Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Concentrated Solar Power In India:Current Status, Challenges and Future Outlook


Affiliations
1 Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy, Bengaluru 560 094, India
 

India is blessed with good solar resources and many regions of the country receive above-average sunshine compared to other regions of the world. The primary technology used for harnessing and converting solar energy into electrical energy in India is based on photovoltaic (PV) cells. Concentrated solar power (CSP) has hardly contributed to the overall installed solar power capacity in the country. In this article, some of the challenges that have inhibited the growth of CSP are identified and possible solutions suggested. The critical challenges for CSP are related to the lack of reliable direct normal irradiance database, indigenous manufacturing and competition from PV. The results of a case study carried out to assess the impact of indigenous manufacturing and economies of scale on capital costs and levelized cost of electricity are presented. This study shows that even with indigenous manufacturing and considering economies of scale, the capital cost per MW (Megawatt) of installed capacity is higher than the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission benchmark costs. To initiate larger adoption of CSP in India, we may have to consider alternative configurations, such as coupling desalination or thermal cooling systems to a CSP power plant. The merits of such configurations, called poly-generation plants, are presented for the Indian scenario.

Keywords

Concentrated Solar Power, Levelized Cost of Electricity and Poly-Generation, Photovoltaic Cells.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • NASA, Global Climate Change Website, 2016; https://climate.nasa.gov/causes/

  • International Energy Agency (IEA), World Energy Outlook – 2014, 2014; http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/ publication/world-energy-outlook-2014.html

  • Photovoltaics Report, Fraunhofer ISE, Germany, 2016; https://www.ise.fraunhofer.de/content/dam/ise/de/documents/publications/studies/Photovoltaics-Report.pdf.

  • NREL Website, Cell Efficiencies Chart, NREL, 2016; https://www.nrel.gov/pv/assets/images/efficiency-chart.png

  • Mueller, A., Orosz, M., Narasimhan, A., Kamal, R., Hemond, H. and Goswami, Y., Evolution and feasibility of decentralized concentrating solar thermal power systems for modern energy access in rural areas. MRS Energy Sustain.: Rev. J., 2016, 3.

  • NREL, Concentrating solar power projects database, 2016; http://www.nrel.gov/csp/solarpaces

  • Wu, S. Y., Xiao, L., Cao, Y. and Li, Y. R., Convection heat loss from cavity receiver in parabolic dish solar thermal power system: a review. Solar Energy, 2010, 84, 1342–1355.

  • Lovegrove, K., Burgess, G. and Pye, J., A new 500 m2 paraboloidal dish solar concentrator. Solar Energy, 2011, 85, 620–626.

  • Sharma, V., Nayak, J. K. and Kedare, S. B., Effects of shading and blocking in linear Fresnel reflector field. Solar Energy, 2015, 113, 114–138.

  • Sukhatme, S. P. and Nayak, J. K., Solar Energy, Tata McGraw Hill, 2008, 3rd edn.

  • Archimede Solar Energy, Receiver tube HCEMS-11 data sheet, 2013; http://www.archimedesolarenergy.it/en_specifiche-prodottohcems11.htm

  • Bijarniya, J. P., Sudhakar, K. and Baredar, P., Concentrated solar power technology in India: a review. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev., 2016, 63, 593–603.

  • Dugaria, S., Padovan, A., Sabatelli, V. and Del Col, D., Assessment of estimation methods of DNI resource in solar concentrating systems. Solar Energy, 2015, 121, 103–115.

  • http://www.nrel.gov/international/images/india_dni_annual.jpg

  • IEA, Technology roadmap solar thermal electricity, 2014; http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1007/SpringerReference_7300

  • Energy Sector Management Assistance Program and World Bank, Development of local supply chain: the missing link for concentrated solar power project in India, New Delhi, 2013.

  • Kulichenko, N. and Kannan, A., The missing link for concentrated solar power projects in India, World Bank Report, 2013; http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/758361468041467642/The-missing-link-for-concentrated-solar-power-projects-in-India

  • Orosz, M., Photovoltaics and concentrating solar power: why hybridization makes sense, SPIE Newsroom, 2015, pp. 1–4.

  • Ramaswamy, M. A. et al., Engineering economic policy assessment of concentrated solar thermal power technologies for India, CSTEP Report, 2012.

  • Chandra, B., Kumarankandath, A. and Goswami, N., The state of concentrated solar power in India: a roadmap to developing solar thermal technologies in India. Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, 2015.

  • Central Electricity Regulatory Commission, Benchmark capital cost for solar PV and thermal power projects, 2016. http://www.cercind.gov.in/2016/orders/SO17.pdf

  • Suresh, N. S., Thirumalai, N. C., Rao, B. S. and Ramaswamy, M. A., Methodology for sizing the solar field for parabolic trough technology with thermal storage and hybridization. Solar Energy, 2014, 110, 247–259.

  • Sahoo, U., Kumar, R., Pant, P. C. and Chaudhury, R., Scope and sustainability of hybrid solar-biomass power plant with cooling, desalination in polygeneration process in India. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev., 2015, 51, 304–316.

  • Concentrating solar power, SBC Energy Institute, Germany, 2017; http://www.sbcenergyinstitute.com/Publications/SolarPower.html


Abstract Views: 445

PDF Views: 108




  • Concentrated Solar Power In India:Current Status, Challenges and Future Outlook

Abstract Views: 445  |  PDF Views: 108

Authors

Suhas Bannur
Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy, Bengaluru 560 094, India

Abstract


India is blessed with good solar resources and many regions of the country receive above-average sunshine compared to other regions of the world. The primary technology used for harnessing and converting solar energy into electrical energy in India is based on photovoltaic (PV) cells. Concentrated solar power (CSP) has hardly contributed to the overall installed solar power capacity in the country. In this article, some of the challenges that have inhibited the growth of CSP are identified and possible solutions suggested. The critical challenges for CSP are related to the lack of reliable direct normal irradiance database, indigenous manufacturing and competition from PV. The results of a case study carried out to assess the impact of indigenous manufacturing and economies of scale on capital costs and levelized cost of electricity are presented. This study shows that even with indigenous manufacturing and considering economies of scale, the capital cost per MW (Megawatt) of installed capacity is higher than the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission benchmark costs. To initiate larger adoption of CSP in India, we may have to consider alternative configurations, such as coupling desalination or thermal cooling systems to a CSP power plant. The merits of such configurations, called poly-generation plants, are presented for the Indian scenario.

Keywords


Concentrated Solar Power, Levelized Cost of Electricity and Poly-Generation, Photovoltaic Cells.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv115%2Fi2%2F222-227