Market potential for distributed solar dish-stirling power plants operated in solar-only and solar/natural gas hybrid modes

This study was undertaken to estimate utility market potential for dish-Stirling systems (dishes or solar dishes) in the Southwestern United States for the year 2002. Special consideration was given to: 0 Distributed benefits associated with locating generation near loads 0 Value of solar generated electric energy at various times of the daylyear. The study was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and managed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Beyond use as a solar-only conversion device, solar dish-Stirling systems can be hybridized to use nonsolar fuel (e.g., natural gas) to generate: 0 Emergency power at night or on cloudy days 0 When a utility needs more power than insolation can pro-