The combination of economic growth, urbanization, digitalization, climate change mitigation and electrification of transport, heating and cooling systems are expected to drive a sharp increase in electricity demand in the next decade. Given the situation, solar, wind, and hydrogen are set to play pivotal roles in this transition, offering sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels. As evidence of this claim and according to global reports, renewables contributed to more than 80% of new power capacity installations, last year.
Meanwhile, solar energy is experiencing unprecedented demand growth, driven by declining costs, technological advancements and environmental awareness. Photovoltaic (PV) solar panels, which directly convert sunlight into electricity, are widely deployed for residential, commercial, and utility-scale applications due to their versatility in sunny days. On the other hand, Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), utilizes mirrors to concentrate sunlight onto a receiver, generating high temperature heat and convert it to other formats like high pressure steam that drives turbines to produce electricity, day and night.
While PV dominates the market with its widespread adoption and low cost, it’s essential to acknowledge that in regions with high Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI), PV modules may experience degradation due to factors like high temperature and UV radiation, highlighting the importance of careful consideration when selecting solar technologies for deployment. In Contrary, in such locations, CSP system may experience its top performance benefiting high-temperature heat generated by mirrors, in order to:
- Enhance Grid Reliability by providing large-scale utility-grade dispatchable 24/7 energy supply on demand, supported by thermal energy storage (TES) systems.
- Provide Grid Stability services, such as frequency regulation and voltage control, due to the ability to ramp up or down CSP output, quickly in response to grid demand.
- Diversify Power Supply by hybridization with other energy sources, such as fossil fuels or renewables to optimize energy generation with improved efficiency.
With a focus on the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) offers a multitude of advantages for electricity production, leveraging both the region’s unique attributes and the technology itself.