Advances in the integration of solar thermal energy with conventional and non-conventional power plants M.S. Jamel, A. Abd Rahman, A.H. Shamsuddin n Centre for Renewable Energy, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Kajang 43009, Selangor, Malaysia article info Article history: Received 23 August 2011 Received in revised form 12 October 2012 Accepted 14 October 2012 Available online 25 December 2012 Keywords: Hybrid power plant Integrated solar combined cycle system Solar electric generating system Solar aided power generation Feedwater preheating Repowering abstract Pollution and increasing fuel prices are the main focus for governments today. The main cause of pollution is existing electricity power plants that use huge quantities of fossil fuel. A new strategy should be applied in the coming decades based on the integration of existing power plants with renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind energy. Hybridization of existing power plants with solar energy is one proven option to overcome the problems of pollution and increasing fuel prices. In this paper, a review of the previous studies and papers for integrating solar thermal energy with conventional and non-conventional power plants was carried out. The focus on hybrid solar conven- tional power plants includes: the review of studies of hybrid solar–steam cycle power plants, integrated solar combined-cycle systems (ISCCS) and hybrid solar–gas turbine power plants, while for hybrid solar non-conventional power plants the focus of study is hybrid solar–geothermal power plants. The most successful option is ISCCS due to their advantages and the plans for implementation at various power plants in the world like in Tunisia, Egypt, Spain, and Iran. & 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Contents 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................... 71 2. Integration of solar thermal with conventional power plants ................................................................ 72 2.1. Hybrid solar–steam power plants ................................................................................ 72 2.2. Hybrid solar–CC power plants ................................................................................... 74 2.3. Hybrid solar–GT power plants ................................................................................... 76 2.4. Integration schemes for conventional power plants .................................................................. 77 3. Integration of solar thermal with non-conventional power plants ............................................................ 79 4. Conclusion ........................................................................................................ 79 References ............................................................................................................ 80 1. Introduction With rapid depletion of fossil fuel reserves and their marked effects on the environment, the use of renewable energy sources needs to be accelerated. Therefore it is necessary to find adequate substitutes and plan a transition to other energy sources that provide minimum environmental impact and are available in sufficient quantities in order to satisfy demand and ensure the security of energy supplies. Solar energy is gaining more and more attention as a clean, free, and non-depleting source. However, the application of solar energy for power generation purposes is costly compared to conventional electricity generation systems, thus a new approach is needed to overcome this challenge. Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/rser Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 1364-0321/$ - see front matter & 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2012.10.027 Abbreviations: PTC, Parabolic trough collector; SH, Superheater; CLFR, Compact linear fresnel reflector; EC, Economizer; FPC, Flat Plate Collector; RH, Reheater; SCR, Solar central receiver; AH, Air Heater; ETC, Evacuated tubular collector; TSS, Thermal storage system; DSG, Direct steam generation; RC, Rankine cycle; HTF, Heat transfer fluid; CC, Combined cycle; FWH, Feed-water heater; GT, Gas turbine; EV, Evaporator; HP, High pressure; ISCCS, Integrated solar combined cycle system; IP, Intermediate pressure; SEGS, Solar electric generating system; LP, Low pressure; SD, Solar dishes; SAPG, Solar aided power generation; STS, Solar thermal system; ST, Steam turbine; STGHS, Solar thermal geothermal hybrid system; HRSG, Heat recovery steam generator n Corresponding author. Tel.: þ60 102 187230. E-mail address: abdhalim@uniten.edu.my (A.H. Shamsuddin). Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 20 (2013) 71–81