Small Scale Hybrid Solar Power Plants for Polygeneration in Rural Areas

Small scale micro gas-turbine based hybrid solar power plants are a promising technology for supplying multiple energy services in a controllable and sustainable manner using polygeneration technologies. Compared to a conventional diesel generator based system where electricity is used as the main energy carrier, these systems show great potential to reduce costs and carbon dioxide emissions. Depending on the design, carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by around 9% and equivalent annual costs are reduced by 21% - 26%, as compared to a base polygeneration configuration where cooling services are provided centrally by an absorption chiller without integrating a solar micro gas-turbine. Compared to the system where electricity is used as the main energy carrier a reduction of equivalent annual costs of up to 20% and a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions of up to 33.5% was achieved. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.