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Selection of condenser cooling technology can affect the financial as well as technical viability of concentrating solar power (CSP) plants. Detailed comparative assessment of three cooling technologies, i.e., wet, dry, and hybrid, is therefore desirable so as to facilitate selection of optimum cooling technology for the plant. Despite the high efficiency of wet cooling technology, considering the fact that the potential plant locations are generally in arid regions suffering from water scarcity, it is imperative to explore and consider other water conserving condenser cooling options. A review and comparison of technical, economic, and environmental aspects of the three condenser cooling technologies for CSP plants have been presented. Adoption of dry or hybrid technology as against wet cooling technology may lead to reduced thermal performance and increased parasitic power requirement resulting in the high cost of electricity generation. However, the same also results in reduced cooling water requirement up to 92% and thus increase the potential of solar thermal power generation considerably as sites in arid areas can also be utilized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we estimate the cost reduction potential of parabolic trough based concentrated solar Power systems in India and consequently their implications for levelized cost of electricity. Using the past as well as envisaged global cumulative diffusion of CSP systems and the learning rates reported in the literature, the expected capital cost of parabolic trough based CSP systems in India has been estimated. Present capital cost of parabolic trough based CSP plant in India has been taken as US $2540/kW. Local manufacturing of CSP components and consequently reduced logistics is expected to reduce the capital cost by 14% and 8% respectively. A learning rate of 10% for the global cumulative diffusion in the base case scenario is expected to reduce capital cost to 49% of the present cost by the end of 2050. Present LCOE of US $151/MWh of CSP plant in India is expected to reduce to US $76/MWh by the end of 2050. Provision of 6 hour thermal storage is expected to reduce LCOE of CSP plant in India by 18% as compared to LCOE of CSP plant without storage. Analysis for different learning rates (5%, 10% and 15%) for CSP plant and different discount rates (6%, 8% and 10%) has also been undertaken and results obtained are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]