Assessing the Performance of Hybrid CSP plus PV Plants in Northern Chile

The electricity systems in Chile are characterized by a variable hourly demand in the central grid and an almost constant demand in the northern grid, which require different operation strategies for solar power plants depending on their location. Hybridizing a CSP plant with a PV plant can increase the whole plant capacity factor by allowing thermal energy to be stored while the PV plant is in production and thus help to achieve a fully dispatchable solar electricity production system. A thermal and economic analysis of hybrid CSP+PV plants is conducted considering a range of plant capacities based on a parabolic trough plant with the addition of a PV plant for the environmental conditions of Crucero in Northern Chile, which is a hotspot for solar energy development in the country. The study considers a parametric analysis and optimization of the storage and power block sizes for the CSP plant in terms of the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for varying PV plant nominal capacity. The annual production of the plants are calculated by using the Transient System Simulation program (TRNSYS), which uses a new component library developed for that purpose. The results show good agreement with other software packages as well as with actual data from currently operating CSP plants. The adopted approach helps the proper assessment of the integration of different technologies, since it uses the well-kwon modular structure of the TRNSYS. Regarding the potential for the hybrid solar-solar plants in the Atacama Desert, the high level of irradiation available in Chile can provide a competitive electricity cost, allowing to investors the access to PPA contracts with mining companies in northern Chile. Additionally, the optimization analysis shows that the northern regions of Chile present an outstanding potential for the deployment of such projects.