Numerical simulations are carried out to study the performance of two schemes of power output control applicable to solar chimney power plants. Either the volume flow or the turbine pressure drop is used as independent control variable. Values found in the literature for the optimum ratio of turbine pressure drop to pressure potential vary between 2/3 and 0.97. It is shown that the optimum ratio is not constant during the whole day and it is dependent of the heat transfer coefficients applied to the collector. This study is a contribution towards understanding solar chimney power plant performance and control and may be useful in the design of solar chimney turbines. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.