A Review of Geothermal–Solar Hybrid Power-Generation Systems

Shuntao Hu, Jiali Liu, Xinli Lu () and Wei Zhang
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Shuntao Hu: Department of Energy and Power Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
Jiali Liu: Department of Energy and Power Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
Xinli Lu: Department of Energy and Power Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China
Wei Zhang: Department of Energy and Power Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, China

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 21, 1-28

Abstract: Hybrid geothermal–solar systems leverage complementary resources to enhance efficiency, dispatchability, and low-carbon supply. This review compares mainstream configurations (solar-preheating configurations, solar-superheating configuration, and other emerging concepts) and reports typical performance gains—thermal efficiency of 5–80% and exergy efficiency up to ~60%—observed across resource contexts. Findings indicate that preheating routes are generally preferable under medium direct normal irradiance (DNI) and operation-and-maintenance (O&M)-constrained conditions, while superheating routes become attractive at high DNI with thermal storage; integrated multigeneration systems can deliver system-level benefits for multi-energy parks and district applications. In addition, this paper identifies technical bottlenecks—source matching, storage dependence, and the absence of a unified evaluation—and summarizes control/optimization strategies, including emerging advanced artificial-intelligence algorithms. In addition, the review highlights a standardized comprehensive performance evaluation framework, which covers thermal and exergy efficiency, net power output, complexity, the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), reliability, and storage. Finally, according to the research status and findings, future research directions are proposed, which pave the way for more effective exploitation of geothermal and solar energy.

Keywords: geothermal-solar hybrid systems; power generation; organic Rankine cycle (ORC); multigeneration systems; system evaluation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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