areas which need more extensive R&D efforts to analyze and improve the reliability of PV installations in Chile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration between solar energy and seawater desalination is an interesting option in northern Chile due to a high solar potential in the Atacama Desert, where most of the mining operations are located. This industry is intensive in electricity and water consumption; therefore, there is an ideal market opportunity. The CSP + PV plant has the benefits of reduce costs, increase capacity factor and offer high dispatchability, while the integration of a MED plant presents the advantage of using the waste heat. A CSP + PV + MED plant model was performed in TRNSYS implementing a dispatch strategy that prioritize PV output and minimize the turbine shutdowns. The results show that a CSP + PV + MED plant presents a capacity factor 7.6% lower than CSP + PV plant. Regarding the operation of the turbine and the MED plant, the configurations that maximize the operating hours also maximize the performance at partial load, obtaining different PV capacities for the maximum operation hours of the turbine and MED plant. For the CSP + PV + MED plant, different CSP and PV plant configuration between optimal or suboptimal were found to minimize the LCOE and LWC. Also, the best combination between LCOE and LWC is achieved with a CSP close to optimal configuration and suboptimal PV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A thermodynamic model was developed using Engineering Equation Solver (EES) to evaluate the performance of single and double-flash geothermal power plants assisted by a parabolic trough solar concentrating collector field, considering four different geothermal reservoir conditions. The benefits of delivering solar thermal energy for either the superheating or evaporating processes were analyzed in order to achieve the maximum 2 nd law efficiency for the hybrid schemes and reduce the geothermal resource consumption for a constant power production. The results of the hybrid single-flash demonstrate that the superheating process generates additional 0.23 kWe/kWth, while supplying solar heat to evaporate the geothermal brine only delivers 0.16 kWe/kWth. The double-flash hybrid plant simulation results allow obtaining 0.29 kWe/kWth and 0.17 kW/kWth by integrating solar energy at the superheater and evaporator, respectively. In this context, the hybrid single-flash power plant is able to produce at least 20% additional power output, depending on the characteristics of the geothermal resource. Moreover, all of the cases analyzed herein increased the exergy efficiency of the process by at least 3%. The developed model also allowed assessing the reduction on the consumption of the geothermal fluid from the reservoir when the plant power output stays constant, up to 16% for the hybrid single-flash, and 19% for the hybrid double-flash. Based on the results obtained in this study, the solar-geothermal hybrid scheme increases the power generation compared with geothermal-only power plants, being an attractive solution for improved management of the geothermal reservoir depletion rates. The study shows evidence of existing optimum configurations for the hybrid systems. A relative performance map was developed in order to determine the best operation approaches according to the reservoir conditions and solar field size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance, yearly degradation, and annual yield of photovoltaic systems have been studied in outdoor exposure for two years period 2014–2015 in Santiago, capital of Chile. Photovoltaic panels performance degrades daily in a rate between −0.13% and −0.56% under soiling in highly polluted Santiago, Chile. Yearly degradation of the arrays system was found to be in the order of 1.29% for the polycrystalline array, 1.74% for the monocrystalline array, and 2.77% for the thin film system array. The annual production yield reached 1419–1373 kW h/kWp for Poly, 1459–1444 kW h/kWp for Mono, and 1248–1236 kW h/kWp for TF, in 2014 and 2015, respectively. The annual in-plane irradiation measured reached 1981.3 kW h/m 2 and 1943.2 kW h/m 2 , for 2014 and 2015, respectively. A weather-corrected performance ratio is presented showing a yearly performance ratio of around 75% for all technologies. Monthly cleaning and random rain fall have shown positive effects as primarily solutions. Furthermore, we studied the optimal strategies of cleaning for different energy prices and we defined a critical cleaning period of 45 days for a real case, independent on cleaning cost and energy prices. This work contains novel results for the Chilean capital city and can be applied to future installations in the area and serve as further insights for the development of solar energy in Chile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• PV integration increases the electric output but can benefit or hinder the water production. • The PV plant integration allows to decrease the TCE and TCW. • A pareto frontier between the TCE and TCW was obtained. • In the Pareto frontier, the PV size has a trade-off with the CSP and MED size. A detailed annual performance and thermoeconomic analysis of a Concentrated Solar Power plant coupled to a Photovoltaic and a Multi-Effect Distillation plants (CSP + PV + MED) were performed using an extensive methodology based on an hourly simulation. The aim was to assess the impact of the PV integration into the CSP + PV plant and to evaluate the sizing of the plant in terms of the design parameters (PV plant size, solar multiple, Thermal Energy Storage capacity, and numbers of MED units) that allow achieving the lowest thermoeconomic electric and water costs (TCE and TCW). Results show that PV integration mainly increases the electric output but could increase the water production depending on the PV and CSP plants' sizes. Moreover, the PV plant cost is mainly allocated to electricity, decreasing the TCE, while on the TCW it has a moderate impact. Finally, it was found that the PV plant and the CSP plant size has contradictory roles between the costs, where the minimum TCE is obtained for large PV plant with an undersized CSP plant and one MED unit, and the minimum TCW is obtained for small PV plant with an oversized CSP plant and a large MED plant (5 units). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-junction solar cells in concentrator photovoltaic systems (CPV) offer the potential for highly efficient, low-cost electricity generation. However, these systems are typically designed and rated against reference spectra or for standard atmospheric conditions which are often not representative of the real deployment environments. Indeed, it has been shown that the use of unrealistic spectra can impact annual energy yield estimations by up to 75%. Hence there is a need to routinely generate spectrally resolved direct normal irradiance (DNI) estimates that are based on real observations so that CPV systems can be optimised appropriately for different locations.Here we will first present an automated scheme to estimate spectrally resolved DNI based on the integrated use of a radiative transfer model, AERONET ground-based observations and analyses from the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (ECMWF CAMS). Our approach takes particular care to account for aerosol effects, circumsolar irradiance and other relevant atmospheric parameters. The results are tested against ground-based observations from Santiago, Chile, and has shown that broadband DNI can be simulated with an average bias of less than 2%. We will then present our preliminary work on integrating the above spectrally resolved DNI estimation scheme with satellite retrieved aerosol optical depths from the Oxford-RAL Aerosol and Cloud (ORAC) retrieval scheme using (A)ATSR / SLSTR observations, and Solcore, a semiconductor solver for CPV power output estimations. This will enable a global, long-term assessment of CPV solar energy generation, and even the possibility of near-real-time power estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]