FUTURE SUSTAINABLE CONCENTRATING SOLAR POWER TECHNOLOGIES: A REVIEW

Concentrating solar thermal power is a renewable energy (RE) technology which
converts solar irradiation into heat energy at high temperature and in a successive step into
electricity. The core part is a number of mirrors which reflects direct normal irradiance (DNI) to a
focal line or point, called a receiver. Temperatures up to 1000 oC can be achieved. These plants
make use of conventional steam cycles, in which hybrid operation with fossil fuels is applicable.
The key advantage of CSP in comparison to other RE technologies is that the need for fossil fuel
can be reduced by over sizing the solar collector field and storing the extra heat. This paper is
directed to provide a comprehensive review of CSP technologies that are sustainable for
applications in MENA region. More focus was directed to the performance data with emphasis on
technologies, economics and costs. A comparative study between different CSP technologies as
well as performance and economics has been done. Finally, some general guidelines are given for
the selection CSP systems and the parameters that are needed to be considered for decision
makers.