Concentrated solar power plant with independent superheater

A system for generating electricity using insolation, comprising:

• a solar collection system constructed to convert solar insolation to thermal energy and transfer the thermal energy to water or water vapor conveyed therethrough to generate superheated steam;
• a thermal energy storage system including at least first and second thermal storage reservoirs configured to store a thermal energy storage fluid comprising at least one of a molten salt and a molten metal and to transfer therefrom enthalpy to water or steam from a supply thereof;
• an electricity generating system including a turbine configured to generate electricity using steam conveyed thereto;
• a heat exchanger connected to the solar collection system, the thermal energy storage system, and the electricity generating system, the heat exchanger being configured such that enthalpy can be selectively transferred:
• from the superheated steam generated by the solar collection system to the thermal energy storage fluid stored by the first and second storage reservoirs, or
• directly to water or steam flowing from said supply to generate steam or superheated steam;
• a gas-fired steam superheater;
• and
• a control system configured to control the solar collection, the thermal energy storage, and the electricity generating systems and the heat exchanger such that:
• at a first operating period, steam generated by the solar collection system is further heated thereby to an electricity generating temperature solely using thermal energy converted from insolation and is conveyed to the electricity generating system;
• and
• at a second operating period, steam generated with enthalpy transferred from the thermal storage fluid is further heated by the gas-fired superheater to a higher temperature that is substantially the same as said electricity generating temperature and is then conveyed to the electricity generating system,
• wherein said first and second operating periods are characterized by at least one of an insolation level, a time of day, or a stage in an operation process.