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)
The plant comprises new state of the art PV/ST panels that generate simultaneously electricity and heat. Thermal energy can be stored and pumped to a turbine to generate electricity when needed or used as a direct heat source for industrial applications. It is potentially the most cost-effective solution to provide dispatchable power or zero emission heat power.
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)
The plant comprises new state of the art PV/ST panels that generate simultaneously electricity and heat. Thermal energy can be stored and pumped to a turbine to generate electricity when needed or used as a direct heat source for industrial applications. It is potentially the most cost-effective solution to provide dispatchable power or zero emission heat power.
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
- Baseload technology: Bluesolar can retrofit and convert typical PV plants of 2.000 hours to baseload approached of 6.500 hours.
- Synchronism: the turbine can be used as sync. condenser to provides short circuit power when the PV is working for grid voltage stability. In addition, as any turbine, it can also be used for active power regulation and spinning reserve.
- Lifecycle: 35 years.
- Risk minimization: Bluesolar also provides technological redundancy to heat up the molten salt via resistance heaters.
Investment
- BlueSolar is an excellent investment to retrofit old or new PV plants to convert them into baseload solution that can apply for baseload or peaking bankable PPAs, compared to marginal standard PV pay as produced.
- BlueSolar naturally eliminates the risk of curtailment due to the implemented storage, which is typical in countries with high penetration of solar PV or wind (i.e Spain or California).
- BlueSolar is the best approach for new capacity tenders since it provides several grid friendly parameters that increase the score of your application such as:
- Short circuit capacity via the generator of the turbine.
- Hibridization of PV with CSP
- Storage
- High socio-economic impact
Social
- Employment
- Worldwide marketing impact for the región
- Fully renewable
Main advantages of BlueSolar Technologies
Technological
- Baseload technology: Bluesolar can retrofit and convert typical PV plants of 2.000 hours to baseload approached of 6.500 hours.
- Synchronism: the turbine can be used as sync. condenser to provides short circuit power when the PV is working for grid voltage stability. In addition, as any turbine, it can also be used for active power regulation and spinning reserve.
- Lifecycle: 35 years.
- Risk minimization: Bluesolar also provides technological redundancy to heat up the molten salt via resistance heaters.
Investment
- BlueSolar is an excellent investment to retrofit old or new PV plants to convert them into baseload solution that can apply for baseload or peaking bankable PPAs, compared to marginal standard PV pay as produced.
- BlueSolar naturally eliminates the risk of curtailment due to the implemented storage, which is typical in countries with high penetration of solar PV or wind (i.e Spain or California).
- BlueSolar is the best approach for new capacity tenders since it provides several grid friendly parameters that increase the score of your application such as:
- Short circuit capacity via the generator of the turbine.
- Hibridization of PV with CSP
- Storage
- High socio-economic impact
Social
- Employment
- Worldwide marketing impact for the región
- Fully renewable
Main advantages of BlueSolar Technologies
Technological
- Baseload technology: Bluesolar can retrofit and convert typical PV plants of 2.000 hours to baseload approached of 6.500 hours.
- Synchronism: the turbine can be used as sync. condenser to provides short circuit power when the PV is working for grid voltage stability. In addition, as any turbine, it can also be used for active power regulation and spinning reserve.
- Lifecycle: 35 years.
- Risk minimization: Bluesolar also provides technological redundancy to heat up the molten salt via resistance heaters.
Investment
- BlueSolar is an excellent investment to retrofit old or new PV plants to convert them into baseload solution that can apply for baseload or peaking bankable PPAs, compared to marginal standard PV pay as produced.
- BlueSolar naturally eliminates the risk of curtailment due to the implemented storage, which is typical in countries with high penetration of solar PV or wind (i.e Spain or California).
- BlueSolar is the best approach for new capacity tenders since it provides several grid friendly parameters that increase the score of your application such as:
- Short circuit capacity via the generator of the turbine.
- Hibridization of PV with CSP
- Storage
- High 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.
Standar 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 delivery profile from the PV inverter and using the clipped energy to heat up the molten salt and inject energy at high added value hours.
- 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 specific CSP part does not have to be so much stressed as a typical CSP plant. This leads to:
- Smaller solar fields with North-South solar configuration. Typical distances of 700 m.
- Smaller solar towers, 120-130 m
- Simple receivers since a North field configuration leads a a much more controllable flux distribution. In addition, the receiver can be designed at lower temperature so that the final heating is made via the resistance heaters, which also simplifies material design and optimizes cost.
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.
Standar 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 delivery profile from the PV inverter and using the clipped energy to heat up the molten salt and inject energy at high added value hours.
- 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 specific CSP part does not have to be so much stressed as a typical CSP plant. This leads to:
- Smaller solar fields with North-South solar configuration. Typical distances of 700 m.
- Smaller solar towers, 120-130 m
- Simple receivers since a North field configuration leads a a much more controllable flux distribution. In addition, the receiver can be designed at lower temperature so that the final heating is made via the resistance heaters, which also simplifies material design and optimizes cost.