Integration of solar chimney power plant with photovoltaic for co-cooling, power production, and water desalination

Abstract

This work explores the technical possibilities of increasing the efficiency of a standard solar chimney power plant (SCPP) by integrating it with photovoltaic (PV) panels. The integration is possible by using the collector circumference to install the PV collectors, which provide a heat sink, allow for the better harvesting of the solar radiation, and increase energy production. The new design led to an increase in the annual electricity production from 380 to 494 MWh and water production from 278 to 326 k tons/year compared with the standard SCPP, marking an increase of 30% and 17%, respectively. The results also show that the integration reduced the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), the localized cost of energy, and the capital cost of investment by 30%, 36%, and 20%, respectively. The proposed design supports the sustainable replacement of the existing desalination plants with zero operational costs and an excellent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.