Solar Thermal Energy Storage Systems

A solar pond can be used for various applications such as process heating desalination refrigeration drying and solar power generation.

Solar thermal energy storage systems. Solar thermal energy in this system is stored in the same fluid used to collect it. Most practical active solar heating systems provide storage from a few hours to a day s worth of energy collected. Heat storage enables better utilization of the steam turbine. However there are a growing number of facilities that use seasonal thermal energy storage stes enabling solar energy to be stored in summer for space heating use during winter.

Storage of thermal energy is easier and cheaper than storage of electrical energy 10. A solar pond is a pool of saltwater which acts as a large scale solar thermal energy collector with integral heat storage for supplying thermal energy. The drake landing solar community in alberta canada has now achieved a year round 97 solar. Fluid from the low temperature tank flows through the solar collector or receiver where solar energy heats it to a high temperature and it then flows to the high.

This is one of the advantages of solar thermal energy. The integration of thermal energy storage systems enables concentrating solar power csp plants to provide dispatchable electricity. The storage system is necessary to cover the possible mismatch between the solar energy available and the demand. The fluid is stored in two tanks one at high temperature and the other at low temperature.