Solar energy conversion with thermal cycles - Solar Energy Sciences and Engineering Applications - page 477

assumed the same power plant efficiency and electricity production shown in Table
14.6.1. Obviously, solar field improvement can also come from a performance stand-
point, not only from an economic perspective. Figure 14.6.2 shows that assuming a
cost reduction of 50% moves CSP technology closer to the reference fossil fuel-based
plants.
As regards competitive renewable technologies, photovoltaics have recently
become cheaper than CSP, thanks to a higher installed capacity globally (in the range
of 100 GW, which is 50 times more than CSP) and economies-of-scale effects owing
to larger production volumes by manufacturers. For example, PV costs reduced from
about 3000

/kW in
2012. Admittedly, however, the operating hours of PV systems are also shorter since
they have no storage capability.
However, unlike photovoltaic and wind energy, concentrated solar power sys-
tems have a great advantage in terms of “dispatchability'', namely the capability of
decoupling electricity production from the availability of the source through thermal
energy storage systems. Dispatchability will be the key factor for CSP plants in future
scenarios in which renewable energy sources will gain in importance in electricity
grids.

a /kW in 2010, when they were similar to CSP plants, to 1500 a

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