3/31/2008

Potentials of Solar Thermal for Electricity use in Pakistan

Prof. Dr. Azzam ul Asar Engr. Rehan Ahmad Enr. Farah Mahmood NWFP University of Engineering & Technology Peshawar, Pakistan.

Overview
?Solar Technologies ?Solar Thermal

for Electricity ?Photovoltaic versus Solar Thermal ?Solar Thermal Prospects ?Prospects of Solar Thermal for Electricity Use in Pakistan ?Improvements and Future Projections ?Conclusion

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Solar Technologies
? All solar technologies make use of sunlight ? They differ in the ways they capture and

use solar energy to produce heat or electricity. ? Variations of the annual solar irradiation depends on
? the site ? annual efficiency, ? specific output and ? electricity generation cost.

? Converts

sunlight into two major technologies

? Concentrating solar thermal power and ? photovoltaic

operational areas for solar thermal and photovoltaic systems depending on the installed capacity and the annual global solar irradiation

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Solar Thermal
? Solar

thermal power is one of the most promising ways to provide renewable energy that can compete with conventional power plants. ? There are three main CSP systems: ? Parabolic trough, Solar tower and the Solar dish

Solar Thermal
?Trough

technology:

? the most advanced one ? low technical and financial risk ? received great attention over the years. ? simplest of the previous technologies ? lowest efficiency ? favourable economic factors

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Solar Thermal
? Tower technology

? successfully demonstrated with a conceptual and a pilot plant. ? needs to proceed from demonstration to commercial development. ? economic performance lies between dishes and troughs ? carries the best prospects for future economic success ? best prospects for off-grid operation, ? Provides highest temperatures ? highest efficiency.

? Dish

technology

Solar Thermal
? Concentration Solar Power (CSP)

? Reflective Devices -----> concentrated suns energy ------> Heat transfer medium ------> conventional turbine + generator to produce electricity ? Low environmental degradation ? Produces both heat and electricity ? can be useful in some industrial applications. ? closely resembles the current power plants ? most of the equipment employed in conventional power plants can also be used for CSP plants. ? can easily be integrated into the already existing electrical utility grid. ? requires short time required for the plant construction.

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Stirling Engine
? The

Stirling Engine has been in existence for many years, spread over two centuries. ? The Stirling engine converts heat to mechanical power that is, by compressing a working fluid when it is cold, heating the compressed working fluid, and then expanding it with a power piston to produce work. ? The Stirling engine works on a closed cycle with a gaseous working fluid

COUNTRY
Algeria ? Australia ? Brazil
? ? ? ? ?

CAPACITY MW
130 100 100 130 50 130 130 200 100 130 300 150 100 200

(2010)

Egypt Greece

India Iran ? Israel

? ? ? ?

Italy Jordan

Mexico Morocco ? Namibia

? ? ? ?

South Africa 100 Spain United States 200 Total 2.250

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Photovoltaic versus Solar Thermal

? Research into photovoltaics has been

focused on improving efficiency because there has been no significant decrease in the inherent cost of silicon wafer area. ? PV systems may require additional cooling for protection in hot regions. ? In contrast, solar thermal collectors are primarily comprised of metal formed into simple shapes and coated with appropriate films to reduce optical and thermal losses.

Solar Thermal Prospects

? We

can work for a promising case for the use of distributed solar-thermal-electric generation, based on Stirling engine technology in conjunction with an improved low cost design of thermal collectors. ? Solar electric technologies should be judged by output power per dollar rather than by efficiency or other technical merits. ? The proposed strategy deals with solar-thermalelectric system to be designed for fabrication out of low cost materials. ? Estimated cost per KW can be made attractive with predicted modest efficiencies as compared to conventional PV technology

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Why Solar Thermal?

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Solar Thermal Vs Photovoltaic

(contd..)

For areas lying near the equator, solar thermal power plant are economically more suitable than PV system up to 45 degrees latitude. Beyond this, PV system are economical.

Prospects of Solar Thermal for Electricity Generation in Pakistan

? Solar electric energy systems have yet to

be exploited in Pakistan on a widespread basis. ? This technology can be made affordable that would lead to widespread deployment at residential and commercial sites. ? This presentation highlights the potentials of low-cost solar thermal electricity generation technology, suitable for distributed deployment.

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Prospects of Solar Thermal for Electricity Generation in Pakistan

? No

shortage of incident solar energy in Pakistan, ? capital cost of the solar-electric system is most precious. ? A strategy can be devised for Pakistan to exploit solar resources in a cost constrained manner. ? Together with promoting local R&D work and using our indigenous resources in terms of HR resource and low cost material, we can make this technology work for Pakistan. ? There are vast untapped sitting opportunities exist in our Country that can certainly focus this target. ? Only low-cost materials and manufacturing methods are required to realize a solar Thermal Electric System.

Prospects of Solar Energy in Pakistan

?Excellent ?High

potential for Pakistan

levels of solar radiations throughout the year on average 19 megajoules of solar energy per square meter

?Receives

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Prospects of Solar Energy in Pakistan

?Average

daily insolation rate 5.3 kWh/m shines for 3000 hrs per annum in south-western province of Balochistan receives 2,142 kWh of solar irradiation/m/year

?Sun

?Jacobabad

Prospects of Solar Energy in Pakistan

(contd..)

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Prospects of Solar Thermal for Electricity Generation in Pakistan

?Use

of 1% surface area of Sahara for solar power plants would be sufficient to meet the entire global electricity demand thermal power plants apart from photovoltaic, offer the opportunity to produce solar electricity in the tropics at low cost

?Solar

Improvements and Future Projections

? Use of high transmission covers and

selective absorber materials to reduce optical and thermal losses. ? Use of non-imaging CPC (compound parabolic concentrator) reflectors to improve collector performance:
? It absorbs wide angles of irradiation ? needs no diurnal tracking system and seasonal adjustments ? results cost reduction and more reliability. ? limited overall system efficiency compensated by lower cost of materials and maintenance.

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Improvements and Future Projections

?Materials

like fiberglass, aluminum sheets and iron glazing can reduce the cost of the collector ?Large scale manufacturing of collectors and stirling engine machines can significantly reduce the cost of the system.

Dish Designs
?Southern

California Edison 500MW announced ?San Diego Gas & Electric 300 and 900 MW planned
?

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Improvements and Future Projections

?Non-imaging

solar concentrators in conjunction with a free piston Stirling engine is a cost-effective solution for distributed solar power generation. ?A lower cost of system (cost/watt) makes it a better choice with even lower efficiencies by working at lower temperatures (125 to 150 C).

Improvements and Future Projections ? Losses in Stirling engine due to heat

exchangers, fluid flow, mechanical friction etc. can be eliminated by replacing moving pistons by diaphragms ? Same diameter heat exchangers can reduce losses due to sudden expansion and contraction. ? Helium as a working fluid can increase the output power of stirling engine. ? increasing the working fluid pressure can further increase the output power.

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Conclusion
? Pakistan

lies in an area of one of the highest solar incidence in the world. ? Its geographical location presents excellent conditions for deployment of small and large scale solar thermal power plants ? R&D work and Use of Indigenous Resources can make the difference ? Cheap labor and location near the equator are the main factors, which changes the scenario from the western world ? This vast potential can be exploited to produce electricity by solar thermal technology, which could be provided to off-grid communities.

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