A temperature threshold evaluation for thermocline energy storage in concentrated solar power plants

•A 230 kWh thermocline tank included in a 150 kWth parabolic trough power plant is presented.•Typical charge and typical discharge experiments are performed to be used as comparison criterions.•Dynamic experiments are performed in order to evaluate the thermocline performance when integrated into the power plant.•Using a dynamic threshold temperature enables to enhance the thermocline efficiency.