Thematic workshop on solar energy

Francesco Del Medico, Program Manager, Glayx Tech, IT

Objectives & Summary

Main workshop objectives:
Short overview on the development status of solar generation technologies,
summarizing strenth-points and weaknesses and their growth potential;
Focus on Solar concentration technology: proposal of a different viewpoint to
activate the potential market;
Conclusions
Short company profile:
Italian company founded in 2009
EPC contractor in the construction of over 20
MW renewable power plants in Italy and over 3
MW directly-owned production sites as a small
energy utility;
Glayx Tech is R&D division dedicated to new
products development.
In 2014 entered the market with the linear
Fresnel solar concentrator ThermeX.
2/16 Glayx Tech Thematic workshop on solar energy - ELAN Chile 2015

Solar energy technologies

Solar energy generation at a glance:
Photovoltaics

CSP

180 GW

3.6 GW

50:1 scale ratio

Global solar power cumulative capacity is < 50% of global wind power capacity
(approx. 390 GW) and < 20% of global hydropower capacity (approx. 1 TW);
Solar energy is available everywhere, not the same for wind and water...

3/16 Glayx Tech Thematic workshop on solar energy - ELAN Chile 2015

Solar photovoltaic focus

Photovoltaics

PROS:
Widely proven technology: easiness of installation
and standardization on main plant components;
Wide range applications, residential to power gen:
enabling the concept of distributed generation
even off-grid
Lowest LEC from solar in most countries: technology
arised industrial scale;

CONS:
PV power energy is not easily integrable: production discontinuity cannot be softened
with existing batteries whose cost per energy unit is 10 times than thermal storage
Concentrated
phenomenon

technology

content: low

impact on

local

industry; NINBY

Tremendous growth between 2008-2012 increased PV penetration in most EU

countries: benefits on specific cost of energy but infrastructure capacity arised a limit;
increasing request from producers to be paid for guaranteed capacity instead of
produced energy;
4/16 Glayx Tech Thematic workshop on solar energy - ELAN Chile 2015

Solar photovoltaic focus

Renewable energy penetration is now a key-factor on Specific Hourly Energy cost:

Public available data; elaborated by Glayx

Energy hourly price in most EU countries is no more linked with fossil cost (Brent index),
but is mostly related to the ratio of renewable energy available in the hour to the whole
demand. An opportunity and a challenge.
5/16 Glayx Tech Thematic workshop on solar energy - ELAN Chile 2015

Concentrated solar energy focus

PROS:
Partially programmable production through thermal
storage installation;

CSP

Strong generation potential in highest irradiance areas

(differently from PV): potentially lowest LEC from solar in
most of such regions;
Systemic technology content: low added value from
single components enables local industry benefits.
CONS:
Pure CSP applicable on large scale power plants: need of high DNI, available areas and
capital costs limited technology diffusion to big utilities and in few world regions;

CSP has not reached successfully an industrial development for any of available solution
(parabolic, Fresnel, dish, tower): most players operate in a low-scale market preventing
economies of scale and cost reductions;
CSP can be complementary to PV technology since is able to overcome most of PV lacks,
but is still a neverending promise.
6/16 Glayx Tech Thematic workshop on solar energy - ELAN Chile 2015

A different perspective
CSP growth potential passes through the following:

Concentrated solar Energy: power conversion is out of technology definition.

Higher global efficiency evaluated on final available product, i.e. thermal energy;

Systems can be scaled up to small size (500 m2);

Industrial process heat open a huge market favoring technology widespread.

7/16 Glayx Tech Thematic workshop on solar energy - ELAN Chile 2015

Heat demand overview

Industrial heat demand - Europe
Industrial heat demand below 400C is more than 55%, demand below 100C is more
30%. CSP technology applied primarily to heat generation is a great market opportunity.

8/16 Glayx Tech Thematic workshop on solar energy - ELAN Chile 2015

Heat demand overview

Market potential:
Energy consumption in both advanced and
emerging countries is 2/3 given by thermal
energy.
Focusing on EU countries, 70% heat demand
falls in the range temperature between 100C200C.

Application fields:
Temperature

Source

Thermal Energy Cost

[$/kWht] in Italy

Air Conditioning / refrigeration

(Solar Cooling)

Water, 90C COP 0,7

165C COP 1,2

Electricity, COP 3

0,02 - 0,05

Dairy, Paper, Industrial cleaning

Steam, 120-180C

Natural gas, GPL

0,04 - 0,07

Air drying

Water-air, 80-100C

Natural gas, GPL

0,04 - 0,07

Food conservation

Water, Oil, 165C COP 0,6

Electricity, COP 1

0,07 - 0,10

Textile, chemical, mining

industry

Water, Oil, 120-200C

Natural gas, GPL

0,04 - 0,07

9/16 Glayx Tech Thematic workshop on solar energy - ELAN Chile 2015

A different perspective
CSP growth potential passes through the following:

Concentrated solar Energy: power conversion is out of technology definition.

Higher global efficiency evaluated on final available product, i.e. thermal energy;

Systems can be scaled up to small size (500 m2);

Industrial process heat open a huge market favoring technology widespread.

Simplicity and Efficiency: design solution assessed on minimum LEC/LCOH instead of

maximum conversion efficiency.

Hybrid power plant to be evaluated instead of expensive high-temperature storage;

Focus on medium temperature cycles and processes;

Installation Site: no product is for everywhere.

10/16 Glayx Tech Thematic workshop on solar energy - ELAN Chile 2015

LCOH analysis and design

Efficiency vs Specific Cost for different LCOH
CSP Fresnel systems having total efficiency higher than 40% and specific cost
below 150US$/m2 yield their LCOH at lower values than 0.03 US$/kWh, at
least in sites having yearly DNI greater than 1900 kWh/m2yr.

40% Efficiency, 150 /m2

11/16 Glayx Tech Thematic workshop on solar energy - ELAN Chile 2015

Installation site
Chilean scaled potential
DNI yearly area

Production in Italy*

Production in Chile*

650 kWht/m2

1050 kWht/m2

740 kWht/m2

1240 kWht/m2

850 kWht/m2

1416 kWht/m2

*@ 160C temperature

The selection of installation site is efficiency itself:

Italia: up to 1900 kWh/m2

within Central Southern Italy we found out many

applications whose heat specific cost from ThermeX is
comparable with fossil fule generation without
subsides.
DNI values in Chile are tremendously high and shows
general applicability for all concentrated solar techs.
Chile: up to 3400 kWh/m2
12/16 Glayx Tech Thematic workshop on solar energy - ELAN Chile 2015

A different perspective
CSP growth potential passes through the following:

Concentrated solar Energy: power conversion is out of technology definition.

Higher global efficiency evaluated on final available product, i.e. thermal energy;

Systems can be scaled up to small size (500 m2);

Industrial process heat open a huge market favoring technology widespread.

Simplicity and Efficiency: design solution assessed on minimum LCOE/LCOH instead of

maximum conversion efficiency.

Hybrid power plant to be evaluated instead of expensive high-temperature storage;

Focus on medium temperature cycles and processes;

Installation Site: no product is for everywhere.

Technology mixing: solar energy is a part of a puzzle.

Solar cooling with single-double stage adsober chiller and combined solarcogenerative plant;

Tecnology growth is easier increasing potential market.

13/16 Glayx Tech Thematic workshop on solar energy - ELAN Chile 2015

Industrial solar cooling case study

Installation of 1000 m2 Fresnel solar concentrator ThermeX coupled with
adsorber chiller and new 200 kW cogeneration unit in Isernia, Molise, IT

Before

Industrial production of plastic moulding through electric

heating of molds; 24 h operation, 7/7 days;
Continuous need of heat removal: over 300 kW installed
electrical chiller COP=3;
DNI equal to 1500 kWh/m2

After

ThermeX rooftop installation gross area 1350m2 , net

reflective 975 m2 with daily-sized heat storage;
200 kW cogenerator motor with heat recovery @85C, 84%
total efficiency (34% elect. 50% heat);
270 kWf adsorber chiller COP=0.7;

Cogenerator operates continously at full load and solar thermal increase adsorber use
(130kWf average); together yield 30%* reduction of electrical chiller use. (economical
matter)
Above all, the solution provides a reduction of 21% in primary energy consumed in the
process (environmental matter)
* Limits on installation size given by public contributions rules
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Conclusions
Key-words:

Technology mix: in most EU countries further development of solar energy

passes through small applications, off-grid production and self-consuming.
Focusing on efficiency in use of energy can favor the widespread of solar
technologies coupled with a combination of other renewable and traditional.
Sustainability culture: all techs development steps pass through full
understanding of benefits from people who live and act the change. Strategic
role is covered by enterprise support organizations and private initiative.
Demonstrative small scale pilot plants can be an option.
Knowledge: no easy solutions exist for complex matters. Advanced human
capital is essential for sustainable growth of solar energy. Investing in
competencies is better than investing on end-products.
Energy strategy: precise and coherent address must be given from single
Government and requires long-term plans including a multi technology
platform. Feed-in-tariff demonstrated efficacy and limits; it can be a support,
but also wasting money: cost efficiency is necessary for sustainable growth.

15/16 Glayx Tech Thematic workshop on solar energy - ELAN Chile 2015

Thanks for attention.

Francesco Del Medico, Program Manager
francesco.delmedico@glayx.com