LARGE-SCALE SOLAR THERMAL POWER - TECHNOLOGIES, COSTS AND DEVELOPMENT

This important contribution to the issue of renewable energy describes the technical and economical requirements of mass-produced solar thermal power plants, from the different types of power plants to the development needs and a massive development program. The authors - renowned and experienced experts in the field - show that solar thermal power plants, because of their simple technology, are easy to build with high production rates and therefore can play a substantial role in the rapid substitution of fossil fuels. On the basis of solar thermal power (using long distance transmission) and coal from substituted coal plants, a future energy system is described supplying gas and liquid fuels. This is the first discussion of a complete concept, of a crash-strategy, for the partial replacement of oil and natural gas.

Werner Vogel studied physics, chemistry and mathematics at the University of Karlsruhe, Germany. He was involved there at the Institute of Applied Physics in research on solar hydrogen and fuel-cell power plants 1977-1979. Since 1980 he has been a freelance researcher in the field of solar energy, especially solar thermal power plants.

Henry Kalb studied physics and was involved in research on solar-hydrogen technology at the University of Karlsruhe from 1976 to 1980. Since 1980, he has been an independent researcher (System-Innovation Karlsruhe), specializing in the areas of solar energy, particularly solar thermal power, and environmental technology.

Preface.
Preliminary Remarks and Summary.
The Significance of the Rapid Deployment of Solar Thermal Power Plants for Energy Policy.
Acknowledgments.
List of Tables.
1 Introduction.
1.1 Historical Background.
1.2 Formulating the Problem.
2 The Salient Facts.
2.1 Solar Tower Power Plants as the Basis for Cost Estimates: Cost Analyses.
2.2 The Combined System of Solar and Backup Power Plants ("Solar Power System").
2.3 How Much Does Solar Power Cost?
2.4 Possible Time Scales for the Operational Readiness of Solar Thermal Power Plants and the Comprehensive Replacement of Current Power Plants.
3 Solar Technologies – An Overview.
3.1 Dish Plants.
3.2 Tower Power Plants.
3.3 Parabolic Troughs.
3.4 Linear Fresnel Plants.
3.5 Updraft (Chimney) and Downdraft Power Plants.
4 Some Additional Economic Factors.
4.1 Detailed Treatment of the Costs of the Solar Power System – Comparison with Competing Types of Power Plants – Discussion.
4.2 Comparison with the Study of Sargent and Lundy.
4.3 Some Special Points Concerning Cost Estimates.
4.4 Calculating the Power Costs.
5 The Potential of Solar Thermal Power Plants for the Energy Supply: Capacity Factor, Availability of Solar Energy, and Land Availability.
5.1 Overview.
5.2 Spain: Capacity Utilization and Insolation.
5.3 The USA.
5.4 Solar Tower Plants – Permissible Slope of the Terrain.
5.5 Spain: Availability of Sites.
5.6 Morocco/Sahara.
5.7 China, India, and Potential Sites in Tibet – Inaccuracy of the Available Maps.
5.7.1 Conclusions.
5.8 Insufficient Accuracy of the Insolation Data; Measurement Program.
6 Heliostats.
6.1 Estimating the Heliostat Costs.
6.2 Necessary Measures for the Precise Determination of Costs in Mass Production.
6.3 Stretched-Membrane Heliostats.
6.4 Installations for Operational Testing of the Heliostats.
6.5 Comparison of the Cost Assumptions with Those of Other Studies.
7 Receivers.
7.1 SOLAR TWO: Development Requirements for the "Advanced Receiver".
7.2 Air Receivers.
8 Parabolic-Trough Power Plants.
8.1 Basic Facts.
8.2 Costs.
8.3 Development Program and Cost Estimates for Mass Production.
8.4 Heat-Storage Systems for Parabolic-Trough Power Plants.
9 Solar Updraft Power Plants.
9.1 Introductory Remarks.
9.2 The Principle.
9.3 Investment and Power Costs.
9.4 Development Program.
10 Fossil-Fuel Power Plants.
10.1 Natural Gas Plants.
10.2 Conventional Coal-Fired Plants.
10.3 Coal-Fired Plants with CO2 Sequestration.
11 Other Technologies for Backup Power Generation and Alternatives for Future Energy Supplies.
11.1 Generating Backup Power Without Natural Gas and Coal-Fired Power Plants.
11.2 Coal Gasification as a Gas Source for Backup Power Plants and as an Important Component of the Future Energy Supply.
11.3 Coal as the Only Major Alternative to Oil and Gas? – The Scope of the Coal Resources for Power Generation and Gasifi cation on a Large Scale – the Potential for Sequestration of CO2.
11.4 Solar Hydrogen.
12 The Large-Scale Use of Nuclear Energy.
12.1 The Costs of Nuclear Power – Results.
12.2 Investment Costs under Mass Production.
12.3 Operation and Maintenance Costs; Fuel Costs.
12.4 Consumption and Cost of Natural Uranium per kWhel.
12.5 The Problems Associated with Nuclear Energy.
12.6 Uranium Reserves.
Appendix A Solar Tower Power Plants: Comparison of Kolb (1996), Kalb/Vogel, SunLab, S&L.
Appendix B Infl ation, Purchasing Power Parities.
Appendix C Energy Statistics.
Appendix D Comments on the Earlier Study (Kalb and Vogel 1986a).
References.