Feasibility Study on the Viability of SORC for Power Generation in Thailand’s Six Main Regions
Keywords:
Solar collectors, Solar Organic Rankine Cycle (SORC), Electrical power generation, Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE)Abstract
Solar energy is one of the renewable energy resources that proved to be a useful to solve the present energy crisis and achieve sustainable development. In Thailand, Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) technologies are in-appropriate because the annual direct normal solar radiation is much low. In this study, the concept of a small-scale solar Organic Rankine Cycle (SORC) system for power generation with temperature below 100 °C was investigated. The SORC system was analyzed by using 2-capacity ORC units with four system configurations in combination with solar water heating system (SWHS). Flat-plate (FP), Evacuated-tube (ET), and Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC) solar collectors were used to generate heat. These four system configurations were mathematically modelled and simulated to evaluate maximum power output, CO2 emission, and levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). For data simulations, six areas; Chiang Mai, Bangkok, Ratchaburi, Songkhla, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Chon Buri, were selected to represent the main regions of Thailand (i.e.; the northern, central, western, southern, north-eastern and eastern part, respectively). The results showed that a small-scale SORC power plant is appropriate for a heat source producing temperatures below 100 °C and that the ORC system is a good solution for power generation using low-temperature heat. At the simulated highest power outputs, of between 154.19 and 182.89 MWh/Year the reduction of CO2 emissions from the systems were 71.24 and 84.5 Ton CO2 eq./Year, respectively. The appropriated number of collectors were between 1710 and 2000 units. Further, LCOE of between 0.931 and 1.110 USD/kWh were achieved. CSP technologies have an LCOE between 0.200 and 0.300 USD/kWh, while solar photovoltaic systems have LCOE between 0.140 and 0.470 USD/kWh. Therefore, without government support or subsidizes for the initial investment cost of the solar collectors and the ORC power generation, the small-scale SORC power plant will not be economically attractive due to higher value of LCOE compared to the other two types of solar energy technologies.
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