Small-scale hybrid parabolic dish concentrated solar power systems are a promising option to obtain distributed electricity. During the day, solar energy is used to produce electricity, and the absence of sunlight can be overwhelmed with fuel combustion. This study presents a thermo-economic survey for a hybridized power plant in different regions of Spain, considering the local climatic conditions. The developed model considers the instant solar irradiance and ambient temperature dynamically, providing an estimation of the power output, the associated fuel consumption, and the most relevant pollutant emissions linked to combustion. Hybrid and combustion-only operating modes at selected geographical locations in Spain (with different latitudes, mean solar irradiances, and meteorological conditions) are analyzed. The levelized cost of electricity indicator is estimated as a function of investment, interest rate, maintenance, and fuel consumption actual costs in Spain. Values of about 124 €/MWhe are feasible. Fuel consumption and emissions in hybrid operation can be reduced above 30% with respect to those of the same turbine working in a pure combustion mode. This model shows the potential of hybrid solar dishes to become cost-competitive against non-renewable technologies from the point of view of costs and reduction in gas emission levels in regions with high solar radiation and low water resources.

A compilation of innovative educational activities to work on concepts related to the production of electrical energy is presented. To approach the real-life secondary education curriculum, they are grouped to be performed during a week denominated Renewable Energy Week: an educational proposal aimed to promote the respect for the environment through the insight on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and renewable energy sources. The students would build and perform low-cost experiments so as to deeply understand the essence of energetic transformations, as well as electricity generation. Learning by discovery, collaborative learning and experimentation, are the methodological pillars that characterize Renewable Energy Week, since they have been proven to be efficient methodologies to promote students’ learning. Innovative techniques for pupils evaluation are employed, including a rubric, Socrative application and a set of sheets regarding experiments. Through this educational proposal, the students are expected to achieve a deep understanding of some key concepts related to electricity and awaken their interest in scientific subjects, making them conscious of the transition to sustainable development that our planet urgently requires. At the same time, this project offers to teachers a series of experiments and innovative activities to work on the SDG in Physics, Chemistry and Technology subjects.

Parabolic dish collectors (PDCs) focus solar radiation onto a small area, minimizing the heat-loss area of the solar receiver and improving the heating of the working fluid. This fluid usually drives a Stirling-like or micro-gas turbine (Brayton-like) power generator. PDCs, initially intended for small-capacity applications, are well-suited for electricity and heat generation in remote rural areas, working alone and/or as parabolic dish arrays. PDCs have received considerable attention among solar thermal collectors due to their high concentration ratios and the high temperatures they achieve. However, nowadays, they are the least developed and least commissioned among concentrated solar power configurations, lacking a well-established technology. This review aims to compile the evolution of research on PDCs over recent years from a global perspective and is mainly focused on the subsystems constituting a PDC plant, their integration, and overall system optimisation, thereby addressing a gap in the current literature. Methodological tools used in the field are comprehensively revised, and recent related projects are summarized. Some innovative and promising applications are also highlighted.