Optimized solar energy system with thermal storage: A multi-objective analysis of supercritical CO2 and organic rankine cycles for power and cooling in Abu Dhabi

Environmental constraints have increasingly influenced global energy systems, prompting a shift toward renewable energy sources. The presented assessment proposes an advanced solar-assisted cogeneration framework capable of simultaneously generating power and cooling. This framework integrates a parabolic trough solar collector with a thermal energy storage unit and employs Therminol-VP1 as the heat transfer fluid. A combined structure comprising a supercritical carbon dioxide power unit, an organic Rankine cycle, a dual-loop organic Rankine cycle, and an ejector refrigeration subsystem is developed to elevate the performance. Comprehensive thermodynamic, exergoeconomic, technoeconomic, and exergoenvironmental analyses are conducted. Using a multi-objective particle swarm optimization algorithm, this structure delivers net power and cooling outputs of 26.15 MW and 6.3 MW, respectively, with thermal and exergetic efficiencies of 18.73% and 16.29%, respectively. The exergoenvironmental impact rate and cost rate are determined to be 266.17 Pt/h and 1979.49 $/h. The technoeconomic investigation shows a capital investment of $59M, yielding a net present value of $106.50M and a payback period of 3.92 years. The outputs demonstrate the structure's potential as a sustainable energy solution, with future work recommended to enhance its adaptability to variable climatic conditions and to explore integrated optimization approaches for further elevations.