Perspectives of new solar energy option for sustainable residential electricity generation: A comparative techno-economic evaluation of photovoltaic and solar dish systems

Solar thermal technologies, especially concentrated solar power systems (CSP) could be harnessed to provide energy at lower costs. This study presents a novel comparative techno-economic assessment of a newly developed solar dish Stirling engine (SDSE) system and a conventional photovoltaic (PV) system for residential electricity generation. Unlike previous studies, this work provides a comprehensive analysis of both technologies using robust software within the MATLAB/Simulink? environment and assesses their energy output, efficiency, costeffectiveness, payback period (PBP), and levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of the power supply under real operating conditions. A case study examined the two systems (PV and SDSE) designed for a 214 m2 house (3 bedrooms, one living room, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, and a guest room). Results reveal several key advantages of SDSE over PV. The comparative analysis shows that the SDSE exceeds the PV system in efficiency, energy production, and cost-effectiveness, with a lower LCOE ($0.104/kWh vs. $0.396/kWh), shorter payback period (0.6 vs. 1 year), higher annual energy production (14.6 MWh vs. 9.24 MWh), and greater plant efficiency (27.03 % vs. 20.7 %), while also requiring less area (18.92 m? vs. 24.697 m?) and fewer modules (2 vs. 11).