George Kourtis

Parametric assessment of concentrated photovoltaic parks for the Mediterranean region

Solar electricity produced by concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar cells is an alternative renewable energy technology for sustainably providing the worlds future energy requirements. Although the technology is relatively recent, it could potentially become viable in regions with high direct irradiance levels, such as the Mediterranean region. The main objective of this feasibility study is to investigate whether the installation of CPV parks in the Mediterranean region is economically feasible. The study takes as an example the available solar potential of the island of Cyprus as well as all available data concerning the current renewable energy sources policy of the island. In order to identify the least cost-feasible option for the installation of 1 MW CPV park, a parametric cost–benefit analysis is carried out by varying the CPV park capital investment, the discount rate and the CO2 emission trading scheme price. The results indicate that in the case where no feed-in tariff scheme is available, the capital expenditure of the CPV park is a critical parameter for the financial viability of the project.

Comparative Assessment of an Innovative Dry-Cooled CSP System

A comparative optimization assessment is carried out in order to identify the competitiveness of an innovative modular air-cooled condenser (MACC) system in relation to conventional water- or air-cooled condensers. Specifically, the technoeconomic performance of the combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) technology, the parabolic trough concentrated solar power (CSP) technology, and the solar tower CSP technology are compared when all are integrated (a) with a MACC condenser of an optimum tube geometry and size, (b) with a conventional water-cooled condenser, and (c) with a conventional dry-cooled condenser. The comparison is performed across three different solar potential levels. The simulations are carried out using an optimization model based on the IPP v2.1 algorithm for the calculation of the electricity unit cost and other financial indicators of each technology under investigation. The results demonstrate that, under certain parameters, the investigated MACC condenser system can become a cost-competitive alternative to water- or dry-cooled condensers in various solar potential environments.

Upscaling of an Innovative Cogeneration CSP System

An upscaling of an innovative concentrated solar power (CSP) technology for the cogeneration of electricity and desalinated water (CSP-DSW) to be integrated into the Cyprus power generation system is carried out. Further, a comparative study of the competitiveness of the CSP-DSW technology with the integration of natural gas combined cycle (CCGT) technology is carried out. For the simulations, the IPP v2.1 software is used for calculating the optimum cost of electricity produced from both conventional and CSP-DSW technologies. The results indicate that for high capacity factor levels, the CSP-DSW technology scenarios are more cost effective than the CCGT technology (base case natural gas technology price projection scenario) and become even more cost effective at very high capacity factor levels than the CCGT technology (low natural gas technology price projection scenario).