Methodology of technico-economical performances evaluation of concentrating solar power (CSP) plants for trigeneration

ABSTRACT

Challenges to the concept of concentrating solar power (CSP) plants come from two main causes: the fact that they are composed of several complex and interconnected components, and that they depend on a highly unpredictable source. In this article, we present an idea concerning the most important steps of the methodology of conception and/or performances evaluation of a CSP plant. The conception is set by the constraints imposed by the choice of the technologies to implement and the characteristics of the location. A key step of the conception methodology is the choice of the location and the evaluation of the solar resource and meteorological data. The objective function of a power plant conception is to minimize the cost of a produced power unit (water, electricity, etc.). It is about finding a way to have the best compromise between cost and performance factors. In this article, we present a methodology to design and optimize a CSP plant for trigeneration. In fact, it describes technical and management steps to follow in order to produce three power types based on renewable energy and for the best price.

KEYWORDS:

• CSP
• methodology
• technico-economic
• trigeneration