PV and Thermal Cogeneration Technology
BLUESOLAR TECHNOLOGY
BlueSolar Technology is a new kind of Solar plants that are based on a smart hybridization of Photovoltaic Technology (PV) with Solar Thermal Technology (ST)
BlueSolar is the first commercial hybrid technology that intelligently integrates photovoltaic (PV) technology with solar thermal (ST) technology. BlueSolar enables an efficient PV technology with thermal cogeneration and low cost thermal energy storage.
A standard PV panel is converted into a PV/CSP panel using an integrated optical light selective filter embedded in the glass. This BlueSolar panel is configured similarly as a ST tower so that is able to cogenerate direct electricity via PV as well as heat via the reflectance of the filter collected in the thermal receiver. The filter transmits to the PV cell only wavelengths where the silicon is very efficient while simultaneously reflecting IR and blue wavelengths (that represent between 45 to 50% of energy) to the thermal receiver generating heat. By this combination, the overall energy production of the BlueSolar panel is around 50% more energy efficient than a standard PV panel.
BlueSolar Technology is a new kind of Solar plants that are based on a smart hybridization of Photovoltaic Technology (PV) with Solar Thermal Technology (ST)
BlueSolar is the first commercial hybrid technology that intelligently integrates photovoltaic (PV) technology with solar thermal (ST) technology. BlueSolar enables an efficient PV technology with thermal cogeneration and low cost thermal energy storage.
A standard PV panel is converted into a PV/CSP panel using an integrated optical light selective filter embedded in the glass. This BlueSolar panel is configured similarly as a ST tower so that is able to cogenerate direct electricity via PV as well as heat via the reflectance of the filter collected in the thermal receiver. The filter transmits to the PV cell only wavelengths where the silicon is very efficient while simultaneously reflecting IR and blue wavelengths (that represent between 45 to 50% of energy) to the thermal receiver generating heat. By this combination, the overall energy production of the BlueSolar panel is around 50% more energy efficient than a standard PV panel.
BlueSolar Plant Concept
All in one, BlueSolar panels are able to work with similar efficiencies than a conventional PV panel while recovering an extra of 45-50% of more radiation collected in the form of heat.
The technology is much more efficient and thus cost effective than generating the heat via mirrors as used in standard CSP plants. The thermal load on the turbine can be regulated and adjusted via resistance heaters to go to baseload approaches of more than 6.500 hours of operation per year.
Main advantages of BlueSolar Technologies
Technological
- Bluesolar can retrofit and convert typical PV plants to baseload generators of more than 6.500 hours equivalent.
- The integrated turbine is essential for grid stability, adding short circuit power, inertia.
- Low cost thermal storage with up to 14 hours of storage and a Capex of 120k€/MWh, bankable for up to 35 years.
Investment
- Retrofit your PV installation and make a better use of the interconnection right of your standard PV project converting them into baseload generators.
- Naturally eliminate the curtailment risk inherent to non dispatchable generators.
- BlueSolar is the best approach for new greenfield development:
- Best technical attributes: storage, synchronism.
- Highest socio-economic impac.
Social
- Employment
- Worldwide marketing impact for the región
- Fully renewable
Main advantages of BlueSolar Technologies
Technological
- Bluesolar can retrofit and convert typical PV plants to baseload generators of more than 6.500 hours equivalent.
- The integrated turbine is essential for grid stability, adding short circuit power, inertia.
- Low cost thermal storage with up to 14 hours of storage and a Capex of 120k€/MWh, bankable for up to 35 years.
Investment
- Retrofit your PV installation and make a better use of the interconnection right of your standard PV project converting them into baseload generators
- Naturally eliminate the curtailment risk inherent to non dispatchable generators.
- BlueSolar is the best approach for new greenfield development:
- Best technical attributes: storage, synchronism.
- Highest socio-economic impact.
Social
- Employment
- Worldwide marketing impact for the región
- Fully renewable
Main advantages of BlueSolar Technologies
Technological
- Bluesolar can retrofit and convert typical PV plants to baseload generators of more than 6.500 hours equivalent.
- The integrated turbine is essential for grid stability, adding short circuit power, inertia.
- Low cost thermal storage with up to 14 hours of storage and a Capex of 120k€/MWh, bankable for up to 35 years.
Investment
- Retrofit your PV installation and make a better use of the interconnection right of your standard PV project converting them into baseload generators.
- Naturally eliminate the curtailment risk inherent to non dispatchable generators
- BlueSolar is the best approach for new greenfield development:
- Best technical attributes: storage, synchronism.
- Highest socio-economic impact.
Social
- Employment
- Worldwide marketing impact for the región
- Fully renewable
CSP vs BlueSolar
The technology produces much more energy than a current CSP or PV plants due to a better utilization of the solar spectrum and a better operational performance of the plant by using the diffused radiation on PV panels and not only direct radiation as current CSP mirrors.
Standard CSP
- Very complex design.
- Big solar field (approx. 2,5 km diameter)
- Very tall tower (200-250 m)
- Very complex receiver (T < 600C, non uniform flux)
- No technological redundancy.
BlueSolar Plant
- Possibility to hybridize with standard PV plant, optimizing the energy delivery profile.
- Minimization of the technology risk given that molten salts can be heated via two sources: either resistance heaters using the PV energy or direct thermal energy coming from the reflectance of the BlueSolar panels.
- Simple design compared to CSP. Given that the thermal load to feed the turbine can be regulated via two sources, the CSP design can be greatly simplified:
- Use of mature heat transfer fluids (HTF) such as thermal oils, much easier to operate than molten salts.
- Smaller solar fields with North-South solar configuration. Typical distances < 500 m from tower center.
- Low height towers of up to 40 m.
- Simple thermal receivers due to small solar fields and easy to use HTFs.
- Molten salts used as thermal storage is possible by stepping up the temperature via electric heaters.
Standard CSP vs BlueSolar
The technology produces much more energy than a current CSP or PV plants due to a better utilization of the solar spectrum and a better operational performance of the plant by using the diffused radiation on PV panels and not only direct radiation as current CSP mirrors.
Standard CSP
- Very complex design.
- Big solar field (approx. 2,5 km diameter)
- Very tall tower (200-250 m)
- Very complex receiver (T < 600C, non uniform flux)
- No technological redundancy.
BlueSolar Plant
- Possibility to hybridize with standard PV plant, optimizing the energy delivery profile
- Minimization of the technology risk given that molten salts can be heated via two sources: either resistance heaters using the PV energy or direct thermal energy coming from the reflectance of the BlueSolar panels.
- Simple design compared to CSP. Given that the thermal load to feed the turbine can be regulated via two sources, the CSP design can be greatly simplified:
- Use of mature heat transfer fluids (HTF) such as thermal oils, much easier to operate than molten salts.
- Smaller solar fields with North-South solar configuration. Typical distances < 500 m from tower center.
- Low height towers of up to 40 m.
- Simple thermal receivers due to small solar fields and easy to use HTFs.
- Molten salts used as thermal storage is possible by stepping up the temperature via electric heaters.