Integration of CSP and PV Power Plants: Investigations about Synergies by Close Coupling

Photovoltaic (PV) - concentrated solar power (CSP) hybrid power plants are an attractive option for supplying cheap and dispatchable solar electricity. Hybridization options for both technologies were investigated, combining their benefits by a deeper integration. Simulations of the different systems were performed for seven different sites by varying their design parameters to obtain the optimal configurations under certain boundary conditions. A techno-economic analysis was performed using the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) and nighttime electricity fraction as variables for the representation. Hybrid power plants were compared to pure CSP plants, PV-battery plants, and PV plants with an electric resistance heater (ERH), thermal energy storage (TES), and power block (PB). Future cost projections were also considered.