Techno-economic and sensitivity analysis of a hybrid concentrated photovoltaic/thermal system and an organic Rankine cycle to supply energy to sports stadiums

Abstract

One of the main disadvantages of optical concentrators is that the temperature of the panel increases too much due to the radiation being concentrated on it. To reduce the temperature of solar panels, cooling technology is used utilizing an operating fluid (usually water). After cooling the system, the temperature of the operating fluid rises and its heat can be used in the cold seasons for heating purposes and in the hot seasons by the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology to generate electricity, and in this way, the overall efficiency of the system can be significantly increased. In the proposed system, first, a part of the concentrated solar radiation in the photovoltaic (PV) panel is converted into electrical energy, and the rest of the energy is in the form of heat, a part of which is emitted to the environment by convection and radiation heat transfer from the system itself, and the rest of the heat is emitted by the operating fluid turns the turbine and generates electricity. The simulation results of this system show that for the investment cost of the Rankine cycle in the amount of 1500–3100$/kW, the investment return time is 3.05–5.34 years.