Webinar Renewable Energy Session 5 - Solar Thermal Power

1© 2010 Macademia

Session # 5 – November 11, 2010

TODAY’S TOPIC:

Solar Thermal Power

Concept and Contents Copyright Macademia 2010; Copyright on pictures as indicated; no unauthorized use or publication

Picture Copyright to Nur Energie., no further use allowed without permission

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Where are we now?

Kick-Off Wind Solar PV Funding Solar Thermal

SHP & other Renewables


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What we will cover

• The basics to Solar Thermal Power• Early installations and current projects• Examples from practice – the expert interview• Your views and questions


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Your visiting scholar today:

Dr. Till Stenzel, Nur Energie, Great Britain


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• A Brief History of Solar Thermal• Which technologies are on the market?• Which regions are most suitable to Solar Thermal?

11 The Basics to Solar Thermal

Our Schedule for Today


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• Efficiency• Hybrid Applications• Storage• Costs

212 Big topics in Solar Thermal



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• Current projects by Nur Energie in Northern Africa• Major aspects of these projects; critical issues• Interview with Dr. Till Stenzel• Questions by participants

3 Examples from practice



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A Country

Before we start…

B Data

C Business

• Have you visited the forum?


• Information from your country; on national

approaches, Renewables investments,…

• Statistics on Renewables, Analyses, Reports

• Try to find partners worldwide

• Get advice on projects, jobs, et cetera

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• The basic difference to PV• High direct normal insolation

• Sunlight being concentrated to produce heat

• Direct steam generation or fluid with heat exchanger

• Turbine driving a generator to produce electicity

11 The Basics to Solar Thermal


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• Rooted in France in the 1860s: solar-powered steam engine

• 45 kW trough plant in Egypt in the early 1900s

• Energy crises of 1970s spurred commercial development

• Development of Power Towers in the 1980s

11 A Brief History


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11 The Main Technologies


• Large variety of versions available

• Key difference: stand-alone or grid-connected stations

• Fossil hybrid and thermal storage versions

• Most common versions:

- Solar Dish

- Trough

- Power Tower

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• Efficiency

- Theoretically: Tower and Dish systems superior to Trough

- Solar-to-electric efficiency with contrast between laboratory and

marketplace

- Stirling Dish engine with record efficiency

- Recent takeover by Power Tower generation under development

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• Hybrid applications

- Advantage e.g. over Wind and PV: Thermal nature of the

generation process

- Hybrid versions to draw upon same turbine / generator system

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• Storage

- Availability on demand without hybridisation

- Cost advantage possible with efficient storage system

- The molten salt technology and its implications for the most

efficient systems

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• Costs

- Relatively high operating expenditures

- Locations crucial – particular with high direct insolation

- Esp. from 1500 kWh / year onwards

- Arid or Semi-arid regions; ≠ tropics

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13 Major aspects in these projects

• Location is key

• Funding / Financing approach

• Technological Expertise


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• Discussion with Dr. Till Stenzel, Nur Energie

3213 Interview with our expert


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• Continue the discussion in the forum

• Have you been in contact with Solar Thermal projects?

• Share your experience and opinion on this technology.

• What do you think of DeserTec and similar initiatives?

...and for next week, please:


19© 2010 Macademia

Your visiting scholar next week:

Nico Köllner E.ON Climate & Renewables


Technology

Webinar Renewable Energy Session 5 - Solar Thermal Power