Multi-energy complementary power systems based on solar energy: A review

Solar energy is considered to be one of the most potential alternative energy resources because of its free, pollution-free and abundant reserves. However, fluctuating and intermittent of solar energy make the popularization and commercialization of large-scale solar power generation difficult to achieve, limiting the development of solar power technologies. The developments of energy storage and multi-energy complementary technologies can solve this problem of solar energy to a certain degree. The multi-energy hybrid power systems using solar energy can be generally grouped in three categories, which are solar-fossil, solar-renewable and solar-nuclear energy hybrid systems. For different kinds of multi-energy hybrid power systems using solar energy, varying research and development degrees have been achieved. To provide a useful reference for further studies of solar hybrid power systems, a comprehensive review of multi-energy hybrid power systems based on solar energy is presented in this work. Relevant issues of seven different kinds of solar hybrid power systems are introduced and discussed, including the research and development progresses, typical configurations, advantages, disadvantages, challenges and research directions.