Viable distributed dish/central plant solar power : Status, new developments, potential

Abstract
Distributed dish central plant systems for electricity generation are an extremely valuable and viable means for providing electricity at small or large scale. Such systems should be considered more seriously due to their many advantages. When the latest developments for large 400m² aperture paraboloidal dish collectors (with high efficiency and low cost) are incorporated and combined in suitable arrays feeding central plant, excellent economic potential can arise, sufficent to place such systems at the forefront of solar thermal technologies. Recent studies involving large paraboidal dish arrays (1MWe - 100MWe) feeding central plant have indicated viable system performance for electricity generation and waste heat utilisation. When such units are used with multiple effect desalination plant, desalination costs can be very reasonable if the electricity generated attracts good buy-back terms. Desalination water costs of less than one dollar Australian per kilolitre can be realised for sea water desalination.