The document provides a comparison of photovoltaic (PV) systems and a small solar thermal dish Stirling engine system for implications in Thailand. It summarizes the key technical characteristics of each system, assuming both maintain an output of 10 kW with 250 kWh of lead acid battery storage. The document also discusses Thailand's potential for solar technologies given its developing status and lower solar insolation compared to other countries. It aims to establish the advantages and disadvantages of the two systems to help guide end users in selecting the best system for Thailand and other markets based on factors like price, maintenance costs, performance and efficiency.

1. ANALYSIS AND COMPARISON ON THE PHOTO VOLTAIC VERSUS
SIAM SOLAR DISH SYSTEM FOR IMPLICATION TO THAILAND
SOFTLAND AND POOR SOLAR INSOLATION NATURE
Suravut SNIDVONGS, EIT member*
Vice President, Asian Renewable Energy Development and Promotion
Foundation (AREF)
211/ 2 V.S.S Bldg, Ratchadaphisek Rd., Din-Daeng, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
Tel 662 276 7908- 0 Fax 662 276 7913 email airscan@cscoms.com
PhD Student, School of Renewable Energy Technology, Naresuan University,
Pitsanulok, Thailand.
ABSTRACT
The detail in this paper is one part of the dissertation development research project on the
solar thermal dish Stirling engine system for a 10 kW power plant with lead acid battery
storage, to be submitted to Naresuan University in Thailand. The project has later been named
“Siam Solar Dish” research project. This paper shows a comparison on technical
characteristics between general photovoltaic systems and a small solar thermal dish Stirling
Engine System, on condition that both systems maintain the same output and storage capacity
at 10 kW with lead acid battery.
The dish in this paper is a parabolic design and equipped with a solar tracker. The Stirling
engine is a 10 kWe four– cylinder, swash- plate design and features a moving tube type heat
exchanger, low offset space, and double acting pistons. The 10 kWe photovoltaic system is
polycrystalline based without solar tracker and for this study both systems are assumed to
maintain the same 250 kWe battery storage.
The researcher in this research project believes that Thailand as a developing country is
still far behind on the know how of high technology in related areas of metallurgy, reflector,
solar tracking, high efficiency and high sensitivity motor, high temperature seal, etc. In
particular, the solar insolation capacity in a very moist climate like Thailand, is also very far
below in comparison to dry country weather. Therefore, it looks quite impossible to design
the above mentioned system in the manner like as being done in other advanced technological
and well developed countries. Inevitably, “Siam Solar Dish I” will not reach high efficiency
level in general performance, but the researcher believes that “Siam Solar Dish I”
manufacturing cost, operating cost, together with her durability capacity would be well
accepted in Thailand’s market including many other under developed countries. However,
“Siam Solar Dish I” design and calculation have been based on 1,000 W/ m2 solar insolation
value, which is the international standard design value referred to in Advanced Dish
Development System 9 kWe (ADDS) [1]
One purpose of this research project is to establish the advantage and disadvantage of both
systems as a guide for the end users to select which system is the best suited for installations
in Thailand, as well as other global markets, in terms of price, maintenance cost, operating
cost, Economy, performance, reliability and efficiency. The comparison in this paper will be
presented in descriptive format, along with relevance photo pictures, graphs, and tables.
* The Engineering Institute of Thailand Under H.M. The King’s Patronage
1

2. Some data came from real world data such as construction cost, material cost, labour cost,
inflation rate, interest rate. Some data came from the researcher’s own experience, together
with various referenced facts and figures from many Thai Government Offices’ published
announcement [2], such as operation and maintenance cost. Other data came from basic
experiments done either at the universities or at the researcher’s own lab room, that these are
solar insolation, PV data, and Stirling engine test with electric heater. And of course, certain
data also came from simple estimation and prediction calculation such as Stirling engine test
with solar insolation [3].
INTRODUCTION
Due to the sharp economic growth rate in Thailand for more than a few decades
continuingly from the past, has thus forced Thailand’s electricity demand to climb up very
sharply to the present. By the year 2010, it has been projected that close to 35,000 MWt will
be required to meet the electricity needs of Thailand’s economy. This prediction has been
prepared by Electrical Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) [4]. Presently, Thailand has
installed an over all power plant capacity at 22,000MWt from year 1997 where Peak Demand
were merely 17,000MWt. Current Consumption Increasing Rate (Forecasted by EGAT) are to
be:
1. Prediction during I.M.F period 4%/ yr
2. Actual demand during I.M.F period 8%/ yr
3. Prediction during sound economy 16% / yr
The Salawin Hydro Power Plant could be completed in the next 50 years under heavy
investment problems encountered on both parties, i.e. Thailand and Burma [5].
Clearly Thailand’s electricity consumption demand cannot continue without facing stiff
environmental consequential or otherwise Thailand will have to shift herself from the existing
power generation base from fossil fuels to renewable forms of energy, of which solar
photovoltaic or solar thermal power etc. seems to be an option. If coal remains as cheap as it
is today due to its relatively abundant supply, renewable energy sources such as PV cells will
hardly gain enough market share to make the efficiency strides necessary to become
competitive. If, however, the environmental externalities were to be factored into the cost of
coal-powered electricity, PV cells would then become comparatively competitive enough to
become an alternate electricity sources.
An internationally proposal of "externality tax" of 0.05 Baht/ kWh or 0.125 c/ kWh
(phased in over 20 years) will be added to the price of coal- powered electricity. In Thailand,
such a tax would generate almost 200 million Baht or 5 million dollars (1 US Dollar = 40
Baht, March 2005) in 20 years, some of which would be used to fund a program to purchase
PV cells or solar thermal systems for all government buildings. This would enable PV and
solar thermal manufacturers to scale up production, with more confidence on a large and
stable market for their product in Thailand. It is sincerely hoped that part of this income
would be spent, on some research and development in Thailand, in the fields of PV and solar
thermal system technology. The result of these programs would be that the country could be
generating 50% of its electricity with PV cells and solar thermal system by the year 2020. The
emissions saved by making this change could be estimated to an equivalent amount of 10
billion tons of carbon from CO2 alone.
It has been well known that, the most apparent and direct method of capturing solar
energy is through solar heating and photovoltaic. This direct capture of solar energy for
2

3. power generation should become the primary source of energy generation on the future,
particularly on the electricity generation aspect. [6].
Presently, the world is increasingly turning to PV cells and Solar Thermal Technology to
supply her growing electricity needs, both in well developed countries where efforts are in
place to reduce fossil fuel emissions, and also in developing countries where PV cells are
already competitive as distributed sources of power due to lack of a centralized distribution
system.[7] However, it is very unfortunate that Solar Thermal Technology has not yet been
competitive since most of these relevant components and systems are still under commercial
development trend.
Not until recently, that the energy and environment problems have simultaneously to
become the Government’s most serious economical debating issues on a global basis.
Therefore, the high efficiency and low pollution engine turns to be needed. The Stirling
engine could respond to such requirement with various excellent characteristics, e.g. high
thermal efficiency, multi- fuel capability, and low pollution emitted. Today, low temperature
difference Stirling engines are expected as power sources with geothermal energy, and high
temperature Stirling engines are to be used as power sources through solar energy. However,
the Stirling engine still could not reach the commercial phase as yet, because the engine is
still left with a few further development problems that needed to be tackled. Those are: a high
production cost, an endurance of a non- lubricated seal device, and a low power to engine
weight ratio.
Table 1 shows that the sun insolation in Thailand is varying between in 450 to 550 W/ m2
whole year round, and the average value is at 500 W/ m2 over the year. We can plot the solar
radiation graph from data of table 1 as in figure 1.
Table 1. Solar Radiation Data
Latitude 14.08 N, Longitude 100.62 E
Month Year Diffuse MJ/ m2 Direct MJ/ m2 Total MJ/ m2
Jun 2003 8.89 12.81 18.63
Jul 2003 8.34 10.26 16.22
Aug 2003 9.56 8.78 16.85
Sept 2003 9.44 6.81 16.00
Oct 2003 7.29 11.97 17.94
Nov 2003 6.16 15.87 19.66
Dec 2003 5.22 17.67 19.71
Jan 2004 5.96 13.31 17.27
Feb 2004 6.54 14.81 19.07
Mar 2004 8.21 12.46 19.07
Apr 2004 7.42 15.48 19.72
May 2004 7.90 9.67 15.90
Jun 2004 8.92 8.33 15.51
Jul 2004 10.02 8.94 17.47
Aug 2004 9.74 8.56 17.56
Sep 2004 8.74 7.61 15.77
Source:Meteorological Station, Energy Laboratory, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand [8]
In this paper, the author has mentioned various referenced operational solar dish
efficiency for the example, reference from McDonnell- Douglas system 29.4% which is not
10kW systems but this value is the highest record that Stirling engine from McDonnell-
3

4. Douglas can do. The target design of Thai’s government on Solar Dish system would like to
have the peak efficiency at 25%. However, the author believes that the appropriate target
efficiency design should be 20% because Thailand has some disadvantage, particularly on
poor solar insolation, low technologies, and low quality of materials in comparison to well
developed countries. In this paper, calculation has been based on the system which operates
24 hrs a day for 365 days per year assumption from lead acid battery storage support.
25 Diffuse
Direct
Total
20
15
MJ/m2
10
5
0
Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May
Month
Figure 1. Solar Insolation of Thailand
Photovoltaic
It has been well known that Photovoltaic systems capture the diffuse solar radiation by
using Silicon Photovoltaic. Figure 2 shows a silicon lattice that contains N- type and P- type.
When a layer of N- type silicon is in direct contact with a layer of P- type silicon a PN
junction forms. This PN junction is characterized by a charge depletion region extending into
the N and P materials. Typically the N- type silicon is more heavily doped resulting in a
larger extension of the depletion region into the P- type material. In this case, when photons
are incident upon the N- type side of the material as shown in Figure 3, they will excite
electron- hole pairs (EHPs).
Devices are usually designed so that short wavelength photons will excite EHPs in the N-
type region, medium wavelength photons will excite EHPs in the depletion region, and long
wavelength photons will excite EHPs in the P- type region. The PN junction has the
characteristic that EHPs formed within a certain volume of silicon as shown in figure 2.
The holes move toward the N- type material and the electrons move toward the P- type
material. This separation of charge creates an electric potential. If electrical contacts are
placed on the front and back of the material, then this potential will drive an electric current
that will be available to do work.
Advantages of photovoltaic cells
1. During operation, PV systems are emissions- free and, as they have no moving parts,
are relatively clean and quiet.
4

5. 2. PV- generated electricity does not have nuclear energy’s security- concerns, regarding
its waste products.
3. The distributed nature of PV electricity helps decrease our susceptibility to any attack
on the electricity grid, as the electricity can be generated in many places instead of only a few
centralized power stations.
4. Photovoltaic systems are a modular system as energy demands increase; new PV cells
can be installed as necessary. This type of system avoids the increased generation capacity
(and excess costs) that comes with bringing a centralized power station online for a growing
community whose demand is not yet in line with what the power station is capable of
producing.
5. The generation of solar electricity coincides with peak energy demand. (Almost
coincides– there is a time difference– the peak demand typically occur a few hours later than
the peak solar insolation so that energy storage is required.) If PV systems are connected to
the point of load, this will eliminate long distance power transfers during times of high-
energy demand. This decreases transmission costs in addition to creating a more stable
energy supply.
Figure 2. Distribution of electrons and holes Figure 3. The anatomy of a PV cell
Source:http://acre.murdoch.edu.au/refiles/pv/text. Source:http://www.eere.energy.gov/pv/pv
html menu.cgi?site=pv&idx=0&body=video.ht
ml
Disadvantages of photovoltaic cells
1. Photovoltaic cells, however, are not as a dependable source of electricity as on case of
coal fossil. They can only generate power during the day, requiring either storage or another
source of power for the electricity needed during the night. Besides, PV cells will not
generate as much electricity on cloudy days and could be severely hampered if blocked by
snow or debris.
2. PV cells come at high initial environmental costs. According to Thailand’s SEPA
regulation, a system with high installation costs in a state without rebates can cost as much as
Bht 400,000/ kW or $10,000/ kW* (depending on location and the interest rate if a loan was
used to purchase the PV module, this could translate into Bht 18.4/ kWh or $0.46/ kWh* for
the entire lifetime of the PV module) [9]. However, as PV cells require no fuel and have no
moving parts, operational costs are minimal.
3. There is also a high environmental cost to produce solar cells. To actually produce a
PV cell requires a lot of energy maintains that the energy buy- back time (the time it takes for
the PV cell to produce as much energy as it cost to produce the PV cell) is 1– 4 years,
depending on the location and application [15]. While the silicon used in most solar cells is
not in itself an environmental contaminant, silicon PV cells do require large amounts of high
5

6. purity water and toxic chemicals to produce. PV cells made of materials beside silicon have
other environmental issues, such as the cadmium (considered a hazardous material to human
beings) that is used in the production of cadmium telluride thin- film PV cells. However,
such a small amount of cadmium is used to produce these cells that even if cadmium telluride
PV cells were to become a major source of electricity generation, the amount of cadmium
used in PV cell production would still remain under 10% of the world’s cadmium use [16].
4. The amount of land required for large- scale solar cell production is another
environmental impact. The area required for 1 MW power plant for 6 hours used at 1,000 W/
m2 could be compared among with the other power generation technology as to be estimated
below:
4.1 Solar Cell with 5% efficiency will require 20,000 m2 or 12.5 rai** of land per MWe.
4.2 Normally, Solar Trough size 8 x 100 m with 75% thermal efficiency would require
4,400 m2, but for shading with multiplier 2.5 the required average will become 11,000 m2 or
6.9 rai** of land per MWe. For system with steam engine efficiency of 30% should require
the same area. ***
4.3 Solar Dish with 29.4% efficiency will require 6,400 to 8,000 m2 or 4 to 5 rai** of
land per MWe.
4.4 Conventional Power Plant normally will require 3,200 m2 or 2 rai** of land per MWe.
5. The amount of waste generated by discarded PV cells will be an issue to be resolved.
However, the lifetime of PV cells is expected to be at least 20- 30 years, so waste generation
will lag behind industry growth, allowing time for research into recycling programs. For the
PV cells that are disposed of in landfills, leaching is not expected to be a significant issue as
many of PV materials are water insoluble and strongly encased in glass or plastic [12].
* 1 US Dollar = 40 Baht, March 2005, ** 1 rai = 1,600 m2
*** In Thailand, a newly developed test engine has been tested as [18] the author found that
much friction loss in the new developed steam engine with swash plate mechanism could be
decreased!
Solar dish
A solar dish- engine system, as shown in figure 6, is an electrical generator that “burns”
sunlight instead of gas or coal to produce electricity. It collects sunlight to produce
electricity. The major parts of the system are the solar concentrator and the power conversion
unit. The solar concentrator tracks the sun, reflecting sunlight into the power conversion unit
(PCU). In the PCU, the concentrated sunlight is absorbed on a thermal receiver where it is
converted into heat to power a Stirling engine. The engine then drives a generator producing
electricity.
Figure 6. Solar Dish
Source: http://www.eere.energy.gov/power/pdfs/solaroverview.pdf
The dish, which is more specifically referred to as a concentrator, is the primary solar
component of the system. It collects the solar energy coming directly from the sun (the solar
6

7. energy that causes you to cast a shadow) and concentrates or focuses it onto a small area. The
resultant solar beam has all of the power of the sunlight hitting the dish, but is concentrated
in a small area so that it can be more efficiently used. Glass mirrors reflect an approximate
92% of the sunlight that hits them, are relatively inexpensive, can be cleaned, and last fairly
long in the outdoor environment, making them an excellent choice for the reflective surface
of a solar concentrator. The dish structure must track the sun continuously to reflect the beam
into the thermal receiver.
The power conversion unit includes the thermal receiver and the engine/ generator. The
thermal receiver is the interface between the dish and the engine/ generator. It absorbs the
concentrated beam of solar energy, converts to heat, and transfers to the engine/ generator. A
thermal receiver can be a bank of tubes with cooling fluid, usually hydrogen, helium,
nitrogen or air, which are the heat transfers medium and also the working fluid for an engine.
The engine/ generator system is the subsystem that takes the heat from the thermal receiver
and uses to produce electricity. The most common type of heat engine used in dish- engine
systems is the Stirling engine. A Stirling engine uses heat provided from an external source
(like the sun) to move pistons and make mechanical power.
Large-scale development of these systems will help us address current and future
electrical power supply needs. The Southwest U.S., Nevada in particular, is an excellent
location for the development and deployment of Solar dish power generation system because
of the high intensity of sunlight available. In Thailand, however, the solar insolation is much
lower than in Southwest U.S or in Africa, but it is still in the working range that the engine
could be in operation. Since the Solar Dish Stirling engine will operate wherever the sun
insolation value exceeds 200 W/ m2, and the average solar insolation in Thailand is at 500 W/
m2, therefore, the solar dish in Thailand could produce a peak power from 9 to 25 kWh at
ease with twice reflector areas than other high insolation country.
These Stirling engines could produce power only when the sun shines. However, Stirling
units can also be equipped to burn natural gas to produce electricity power when the sun is
not shining, or otherwise the electric energy could be stored in batteries to make use of the
electricity power when the sun not shining.
Solar dish engine systems are currently being developed for application in high- value
remote power, distributed system, green power, and other grid- connected markets. Solar dish
engine systems convert sunlight’s into electricity at very high efficiencies- much higher than
any other solar technology. The current record held by a Solar Dish- Stirling engine system
showed that it could be converted to an average of 29.4% [13] of the incident sunlight into
electrical power. It has been known that an Advanced Dish Development System for Remote
Power Applications could provide an opportunity for high-value distributed power (9 B/
kWh or 0.225 $/ kWh and higher for some remote applications) and also for commercial
development.
The Advanced Dish Development System (ADDS) project in Thailand, called “Siam
Solar Dish”, is continuingly under developing and testing of the 10 kW low power to weight
ratio dish Stirling Project, to address the possibility usage in remote applications’ stand-
alone solar home system as the future target use in Thailand’s rural area. This system should
bring the cost of electric down to 2.5 B/ kWh or 6.26 c/ kWh. as shown in page 9 of this
paper.
7

8. Advantages of Solar Dish Stirling Engine
1. Dish engine systems have the attributes of high efficiency, versatility, and hybrid
operation. High efficiency contributes to high power densities and low cost, compared to
other solar technologies. The Stirling engine has better beneficial in comparison to the fuel
types, in two areas:
1.1. Low emission and low pollution.
1.2. High thermal efficiency
2. More than 21,000 hours of a four Stirling engines (10,000 on sun and 11,000 in test
cell). [14]
3. Average daily efficiency of 24% conversion of solar energy into electricity. [14]
4. Peak solar power generation of 29.4%. [14]
5. Depending on the system and the site, dish engine systems require approximately
6,400 to 8,000 m2 or 4 to 5 rai* of land per MWe.
6. Data from AREF, the initial installed costs of Siam Solar Dish System (Solar- only) is
about 151,000 B/ kWe or 3,775 $/ kWe and 250,000 B/ kWe 6,250 $/ kWe for hybrid
systems, in mass production the cost should go down to 100,000 B/ kWe or 2,500 $/ kWe.
This relatively low- cost potential is, to a large extent, a result of dish engine system’s
inherent high efficiency.
7. Because of their versatility and hybrid capability, Solar Dish Stirling engine systems
have a wide range of potential applications. In principle, Solar dish Stirling engine systems
are capable of providing power ranging from kilowatts to gigawatts when used in large array
of farm dishes. However, it is expected that dish engine systems will have their greatest
impact in grid- connected applications in the 1 to 50 MWe power range. The largest potential
market for dish engine is large scale power plants connected to the utility grid.
8. Their ability to be quickly installed, their inherent modularity, and their minimal
environmental impact make them a good candidate for new peaking power installations. The
output from many modules can be ganged together to form a Solar dish Stirling engine farm
and produce a collective output of virtually any desired amount. In addition, systems can be
added as needed to respond to demand increases. Hours of peak output are often coincident
with peak demand. Although Solar dish Stirling engine systems do not currently have a cost-
effective energy storage system, their ability to operate with fossil or bio- derived fuels
makes them, in principle, fully dispatch able. This capability in conjunction with their
modularity and relatively benign environment impacts suggests that grid support benefits
could be major advantages of these systems.
9. Solar dish Stirling engine systems can also be used individually as stand alone systems
for applications such as water pumping. While the power rating and modularity of solar dish
Stirling engine seem ideal for stand alone applications, there are challenges related to
installation and maintenance of these systems in a remote environment. Solar dish Stirling
engine systems need to stow when wind speeds exceed a specific condition, usually 16 m/ s.
Reliable sun and wind sensors are therefore required to determine if conditions warrant
operation. In addition, to enable operation until system can become self sustaining, energy
storage (e.g., battery like those used in a diesel generator set) with its associated cost and
reliability issues is needed. Therefore, it is likely that significant entry in stand alone markets
will occur after the technology has had an opportunity to mature in utility and village- power
markets.
10. Intermediate- scale applications such as small grids (village power) appear to be well
suited to solar dish Stirling engine systems. The economics of scale of utilizing multiple units
8

9. to support a small utility, the ability to add modules as needed, and a hybrid capability make
the solar dish Stirling engine systems ideal for small grids.
11. Because solar dish Stirling engine systems use heat engines, they have an inherent
ability to operate on fossil fuels. The use of the same power conversion equipment, including
the engine, generator, wiring, and switch gear, etc., implies that only the addition of a fossil
fuel combustor is required to enable a hybrid capability. System efficiency, based on the
higher heating value, is expected to be about 30% for a dish/ Brayton system operating in the
hybrid mode. [17]
12. The environmental impacts of solar dish Stirling engine systems are minimal. Stirling
engines are known for being quiet, relative to internal combustion gasoline and diesel
engines, and even the highly recuperated Brayton engines are reported to be relatively quiet.
The biggest source of noise from a solar dish Stirling engine system is the cooling fan for the
radiator. Emissions from solar dish Stirling engine systems are zero except from gas which is
quite low. Other than the potential for spilling small amounts of engine oil or coolant or
gearbox grease, these systems produce no effluent to the environment when operating with
solar energy. Even when operating with a fossil fuel, the steadily flow combustion systems
used in both Stirling and Brayton systems resulted in extremely low emission levels. This is,
in fact, a requirement for the hybrid vehicle and cogeneration applications for which these
engines are primarily being developed.
Disadvantages of Solar Dish Stirling Engine
1. To control the speed of Stirling engine is not easy such as to increase or decrease the
heat temperature or pressure under control by adjusting the phase angle. Some Stirling
engines are designed to maintain a constant speeds whatever the load– these include electric
generators and water pumps. Other engines require speed variation– acceleration or
deceleration.
2. Stirling engine that operates at normal air pressure has a limited potential for
developing power. If an engine is pressurized, however, the output power increases
dramatically.
DISCUSSION
In Thailand, Figure 8 shows the probe of thermometer at focus point on the solar dish
under testing with Thailand’s poor insolation nature. With Thailand’s normal solar insolation
level, the system did produce the actual temperature in the range of 550 to 650 ºC as shown
in Figure 9.
The design and calculation for the “Siam Solar Dish” are based on the standard solar
insolation design value of 1,000 W/ m2. Through this figure, we will proceed to compare
with other world recorded Solar Dish Engine on the aspects of efficiency, and power output,
at various solar insolation.
9

10. removed by an engine for a fairly
short time period. The purpose was
to prove that, even though Thailand
had poor insolation level, the
parabolic dish can collect the
energy at the same temperature
level in comparison to other solar
dish station in the world. The only
difference may be the collector
area should be larger, lower
concentration ratio, etc.
Figure 8. Temperature tested at Source: AREF, Thailand, March
focus point through a stagnation 2003.
temperature test with no heat
Power Output VS Insolation
18
16
Power Output (kW)
14
12
10
8
6
4 Design Value
2 Test Value
0
0 250 500 750 1000
Solar Insolation (W/m2)
Figure 9. The parabolic dish easily Figure 10. Gross system output of
reach the temperature 550 ºC or the “Siam Solar Dish System” on
more. December 2004, projected from a
Source: AREF, Thailand, April 4x 5 kW electric heater tests as
2003. data to predict for Solar test mode.
Source: AREF, Thailand, March
2005.
Figure 11 Stirling Engine at AREF laboratory
Source: AREF, Thailand, March 2005-03-31
10

11. Engine Test
Figure 11 shows the prototype engine at AREF and Figure 10 shows the test result of the
10 kW “Siam Solar Dish”. The original insolation design value of this system is at the
maximum level of 1,000 W/ m2. This number based on the standard of ADDS project. The
graph shows the design insolation values varying from 150 to 1,000 W/ m2 with the
calculated deliverable output varying from 2.5 to 17kWe. The test result shows the insolation
value varying from 250 to 555 W/ m2 with the actual output power varying from 2.8 to 8.2
kW. This result does not exactly coincide with the original design value because Thailand
has lower insolation than in dry weather country with solar insolation varying from 850 to
950 W/ m2. However, the “Siam Solar Dish” would start operating from the insolation level
of 250 W/ m2, a bit higher than the original expected design insolation value at 200 W/ m2.
Also the maximum power output is merely 8.2 kWe not 17 kWe; due to the above mentioned
lower insolation level in Thailand climate. The graph also indicated that the fabricated
system could provide more output, if the available insolation values continue to increase.
This engine was tested at AREF with 4 x 5 kW electric heaters. The target efficiency value of
this engine from table 11 is 20%. This test value based on electric heater, as the calibration of
the engine and ADDS standard. For the real solar test is under the process and expect to have
the efficiency around 20%.
Construction Costs
All data came from original cost of real construction prototype system at AREF and
Naraesuan University, Thailand.
Table 2. Actual construction costs for small solar thermal dish Stirling 10 kW system
with lead acid battery.
Descriptions Bht US $
Designing Fee 100,000.00 2,500.00
Foundation 250,000.00 6,250.00
Space Frame Structure 200,000.00 5,000.00
Reflector Material 60,000.00 1,500.00
Tracking System 150,000.00 3,750.00
Stirling Engine 400,000.00 10,000.00
Generator 10 kW 50,000.00 1,250.00
Control System 100,000.00 2,500.00
Lead Acid Battery 60 kW 150,000.00 3,750.00
Inverter System 10 kW 50,000.00 1,250.00
Wiring System 50,000.00 1,250.00
Total 1,560,000.00 39,000.00
/kWe 156,000.00 3,900.00
Notes: 1 US Dollar = 40 Baht, March 2005
Source: AREF, Thailand, March 2005.
11

12. Table 3. Actual construction costs for single crystalline photovoltaic 10 kW systems
with lead acid battery.
Descriptions Bht US $
Designing Fee 100,000.00 2,500.00
Foundation 50,000.00 1,250.00
Steel Structure 200,000.00 5,000.00
Single Crystalline Photovoltaic 10 2,000,000.00 50,000.00
kW
Charge Controller System 150,000.00 3,750.00
Lead Acid Battery 60 kW 150,000.00 3,750.00
Inverter System 10 kW 50,000.00 1,250.00
Wiring System 50,000.00 1,250.00
Total 2,750,000.00 68,750.00
/ kWe 275,000.00 6,875.00
Notes: 1 US Dollar = 40 Baht, March 2005
Source: AREF, Thailand, March 2005.
Tables 2 and 3 are the actual costs for construction of solar thermal dish Stirling 10 kW
which is $39,000.00, so, 1 kW of construction cost will be $3,900.00. The plant life is 10
years so the depreciation in 10 years will be 39,000/ (10 x 365 x 24) = $0.0445, and the
actual costs for construction of photovoltaic 10 kW which is $ 68,750.00. The plant life is 10
years so the depreciation in 10 years will be 68,750/ (10 x 365 x 24) = $ 0.785. These figures
based on economic calculation, the depreciation must calculate from total life, and/that can
not use operation times to be calculated, such as, 6 hours per day. These tables summarized
facts and figures of the actual construction costs, with available materials in Thailand, for the
dish structure, foundation, solar tracker circuit, solar trackers’ drive mechanism, together
with the Stirling engine. The generator, cyclo-drive motor, and reduction gear are Mitsubishi
supplies, with the reflector from Miro-Sun. The two tables show that both systems have the
same designing fees, same steel structure, same lead acid battery, same inverter system, and
the same wiring system. The total costs Solar thermal dish Stirling engine system will have
lower construction costs in comparison to the photovoltaic system, at Bht 156,000.00 or $
3,900.00 VS Bht 275.000.00 or $ 6.875.00.
Figure 12. Parabolic Dish Structure at Naraesuan University, Thailand. Basic engineering
and calculation for steel structure, foundation done by the author. Steel fabrication work done
by Don Bosco Technical School. Erection and Installation work done by the author and the
University staffs. Controller system, Solar Tracker mechanism and circuit design and
assembly work by the author.
12

13. Figure 13. Single Crystalline Figure 14. Solar tracker sensor, AREF,
Photovoltaic at Naraesuan University, Thailand
Thailand
Table 4. Operating Costs and Production Costs/ kWh for solar thermal dish Stirling 10 kW
with lead acid battery for 10 years period in Thailand.
Descriptions Bht/ kWh US $/ kWh
Power Plant Cost 1.78 0.0445
Operation Cost 10 % * 0.178 0.0044
Inflation 7 %* 0.125 0.0031
Interested 15 %* 0.27 0.0067
Maintenance Cost 15 %* 0.27 0.0067
Electrical Cost 2.62 0.0655
Notes: 1 US Dollar = 40 Baht, March 2005, *Thai’s standard Source: AREF, Thailand, March 2005.
Table 5. Operating Costs and Production Costs/ kWh for Single Crystalline Photovoltaic 10
kW with lead acid battery for 10 years period in Thailand.
Descriptions Bht/ kWh US $/ kWh
Power Plant Cost 3.02 0.0755
Operation Cost 10 %* 0.30 0.0075
Inflation 7 %* 0.21 0.0053
Interested 15 %* 0.45 0.0113
Maintenance Cost 30 %* 0.91 0.0227
Electrical Cost 4.89 0.1223
Notes: 1 US Dollar = 40 Baht, March 2005, *Thai’s standard Source: AREF, Thailand, March 2005.
Table 6. Solar dish power technology projected cost.
Descriptions US $
Power Plant Cost / kW 2,900
O&M / kWh 0.02
LEC year 2000 - 2010 / kWh 0.086- 0.13 to 0.04-0.06
Source: Sun Lab DOE/GO-10098-563, April 1998 [14]
Table 4 and 5 show the actual operation and production cost of both systems in Thailand.
This costing value was calculated on a 365 days at 24 hours per day of operation for 10 years
basis. The pre- assumed percentage values were based on the researcher’s own experience
and frequently used facts and figures available in Thailand’s normal and practical operating
cost, inflation, interest rate, and maintenance cost. The operating cost, Inflation, Interest, and
the related Maintenance Cost came from the percentage times the power plant cost. The
electrical cost will be the sum of power plant cost, operation cost, inflation, interested rate,
13

14. maintenance cost. The two tables show that both systems had the same percentage of
operating cost, inflation, and interest rate. Photovoltaic system has higher maintenance cost
than solar thermal dish Stirling because the spare parts of photovoltaic are much more
expensive than solar thermal dish Stirling, as this Stirling engine was local made in Thailand
by the author et. al. The photovoltaic system would provide the electrical cost at 2.62 Bht/
kWh or $0.1223 / kWh and the Solar thermal dish Stirling will produce electricity at 4.89
Bht/ kWh or $0.0655/ kWh cost.
Table 6 shows world wide recorded concentrating solar dish power technology projected
cost from April 1998. [15] The cost of power plant per kilowatt is US $ 2,900 from table 2;
the cost of power plant in Thailand March 2005 cost US $ 3,900. These cost if consider
inflation rate 7% for 7 years would become US $ 1,460 added to the cost of the year 1998, so
the price will then become 4,660 which is much higher than the “Siam Solar Dish” at US $
1,760. Furthermore, the “Siam solar dish” had the battery and the inverter included in the
cost, which should be discarded, because in normal operation the system will operate only
under the a.c. mode so the total price on “Siam Solar Dish” should go further down to US $
3,400 instead of 3,900.
Performance
From Tables 7 and 8, with the same power peak output, 10 kW, the PV system will
require more area to install system than Solar dish Stirling by two times. The efficiency
before inverter and battery PV system will be 10% but Solar Dish will be 25% that is 2.5
times much higher than PV system. The efficiency of battery and invert for both systems are
the same so the total efficiency of PV system is going down to 8.55% compare to Solar Dish
which is 14.25%. The power plant costs per kilowatt PV are much higher than solar dish 1.75
times. The total electrical price produced from PV system will be around 4.89 B/ kWe (0.12
$/ kWe) and Solar Dish will be around 2.62 B/ kWe (0.06625 $/ kWe) as no maintenance
cost from foreign technology, but only technology develop in side the country. This make
cost of spare parts lower, even the engine has moving part but the life time of the parts will
last longer. Both systems have quite the same reliability as they have same sun insolation,
same location, same capacity of battery 250 kW and same inverter. The only different was
the method to convert energy to electricity; PV system has lower efficiency to convert energy
to electricity than Solar Dish system.
A solar hour in Thailand is approximate 6 hours, from 9.00 am to 15.00 pm. Solar cell 10
kW systems required 100 m2 of solar collector area. Solar Dish 10 kW system required 50 m2
of solar collector area. Data from table 8 can plot the graph as shown in Figure 15.
Table 7. Comparison between PV versus Solar Dish 10 kW power plant for 24 hrs/ day
operation with lead acid battery in Thailand
Descriptions Solar Dish Stirling Photovoltaic
Land Area m2 120.00 120.00
2
Operation Area m 50.00 100.00
Hour of Operation/ year 8,760.00 8,760.00
Efficiency % 25.00 10.00
Battery Efficiency % 60.00 60.00
Inverter Efficiency % 95.00 95.00
Total Efficiency 14.25 8.55
Cost / kWe 156,000.00 275,000.00
Electric Price B/ kWh 2.62 4.89
Technology 90 % made in Thailand High Technology,
just assembly in
Thailand
14

15. Production energy same same
Stand Alone Unit same same
Energy receiver Direct Diffuse
Method of conversion Concentration Non- Concentration
Direct Pollution Impact None None
Indirect Pollution Impact Some Some
Source: Frequently Asked Question about Solar Cells NSTDA, [16] and AREF, Thailand, March
2005.
Table 8. Energy capture by PV versus Solar Dish with same land area
Diffuse Direct Dish @
Mon PV@ 8.55% kWh/ m2 14.25%
MJ/ m2 kWh/ m2 MJ/ m2 kWh/ m2
kWh/ m2
Jun 8.89 2.47 0.21 12.81 3.56 0.50
Jul 8.34 2.32 0.20 10.26 2.85 0.41
Aug 9.56 2.66 0.23 8.78 2.44 0.35
Sep 9.44 2.62 0.22 6.81 1.89 0.27
Oct 7.29 2.03 0.17 11.97 3.33 0.47
Nov 6.16 1.71 0.15 15.87 4.41 0.63
Dec 5.22 1.45 0.12 17.67 4.91 0.70
Jan 5.96 1.66 0.14 13.31 3.70 0.53
Feb 6.54 1.82 0.16 14.81 4.11 0.59
Mar 8.21 2.28 0.19 12.46 3.46 0.49
Apr 7.42 2.06 0.18 15.48 4.30 0.61
May 7.90 2.19 0.19 9.67 2.69 0.38
Remark: Data from year 2003– 2004
Source: AREF, Thailand, March 2005.
Figure 15. Solar Dish VS Solar Cell with
same collector area
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
kW/m2
0.5 Solar Dish
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1 PV
0
Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May
Month
From table 8 can plot the graph as shown in Figure 15 for Solar Dish VS Solar Cell
with same collector area. This figure show the energy received by each system during each
month of the year.
15

16. Table 9. Total energy capture by PV and Solar Dish
PV Solar Dish
Month 2
kWh/ m kW kWh/ m2 kW
Jun 0.21 126 0.50 150
Jul 0.20 120 0.41 123
Aug 0.23 138 0.35 105
Sep 0.22 132 0.27 81
Oct 0.17 102 0.47 141
Nov 0.15 90 0.63 189
Dec 0.12 72 0.70 210
Jan 0.14 84 0.53 159
Feb 0.16 96 0.59 177
Mar 0.19 114 0.49 147
Apr 0.18 108 0.61 183
May 0.19 114 0.38 114
Average 108 148.25
Battery 60 % 180 247.08
Figure 16. Total Energy Capture by PV and
Solar Dish
350
300
250
200
Solar Dish
Kw
150
100
50 PV
0
Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May
Month
From table 9 can plot the graph as shown in Figure 16 for Total Energy capture by
PV and Solar Dish. This figure show the net energy received by each system during each
month of the year.
16

17. Comparison between Solar Dish and Solar Cell
Table 10. The comparison between Solar dish with solar cell in Thailand.
Descriptions Solar Dish Solar Cell
Technology 90% made in Thailand Imported high
technology, not ready
to make in Thailand,
Only assembly.
Production Electric Electric
energy
Stand Alone Large Small
Unit
Energy receiver Direct Diffuse
Method of Concentration Non-Concentration
conversion
Pollution None None
Electricity A.C. D.C
Inverter None Needed
Construction Normal Very High
Cost
Operation Medium Easy
Maintenance Low High
Cost
B/ kWh 2.62 4.89
Source: AREF, Thailand, March 2005.
In table 10 show the comparison between Solar Dish with Solar Cell in Thailand for
Production of Energy, Size, Can stand alone or not, Method of Energy received, Method of
power conversion, Pollution, Type of electricity produce, Required inverter or not,
Construction cost, Operation, Maintenance cost, Cost of produce energy per kilowatt.
According to the present technological capacity available in Thailand, it is apparent that
the “Siam Solar Dish” could be fabricated fairly easily locally in Thailand by Thai’s
engineers and technicians. However, the Single Crystalline Photovoltaic cannot yet be
manufactured in Thailand. It could only be assembled inside the country with available
facilities. Both systems can produce electricity, where as the Stirling/ generator can produced
both AC and DC, while the PV can produce only DC. Solar Dish can be stand alone unit up
to a very large system capacity, while the PV will be installed in Thailand only as a very
small system to an individual household unit. Solar Dish requires direct radiation with
concentrator but PV use only diffuse radiation without concentrator. Both systems emit non
pollution. PV always needs the inverter to produce AC, which is normally considered to be
inferior environmental characteristics, while Solar Dish is not necessary to do so. Solar Dish
has lower construction cost, maintenance cost, and less area requirement than PV. However,
the operation procedure for PV is much simpler than Solar Dish. Cost of electricity produced
on Solar Dish is 2.62 Bht/ kWh or 0.0655 $/ kWh. And 4.89 Bht/ kWh or 0.1223 $/ kWh for
PV. This data is based on the information gathered from AREF in March 2005.
Additionally, the author choose MIRO-SUN as the solar dish reflector material because
they have the reflectance > 90 % as shown in figure 17. This data came from their
specification sheets [19]. This material has light weight, durable, and can be used out door.
17

18. Design Target Characteristics of the “Siam Solar Dish”
Table 11. Design Target Characteristics [20]
Dish Structure
Type Delta Truss
Diameter 8.4 m
System Height 10 m
Focus 4 m
Maximum Wind Load 160 Km/hr
Normal Working Wind
65 Km/hr
Load
Life Load 50 Kg/m2
Service Load 15 Kg/m2
Foundation Type Concrete design for Soft Land
Solar Concentrator
Type Fixed focus facets
Receiver Direct Illumination
Area 55 m2
Number of Facets 64
Reflective Surface 0.5 mm Aluminum MIRO-SUN
Reflectance [19] > 90 %
Stirling Engine
Type Double-Acting
Working Gas Helium/ Nitrogen/ Air
Max. Expansion gas
600 C (+/- 5 C)
temp
Compression space gas
40– 80 C (+/- 5 C)
temp
Thermal Efficiency 40 %
Power Control Variable Pressure
Engine Weight 300 kg *
No. of Cylinders 4
Means Pressure 0.25, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9 MPa
Maximum Pressure 2.5 Mpa
Engine Displacement,
1300 x 4
cc.
Bore, mm. 150
Stroke, mm. 50
Speed, rpm 500 - 1500
Cooling type Oil Cooling
Output Power 10.5 kW
Max Solar Insolation 1000 W/ m2 **
Min Solar Insolation 200 W/ m2
Target Peak Efficiency 20%
Tracking System
Tracking System H-Bridge 2 axis
Power to Track 0.746 kW x 2
Speed Control Mitsubishi Inverter
Gear Ratio 1:7200
Motor speed 900 rpm
18

19. Generator
Type Asynchronous alternator
Voltage 3 Ø 380 V 50 Hz
Poles 6
R.P.M 900
Efficiency 95%
Power Generate 10 kW
* Excludes PCU and mounting facilities ** Designed value
Table 11 shows the design target characteristics of Siam Solar Dish Stirling 10 kW
and Table 13 shows part of materials used to make the Stirling Engine, Prototype. After
construct this system the tested result will use to compare with these characteristics. The
author hopes the test results will close to this design data approx 85 %. The system now still
under test and wait for final setp.
Table 12. System Characteristics and Specifications of ADDS
Characteristics and Specifications Mod 1
Overall Diameter (m) 8.8
Focus (m) 5.448
Mirror projected area (m2) 64
Elevation Tracking range -20 to 84 degrees
Elevation & Azimuth Drive Speed 38 degrees/min
Tracking structure weight 1,275 kg
Pedestal & Azimuth Drive Assy. 831 kg
SOLO 161 Weight 455 kg*
Foundation and (aperture) weight 3,320 kg (71.55 kg/m2)
Operation Wind Up to 56 km/hr
Operating Temperature Range -29 ºC to 50 ºC
Operating Humidity 100 %
Survival Wind any dish Attitude Up to 80.5 km/hr
Survival Wind at stow position Up to 145 km/hr
Survival humidity 100 %
Site conditions Windy, Rain, Hot
* Includes PCU and mounting facilities.
Source: The Advanced Dish Development System Project, Proceeding of Solar Forum 2001,
Solar Energy, April 21-25, 2001, Washington, DC.
19

20. Part Materials
Table 13. Part Materials
Descriptions Material Reason to choose
Type
Power Piston Aluminum Light weight, easy to machine, low price
Power Piston Synthetic Stronger, Withstand friction, low price
Seal Rubber
Piston Rod Arc chrome Hardened, Withstand friction, reasonable
Steel Price
Power Piston Stainless No Rust, High Pressure, easy to machine,
Housing low price
Engine Base Steel Easy to machine, very low price
Swash Plate Steel Easy to machine, very low price, strong
Engine Shaft Steel Easy to machine, very low price, strong
Cooler Bronze Good heat transfer, reasonable price
Displacer end Stainless High Temperature, easy to machine, low
price
Displacer Stainless High Temperature, easy to machine, low
price
Displacer seal Bronze High Temperature, good lubricate with out
oil
Regenerator Stainless High Temperature, easy to find, low price
Displacer Stainless High Temperature, easy to find, low price
Housing
Heater Stainless High Temperature, easy to find, low price
Piston Rod Seal Synthetic Stronger, Withstand friction, low price
Rubber
Fly Wheel Steel Good mass, easy to find, low price
Table 14. Polycrystalline Module Specification
Model PV- MF120EC3
Cell Type Polycrystalline silicon 150 mm
square
No. of Cell 36 in series
Maximum power rating Pmax 120 W
Open circuit voltage Voc 22.0 V
Short circuit current Isc 7.36 A
Maximum power voltage Vmp 17.6 V
Maximum power current Imp 6.82 A
Maximum system voltage DC 780 V
Fuse rating 15 A
Output terminal Terminal block
Dimensions 1425x608x56 mm
Weight 11.5 kg
Source: Mitsubishi [18]
20

21. Figure 17. MIRO- SUN % total reflection
Source: MIRO- SUN [19]
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
The “Siam Solar Dish System (SSDS)” was designed to meet Thailand weather
environment, such as: humidity, solar insolation, soft land, and wind load, etc. The
construction cost, maintenance cost, interest rate, inflation rate, and its related operating cost,
used in the calculation work in this research project, were based on the researcher’s
experience, together with the general normal practical construction facts and figures used by
contractors in Thailand. The author of this research design project has performed the
calculation work on the parabolic structure, delta truss column support and delta truss ring,
geodesic dome, thin shell reflector thickness and foundation, specially, designed for soft land
country, including the calculation work on the Stirling engine system by himself. The
mechanical structure and the engine were fabricated by Don Bosco Technical School under
the author’s supervision. The author and his staff have managed the erection and installation
work of the system at Naraesuan University Thailand to compare with the PV system at the
same location. The author also designs and assemblies the circuit of solar tracker and sensor
including the tracker drive mechanism by himself. The system is now under testing for
reliability and endurance.
Figure 10 shows the test of Stirling engine 10 kW with 4 x 5 kW electric heaters and used
the standard from ADDS [1] as shown in Table 12, which had the same capacity 10 kW,
design their system with solar insolation 1,000 W/m2 to compare with author engine. It
predicts that author engine should have the power output 17 kW at 1,000 W/m2. In table 11,
Design Target Characteristics of Siam Solar Dish show the peak efficiency 20% at max solar
insolation 1,000 W/ m2 and min solar insolation 200 W/ m2. As Thailand has poor insolation
level, the engine can be started at 250 W/ m2 to 555 W/ m2, actual output power varying from
2.8 to 8.2 kW. The target efficiency value of this engine from table 11 is 20 %. This test
value based on electric heater, as the calibration of the engine and ADDS standard. For the
real solar test is under the process and expect to have the efficiency around 20%.
It could be drawn to conclusion that Thailand solar insolation level can work well with
both systems. Solar dish will however use less collector area than PV for a half to produce
the same output power. The initial construction cost of solar cell is much more than solar
dish system. The cost of electricity for solar cell is much more than solar dish by two times.
With battery it can make solar dish system operate at night with out using other fossil fuel, so
the system will be zero percent pollution emission.
The author in this project had found that the technology could be optimized, if there is the
well design of Solar Dish Stirling Generator by matching with the criterion of the end users.
It can be reduced cost, increased performance, high endurance, easy to operate and minimum
21

22. maintenance. Local materials that can find easily in Thailand would induce the world to
adopt the Solar Dish Stirling Power Plant faster than their expected.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This research was prepared by Mr. Suravut SNIDVONGS, Vice President, Asian
Renewable Energy Development and Promotion Foundation, EIT member, a PhD Student,
School of Renewable Energy Technology, Naraesuan University, Pitsanulok, Thailand. The
author would like to acknowledge the assistance and guidance of Asian Renewable Energy
Development and Promotion Foundation Dr. Sub.Lt. Prapas Limpabandhu Deputy Minister
of Foreign Affair, Mr. Sutas AROONPAIROJ and staffs, the Engineering Institute of
Thailand members who provided a critical review of this research through its various stages,
including Dr. Chavalit THISAYAKORN IEEE Valued Senior Member, and EIT Fellow
member and her EE Chief Director, and the Naraesuan University Staffs, especially the Don
Bosco Technical School staffs for their fabrication and construction work on the prototype.
Finally, the author would like to thank the numerous industries to provide information for
this research.
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22

23. [19] MIRO – SUN Specification, (2002), MIRO–SUN Corp., Germany.
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Stirling Power Plant 10 kW with lead acid battery storage in Thailand. 12 th Solar Paces
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23