Concentrated Solar Technology Research Articles

Economic Optimization and Performance Enhancement of Rooftop Solar Power Systems Using Concentrated Solar Technology and Advanced Materials

Abstract: This research investigates the economic optimization and performance enhancement of rooftop solar power systems through the integration of concentrated solar technology and advanced materials. The aim is to assess the viability and effectiveness of these innovations in both residential and commercial settings. By focusing on improving energy efficiency and reducing costs, the study provides a comprehensive economic perspective on the adoption of these advanced solar technologies. Key aspects of the research include the evaluation of lifecycle costs, energy yield, and payback periods, offering insights into the long-term financial benefits and feasibility of implementing such systems. The integration of concentrated solar technology enhances the intensity of solar energy captured, thereby significantly boosting the efficiency of rooftop solar panels. Advanced materials, such as perovskites, multi-junction cells, and nanomaterials, are examined for their potential to improve energy absorption, durability, and overall performance of solar panels. The research employs simulation software to model the performance of these optimized systems under various environmental conditions, providing a detailed analysis of their energy output and efficiency.

Design solutions and characterization of a small scale and very high concentration solar furnace using a Fresnel lens

The use of Fresnel lenses for solar energy concentration technology dates back to the 1950 s. These lenses feature a plano-convex optical design with a series of discontinuous convex grooves. Typically made from materials like polymethyl methacrylate, Fresnel lenses are lightweight, resistant to sunlight, thermally stable, and cost-effective.This study presents a novel Fresnel lens-based solar furnace configuration installed at the Eduardo Torroja Institute for Construction Science in Madrid, Spain. The novelty of this work lies in the exceptional performance and operability of the facility. Experimental characterization revealed a record peak irradiance over 7 MW m−2 for an incident target power exceeding 800 W. Comparison with ray tracing simulations shows good agreement with experimental results. This setup enables high temperature experiments up to 2000 °C with rapid execution times. A fixed receiver, a shutter system and a closed-loop heliostat tracking control system allow for flexible operation up to 5000 suns and straightforward maintenance. The concentrator element costs less than 300 USD (2022) m−2, offering an economical solution to solar-powered high concentration and temperature applications. This innovative design overcomes previous operational challenges, providing a robust and economical method for high-temperature material processing and other industrial applications.

Quantifying the Shading Effects of a Small-Scale Rooftop-Installed Linear Fresnel Reflector in Cyprus

Linear Fresnel reflectors are a versatile solar concentration technology, suitable for a wide range of industrial processes and thermal conditioning applications. Such collectors entail a certain footprint, generating shading on the surface where they are installed. This effect is rarely quantified but may play an indirect role on the surface below. When installed on a roof, the solar radiation heats the building less. In places where the annual heating demand is higher than the cooling demand, this constitutes an asset. However, this becomes a disadvantage when the cooling demand is higher annually than the heating demand. Essentially, the reduced solar radiation allows for the growth of plants that would not grow without the shade provided by the collector. The present paper is a quantitative analysis of such shading based on the linear Fresnel reflector of the Cyprus Institute. The work was conducted using the Tonatiuh++ ray-tracing software to determine the annual radiation blocking. A total of four years of actual meteorological measurements were applied directly to the ray-tracing model.

Reticulated porous structures of La0.8Al0.2NiO3-δ perovskite for enhanced green hydrogen production by thermochemical water splitting

The preparation and optimisation of La0.8Al0.2NiO3-δ (LANi82) perovskite shaped as reticulated porous ceramic (RPC) structures for H2 production by thermochemical water splitting is presented for the first time. The perovskite was first synthesised in powder form following a modified Pechini method. The redox properties of the LANi82 were first tested under N2/air flow in a thermogravimetric analyser. After that, the sponge replica method for preparing RPCs was optimised in terms of slurry composition and final thermal treatment to obtain a LANi82-RPC structure with porosity and strength appropriate to enhance heat and mass transfer in further solar reactors. The optimised LANi82-RPC material showed an outstanding hydrogen production of 8.3 cm3 STP/gmaterial·cycle at isothermal conditions (800 °C). This production was increased up to 11.5 cm3 STP/gmaterial·cycle if the thermal reduction was performed at 1000 °C. Additionally, a stable activity with almost constant H2 production in consecutive cycles was obtained for the optimised LANi82-RPC in both cases. The structure of the reticulated porous materials, with open macroporosity and wide interconnected channels, enhances heat and mass transfer, leading to higher hydrogen productions of the LANi82-RPC as compared to the materials as powder form in the same experimental set-up. These facts reinforce the favourable prospects of LANi82-RPC for large-scale hydrogen production, improving the coupling to current solar thermal concentration technologies developed, such as concentrated solar power tower.

Analysis of the Solar Pyrolysis of a Walnut Shell: Insights into the Thermal Behavior of Biomaterials

The state of Sonora, Mexico, stands as one of the leading producers of pecan nuts in the country, which are commercialized without shells, leaving behind this unused residue. Additionally, this region has abundant solar resources, as shown by its high levels of direct normal irradiance (DNI). This study contributes to research efforts aimed at achieving a synergy between concentrated solar energy technology and biomass pyrolysis processes, with the idea of using the advantages of organic waste to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and avoiding the combustion of conventional pyrolysis through the concentration of solar thermal energy. The objective of this study is to pioneer a new experimental analysis methodology in research on solar pyrolysis reactors. The two main features of this new methodology are, firstly, the comparison of temperature profiles during the heating of inert and reactive materials and, secondly, the analysis of heating rates. This facilitated a better interpretation of the observed phenomenon. The methodology encompasses two different thermal experiments: (A) the pyrolysis of pecan shells and (B) the heating–cooling process of the biochar produced in experiment (A). Additionally, an experiment involving the heating of volcanic stone is presented, which reveals the temperature profiles of an inert material and serves as a comparative reference with experiment (B). In this experimental study, 50 g of pecan shells were subjected to pyrolysis within a cylindrical stainless-steel reactor with a volume of 156 cm3, heated by concentrated radiation from a solar simulator. Three different heat fluxes were applied (234, 482, and 725 W), resulting in maximum reaction temperatures of 382, 498, and 674 °C, respectively. Pyrolysis gas analyses (H2, CO, CO2, and CH4) and characterization of the obtained biochar were conducted. The analysis of heating rates, both for biochar heating and biomass pyrolysis, facilitated the identification, differentiation, and interpretation of processes such as moisture evaporation, tar production endpoint, cellulosic material pyrolysis, and lignin degradation. This analysis proved to be a valuable tool as it revealed heating and cooling patterns that were not previously identified. The potential implications of this tool would be associated with improvements in the design and operation protocols of solar reactors.

Advancing Solar Rooftop Power Generation: A Review on the Integration of Concentrated Solar Technology and Advanced Materials with Economic Perspectives

Abstract: This review paper offers a thorough analysis of the integration of concentrated solar technology and advanced materials in solar rooftop power generation, with a primary emphasis on optimizing efficiency and economic viability. As the demand for sustainable energy solutions intensifies, harnessing concentrated solar energy on rooftops presents a promising avenue for meeting these challenges. The paper explores current advancements in concentrated solar technologies, including solar concentrators, parabolic troughs, and solar towers, elucidating their working principles and efficiency gains. Concurrently, the integration of advanced materials, such as high-efficiency photovoltaic materials, thermal storage materials, and coatings, is discussed for their role in enhancing the overall performance and durability of rooftop solar systems. A critical examination of the economic aspects associated with these technologies forms a pivotal aspect of this review, encompassing an evaluation of initial investment costs, operational expenses, and potential returns on investment. Economic models and case studies are presented, offering valuable insights into the financial implications and feasibility of widespread adoption.

Thermodynamic assessment of a novel solar powered trigeneration system for combined power generation, heating, and cooling

Solar power tower (SPT) technology is the mature technology among the various concentrated solar technologies for energy generation. Therefore, it is necessary to develop the efficient energy generation system that utilizes the SPT plant. In the current study, a novel trigeneration system was presented to utilize the SPT for combined power generation, heating, and cooling. The trigeneration system consists a helium Brayton cycle and organic Rankine cycle (ORC) with ejector refrigeration system for recovering the waste heat. The power was produced by the helium Brayton cycle and ORC turbine whereas, cooling and heating was produced simultaneously by the condenser and evaporator respectively. For building applications such as hospitals and hostels, the heating and cooling effects were generated at 50°C and 10°C respectively. Finally, the optimal system exhibits exergy and energy efficiency of 25.12% and 23.3%, respectively, when all the studied parameters are taken into consideration. Apart from this power output, heating and cooling productions were observed as 14,998, 60.52 and 8.25 kW and respectively at the 2.3 of compressor pressure ratio, 197.2°C of inlet temperature of ORC turbine.

Upgrading of biomass-derived solar hydrothermal bio-oils through catalytic hydrodeoxygenation in supercritical ethanol

The use of concentrated solar energy as the heat source to perform hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of biomass is a promising alternative to improve the thermal efficiency of the process and reduce the environmental impact of the use of fossil fuels. However, the HTL of lignocellulosic biomass produces a bio-oil that still requires an upgrading treatment to improve its properties as fuel. In the present work, bio-oils obtained from solar hydrothermal liquefaction of Agave and corncob were upgraded for the first time by hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) in supercritical ethanol using a Mo2C catalyst supported in carbon nanofibers. The main results showed yields up to 69% of the upgraded bio-oil and a deoxygenation grade of 71%, with HHV values around 35 MJ/kg for most of the upgraded bio-oils. Moreover, it was observed that HDO treatment of the solar bio-oils can produce upgraded bio-oils with chemical properties and yields similar to those produced by conventional thermochemical methods, which opens the door to extend the use of concentrated solar technologies for the whole process: from biomass thermochemical conversion to its upgrading into drop-in fuels.

Solar Enhanced Oil Recovery as the Solution to Enhance Oil and Gas Production for Mature Fields in Indonesia

Indonesia has a target of reducing 29% of GHG emissions by 2030 (NDC, 2022), reaching net-zero emissions in 2060 (LTS-LCCR, 2021), and obtaining 1 million BOPD oil production and 12 BSCFD gas production in 2030. Oil and gas companies have particular challenges to achieve the target in line with paying attention to national energy security despite the oil reserve and production declining since 1995 because of the maturity of the fields. In such a case, the enormous amount of remaining oil in place left by the primary and secondary production stages has led to the EOR method as the best way to improve oil production. In Indonesia's mature fields with specific reservoir conditions, steamflooding is currently a highly effective EOR method to increase oil production by 20–300% and reduce viscosity by up to 98%. However, the production of steam in huge quantities conventionally would require vast amounts of fossil fuel resources. Hence, replacing fossil fuel-derived steam with solar-derived steam would solve the twin problems of energy scarcity and greenhouse gas emissions. Solar EOR is a viable alternative to gas-fired steam production for the oil industry by using the sun's energy to generate steam. For designing the long-term Solar EOR, Ayman Solar Concentrator (ASC) technology on low-cost solar thermal energy storage will generate high-temperature steam for 24 hours all day by enabling the system to achieve higher temperatures with less mirror surface. The evaluation of annual energy output from the solar project's design could save more than 8,672,400 MMBTU/year of natural gas and cut the environmental footprint up to 1200 metric tonnes per day of net CO2 so that natural gas can be sold and allocated to various sectors. Furthermore, the economic analysis shows that solar EOR has the lowest operational. This technology's novelty is its low cost and ability to generate steam to supply it upon demand in Indonesia's ongoing steamflood project.

Solar Dish Concentrator: A Case Study at the Energy Center Rooftop

Concentrating solar technology plays a role, albeit a niche role compared to commercial solar systems (photovoltaics and thermal collectors). Within the context of sustainable development and within the green transition phase, it could be a respectable player. The main purpose of this study is to create and validate a model that approximates the temperature trend of a receiver installed in a CSP (concentrated solar plant). A method to approximate optical and thermal performance is discussed. The paraboloid installed in the Energy Center (Turin, Italy) was taken as a reference, creating a model that could simulate real operating conditions. The Monte Carlo (MC) method for ray tracing was adopted developing two models. The first model sets the maximum reflectivity of the paraboloid and neglects the loss of “limb darkening,” while the second one sets a reflectivity of 80%. Once the incident flux was obtained, the optical performance was analytically calculated and compared to the value provided by the manufacturer. The thermal performance was also studied, reproducing the dimensions of the receiver consisting of a sintered alumina tube placed at a focal distance from the paraboloid. Two configurations were analyzed: one neglecting the losses due to radiation and natural convection, the other one including the losses due to radiation and considering the atmospheric wind condition. Finally, the model was validated by comparing the obtained temperatures with those measured by thermocouples placed on the receiver. Analyzing two random days in the year 2020, an average error of 7% and 2% was obtained.

Thermal experimental study of a volumetric receiver-reactor using a Mini-Solar furnace

This paper presents an experimental assessment of a reactor-receiver system that enables easy substitution of different receivers. The study evaluates two receivers with difference PPI sizes under various operating conditions that can withstand the use of high-temperature HTF. Environmental air was employed as the heat transfer fluid. SiC receiver with 10 and 20 PPI were tested individually, and then the heat transfer fluid. SiC receivers with 10 and 20 PPI were tested individually, and then the heat transfer surface was increased by placing an additional receiver behind (1010 and 2020 PPI). Additionally, combinations of PPI sizes were tested, such as 1020 PPI and 2010 PPI, to explore the potential effect of the orders. The authors calculated the thermal efficiency through calorimetry and compared it with similar solar concentration technologies detailed in existing literature. The results revealed that the highest temperature was achieved with the 20 PPI receiver (655 °C) compared to the other studied cases. It is established that losses are generated in the receiver due to convection and radiation, and the paper provides recommendations to improve the energy conversion efficiency.

Inclusion of key social indices for a comparative assessment of the sustainability of the life cycle of current and future electricity generation in Spain: A proposed methodology

The purpose of this work is to offer a methodology for the introduction and consolidation of social indexes within a Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment for the evaluation of large-scale electricity production. This methodology is based on an interrelation of the UNEP subcategories with the global indicator framework for the Sustainable Development Goals, resulting in 9 categories of social impact quantified by 10 indexes. To evaluate the introduction of this methodology in an LCSA a study case is used. It is applied to obtain social indexes for the 2019, 2030 and 2050 Spanish electricity scenarios, which involve different electricity generation and storage technologies: involve coal, natural gas, nuclear, hydropower, wind, solar photovoltaic, concentrated solar, biomass and storage technologies. Within the study case, an environmental life cycle assessment is also conducted, while the impacts of the economic dimension are estimated by the levelized cost of energy. This study reveals that even before important qualitative information is brought to light, as should be done in any decision-making process, there are important gaps that can be filled in terms of quantitative information in an LCSA. To do so, it provides with a methodology to expand the number of social indexes normally used in this type of assessments with the purpose of contributing to decision processes with clarity and transparency. Labour rights, salary differences for the same position, diversity in executive positions, child labour, and R&D expenditure complement the previously used occupational injuries, fatalities due to large accidents, and direct employment. The proposed methodology is applied to a Spanish case study, demonstrating the benefits and disadvantages associated with the modification of the electricity mix. However, it also highlights significant information gaps in availability and transparency that need to be addressed in future research, as part of the path towards standardizing LCSA.

Design and performance investigation of modified Hybrid Parabolic Linear Fresnel Collector

The Parabolic Trough Collector and Linear Fresnel Collector are the two established solar thermal concentrator technologies. While both technologies have their own advantages, current research focus in on alternate designs to improve optical and thermal performance of the collectors. The optical modifications by changing the primary reflector design have been one of the areas of research. One such modifications is the discretization of the parabolic mirror with flat plates. A hybrid collector combing the flat plates and stationary absorber of LFC with the parabolic profile of a PTC is investigated. A Hybrid Parabolic Linea Fresnel Collector (HPLFC) is designed based on optical analysis with ray tracing analysis and the collector tested experimentally. The average yearly energy production of PTC, LFC and modified HPLFC has been studied with optical and thermal modelling. The optical and thermal modelling estimates that HPLFC has an average optical efficiency of 49 % and overall efficiency of 39 %. The HPLFC efficiency is lower than PTC and performs better than LFC during winter. The HPLFC has been investigated experimentally at Coimbatore, India. The efficiency of HPLFC has been found to be 35 ± 2 %. This can be improved with better manufacturing and optimization of operating conditions.

Environmental and energetic behavior of a Beam-down linear Fresnel solar field for low-grade thermal energy applications

Solar concentrators can be used to provide low-grade thermal energy in industry for improving overall efficiency and targeting the emissions reduction goals. In this context, to develop an effective Concentrated Solar Technology for utilizing low-grade thermal energy, different configurations of a beam-down Fresnel solar field are analyzed in terms of thermal energy production and environmental impacts as Global Warming Potential (GWP), Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) and Particulate Matter (PM). Once the geometry of the solar field is defined, the yearly incoming energy at the solar receiver is obtained. Subsequently, the GWP, ODP and PM are calculated with the Life Cycle Assessment methodology for construction and operation phase. Those environmentally lighter designs in the construction phase are not those that obtain lower results when the energy they provide is analyzed. The GWP and ODP results showed that producing low grade thermal energy with all but two of those beam-down configurations obtained better results than the conventional heat from natural gas. The case study with lowest carbon footprint represents 34.2 % reduction compared to natural gas and 41 % reduction in ODP. However, PM obtained better results for conventional heat than for the proposed solar fields. Configurations with C = 24 as solar concentration ratio achieved the optimal configuration with a good balance between energy production and the analyzed environmental impacts.

Evaluation of cross-contamination in indirect thermal storage system in concentrated solar plants

Solar concentration technology is fully dispatchable due to the use of thermal energy storage systems, in particular, commercial parabolic trough power plants use indirect storage systems based on molten salts. This system includes a heat exchanger to transfer energy between the thermal oil from the solar field and the salts used in storage. In addition, some content of water is considered by cross-contamination in the steam generator of the power block. This study analyses the compatibility between both fluids in the event of cross-contamination in the equipment. The degree of compatibility between a triphasic system made up of a mixture of sodium nitrate and potassium nitrate salts (60:40), heat transfer fluid (DP:DPO), and water, when they were subjected to 390 °C for a period of 312 h (two weeks). The study shows how thermal oil undergoes complete thermal-oxidative degradation without high impact on the composition of the salts.

Numerical study of a nanofluid-based receiver for linear Fresnel collectors

In concentrated solar technologies, the use of volumetric receivers instead of surface receivers may help to achieve higher solar collection efficiencies. This paper reports a simplified model that computes the concentrated solar radiation absorption and energy transport by advection in the volumetric receiver of a linear Fresnel collector. The proposed linear Fresnel collector is intended for use in industrial solar heat processes. The receiver consists of a rectangular channel whereby flows a nanofluid composed of thermal oil and graphite nanoparticles. The bottom wall of the channel is a glass, while the upper wall is a highly reflective surface that is well insulated. The light absorption into the nanofluid was solved using the Rayleigh dispersion, while the convection was solved with a simplified velocity profile for turbulent flow (power law) and incorporating a radiative source term in the energy equation. All equations were discretized by using finite volumes and were coded in Python language. Receiver efficiencies in the range of 92–96% were found for temperatures of 403–343K. The results show that the volumetric fraction (optical depth) drives the way the radiation is absorpted, and in consequence, the temperature profile and the receiver efficiency. For low optical depths, the solar absorption is low, resulting in high reflected radiation losses. Contrarily, high optical depths mean high solar absorption, consequently, the temperature close to the glass increases, and the convection losses are higher. The results suggest that values of optical depth close to 2.3 are optimum to obtain the highest receiver efficiency.

Improved estimation of hourly direct normal solar irradiation (DNI) using geostationary satellite visible channel images over moderate albedo areas

An accurate knowledge of the direct solar irradiance at normal incidence (DNI) is required to size solar energy systems, specially those using solar concentration technologies. In the absence of measurements, DNI can be estimated over an arbitrary site with a dedicated satellite model or by using satellite-derived global horizontal irradiance (GHI) and a phenomenological diffuse-direct separation model. This second procedure is error-prone, specially under partial cloudiness conditions and low solar elevation angles. A novel and simple semi-empirical satellite-based model to estimate DNI in moderate albedo regions using a physical clear sky model and a cloudiness index obtained from visible satellite imagery is proposed and assessed. An ergodic assumption in which the images are spatially averaged to better represent the hourly time basis is used. Over the target region (Southeastern South America, SESA), the new DNI satellite model outperforms the alternative strategy at the hourly level, with an average uncertainty of 20% (versus 25%) when compared with three measurement station’s data sets located in center Argentina, southern Brazil and Uruguay.

Prioritization of heat transfer fluids in parabolic trough solar systems using CFD-assisted AHP-VIKOR approach

Parabolic trough solar collectors (PTSCs) are proven technologies and are used in various fields including concentrating solar power, integrated solar combined cycle, industrial process heat, air conditioning, and desalination. The selection of heat transfer fluid (HTF) is a part of the design consideration of concentrating solar technologies (CST) since its technical specifications have a significant effect on the system configuration, operating conditions, and levelized energy cost. Several HTFs including water, thermal oils, molten salts, and gases are already in use for PTSC systems, and others including liquid metals, ionic liquids, and nanofluids are still being tested. Each HTF has pros and cons; thermal and thermodynamic evaluations are practical to compare the performance of an HTF with that of its counterparts however they are insufficient to attribute a parabolic trough CST in terms of design concerns. This study has presented an integrated AHP-VIKOR (Analytical Hierarchy Process - VIekriterijumsko KOmpromisno Rangiranje) multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) approach assisted by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to prioritize HTFs, particularly for CST and the results are compared to AHP-TOPSIS (Analytical Hierarchy Process - Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) for validation. While AHP is chosen to decide the criteria weights in the multi-criteria process, VIKOR is used as decision making to rank and prioritize alternatives. Water, Therminol VP-1, Solar salt, Hitec, Hitec XL, Liquid sodium, Lead-bismuth eutectic, Carbon dioxide, Air, and Helium are evaluated as the HTF inventory and a comprehensive CFD study is conducted to benchmark their thermal and thermodynamic properties in a high concentration PTSC in terms of solidification temperature, upper thermal stability, collector efficiency, pumping power consumption, receiver temperature gradient, and irreversibilities. In addition, other critical design considerations of HTFs including material cost, heat storage capability, material compatibility, operational safety aspects, operational maturity, and solar field control sophistication are taken into account in the MCDM process. Results show that the current parabolic trough CST should have priority for the HTFs of water and molten salt (Hitec) but molten metals and gaseous fluids would gain more insight in near future. This study presents an original perspective for deciding suitable HTFs in PTSC applications where thermal and thermodynamic analyses are limited.

Thermodynamic optimisation of solar thermal Brayton cycle models and heat exchangers using particle swarm algorithm

In this work, three variants of the Brayton cycle incorporating concentrated solar technologies and dual regenerative systems are modeled. The first variant employs reheat, intercooling, and regeneration, the second applies intercooling and regeneration while the third case involves regeneration only. With the application of the entropy generation method and particle swarm algorithm (PSA), processes with the largest irreversibilities are noted, minimized and the geometric parameters of participating components are optimized. Results show that irreversibilities occurring in the systems were largely due to finite temperature differences within components. In all cases, the solar receiver and intercooler are the dominant and modest sources of entropy generation respectively. The regenerative system entropy generation is highest in the first case while decreasing in the second and third cases respectively. An improvement in the exergy/availability was observed in the first case, as the first and second law efficiency peaks at 44.9% and 59.68% respectively. Though, with a lower second law efficiency than the former, its percentage network output is equal to the first case at 43%. The aspect ratio, hydraulic diameter, and length of the receiver were observed to vary to enhance greater heat capture and increase the turbine inlet temperature (TIT). The high temperature (HT) regenerator had its geometric properties of a higher magnitude than the low temperature (LT) system as the waste heat recovery is aided by an enhanced heat transfer surface area. In comparison with the single regeneration system, the network output of the dual model was about 33.5% with a significant reduction in the entropy generated, creating a trade-off between operating the system for more power or less generation of irreversibilities.

Exergoeconomic Analysis of an Integrated Solar Combined Cycle in the Al-Qayara Power Plant in Iraq

Enhancing the sustainability and diversification of Iraq’s electricity system is a strategic objective. Achieving this goal depends critically on increasing the use of renewable energy sources (RESs). The significance of developing solar-powered technologies becomes essential at this point. Iraq, similar to other places with high average direct normal irradiation, is a good location for concentrated solar thermal power (CSP) technology. This study aims to recover the waste heat from the gas turbine cycle (GTC) in the Al-Qayara power plant in Iraq and integrate it with a solar power tower. A thermoeconomic analysis has been done to support the installation of an integrated solar combined cycle (ISCC), which uses concentrated solar tower technology. The results indicate that the examined power plant has a total capacity of 561.5 MW, of which 130.4 MW is due to the waste heat recovery of G.T.s, and 68 MW. is from CSP. Due to the waste heat recovery of GTC, the thermal and exergy efficiencies increase by 10.99 and 10.61%, respectively, and the overall unit cost of production is 11.43 USD/MWh. For ISCC, the thermal and exergy efficiencies increase by 17.96 and 17.34%, respectively, and the overall unit cost of production is 12.39 USD/MWh. The integrated solar combined cycle’s lowest monthly capacity was about 539 MW in September, while its highest monthly capacity was approximately 574.6 MW in April.