Wednesday, 21 December 2016
Fossile energy carriers still account for the largest share to cover the rising energy need of the MENA-countries. In the research project HyMenSo, scientists of the Institute of Solar Research will investigate for Tunisia, Algeria and Jordan which advantages can result of the combined use of concentrating solar technologies with photovoltaic. Further members of the project consortium are research units from Tunisia, Algeria, Greece and Jordan, which have already successfully collaborated in the earlier project enerMENA.
As a result of economic and population growth, the energy demand of the MENA countries will continue to rise in the coming decades. But although the regenerative energy sources sun and wind are available in abundance, their use is progressing only slowly. One reason for the still small share of renewable energies in the energy mix is the low confidence in the base load capacity of renewable energies.
PV systems without battery storage convince with a simpler installation, lower investment and electricity costs, but can only deliver electricity when the sun is shining. Solar thermal power plants have the advantage that they can use thermal energy storage systems and thus regenerative energy is available even when the sun does not shine. The project partners will evaluate the advantages of hybrid power plants that use both technologies.
The main objectives of the HyMenSo project are:
For HyMenSo (Hybridization Mena Solar), a project of the ERANETMED network, the Institute for Solar Research is receiving funding from the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.