Accommodating High Levels of Variable Generation - NERC

Characteristics of Power Systems & Variable Generation
Figure 2.9: Parabolic trough CSP plant on a sunny day (Sampling time of 10 sec.)
Figure 2.10: Parabolic trough CSP plant on a partly-cloudy day (Sampling time of 10 sec.)
CSPs described in this section use existing steam-turbine generator designs. The performance of
the steam-turbine generator is well known and understood from both a steady state and
dynamic/transient perspective.
Solar thermal plants can be expected to be deployed as central stations with transmission (or subtransmission)
interconnections. CSPs may also achieve similar economies of scale as turbinegenerators
when their electrical output approaches 50 MW. However, CSPs reach practical
limits, in terms of scale, for individual turbine-generator ratings of around 250 MW. There is
little application for distributed concentrating solar thermal generation.
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