Design and Development of a Novel Hybrid Concentrating Photovoltaic Thermal System with Parabolic Trough collector

Abstract

Solar energy, which is available in abundance, can be used to generate electricity in two different ways, i.e. one using photovoltaic (PV) systems and other by using thermal energy in concentrating solar power (CSP) systems. PV systems are a commercially proven technology, but the efficiency of commercially available PV cells is up to 20%. Rest of the incident solar energy is lost in the form of heat. This waste heat can be utilized for different low-grade thermal applications. One of such technology is photovoltaic/thermal system which consists of PV panel attached to a heat recovery system in which coolant absorbs the excess heat. The extracted thermal energy can be utilized for different applications like distillation. newlineThe state of Rajasthan is semi-arid region with water scarcity issue. However, the state possesses huge potential for solar energy utilization. In the present research work, an initial investigation has been carried out to identify the water availability and the potential for solar energy based distillations systems. The electrical solar power potential of each district was calculated by estimating the suitable wasteland area, solar radiation, and technical parameters of concerned technologies. From the pre-feasibility study, it is estimated that the Rajasthan has power generation potential of 1077.44 GW, 811.36 GW and 728.99 GW for mono-crystalline silicon, poly-crystalline silicon and thin film technologies respectively. Using concentrating technology, the power generation potential is 883.31 GW, 569.50 GW and 383.56 GW for linear Fresnel receiver, parabolic trough collector and central tower receiver respectively. Following the electric potential, an attempt has been done to identify the water availability for each district based on available resources. When the electric potential is coupled with water availability scenario, the highest potential for PV based distillation unit is found out to be for Pali district followed by Udaipur district. It is also seen that Jaipur district holds the top