A remote integrated energy system based on cogeneration of a concentrating solar power plant and buildings with phase change materials

Independent solar energy systems are an alternative solution for remote areas that are rich in solar resources but difficult to connect to large power grids. The scheduling ability of a concentrating solar power plant with a thermal storage system is better than that of a photovoltaic plant; however, the high investment limits its application compared with a photovoltaic plant. Therefore, an integrated energy system is proposed in this paper. A combined heat and power unit and a concentrating solar power plant are assembled together to improve the thermal energy utilization. Buildings integrated with phase change materials are designed for heating and cooling storage; they provide energy savings of indoor loads and facilitate the efficient operation of conventional units. In addition, the coordinated day-ahead scheduling of the integrated system is formulated as a mixed integer linear programming model given as the minimization of operation cost. The case studies compare several energy supply modes with different forms of electricity and heating supplies. Results are in favor of the coordinated approach that shows better cost-effectiveness and development potential of the proposed energy supply mode.