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Solar thermal technologies as a bridge from fossil fuels to renewables

Nature Climate Change volume 5, pages 1007–1013 (2015)Cite this article

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Abstract

Integrating solar thermal systems into Rankine-cycle power plants can be done with minimal modification to the existing infrastructure. This presents an opportunity to introduce these technologies into the commercial space incrementally, to allow engineers to build familiarity with the systems before phasing out fossil-fuel energy with solar electricity. This paper shows that there is no thermodynamic barrier to injecting solar thermal heat into Rankine-cycle plants to offset even up to 50% fossil-fuel combustion with existing technology: with better solar-to-electricity efficiencies than conventionally deployed solar-thermal power plants. This strategy is economically preferable to installing carbon-capture and compression equipment for mitigating an equivalent amount of greenhouse-gas emissions. We suggest that such projects be encouraged by extending the same subsidy/incentives to the solar-thermal fraction of a ‘solar-aided’ plant that would be offered to a conventionally deployed solar-thermal power plant of similar capacity. Such a policy would prepare the ground for an incremental solar-thermal takeover of fossil-fuel power plants.

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Figure 1: Schematic diagram of a coal-fired power plant with possible solar-thermal injection sites.
Figure 2: Performance of various strategies to inject solar thermal heat into coal-fired power plants.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai and the Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai for their support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology, Nathalal Parekh Marg, Matunga, Mumbai 400019, India,

    Vishwanath Haily Dalvi & Jyeshtharaj B. Joshi

  2. Department of Physics, Institute of Chemical Technology, Nathalal Parekh Marg, Matunga, Mumbai 400019, India,

    Sudhir V. Panse

  3. Homi Bhabha National Institute, 2nd Floor, BARC Training School Complex, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai 400094, India

    Jyeshtharaj B. Joshi

Authors
  1. Vishwanath Haily Dalvi
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  2. Sudhir V. Panse
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  3. Jyeshtharaj B. Joshi
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All authors contributed equally to the article.

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Correspondence to Vishwanath Haily Dalvi.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Dalvi, V., Panse, S. & Joshi, J. Solar thermal technologies as a bridge from fossil fuels to renewables. Nature Clim Change 5, 1007–1013 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2717

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