Techno-economic analysis and environmental benefits of solar industrial process heating based on parabolic trough collectors

In this work, detailed techno-economic and environmental analyses are conducted for employing a 5 MWt parabolic trough-based solar industrial process heat (SIPH) plant in Salt Lake City, Utah. According to the results, an optimum solar multiple of 1.5 was determined, allowing the plant to generate annual thermal energy of 15389.24 MWth with a capacity factor of 35.1% and levelized cost of heat (LCOH) of $26.3/MWth. Considering a 30% investment tax credit and a 30% reduction in the total installed cost could reduce the LCOH to $19.30/MWth and $18.52/MWth, respectively. Employing parabolic trough collectors could avoid emissions of 3,582,422.47 kg, 147.99 kg, 3,341.66 kg, and 14.32 kg for CO2, PM, NOx, and SO2, respectively per year compared to a natural gas-based plant. It also caused an annual external cost savings of between $99,900 and $357,004. Including the external costs in the LCOH analysis shows that the SIPH plant is economically competitive with a natural gas-based plant, further demonstrating its value. A further comparison demonstrated the economic superiority of a parabolic trough-driven IPH plant over a photovoltaic-driven electric boiler plant. In summary, with reducing installed costs and providing incentives, parabolic trough-driven IPH plants will be an economically and environmentally viable option.

Automated summary

The study demonstrates that a parabolic trough-driven solar industrial process heat (SIPH) plant can generate annual thermal energy with reduced levelized cost by optimizing solar multiple and considering investment tax credits. This technology also significantly reduces emissions of pollutants compared to a natural gas-based plant, resulting in cost savings and competitive advantage. Including external costs in the analysis further highlights the economic competitiveness and environmental benefits of the SIPH plant.