Unit Commitment with Concentrating Solar Power Plant Considering Receiver Operation Mode

Concentrating solar power (CSP) is developing rapidly and becoming a promising alternative to utilize solar energy. Equipped with thermal energy storage (TES), CSP is operational flexible which is beneficial for the operation of the power grid. The central receiver of CSP switches its operation mode under fluctuating solar irradiance to maximize solar energy collection and ensure the operation safety. This paper establishes a detailed CSP model which incorporates the operation mode of the central receiver to improve the model accuracy. A unit commitment model is proposed for the optimal dispatch with CSP under high renewable energy penetration to analyze the benefits of CSP both economically and technically. The results of the IEEE 30-node system show that CSP with TES improves the dispatchability and reduces both operation cost and renewable energy curtailment at various scenarios.