Solar energy storage and aquifer management

A solar energy storage management system, comprising:

• a solar thermal collection unit configured to collect incident radiation and add heat into a heat transfer fluid;
• a first photovoltaic pre-heating system configured to pre-heat a spent stream from a utilization facility to generate a first pre-heated stream;
• and
• a heat exchanger configured to convey heat from the heat transfer fluid and the first pre-heated stream to a storage stream for output to an aquifer thermal storage system, wherein the aquifer thermal storage system has an aquifer with one or more injector wells and one or more production wells, and wherein the storage stream passes through the injector wells for storage in the aquifer and thermal energy in the storage stream is stored in the aquifer for later extraction through the production wells, whereby a drive stream having the stored thermal energy can be used to drive a steam generator at the utilization facility;
• and
• wherein the aquifer includes at least one of a depleted aquifer or a geopressurized aquifer, and
• wherein the geopressurized aquifer is located subsurface below a hydrocarbon zone in sedimentary rock.

A solar energy storage management system, comprising:

• a solar thermal collection unit configured to collect incident radiation and add heat into a heat transfer fluid;
• a first photovoltaic pre-heating system configured to pre-heat a spent stream from a utilization facility to generate a first pre-heated stream;
• and
• a heat exchanger configured to convey heat from the heat transfer fluid and the first pre-heated stream to a storage stream for output to an aquifer thermal storage system, wherein the aquifer thermal storage system has a pressurized aquifer with one or more injector wells and one or more production wells, and wherein the storage stream passes through the injector wells for storage in the pressurized aquifer and thermal energy in the storage stream is stored in the pressurized aquifer for later extraction through the production wells, wherein the pressurized aquifer is located subsurface below a hydrocarbon bearing reservoir, whereby fluids output from this pressurized aquifer may reduce an early onset of water breakthrough into the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir and extend the hydrocarbon production time and rate for the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir.