Advanced hybrid solar tower combined-cycle power plants

Hybrid solar gas-turbine technology is a promising alternative to conventional solar thermal power plants. In order to increase the economic viability of the technology, advanced power plant concepts can be envisioned, with the integration of thermal energy storage and combined-cycle power blocks. In order to pinpoint the most promising configurations, multi-objective optimization has been used to identify Pareto-optimal designs and highlight the trade-offs between minimizing investment costs and minimizing specific CO2 emissions. Advanced solar hybrid combined-cycle power plants provide a 60% reduction in electricity costs compared to parabolic trough power plants. Furthermore, a 22% reduction in costs and a 32% reduction in CO2 emissions are achieved relative to a combination of parabolic trough and combined-cycle power plants. (C) 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.