Various solar electric system performance codes are used to predict the power generated by different solar power systems in the Southern Nevada area during 1990 by using the National Solar Radiation Data Base (NSRDB) for Las Vegas. The system types evaluated along with the prediction codes (shown in parenthesis) are as follows: a central receiver or a power tower system with various amounts of storage (SOLERGY), a Luz-type SEGS parabolic trough system without fossil fuel backup or storage (LUZERGY), a dish-Stirling system (DISH2, a conversion of direct beam radiation with constant collector/engine efficiency was used for this), and various arrangements of nonconcentrating photovoltaic devices (PVFORM). Comparisons of these results are made with the daily variations of load requirements of an electrical utility operating in the same geographical area. These comparisons are made for summer and winter periods. It is shown that several of the power generation schemes have summer peak outputs that occur at times very near to, but not coincident with, the peak utility load requirements. The power tower with a relatively small amount of thermal storage was the only scheme able to provide full power output at the times of summer peak demands. Winter peaks in this region occur during the night. Two comparisons are made that illuminate the summer load serving capability of solar generation in addition to simply showing time-variations of outputs. Included in these comparisons are the determination of the difference in time between the peak power output and the peak demand, as well as the normalized fraction of the peak power generated at the peak demand times.

Issue Section:
Research Papers
Topics:
Databases, Electronic systems, Energy generation, Engines, Fossil fuels, Parabolic troughs, Radiation (Physics), Solar energy, Solar energy systems, Solar power, Solar radiation, Storage, Stress, Thermal energy storage
1.
Beebe, H. I., 1994, “100 MW Sacramento Solar Central Receiver Power Plant Study,” Joint Solar Engineering Conference, ASME.
2.
Garver, L., 1966, “Effective Load Carrying Capability of Generating Units,” IEEE Transactions, Power Apparatus and Systems, Vol. Pas-85, Number 8.
3.
Menicucci, D. F., and Fernandez, J. P., 1988, “User’s Manual for PVFORM: A Photovoltaic System Simulation Program For Stand-Alone and Grid-Interactive Applications,” Sandia Report, Sand85–0376.
4.
National Solar Radiation Data Base (1961–1990) Version 1.0, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Sept. 1992, Vol. 1.
5.
Perez, R., Rymes, M., and Renne, D., 1994a, “Assessment of Photovoltaic Utility Load Matching Potential—Impact of Long Term Insolation Variations,” NREL Contractor’s Intermediate Report (contract #XR-1-11168-1). NREL, Golden, CO.
6.
Perez, R., Seals, R., and Stewart, R., 1994b, “Matching Utility Peak Loads with Photovoltaics,” RENEW94 Conference, Stamford CT, Northeast Sustainable Solar Energy Association, Greenfield, MA.
7.
Smith, P. A., 1994, “Value of Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic Power Plants to Arizona Public Service Company,” Joint Solar Engineering Conference, ASME.
8.
Stoddard, M. C., Fass, S. E., Chiang, C. J., and Dirks, J. A., 1987, “SOLERGY—A Computer Code for Calculating the Annual Energy from Central Receiver Power Plants,” Sandia Report, SAND86-8O60.
This content is only available via PDF.
Copyright © 1997
 by The American Society of Mechanical Engineers
You do not currently have access to this content.