The rise of solar thermal power generation technology

When the development of photovoltaic industry, especially crystalline silicon solar energy, suffers from overcapacity, high energy consumption and high pollution, the solar thermal power generation technology is receiving attention. The National Development and Reform Commission will start the solar thermal power generation concession tender within this year, and is seen by the industry. As the beginning of the industrialization of solar thermal power generation, this can not help but let the solar companies in the crystalline silicon line slap their sweat: Is the rise of solar thermal power generation technology announcing that already controversial crystalline silicon solar energy has come to the end?

It is undeniable that the situation in which photovoltaic industry occupies the entire solar power industry will be broken by the entrance of light and heat. Photothermal power avoids the use of polysilicon, thus avoiding the high reputation of high pollution and high energy consumption, and also makes the cost of power generation from the international polysilicon price fluctuations. At present, some scientific research institutes and enterprises in China have gradually mastered the core technologies of CSP, which lays a solid foundation for the development of light and heat in China. In the view of analysts in the area of ​​new energy investment, the upcoming bidding for the Inner Mongolia Guangguang project may become a spark that sparks the passion for light and heat investment.

It is precisely because of the significant advantages of solar thermal power generation, according to media reports, at the project meeting of the New Energy Industry Research Group project of the 12th Five-Year Strategic Emerging Industry Development Consultation Research Project conducted earlier this year by the Chinese Academy of Engineering. As a key point, CSP is required to state in detail. An expert from the committee said that from September last year to the beginning of this year, the CSP project that completed the project proposal has increased by 3 GW. Since last year, major power giants have lapped a large area of ​​open space in the western flat area, waiting for follow-up development.

Does this mean that the PV line will be replaced? Industry experts said that in the context of increasing solar power generation in China and even in the world, these two technology routes have markets and are indispensable.

The main problem that CSPs currently face is that their costs must be reduced rapidly by means of economies of scale. It is estimated that a 1GW CSP power generation costs 0.7-0.8 yuan/kWh. Its investment is also more attractive than photovoltaic power plants. The use of domestic equipment to build a 50-megawatt trough-type solar thermal power station, including land costs, investment in equipment for concentrating arrays is expected to be around 1 billion yuan, and investment in unit equipment will be around 15,000 yuan/KW. In comparison, photovoltaic power plants of the same size require more than 2 billion yuan and 40,000 yuan/KW. However, at present, there are no large-scale solar thermal power station plans in China. As of 2009, the global solar thermal power installation is only about 700 MW.

This scale effect determines that CSP will be mainly used for the construction of large-scale power stations. Its energy storage and similar thermal power generation principles make the grid more able to accept its electricity. The scale of photovoltaic power generation is relatively small, and it can be applied to small-scale power plants and distributed power. For example, where large-scale solar power plants can be built without large amounts of open space, it is attached to photovoltaic systems that are off-grid or grid-connected.

At the same time, Arnang Solar Energy, which owns photovoltaic technology and solar thermal technology, believes that these two technological routes have their own advantages, and they can choose the most appropriate technology according to their specific circumstances.