D Wilson

ABSTRACT:
This report reviews the potential for solar-thermal power generation in the Victorian electricity system. A significant review of solar thermal technology was recently published by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). It identified three major technologies being developed around the world, the power tower, the dish receiver and the parabolic trough collector. The first two of these are still in the experimental stage, and would take 10 to 20 years to fully develop. The show more potential cost of energy is between 8 and 40 c/kWh. The third technology, with parabolic trough mirrors, has reached limited commercial development in California. EPRI, on the basis of data for the first three commercial plants, assumed that this technology was fully developed, and derived a range of sent out energy costs from 20 to 38 c/kWh, less promising than the other two technologies. However other data, based on more recent installations, shows that it has potentially lower costs than the range derived by EPRI, with the latest plant having a cost of about 11.5 c/kWh, and with further scope for cost reductions. show less