This paper aims to compare the energy, exergy, economic, exergoenvironmental, and environmental (5E) performance of four different organic Rankine cycle (ORC) configurations using benzene as the working fluid, in a solar project in a hot, non-temperate climate. The configurations analyzed include a two-stage series ORC (DSORC) and a three-stage series ORC (TSORC), as well as their respective regenerative variants (R-DSORC) and (R-TSORC). To ensure a fair assessment, a computer program was developed with Engineering Equation Solver (EES) software in order to study the influence of operating parameters on the performance of these systems, providing them with the same total thermal potential. Under basic operating conditions, simulation results show that R-TSORC is the most competitive, with a net power output of 1642 kW, an energy utilization factor of 18.11%, and an exergy efficiency of 25.06%. In addition, it achieves an annual emission reduction in CO2 equivalent of 34210 tonnes, with an exergetic sustainability index of 0.2404. Consequently, the payback period is 4.155 years, and the levelized cost of electricity is 0.06479 $/kWh, which is lower than the cost of self-generated electricity for industries in Cameroon. The results reveal that R-TSORC could be deployed in solar micropower plants located in hot, non-temperate climates. Its ability to efficiently harness solar energy makes it a relevant solution for regions facing problems of access to electricity.
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