IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v18y2025i7p1753-d1625065.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Decision-Making and Selection Framework for Potential Implementation of Concentrated Solar Power Technologies: Case Study

Author

Listed:
  • Maycon Figueira Magalhães

    (CIRCE—Technoloy Centre, Av. Ranillas 3D, 1A, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain)

  • Boniface Dominick Mselle

    (CIRCE—Technoloy Centre, Av. Ranillas 3D, 1A, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain)

  • Francisca Galindo

    (FERTIBERIA, Paseo de la Castellana, 259D, 28046 Madrid, Spain)

Abstract

The decarbonization of industrial processes requires efficient and scalable renewable energy solutions. Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) technology stands out by providing both electricity and high-temperature heat, yet its optimal deployment remains a challenge. This study presents an innovative framework for selecting and optimizing CSP technologies tailored for potential industrial practical applications. In this study, a multi-phase approach is deployed integrating a decision matrix, performance simulations using SOLARPILOT and SAM, and techno-economic evaluation to identify the best CSP solution. The study addresses the feasibility of four candidate CSP technologies, the characteristics of deployment areas, operation parameters such as energy storage time, and characteristics of energy storage material (comparing commercially available materials and an innovative molten salt named FERT-1). The results highlight solar towers as the most suitable technology, while the characteristics of the deployment can lead to over 3.2% difference in annual energy generation (when comparing between two areas, A1 and A2). Regarding energy storage, an optimal storage time of 11 h was identified, achieving a Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) of 24–25 cents/kWh and a 31–32% energy capacity factor. Moreover, regarding energy storage material, the innovative molten salt highlighted improved thermal efficiency.

Suggested Citation

  • Maycon Figueira Magalhães & Boniface Dominick Mselle & Francisca Galindo, 2025. "Decision-Making and Selection Framework for Potential Implementation of Concentrated Solar Power Technologies: Case Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-24, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:7:p:1753-:d:1625065
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/7/1753/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/7/1753/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sylvain Rodat & Richard Thonig, 2024. "Status of Concentrated Solar Power Plants Installed Worldwide: Past and Present Data," Clean Technol., MDPI, vol. 6(1), pages 1-14, March.
    2. Gabriella Ferruzzi & Camelia Delcea & Antonino Barberi & Vincenzo Di Dio & Marialaura Di Somma & Pietro Catrini & Stefania Guarino & Federico Rossi & Maria Laura Parisi & Adalgisa Sinicropi & Sonia Lo, 2023. "Concentrating Solar Power: The State of the Art, Research Gaps and Future Perspectives," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-39, December.
    3. Prieto, Cristina & Cabeza, Luisa F., 2019. "Thermal energy storage (TES) with phase change materials (PCM) in solar power plants (CSP). Concept and plant performance," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 254(C).
    4. Xu, Ben & Li, Peiwen & Chan, Cholik, 2015. "Application of phase change materials for thermal energy storage in concentrated solar thermal power plants: A review to recent developments," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 286-307.
    5. Yılmaz, İbrahim Halil & Mwesigye, Aggrey, 2018. "Modeling, simulation and performance analysis of parabolic trough solar collectors: A comprehensive review," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 225(C), pages 135-174.
    6. Alberto Boretti & Jamal Nayfeh & Wael Al-Kouz, 2020. "Validation of SAM Modeling of Concentrated Solar Power Plants," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-25, April.
    7. Jacob, Rhys & Bruno, Frank, 2015. "Review on shell materials used in the encapsulation of phase change materials for high temperature thermal energy storage," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 79-87.
    8. Song, Jian & Wang, Yaxiong & Wang, Kai & Wang, Jiangfeng & Markides, Christos N., 2021. "Combined supercritical CO2 (SCO2) cycle and organic Rankine cycle (ORC) system for hybrid solar and geothermal power generation: Thermoeconomic assessment of various configurations," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 174(C), pages 1020-1035.
    9. Nixon, J.D. & Dey, P.K. & Davies, P.A., 2010. "Which is the best solar thermal collection technology for electricity generation in north-west India? Evaluation of options using the analytical hierarchy process," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(12), pages 5230-5240.
    10. Nees Jan Eck & Ludo Waltman, 2010. "Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 84(2), pages 523-538, August.
    11. Liu, Ming & Steven Tay, N.H. & Bell, Stuart & Belusko, Martin & Jacob, Rhys & Will, Geoffrey & Saman, Wasim & Bruno, Frank, 2016. "Review on concentrating solar power plants and new developments in high temperature thermal energy storage technologies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 1411-1432.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Islam, Md Tasbirul & Huda, Nazmul & Abdullah, A.B. & Saidur, R., 2018. "A comprehensive review of state-of-the-art concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies: Current status and research trends," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 987-1018.
    2. Gabriel Zsembinszki & Aran Solé & Camila Barreneche & Cristina Prieto & A. Inés Fernández & Luisa F. Cabeza, 2018. "Review of Reactors with Potential Use in Thermochemical Energy Storage in Concentrated Solar Power Plants," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-23, September.
    3. Palacios, A. & Barreneche, C. & Navarro, M.E. & Ding, Y., 2020. "Thermal energy storage technologies for concentrated solar power – A review from a materials perspective," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 1244-1265.
    4. Jacob, Rhys & Belusko, Martin & Inés Fernández, A. & Cabeza, Luisa F. & Saman, Wasim & Bruno, Frank, 2016. "Embodied energy and cost of high temperature thermal energy storage systems for use with concentrated solar power plants," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 586-597.
    5. Hoz, Jordi de la & Martín, Helena & Montalà, Montserrat & Matas, José & Guzman, Ramon, 2018. "Assessing the 2014 retroactive regulatory framework applied to the concentrating solar power systems in Spain," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 212(C), pages 1377-1399.
    6. Bravo, Ruben & Ortiz, Carlos & Chacartegui, Ricardo & Friedrich, Daniel, 2021. "Multi-objective optimisation and guidelines for the design of dispatchable hybrid solar power plants with thermochemical energy storage," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 282(PB).
    7. Li, Xueling & Chang, Huawei & Duan, Chen & Zheng, Yao & Shu, Shuiming, 2019. "Thermal performance analysis of a novel linear cavity receiver for parabolic trough solar collectors," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 237(C), pages 431-439.
    8. Hongyu Zhang & Fei Gan & Guangqin Huang & Chunlong Zhuang & Xiaodong Shen & Shengbo Li & Lei Cheng & Shanshan Hou & Ningge Xu & Zhenqun Sang, 2022. "Study on Heat Storage Performance of Phase Change Reservoir in Underground Protection Engineering," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-31, August.
    9. Li, Chuan & Li, Qi & Ding, Yulong, 2019. "Investigation on the thermal performance of a high temperature packed bed thermal energy storage system containing carbonate salt based composite phase change materials," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 247(C), pages 374-388.
    10. Jayathunga, D.S. & Karunathilake, H.P. & Narayana, M. & Witharana, S., 2024. "Phase change material (PCM) candidates for latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) in concentrated solar power (CSP) based thermal applications - A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 189(PB).
    11. Ajbar, Wassila & Parrales, A. & Huicochea, A. & Hernández, J.A., 2022. "Different ways to improve parabolic trough solar collectors’ performance over the last four decades and their applications: A comprehensive review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    12. Daniarta, Sindu & Nemś, Magdalena & Kolasiński, Piotr, 2023. "A review on thermal energy storage applicable for low- and medium-temperature organic Rankine cycle," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 278(PA).
    13. Rostami, Sara & Afrand, Masoud & Shahsavar, Amin & Sheikholeslami, M. & Kalbasi, Rasool & Aghakhani, Saeed & Shadloo, Mostafa Safdari & Oztop, Hakan F., 2020. "A review of melting and freezing processes of PCM/nano-PCM and their application in energy storage," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 211(C).
    14. Yu, De-Hai & He, Zhi-Zhu, 2019. "Shape-remodeled macrocapsule of phase change materials for thermal energy storage and thermal management," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 247(C), pages 503-516.
    15. Pelay, Ugo & Luo, Lingai & Fan, Yilin & Stitou, Driss & Rood, Mark, 2017. "Thermal energy storage systems for concentrated solar power plants," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 79(C), pages 82-100.
    16. Abdulrahman AlKassem & Kamal Al-Haddad & Dragan Komljenovic & Andrea Schiffauerova, 2025. "The Strategic Selection of Concentrated Solar Thermal Power Technologies in Developing Countries Using a Fuzzy Decision Framework," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-25, April.
    17. Cabeza, Luisa F. & de Gracia, Alvaro & Zsembinszki, Gabriel & Borri, Emiliano, 2021. "Perspectives on thermal energy storage research," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 231(C).
    18. Opolot, Michael & Zhao, Chunrong & Liu, Ming & Mancin, Simone & Bruno, Frank & Hooman, Kamel, 2022. "A review of high temperature (≥ 500 °C) latent heat thermal energy storage," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).
    19. Chanfreut, Paula & Maestre, José M. & Gallego, Antonio J. & Annaswamy, Anuradha M. & Camacho, Eduardo F., 2023. "Clustering-based model predictive control of solar parabolic trough plants," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    20. Fadi Alnaimat & Yasir Rashid, 2019. "Thermal Energy Storage in Solar Power Plants: A Review of the Materials, Associated Limitations, and Proposed Solutions," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-19, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:7:p:1753-:d:1625065. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.