International Journal of Energetica (IJECA) 

https://www.ijeca.info 

ISSN: 2543-3717 Volume 6. Issue 1. 2021 Page 39-42 

 

Experimental study of the effect of meteorological parameters on the  

performance of the solar chimney power plant 

 

 
Abdelghani Azizi

1
, Djamel Benmenine 

2
, Hadda Nouar

3
, Abdelmadjid Kaddour

4
 

 
1
Department of Renewable Energies, University of Kasdi Merbah Ouargla, Ouargla, ALGERIA 

2
Laboratory for the Development of New and Renewable Energies in Arid Zones, University of Kasdi Merbah Ouargla, ALGERIA 

3
Electro Technology and renewable energies Department, University of Hassiba Ben Bouali, Chlef, ALGERIA 

4
Unité de Recherche Appliquée en Energies Renouvelables, URAER, Centre de Développement des Energies Renouvelables, CDER,  

47133, Ghardaïa, ALGERIA 

 
Email*: abdelghani.azizi1@gmail.com 

 
 

Abstrac t – The solar chimney power plant (SCPP) is an economical technology for the production 

of solar electricity. The increase in the production efficiency of this type of installation is depended 

of the several theoretical and experimental studies. This paper stu died the effect of some k ey 

parameters such as (ambient temperature, solar radiation), on the performance of the solar 

chimney power plant. Using the dimensions of our SCPP prototype and also compared by the 

Manzanares prototype with Ouargla weather condit ions. Where the maximu m solar radiation and 

ambient temperatures are 957 W/m
2
 and 30 ° C at 15h00. Respectively. The measured average air 

speed is 1.04 m/s, and the electric power value of the prototype is 2.04W. The results show that the 

solar radiation and the ambient temperature have a direct effect in the SCPP efficiency, and also 

confirm that the technology of solar chimneys is the best solution to install in the hot and arid  

areas lik e Ouargla city. 

 
Keywords: Solar chimney, Meteorological parameters, electricity production, solar energy. 

Received: 26/04/2021 – Accepted: 16/06/2021 

 

I.  Introduction 

 
In Algeria, the global radiation received in d ifferent  

sites without altitudes or with a ltitudes of Mediterranean 

or Saharan c limates, is one of the highest in the world. In 

addition, the southern regions benefit fro m e xceptional 

qualities to harness solar energy in  the most varied forms  

[1]. Sola r energy is harnessed by a device called a  solar 

fireplace. A solar chimney  is the new technology for 

produce the electrica l energy using the solar energy 

where the main components  are consists  of: 

1- The solar greenhouse or collector ground; 

2- The chimney or tower; 

3- The turbine with electrical generator; 

The technology of the solar chimney power p lant was 

proposed in the first time  by the engineer Jorg  Schla ich  

and Ge rman in 1976. In 1979, where they developed the 

first prototype that is reached the powe r output of 50 kW  

in Manzanares  city situated in the south of Madrid, 

Spain. Consisted of collector of 120 m radius and high  

from ground of 2 m, and with chimney height of 195 m 

its radius of 5 m, the solar chimney power was operated 

from 1982 until 1989. The tests  that are carried out in the 

power plant shown that the installation is  reliably and 

therefore the concept is technically viable. The energy 

cost analysis  and evaluation were studied in the work of 

Haaf et al. the analysis  showed that the power generation 

cost of the plant was  (0.098 USD / kWh based on the 

1983 average exchange rate). Since then, no chimney 

solar power plant has  been built but many theoretical and 

numerical studies  have been carried out by many 

researchers. [2-4-5]. 

In the work of Ba lijepa lli et a l an Investigation has 

carried  out in a  s mall p rototype solar chimney powe r 

plant, where the ma ximu m a ir velocity was achieved at 

chimney is 1.9 m/s. and the effic iency of the SCPP 

estimated is 0.0019% [6]. Kiwan et al performed a 

modification in the SCPP in aim to improve the 
 

 IJECA-ISSN: 2543-3717. June 2021 Page 39 

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Abdelghani Azizi et al 

IJECA-ISSN: 2543-3717. 

 

 Page 40 

 

performance of the SCPP viab ility.   where  they added 

two modifications the first is the photovoltaic (PV) and  

the second is installation of water pool for cooling the PV 

panels, the goal fro m these two modifications  is to 

increase the power output of the installation, where the 

results found that the proposed system produces 45.35%  

more e lectricity annually than a standalone PV system 

installed in the same location [7]. Setareh carried out a 

comprehensive study of the effects  of geometric 

parameters on the performance of solar ch imney power 

plant (SCPP), the proposition reveal that the ratio of 

pressure drop to total pressure potential of turbine must 

be chosen between 0.7–0.85 in the aim to achieve the 

optimu m performance of SCPP. a lso the results shown 

that the increasing in air speed in side the chimney has a 

positive effect on the power output as well the 

performance of the SCPP [8]. 

 

In this paper, we would like to show our study that is 

carried  out at Ouargla  Un iversity on the solar ch imney 

power plant (SCPP) and analysis  the Effective of 

metro logical para meters  on the Pe rformance of Sola r 

Chimney  Powe r Plant such as (a mbient te mperature  solar 

radiation, air velocity Inside collector and chimney). 

 
II.  Material and Methods  

II. 1 .  Work ing principle 

 
Solar Chimney Power Plant (SCPP) is a simp le solar 

therma l power p lant capable of converting solar energy 

into electricity. A solar towe r is a renewable  energy plant  

built in such a way that air fro m a greenhouse heated by 

the sun is channeled into a ch imney, in  order to drive 

turbines  to produce electricity. as shown in Figure 1. 

 
Figure 1. Working principle of t he Solar Chimney Power Plant SCP P  

 
II. 2 .  Prototype description 

 
In order to carrier out evaluate the measurement of the  

temperature field  and air ve locity in side the solar 

chimney, a prototype of SCPP was built University of 

Ouargla as shown in Figure 2 composed from collector 

wood ground of (5 m x 5 m) and (PVC) pipe with 0.16 m 

dia meter 6 m high used as chimney, where The  PVC pipe  

was isolated using glass wool. The materia l used in the 

collector is a transparent glass and the height of collector 

from the ground is 0.2 m. 

 
 

Figure 2. (a): T he solar chimney prototype. (b) T he SCCP  prototype 

wit h glass collect or used in our experiment al st udy 

 

 

The dimensional para meters of the SCPP prototype are 

presented in the Table 1. 

 
T able 1. T he dimensional parameters of t he Solar Chimney prototype 

 
Descrip tion Value 

area of Collector 5 x 5 m
2
 

High of Chimney  6 m 

High of collector from the ground 0.2 m 

diameter of the Chimney  0.16 m 

Tilt angle of the Collector ≈ 6° 

 

III.  Discussion of the measured results 

 
III. 1 .  Variations of solar radiation and ambient 

temperature 

 
Figure 2 presented the fluctuation of the solar radiation 

(G) and amb ient temperature (Ta) measured with the 

time. These two parameters were registered in the day of 

15 Ma rche 2020. During the recorded of the results  it 

was shown that the ambient temperature  changes 

between 17 °C at 08h 00. to 30 ° C at  15h00. And the 

average value of the a mbient te mperature was 26.18 °C. 

Also the solar radiation increases wit the time afte r and 

the ma ximu m value recorded is 957 W/ m
2
 at 13h00. And 

decreases  until sunset; where the average value was 

728.9 W/ m
2
. It was observed following the results 

recorded that the potential of the village of Ouargla  it  is  

the suitable to install the solar powe r p lants as the solar 

chimney power plant. 



Abdelghani Azizi et al 

IJECA-ISSN: 2543-3717. 

 

 Page 41 

 

 
 

 
 

Figure 2. T ypical measured solar irradiance and ambient t emperature 

vs T ime (15/03/2020) 

 

 

 
III. 2 .  Variations of ambient temperature and air speed 

 
Figure 3 shows  the variations  in measured a mbient 

temperature (Ta) and air  speed as a function of time.  

These two para meters we re registered during the day of  

15 March 2020 in Ouarg la. Where observed that when 

the ambient temperature increases the air speed increases 

until reach ing the ma ximu m value of 1.6 m/s with 

amb ient te mperature value  of 30 °C at 13h 00 , and begins 

to decrease to 0.8 m/s  for an a mb ient te mperature value 

of 27 °C at 18h00. So we can a lso say that the air speed 

and the ambient te mperature have a p roportional 

relationship. 

 
 

 

Figure 3. Variat ion of air velocity at t he chimney entrance vs. solar 

irradiance (15/03/2020) 

III. 3 .  Variation of the power calculated by the 

mathematical model 

 
Figure 4 illustrates the expected energy variance using 

the SCPP dimensional mathemat ical mode l as a function 

of solar radiation, using meteorologica l para meters for a  

typical day on 03/15/ 2020 in Ouarg la. It is observed can 

that the power output generated by the prototype reached 

more than (1) watts in the presence of more than 860 

W/m² o f solar rad iation between  10h00 and 13h00. It  is  

important to note that the electrica l energy that can be  

produced at Ouargla  will be  (1.13). The fo rm of the 

power output curve confirms  the precisions  of the 

mathematical model. 

 
 

Figure 4. Variat ion of t he power calculated by t he mathematical model 

using t he dimensions of the SCP P vs. solar radiation (15/03/2020) 

 

IV .  Conclusion 

This  paper presents  the results  as well as their 

discussions for an e xperimental study of the sma ll-scale 

SCPP and also the results of the theoretical study by 

using the mathemat ical mode l for the calculat ion of the 

power. We can summarize the results found in our study 

as follows: 

The meteorological values recorded for the typical day of 

03/ 15/ 2020 where  the ma ximu m solar radiation and 

amb ient te mperatures are 957W/ m
2
 and 30°C at 13h00 

respectively, The measured average air speed is 1.04 m/s, 

and the electric powe r va lue calcu lated by the 

mathe matica l model for the prototype is  2.04 W, we 

found that the effic iency of the chimney has  a 

proportional relat ionship with solar rad iation as we ll as 

the height of the chimney. And the value of the 

ma ximu m air speed reached 1.4 m/s with solar radiation  

of 957 W/m² at 13h00, for the typical day of 03/03/2017. 



Abdelghani Azizi et al 

IJECA-ISSN: 2543-3717. 

 

 Page 42 

 

The air ve locity inside chimney increasing re ma rkab ly  

with the increasing of the solar radiance and the ambient  

temperature, it is clearly observed that the efficiency of 

the chimney has a proportional relat ionship with solar 

radiation as well as  the ambient temperature. 

 
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