Design and Analysis of a CSP Plant and Pumped Hydro Storage Facility

Abstract This paper demonstrates the design and analysis of a power plant that uses a concentrating solar power (CSP) system in conjunction with pumped hydro energy storage (PHES). The facility proposed here is for the Hoover / Davis Dam network. This system generates energy for use in the evening hours from 4–9 PM when energy demand reaches its peak. The predicted annual power output for the facility is 8,427 GWh. Energy storage of 294 MWth will assist in startup during the early morning hours and will allow the power plant to be operated at full capacity throughout the day. The construction cost for the powerplant is estimated to be 1.64 million USD per GWh, 23% of which is for energy storage. The estimated Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) for the CSP/PHES project is 12.63 ¢/kWh. Details of the simulation of the proposed power plant using NREL System Advisor Model (SAM) are given herein.